by Marcy Jacks
As if Stefan were the villain.
And for a split second, Stefan experienced the fear that came with standing in front of someone who felt morally righteous and justified in their actions. There was little to nothing that could stop someone when they had that righteousness behind them.
Stefan got over that anger and fear quickly, and his own righteous indignation took over as he grabbed Van by a fistful of his yellow hair, yanking him up to his feet, to his toes, so they would be face to face.
“He doesn’t love you, you piece of shit.”
“He doesn’t love you,” Van shot back.
Stefan punched him again. It was a reflex. He knew he was just smashing in Van’s entire face at this point, but he wanted to crack the man’s skull open and watch the insides drip out.
Van kneed Stefan in the ribs, his hands coming up and grabbing at Stefan’s throat, but Stefan moved quickly. The shot to his ribs hurt like a bitch in heat, but he was still able to turn his body, throw Van over his back, and get the idiot down on the ground.
Stefan put his knee down on the middle of Van’s spine, forcing the man’s arm behind his back, twisting hard until he saw Van grit his teeth, in even more pain than he already was.
“You are going to get the hell out of here. I’m going to make sure Seth knows. You’re not to come back. That is my mate in there.”
“He drank my blood,” Van groaned, seeming to struggle to get everything out. “I drank his. He doesn’t want you. He made his choice.”
Stefan’s heart stopped, though he recovered quickly. “We’ll see about that, and a forced mating isn’t one at all.”
“He did it willingly! He kissed me!”
Stefan told himself to not let it get to him. He told himself that Van was a crazed asshole and there was no way in hell this son of a bitch would know anything that went on in Micah’s heart.
Not that Stefan had much of a clue either, but he was the one mated to Micah. He was the one in love with the man. He was the one who was going to take care of them as they grew old together.
“I guess all I have to do is have Micah drink my blood again, and some other fluids, and I’ll take his. Then your bullshit stunt will be erased, won’t it?”
Van’s eyes flared such a bright shade of red it could have been fire. He almost looked like a fire dragon in that moment. “Don’t you fucking dare! Don’t you touch him!”
He still sounded as if he thought he was protecting Micah, as if he were the one who had a rightful claim to Micah as his mate.
Stefan hated him for even thinking that was the way it was going to work. He hated him for attacking Micah and being the reason why Micah was crying right now.
Stefan broke Van’s arm. It took a little extra effort because Van wasn’t some delicate little thing, but the snap, and the scream of pain, made it all worth it.
Stefan pushed himself off Van’s body, staring down at the man and struggling against the urge to spit on him just for good measure.
“If I ever see you again, I’ll fucking kill you.”
Stefan wasn’t sure if Van heard what he’d said, what with the way the man moaned and rolled, trying desperately to right his arm again.
Stefan no longer cared. The man wasn’t his problem anymore, and he needed to check on his mate. After that, he’d call Seth and tell him what had happened.
Lucian would back him up on the banishment thing, so it was more than likely Stefan didn’t have to worry about having the decision overridden.
But he wouldn’t rest well until Van was out.
Micah wasn’t on his bed anymore. Stefan didn’t exactly expect him to be, but seeing his mate sitting on the floor, his back against the wall knifed him right in the heart. Micah looked so small with his knees up, as if he was trying to hide himself.
Stefan got to one knee in front of him. He reached out, hesitated, and then put his hand on Micah’s shoulder.
Micah jerked, his gaze turning up, his eyes swollen and red. “I’m-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I didn’t want him to!”
“I know, I know,” Stefan said, reaching out for Micah, hooking his arms beneath the man’s legs and picking him up.
Micah barely seemed to notice. He was too busy desperately trying to explain that he hadn’t meant to be kissed, that it had been an accident when he’d swallowed Van’s blood.
Micah sounded as if he was having an honest-to-God panic attack. He didn’t even look down when Stefan walked out and stepped over Van’s body. Even though Van moaned in pain and swiped out at Stefan’s legs with his good arm.
It was easy to avoid him, and Micah still didn’t seem to notice Van at all.
“Micah, it’s all right,” Stefan said. “I know it was an accident. I’m sorry I left you alone.”
Micah wouldn’t stop crying. He didn’t seem to have control as he clutched at Stefan’s chest.
“It was an accident.”
“I know.”
Stefan left the servants’ wing. He ignored the other omegas who watched him go, carrying his mate. His only concern was getting Micah back to their room.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
“I know. Don’t worry about it.”
He made it back to their room quickly enough, letting them inside. The only reason why he’d gone looking for his mate was because Micah hadn’t been here when Stefan had come back.
He set his mate down on the bed, getting on his knees beside it. Somehow, having Micah looking down at him seemed as if it would be the best way to get through to him, to break his panic.
“I didn’t…I didn’t…”
“I know,” Stefan said softly, rubbing his hands up and down Micah’s thighs. “I know it was an accident. You’re still mine. Don’t worry.”
“You’re not going to send me away?”
He asked it with such a terrible break in his voice that Stefan almost didn’t know how to get through to him. He could only tell the truth as many times as Micah needed to hear it.
“I’m not leaving you, though I have a good mind to go back there and beat the living piss out of Van again.”
