Galen [Beyond the Veil 4] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Toby Aden

  But somehow, he felt an urging to hurry toward the door, and picking up his pace, he hurried along to his room and pulled the door open. He did a quick scan of the room and realized that everything in the room was as it should be. Nothing was out of order. He must just be paranoid and looking for suspicion where there were none. Satisfied that nothing could possibly have gone wrong, he decided to check the bathing area just to be sure and walked toward it.

  He stepped into the chambers and moved toward the pool as though pulled by invisible strings. The sight once he was there though made his heart stop. A keening cry came from far away, and it took him a long time to realize that he had been the one to make that sound. His hands shook, and it felt as though it was an out-of-body experience he was going through. His beautiful, kind mate lay drowning in the lake, not breathing, almost dead!

  Immediately, he jumped into action, rushing into the water, uncaring that his clothes were soaking from the water he was wading through to get to his mate. He reached into the deeper pool and lifted his mate into his arms, carried him out of the pool, and placed him at the edge of it before heaving up and out of it.

  He turned Finc onto his side and began rubbing his back, trying to revive the man. “Come on, mate. Wake up. Open those gorgeous greens I love so much for me.” He pounded several times on Finc’s back.

  He turned Finc so that the man was lying on his back once more and then leaned down, pressing his ears against Finc’s nose to listen for a minute. He leaned away and soon began using his hand to massage Finc’s chest and his heart. Galen breathed raggedly, frantic to get his Finc to open up his eyes. His heart pounded hard against his chest, but he couldn’t care less about it right now.

  Finc could not die on him. He could worry about nothing but what he could do to try to revive Finc. Removing his hand from Finc’s chest, he leaned in, one hand holding Finc’s nose closed, the other opening up Finc’s mouth as he leaned in and breathed into his mate’s mouth. Over and over again, Galen massaged Finc’s heart, pumping his hand against Finc’s chest and then leaning in to blow breath into Finc’s body. To breathe life back into his unresponsive mate’s body.

  And all the while, he kept chanting, “Please come back to me! You can’t leave me. I love you, Finc. You hear me? I love you, and you can’t leave me.”

  Over and over again, he continued this, and still when Finc did not respond, he hit Finc’s chest with a forceful blow, tears free falling down his cheek. Then when he realized what he had done, he lifted Finc’s body into his arms and wept bitterly, openly.

  “By the gods, I am so sorry. Please do not leave me. I cannot live without you,” Galen whispered and then shouted his rage to the world, his voice lifted in such raw agony.

  That his shout and wailing had drawn quite a few people to the bathing room and they all stood transfixed in shock staring at the scene before them did not concern Galen one bit. He cried out his pain, his rage at who did this to his mate, and his helplessness to save the one man who meant the world to him.

  “I will not live without you, Finc! You must come back to me. By the gods, I demand you come back to me!”

  He beat against Finc’s back, holding him against his chest and rocking the both of them back and forth. Then suddenly, the body in his arms began racking with shudders and coughs, water spewing out of his mouth. The shock of it all took a while to register with Galen, who was still wailing with grief, but when he felt weak hands trying to pull him away, he stopped and glanced down at his mate to see the slim body struggling against him.

  With a cry, Galen pulled Finc away from him and stared into the bloodshot eyes of his mate, a gasp releasing from his mouth and tears falling much faster in earnest once again.

  “Oh thank the gods!” Galen said, relief plain as day in his voice, and then he drew Finc closer to him and began peppering his face with kisses. Again, he felt the weak push against him and stopped, noticing for the first time that he was crushing his mate and not giving him room to breathe. “I’m sorry. I am so sorry,” he said and then relaxed his hold on Finc. “How do you feel?” Finc tried speaking, but when no words came out, Galen shook his head. “No. Do not talk. I am sorry. You must rest.” He ran a hand over Finc’s body, his head, and his face. “Rest. You must rest.”

