by AJ Jarrett
“Who knows?” Miles plopped down on the bed as if he lost all his strength. “Ben spoke to Ares, and he thinks that either the spell weakened or Hale’s just that strong. No one has a freaking clue.”
“Then are we even safe here?” Wes pinched his brow together. The thought of being attacked terrified him. Not because he was afraid to fight, but because of Matt. He had to keep his mate safe even if Matt didn’t want his help.
“That’s just it.” Miles looked over at Garrett. “We don’t know but-” Miles held his finger up, “-Klaus thinks we are because if we weren’t, we’d all be dead right now.”
“That’s comforting.” Wes rolled his eyes.
“It is what it is, man.” Garrett sat down beside Miles. “For ten years we’ve been living our lives under the radar then boom. The Dark Warriors show up again.”
“It sucks but we can only do what we can, and that is to fight.” Miles gave them a small smile. “And live each day to the fullest because none of us know when it’ll be our last.”
“Well, if that isn’t the most depressing thing I’ve ever heard.” Wes shook his head.
“But true.” Miles took a deep breath then shifted on the bed, tucking his right leg underneath him. “What are your plans regarding Matt?”
“I’m not sure.” Wes could honestly say he didn’t know what do. He’d just met the man, and he both desired him and wanted to strangle him. He felt bad for Matt, but he didn’t like that Matt was taking his anger out on him. Wes didn’t cause any of this, and if he could, he’d take all Matt’s pain and suffering away. “What do you think, Garrett? Lachlan was an angry bastard when you two got together. What should I do?”
“Honestly, I think you should be there for him. Listen when he wants to talk and hold him when he needs to break down. You’re his mate whether Matt realizes it or not.”
“But you shouldn’t push the whole mate thing on to him,” Miles said hastily. “With as angry as he is he might use sex as a diversion and then regret it later. You need to move slowly with this one.” Miles stood and went over to kneel in front of Wes. “I’ve known Matt for a few years. I also knew his family. They are, were, good people. Matt is a good and honest man. Give him time, and you’ll see what we see in him.”
“Okay.” Wes smiled at Miles then leaned forward to brush a kiss to the top of his head. “I can do slow.”
“Famous last words, man.” Garrett laughed. “Lachlan and I were at each other’s throats in the beginning, but we never had troubles in the bedroom.” Garrett dodged Miles’s tiny fist as he swung at him. “All I’m saying is sometimes sex can be healing and a great stress reliever.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Wes rushed out of the room before Miles could punch him in the arm. The man might be smaller than him, but he was as strong as an ox.
* * * *
Matt sat at the dining room table, sipping his warm glass of blood. Colby assured him in time that eating food would be an option for him but for right now he had to feed the vampire part of himself in order to live and get stronger. Matt wished he was more disgusted by the fact that he was drinking blood, but it wasn’t bad. It was warm and thick and sweet. It reminded him of a shake. Sort of.
While he’d been upstairs fuming over his argument with Wes, two other men arrived, Klaus and Astrid. Klaus was a very tall man with long black hair. Colby had told him that Klaus was a powerful witch but a nice man. He said not to let the dark, brooding looks get to him. Be that as it may, he still intimidated Matt. He looked like the type of man who’d punch first then ask questions later.
Then there was Astrid. He was a petite man with white blond hair and the cutest little pointed ears. He was soft spoken but funny. Astrid immediately introduced himself to Matt and put him at ease. Matt wondered if that was one of his abilities. After all, Astrid was a fairy.
Everyone sat around the table talking and trying to figure out how Hale found Colby and where he might be hiding out at. They had three laptops propped up on the table and video chats going with six other men on each screen.
From the bits and pieces of the conversation that Matt had heard, Hale used to be just like him. A normal guy living his life, well, he was a vampire so maybe not exactly like Matt. He had a father Lucian, one brother Damon, and two uncles Julian and Ares who loved him dearly. They had all tried to save Hale, but it was no use. What Matt thought was the most astonishing was that Hale had sacrificed himself to save the Warriors of the Light and Colby.
