by SF Benson
“I liked our ceremony. It was picture perfect.”
We married at the Broussard cabin in Bayou Country. I wore a simple white dress and heels. Ace wore a button-down shirt and trousers. Neither of us wanted anything fancy. The pack, Colby, and Clint were the only ones present for the event. We didn’t need anyone else.
Okay, that’s a lie.
My parents should have been there. Father should have given me away. But that would have only happened in a fairy tale. Or if I’d married someone of their choosing. Following my heart alienated my loved ones and saddened me.
Ace kissed my temple. “I won’t argue with you, dawlin’.” Purposely changing the subject, he asked, “How ‘bout I fix some dinner?”
I patted his leg. “Is there anything here to eat?”
“Good question. I know there are steaks in the freezer, but…” He smiled and said, “We can order in, or I’ll pick up something.”
Pushing to my feet, I said, “Just order something. I want a hot bath and a glass of wine.”
“Red or white?”
“White if we have it.” I dragged my feet toward the bedroom.
As I undressed, I heard Ace turn on the water in the bathroom. He was so good to me. I hoped he would—
My ringing phone interrupted my thoughts. Peering at the screen, I saw Colby’s name. What is it now?
“Hey, Colby.”
“Mom, can I come by the apartment?” Despair was all over his tone. “I’m guessing you’re there, right?”
“Yeah, we are. Come by anytime.”
“Do you think you could pick me up? I’m at Armstrong Park.”
What the hell?
I had to stay calm and not jump to conclusions.
“Would you mind if Ace came? I was just about to get in the tub, but if—”
“Mom, it’s fine. Whoever wants to come. I’d use a portal, but I don’t think I’d do it right.”
Shit, shit, shit. I’d bet any amount of money that Clint had something to do with my son’s funky mood.
“It’s all right, Colby. Ace and I are here for you.”
“Thanks,” he muttered and disconnected.
When I lowered the phone, my husband stood in the doorway. “I heard. What’s wrong with him?”
“I suspect he just had his heart broken.”
Ace nodded. “Tell ya what, if he wants to have a man-to-man talk, we’ll grab a drink and then pick up dinner. Got a taste for anything?”
Actually, that sounded like a good idea. Maybe I got it wrong. Colby and Clint could have had a simple disagreement. Nothing major. My churning gut, however, told me my initial conclusion was the right one.
“Whatever you bring back will be fine. Just take care of our boy.” I held up my palm when Ace started to protest. “He’s still a kid deep down, but I trust you to give Colby whatever he needs.”
“Don’t worry, dawlin’. I promise ya, he’ll be all right.”
* * *
While soaking in the tub, I tried to come to terms with everything that had happened in my life. Although Tavi deserved to die, her sons didn’t. I had no great love for Bishop Mercier, but the kid still needed a father. Thankfully, he had Ace.
Correction.
We had Ace.
My jumbled, fucked-up life was more manageable with the alpha around. Without him, I didn’t think I could handle Colby. It would have been difficult enough to suddenly be saddled with a seven-year-old, but raising a twenty-one-year-old? That was a whole different story.
The more I thought about it, the more the mama bear in me wanted to find Clint and beat the unholy shit out of him. Common sense, fortunately, waved a hand and told me to get the complete story before doing anything rash. Without that little voice of wisdom, I would have marched over to Kragen’s and given his son a serious beatdown.
I climbed out of the tub, wrapped myself in my fuzzy pink robe, and went to the living room for my phone. Scrolling through the address book, I searched for Clint’s number as I walked down the hall. I only had his contact info because he worked with the BGS.
This is a bad idea. Wait for Colby to tell you what happened.
Nonsense. If Clint hurt my son, I deserve to know.
Both sides of my psyche were at war. One said act while the other urged me to wait. I went with the louder voice and tapped on Clint’s name.
“Hello?” He sounded a little distant.
“Clint, it’s Morgan.”
“Oh, hey.” He sighed heavily. “What’s up?”
Sitting on the side of the bed, I said, “You tell me. Seriously, I want you to tell me. Ace went to pick up Colby. If my son was supposed to be with you, why in the hell is he in a park?”
Seconds passed, and then Clint finally admitted, “We had a fight.”
Tell me something I don’t know, Captain Fucking Obvious!
“About?”
“It seems we both have an interest in the vampiress.”
“The stripper?”
I saw that while we were at Club Sensualle the other night. Hell, a blind man would have noticed how the two men drooled over the dancer.
“Yeah. Well, I suggested we have a little party. You know, since we both wanted her.”
TMI!
Still…
“A fucking threesome! What the hell made you think Colby was ready for that?”
Clint let out a noisy breath. “Hey, I made a mistake. I take responsibility for my screw up.”
That was way more than just some screw up! For all intents and purposes, Colby is still a kid! He has no idea about sex, especially with more than one partner. Shit, the average adult can’t handle a threesome.
I raked a shaky hand through my damp hair. “Do you realize how Colby feels about you?”
“I do now. How was I supposed to know he was still a virgin?”
Oh shit! This just went from bad to worse.
The problematic word gave me pause, and then I went on alert. “Was? What did you do?”
