by Lynn Hagen
Hilton’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he crumpled, the room fading into darkness.
Chapter Three
“Why did you insist on pushing me?” Jaden lifted the young man from the floor and laid him on the bed. Hilton had passed out, and his body was limp. Jaden stood at the end of the bed, watching the shifter’s chest rise and fall in even, soft breaths.
Emotions crashed and ebbed inside of Jaden, emotions that were as foreign to him. He thought about what Panahasi had told him months ago—that Jaden loved this man.
Love was for fools and poets, and Jaden was neither. Yet as he stared down at Hilton’s perfection, his chest constricted until he couldn’t breathe. Thoughts of seeing him smile, of hearing his laughter, and watching as he climaxed in Jaden’s arms fluttered through Jaden’s mind.
Thoughts of murder also crept into his heart as he thought of anyone harming his little bunny. He’d watched Hilton even before the shifter had felt his presence, always keeping his distance. At first Jaden was merely curious as he sat in the waiting room of the medical clinic, invisible to the world. He’d studied the way Hilton nibbled on his carrots, the way his laughter had could put a smile on anyone’s face. Hilton was like a summer breeze, warming the air around him.
Jaden had gotten close once; close enough to feel that slice of heaven on his skin. He’d even stood behind Hilton, watching as the shifter scribbled little nonsense pictures on paper as he talked on the phone, his voice light and breezy.
But Jaden had also sensed darkness inside Hilton. A sickness Jaden knew all too well. Hilton didn’t know he had brain cancer. It was just the size of a kernel, but it was slowly growing, and Jaden was helpless to stop it.
He was Death. He knew how to reap a soul, but he knew nothing about healing. He’d gone to Panahasi that day in the woods to ask for help, but had sensed his brother only wanted to stop Jaden from getting anywhere near Hilton.
How many times had Jaden cursed his brother for interfering with fate, for disrupting the order of things when he saved a life Jaden should have taken? And now Jaden wanted to do that same thing, to save Hilton.
He could possibly stop the sickness from growing by claiming Hilton, but Jaden knew Hilton would never agree to sex. The man was terrified of him. And rightfully so. Jaden had lectured himself about keeping his fury under wraps before he appeared to his mate. But the thought of Hilton being with another man had driven his anger to control him.
And now the small male lay on the bed, his pretty hazel eyes closed to Jaden’s appreciation.
“What have you done?”
Jaden didn’t bother to look up. He’d sensed his brother’s presence before Panahasi had appeared. He knew Panahasi had been searching for Hilton to save him from Death.
“Why do you assume I have done something?” Jaden slowly turned to face him. “Always the cynic when it pertains to me.”
“Your track record speaks volumes, Jaden. Move away from the male.”
Jaden felt Panahasi’s little puppets surrounding the building, as if the demon warriors could truly trap Jaden inside. With nothing more than a fleeting thought, Jaden wove a no-entry spell around the bricks and mortar to keep the warriors from gaining access. He’d already woven a protection spell around the building when he’d discovered where Hilton lived and had done the same for the clinic where his mate worked.
“Try and come between my mate and I and you will have a battle on your hands that will wipe this town off the map.” Darkness had already built inside Jaden, churning and lashing like a sea of blackness. Only this time he didn’t want to kill Panahasi in order to kill himself. This time he wanted to protect Hilton.
“He isn’t safe with you.” Panahasi used his voice of reason, but there was no reasoning when it came to Hilton. Jaden had given his brother too many passes, too many breaks. This time Jaden stood strong, ready to fight to keep Panahasi from taking Hilton away from him.
“Because I was born to reap souls?” Jaden scoffed. “That won’t wash with me, brother.” He stepped closer, keeping himself between Panahasi and Hilton. “Now begone before you really piss me off.”
Hilton stirred, then groaned as he pressed his hand to his temple. Panahasi’s gaze shot toward the shifter, but Jaden kept his full attention on his brother.
“I will let Hilton decide,” Panahasi said. “Stay with you or come with me.”
