A Vampire's Christmas [Milson Valley 6] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Jo Penn

  “Paranormals are well known to go crazy jealous over their mate. Dan planned to lure you away and when Tyler came after you, he’d kill Tyler. He’s a sharpshooter for the Renegades and would have lain in wait.”

  “What a stupid prick.” Con took out his archery kit and loaded the quivers.

  “From what he was rambling on about, he’s tried shooting Tyler before but it hasn’t worked. Now he’s desperate. I needed to get you off campus and away so no one could get hurt. I’m sorry I didn’t have time to explain all this before waving a gun in your face and tossing a potion at your security detail, but there just wasn’t time and with Dan being so desperate and a spy hanging around, I couldn’t take any chances. I thought once it appeared you were abducted, the Durand coven would send out soldiers and security to search for you and then Tyler would be safe.”

  “Because they would take out Dan? But how, Melissa?” Con stood and strapped on more quivers.

  He’d brought his archery kit with him to surprise Tyler. He’d booked a slot for them at the range and thought they could spend an hour there before next class. Now it looked like he was going to try and find Dan and shoot the bastard in the hand so the Renegade didn’t kill Con’s mate.

  “Gods, no idea! The signal from my phone would lead him away from the university but he won’t be able to find us here—”

  “Wrong, you stupid bitch!”

  Con had his back to the door and with one swift movement, turned and fired the quiver straight into Professor Dan’s right shoulder. The creature squealed like a stuck pig but unfortunately, he’d already fired a shot at poor hapless Melissa, his teaching assistant. Con quickly fired again, this time hitting Dan’s left shoulder, the creature thrown back with the force of the arrow penetrating with a through and through that pierced the wall behind him and embedded him to the wood.

  Knowing how quickly creatures healed and the arrows wouldn’t hold Dan long, just hurt like a frigging motherfucker, Con quickly checked Melissa where she was slumped on the ground, blood pouring from a side wound. Swearing, Con grabbed the towel he kept in his knapsack and pressed it to the bullet hole. Glancing at Dan to make sure he was still there, Con saw the creature twisting in pain as he raised his right hand and pulled at the arrow through his left shoulder that held him fixed to the wall.

  Nope, wouldn’t hold the bastard long at all. And he couldn’t leave Melissa. Whatever Dan had threatened her with, Melissa had tried to help. She’d probably saved a lot of people on campus by taking the fight away from them, and if Dan had bugged her phone and was spying on her, she was right, she couldn’t have told Con before this.

  Right, so where did that leave him? It wasn’t like he was going to kill the bastard ex-professor, just wasn’t in Con, not unless it was a fight to the death for his own life, or someone he loved. But he could slow the prick down and had absolutely no remorse over doing it. Creatures healed damn quick.

  Raising the crossbow, Con thanked his stupid cow of a step-mother for the hours of lessons she’d made him attend as he shot arrow after arrow into the screaming creature stuck to the wall.

  “Huh, you’re a bit like a bloody pin cushion.” Con walked over and shoved dirty socks into Dan’s mouth. “I always forget to take my socks out for laundry day.”

  Leaning down, he picked up the gun Dan had dropped after the first arrow pierced him.

  Now how was he going to let Tyler know where he was? Cut himself so the vamp could sniff the scent of his blood? Nah, probably not. And he was shit with electronics so he couldn’t rig the phone’s reception.

  Would he be found in time? Or was he leading his mate right into a trap? The thought of Tyler injured snapped Con out of the fear that had begun to overwhelm him now the adrenaline was fading after shooting Dan. Protect Tyler, and probably the other vampires who may come to help.

  But how without endangering Melissa and leaving her alone…Con looked up and grimaced. The roof. Right, okay, he wasn’t good at climbing, but he’d do it.

  Grabbing his knapsack and crouching in front of Melissa, he pressed Dan’s gun into her weak hand and placed a water bottle beside her.

  “I’m going up to the roof. Shoot him if he tries anything.”

  “Ok-ay, be careful and Con, I’m sorry.”

  “We’ll make it, hopefully.”