“I’m sorry, Morgan. I thought I could handle it. I thought Colby could too. Turns out your son’s confused. Really confused. He’s not sure what he wants or how he wants it. Hell, he’s not even sure who he wants it with. I shouldn’t have…” Clint’s voice trailed off. “When you see him, just tell him I’m sorry.”
“You should do that yourself.”
“I can’t!” Clint yelled, and then static filled my ear again. “Colby’s looking for love. I’m not in love with him. Lust? Most definitely. Your son… But I shouldn’t have…”
“I get it. Please don’t paint me a damn picture.” I’m begging you not to give me a visual.
I shook my head and glanced up at the ceiling. The situation with Clint was why I never wanted to date him although my parents thought he was a great catch. If the dhampir had been a normal human, he would have been just another asshole in the crowd. Someone to run from, not run to.
“Morgan,” he started.
“Not. Another. Word!” My fingertips heated as power pushed against the skin. “Do me a favor and keep your distance for a while. If Kragen wants you to track down the rogue, you do that and leave my son the fuck alone.”
“I didn’t want—”
“You don’t have a say in this, Clinton Bonaparte.” I disconnected, lay back on the mattress, and tried hard not to think about what happened.
Then it hit me.
Ace couldn’t fix the problem.
Neither could I.
But Rodrigo and Etienne might.
The openly gay vampires could talk to my son and find out if he needed their—or someone else’s—help. I grabbed my phone and dialed Rodrigo—the only one with a cell.
“Hey, stranger. What can I do for you?”
“How did you know I wanted something?”
“You don’t?”
“I do. It’s my son, Colby.”
“Let me guess. He finally came out.”
“Finally? Do you know something I don’t?”
/> “I sensed it when we met. What’s happened?”
I curled up on Ace’s side of the bed. “He’s in love with Kragen’s son.”
“Mm-hmm… I saw that too. But Clint rides both sides of the fence. Where’s the problem, love?”
“Clint’s not in love with Colby. He’s interested in the new vampiress we’re after.”
“Fuck you say.”
“It gets worse. Clint suggested a threesome.”
“Oh, that young man is not ready for that adventure. Did it go poorly?”
“I don’t think it went at all. But I think something happened with Clint. I won’t know until Colby and Ace get home.”
Rodrigo’s voice sounded muffled, “Etienne, love, get dressed. We need to go to Morgan’s.” Then he said to me, “Where are you?”
“At the apartment.”
“All righty. How are you fixed with bottled blood?”
I licked my lips and got up to pour myself a glass. “I still have plenty.”
“Okay. We’ll see you in a bit. If we arrive before Colby does, we’ll just say we dropped by to discuss BGS biz.”
“Sounds good.”
* * *
Half an hour later, a key turned in the door, and then Colby and Ace entered the apartment. My son looked like shit. His eyes were red, and the sadness wafting off him nearly floored me. Thankfully, Rodrigo and Etienne hadn’t arrived yet.
Ace, heading to the kitchen, walked past me with two extra-large pies from Crescent City Pizza Works.
“I hope one of those is Spin N’ Shroom.”
“Ya know it, dawlin’,” he called out as he opened and closed cabinets. “I got a Chizzaburger for Colby and me.”
“Disgusting.”
It really was a terrible concoction—Angus beef, onions, cheddar, mozzarella, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. My pizza was much more civilized with spinach, mushrooms, red onions, sauce, and mozzarella.
Colby held up a case of Abita Amber. If they needed that much beer, it would be a long night.
I patted the cushion beside me, and my son plopped down. “Want to talk about it?”
He placed the box on the coffee table and then shrugged. “Mom, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
Please don’t give me details…
“What happened?” I asked warily.
Ace returned with plated slices. He passed me mine and then gave one to Colby.
“I liked kissing him, but once we got into bed…” Colby grimaced and shook his head. “Was it supposed to hurt?”
Oh, hell. How did I answer that one?
Thankfully, there was a knock on the door. I ran to answer it before anyone else moved. When I opened it, my favorite two vampires were on the other side. They were a little more understated than usual—jeans, T-shirts, and high-top sneakers.
“Hey, guys!” I grinned like a lunatic.
Etienne placed a hand on his hip. “Uh-oh. Don’t worry. We have this.”
I was even more grateful when the vamps took Colby and that disgusting pie into the bedroom and closed the door.
Ace nudged my shoulder as soon as I sat down. “Ya call them?”
“Yes. After the conversation I had with Clint, I knew I needed experts.”
“And those two were the best ya could do?” My husband’s eyebrow lifted.
“Don’t judge.” Lowering my voice, I asked, “What did he say to you?”
“Colby?”
“Yeah.”
“In a nutshell, he lost his virginity to Clint. Sadly, the dhampir didn’t handle Colby’s emotional state well afterward.”
“Do I even want to know?”
“Bottom line is our son is in love with someone who just wants a good time.”
“Damn.” I lifted the bottle of blood and poured another generous portion. “I was afraid this would happen.”
“I know, but dawlin’, ya can’t protect our son.”
Glancing at Ace, I smiled. “Thanks for that.”
