“You are sure of that?”
Ace nodded but didn’t say anything. Realizing that pursuing this line of conversation wasn’t going to get him anywhere, Devin took one last sniff of Ace’s skin. The blood running through Ace’s veins called to him like no other. Swallowing down his thirst, and covering his fangs, Devin gracefully stood up.
“Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk,” Ace said, clearly startled.
“Amatus,” Devin said holding his hands up, stopping Ace from saying anything further. “I don’t see things as you do but I can’t be sorry for that. I know you are the one I’ve been searching for. However, if you do not wish us to be mates, as you call it, and you believe that the Fates will give you another, then I must find someone else to meet my own needs. I did not become a house sub at Whips simply because I couldn’t get another job.”
“What do you mean?” Ace was growling now, and Devin remembered just how possessive shifters could be. Vampires were much the same, but Devin had obviously had more experience in hiding it, than his young wolf shifter had.
“I am an old vampire,” Devin said carefully, wondering how much he should reveal. “I get blood urges and I trained as a sub to help me control those urges. The pain of the whip, being bound, any kind of physical pain, helps me to stay focused, and live my life as normally as possible. From what you said earlier, you are one who gets off on giving pain, and so in my head at least, we would have been perfect for each other. But as you are denying I am your mate, well, I must find someone else to give me what I need.”
“You will go back to the club, as a house sub?”
“For a short while, yes,” Devin admitted. “But I already know that the Fates would only give me one amatus. You have made it clear you will never claim me so I think it is time I found a permanent master. I only stayed at Whips because I was hoping to meet my other half. We’ve met. You don’t plan to claim me but I need a master. I will find someone full time that I can give my life to. I know a number of wolf shifters who would be glad to claim me, fated mate or not.”
“Why another wolf shifter? Wouldn’t you be better with your own kind?”
Devin shook his head, reminding himself that Ace didn’t know anything about vampires or how they lived. “No, that won’t be possible,” he said. “A vampire can’t feed from another vampire and they very rarely have sex without feeding. A human doesn’t have the strength to give me what I need over the long term and because their blood is weaker, it doesn’t sustain me for very long. A shifter is the best idea, and a wolf shifter is stronger than most.”
“So if we had sex, you would need to feed from me too?” Ace didn’t look upset at the idea. If anything the smell of arousal in the room increased and Devin had to stop himself from just flinging himself across Ace’s hard body and biting into that tempting man’s thick neck.
Focus. Answer the man’s question. “Yes,” Devin said shortly. “I would want to bite you if we had sex. But as you have rejected our mating, and I know you are my fated one, I can’t feed from you casually. From the moment I took one drop of your blood, you would be the only one I could feed from. That is the way of mates with our kind and why we never mate with another vampire. We could never give each other a claiming bite, and the sex would be restrained as well.”
“So you would give yourself to another wolf shifter, even though you know of my existence?” Yes, his mate was growling and it would have been cute if Devin wasn’t trying so hard to get his point across.
Making his face as sincere as he possibly could, Devin said, “You give me no choice, amatus. My needs grow stronger and it will only be a matter of time before my ability to heal and the amount of pain I can take will be noticed among the humans. I have to have someone full time, who can take care of me, or I would become dangerous to others and I have never wanted that.”
“But another wolf pack won’t take you. They won’t accept a vampire in their midst.”
“Actually they will. A lot of packs don’t worry about having non-wolf members. We do have some skills that are valued in the shifter community,” Devin said with a small smile as he remembered the packs he had been involved with over the years. “It is my preference for male company that seems to put most packs off. But that is fine too. I know of lone wolves who have offered me what I need. I can find them again if I need to.”
Ace stood up then, his large frame moving with a grace that mirrored his animal spirit. The man towered over Devin, but he knew he didn’t have anything to worry about. A wolf shifter could not hurt his mate, even if Ace’s words were doing a damn good job of it.