  “If I don’t, tell my daughter I love her more than anything. I sent her to—” Melissa coughed, it sounded bad. “My mom’s when Dan threatened her. I should have—”

  “You were protecting your child?” That was a novel concept to Con and he had a whole new respect for Melissa. “Thanks, for trying to help me. I’m gonna try and make sure you get back to your daughter. Just shoot him in the head if he tries anything.”

  Con crept out of the little dwelling at the end of an old field not far from the university. It was under construction for a new stadium but politics had stopped the works so the place was overgrown and deserted. Looking up, he grimaced but slinging the bag over his back, reached up and began climbing. Maybe he could get reception up here, and it was a good spot to shoot anyone who got too close.

  He just hoped he knew the good guys from the bad ones, and that one of his family found him soon.

  Chapter Ten

  Tyler ducked a clawed hand and felt someone at his back. Crouching, he swung his leg out and knocked the creature behind him over and jumped up in time to slam the heel of his hand into another Renegade’s nose, smashing the bone and sending shards straight to the man’s brain, disabling him.

  It was a move he’d enjoyed being taught by Baron. That tiger was deadly and had spent time showing Tyler a few strategic moves. He said because Tyler was agile, fast and smaller, he could get around easier and use it to his advantage, for he wasn’t as strong as a big shifter or gargoyle. Strength wasn’t the only way to disable or kill a creature—skill was, and Tyler had a lot of it.

  He fought, he watched his back and made sure his family were okay, he got some cuts and even received a blow to the chest that cracked a rib, but he kept fighting, kept pushing Renegades back. They didn’t give up and neither did he. They were outnumbered, it wouldn’t take long to eradicate them from the university carpark where they had turned up, flooding out of cars and along the street.

  “You’re a good fighter, pup.” Alpha Urian picked up a creature by the neck and crushed his throat. “Just watch your flank.”

  “Flank? What the hell’s a flank?” Syndal snarled. “Oh, some ridiculous shifter term, I’m sure.”

  “Princess Snideness.” The Alpha smirked and winked, earning a hiss from Syndal.

  Looking around and sniffing the air, Tyler got the feeling time was running out. Trackers were out searching for Constantin but he could be hundreds to thousands of miles away by now. Tyler had insisted his mate wear that damn inhibitor bracelet which left Constantin without the ability to teleport himself to freedom.

  Stupid, stupid Tyler!

  He needed to find his mate before it was too late.

  “What the hell was that?” Damir, one of Dimitri’s many brothers, growled and pulled something out of a creature’s back. He knocked the creature over and held up an arrow.

  Tyler whooped and snatched the arrow, holding it up to the light. “Constantin! Which direction did it come from…wow, he’s a frigging good shot.”

  An arrow had embedded in the ground at Tyler’s feet.

  “That way.” Enforcer Drax pointed. “I see Vicus signaling. He’s found your mate.”

  Tyler didn’t stop to hear any more. He took off running, knowing his brothers and sister were right there with him. At the end of the large sports oval, they sped across the street into the site where the new stadium was being built. There was a little shack that the workers must have used at one time as either an office or shelter and Tyler could see Avenger Vicus standing with Constantin.

  Swooping in on his mate, Tyler did a brisk feel-up to make sure his human wasn’t injured anywhere and finding a few bruises and
scratches made him hiss and swear vengeance.

  “Hey, bossy.”

  Startled, Tyler blinked at his mate. Constantin smiled, looped an arm around Tyler’s neck and pulled him down so their lips met and blew Tyler’s mind with a kiss that hit a scorching on the hot and steamy scale. It had tongue, sucking and not enough privacy.

  “I’m never letting you out of my sight again!” Tyler said the moment they broke apart, then grabbed his mate and stuck his tongue down Constantin’s throat and tried to feel up the man’s tonsils.

  Their kisses became one big make-out session that Tyler’s cock wanted to get in on and thankfully, by the feel of a generous sized rod in Constantin’s pants, his wanted some action also. But these kisses were an intimacy he couldn’t break away from and he wanted more, deeper, to consume his mate.

  “That’s pretty cool with the arrows. I would have just shot the creature in the head, though. I’m out of here.”

  “You will remain where you are.”

