by AJ Jarrett
It was scary and painful but over time Kayson had learned to deal with the pain because in his opinion Kevin was better off without him. Kayson would never say that to Hale, to tell his boss that he was too evil and cruel to be with Colby. That Hale’s destructive nature would in the end kill the man he loved the most.
The sound of the doorbell ringing had Kayson sighing and setting his book down. He closed his eyes and teleported himself to the front door and he opened it.
“We have a problem.” Christopher, a Warrior of the Dark, rushed into the house without waiting for an invite. “Where’s Hale?”
“Relaxing in his room.” Kayson shut the door then crossed his arms over his massive chest and glared down at Christopher.
Christopher was one of the smart ones. He helped keep track of the Dark Warriors and kept tabs on paranormals who had never picked a side, good or bad. The Warriors of the Light and the Dark Warriors did have one thing in common, to fly under the radar so that the human population didn’t discover them before they were ready. Frightened humans meant death to paranormals. “What’s going on, Christopher?”
“A string of kidnappings and murders have popped up in Shreveport, Louisiana.” Christopher ran a hand over his head, causing his white blond locks to stand on end.
Kayson always found Christopher to be handsome. He had that platinum blond hair, cut short and styled to the side. His skin was so pale Kayson could see the blue veins running under his flesh. He was just barely six-foot-tall and lean with muscle. He might be small but he was a ruthless killer. Kayson had seen a few Dark warriors that challenged his authority and Christopher ripped their heads from their bodies and bathed in their blood. The dude was scary.
“And this requires Hale’s attention for?” Kayson was getting irritated. He wasn’t in the mood for Christopher’s dramatics today.
“Everybody that has been found had been drained of blood.” Christopher cocked his head to the side as if annoyed.
“And you think it’s vamp related?” Kayson nodded, seeing where Christopher was going with this. “Have there been talks within the local police department about the killings?”
“Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” Christopher stepped toward Kayson. “The last thing we need is for this to make the national news. Shreveport is not a small town.”
“Yes, but are you sure these murders can be linked back to us? Is there obvious neck trauma on the victims? Complete lack of blood in the bodies?”
“No and no.” Christopher pursed his lips. “All the victims were drug addicts. Their bodies were either found nearly eaten up with decay or bloated from being thrown in the water.”
“So, what makes you think this is a vampire situation?”
“I’ve heard some things.” Christopher coughed to clear his throat. “A group of rogue vamps have started to make a name for themselves. They aren’t members of the Warriors of the Dark. They’ve been traveling around the United States leaving a trail of bodies behind them. But for some reason they’ve set up shop in Shreveport and something tells me there’s more dead bodies than the local authorities have found.” Christopher shook his head. “It’s almost as if these rogue vamps are starting an uprising. They don’t want to associate with us and yet they are committing crimes that could cause problems for us.”
“Sounds like we have some baby vamps too dumb for their own good.” Kayson turned at the sound of Hale’s voice.
“Hale, I’m sorry,” Kayson said. “I didn’t want to disturb you until I knew for sure there was reason for concern.”
“No worries, Kayson.” Hale waved his hand in the air. “I’m not so bothered by the dead bodies.” Hale walked slowly down the stairs, not stopping until he was right in front of Christopher. “I’m more distressed over the actions of these”—Hale grimaced—“vampires. No doubt the Warriors of the Light will think they are among our herd.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir,” Christopher stammered. “I have a location of where these vamps meet with their human suppliers.” Christopher handed a piece of paper to Hale. Hale glanced down at it.
“Humans selling humans to vampires.” Hale chuckled. “That species never ceases to amaze me. Their kind say we’re cruel but I’d say that’s the pot calling the kettle black. Kayson.” Hale handed the piece of paper to him. “Take care of this, tonight. I want those fuckers dead by sunrise. Kill the human traffickers, as well. We don’t need any witnesses left behind.” Hale turned a cruel smile toward Christopher. “And you.” Hale put a finger under Christopher’s chin, tilting his head upward. “Can keep me company. Would you like that, Christopher?”