  It was then that Galen looked up and saw his guards and Finc’s father, stepmother, and half-brother all staring and them along with a few servants and Sadri. It made him growl at them, and baring his teeth, he barked. “Get a healer right now!”

  It was Sadri who retreated and ran to do his bidding, and Galen reached around his mate and swept him up into his arms, sweeping past their other spectators without acknowledging them or another thought in their direction, carrying his tired mate into the bedroom. Galen set his mate on his feet near the dresser and held the man tightly to him, knowing fully well that his legs would not be able to support his weight just then.

  “I’m going to change you, okay, Finc? I do not want you catching a cold on top of it all,” Galen explained as he reached toward the drawer with one hand and pulled out a tunic.

  He felt the barest hint of a nod against his chest, and the constant shudders racking through Finc’s small body did not pass his attention. He peeled the wet cloth away from his mate’s body—unconcerned about the presence of the other in the room, his mate’s well-being his first priority—and pulled the dry tunic down Finc’s body, letting it fall free to his toes before sweeping Finc into his arms once more and carrying him over to the bed.

  It had already been turned down, though by whom he did not know and did not care. All he knew and wanted was his mate’s rest and peace of mind. To care for the man. Settling Finc into the bed, he pulled the cover back over Finc’s body, tucking it against Finc’s shoulders and around his body. He then sat on the bed, leaned in placed a kiss on Finc’s forehead.

  “Nothing will happen to you, Finc,” he whispered, staring intently into Finc’s wide, frightened eyes. “I am here now, and I will care for you. Rest.”

  Yet, Finc still stared at him wide-eyed and frightened until Galen settled against him on the bed and pulled him into his arms, whispering sweet nothings into his ears and running his hand over his body in a soothing manner. Finc immediately reached for Galen and clutched his clothes tightly, pulling Galen to him as though to ensure for himself that Galen was not going anywhere. Galen tried removing Finc’s hand to allow the man a better chance for resting, but Finc would have none of it, whimpering as though in pain and not taking his eyes off Galen.

  “You need rest, Finc. If you hold on this tight, you will have cramps in your hand. I will not leave you. Trust in that,” Galen tried to explain, still seeking to get his mate to relax.

  Finc, however, was having none of that, for he whimpered more and shook harder until Galen finally gave in and relented, pulling Finc flush against his body instead.

  “You’re safe Finc. I have you,” Galen murmured, whispering soothing words to his mate and touched him everywhere he could to ensure that Finc was reassured by his presence. He stayed with Finc that way until the man relaxed enough to close his eyes.

  Chapter Twelve

  Within minutes, Finc was asleep in the bed, and Galen stared down at him, banking his anger lest it affect the man in his sleep. A few minutes more and Galen disentangled himself from his mate’s clutches. Galen stood by the bed and watched his mate sleep for a while before turning to the rest. He saw Bojore seated on the couch with Urla and Darix, worry lining their faces and his two guards who were supposed to be guarding the door standing just three steps away from the bed.

  He approached them first, his face alight with fury and dried tears tracks smearing his cheeks. “Where…were…you?” he asked, each word cold and measured, and he stared at the men.

  He would have preferred to have this out of earshot of his mate, but until he got to the bottom of who had it out for his mate, he trusted no one to look after the delicate beauty. He would not leave Finc or even allow
him out of his sight for any reason where he could easily defend his mate personally. He just hoped that he would not lose his temper to the extent that Finc would be woken up.

  “Highness.” At once, they responded together, bowing their heads.

  “Look at me!” he snapped at them, and immediately, they raised their heads to stare at him. “Where were you I asked?”

  “We went to…” one of the guards began, but before he could finish those words, Galen backhanded him across the face, the force of the blow propelling him into the other guard. A gasp tore from one of Finc’s stepfamily, but he paid them no mind. In fact, he would deal with them just as soon as he dealt with his guards. Incompetent fools, the lot of them.

  “Where were you?” Galen asked again.

  The guard he struck had straightened once more and stared straight ahead, mirroring the posture of the unscathed guard.

