by Shea Balik
Arjun would have been better at this part, but Tevin had been helping his mate for years. He might not be quite as creative as Arjun would have been, but Tevin would get the job done.
Baz nodded. The arm that had been around Tevin, pulled him tighter to his hard, sculpted body. “Thank you.”
Tevin smiled up at his mate. He was about five inches shorter than Baz, which was a mixed feeling for Tevin. He loved the way it felt to be held against Baz. To place his head in the crook of his neck and breathe him in.
On the other hand, it reminded Tevin why he never could protect Arjun. Why he’d been a failure as a mate. His smaller stature made him weak.
“I know you want to find your parents’ bodies and give them a proper burial.” Tevin’s own parents had died when he was young and he didn’t really remember a lot about them. But he knew he’d want to do the same if any of the members of his chosen family had stayed behind to save Tevin. He’d want to be given the chance to pay his respects and do the right thing by them.
Baz leaned down and placed his forehead against Tevin’s. “I’m not sure I’m strong enough to find their bodies, but I can’t leave them there.”
Tevin closed the distance between their lips and placed a chaste kiss that was more about comfort than anything else. “I’ll be by your side. You can lean on me if you need to.”
Maybe if he’d done that for Arjun, their mate wouldn’t have left him.
“Okay, let’s load up the helicopters,” Saber called out. “Tevin, get what you need from the supplies we brought with us.”
Those that Baz had led out of danger were being transported by plane to Miracle. It was quite amazing how they’d managed to get all of them on two planes. Baz had all the smaller shifters become their animal for the ride. There had to be a hundred birds currently flying around inside that plane. A sight Tevin hadn’t imagined he’d see in his lifetime.
With Baz’s help, Tevin gathered everything he needed and loaded it onto one of the three helicopters they would be using to travel to where Baz had left his parents. Well, close by, since they had no idea if there were still soldiers in the area.
***
Tevin opened the door to his and Arjun’s home. A sob broke from his lips the moment he saw it was still empty. Arjun hadn’t returned.
“Hey,” Baz put his arms around Tevin and held him from behind. “We’ll find him. I promise.”
It should be Tevin who was comforting Baz, not the other way around. The carnage they’d found had been almost more than Tevin could handle without losing the control he had on the bile that had risen up from his stomach.
When Baz had found his parents, it had been Tevin who cried, while his mate just knelt next to each of them as he said his silent goodbyes. It had taken the rest of the day to bury the dead. The following day, they’d headed out to see if they could find any shifters either still hiding, or those that had been captured.
Twenty shifters had been discovered badly injured but still holding on. But all those who had been taken were gone. Saber and his men were following the tracks of the vehicles they’d found at each of the shifter towns while more men were on their way to help stage a rescue when the time came.
But until they knew what they were getting into, Saber had insisted Baz and Tevin go home to find their mate. Their council leader had enlisted Yosi, a computer genius who lived on his own island, to help find Arjun. Yosi assured them he’d find him.
Tevin knew better. Arjun was gone and he wasn’t ever coming back. “I wish that were true,” Tevin whispered. “Just as much as I wish that you won’t end up hating me just as much as Arjun does.”
Lips brushed against his ear, and Tevin lost all ability to stand as his legs gave out at the feel of this strong man at his back. If only it wasn’t temporary, maybe Tevin would be able to enjoy the sensation instead of living in a hell of his own making.
How had life come to this? Why hadn’t he just been the mate Arjun wanted, instead of wallowing in self-pity that he couldn’t be the mate Arjun needed to keep him safe? Tevin never cared that Arjun’s ideas created a bit of havoc. Hell, he’d enjoyed watching how his mate’s brain worked.
“I’ve got you.” The deep timbre of Baz’s voice soothed something within Tevin, but until Arjun was there, Tevin feared he’d never know peace again. He didn’t deserve to.
“It’s okay my sweet baby, I won’t let you fall, ever.” The words were what Tevin might want to hear, but it was way too late. For, despite Baz’s reassurances Tevin had not just fallen, he’d dropped down into the pits of hell for what he’d done to their mate.