“Yes, sir.” Christopher all but moaned. “I’d love that, sir.”
“Thought you would.” Hale leaned in and kissed Christopher. Christopher let out a yelp and Kayson saw the deep crimson blood rolling down his chin from where Hale had bitten him. “Now off you go, Kayson. Take care of this problem for me.”
“Yes, sir.” Kayson turned away from the sight of Hale and Christopher kissing.
It bothered Kayson. Not because he was jealous of either of them but because he didn’t understand how Hale could be sexually attracted to anyone else or even get his dick hard for anyone other than his mate. Then again, Kayson didn’t think it was necessarily for sexual gratification for Hale. Christopher, like so many others, resembled Colby. And knowing Hale, he would punish Christopher in the way he longed to punish Colby if he ever got his hands on him.
Kayson actually felt a little sorry for Christopher. It would be a long night for the vamp but something told him that Christopher liked it. Christopher liked being used in such a vicious manner. Kayson was never into that shit but to each their own.
Kayson teleported up to his room to change out of his black slacks and button-down shirt. He pulled on some black cargo pants and a long sleeved black T-shirt, the soft cotton hugging his skin. He gathered his hair and pulled it up into a ponytail to keep it out of his face. He had work to do. Kayson looked down at the address written on the paper then closed his eyes and he was gone.
When Kayson opened his eyes, he was standing in a wooded area, feet covered in swampy water. It smelled like manure and stale water.
“Great. Just great.” Kayson groaned as he sloshed through the muddy water.
The address he was given was to a little house in the middle of fucking nowhere. Kayson saw three motorcycles parked in front of the house but other than that all was quiet. He could sense the heartbeats of the humans inside but no signs of any vampires yet.
The sun had just set and night had fallen upon the hot muggy day. Kayson found a tree with a downed branch to sit on and wait. He took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket. No need to worry about frightening anyone with his black as night eyes.
The wind stirred around him and a familiar scent traveled on the breeze. He tilted his head upward to get a better sniff. Sunshine and apples. It was a sweet aroma that reminded him of homemade apple pie. He loved it. As soon as he was able to tolerate food, apple pie had been the first thing he’d tried.
Kayson had smelled that particular scent one time before that didn’t involve pie.
Kevin. His mate’s name echoed in his mind and it caused Kayson’s heart to thump harder in his chest. God, how he missed Kevin. He hadn’t known the man long but he had hopes of watching him grow up. And by the time it was safe for Kayson to claim Kevin the human would already have fallen in love with him. They’d become mates and live happily ever after.
“Yeah, right,” Kayson scoffed. He pounded his fist against the tree and bark exploded outward from under his hand. Kayson was born from evil and raised to be evil and committed numerous evil acts. He didn’t deserve a happily ever after.
The smell faded as he sat there. He knew it was only his mind playing tricks on him. There was no way that Kevin would be out here, of all places. Kayson had complete faith in Kevin’s brother Matt and his mate Wes to keep Kevin safe. Kevin hated vampires for killing his paren
ts and destroying his life. There was no way he’d be out here working with vamps or people who associated with vampires.
A few hours had passed and Kayson sat patiently, waiting for the rogues to show up. Time meant nothing to Kayson but he did hate leaving Hale alone to his own devices for too long. He could only imagine what horrendous acts his boss was committing on Christopher at the moment. There would probably be one hell of a mess for him to clean up tomorrow.
Hale had become a sadist and that sick fucker Christopher fed into it. Kayson worried for Hale and having Christopher around didn’t help. As more time passed with Hale being separated from Colby, the more unhinged Hale became. It truly was a sad thing to watch. The demise of a man he had once considered a friend.
An owl hooting in the distance was the only indicator that time hadn’t stopped. The sky was black, only lit by pinpoints of stars scattered across the great expanse.
