Although both men were equal partners in the two businesses, Murdock was the one who saw to the running of the transport company, while Burke was responsible for the construction company. Both companies provided jobs for the pack and coven members. The wolf shifters and the vampires worked seamlessly side-by-side. There was no isolation of one group or the other.
George had also imparted his family magic upon them. Burke had never really understood it, but he valued it. Because of George and his magic, they were completely hidden from the outside world. It was as if their presence had been erased from Andivoy. They could not be tracked. They could not be found. Master Z had been prevented from ever finding them or enslaving them again.
“George is a good man,” Lanaya said softly. “He protected all of you until you were able to move on.”
Burke looked at her in surprise. “You know what George did for us?” he asked quietly.
“I do.”
Burke had to sit down. He walked behind his desk and eased his chair back, falling into the seat as exhaustion filled him. His weakness was affecting him again. How could he ever be a mate to the wonderful man in his nightly dreams? His weaknesses would put that man at risk.
“Your mate will not be at risk, Burke,” she told him with surety. “The magic that shields all of you will hold.”
He looked at Lanaya with a critical eye. He wondered if the goddess had been a part of that magic. He had never thought about it before. George had to have had some powerful help to do what he had done for all of them.
“Yes, Burke. I helped George protect all of you,” Lanaya said gently. “He and I spoke often. George worried for your peace of mind and happiness. He wanted so much for all of you. You were the sons he never had. He loves all of you very much.”
Burke couldn’t speak. Thinking about the kind man made his heart hurt. He missed him. He missed spending time with him. All of them valued his goodness and his generosity. They also valued his friendship. Because of George, they had their freedom, safe homes, and jobs that were productive and helpful to others.
They finally saw Andivoy as the beautiful world that it was. They didn’t need to fear for their lives. Master Z was but a mere memory. Burke’s family wasn’t even that. He never thought about any of them anymore. They were free. They were safe. They were strong and productive.
Nearly twenty years had passed since George had found them. Burke was now responsible for a small pack of fifty men. He was a powerful alpha who protected not only his pack, but also Murdock’s coven as Murdock did for him and his men without hesitation.
They watched over each other’s members and land with fierce protectiveness as a good alpha and coven leader should. Not one of Burke’s men would ever be made to feel less than any other wolf shifter. The same held true for the members of Murdock’s coven. They were all able to live well in the homes Burke helped them build on pack land. Each home was a joint effort that every pack and coven member worked on until completed. They were welcoming homes that saw to the safety and comfort of each man. Their lives had definitely improved.
The only thing missing was someone to share their home with. All of them seemed lost without someone to love. None of the men had found their mate and often wondered if such a gift was even meant for any of them.
He thought about his beta Dalton who had stood beside him with loyalty and caring for his entire life, and Niko who had risked his life to help them. He thought about all the men of his pack who did the same. He valued them. They were good men who deserved a life of ease. They also deserved to find the one person who was meant to bring love and tenderness into their lives. So did Murdock and his men.
“It is time for you to meet your destiny,” Lanaya said firmly. “The men who are in need of your help are your destiny.”
“You will have me dangle the promise of mates before my men to get them to help you?” Burke asked angrily. “I won’t. They’ve been through enough. I won’t tell them something that will crush their spirits when it doesn’t happen.”
“It will happen.”
“So you say, Lanaya, but I know better than to believe something so impossible,” Burke told her, his voice quiet as anger burned bright within him.
He was not going to allow any of his men to be treated with disdain ever again. He was not going to allow them to have their quiet hope for love destroyed by a promise that would never be kept.
He had quickly gained a reputation as an alpha with deep morals and an even deeper loyalty. His fairness within his pack was as well-known as his strength. He lived his life by firm and hard rules that were set in place for the safety and happiness of his pack family. They knew that what Burke said was law, and no one dared to defy Alpha Burke Chastain. Every law was a good and just law that protected them.
“Leave me, Lanaya,” he said tiredly.
He leaned back in his chair and sighed deeply. He was so very tired. Despite his exhaustion, he had been unable to sleep. He hated going to bed and staring up at the ceiling in his bedroom knowing that no man would ever share that room with him. There would be no gentle caring or whispered words of love. There would be no loving caresses or passionate joinings. Burke had long since discovered that life held no gentleness or kindness for him. And it most certainly did not hold love.
“Burke,” Lanaya whispered urgently, reaching out and touching Burke’s shoulder lightly. “Those men need your help. They will suffer a life of pain and be degraded on a daily basis as they are forced to serve as sexual slaves. It is time.”
White sparkling lights suddenly surrounded Burke. He felt warmth, peace, and a strong urge to leave right then. The man that he was meant to save was feeling fear. He could also feel his pain. He saw the vivid picture in his mind of the man from his dreams fighting to protect a group of men. It was a violent and bloody battle. He saw the blade of a long sword being swung at the man and cutting across his shoulder before it was plunged deep into his chest.