Hale’s mother was one of the first witches ever to be born. She was just as powerful as her twin brother Ares but where Ares went to the side of good, Athena turned to evil. But Hale was stronger. It took Ares, a witch named Ridge, Klaus, and Astrid to cast spells to keep Hale from finding them. Hale was evil, and the power he wielded was enormous. If these men, Warriors of the Light, were scared of him, Matt was terrified.
Matt took another sip of his blood, savoring the warm liquid as it ran down his throat. Without turning his head, he glanced out the corner of his eye to see Wes sitting next to Garrett and Klaus. They were hovered over one of the computers, talking to a man on the other end.
Matt couldn’t help but stare. Wes carried himself as if he knew he could kick anyone’s ass in the room that dared challenge him. It was attractive in a bad boy kind of way. Once again Matt found himself falling under Wes’s spell without the man even knowing it. Matt hated that, and it pissed him off. He had to get out of there. Matt stood a little too quickly, the bottom of his chair scratching against the hardwood flooring. Everyone turned to look at him.
“You okay, Matty?” Colby asked for the millionth time.
It was really starting to piss him off. No, he was not fine. He’d never be fine again, and it was all his fault.
Stop it! He’s your best friend. He never meant for any of this to happen to you. He’s just as scared if not more so than you, his conscious spoke up.
Oh really? If it weren’t for him, your family would still be alive, and your brother would be safe at home. You’d be preparing for the big game on Saturday but no. You’re in freaking Nebraska praying a monster doesn’t show up in the middle of the night and kill you. Matt cringed. It was as if he had a devil sitting on his opposite shoulder spewing out the truth as Matt saw it.
“Yeah. I’m fine.” He forced a smile. “I’m just tired. I think I’ll head on up to bed.”
Matt looked over to see Wes’s green-eyed stare on him. He bent down and gave Colby a hug then walked out of the room. He could feel Wes’s gaze on him the entire time. Once he was at the stairs, he took them two at a time just to get away. He needed some distance from all this craziness.
Matt opened his bedroom door then slipped inside, shutting it behind him. He flipped on the light to look at his surroundings. It was a nice room, but it wasn’t his. He missed his old room at the farmhouse. He missed the scuffed floors, small twin bed with the mismatched quilt that lay on the top, and the collage of pictures he had hanging on one wall. That had been his mother’s idea. Matt had hung up photos from when he was a kid through high school and up until this year. All were moments captured in times of good memories that were now gone.
Needing to clear his head, Matt walked into the bathroom. He turned on the water and took off his clothes then waited for it to warm up. Steam floated up and out the top of the glass doors. Matt pushed open the door and got inside.
He tilted his head back and let the hot water cascade down his body. His muscles were tight, and he ached from the tension. Matt reached out and grabbed the body soap that was sitting on the shelf. He poured some into his hands then soaped up his body. He worked the soap into his face then moved downward to his neck, shoulders then chest. The closer he got to his cock it started to harden.
“Not now,” Matt groaned.
It might have been his hands on his body, but he couldn’t help but imagine that they were Wes’s. No matter what Matt did or how mad he got, he couldn’t shake this attraction toward the othe
r man. He was just so…so…so fucking hot. His body was stout and muscular, and he had a constant scowl on his face that intrigued Matt. His lightly browned skin looked smooth and soft to the touch and Matt just knew the man would taste as sweet as he looked. He just wanted one bite. To fill his mouth with Wes’s blood then to give into his more pressing desires.
Matt wrapped his right hand around his hardened cock, and the left one moved down to massage his heavy balls. He knew this was wrong. He shouldn’t be touching himself like this or even bringing any sort of pleasure to his body. His life was forever changed, and his family was dead, but Matt couldn’t stop. It was as if some sort of compulsion was pulling him toward Wes, and the need he had for the other man was almost painful.
Matt closed his eyes and instantly saw Wes’s handsome face. He liked it when the other man smiled. His eyes lit up a bright green, and the dimples in his cheeks made him look happy and approachable, human.