“You will give your body to these men – have sex with them and feed from their veins?” Ace’s hands were clenched in fists, and his jaw was tight, his eyes flashing as his wolf made itself known again. Rather than fear, Devin felt his arousal, which had been simmering quietly since the two men had eaten together, flare back into life again.
“You give me no choice, amatus. In the long run, it is that or die, and if I take a permanent master then I must do as I am told no matter who that man is.” Okay, that would have sounded so much better if he had been able to keep his voice steady, but Devin was overwhelmed by the sheer power of his mate and he wanted nothing more than to rip his clothes off and fall to his knees again.
Devin could see the tension in his mate. Ace’s jaw was clenched tight, his fists held steady by rigid arms. His whole body trembled with emotion and Devin knew he had to hold still. If he moved now, Ace’s wolf would chase him down, and while that thought definitely had some positives to it, Devin wouldn’t allow Ace to claim him unless the man was absolutely sure that was what he wanted. Devin had some pride after all.
“Go,” Ace finally said harshly. “Go now I order it. I won’t be responsible for my actions if you don’t.”
Pain flashed through Devin’s body like wildfire and his eyes filled with tears. Taking one last look at the resolve in Ace’s eyes, Devin turned and slowly walked to the door. He stopped for just one second as his hand reached for the handle, but then, with the last shreds of his dignity, he opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Checking that no one could see him, he disappeared in a blur of movement, the need to get back to his own apartment so automatic, he didn’t need to think about it. No. The thinking, and the hurt, he would deal with later. Alone.
4
Chapter Four
Five days later Ace paced up and down in front of the Whips club. His nerves were shattered and he knew he looked a mess, but he really didn’t care. For five long days and nights, Ace had questioned every single thing he had been taught growing up. The role of the Fates. The superiority of wolf shifters. The need for wolves to mate with other wolves.
Everything he had ever known about shifters originally came from his father. The same father who had kicked him out of home when he was just fifteen years old, after he was found fucking a human in a back alley of their local town. A very male human. Apparently wolf shifters were only meant to mate with females and provide pups for the good of the pack.
Ace walked away from that belief as quickly as he walked away from his rampaging father. But for some reason he held onto everything else he had been taught, as he learned to live firstly as a lone wolf, and then later, as part of a male only group when he joined the Washington pack. Now because of Devin or more specifically, because Ace had been particularly honest with himself when he wasn’t drunk over the past five days, the thought of losing Devin to another wolf shifter, he questioned everything.
His need to kill Teric flew out of his mind. Ace knew if he took Devin as a mate, like he desperately wanted to, then he couldn’t slander Kyle for taking his cat shifter. And if Kyle felt as strongly for Teric as Ace did for Devin, then it was no wonder the man just caved in and claimed the pretty man. And Devin had been right. If it was possible that Kyle and Teric were true mates, like Ace now knew he and Devin were, then Kyle would die without his man. Ace couldn�
�t cause the death of another wolf shifter, even if he felt resentful of Kyle at times.
Now all he had to do was overcome an unnatural shyness at facing the man he had sent away. Just the thought of doing that was enough to send him to the bottom of a whiskey bottle for another night. But he was here now and he was going to claim his vampire. Just the thought of those delicious teeth in his vein was enough to set Ace’s cock throbbing. Oh fuck. Who was he kidding? Any thought about his sexy vampire was enough to set his cock at full tilt and ready for takeoff.
Taking a last deep breath, Ace strode into the entrance of the club as though he owned the place. Shoulders back, hair falling down to his ass, he lifted his chin and walked straight up to the front office, where Ben was talking on the phone. Barely containing his agitation, Ace waited until Ben concluded his call and then said quickly, “I want to book Devin for the night, with a private room if possible.”
“Mr. Tarlton, how lovely to see you,” Ben said smoothly as he looked over the pages of a large book that lay flat on the desk in front of him. “I’m afraid Devin is fully booked this evening and as it is his last night with our establishment, I am unable to take any future bookings for him.”
Ace’s head reeled. Devin’s last night? Had he found a new master already?
