What He Needs (Salutem Book 1)

by Megs Pritchard

  “Please,” Cyan admonished taking the cup from him.

  “Tired.”

  Cyan rolled his head from side to side. “Me, too.”

  “At least you have a mate.”

  “A damaged mate.” Cyan turned to make Teal a fresh drink. “Physically, mentally, and emotionally damaged.”

  “You’ve been thinking.” Teal slumped at the table and rested his head on it. “Wondered where the smoke was coming from.”

  “Do you want this coffee?”

  “Gimme.” Teal held his hands out.

  Cyan passed it over then sat next to Teal at the table. “I need to bite him to complete the mating, Teal.”

  Teal paused with his cup in the air. “Shit.”

  “Yeah, shit.”

  “We’ll figure this out, Cy. You’re not alone, and Mom knows, which means Dad knows.”

  “Which means everyone in our family knows.” Everyone except for one important person. “I wish Sky was here so I could tell her too.”

  “She will be. We’ll bring her home.”

  “We will. Now get your hairy ass in that shower. We’re heading over to the folks to go over the info we’ve got.”

  “The council gonna be there?”

  “No, not until we know for certain if there is a mole or not.”

  “A council member?” Teal shook his head, staring in disbelief. Even though they both knew it was a possibility, the implications still staggered them. “This is fucked up.”

  “It is, but Indy has to be sure. Brian will be there, but that’s it for now. Indy has background checks being done of all members.”

  Teal shook his head again, opening and closing his mouth several times. “I still can’t believe one of us could be responsible.”

  Cyan ran his fingers through his hair. “Shit. I hate thinking one of us has betrayed us all. Someone we thought we could trust has sold us out.”

  “Will Deacon be there?”

  “Yeah, along with Liam. They’re running their own checks to on everyone who lives in their town.”

  “This is seriously fucked up. How did it get to this? We’ve lived in peace for years without incident and now this.”

  “Yeah, I know. Shower and we’ll go over to Mom and Dad’s.”

  Cyan nodded and stared at the table. His mind drifted to Alex and the mental picture he had of him. Green eyes, shadowed with fear, dark circles under them indicating Cyan how little his mate slept at night. Black hair, long and desperately in need of a cut. Alex was slim, but how much of that was due to his captivity Cyan didn’t know. He did know he would be feeding his mate, making sure he was well and taken care of.

  His mate. Cyan wanted to go and talk to him, introduce himself and show him around. He wanted to get to know him, what made him smile or laugh, what made him happy. He wanted to look after him and keep him safe. He wanted to worship him, but he could do none of those things until Alex was ready, and who knew how long that would take.

  Cyan sipped his coffee, running through different options in his mind. Picnics, movie nights, meals out, or hiking through the woods. Showing Alex all his favorite places around the town. Taking him on vacations and making Alex feel the best he could.

  Self-defense. Alex, and the others too, needed to enroll in self-defense classes. He could bring it up when he went to his parents. He was sure his mom would agree.

  “Ready?” Teal stood in front of him with a small smile on his face.

  “Yeah.” He stood and grabbed his keys and followed his brother outside.

  It took just a few minutes to walk to their parents, and when they arrived, everyone was already there. Indy walked over to him and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug. “Congrats, Cy.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sapphire kissed his cheek and gave him a hug. “We’ll help.” He pulled her ponytail, and she knocked his hand away. “Just for that, you’re on your own.”

  “Thanks, sis.”

  They sat around the table, and Cyan pulled some of the paper toward him, his eyes scanning the information printed on it. The numbers staggered him. How had something this huge been hidden for so long?

  Deacon and Liam walked in and sat at the table. Together, they went through everything they had. Every now and again someone would comment, their shock levels increasing with every new snippet of information.

  “Sorry, I’m late,” Brian said as he walked in. “Winnie’s about ready to drop.” Winnie was Brian’s horse and was close to foaling.

  “She was looking good when I checked on her earlier.” Teal yawned and shook his head. “The foal will be here by morning.”

