The Chosen One Universe Volume Two: An MM Paranormal Fantasy Shifters Series

by Macy Blake

  “It’ll be okay,” Draco said. “It’s Mikey.”

  Sawyer squeezed Draco’s hand as Andvari walked into the library, followed by Asher, Mikey, and his cousin’s first mate, Quillon. Now that he thought about it, Quillon’s hair did resemble a lion’s mane.

  “Sawyer!”

  Mikey scooted around them all and ran for Sawyer, but a sword suddenly appeared in front of him. Kavalan’s guard had moved without Draco even realizing it and was crouched in a protective position in front of them. The sword he held was barely an inch away from Mikey’s chest.

  “Asher, hold,” Draco said. He didn’t even have to look at his cousin to know they were going to be face-to-face with a pissed off dragon if he didn’t intervene. “Sawyer.”

  His mate understood that the guard would only listen to him in the current situation. Kavalan had made sure that his guards knew that only Sawyer was above them. They did not have to answer to any of the other guardians. It was another issue Sawyer had yet to address. “Loch, uh, stand down. This is my brother.”

  Loch didn’t take his eyes away from Mikey, but he did slightly relax. “The vampires speak of a human you knew who was infected by magic and almost killed you by being allowed too close. My prince would not let me live if any harm befell you due to my carelessness.”

  Draco hated to admit it, but he had a point.

  Andvari scowled as well.

  “Thank you, Loch,” Sawyer said. “Henry, will you check them, please?”

  Henry nodded and closed his eyes. Wind picked up in the room, rustling hair and papers as Henry used his magic to scan them for any magic that shouldn’t be there. Mikey’s eyes grew wider as he watched, and Asher sent a puzzled frown Draco’s way. His cousin was about to be shocked. His family had never shared with anyone that he bore the mark of the Chosen One. No one outside of his parents and their clan’s leader knew his secret.

  “They’re clear,” Henry said.

  Sawyer let out a breath as Loch lowered his sword and stepped out of the way. Mikey took the last few steps forward, glanced nervously at the men surrounding his brother, and then pulled Sawyer into a tight hug. “You better start talking now,” Mikey demanded. “Because there are… I see them, Sawyer.”

  “Me?” Sawyer said with a laugh. “You’re the one with the dragon mate!”

  Mikey blushed and looked over his shoulder. “Dragon and a manticore. You always said it would take someone special to make me settle down. Turns out it took two special someones.”

  “Manticore,” Draco said. How had he never known what creature Quillon was. He’d never asked, only caring about this cousin’s happiness. Draco glanced at Asher, who was smiling like a dope at his mates. He hoped he never looked like that when he looked at his own. He smiled at Henry who made an adorably interested noise at the type of creature Mikey’s mate was. He was probably itching to open his books as they spoke.

  “Quillon is very special to us,” Asher said.

  Draco glanced back to Sawyer, who smirked at him. Draco returned the look and gave him a nod. It was Sawyer’s news to share, after all, as it was his brother.

  “Well, Mikey, it may have taken two mates to get you to settle down,” Sawyer said with a wicked little grin, “but I’ve got five almost six and the possibility of two more.”

  “Ha-ha,” Mikey said. “Nice try. But really, you don’t care that I… wait…you aren’t kidding, are you?”

  “Nope. Mikey, meet my mates. You remember Draco?”

  “Yes. I thought I’d imagined your dragon the first time I met you.”

  Draco frowned and glanced to Sawyer for an explanation.

  “Dude!” Sawyer poked Mikey in the arm. “You never told me! That would have explained so much.”

  Mikey blushed again and looked to Asher for support. His cousin stepped close to his mate and sheltered him within his arms. They were a good match, a strong mating. Draco would have to be sure to explain to Sawyer later.

  Sawyer turned to him with a smile. “Mikey used to be able to see things when he was younger, but Mama Thea helped get him better. But Mikey, that means… Holy shit. It was totally real.”

  “Yep,” Mikey said. “And, um, I still do see things.”

  “My mind is so blown right now.”

  Draco’s was as well. He wanted more information about this gift of Mikey’s.

