His to Protect (APS 1)

by Alice Cain

  His to Protect

  Alateeka Protection Services

  Copyright 2014 Alice Cain

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  All Romance Edition September 2014

  All Romance Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is for your personal use only. This ebook remains the copyrighted property of the author and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you wish to recommend this ebook to a friend, please forward them the link to buy their own copy or use the gift function available on your All Romance account. Thank you for respecting the hard work of all authors.

  ~ Alice

  This is a fictional story from the author’s imagination and is not to be confused with fact. It is not advice or suggestion. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons is purely coincidental.

  Blurb:

  When Tyler Defoe discovers his best friend has been murdered, he can barely comprehend his loss, so when the investigator sent in the sheriff's place suggests that Logan might not be dead, Tyler is happy to believe him. Watching his friend wake as a non-human, however, isn't exactly what he expected.

  Adrian Alateeka has been doing this for a long time. He and his siblings are well known in both the paranormal and human communities as security experts who can be trusted. A recent spate of murders in their home town, however, suggests a very personal attack on Adrian, his siblings, and the people who work for them.

  Unwilling to leave a new paranormal unprotected, and unable to ignore the astonishing physical attraction to the man’s best friend, Adrian does the one thing he's never done before—he takes his work home.

  Caring for his friend is surprisingly difficult, and Tyler is very grateful for the help he gets from the Alateeka siblings, yet it's his own unruly hormones that seem to affect him the most. It doesn't help when he learns that Adrian is quite willing and able to help Tyler…cope.

  Yet, even as emotions grow between Adrian and Tyler, the systematic attacks on paranormals continue. With no leads and few clues, Adrian and his siblings scramble to identify how so many different attackers can be using the same MO.

  But as they draw closer to answers, and motivations for murder are revealed, can Adrian protect Tyler from what's coming?

  Warning: Gay erotic romance. This fictional story contains explicit adult content and coarse language and is intended for mature readers only. All characters involved in sexual behavior in this story are adults capable of consent, are over the age of twenty-one, and are willing participants.

  36,630 words

  Table of Contents

  His to Keep

  About the Author

  Other titles by Alice Cain

  His to Keep

  Alateeka Protection Services Book 1

  Alice Cain

  Copyright 2014

  Prologue

  He watched.

  Patiently, he waited for his chance, determined to set the world right, needing to fix that which had gone wrong. He watched as the man—a teacher, a good man, but also a slave and a victim—returned home each night to greet the creature who looked like a man but wasn't.

  He watched and he ached as the teacher smiled affectionately for a monster. He ground his teeth as the thrall offered his throat for its taking. And he felt a murderous rage each time the demon fed on this innocent man's blood.

  For too long he'd believed the lies, thought he understood the realities, but not anymore. His eyes had been opened and he knew now what he had to do.

  He watched and he burned and he waited for a chance to rescue him, to rescue them all.

  For rescue them he would.

  Chapter One

  Tyler Defoe parked his car behind the silver compact in Logan's driveway and glanced at the house. The sun would go down soon, so if someone was home they were currently sitting in the dark. He'd wanted to get here earlier, but he'd had several parent-teacher meetings to deal with before he'd been able to finish for the day. He'd tried calling, but no one was answering the phone and that worried him more than ever. Logan didn't take days off, and it was completely out of character for him not to call work and explain.

  Shaking his head as he tried to push away the worry, Tyler turned off the car, stepped onto the pavement, and then headed toward the front door. He knocked several times, hoping that his concern was for naught, but when neither Logan nor his roommate came to the door, Tyler dug out the emergency key Logan had given him years ago and opened the house himself.

  "Hello? Anyone home?"

  The place looked normal. Everything was where it usually was, including the stack of student assignments that Logan had brought home yesterday to grade.

  A cool breeze puffed through the house and Tyler headed toward the back door. It was a little cold to be sitting on the open veranda, but it wasn't necessarily something that would bother Logan's roommate.

  William was a bit of a strange one. He tended to keep to himself, worked nights, and rarely socialized, so it had made it hard to get to know the man.

  Tyler called out again, hoping that he wasn't about to walk in on something he shouldn't—perhaps Logan's claims that he and his roommate were just friends weren't entirely true—but as he headed through the living area and into the kitchen he was surprised to find what looked to be mud smeared all over the floor. The smell was very unpleasant and Tyler found himself backing away before he truly understood what he was looking at.

  Terror clawed at him as he followed the trail back to its source. His hands shook violently as he dragged his cell phone from his pocket and dialed nine-one-one.

  ~*~

  Adrian Alateeka watched the scene in front of him with a jaundiced eye. A long time ago he would have enjoyed the display of a submissive being flogged to orgasm, but it seemed those days were well and truly behind him. All he saw now was flawed technique and a sub topping from the bottom.

  It was only early afternoon, so the nightclub upstairs wasn't even open yet. This time of the day they allowed Doms to use the fetish area for practice, and judging by the performance of the Dom in front of them, the time was desperately needed.

  "He needs more training," Gavin said as he came to stand beside him.