“Perhaps I can offer you a substitute? We have a number of men who take pain beautifully…”
“I need to see Devin. Where is he?” Ace couldn’t stop the growl that rumbled in his chest. Now he had made his decision he didn’t want anyone touching the man who would be his by the end of the night.
“He’s in a private session with another Dom at the moment…”
Leaning over the desk, Ace let his wolf shine through his eyes. “Where is he?” He roared.
“Mr. Tarlton, I can’t….you know, I c-c-can’t interrupt…” Ben stammered, and Ace could smell his fear. His wolf breathed it in like an elixir and reveled in it, howling in Ace’s brain. His wolf knew his mate was close – he’d been ragging Ace for five long days and equally long nights, trying to get to the man they knew was theirs. Now they were close and Ace’s wolf wanted out.
“Last chance, or I will rip this place apart,” Ace promised him.
“Room seven,” Ben gasped. “But you can’t…” Ace didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. He didn’t want to, and he didn’t need to. His mate was down in the bowels of this godforsaken club, and Ace was going to get him out. He had tried to do it the right way, booking Devin’s time properly, like a Dom should. But now his time had run out. Devin was leaving the club tonight, and if Ace didn’t stake his claim then who knows where the man would disappear to next.
Moving quickly, Ace pushed and snarled his way through the throngs of people mingling around the club’s public areas. From his previous visit he knew the entrance to the private rooms were at the back and he wasted no time in covering the distance. As he passed through the heavy curtain that separated the two areas, he had to stop for a moment to let his eyes adjust to the added gloom. That’s when he heard it. Devin’s voice and the man was using his safe word.
“Red. Red you bastard. I have a no sex con…” That’s all Ace heard but it was enough. Kicking through the door with his solidly booted foot, Ace burst into a scene from his latest nightmare. Devin was bound, hand and foot over a spanking bench, his back a mass of bloody welts. Standing behind him, with his dick out was the fucking Dom from the public whipping scene that Ace had watched.
“What the fuck are you doing in here?” Marco spluttered, trying to get his shrinking dick back in his leathers.
“I heard the boy use his safeword, but I don’t see you stopping,” Ace snarled. His wolf was ready for a fight, and Marco was the perfect target. He felt his claws bite into his palms, and the hair on his arms lengthen. When he snarled he knew he was sporting a full set of wolf teeth.
“Get away from my boy,” Ace growled – it was never easy holding a conversation when your mouth was full of long teeth.
“Look, I don’t know who the hell you are…” Marco said, trying to regain some decorum. He rested his hand on Devin’s exposed buttocks and Ace saw red. He literally saw red – explosions of color over his eyeballs.
“Get away!” he roared. Ace didn’t want to kill the man. Actually that was a lie. He did want to kill the worthless human who didn’t fucking listen when a safeword was used. Marco was useless as a Dom and it showed every minute Ace had to share the same air as he did.
“Amatus?” Davin whimpered.
“I’m here, Devin,” Ace said with a softness he didn’t think he would ever feel. “Just let me take out the trash, and I will get you free.”
“Don’t kill him,” Devin whispered and Ace was sure that Marco hadn’t heard him, but Ace’s wolf had. He felt his teeth go back to their normal length and fingernails replaced the claws at the end of his fingers. Ace’s wolf would do anything for Devin. They had already bonded.
“Whatever you wish,” Ace said gently, before turning his glare to Marco.
“Is there a reason you’re still here?” He said, impatient to care for his bleeding mate. Ace had done a bit of research on vampires in the five days he had been tearing his soul apart, and he knew that Devin would need to feed and quickly so that he could heal. Vampires didn’t do so well when they lost blood of their own.
“You can’t just barge in here…” Marco began, clearly still wanting to try and retain the upper hand.
“I did,” Ace growled. “After I heard Devin’s safe word repeatedly being used. You didn’t stop, so you’re finished. If you don’t leave this room in five seconds flat then I am reporting you to the owner, and you will be banned. I’ll see to it, personally. Now fuck off!”