  “Mine, too,” Mikey said. “Introduce me to your other mates, you heathen.”

  Sawyer laughed and tugged Henry closer. “This is Henry, my mage. The beautiful redhead is Eduard, my griffin. The big guy in the back is Saeward, my hippocamp—”

  Asher’s choked gasp of surprise cut Sawyer off. “Your what?”

  “Hippocamp. Yep, they’re real and yep, I love one. And you’ve already met Andvari, my vampire. The prince will be with us shortly.”

  “The prince,” Mikey repeated. “Did you just say the prince?”

  “Yep. Of the fae. Surprise!”

  “There is something you are not telling us,” Quillon said. He stepped closer to Mikey’s side and scowled at them all.

  “Well, have you ever heard of the Chosen One? Savior of the supernatural world? You know, the guy with all the guardians?”

  Quillon’s scowl deepened. “Of course. I have studied history and mythology for years. It is a legend.”

  “Guess again.”

  Asher turned to Draco with a scowl. “Are you telling me that my mate’s brother is the Chosen One? And you are one of the guardians?”

  Draco nodded.

  “This puts my mate in danger, Draco. You should have—”

  “You think I wouldn’t have told you if I’d known? Mikey wasn’t supposed to know anything about the supernatural world and I had no idea you’d found your mate, or that he was the brother of mine. Keeping the secret kept your mate safe as well as mine.”

  “What do you mean danger?” Mikey asked. “And what the heck is the Chosen One?”

  Draco wasn’t quite sure how Sawyer was going to explain everything that had happened, but he knew he was definitely going to need a lot of coffee to get through it. Luckily, Cecil would be arriving soon and Draco could sit back and eat while Sawyer figured out a way to explain it all to his brother.

  Sawyer

  Sawyer couldn’t believe Cecil somehow managed to make room for three more people at the dinner table, but he had. He and his mates sat around the table with Mikey and his mates. Mikey… and two mates. It boggled the mind. But just looking at his brother and how his mates looked at him… Asher looked at Mikey the same way Draco looked at him, and Sawyer knew from experience that there was nothing better than the gift of a dragon’s love.

  Kavalan sat at the opposite end of the table from Sawyer, also in the head position. After thinking over Saeward’s earlier advice, Sawyer had approached the prince and specifically asked if he would take the position at the opposite end of the table because he knew his newest guardian would consider it an honor. The smiles he received from Kavalan every time their eyes met across the table proved to Sawyer that he’d made the right choice. It was a small step toward peace in their household, but it was a step. Sawyer had also asked Kavalan to go for a walk with him after dinner. He’d address the staff’s complaints then, as well as find a way to get Kavalan to not treat his own people so poorly. Diplomacy wasn’t always his strong suit. He’d learned that with the griffins and their rigid ways, but he’d found a way to work around it. He wouldn’t always be able to wiggle his way out of difficult positions and maybe… maybe that’s why he needed a royal guardian. Someone to fill in another gap in his armor. The idea of it didn’t sit comfortably with Sawyer, but he accepted it for what it was. If he could find a way to accept Kavalan, he could find a way to complete the prophecy. It seemed vitally important for him to have solid, if not romantic, relationships with all of his guardians in order to make that happen.

  “You look very serious,” Mikey said quietly.

  His brother was seated to his left and
had been occupied for most of their dinner with conversation from Henry, who sat on Mikey’s other side. He couldn’t exactly explain to Mikey everything rolling through his mind at the moment. Besides, he’d already spent hours answering Mikey’s questions, so long that their afternoon coffee had turned into the late dinner they were now eating. Sawyer smiled at him and shrugged a shoulder in reply.

  “I can’t believe you’ve been going through all this, and I had no idea. Sawyer, you could have died, and I’d never have known. Mama Thea wouldn’t have approved.”

  It was a low blow, and Mikey knew it.

  “There are rules to this world, as you are very well aware. Strict rules that keep the secret intact. I will follow those rules as carefully as you must.”