Micah’s bottom lip trembled. He rubbed his hand over his eyes, trying to banish the tears, but he couldn’t get rid of them fast enough.
“You hurt my heart when you look like that. Don’t cry. I’m not blaming you.”
“But I hated it!” Micah cried. “He kissed me, and all I could think of was you. I was betraying you, and I’m sorry.”
Stefan pushed himself onto the bed beside his mate. He curled his arms around Micah’s waist, pulling him close. Micah’s arms around his waist, his small body so close, brought out all the protective instincts Stefan had.
He wished he’d broken Van’s other arm, he really did.
“You didn’t betray me,” Stefan said. “I betrayed you. I didn’t keep you safe like I was supposed to. If you want to blame anyone for what happened, then you should blame no one but me.”
“But you didn’t do anything! It was me!” Micah insisted.
“No, sweetheart,” Stefan said. “I don’t know what else I can say to make you see it, but this isn’t on you. This is on me. I should have stayed with you. I should have put the note in a better place where you could see it.”
“You left a note?”
Stefan rubbed Micah’s back. “I figured you missed it. I asked you to sit tight until I could get back.”
“Oh,” Micah said, glancing away as if embarrassed. “I can’t really read anyway. I might not have…I mean I’ll learn if that’ll help so this won’t happen again.”
Stefan quickly shushed his mate. “Stop, baby, stop blaming yourself.” Stefan touched Micah’s hair. He touched his cheek and then held him behind his neck, wishing there was some way he could take Micah’s pain and absorb it into himself.
“Why won’t you believe me when I say I still love you? That you did nothing wrong? I don’t understand that.”
Micah could barely hold eye contact with him, an
d his mismatched eyes were positively swimming.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart. Your eyes are too damned pretty to be that wet.”
At least he finally got a smile out of Micah with those words. Micah snorted a short laugh as he wiped at his eyes.
That made Stefan happy. At least he could see that smile again.
The smile didn’t last long, however, before Micah was back to looking like a scared animal.
“Most alphas, and even a lot of betas…it’s just the way it is. If another alpha steals a mate, puts their scent on them, then it’s done. They don’t want the omega back.”
His mate mumbled that a bit, but Stefan caught it, and he realized what it meant.
Sometimes Stefan had to remember that dragons and animal shifters worked by similar social structures, but they were still different, and his mate had just confessed that an alpha wolf would have left Micah to his fate with Van if he’d walked in on that.
Stefan didn’t like that. It immediately pissed him off. That an alpha would abandon his mate just because some other prick forced blood down his throat…
Stefan pulled Micah to his chest and then into his lap. Micah hugged him just as tightly as Stefan held him back, which was saying something from a man so much smaller.
Stefan kissed his hair, and the sudden sting in his own eyes was enough to make him struggle with his words. “Don’t you ever worry about a thing. I’m not like those alphas. I’m better, and I love you.”
“I have his blood inside me. I drank it.”
“And you’re going to drink mine again, and I’ll drink yours. You’re not ever going anywhere. Hey, look at me.”
Micah did as he was told.
Stefan kissed him on the mouth, short, sweet, and Micah’s lips were soft and wonderful against Stefan’s mouth.
It already felt as if he was getting rid of the scent of that bastard on his mate.
When Stefan pulled away, Micah’s eyes were glazed over, and he looked up at Stefan as though he’d fallen into a daze.
Stefan pushed his fingers through Micah’s hair. “I’m going to give Seth a quick call because I’m not leaving you alone again. I’m going to tell him what happened, and just for the fun of it, I’ll also call Lucian and ask if he wants to have another go at that prick. Maybe he’ll break Van’s jaw if I already didn’t.”
Micah shuddered. “Are you really sending him away?”
“Yes. I don’t know what his problem is. He always seemed like the type who stood up for justice and the weaker man. This is something I never expected from him, but I honestly don’t care. I don’t care what his reasoning is. He had no right to do that to you, and I’ll make sure he gets the fuck out of this house.”
Micah smiled up at him, as if he was relieved, though there was still a touch of sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry to have caused all this fuss.”
“No, no,” Stefan said quickly, shaking his head. “No more apologies, remember?” Stefan kissed his mate on the mouth again. He sensed it, so close to the surface he could touch it. The pieces of his mate were right there, ready to be brought to life, to accept that he wasn’t responsible for what had nearly happened to him. He needed Micah to see this wasn’t on him. It was only on Van, and Van was not in this room with them.
Soon he wouldn’t be in the house with them.
Micah had that glazed look back in his eyes when Stefan pulled his mouth away. Stefan smiled down at him.
“No more blaming yourself. Okay?”
Micah wet his lips, and he nodded, hesitantly. “Okay.”
This was definitely not the end of this conversation. Stefan could tell right now, but at least he could get Micah to know logically that Stefan wasn’t going anywhere, even if he couldn’t make him believe it emotionally.
“Can I ask why?”
Stefan blinked. “Why what?”
Micah’s brows pulled together. “Why wouldn’t you leave? I drank another man’s blood. I’m glad you’re staying though!” he said quickly, as though terrified he was coming off as disappointed. “I don’t want you to walk away from me, but anyone else, any other alpha, they would have.”