“There is no decision to be made!” Jaden breathed out slowly, forcing the darkness to heel. At least for the moment. “Are you not a part of the Ultionem, one of the beings who set down the law that no one can interfere with a mating?”
Panahasi’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t apply to you.”
Jaden smirked, although the power inside of him was rising. “A loophole?”
“It is now.”
Hilton slowly sat up. Jaden felt more than saw him go rigid as he looked at Panahasi. “Who are you?”
Jaden’s teeth gnashed when Panahasi smiled softly at Hilton. Jealously unlike anything he had felt before clawed at him.
“My name is Panahasi, and I’m here to make sure you’re okay.” He took a step toward the bed, but Jaden’s deep growl stopped him from taking another.
“Your temper,” Panahasi warned.
“Will diminished the second you leave.” Jaden moved backward until Hilton was right next to him. He thought of the growing cancer inside his mate’s head, about how easy asking his brother for help would be.
But Panahasi didn’t look as though he would do Jaden any favors. Jaden would just have to seduce Hilton in order to claim him and cure his ailment.
That plan had only one problem. As soon as Jaden claimed Hilton, every enemy who ever wanted Jaden’s head on a platter would crawl out of the woodwork to use his mate as leverage. That was the reason he’d kept his distance and hadn’t revealed himself to Hilton before tonight.
But the loneliness that had been Jaden’s constant companion since the beginning of time had overruled logic, and he’d been a damn fool for letting Hilton know he existed.
But the damage was done. Hilton had seen him, talked with him, and Panahasi knew Hilton was Jaden’s mate. God help idiots who always tried to do what they thought was in others’ best interests. A circle in hell was reserved for them.
* * * *
Hilton curled his feet under him as he rose to his knees. He felt both men’s staggering power lashing through the room like a massive storm. It crawled over his skin, dove inside him, and made the hairs on his arms and neck stand on end.
The two glared menacingly at each other, and Hilton was afraid fists would start flying and his apartment would be totaled. Both men were enormous, and Hilton had worked too darn hard for the things he owned to be destroyed.
“I’m okay.” Hilton wasn’t sure if that was the truth, but he had to defuse the situation.
“You don’t have to lie,” Panahasi said. “I will protect you from your mate.”
Hilton’s entire universe tilted sideways. He gasped as his gaze shot to Jaden. How? Hilton hadn’t felt the infamous pull he’d always heard about. If Jaden were truly his mate, wouldn’t Hilton have felt some bone-deep connection to him?
He didn’t. But he felt terror. Jaden scared him to death.
“I see he didn’t know,” Panahasi said with a gleam of disappointment in his smooth voice. “You shielded your connection to him.”
“Just like you shielded the knowledge I had a daughter,” Jaden spat. “If my great-grandson hadn’t been dying, I would have never known your well-guarded secret.”
“You’re still pissed about that?” Panahasi ground out. “I thought we buried that dispute.”
Whoa, wait. Jaden had a great-grandson? He didn’t even look old enough to have a grown son. Just how old was Jaden?
“You’re damn right I’m still pissed about that,” Jaden snapped.
“Reveal your true connection to Hilton,” Panahasi insisted, “and then let him decide who is going to side with.”
Hilton choked back a humorless laugh. “You tell me that Jaden is my mate, and then you want me to decide if I’m going to leave him or not?”
Hilton had no idea where those words were coming from as he spoke them, but just like with any preternatural being, a mate was a precious find to him. But though he was defending Jaden, Hilton still didn’t believe Jaden was his mate. And at that very moment, all he wanted was for both men to leave.
“I told you.” Jaden’s eyes narrowed, making his already dark features scarier. “There is no decision. Hilton belongs to me.”
Hilton bristled again at Jaden’s high-handedness. “And I already told you that I don’t belong to you, Jaden. I don’t belong to anyone.”
“We are at an impasse,” Panahasi said. “I’m not leaving and you refuse to hand Hilton over.”
“I don’t belong to you either, bub.” Hilton slipped from the bed, using the side Jaden wasn’t standing on. “I want you both out of here, now.”