  "What he needs is a vanilla life," Adrian said tiredly as he again watched the Dom hesitate. "He's doing this to please his wife, but his heart truly isn't in it. He doesn't want to be here."

  "I agree," Gavin said, "she is definitely the one calling the shots." They stood silently side-by-side watching as the "Dom" hesitated once more. "But shouldn't the fact that he's willing to please his wife count for something? Surely with the right guidance…"

  Gavin let the sentence trail away, and Adrian knew exactly where this conversation was heading—straight into Gavin asking for a favor.

  "I'm busy," Adrian said trying to drum up enough annoyance to make Gavin back off. He was supposed to be a silent part-owner in Santutegia—the nightclub his younger brothers ran—not the Dom in charge of training. The fetish club wasn't even an official part of the business. The fact that Adrian was tempted to take on the challenge was confusing. He didn't have time to teach a naturally agreeable man how to dominate his wife. "Have you forgotten that I'm in charge of the family business?"

  "I haven't forgotten," Gavin said seriously. "But I do find myself wondering if you remember how to have fun. This is your first visit in months."

  Adrian tried not to roll his eyes. None of his siblings wanted or needed the inconvenience of a permanent relationship. BDSM had filled that hole in Adrian's life for longer than he cared to admit, but the power exchange that once seemed so fulfilling no longer appealed to him. At least, not in any overwhelming way. He wasn't a monk, but sex with strangers just no longer did it for him.
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  "I've been busy."

  "When was the last time you took a sub?"

  "Damn it, Gavin, you know about the murders. I can't just walk away from my investigations to train someone who is most likely never going to understand the lifestyle."

  "So why are you here this afternoon?"

  Trust Gavin to hit the one subject Adrian didn't want to talk about.

  Adrian shrugged, trying to hide his agitation. He'd been restless for weeks now, but he was at a loss to explain why. Yes, the unsolved homicides on his desk were as annoying as hell, but he'd dealt with far more over the years. Providing discreet protection for non-humans was a sacred duty for the Alateeka clan, but he and his brothers and sister knew it wasn't easy. Adrian, Gavin, and the rest of their siblings had literally been thrust into what they affectionately called the family business, and thanks to a genetic tweak or two they were uniquely qualified for it.

  But that didn't explain the strange, deep-seated feeling that something wasn't right. Three paranormal murders in two weeks was a little unusual in a town this small, but it certainly wasn't unheard of. Humans had an awful way of reacting without understanding. Add that to the myriad of confusing and flawed information of legend, fictional books, and television shows, and it put many paranormals at serious risk. It was no wonder that they adamantly refused to come out of the closet. Most cited human history over and over as their main reason.

  Adrian sure as hell didn't blame them. As part of the Alateeka clan he knew the statistics, and they proved every year that paranormals were at far more risk from humans than the other way around.

  Staying unnoticed was definitely the best way to stay safe.

  At least, that was the view they'd held for so long. A recent incident in a small town called Lupinville had highlighted how many more problems they faced in the modern age. Human technology was making it harder and harder to hide in plain sight.

  Adrian watched again as the man pretending to be a Dom flinched when the flogger landed more heavily on his wife's thigh than he'd apparently intended. She made a noise of annoyance and her husband once again backed off. Hell, the guy was more submissive than his wife.

  Damn. Adrian was tempted to help. Hell, maybe he should. Maybe that's what was missing. He didn't have the time or the inclination to have a sub of his own. Maybe taking on the training of a married couple was a way to fulfill his own needs without getting emotionally involved.

  Except that, damn it to hell, the husband was a natural submissive. If Adrian tried to train the man he'd end up showing both him and his wife just how submissive he really was. It was either hand her the flogger, or find them a Dom who could take them both on.

  "So what do you think?" Gavin asked in a hopeful tone.

  "I think you need to call Troy."

  "You're probably right." Gavin slowly exhaled a breath and shook his head even though he'd just agreed. Apparently, Adrian wasn't the only one torn on how to deal with this couple. Troy was one of their younger brothers and a hard-ass Dom. If anyone could help the couple find what they were seeking it was probably him. "It might ruin their marriage."

  "Maybe," Adrian said with a sad smile. Exploring one's emotional and sexual needs didn't always take people where they expected. Adrian shook his head slowly. "Sit them both down. Talk to them about what they want." He glanced back at the scene and grimaced at the very timid behavior of a man who was supposed to be in charge. "Neither of them are getting what they need right now."

  Gavin nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and walked toward the scene. Within moments he had both a bewildered sub and her nervously relieved Dom heading toward his office at the back of the club. Adrian actually hoped the couple gave up on the idea of exploring their kinks and went back to their vanilla lives. Not everyone needed the intense power exchange and deep emotional connection that a true Dom/sub connection provided. Even many people who lived the lifestyle didn't live it full time.

  Adrian turned to watch the next scene, and recognized the sub as a man he'd trained a few years ago. He was with a Dom perfectly suited to him, and Adrian smiled as the sub's fiancé—the wedding was next Saturday if Adrian remembered correctly—brought him to orgasm before lifting him from the spanking bench and holding him close. Unlike the Dom he'd watched earlier, this one knew exactly what he was doing. It gave Adrian a strange feeling of hope.