The sound of tires crunching on gravel had Kayson sitting up. A black SUV with the windows blacked out pulled up alongside the motorcycles. The doors opened up and four men and one woman got out. They were all dressed in black and one man had a long flowing coat on. They walked with their shoulders back and in sync with one another. The group looked like something out of a bad vampire movie. Each one of them had perfect styled hair. It looked as if they spent several hours getting ready. What a waste, being as they were about to die.
“Idiots.” Kayson chuckled and shook his head.
Kayson waited until the little entourage went inside. He stood up, dusted off his pants then walked toward the front door that to no surprise was unlocked. Kayson could hear footsteps clanking against metal stairs and followed the sound.
The house was dark and as he glanced around he noticed it was unlived in. A chair and lamp in the front room was all there was. This house was only a holding cell for the humans being sold to the vampires. The poor defenseless humans probably had no clue they were just cattle to be killed and fed on.
Kayson made his way to the kitchen and saw a door that was cracked. He pushed it open with his boot then peeked around the corner. The lighting was dim and the air cold. As he descended the steps the scent of apples surrounded him. It was distracting but it wasn’t real. It couldn’t be.
“Not unless…” Kayson ran as quietly as he could down the steps. Fear was a dagger in his chest. What if Kevin had been abducted again? It had happened once before. What if he was down there about to be sold to the highest bidder? He couldn’t let Kevin die.
When he reached the lower landing, he could hear voices inside discussing prices. There was some laughing and loud moaning. The rogues had already started to feast.
Kayson kicked open the door, the wood exploding outward. He heard gasps and cries but he didn’t care. He glanced around the room and his eyes landed on a tall man with long brown hair and dark blue eyes.
“Kevin,” he whispered.
Gone was the young teenager caught between boyhood and becoming a man. His body was huge, strong with bulging muscles. He’d also grown a beard. Kevin’s white shirt was pulled tight across his chest and the cuffs of the sleeves cut into his skin, his biceps were so big.
“Who the fuck are you?” an older man with a scraggly gray beard asked, stepping forward.
“Kevin?” Kayson looked toward his mate but Kevin didn’t move. His eyes were wide as saucers and Kayson could see his hands trembling. His mate was still scared of him.
“Gilly, you know this man?” a portly man with a wild black beard and beady eyes asked Kevin. “And who the fuck is Kevin?”
The rogue vamps stepped closer to Kayson and hissed at him. Kayson wanted to laugh. What a cliché. Vamps didn’t hiss. We aren’t cats, you morons, is what Kayson wanted to say but instead he lunged for the man closest to him and ripped his head from his body. Blood shot up like a geyser from the bloody stump. Kayson let the body fall to the ground and that’s when they attacked.
Claws and teeth dug into his skin but Kayson didn’t feel a thing. He was a machine with one purpose, getting to Kevin, protecting the one person besides his brother he loved in this world. Kayson tore through those vamps, ripping arms from their bodies and tearing their throats out. It was quite a mess. Once he had punched a hole in the female vampire’s chest and ripped her heart from her body he spun around. The men with Kevin had guns drawn but not Kevin. He still stood there in a state of shock.
“Fuck this.” The overweight man with the thick black beard rushed toward the door. Kayson reached out and grabbed him by the neck. He jerked his hand and snapped the fragile bone as if it were nothing. Kayson let go and the large body dropped to the floor.
A round of gunfire shot off and Kayson turned toward the man who thought that was going to actually help him. Kayson pulled his lips back off his teeth and the man’s face paled. The man pulled the trigger again, but he was out of bullets. Kayson lunged at him and sank his teeth into the man’s neck. He drained him dry.
A bullet hit him in the shoulder, twisting his body around. Kayson shook his head and reached out and tore the human’s throat from his saggy neck. The sound of blood gurgling and him gasping for air was sickening.
The older human male ran past him and Kayson caught him on the stairs. He bit into the man’s neck, ending his life.
Once he was done he looked down to see he was covered in blood. He’d give anything for a shower at the moment but he’d have to wait.
This wasn’t the reunion that Kayson had in mind for when he saw Kevin again but he wasn’t going to kick a gift horse in the mouth. He finally had his mate back.