  Mikey scowled but reached out to grip Sawyer’s forearm. “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. I just… the thought of something happening to you and me not being there. I can’t think about it, Sawyer. We may not be blood, but you’re still my little brother. It’s my job to keep you safe.”

  Sawyer laid his hand over Mikey’s and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Not anymore. That’s why I have guardians. But it is still your job to make sure I’m not being an idiot.”

  Mikey laughed and slid his hand back across the table. “Like I can fix that. And have I mentioned that I can’t believe you have staff. I mean, there’s a butler, Sawyer. I’m pretty sure I fell through a portal to another dimension or something.”

  “Right? I still don’t even know half the time what this life is.”

  Mikey rolled his fork through the last remaining food on his plate before setting it down again. “We have to tell Nick.”

  Sawyer’s immediate reaction was to say no. But he could see Mikey’s point. There was no way they’d be able to keep the secret from their oldest brother, especially not with the extended family both Sawyer and Mikey brought to the table. The last thing Sawyer needed was for Nick to show up like Mikey had. “Okay. I need to talk to Draco first, but I think you’re right. Maybe we can call him later.”

  “Deal.”

  Mikey returned his attention to Henry, and Sawyer continued to observe the interactions around the table. Kavalan had both Quillon and Saeward’s rapt attention as he shared tales from the land of the fae. Mikey had shared with Sawyer his manticore mate’s lifelong study of the history of the supernatural. Sawyer hoped he might have some ideas for resources they hadn’t yet discovered. Henry’s frustration levels were rising, and as much as Sawyer hated to admit it, they needed help. Finding solid information when the supernatural world was under a veil of secrecy was a challenge to say the least. Finding solid historical facts about myths and legends had proven to be nearly impossible. They were trying to hobble together the true story of the Chosen One based on a prophecy that had been misunderstood for generations.

  Andvari laid his hand on Sawyer’s thigh beneath the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. He turned his attention to his beautiful vampire mate and had to smile at the twisted knot of blond curls piled on the back of his head. It was such a contrast to Kavalan’s perfectly styled blond waves. Sawyer ached for some time alone with Andvari that didn’t involve him learning to wield weaponry in self defense. It had been too long since he’d had some one-on-one time with Andvari, and he needed to resolve that before too much time passed.

  “Stop,” Andvari rumbled as he leaned forward and closed the distance between them.

  “Stop what?”

  “You know what. We’re fine. I love you. Stop worrying about me.”

  “Not possible. And I love you, too.”

  Andvari grinned, or as close to one as he managed these days. Just one uptick of his lips and a quick sparkle in his eyes. “It sounds as though there is going to be a giant research session after dessert.”

  “Yay,” Sawyer snarked. “I can’t wait.”

  “Would you rather another training session? You really need to work on your—”

  “I mean, woo hoo. Research. Let’s do it.”

  Andvari grinned again. “I would suggest letting the bookish among us get started. I thought we could perhaps do a display of our fighting techniques for your brother and his mates.”

  “You just want to show off what you and Draco can do now.”

  “Is that wrong?”

  “Oh no. As long as you remember what it does to me to see you guys being all fierce and sexy.”

  Andvari shook his head but the smirking grin hadn’t left his face. “You are truly ridiculous.”

  “You love it.”

  “I do, Sawyer. I honestly do. Now, let’s stop this talk before you force me to drag you out of here and into the training room so I can have my wicked way with you.”

  “But what if—”

  Andvari squeezed his thigh again.

  “Okay, okay. But actually, I’m going to be taking a walk with Kavalan after dinner. We need to talk about a few things.”

  Andvari’s look was less than impressed. They’d all been waiting for Sawyer to figure things out with the newest guardian. It just wasn’t the same, though, and the difference had really messed with Sawyer’s mind. With all the others, Sawyer had known they were meant to be part of his life. Not only had he been immediately attracted to them, he’d simply known in his gut that they filled a void. Even Saeward had bonded with him immediately, and although they were taking things slowly before turning that bond into something deeper, the connection was still there.