  “Highness—” the other guard began but was cut off when Galen punched in the stomach and the force of the blow sent him bowing over in pain.

  Galen did not hold back from then on, using his inner power as an Earth Fae and a warrior at that.

  The Earth Faes were so in tune with the earth that they could wield it both as a weapon and for healing. However, only a few growers existed. The majority of them were warriors and their healers few and far between.

  Their healers were also growers, able to coax and summon their energy in such a manner that could cause anything planted to grow. Whilst the Earth warriors used their energies as a weapon, the strongest were able to wield it with such precision that they could single out a person in a multitude of a crowd to attack.

  “You will guard my mate with your life. Should he so much as sneeze, you will answer to me for it. Should anything happen to him again under your watch, and I will slit your throat and toss you to the birds to feast on. Do I make myself clear?”

  They snapped to attention at once. “Yes, Highness!”

  “Watch him!” he ordered, and the guards moved to stand at the foot of the bed, taking up protective stances for their prince’s mate and unmoving as they followed their duties to the letter.

  Next, Galen walked up to his mate’s family. The cold and murderous look on his face hijacked them to their feet instantly as they stood fidgeting under his stare.

  “Who is responsible for wanting my mate dead?”

  Bojore gulped, Urla paled, and Darix wrung his hands together, fear mounting and racking their bodies, for they knew that the rage that gripped the prince knew no bounds and he would slaughter them all if they did not tell him what he wanted to know.

  Bojore shook his head, using the back of his hand to mop the sweat on his forehead. “W-we have no idea, H-highness. W-we were just with y-you in the s-study, s-sire,” he stuttered fearfully.

  Galen turned his gaze to Darix. “And you?”

  Darix shook his head vigorously, shaking in fright. “I-I…” He licked his suddenly dry lips, unable to go on, and broke down in tears. “I h-have been i-in my r-room all day! I didn’t do it. I swear.” He reached his hand out but stopped and drew it back, wringing them once more. “I would not do it. I couldn’t. It’s not me. I swear,” he cried, snot falling from his nose. “Please!”

  “Let me get this straight. My mate was almost drowned alive in your house, and all of you pretend you do not know by whom?” he bellowed.

  They all shook and shook their heads. “Please, Your Highness. We had nothing to do with this. No matter how indifferent we might be to him. It could not be us,” Urla cried out, pleading and begging.

  Galen nodded his head grimly. “Fine. Since no one would admit to it, I will see you all beheaded before I leave this godforsaken place.”

  “Noooo!” Urla and Darix cried out simultaneously, falling to their knees. “Please, Your Highness! We did not do this.” They cried and pleaded, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.

  “Guards. Secure them,” Galen said icily and coldly.

  “They…did…” The soft voice in the sudden silence grabbed the attention of everyone in the room, and immediately, Galen was sprinting to his mate’s side, unaware of when the man had woken up.

  Finc’s family all rushed the bed, crying out and pleading all the more, demanding for Finc to clear their name, but they did not reach the bed as the guards held them off.

  “Silence!” Galen barked at them, pinning them with a look that said if they did not do as instructed, beheading them would be the merciful way of killing them.

  Immediately, the place was extremely quiet to the point that one could have heard the sound of a pin drop. Satisfied that they would not overly distress his mate, Galen turned his attention to the man in his arms.

  “Rest, mate. Don’t strain yourself,” he said.

  “They…not…” Finc said haltingly, breathing hard yet still trying to explain.

  “It’s okay. Everything will be fine,” Galen soothed.

  But Finc would not be soothed. He shook his head and pulled on Galen’s shirt sleeve to get the man’s attention, and when Galen finally really paid him the attention he needed, he began again.

  “Servant…female…hate…me…love…Darix.”

  Galen stared at his mate in confusion, but the gasp from across the room drew his attention to Darix, Finc’s half-brother. The man was pale, but his eyes wide as saucers.

  “What is he talking about?” His voice hardened as he stared at Darix.