  Unnerved by his own wayward and sappy thoughts, Adrian signaled his brother and headed toward the exit.

  "Adrian," Gavin called just as he stepped out of the club. "Sheriff's on the phone."

  Surprised that Sheriff Lansdowne hadn't called him directly, Adrian reached for the cordless phone Gavin held out for him at the same time he checked his cell phone. The damn battery had died again. It was definitely time for a new phone.

  "Adrian, I'm stuck out on the highway dealing with a head-on collision, but dispatch just got a call reporting a double homicide at William Danker's home."

  "Who called it in?"

  "A family friend by the name of Tyler Defoe."

  "I'll be right there," Adrian said quickly, not even waiting for the sheriff's reply before he hung up. Sheriff Lansdowne knew that he and William were friends. He also knew what they both were. Thankfully the sheriff would wait to hear Adrian's take on the situation before doing anything more.

  "Do you need backup?" Gavin asked, obviously having overheard the sheriff's news.

  "Doesn't sound like it," Adrian said, trying to rationalize the situation. The sun hadn't quite gone down yet so it was possible that the man who'd called in the report was looking at a sleeping vampire—not a dead one. Hopefully, it was just a case of an overzealous neighbor taking neighborhood watch ideals to the extreme.

  But experience warned him life wasn't quite that simple.

  ~*~

  Tyler stood on the front porch anxiously waiting to hear the sheriff's siren. Instead, an unmarked car pulled up and a man quickly moved toward him.

  "Tyler Defoe?" the man asked as he stepped onto the porch. Tyler nodded mechanically, still too shocked by what he'd found inside to think very clearly. "I'm Adrian Alateeka. The sheriff is dealing with another issue at the moment and asked me to respond on his behalf." The man held out some sort of identification, but Tyler's eyes were too blurry for him to really make out what it said. Now that someone was here, Tyler was very literally shaking all over. He wrapped his arms around his middle as he tried to stay focused long enough to explain what he'd found. He owed Logan at least that much.

  "He… Lo…" Tyler took a deep breath, trying to concentrate on what he needed to say. "Logan didn't come to work. I was worried so I used my key to get in. He and his roommate are…are…" He shook his head as tears filled his eyes and grief blocked his voice. Tyler lifted a hand to his face, but the man grabbed his wrist.

  "Is this blood?" he asked quietly.

  Tyler nodded. "I couldn't find a pulse."

  "Tyler," the man said, "I want you to stay here while I have a look around. Can you do that for me?"

  He nodded, unable to see through the tears filling his eyes. The man guided him to the porch stairs and encouraged him to sit down. A warm callused hand touched the side of his face.

  "Just breathe for me, Tyler. Slow and steady, okay?" When Tyler managed to slow his breathing down to a more normal pace, the man smoothed away the tear that had slipped down Tyler's cheek, and then nodded his approval. "Stay here, sweetheart. I'll be back as quick as I can."

  ~*~

  The crime scene was eerily similar to the other three unsolved homicides currently on his desk. But this time there was a human victim as well.

  The man Adrian assumed was Logan was lying on his back not far from the body of his friend, William. It seemed most likely that Logan had interrupted the murderer and paid for it with his life. Adrian tried to stay professional as he took in details, hoping to find some sort of clue that would lead them to the killer.

  A human victim complicated his investigation exponenti
ally. Most paranormals lived off the radar, but dead humans needed paperwork. Adrian tried not to notice the human's features or take in details of William's familiar face. Desperately, he held on to his emotional distance so that he could do his job.

  The human victim—it helped not to think of either of them by name—was lying on his back with his right arm stretched toward the vampire. The vampire was facedown, his right arm resting on the human's chest. It wasn't until Adrian noticed the thick, almost gelatinous, pool of blood underneath the vampire's hand and the bite marks on his wrist that Adrian realized what his friend had tried to do.

  He checked Logan's mouth, noticed the blood on his lips, and prayed for a miracle.

  ~*~

  "Tyler," the man said as he stepped onto the porch. "Did you move your friend?"

  "His name is Logan," Tyler said angrily.

  "I'm sorry," the man said as he moved to sit beside him on the step. His voice was deep and soothing. "Did you move Logan?"

  Tyler took a deep halting breath, looked down at the blood on his hands, and nodded sadly. "I was going to try resuscitation." He swallowed hard as the words jammed in his throat. "B–But then I realized how cold he was."

  The chill had seeped into his own bones, and he shook violently as he tried not to see again in his mind the peaceful look that had been on Logan's face. He'd died wearing a soft smile. Considering the violence of his death it seemed so very inappropriate.

  "Here."

  The man shrugged out of his jacket, placed it over Tyler's shivering frame, and then stayed beside him as Tyler shrank into the warmth of the very large coat. Hell, Tyler couldn't even remember the guy's name but he was very grateful for his thoughtfulness.