“Help me.” Rang in his ears and his mind and with it, the vision of Korbin and those things that had hurt Theo in the past. His heart was in his throat, and his mind came suddenly to a sharp focus as all his centuries of training came back to him in his most dire moment of need.
He took in the vision Theo was sending and knew the area he was being held. With a resolved determination, he parked and jumped from the vehicle making his way quickly through the woods as he sent off a distress call to any vampire close enough to receive it. This could go down ugly on both parts, and he wanted back up in case he wasn’t enough to see it through.
Theo would live this day, he would live to hear Bastian apologize and beg him to not leave, and he would hear Bastian pledge his love that would be his for the rest of eternity. Theo would live, and their life would be one. With that solid resolution, he darted through the trees with his long sword drawn and his Smith and Wesson model 500 in his other hand and at the ready. It was .50 caliber and could fell a grizzly, so should make short work of Korbin.
He rushed to the scene, and his heart nearly shattered as the smell of Theo’s blood filled the air. There on the ground stretched out spread eagle bare to the waist was his beloved with Korbin over him and those things holding him down. They were going to sacrifice him as they had the others in the damnable pit. He pulled off his first shot and hit the thing holding Theo’s shoulders to the ground. The shot knocked it back on its heels, but didn’t kill it, so he took a shot at Korbin, hitting him in the shoulder and slamming him against the tree behind him.
Bastian didn’t stop advancing as he pulled off shot after shot making them scramble for cover. Korbin tried to reach for a long gun he had propped by the oak, but Bastian shot the barrel, mangling it beyond use. Nothing compared to the power of a model 500, and that was why all DuCane’s soldiers carried them. But for the mystical and magic-based, it had to be iron; only iron would kill such things.
The creatures charged him in an attempt to give Korbin time to escape with Theo. But his beloved was smarter and faster than Arlo Korbin. Bastian dodged the creatures and got close enough to Theo to toss him the handgun while fighting off both beasts with his long sword.
Theo rolled to his knees and held Korbin in the scope of his gun. He froze for a fraction of a second and then began a low guttural chant and raised his eyes up to the canopy of the trees. Raising his hands, he began to get louder and louder. Bastian finished the one beast while beating back the other when he heard the incantation that Korbin was citing, and his blood ran cold.
“Shoot him!” He shouted to Theo. “Don’t let him finish!” He heard the gun go off, but Theo being the man that he was, shot Korbin in the knee, dropping him to the ground but not killing him. Unfortunately, it did not stop the intonation of words that would bring darkness upon them all. Korbin pulled himself up against the tree and started screaming his words just as Silas stepped from the trees and swung his sword, separating Korbin’s head from his shoulders. The incantation stopped immediately, and the air shifted from ominous to light.
His call had been heeded, and soldiers assisted him in ending the life of the final beast. He dropped his sword and rushed to Theo, picking him up into his arms and crushing him to his chest. The panic and the unknown had crippled Bastian’s heart and mind, and the need to feel and breathe in the life force of his beloved was paramount. He had to satisfy himself that Theo was alive and well. The wounds to his chest were rapidly healing, and all Bastian could manage was a tortured I love you and a kiss that took bother their breath away.
Silas came up and placed his hand on Bastian’s should. “Go, we got this. Take your beloved home and tend to his needs.” Bastian turned with Theo clutched tightly in his arms when Silas added. “He did well, Bastian. Your beloved is strong and capable. I agree with you. He will be a valuable addition to your team.” Bastian nodded, still not able to speak as the horror of what could have happened still roared through his mind.
He carried him to the borrowed vehicle and strapped him in before getting behind the wheel and just sitting there silent for a moment. He turned and looked at Theo, who was still looking a bit shell shocked as he stared out the window at the road ahead of them.
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t open and more honest with you. I should have told you how much I love you from the moment it became clear to me. Everything about you softened my heart and made me want more. I’ve lived a long life, and most of it violent and cold, but you gave me something I didn’t know I could possess. You allowed me to feel true love, a deep regard for the welfare of someone wholly unconnected to me.” He put his hand on his heart.
“This was no duty that I performed. My assignment was to stop you from finding out our secrets and make sure you went on your way as soon as possible. Everything heartfelt that happen was just you and me.” He reached over and took Theo’s hand and held it.
“You are my beloved, and I would move heaven and earth to be with you and to keep you safe and by my side. My plan once I realized you belonged to me was to win you over and introduce you into my world. The pull, the Fated match works both ways. You felt the connection just as I did; I worked with that feeling to get into your good graces. I’m sorry that my ill-timed awkward conversation with Rawl ruined that plan. Know that I love you with every part of my being. I need you like I need air to breathe.” He lifted Theo’s hand to his lips and kissed it softly and rubbed it against his cheek, craving the closeness of his beloved.