  Darix shook his head, and then when he saw that not answering would do him more damage than good, he said, “My servant. He said my servant did that to him.” Once he’d uttered those words, Darix struggled in the guard’s arms, trying to get to them. “Please. I swear I had nothing to do with it. I did not order her to do it. Please, please do not kill me. I swear by the gods I did not do it.”

  Galen grounded his teeth, not believing a word Darix said. After all, who would not say anything to get out of harm’s way, even blaming it all on one’s servant? “You will all go back and sit yourselves on the couch and not make one single movement. Is that clear? I can very well kill you all without moving an inch from where I am. So do not test my patience.”

  Nodding their head, they scampered to the couch and sat on it, and then Galen turned to the guards. “Fetch the servant girl.”

  As one, they turned and walked to the door, exiting it and shutting it behind them. The room was deathly silent as they all waited for the servant to be found and brought into the room. Once Galen had listened to his mate, he had finally been able to get the man to settle back against the pillows and try to relax as they waited. He did not spare a glance in the Bojore family’s direction, but he was hyperaware of their every move.

  The moment they decided to disobey him, he would finish them all off without another thought. That was what he could do to protect his mate, and he would do so without hesitating. Though it seemed as though they knew better than to provoke him.

  A short while later, the guards walked back into the room, dragging a squirming woman in the middle before proceeding to toss her onto the floor in front of the bed. The woman screamed and cursed at them, but Galen did not hear a word she said. He knew this woman. She had been the one to come in and clear the table the first night Finc and Galen had eaten together in this very room. That the person who had sought to harm his mate was this close to him and his mate angered him all the more.

  Settling Finc back onto the bed, Galen stood up and walked toward her, crouching next to her and peering into her eyes. “Who ordered you to kill my mate?”

  When she turned her face and spat on the floor, stubbornly unwilling to say a word as hatred burned in her eyes, Galen ignored the huge insult she just paid him and grabbed her by the jaw.

  “If you spit on me again, it will be the very last thing you do with your tongue before I proceed to dismember every limb from your body, slowly and painfully until you answer my question,” Galen said in a silky voice, his eyes hard enough to ensure she knew he was not joking. “Howeve
r, tell me what I want, and I will give you a quick death. Either way, you will die. It is up to you how we achieve that,” he said, so matter of fact as though he was talking about the weather but with enough steel in his voice and the hand holding her jaw to ensure she knew it was no idle threat.

  When the woman’s eyes widened, he saw a bit of fear in there and then defiance. “I will tell you nothing.”

  Galen stared at her awhile and then nodded his head. “Fetch my dagger,” he said, directing it to his guards but without staring away from the woman. He saw her eyes widen in fear once more, but she still held her tongue.

  When the guards returned from withdrawing the scabbard dagger, he accepted it with his empty hand, pulling it out of its protective casing before pressing the tip of the dagger to the woman’s thigh.

  “Who ordered you to kill my mate?”

  Still, she remained stubborn and refused to answer until Galen pushed the dagger through her flesh and shoved it deeper into her thigh, eliciting a loud scream from the woman.

  “Who ordered you to kill my mate?”

  “No one! No one! Stop, stop, stop,” she screamed, and Galen stopped the dagger from moving farther into her thigh.

  “Why did you attempt to kill my mate?”

  When she shot his angry glared from tear-stained eyes, Galen pushed the dagger farther in. “I can keep going if I need to,” he said in a calm voice.

  “Stop, please, stop. I’ll tell you what you want.”

  Galen nodded and stopped the pressure on the dagger. “Why did you attempt to kill my mate?” he asked again.

  “He’s a filthy whore. A mate snatcher. Nothing but an illegitimate dog not good enough. Darix deserves better. Ever since the spawn came to this household, he was nothing but a beggar! Nothing! Darix was supposed to have you, and then I would be a servant of the palace. A much higher post!” the woman ranted, her eyes lit with an unholy light, no doubt having long since lost her marbles.