  “Well, you’ve never been wrong yet.” Brian stretched and took the cup from Anna. “Thank you, Anna, I need this.” He looked at the covered table and winced. “Please tell me it’s not as bad as I think it is.”

  “Worse,” Liam grunted. “How have they been able to operate for this long without us finding out?”

  “Inside help.” Frank, Cyan’s dad, leaned back in his chair. “Has to be. Either someone here or at Morefield.”

  “I hate the fact that someone from Morefield could be selling us out, but with this level of detail, there really is no other option.” Deacon threw a sheet of paper with the details and shook his head in disgust. “If I ever get my hands on him or her...”

  “It might not be one person,” Indy added. “It could be more than one, and they don’t know about each other. That’s the way I’d do it. Multiple spies all hidden from each other. That way if one is caught, they can’t reveal the names of the others involved.”

  “Makes sense,” Anna agreed. “Bastards. Betraying us. Betraying Sky.”

  Frank pulled Anna close and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll bring her home. We’ll bring them all home.”

  Deacon nodded. “We will, and we’ll burn those fuckers too.” Anna coughed, and Deacon nodded. “Sorry,” he muttered, a grin on his face.

  “Right. We have a partial list of labs and the same for other paranormal communities. The first thing we need to do is reach out to the ones on here and tell them what we know.”

  “Some won’t listen, Indy,” Frank warned.

  “I know, but at least we’ll have tried.”

  “Some of these labs are near the Rescue, Inc. guys.”

  “I’ve already spoken to Chester and Ale, who own RI, and they’re going to monitor those locations and see if they’re active or not. He’ll get back to me in a few days.”

  “I like them.” Frank shuffled some papers on the table. “Jacques is phenomenal.”

  “He is,” Cyan agreed. “He might not have wanted to be king, but he’s steering his people in the right direction.”

  “So, back to this.” Frank waved his hand over the table. “We reach out to all the communities listed here and then plan stakeouts on the labs closet to us.”

  “We could have some of the other places look into the labs too.” Deacon pointed to a location printed on the map. “Derren runs this town. I’ll contact him and pass this information on. He’ll have a team out there tonight.”

  “You get on well with this Derren?” Anna asked.

  Deacon grinned. “He’s my cousin.”

  “Oh, you’ll have to invite him over sometime so we can meet.”

  The door opened, and a young boy entered. “Hey, Anna. I’m stuck on my math.”

  Liam stood. “I’m a teacher, so I’ll handle this. Come on, Bevan.”

  Liam left the kitchen, and they all sat in silence for a minute before Anna stood. “Right, I have chocolate cake. Who wants some?”

  She laughed when everyone said yes, and Cyan sat back in his chair. One day Alex would sit here too, and Cyan couldn’t wait for that day to arrive. He’d read his file, and knew all about his background. He wanted nothing more than to be able to include him with his family, a family Alex had never really had. Now, Alex would have everything he’d ever wanted. Cyan would make sure of it.

  ❊❊❊

>   Alex paced his small apartment, chewing on his thumbnail. He couldn’t keep his mind of the man he’d met. Cyan, Anna’s son. Why, he didn’t know. It wasn’t like they’d spent any time together. They’d said hello, and that was pretty much it.

  No matter what he tried, he kept finding himself thinking about him, the way he looked, the way he’d smiled at him. The bright blue eyes that had captured his own and refused to let them go. Alex sighed. It was ridiculous! He needed to stop it. He didn’t want a man, but his body apparently had other ideas.

  For the first time in months, he’d become aroused thinking about Cyan. He’d shut that feeling down almost immediately. No, he was never getting involved with someone. That meant kissing and touching, which then led to other things.

  He was done with that. No man was ever laying a finger on him again. He was going to remain single for the rest of his life, and if the need ever came up, he would see to it himself. No one was ever going to touch him again. No, nope, never.

  He walked into his small kitchen and leaned against the counter, his mind drifting back to Cyan again. With a growl he pushed away and paced the room again. What was it about this man? Why couldn’t he stop thinking about him?

  He chewed his nail and stood still. He had to stop doing this to himself. Cyan was Anna’s son, nothing more. He was nothing to him and never would be.