Taking one last look at Devin’s naked and bleeding body, Marco curled his lips and stalked out of the room, slamming the damaged door behind him. Taking in a deep inhale, and then strongly wishing he hadn’t because Devin’s blood permeated the air, Ace turned to his stricken mate and started undoing his restraints.
“You’re not healing,” Ace whispered. He was worried that Devin was lying so still and was barely responsive. The man was a vampire, he should be stronger than that.
“I haven’t fed for a while,” Devin admitted and as Ace looked more closely at his mate’s face he could see that there were black rings under Devin’s violet eyes, and the man’s face looked thinner.
Without thinking of the consequences, Ace got the last of the foot restraints loosened and then headed for Devin’s head, reaching down to undo the cuffs with one hand while offering his wrist under Devin’s nose. But Devin turned his head away, refusing Ace’s gift of blood.
“You need to feed,” Ace said urgently.
“I can’t feed from you,” Devin whispered, his voice sounding so hoarse, it broke Ace’s heart. He knew this was his fault, and Ace wasn’t sure he would ever forgive himself. “You are my amatus. Once I bite you I can never feed from another.”
Ace loosened the last wrist, and stroked it gently with his fingers, the skin so pale against his tanned fingers. “I’m here because I want to be with you,” he said firmly. “I’m not leaving your side again.”
“You’re assuming I haven’t had a better offer,” Devin teased lightly and for a moment Ace was stunned into a shocking realization. Devin was right. Ace had spent five days working out what he was going to do, but he never stopped to think for a minute what Devin might have been thinking over that same time period.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right. I didn’t think. Let me get you out of here, and…”
“I’m teasing you,” Devin said softly, grabbing hold of Ace’s arm as the bigger man went to move. “Probably not the right thing to do right now, but believe me, please. I already know there is no one could be better for me than you.”
Feeling his cheeks redden Ace assumed he was blushing, but he wasn’t sure because he had never done that before. “So you’ll…?” He asked, offering up his wrist again.
&
nbsp; “Just a quick snack,” Devin said, a small grin on his tired face. Seconds later Ace felt two tiny pricks enter his arm, and a warmth spread throughout his whole body. Being careful not to dislodge his arm, Ace slumped his ass on the floor, his legs no longer able to support his weight. He could feel the gentle pulls on his wrist, but it was like his whole body was swamped with the latest in valium cocktails. His limbs were loose, his head felt calm, and his cock, that had jumped to full alert as soon as he saw Devin, was throbbing in time to the action on his wrist. It was an amazing feeling.
Inside his wolf was doing a happy dance. They had tracked down their mate, saved him from a rape and were now tending to his basic need – sustenance. For a wolf the only thing lacking was the fucking, but even Ace’s wolf could understand the need for patience with a hurt mate, and the human side of the equation wanted a bed for his first time with Devin. Ace groaned as he wished he could take Devin back to his apartment. It was small, but Ace had made it comfortable over the years. Maybe he should risk it. With any luck Steel and the others might have assumed he was long gone…
“Hey, you zoned out on me there, are you okay?” Ace jumped at Devin’s words and realized that the soft lips at his wrist were gone, and Devin was sitting up on the spanking bench. He shook his head and did a mental check. Yes, he was okay. In fact, he felt more than okay.
“Yep. Feel really good actually,” he said with a grin. “You ready to get out of here?”
“Well, I have got another few appointments…” Devin said slowly.
“Which you can’t keep because you have open wounds,” Ace finished for him. “I do know the owners policy on that here.”
“We’d better get out of here pretty quick then, before they realize I’ve started to heal,” Devin said slipping off the bench and walking over to his clothes. Ace watched Devin grimace, probably at the thought of putting on clothes over the top of his bloodstained body, but really the boy had no choice. If anyone saw how quickly Devin was healing, especially now he had been fed, then they would both have some serious explaining to do.
Fighting Fangs Page 3