Panahasi frowned, seeming confused that Hilton would kick him out. Hilton wasn’t sure if the guy was used to getting his way, but he’d had enough. A massive headache started thumping at the back of his head.
“You win, brother.” Jaden snapped his fingers and it was as if a dam had burst. A flood of emotions slammed into Hilton with such force that he staggered backward. He didn’t just feel connected to Jaden. Hilton felt as if he were a part of the man, as if their souls were soldered together. But that was impossible. From what Hilton had heard, that didn’t happen until after a person was claimed.
Not that he planned on letting Jaden claim him.
Calm. Jaden whispered the word through Hilton’s mind. Hilton instantly started to relax, his worries and fears washing down to his toes, ready to spill from him. But he fought against the command, against his fleeing anger. Hilton had every dang right to be upset. He wouldn’t allow Jaden to take that from him.
“I told you to stay out of my head.” Hilton pressed his palm to his hair. “Stop doing that!”
The sweet seduction of serenity vanished and Hilton’s fury returned full force.
“I am not leaving you,” Jaden stated stubbornly.
Hilton stormed from his bedroom and headed straight for his front door. He yanked it open and waited for both men to follow him into the living room.
They did, still glaring at one another.
“Both of you, out.” Hilton stabbed a finger toward the hallway beyond his door. He forced his hand not to tremble, not to reveal just how frightened he truly was.
“You’re commanding me to leave?” Jaden looked as if he were about to implode. His jaw clenched as he stared at Hilton, then his features relaxed, as if he’d reeled his anger in.
Multiple personalities at its finest.
To his utter shock, both men walked out. Hilton slammed the door and engaged the lock, for whatever good that would do. He slumped against the wood and rubbed at his eyes.
“Un-freaking-believable.”
* * * *
The following day Hilton sat at his desk, trying to get his work done when Dr. Se—McNeal set a file in front of him. Hilton refused to look up at the guy for fear of having naughty thoughts. He was terrified Jaden was somewhere in the waiting room, invisible to everyone, and watching Hilton’s ever move.
He didn’t feel Jaden’s presence, but that didn’t mean Jaden wasn’t there.
“Morning, Hilton.”
“Good morning.” He kept typing away.
“Is something wrong?”
Please just go away. “Nope, nothing. Just trying to get caught up on some work.”
Dr. McNeal bent at the waist, sticking his head toward Hilton’s, but Hilton spun his chair and pretended to dig for something in the drawer to his right.
“Do I have spinach in my teeth or something?”
The guy was persistent. They usually had a morning routine of harmless flirting and gossiping, but today Hilton just wanted Dr. McNeal to go away.
“I have a slight cold and I don’t want to infect you.”
“But Hilton, you can’t catch colds,” Dr. McNeal pointed out.
Hilton inwardly groaned. He was no good at on-the-spot lying. He hopped up from his chair and made a beeline for the bathroom. Once inside, Hilton closed and locked the door, then slid back against the wood as he breathed out in frustration.
This wasn’t going to work. Hilton was a friendly guy who loved to talk to people. He’d have a nervous breakdown acting otherwise to avoid Jaden from carrying out his threat.
Something had to give. Balling his hands into fists, Hilton whispered, “Jaden.”
Bam! Immediately, the sexy madman stood right in front of Hilton looking good enough to eat. Hilton might be terrified of Jaden, but he wasn’t blind. Without that possessed look on his face, Jaden was…wow.
Jaden looked around and crinkled his nose. “Why am I standing next to a urinal?”
“Because you’re making my life impossible!” A slight headache knocked at the back of Hilton’s head. He rubbed his nape as he blew out a series of breaths. “Your little rule about not smiling or talking to anyone is giving me a solid headache.”
“Your head hurts?” Concern filled Jaden’s voice. “How bad does it hurt?”
“Not as badly as yours will if you don’t recant that threat. I can’t make it through a day without smiling, Jaden. That’s who I am.”