  He went to the sofa and sat down. Sighing, he closed his eyes. He was about done with this place. He was almost ready to leave. His body had healed, and he could ignore the scars that covered it.

  If he showered quickly and avoided looking at his skin, then he would never know what had happened to him. If he avoided looking in mirrors, he’d never see the devastation the vampires had left behind. He’d wear a scarf around his neck to hide the scars there, and no one would know what had happened to him. He’d put weight back on, and in time, he’d put on more. There was no reason to stay. None at all.

  Except, when he thought about leaving, he thought about Cyan and that bugged the hell out of him. Cyan. What was it about him? Why was he thinking about him constantly? Why him? Why now? He’d made his decision, and now he was second-guessing it. He’d stayed long enough, spent too much time in this place. He wasn’t a victim, not any longer.

  No. It was time to go. He needed to move on with his life, and being here just reminded him of everything that had happened. Seeing the others who had suffered like he had was another reminder he didn’t need or want.

  It wasn’t like he needed those extra reminders. His dreams and his body were enough. They would last him a lifetime.

  Yes, soon he would leave and put this behind him. The vampires, the shifters, and most of all Cyan.

  Chapter Seven

  Cyan knocked on the door and waited for Alex to open it. It took several minutes before he heard the shuffling sounds of footsteps approaching. The door didn’t open, but Cyan knew Alex stood on the other side, no doubt watching him through the peephole.

  He waited for Alex to say something, but when he didn’t, Cyan tried prompting him by saying, “Hi.”

  He heard a sharp intake of breath and waited again, hoping Alex would speak. “Hello.”

  Cyan barely heard him, but he had. “Hi, Alex. I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Cyan, Anna’s son. She said she couldn’t come today, so I said I would come over to visit you. Thought we could go for a coffee and some cake.”

  Alex opened the door, the chain on, and peered at Cyan. “I’m good, thanks.”

  Cyan smiled. “That’s great then; you won’t mind joining me at Sam’s, will you?” Alex didn’t respond so Cyan smiled again. “Why don’t you open the door, and I’ll wait inside for you to get ready.” He watched as Alex closed the door.

  Cyan heard the chain move as Alex opened the door a little, and Cyan stepped in, closing it behind him. He followed Alex into the small apartment and shoved his hands in his pockets, keeping his smile on his face. He could see how nervous Alex was. He kept darting looks in his direction then at the front door.

  Alex paced in front of him. One second, he was chewing on a nail, and then next he was wiping his hands on his jeans. Cyan stayed where he was, letting Alex get used to his presence and showing him he wasn’t a threat. He didn’t want his mate to fear him.

  Cyan was certain Alex felt a connection to him. Even though he was pacing, he was moving closer. An unconscious movement he wasn’t aware he was making.

  Cyan smiled when Alex glanced at him. “So, ready to go out?”

  “Me?”

  “Who else.”

  Alex went back to biting his nail, and Cyan waited patiently. Well, not so patiently, but he wasn’t going to show it. He would give his mate all the time he needed.

  He discretely inhaled his mate’s scent, almost moaning out loud. Chocolate. His mate smelled like Cyan’s favorite chocolate, and he wanted to eat him up. He stepped back and closed his eyes, demanding his body to relax. He couldn’t have his mate fearing him. Alex had suffered too much in his short life already, and Cyan wasn’t going to add to it. No, Alex was his to protect and cherish.

  Alex, his mate, had become the most important person in his life. More important than his family, but Cyan knew they understood. Cyan knew they would be there for both of them, and he smiled with the knowledge that Alex was no longer alone, even if Alex didn’t know that yet.

  One day, Alex would laugh and smile. One day, Cyan would show him the world. One day, Alex would look at him with love in his eyes. That day couldn’t come soon enough.

  “Sam’s place,” Alex whispered, drawing Cyan’s attention back to him.

  “Yeah. You’ve been there, and it’s a nice place to go.”

  Alex slowly nodded. “I’ll get my coat.”

  “I’ll wait here.”