  Kavalan had basically equated him to a dog the first time they’d met. Sawyer couldn’t quite get over the sting of being told to fetch like he was a flea that needed to be flicked off. He growled under his breath, and Andvari slid his hand upward, dangerously close to Sawyer’s crotch. It caught his attention, and he gave his mate a heated stare.

  “Stop. The rest of us are unable to bond with him if you don’t. That much is obvious. There is disharmony in our home, Sawyer. Fix it.” Then he turned his attention to Asher, who was seated on his right.

  Goddess, he couldn’t catch a break. Granted, he’d let the situation get out of hand. But how the hell was he supposed to bond with the prince of the freaking fae? Then again, he’d managed with Eduard, who was as close to a prince as you could get for the griffins. With a sigh, Sawyer turned his attention back to the opposite end of the table.

  Kavalan sat regally with his hair glistening in the light. He was certainly a beautiful man. And charming, if the smiles from the other guys sitting at that end of the table were any indication. Sawyer knew that the fae were an extremely powerful and important part of the supernatural world, even if most of them preferred spending time in their own… dimension? Sawyer wasn’t even sure what to call it, but he did know that it wasn’t the same. From the little he’d picked up from Kavalan and his guards, the fae world was very different. Almost as if nature itself followed different rules there.

  It made sense then that a fae would be one of his guardians. The whole thing made sense. Sawyer knew he was just being stubborn and letting the sting of that first meeting color every interaction he’d had with Kavalan since then. But it did sting. He sucked in breath at about the time Kavalan’s piercing blue eyes caught his. The prince smiled and Sawyer returned it.

  He had to let down the wall, or the rest of his mates would continue being unhappy. They were all circling Kavalan nervously, waiting for an opportunity to connect with him. But they all seemed to stay distant, like middle schoolers separated by sex at the school dance— the boys lined up along one wall, nervously watching the girls who giggled and whispered across the room. Kavalan and his guards were like that in his home. Huddled together on the other side of the room whenever they were together. Kavalan didn’t share his bedroom, had insisted on a suite of rooms of his own. Not that Sawyer cared. Much.

  Kavalan always had at least two guards in the room with him. They rotated in shifts in a schedule Sawyer hadn’t been able to figure out. All he knew was that the captain of the royal guard was fierce in his insistence tha
t Kavalan never be left unprotected. They had that in common. Sawyer was rarely alone anymore, either, and it sometimes grated on his nerves. He’d gone from living alone, with no one but him and Pearl in his house, to living in a bustling household and sharing a bedroom with five other men.

  The thing was, the moment he was alone, he wondered where his mates were. So it wasn’t all bad. He did enjoy finding quiet corners to curl up in and had been doing some research into doctorate programs. He definitely had to take a year off, and there really wasn’t a doctorate program within driving distance that he was interested in, but he wanted to do something more. Hopefully this whole Chosen thing would be over soon, and he could settle down with his mates, destiny mischief managed, and figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life.

  He’d obviously been distracted for longer than was polite when Andvari gave his thigh another gentle squeeze. “You finished?”

  Sawyer blinked back into awareness and realized that everyone’s eyes were locked on him. “Yes, thank you. Sorry. I was thinking.”

  “I thought I smelled smoke,” Mikey quipped.

  He swatted at his brother’s arm while he pushed to his feet. “Be nice.”

  Mikey laughed and rubbed his stomach. “I will. I definitely don’t want you to kick me out. The food is amazing. As is the company. You know, except for you.”

  Sawyer laughed and hit Mikey’s arm again. “You shouldn’t be so mean to your little brother.”

  “I can’t help it. You make it so easy.”

  “Yeah, yeah. So I need to spend some time with Kavalan, but I really want you to stay. Maybe for a few days?”

  Mikey hooked his arm around Sawyer’s neck and pulled him close. “I think we can do that. Let me check with my mates. I’d planned on a couple days anyway since I was really worried about you. It’s not like you to ignore my calls.”

  “I know. But now at least you can see why. I didn’t want to lie to you, but I couldn’t exactly tell you the truth.”

  “We really need to talk to Nick. Okay, more like call and leave him a message. You know he won’t pick up the phone.”