Matt’s hand sped up and pushed him closer to the edge. He reached back with the fingers of his left hand to lightly scratch his fingernail over his heated back entrance. The rippled skin twitched in delight at his touch. Matt began to pant and leaned his back against the wall, spreading his legs further apart and pushing his hips outward. He had one hand going to work on his cock while he inched a finger inside him. It was just the tip, but it felt amazing. His body went taut, and his breathing ceased. The force of his orgasm struck him hard and fast, and Matt had to bite his bottom lip to keep from screaming. The last thing he needed was someone walking in on him like this. One hand on his dick, the other in his ass.
Jets of thick white cream shot from the tip of his swollen crown. Matt could feel as blood dripped down his chin from his sharp teeth piercing the delicate flesh. Matt gasped for breath as he tried to calm down.
His legs were shaky as he stood. He grabbed the soap once again to finish his shower. He was exhausted and ready for bed. Hopeful with that out of the way he’d be able to sleep and not think about Wes.
Chapter Thirteen
Matt turned off the water and dried off. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked over to the sink to brush his teeth. As he did that he wiped his hand over the foggy mirror. He checked his lip to see that it had already healed. That was the one good thing about being a vampire. He healed quickly.
Matt walked out of the bathroom and toward his bag. He had his head down and didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary until he heard his voice.
“Nice room you got here, Matty.” Matt whirled around to see Hale standing in the center of his room. He was wearing a pair of jeans unbuttoned at the waist and Matt could see the thin trail of hair that led down below his zipper. He was shirtless as well as barefoot. His pale skin practically glowed, and blue veins ran across his skin like a road map. And he wasn’t wearing his glasses. The large orbs of blackness were frightening.
Before Matt could stop himself, he rushed at Hale but fell into the chair behind him. He stood and faced Hale? The man was laughing at him. It only angered Matt more.
“Yeah. Right.” Hale chuckled. “I probably should have warned you, but I’m not really here. I mean I’m here but only in astral form.” Hale smiled at Matt and gave his naked body a once over.
“Why are you here?” Matt asked. He reached down and grabbed the towel that had fallen from his waist when he tried to attack Hale.
“Well, it sure as shit wasn’t to catch that show you just gave in the shower.” Hale smirked. “Totally had you pegged for a top. At least now I know you could never satisfy Colby.” Matt lunged for Hale again and fell onto his bed. “Are you hearing impaired or just stupid? Hello, I’m not really here. You can’t touch me, and no one else can see me. I’m like a fucking ghost.” Hale stepped closer and leaned down to be nose to nose with Matt. “And I’m here to haunt you.”
“Where’s my brother?” Matt asked through gritted teeth. Matt couldn’t care less if Hale haunted him for all eternity as long as he got Kevin back. Hell, he’d even trade himself for his brother’s freedom. Matt knew that Miles and Ben would take care of Kevin.
“He’s safe for now.” Hale smiled, flashing his fangs. “But Kayson is getting antsy, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep him away from dear, sweet Kevin.”
“Why are you here?” Matt asked unsure how Hale even found him.
“Imagine my surprise when I discovered you weren’t dead.” Hale sneered, his face contorted into a mask of pure hatred. “I guess my dear, sweet mate has very special blood and thanks to me tasting yours, I now have a link to you. Isn’t that wonderful?” Hale clapped his hands together. “I do rather hate that I can smell him on you. His blood inside you makes me want to rip your throat out.”
“What do you want?” Tears filled Matt’s eyes, but he held them back. He didn’t want Hale to see that his words were getting to him.
“I think you know what I want.” Hale walked toward the other side to the room. When he reached the wall, he spun back around.
“Colby?” Matt’s stomach churned at the thought of poor, innocent Colby being stuck with this man forever.
“Precisely.” Hale pointed at him. “I guess you’re smarter than you look.” Hale leaned his back against the wall and stared down at Matt. “Here’s the thing. You have something I want, and I’ve got something you want.” Matt gritted his teeth at Hale’s wording. They weren’t things. They were people, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to anger the psycho. “I say we make a trade.”