  Alex nodded again and backed away, one eye fixed on Cyan. It grated on Cyan that Alex would be fearful around him, but he had to remember that one day this would be in the past, and Alex would be the man he should be. Strong, confident, capable, and loved.

  One day, his Alex would have it all.

  ❊❊❊

  Alex still wasn’t sure why he’d agreed to come. He didn’t know Cyan at all, yet here he was, walking alongside him on the sidewalk, heading toward Sam’s Coffee Shop. Being next to him made him feel small in comparison. Cyan stood well over six feet, taller than Alex’s own five foot eleven.

  It felt strangely comforting having such a big man next to him, but at the same time, it scared the crap out of him. If this man wanted to hurt him, Alex stood no chance.

  Yet somehow, he knew Cyan wouldn’t hurt him. How he knew that, Alex couldn’t say, but he felt it deep in his bones. Cyan would look out for him, protect him, and keep him safe.

  He darted a glance at the tall man then looked away. He didn’t want to feel safe with a man, not this one anyway. He knew what he was, and he wanted to get away from anything and everything paranormal. Vampires, shifters, and whatever the fuck else there was out there he knew nothing about.

  He’d done his time, and now he was ready to go. If only he could stop feeling the way he did about Cyan, a man who had captured his attention, despite the fact he didn’t even know him.

  “Why Cyan?”

  “The name?”

  Alex nodded. “It’s... different.”

  Cyan snorted. “It is. Mom likes the color blue. We’re all named after a shade of it. There’s me and my twin, Teal. Then there’s Viridian, Indigo, Sapphire, and Sky.”

  “Any news on Sky?”

  Cyan shook his head and looked away, and Alex had the strange compulsion to reach out and comfort him, but he held back. “I’m sorry.”

  “I know Mom mentioned her to you. We’ll get her back.”

  “So, blue.”

  “Yeah. Cyan’s not too bad. Vir got the worst name.”

  “They’re interesting. I got plain old Alex.”

  “Nothing plain about you,” Cyan muttered, but Alex still heard him. “We’re
almost there. Sam always has a great collection of cakes and sugary goodness. I like the carrot cake. Really bad for you though.”

  “I like cake,” Alex offered.

  “I’d be worried about you if you didn’t. Who doesn’t like cake? Or muffins? Or cookies?”

  Alex gave Cyan a ghost of a smile. “Double chocolate cookies are my favorite.”

  “Oh my, they are divine. Anything can be made better if you add chocolate to it.”

  “Even sprouts?”

  Cyan grimaced. “Maybe not. I take it back.”

  Alex chuckled softly, surprised at the sound. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed or, in this case, chuckled.

  “That sounds nice.” Cyan smiled at him, and Alex hesitantly smiled back. “Here we are.”

  Cyan pushed the door open, and Alex stepped into the warmth, the smell of coffee and cake in the air. He inhaled, enjoying the different aromas. “Smells nice.”

  “That it does.”

  “Must be better for you,” he mumbled, glancing away as his cheeks flushed. Why had he said that?

  “It does. There are some shifters who can even tell what ingredients have been used, their sense of smell is that good.”

  “Can you?”

  Cyan inhaled then shook his head. “No, but Indigo can. Drove Mom nuts when we were growing up.”

  Alex gave Cyan a small smile and then turned to look at the cakes and muffins on display. When he saw the lemon drizzle cake, he pointed to it. “I like that.”

  Cyan looked and grinned. “Me, too.”

  “Cyan.”

  “Hey, Sam. Four slices of the drizzle and two lattes, please.” To Alex, he asked, “Latte okay?”

  “My favorite.”

  “Mine, too. Keep thinking I might get one of those fancy machines for home, but then I’d have to learn how to operate it.”

  “Instructions,” Alex murmured.

  “Destructions, more like.”

  Alex smiled when Cyan did, then looked away, confused. What was it about Cyan that made him want to agree? To return his smiles? To talk to him? Why did he feel comfortable around him?

  He went to the window and sat at a table, watching people walk by. Cyan sat opposite him and pushed a cup over. He smiled in thanks and lifted it up, closing his eyes as he inhaled the scent. Man, he loved coffee.