Jaden made a noise in the back of his throat. “I’ve seen inside your head, Hilton. You bottle a lot of things up inside.”
“Everyone fakes the funk, Jaden! Everyone bottles things up, because that’s life. But I like to smile, and you’re making that impossible for me.”
Jaden reached for him, but Hilton batted his hand away. “No, you take that threat back.”
“So you can flirt?” Jaden’s nostrils flared as his eyes narrowed.
Hilton gaped at him. “You really don’t smile at people, do you?” He couldn’t believe Jaden had never smiled simply to be friendly.
Jaden’s gaze cut toward the sink, and Hilton saw a sadness in them that he’d seen there before. Hilton’s arms ached to grab Jaden into a hug. Now that he felt the deep connection to him, Hilton wanted to take away whatever made his mate look that way, but he was still so damn scared of Jaden that he just stood there instead.
“I’ve never had a reason to smile.”
The confession tore at Hilton’s heart. Throwing caution to the wind, and maybe even his life, Hilton slung his arms around Jaden’s waist and squeezed tight, noticing how the top of his head only reached Jaden’s chest.
“What are you doing?” Jaden sounded shocked.
“Hugging you, moron.”
Jaden stood ramrod straight, his arms limp at his sides. Hilton kept hugging him, not only because Jaden looked as if he needed it, but because, damn, Jaden smelled so good. His body was warm and solid, and the leathery scent of his jacket, along with his manly, earthy smell, made Hilton’s cock jerk.
Slowly, like a turtle crawling across sand, Jaden lifted his arms and laced them around Hilton. Suddenly, Hilton was crushed against Jaden, making breathing almost impossible.
“Too tight,” Hilton squeaked.
Jaden’s hold loosened. “Sorry, I’m not used to hugging.”
Hilton pulled back enough to look up into dark eyes. “You’ve never hugged anyone before?”
“I’ve never been hugged.” He said it so matter-of-factly that Hilton wondered just what kind of life Jaden had. “Not even by your mom?”
“Did you summon me here just to have me revoke my threat?”
Hilton let go of the fact Jaden had changed the subject. He had a feeling Jaden had a lot more to him than met the eye. He just wasn’t sure if he wanted to know how deep the scars ran.
“I’m not going to cheat on you,” Hilton said. “I’m not that type of guy.”
Jaden huffed. “You’re not that type because you haven’t experienced the act of sex yet.”
He su
re knew how to make Hilton have a nuclear blush. “That’s not something you need to keep pointing out.”
“But it is true.”
“You really know how to be Dr. Killjoy.” Hilton tried to move away, but Jaden pulled Hilton back to him, hugging him again, as if Jaden couldn’t get enough of the act.
Sighing in content, Hilton wrapped his arms around Jaden. “For a badass who has some freaky-deaky powers, you don’t seem to know a lot about…life.”
Jaden went stiff. “What does Life have to do with this?”
“Never mind. You’re just one complicated ball of yarn, kitten.”
“I’m not a cat.”
“And you’re too darn literal.” Hilton pulled back. “Come on, kitten. I have a break coming up. Let’s go get some lunch.”
“You’re inviting me to dine with you? But I thought you did not want me around.”
Hilton grabbed Jaden’s hand, noticing how strong it was compared to his slim one. “Just as long as you behave and don’t go all caveman on me.”
He was terrified of Jaden. But though the man had a dark side, Hilton had learned something in the few minutes they’d just spent in the bathroom. Jaden seemed lost when it came to relationships. Maybe with a little guidance, he could help open Jaden’s eyes to what being mated really meant.
Jaden was it for him, so Hilton could either keep running from him or accept the fact and try to mold the man into a nonlethal mate.
One could only hope.
* * * *
James stared at the door as Hilton exited the bathroom. He’d heard shouting in there, and a murmured conversation, and assumed Hilton had been on the phone.
But Hilton’s phone was on his desk, and as he walked out of the bathroom, he was still talking and smiling as if someone were at his side.
Hilton turned to him and James rested his arm on the counter, giving him a smile, though he was puzzled as hell.