Lips crashed against his own, forcing Tevin’s attention to focus on the man cradling him in his arms. Tevin should be loath to admit it, but he loved the way Baz held him, as if he were a cherished gift instead of the reason why they were missing a part of their soul.
Baz thrust his tongue into Tevin’s mouth, gaining every drop of his attention, until there was nothing but the two of them. Just as with Arjun, Tevin still felt that missing piece, but it was impossible to let his focus stay there for long with Baz demanding his full attention.
“Better?” Baz asked.
“I miss him, Baz,” Tevin whispered. “I swear there is a hole in my chest where my heart should be.”
His mate nodded and pulled him close. “I know, sweet baby. But trust me. I will find him.”
Tevin didn’t know how. “Arjun is an expert at hiding. If he doesn’t want to be found, there’s no way Yosi and his computers will find him.”
Baz grinned down at Tevin. “That may be true, but we will find him. We’re his mates. You know him better than anyone and I can track better than anyone. Are you with me on this?”
It was odd. Tevin damn well knew deep in his bones that finding Arjun would be impossible. Yet, with Baz there by his side, a flicker of hope ignited within him.
For the first time since he’d realized Arjun had left him, Tevin thought there was a chance he’d find his mate.
Nodding, he said, “What do you need me to do?”
Baz hugged him fiercely, then pulled him to the kitchen table. “First, we eat. Then we figure out where our mate would have gone.”
The thought of all the places Arjun could be boggled Tevin’s mind. “He could be anywhere.”
Baz pulled a few things out of the refrigerator that Tevin’s friends had kept stocked despite the fact that he’d refused to eat anything after Arjun had left. Setting them on the counter, Baz leaned his hip against it and crossed his arms. “That’s not true.”
Tevin frowned. “What do you mean? Arjun is someone who has no trouble blending in anywhere. Before we met, he’d pretty much traveled all over the world.”
“That’s the point,” Baz said.
Confused, Tevin stared at his mate, hoping he’d clarify.
Baz strode over to where he sat and squatted down next to him so they were eye level. “That was before he met you, his mate. No way did he go too far. His fox wouldn’t have let him.”
Tevin tilted his head slightly as he thought about what Baz said. Could it be true? Could Arjun be close? Would he be disappointed that Tevin hadn’t even bothered to search for him?
“Stop,” Baz said. His hands came up to cup Tevin’s cheeks and force him to stare into those golden eyes. “We will find him. More importantly, when we do, we will find a way to heal, together.”
Tevin wasn’t sure Baz was right, but he was willing to put his trust in his mate if it meant they all got to be together.
CHAPTER 7
Aching for his mate, Arjun wondered if he should chance checking in on Tevin. The last two times he’d tried, Tevin hadn’t come outside once. He was sure Tevin had been in their house, for Mannix had come with what smelled like food from the local diner, The Mousetrap, and then three hours later Avery had come over.
Both men had stayed for a time, but not once did Tevin go out onto the porch so Arjun could see him. He was becoming desperate for a glimpse of Te
vin. If he weren’t afraid that Tevin would scent him, Arjun would have gone up to the house and peeked through the window.
But he damn well knew he couldn’t get that close. As it was, he was taking a huge chance even though he stayed a fair distance away.
Twice he got up to head to Miracle, and twice he sat back down. The winds weren’t in his favor. Admittedly, he was a hundred miles away, through the mountainous terrain, but Arjun had checked the weather all around Miracle and it showed the same as what he was experiencing in the small, abandoned, mostly caved in, cabin he’d taken over. Winds were coming from the south, yet shifting at times from the east. It made it impossible for him to get anywhere near the cabin they shared without someone detecting him.
Dejected, Arjun went out onto the half of the porch that hadn’t collapsed and sat on the rocking chair he’d bought at a flea market on the outskirts of town. He knew better than to be seen in any town, for then he could be tracked. Instead, he only paid with cash and made sure to eat at small roadside diners and shop at out of the way grocery stores.