“Stay with me, Theo, join my team, grow with me. Let me love you, let me cherish you.” With that, he fell silent again and waited.
…
“I’m . . . sorry.” Theo choked out the words, but he needed to make amends with this man who, through everything, just fought to protect him. He understood himself and his reservations now, and he understood his place in this world. “I made assumptions that supported the need that I felt to flee. I realize that now. I was afraid of what this all meant and how it was going to change my life.” He turned and gave Bastian his full attention.
“I’m not sure if you know this from your research on me, but I have a father who moved to London nine years ago with his girlfriend and has never come back and a brother who I barely even know. I have one friend that I truly trust, only one and no one else. My life has been career-driven and, in many ways isolating just as I designed it.” He took a deep cleansing breath and looked down at himself and then back at Bastian.
“It’s not that I didn’t want you; I was just afraid of needing you.” He felt Bastian straining to not take him in his arms. The man wanted to comfort him, and he wanted it to, but he had to get this all out first.
“I love you too, Bastian; our time together has scared me on some level, but I know this is true, and this is where my life needs to go. I need to stand with you, Bastian. This is where I belong. Fighting beside you out there showed me what my life is supposed to be.” He paused for a second and took in the amazing, loving man who sat before him.
“You, I need you, and I’m not afraid to say it. I know that my career will have to be forfeited, and I understand why. But I also know that what you offer me will be far and above anything I could have hoped for or achieved with an agency that is bound by its own limited beliefs and protocol.” Theo leaned forward and kissed him softly, and Bastian deepened the kiss pulling him into his arms and holding him close. The warmth and support were life-giving in their intensity.
“You humble me with your words, my love. My heart shattered when I saw you there on the ground. The thought of losing you was incomprehensible. You are my life, Theo. I look forward to every minute that I spend with you. I cannot lose you.” He repeated.
“I cannot lose you,” Theo stated in response.
“Let us go home. The situation here will be ongoing for a very long time. There is a lot to be determined about Korbin and his descent into the black arts. The beasts he made will have to be rooted out and destroyed, and the memories of those affected
will have to be wiped. It will be a long assignment which we can join tomorrow or the next, depends upon the time we need to secure our bond and work on our relationship.” Bastian smiled and released him to turn in his seat and start the truck.
Theo moved closer, placing his hand on Bastian’s thigh, lightly grazing Bastian’s hard cock with the back of his hand. “I think it is going to take some time for me to be sure of your intent.” He teased with a salaciously smile. “I might not let you out of bed for days.”
“Like they say, don’t threaten me with a good time.” Bastian countered and pulled out onto the road and floored it, obviously in a hurry to move this relationship forward.
“I love you, Bastian.” He stated.
“I love you too, Theo, with all that I am.”
EPILOGUE
The bodies were identified, families were notified, and legal paperwork was filed to present Arlo Korbin as a serial killer. Agent Theo Hawke signed off on the investigation, and once the case was closed, he put in his resignation much to Lisa’s disappointment. He explained that DuCane Industries had offered him a plum position in their security department that was too good to turn down, plus he told her about Bastian DuFort and their budding relationship. It was well beyond the budding stage, but she didn’t need to know that.
She was pleased and supportive, but still resented the fact that he got the handsome Frenchman and she was still single and slogging away at the agency. Bastian assured him that she could visit but could never be brought into the secret unless, of course, she turned out to have a beloved at Coven DuCane as well.
He joined Bastian’s team that he liked to call “the cleanup crew.”
“We go in when everything has gone to shit, and we set it all back to right,” Bastian explained. “It’s a full-time job making sure our secret is safe and taking care of dangers and outliers.”
“It’s a full-time job just keeping up with you.” Theo shot back one day after together. They’d reviewed the situation in Toledo and realized not everyone there was happy or settled, and trouble was brewing. The team was set to return, and this time, Theo would be by his side where he belonged.
Master DuCane, along with Ezra’s assistance, found the remaining three rogue cougars, and they were put down. Korbin had used a mutating spell that killed the will of the host and made the body subject to his commands. The half shift was used for the purpose of fear and revulsion. Korbin, for reasons all his own, had called down a darkness that he would never have been able to control or confine. It would have caused immeasurable harm if it had been released. Fortunately, he hadn’t been able to complete the blood sacrifices, but it was too close for Louis to not feel a sense of foreboding.