“You’re sick.” Matt ran his hand through his damp hair, shoving it out of his eyes.
“That might be true but it doesn’t really matter, does it? If you help me, I’ll help you.”
Something struck Matt as odd. If Hale was so powerful why didn’t he just come to the house and take Colby away? If he was as powerful as everyone claimed then why hadn’t done so before now? Why did he need Matt’s help?
“You don’t know where we are, do you?” Matt whispered. “You’re not as strong as they think.” Matt looked up, piercing Hale with his stare.
“Watch what you say,” Hale snarled. His body tensed and all his muscles flexed. “I am powerful.”
“They why do you need my help?” Matt asked.
“Because the magic surrounding you and Colby is strong and I’m also trying to avoid my mother.” Hale sighed. “You know how bothersome they can be sometimes.” Hale grinned. “Oh sorry. I forgot your mother is dead.” Matt’s fist clenched. “But back to what I was saying. I want Colby, and that can only happen if he is away from his meddling fathers.”
“You want me to help you get to Colby?” Matt shook his head. “I can’t do that.” It broke his heart to say, but it was true. He couldn’t willingly help Hale even if it meant getting Kevin back. He couldn’t sacrifice one for the other. Doing that would make him no better than Hale.
“Are you sure about that.” Hale walked over to kneel in front of Matt. “You’d abandon your brother to a horrible fate?” He cocked his head to the side. “You can’t imagine the things that Kayson has planned for Kevin. And I can assure you they are things that Kevin would not like or enjoy.”
“Dear God.” Matt’s mind ran wild with all the possible horrors that Kevin could be subjected to. Could he really leave his young brother to that life when all he had to do was convince Colby to go be with Hale. They were mates after all.
Stop trying to convince yourself that helping this sick freak is okay. Matt wanted to listen to his conscience, but maybe it was wrong this time.
“As you can see, your options are very limited here, Matty.” Hale smiled. “Helping me helps your brother. So do we have a deal or not?”
“Matt.” Miles’s voice came through the door followed by a knock. “Can I come in for a minute?”
Matt looked to Hale who shrugged. “It's your room.”
“Come in.” Matt’s voice cracked when he spoke.
“Hey, buddy.” Miles walked into the room and sat down beside him. M
att glanced at Hale who was sitting on the floor, resting back on his hands and with his legs sprawled out in front of him. “I just wanted to check on you. How you doing, hon?”
“Of course he did.” Hale rolled his eyes. “You just lost your entire family, and I have your little brother. How does he think you’re doing? The do-gooder. He annoys me. I wonder how mad Colby would be if I killed his father?”
“Fine.” Matt did his best to ignore Hale. It was unsettling that Miles couldn’t see or hear him. Matt wondered if maybe this was a figment of his imagination and that Hale wasn’t really here at all. Maybe his mind just manifested him in order to give him hope in finding Kevin. “Tired is all.”
“Okay.” Miles gave him a warm smile then leaned in close to hug him. “Try not to worry. We’ll find Kevin. No matter what we’ll find a way to get him back. The Warriors of the Light always find a way.”
“Yeah right.” Hale laughed. “If that were true, they’d be out there looking for him right now, but they haven’t got a fucking clue where to even start. Stupid Warriors of the Light. Always so noble and shit. Fuck them.”
“Thank you for saying that, Miles.” Matt focused all his attention on Miles.
Miles gave him another hug then stood to leave. Matt watched him go and prayed that he was right but wasn’t sure he could chance his brother’s life on that. He didn’t know the Warriors of the Light even existed until two days ago. Why should he trust them to save him and his brother?
“I’ll do it,” Matt whispered. He was ashamed of himself for taking the offer but what other choice did he have.
“I thought you would.” Hale stood. “I’ll be in touch in a few days. I’m working out the details for the trade off.” Hale pointed a finger at him and glared. “Don’t tell anyone, Matty boy, or I’ll help Kayson destroy what innocence is left in your brother.”