Not that he needed much. He often just shifted into his fox and went into the forest to get food. He wasn’t picky, nor had he been that hungry.
Maybe he should go back to Tevin. What if it had been a mistake to leave him?
Arjun scowled to himself. No. He’d done what he needed to make his mate happy. Now, hopefully, Tevin could find whatever it was he’d been missing when he had been with Arjun. He just hoped, whatever or whoever it was, made his mate as happy as he deserved to be.
Tevin was the one who had found him when Arjun had been at his lowest. He’d just been kicked out of another town for accidentally causing their city hall to burn down. It hadn’t been Arjun’s fault, mostly. He’d only been trying to fix a flickering light that the mayor had been complaining about.
How was he supposed to know the building was so damn old, that the wiring had no sheathing inside the walls? Or that the wood had so much dry rot, it was a wonder City Hall had still been standing. The fact was, it would have burned eventually. At least Arjun had seen the sparks and warned everyone to get out.
Even with the fire department right around the corner, the building hadn’t stood a chance. Those few sparks had created a cascade that ignited several fires throughout the building. Add to that the old, untreated wood and the place had burned to the ground in less than twenty minutes.
It was a good thing it had been a small town and the building only two stories, or people probably would have died. Unfortunately, the town had been made up of coyote shifters, who had no trouble killing a fox shifter.
They had chased him for three days before Tevin had rescued him. If his mate hadn’t of been parked at that rest stop Arjun happened upon, there was zero chance he would have survived. He’d been tired, hungry, and every muscle in his body had been screaming for relief after running so damn long.
Ever since, Tevin had been the one to watch out for him. Sure, he’d done that by placating those that felt the need to taunt, punch, or kill Arjun, instead of actually standing up for Arjun, but at least his mate had been there. It was time for Arjun to do the same for his mate and stay away.
He never would have imagined that not being with his mate would be the way to give Tevin the life he wanted, but if that’s what it took, Arjun would do it.
The hairs on Arjun’s body suddenly stood on end and his fox gave a bark in his head. Not altering his position in the slightest, Arjun scanned the terrain. He was being watched, of that he had no doubt. He just wasn’t sure how.
He had this place surrounded with booby traps. It would take a miracle for someone to get close enough to even see the cabin without tripping one of his devices.
Unable to scent whoever was in the woods, Arjun knew it couldn’t be coming from the south, but since he could feel at least one pair of eyes on him, and he was facing north, that made sense. His gaze took in every nuance before him. The leaves, the branches, the dirt, grass and bushes, yet nothing seemed out of place.
Movement straight ahead of him had him zeroing in on a form striding right toward him. The man was huge. He had to be over six-two at least. Short light brown hair, with eyes that almost appeared to have a golden glow to them stared right at him as he continued to walk as if he had nothing to fear.
The sheer confidence that he carried with the way he held himself nearly had Arjun call out to warn him about the booby trap he was about to trip. But ten feet from it, the man turned to the right, just like Arjun did whenever he came and went.
That golden gaze never left his, even when he had turned. He didn’t watch where he stepped or…
Arjun gasped, for there, right behind the man was Tevin, holding onto the stranger’s waist. When his deep brown eyes met Arjun’s, there was a moment of sheer joy in them. But then Tevin tripped and nearly fell onto the trap they had turned to avoid.
The stranger had been prepared as his arm shot out behind him and held Tevin close to his back. He whispered something Arjun couldn’t quite make out. Then the man did a one-eighty and picked Tevin up, cradling him close to his chest before turning back around and continuing to make his way to where Arjun now stood on the porch.
As much as he didn’t understand what was happening, Arjun couldn’t help but drink in Tevin. It was the first time he’d seen him in weeks and he’d been starved for even a glimpse of his mate. His short dark brown hair, those dark eyes that he loved so damn much. His soft, lush lips that were heaven to kiss.