He sat with Ismael one evening, discussing his concerns. “Korbin can never happen again.” He stated. “His duplicity and betrayal were so well hidden and unexpected; I find it hard to believe he operated alone. The deputies who were involved with the original coverup have them found and brought here. I didn’t go deep enough when the problems first arose, and now, I am paying for that oversight. Bring in everyone with even a passing acquaintance with Arlo Korbin.” He took a sip of his whiskey and looked out over the vast garden.
“The mass grave was shocking. I haven’t seen anything like that since we left France. We had no idea Korbin had gone so dark.” Ismael interjected.
“We should have known. There is no excuse for not being aware. I told Theo that we protect the town and its inhabitants, and I want that statement to be true. No more half measures when dealing with problems that don’t appear to affect us directly. We take every problem personally from now on, no matter how small it may seem. I want protection and surveillance extended beyond just the Sheriff’s department.” Louis was outraged.
“Private police, perhaps under the cover of private investigators. They could operate within the town without raising concern. They will report only to us.” Ismael threw out the idea.
“Yes, PI’s or security men that look like a private business. Have Silas pull together a team to take up that assignment and have it in place within the week.”
“It will be done.”
“This can never happen again, Ismael.” He stated and finished his drink.
“This will never happen again, Louis.” He answered and finished his drink.
THE END
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. Please rate and review! -B.A. Stretke
About the Author
B.A. Stretke is a Gay Romance and fiction author who publishes through Dreamspinner Press, LLC, and Amazon.com.
B.A Stretke began writing as a hobby. He read his first Jane Austen novel as a teen and was instantly hooked. The age-old dream of being a novelist took hold. Now long into adulthood, and a few years as an editor under his belt, B.A. is a full-time writer.
B.A. spends his days reading, engaging in sarcasm, and plotting the next storyline, often leaving little head space for much else. He loves hiking through the Northern Michigan woods he calls home, often finding inspiration for his books. Writing and finding that perfect cup of coffee occupy the rest of his time.
B.A. Stretke lives in Northern Michigan.
You can connect with B.A. Stretke on his website: www.bastretke.com
Follow him on Twitter @BAStretkeWriter
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More Books from B.A. Stretke:
Bay Harbor Wolves:
Rogue
Vampires of Blood and Bones
Blood and Bones
Stone and Steel
Die Pretty
Ezra’s Awakening
Pittsburgh Vampires
Meant To Be
Bad Reputation
Blond and Broken
Master DuCane
Love Is Danger
Surrender To Me
Eyes of Darkness
The Vampire and the Witch
The Vampire Next Door
Never Let Me Go
Dragon’s Blood M.C.:
Apex: The Dragon’s Mate
The Dragon’s Heart
Loving The Hellhound
Runaway
The Bad Boy
The Call of the Dragon
Finding Forever
The Dragon Twins
King of the Dragons
Rafe: The Dragon Knight
Suffer The Knight
Crimson Vampire Coven:
● Crimson Love
● Trusting Fate
● For Now and Forever
● My Vampire Lover
● The Vampire Code
● The Crimson Sorcerer
● The Crimson Omega
● The Crimson Alpha
● The Crimson Beta
● The Dragon King
● The Demon Lord
● The Dragon Knight – The Crimson War
● The Crimson Redemption
● Crimson Christmas
● Come Back To Me
● Love and Magic
● The Crimson Victory
Pack Rules – Rue Pack Wolves:
● Mine
● Alpha Mate
● The Enforcer’s Mate
● Forever Mine – The Beta’s Mate
● Lost and Found
● The Omega’s Mate
● The Doctor’s Mate
● Finding Home
● Owen’s Mate
● Saving Jeremiah
● Jackson’s Journey
● Jesse’s Love
● The Master’s Beloved
● The Vampire’s Chosen
The Wolves of Belle Fourche:
● The Wolves of Belle Fourche – The Alpha’s Claim
● Surprised by Forever
● Healing Scars
Lonepine Wolf Shifters:
● Lonepine Wolf Shifters
● Reluctant Mate
● Jamie’s Mate
Superiorland Wolf Pack:
● Th
e Werewolf’s Mate
The Dark Side:
● The Dark Side - Vampire Romance
Sparrow Ridge Wolf Pack:
Omega Mine
The Omega’s Love
Other Stories:
● Risk and Reward: A Gay Love Story
● Bound By the Gods
● Signed and Sealed
● The Art of the Deal
● Save Me - A Supernatural Romance
Blood Sacrifice: Vampires of Blood and Bones Page 11