  There was a hiss, a scoffing noise, and an evil giggle. Tyler sighed and, breaking the delicious kissing session, pressed his forehead against Constantin’s.

  “Our family. Can’t take them anywhere,” he whispered. “What do you say we ditch them and go hole up in a hotel for a few days, sweets?”

  “Oh, and you’re going to stop me? Love to see you try.”

  “Love? Love? You don’t even know what that word means!”

  Constantin’s chocolate eyes flicked beyond Tyler to the arguing siblings.

  “It is a difficult word to define. I find that feelings are difficult—”

  “Let’s talk about that in private, mate,” Dimitri’s deep voice rumbled.

  Tyler slumped but kept his arms around his mate. “Tell me what happened? Did the creep hurt you? I’m going to kill him!”

  “Settle down, pup. Your mate dealt with the pervert professor.”

  “How’s Melissa?” Constantin turned to look up at Alpha Urian but Tyler wasn’t letting his mate go and glared at his squabbling siblings.

  “Can you three stop arguing for five minutes so we can sort all this out.” Keeping a hold of Constantin, he dragged his mate over to his siblings and snapped his fingers in front of Valiant’s face. “Concentrate here. Now.” He turned back to Urian. “So these idiots snatched Constantin to lure me out and kill me?”

  “Probably. But their plan went astray when the teacher assistant nabbed your mate and got him away from the university’s main buildings.”

  “She did and frigging Dan shot her. How is she?”

  “She’ll live. Soldiers have shipped her out. If you want to see what Con did to the professor, come check it out.”

  Tyler was curious but would rather take his mate home and investigate every inch of the human to ensure his beautiful Constantin wasn’t injured in some way. But since every single one of his siblings followed Uri into the small shed, and Tyler hated being left out of anything, he too followed though kept an arm around Constantin, who gave up protesting after a few moments and was being looked at by every paranormal.

  “You were kidnapped, cub. Your mate will need to re-claim and bond.” Vicus frowned as a beeping noise came from his sleeve.

  “Not like you to set alarms, cousin,” King of the gargoyles, Dareios Surkov, commented.

  Vicus sighed and tapped at his phone, hissing when the alarm wouldn’t turn off. A second later he tore the watch off and crumpled it in his hand. The beeping noise continued.

  “Deakin?” Drax asked with a wide smile.

  “Yes. He likes to set timers to remind me when he feels I should be home.”

  Tyler bit his lip to stop from laughing. That part sprite of Vicus’s sure was ballsy. Then he caught sight of the creature pinned to the wall by two dozen arrows and his mouth fell open. Every one of his siblings except Ryson congratulated Constantin on disabling the Renegade while the gargoyles had fun twisting some of those arrows while pulling them out and cuffing the creature. Constantin looked a little ill and Vicus took a half dozen steps back, eying the human warily.

  He was probably worried Constantin would vomit, and usually when a mate vomited, it ended up on Vicus’s shoes.

  Tyler had seen enough. He just wanted to hold his mate and like Vicus said, claim and bond—oh, and fuck. Yeah, Tyler really wanted to touch every inch of his mate and fuck the man on every surface of their suite before doing it all again. He was going to need a few months to accomplish that.

  Getting Constantin out of there, Tyler was grateful Xavier and Drake moved to either side of him and Constantin and got them swiftly through the groups milling around and into a bulletproof limousine. Tyler didn’t waste time. He locked the doors, put up the dividing window and had it all blacked out. No one could see inside. Then he pounced on his mate and they tumbled to the floor. Tyler cupped Constantin’s head and tilting it to the side, sank his fangs into his mate.

  An explosion of flavor filled his tongue and the scent of arousal filled the car. Reaching down, he made quick work of undoing Constantin’s pants and taking out his mate’s slender, lovely cock. He wanted his mate’s blood and seed. Constantin arched beneath him, arms flaying about for a moment before gripping Tyler’s biceps and crying out softly as Tyler worked that lovely cock as it spurted creamy white cum over both of them. With the taste of his mate’s blood on his tongue and lapping at the puncture wounds in his human’s throat, Tyler moaned as his own cock strained and throbbed and wished he could bury himself inside Constantin’s tight little ass with his balls slapping against smooth cheeks as he lost his load and left his mark on his human forever.