“For what?”
“Considering him to be ours. He needs a father figure. It doesn’t matter what age he appears to be.”
The bedroom door popped open, and Rodrigo and Etienne returned to the living room.
“And?” I said.
Etienne gathered up our dirty dishes and took them to the kitchen. Rodrigo sat on the chair across from us. “He’ll be fine. If anything, Colby’s a little lost. Much like all of us after our first times. It doesn’t matter if that first is with someone of the same sex or the opposite.”
I nodded as I remembered my first encounter with Cade. It was a clumsy, too-quick experience that left him gloating and me a little hollow.
Ace grasped my hand.
“Should we do anything?” I asked.
Etienne came back and perched on the arm of the chair. “Colby’s heart will heal. Just remember it’s going to take time.”
Time was something that was robbed from Colby. I kept thinking of him as a child, but honestly, there was no evidence of the seven-year-old I thought about. Accelerating his age also advanced his maturity. I had to stop seeing him as a little boy. Colby didn’t see himself that way.
Etienne continued, “I’m more concerned with his mental state. Some ugly words were exchanged in the encounter.”
I pushed to my feet.
Rodrigo held up his hand. “Don’t. He’s sleeping. Morgan, you want to protect your son, but you can’t. He’s a grown man—”
“He only looks like one,” I corrected.
“No, love. You decided not to reverse the spell. Colby is an adult. I spoke to a witch. When acceleration spells are performed, everything changes. Colby didn’t just acquire a larger body. He’s an adult in every way. He’ll have to get over his broken heart the way all of us do,” said Rodrigo.
“We told him he can come home with us,” Etienne said.
My eyes darted between the two males. “Why? He should be with his parents.”
Rodrigo leaned forward. “Love, the best thing for Colby is to spend time with those who understand what he’s going through.”
“We’re not saying that Colby’s gay,” added Etienne. “He wants to explore his sexuality. Decide for himself.”
Ace cleared his throat. “I get it. He didn’t get to choose anything in his life. Tavi and his father decided he’d be an adult. It wasn’t his choice to become a weapon against you or the BGS. He wants something he can call his own.”
“Exactly!” Rodrigo said. “Discovering his preferences in life should be Colby’s decision. Honestly, I don’t believe he’s gay. I’m not even sure he’s bisexual.”
Clint had said my son was lost.
“So you’re good with Colby living with you?”
Etienne waved his hand. “We have more than enough room. Our house has been a destination for plenty of vampires passing through town. If Colby doesn’t mind keeping the shades drawn during the day, he’s more than welcome to stay.”
“Mom, I’ll be fine.”
All of us turned toward the sound. I jumped up and embraced my son. “Are you sure? You can stay the night here if you want.”
Colby hugged me and then stepped back. “I’m good. I want to go with Etienne and Rodrigo and just put all of this behind me.”
I pushed the hair off his forehead. “Remember I love you. Ace does too. You’ll never be judged with us.”
“I know, Mom.” He started to walk away and then stopped. He looked back at me through those excessively long eyelashes of his. “I love you both.”
Despite how heavy my heart felt, I knew he’d be all right. Etienne and Rodrigo, vampires I’d known my entire life, were like uncles to me. They wouldn’t let anything bad happen to my son.
Once the three of them left, Ace said, “Colby’s leaving is a good thing, dawlin’. Now you can concentrate on capturing St. John and finding Tabitha. We might even solve the issue with the Merciers too.”
He was right.
Ace was always right.
&nb
sp; 12
Unwanted Encounter
Tabitha
* * *
It shouldn’t have surprised me that Golden Boy was in my apartment again. My life was full of shit I couldn’t control—hunger, a vampire who wanted to use me as his personal sex toy, and even one I allowed in my home. Since lights weren’t necessary, I crossed the floor to the sofa and sat beside him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here for you.” There was a measurable sadness in his tone.
“Oh?”
“When I royally fuck up, I have a tendency to not want to be alone. Coming here was better than going to the bar.” He sat forward and put his head in his hands.
“What happened?” I knew it was a dumb question and none of my business, but I hated to see anyone in pain.
“Fucked someone I shouldn’t have.”
I picked up on Clint’s thoughts. He was talking about Colby. From what I saw, their encounter didn’t go well.
“You care about him?”
“Yeah, but I don’t love him. He’s looking for someone who will.” Clint glanced at me. “You’re getting better picking up on thoughts.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
“What does that mean?”
“I can’t read the thoughts of the bastard who turned me.” The memory of what had happened between us returned.
“Ouch,” Clint said. “It appears we’ve both had a fucked-up night. What do you say we drown our sorrows in a bottle or two?”
Immediately, my mouth went dry. “Did you bring some with you?”
“No, but we can go back to my place.”
As much as I didn’t want to go with Clint, I couldn’t fathom being alone all night. “Let’s go.”
* * *
Back in his tiny apartment, we sat side by side on the floor. Leaning against the sofa, I turned up the goblet—my third refill—and guzzled the blood down. Clint stared at his bottle of beer.
“Question. Why did you make a move on your friend?”
Clint exhaled loudly. “When you left here, we got into an argument.”