Ah, now Stefan knew how he could make his mate believe in his heart that Stefan was here for the long haul.
“I didn’t just mate with you so I could have a mate and keep you from Van,” Stefan said. “I mated with you because, from the moment I first laid my eyes on you, I loved you. I loved you and wanted you. The only reason why I didn’t do anything sooner was because you had just been freed from slavery. I never wanted to put that sort of pressure on you, and maybe I should have said something before, but the second Van tried to take you for a mate I knew I’d waited too long.”
Stefan stopped talking just then, glancing down at his mate, only to make sure Micah heard what he was saying.
Micah’s eyes were wide, and his cheeks were paler than they had been when Stefan found Micah crying in his old room.
“Did you catch any of that?” Stefan wanted to laugh. His mate honestly looked as if he was about to catch some flies with the way his mouth gaped like that.
Micah snapped his mouth shut, his throat working in a hard swallow, and he nodded. “Yeah.”
“And do you believe me?”
Micah’s eyes shined and filled with moisture again, and he sniffled. “Yes.”
“Then that’s all that matters.” Stefan swooped in for another kiss, this one harsher than the last. He couldn’t contain himself. He needed to kiss his mate. He needed to touch him, to push him down onto the bed, to get him out of his clothes, and, as quickly as possible, remove Van’s scent from his body.
He might even burn these old clothes before buying his mate some new ones.
At first, Micah melted into the kiss. He seemed to positively adore it, moaning, opening his lips, his body pliant and welcoming as he spread his legs for Stefan to sink between without any prompting on his part.
And it was glorious. It was absolutely wonderful.
Except for when Micah pushed hard against Stefan’s chest. At first, Stefan didn’t notice the pressure against his chest, and when he did, it took him another couple of seconds before he was aware that his mate was trying to stop the contact, instead of attempting to get closer.
Stefan broke the kiss, looking down at his mate, worried. “Is it too much?”
Van had just tried to force himself onto Micah. This might be too fast.
Micah shook his head. “No, it’s not too fast. I just wanted to tell you that I love you, too.”
Stefan’s heart soared. He exhaled sharply, his heart pumping painfully in his chest.
A good kind of pain.
“God, I love you so fucking much.” Stefan leaned in and kissed his mate again, hard on the mouth, feeling Micah’s smile as he did so, feeling the way Micah threaded his fingers through Stefan’s hair and held on tight.
Micah was still crying a little. Stefan could feel the wet tracks continuing to move on his cheeks, could still taste the tears against Micah’s mouth.
Happy tears were all right, however.
Except then Micah pulled back from the kiss again. His eyes were so bright, but they were just as beautiful as always. “You should make your call to Seth first about Van. Then we can do this.”
That was a great idea. Stefan couldn’t believe he’d nearly forgotten, and Micah laughed delightfully at him as Stefan yanked his phone from his pocket and proceeded to tap the button that would call Seth’s phone.
Stefan didn’t get out of bed with his mate, and he could barely stop kissing him until he got Seth on the phone.
It was difficult to explain what had happened when he no longer felt so angry, but he supposed that emotion would come rushing back when he wasn’t in bed with his mate sucking on the side of his throat, the both of them grinding against each other.
Luckily, though Seth sounded confused, he promised to get onto the problem as soon as possible, and then Stefan could get back to making love to his mate
.
Chapter Nine
Taylor woke up after what felt like hours.
And hours.
And hours.
In a good way. After such a long time travelling, he’d needed the sleep, and despite the hurt in his body after that crazy fight, it hadn’t taken long with him leaning against James’ chest, coupled with the soft rocking motion of his walk, which made his eyes heavy.
He felt refreshed. They weren’t walking anymore, but…something was wrong.
Taylor lay against James’ warm chest, and he immediately realized that was what had to be it.
Was he seriously snuggling against the guy who’d kidnapped him and forced him to trek through the woods for so many days?
Ashamed and disgusted with himself, Taylor pushed away from the man.
Then he hissed and touched his arm.
He was shocked. A crisp, clean bandage was where his wound had been. It still hurt, and now that he was awake, the burning throb seemed determined to make itself known to him again, but it was still bandaged, taken care of. Taylor looked at James. Had he done this? And where the hell were they? They were definitely not outside.
The bed was tiny. It barely fit the two of them, which made sense as to why Taylor had practically been lying on top of the man.
This could be a small fishing cabin for all he knew. A fly buzzed somewhere, and there was a spider web, with an actual spider in it, a big one, in the far corner by the door.
Taylor cringed. He hated spiders. So much.
James must have changed his mind about not going to any human locations. Or perhaps this was a safe house?
No, that made no sense. James had been walking around those woods, suffering as much as Taylor was, and he’d apparently been betrayed by his own friends.
Pity swelled within Taylor’s chest, and then he quickly squashed it back down.
Nope. That was a definitely nope. He was noping the hell out of that one because he wasn’t about to let himself feel sorry for the man who had threatened to kill him and kidnapped him.
Taylor didn’t even know why he’d helped the man.