  A hand slipped into Tyler’s pants and wrapped itself around his aching rod. His eyes rolled when Constantin’s thumb brushed across his cock head. It was a pleasure so intense he moaned, body jerking, loving the feeling of his mate’s hand on him and jerking slowly. It was a torturous pleasure, one he didn’t want to end, the grip of his mate’s warm hand, the right pressure, the slow stroke from base to tip followed by the thumb rub and blood in his mouth was too much for Tyler who was desperate for his mate. On the next stroke and swipe of thumb his cock swelled more just before warm spunk shot up and out, Tyler crying out with the immense pleasure, Constantin continuing to apply that slow stroke until Tyler’s balls emptied.

  Flopping down beside his mate, Tyler made sure to close the fang wounds while snuggling them close.

  “Let’s strip you off so I can give you a physical.”

  “Sure, once you get your medical degree, hon.”

  Warmth filled Tyler’s heart and his cock jerked up for more loving. “I just want to see you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, no one got the chance to hurt me.” Constantin propped himself up on one elbow and traced Tyler’s lips with a fingertip. “I knew you’d come for me, but I worried you’d be harmed. I’m glad you had so many with you to keep you safe.”

  Tyler’s smile was soft. “The gargoyles like you, sweets. You’ve got that whole don’t give a fuck attitude going on yet aren’t a hard ass. Everyone likes you, and I love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Tugging his mate down on top of him, Tyler was happier than he thought possible. “As soon as we get home, right after a shower, we fuck and bond.”

  There wasn’t a flicker of doubt or hesitation. Constantin nodded and kissed Tyler softly, intimately, lovingly, a brush of lips, a flick of tongue and taste of each other.

  They were together, finally, nearly completely. Just in time for Christmas.

  * * * *

  Coming out of the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist and a driving need to bond, Tyler was unprepared to find his mate standing in front of the third wardrobe in the bedroom.

  Dammit! Why was Constantin dressed again? They had decided to shower separately as that would be quicker than together. They’d probably take longer feeling each other up and Tyler wanted this time, the bonding, to be in their bed. Old-fashioned, probably, but he wanted to be comf
ortable and ravish his mate, really enjoy themselves, not a quickie in the shower.

  Though the way Tyler was feeling, he was fairly sure once they got on the bed, the main event would be over in fifteen minutes. That was fine, he was a paranormal, he’d be hard again within a few minutes and ready to go again…and again and maybe a few more times after that.

  “Sweets—”

  “What’s in here?” Constantin jiggled the locked storage cupboard in their bedroom.

  About to say “nothing,” Tyler grinned instead. Couldn’t lie to his truth detector mate.

  “Can’t tell you.”

  “What? Why? What have you got in there?” Constantin rattled the handle of the cupboard more firmly.

  “Okay, okay! Geez, you’re so suspicious!” Tyler pressed his back to the cupboard door, placing himself between it and his mate. “Christmas presents for you, our family and friends. So no looking!”

  Expecting possibly a little curiosity, hells, if someone said that to Tyler he’d be mind-controlling them and getting into the presents, checking each out. Surprisingly, though, Constantin’s chocolate eyes widened, an arm flayed wildly a moment, then he spun on his heel and hurried toward the bedroom door.

  “Wait! Where are you going? We’ve got bonding to get on with!” Tyler exclaimed, stunned.

  “It’s Christmas in three days! I haven’t got presents for anyone. I’m going shopping.”

  “Oh, no frigging way!” Using his vamp super speed, Tyler raced after his mate and launched himself onto the human. He rolled so he took the impact of the fall then put Constantin beneath him and his fangs at his throat. “Mate. Bond. Now.”

  “Bossy.” Constantin grinned broadly. “Gotcha.”

  For a moment he was confused, then he realized his mate had just played a prank on him, the kind of ones Tyler liked to play on others. Constantin had stirred Tyler right up thinking they wouldn’t be bonding.

  “Damn, mate, that was good, really had me going. Now let’s get these clothes off and me inside that very fine little ass of yours before I combust!”