His gaze continued down to make sure his mate was really okay, when he saw it. There, on Tevin’s neck was Arjun’s mating mark. But there, on the other side, was another mating mark. One Arjun hadn’t put there.
A cry came pouring out from deep within his body. Tevin had mated someone else. Probably the fucking hot man who was currently carrying him. Anguish ripped his heart in two at seeing his mate with another. How could fate be so cruel as to bring Tevin to him with a new mate?
He should have listened when Tevin had told him something didn’t feel right with their mating. Clearly, Arjun hadn’t been his real mate. He wasn’t sure what that meant, or how it could happen. All Arjun knew was that he didn’t want to live in a world that would give him a mate that wasn’t his.
A roar echoed through the forest. Before Arjun could even comprehend the sound, the man carrying Tevin, leapt with the grace of a cat onto the porch to stand before him. A split second later, Tevin was on his feet and Arjun was yanked into the other man’s arms.
Pain sliced through his neck before morphing into mind-blowing pleasure that had his cock hard and aching so damn fast he was sure he was going to pass out from it. The need to come was too damn much for him to think about controlling and his pants were quickly filled with his seed.
“Mine,” the deep, sexy voice rumbled as Arjun slumped against the stranger’s hard, muscled chest in complete bliss.
“That’s exactly how I’m wearing Baz’s mating mark.” Tevin’s voice was filled with nervousness, amusement and… love.
What Arjun wasn’t sure of was it love for him, or their mate? Nor was he entirely certain what it meant for him. Or…
“Wait.” His gaze fixed on those mesmerizing golden eyes. “You’re our mate?”
“Yes,” his other mate stated almost as if he could force Arjun to accept it with that one word alone.
Not that Arjun could deny it. He’d felt the bond between them snap into place during the claiming bite. At the same time, it hadn’t been something Arjun had expected. If he was honest, he wasn’t entirely sure he was comfortable with idea of sharing Tevin.
“That was sexy as fuck,” Tevin whispered.
Arjun scowled at hearing him say that. “Of course, you’d be okay with a third. It’s not like I’ve ever been enough for you.”
Pissed, Arjun tried to storm away but that wasn’t as easy as it sounded. His new mate wasn’t someone he could just push away. He was pretty certain one of the man’s legs weighed more than Arju
n. On top of that, the determination in his golden eyes spoke volumes. His new mate wasn’t letting Arjun go anywhere.
“We are all mates.” A large hand was thrust toward him as the man said, “My name is Baz Krusen, well Bazil, but everyone calls me Baz. Yes, I’m also your mate and I’m a lion shifter. And damn, you smell delicious, precious.”
Unsure what to do, or say for that matter, Arjun found his hand in Baz’s large one before he was suddenly pulled into a hug. A second later, Tevin was next to him, encircled in Baz’s embrace.
“My mates,” Baz said with a happy sigh. “I never imagined being so lucky to have two amazing, gorgeous men like you to share the rest of my life with, but I will forever be grateful that fate brought us together.”
Arjun let out a snort. “Yeah, until you realize that I’m not worth being mated to.”
“I never said…” Tevin sagged harder against Baz, his voice wavering as he whispered. “I love you, Arjun. I always have and I always will. I’m so damn sorry I wasn’t a better mate to you.”
Arjun wanted to forgive Tevin, he did. He would have done anything to make his mate happy, but the pain of rejection was too intense. “I get it.” Arjun said as he tried once more to pull back from Baz’s arms, but the man wasn’t budging. “You can’t help how you feel. But I can’t stand here watching you with him, knowing I was never enough. I just…”
This time instead of pulling away, Arjun dropped down to his ass, them scampered to the edge of the tiny porch. “I just can’t.” His gaze flicked from Tevin, who had tears shimmering in his eyes to Baz, who looked like he’d been punched in the gut. “I’m sorry. This didn’t have anything to do with you. I’m sure you’ll make Tevin a great mate. You can’t be worse than me, right? But I already feel as if my heart has been ripped out.”