Kayson walked into the room and stepped over dead bodies and body parts. He’d really been in a rage. He wasn’t sure why Kevin was with those men and didn’t care. All that mattered was that Kevin was safe.
Kayson found Kevin where he left him, standing there staring at nothing. Kayson wasn’t naïve or anything but he had hoped Kevin would be happy to see him, that just maybe he was ready to come home. To make a life with Kayson. Kayson would give up anything and everything to have this man in his life.
A splatter of blood streaked across Kevin’s face and his white shirt was dotted in blood. He didn’t look good.
“Kevin.” Kayson stepped toward him and placed his blood-stained hands on Kevin’s shoulders. The sound of his voice and his touch must have woken him from his stupor.
“Don’t touch me!” Kevin shouted and smacked Kayson’s hands away from him. “Don’t you ever touch me.”
“Kev—” Before Kayson could get that one word out Kevin pulled his arm back and punched him square in the jaw. Kayson’s head jerked to the side and he felt a burst of pain engulf the side of his face and blood filled his mouth.
This was so not how he wanted this to go.
Chapter Five
Kevin’s hands shook as he watched the vampires come into the room. Realistically he knew all vampires weren’t all bad but these five were. They were buying humans to drink from and kill. They were the worst of the worst and deserved to be put down like the rabid beasts they were.
A ripple of fear ghosted over his skin. Kevin was a grown man and could take care of himself but at the sight of these vampires it brought back way too many memories that he didn’t want to think about.
Kevin could hear Lester talking with the woman vampire. They were discussing the price they’d pay to have all the humans that were in the room. The four men with her didn’t even bother to wait. They started to feed on the poor defenseless humans. The humans had all been drugged up and had no clue they were about to die. They moaned in pleasure and begged to be bitten. It was disgusting. Didn’t they know what they were asking for?
The air in the room seemed to change. The smell of burning wood tickled under Kevin’s nose and he cocked his head to the side, chasing the alluring scent. Everything grew quiet as the dark earthy aroma surrounded him. His eyes slowly started to droop but the basement door bursting open had Kevin becoming fully alert. He reached for the gun he had
hidden in the back of his jeans but he froze once he caught sight of the intruder.
Kayson.
Kevin couldn’t move. It was as if he was frozen in place. The only thing proving he hadn’t died was the sound of his heart pounding in his ears. The noise was so loud he couldn’t hear anything else. He could see Kayson’s lips moving but Kevin couldn’t hear what he was saying.
In the blink of an eye everything went to hell. Kayson’s expression shifted from one of concern to one of pure animalistic rage. He bared his teeth and attacked.
Kevin watched, dumbstruck by what was happening before him. Kayson single-handedly took out all five vampires, Smiley, Lester, and Fred. Dead, all of them.
Kayson approached him and Kevin still couldn’t move. The memory of this man standing by and doing nothing while Hale killed his parents rippled through his mind like a bad home movie. The screams, begging, the laughter bombarded his brain, the sound in his ears so deafening.
“Kevin.” Kayson’s touch was gentle and oddly enough calming. It chased away the sounds of death his mom and dad made as they were drained dry.
Kevin snapped. How dare he take some weird pleasure from this monster’s touch? Kayson was no better than Hale. Kayson wanted to keep him for god only knows what. If Colby and Matt hadn’t have saved him that night twelve years ago, what would have become of Kevin? He was too frightened to think of the what-ifs.
Before Kevin knew what he was doing he pulled his arm back and put as much force as he could into the punch. He wanted Kayson to feel the pain that Kevin carried around with him on a daily basis.
“I guess I had that coming.” Kayson straightened and wiped at the blood running down his chin. “It was a good hit, Kevin.” Kayson tried to smile but it was more of a wince. “It seems Wes and Matt have taught you well.”
“Don’t fucking say their names.” Kevin stared into Kayson’s eyes. The black onyx orbs weren’t as scary as he remembered.