“He’s been hurt,” Burke said, his deep voice angry as he bolted to his feet and looked at Lanaya in horror.
“Yes.”
Burke felt such need to get to the man, he was barely able to breathe. In that moment, his communications device trilled. He grabbed for the unit from his desk and saw that it was Murdock contacting him. He made the connection at once.
“Murdock!”
“Burke! We need to get to the cove by Winston Lake!” Murdock’s deep voice blasted through the device.
“I’m on my way. I’ll meet you there,” Burke said, already running toward the transport chamber in the back of his home.
All anger and determination to ignore Lanaya’s appeal for help flew right out the window as he knew only one thing—he had to get to the man who was hurting. Running through the pack home, he saw Dalton, Niko, and some of his men congregating in the large living room.
“Come with me!” he yelled to them, not looking behind him as he entered the transport chamber. He didn’t have to. He knew that his men would follow him without question.
Fifteen men entered the chamber with Burke, not understanding what was of such great concern or knowing where they were going. They just knew that their alpha needed them. That was a good enough reason for them.
Burke placed his open palm on the control screen by the open door of the transport, sending the destination to the computer system of the chamber. Never in his life had Burke felt so grateful for George Winston’s intelligence in designing and building this transportation device as he was right then.
“Burke?” Dalton asked for all of them.
“We need to get to the cove by Winston Lake,” Burke said firmly. “We have to help the men who’ll be there.”
Dalton nodded. He didn’t need to know why. If Burke said they needed to get to the cove to help a group of men—that’s what they needed to do. He stood silently beside his best friend and alpha, ready to protect and defend if he had to.
In an instant, the chamber powered up and transpor
ted them all to the cove that lay halfway between pack and coven land. The door to the transport slid open silently to reveal the peaceful cove and the beautiful lake that existed on their land. The moon was full, bathing the area in a soft, blue light. It reflected beautifully in the large pool of water that was fed by the trickling stream that cascaded over the rock ledge above it.
Burke saw that Murdock was just stepping out of his own transport. His brother Vincent and a contingent of men followed him. When Murdock looked at him, Burke could see the determination in his eyes.
“I can feel their terror,” Murdock said as he stood and looked out at the water that was rippling as it caught the steady fall of water from the rocks above. “My men can, too.”
Burke nodded, acknowledging the ability that Murdock possessed that allowed him to be able to tap into the feelings of others. Murdock had explained to him how many vampires had used that ability to control humans to donate their blood to them when the need to feed became great. Murdock had made the vow to his parents that he would never use that ability. The men of his coven had taken the same vow.
“Lanaya said that these men were escaping from an evil that would condemn them to a future as slaves,” Burke said, growling softly. “Sexual slaves, Murdock.”
“We will not allow that,” Murdock vowed, feeling the agreement of his brother Vincent and the rest of the men who came with him as they drew closer to offer their support.
“I feel pain,” Burke told him quietly. “I saw a man being cut down by a sword.”
Before Murdock could answer or question him, there was an explosion of sound, accompanied by a flash of white light at the edge of the cove. His coven members and Burke’s pack stood frozen in shock as the darkness of the night was spread open as if someone was pulling back a curtain. The brightness of the light showed them a land filled with vegetation and flowers that were not indigenous to Andivoy. This gateway was connecting them to some other plane of existence.
“That’s some serious magic,” Dalton whispered, amazed by the display before them.
Burke nodded, stepping closer to the edge of the water. Whoever was about to come through the gateway was going to be rudely surprised to find that the end of their journey would lead them into deep water. He saw that his men and Murdock’s men were already wading into the water, ready to help the men who were escaping slavery.
“Lanaya said that the men are from the hidden plane of Tuath,” he told them, his voice loud enough to be heard by everyone. “I saw a brutal fight. There’s going to be a lot of injuries.”
The sudden appearance of a group of men rushing through the gateway grabbed all of their attentions. They ran with purpose, each helping another as they escaped to freedom. There was the merest moment of hesitation from the first man through the gateway as he saw the water before him, but determination soon took its place. The large man with dark hair and a muscular body jumped, bringing the rest of the men with him into the water like a cascade of dominos.
The men began to swim in earnest toward the shore. Burke was thankful that they knew how. He stood beside Murdock as their men waded deeper into the water until they were up to their chests in the tepid pool to meet the men and aid them in getting out of the water.
“Are any of you injured?” Burke called out, watching as his and Murdock’s men each took hold of one or more of the men and pulled them to shore, kneeling before them, and watching the newcomers in silence.
“There are many who have sustained injuries. We would appreciate any help you could give us,” the large man with the dark hair who had led them through the gateway answered for them. “I am Ronyn.”
“How many are you, Ronyn?” Murdock asked, looking over the group of men.
He could see that there were many that were injured. The scent of their blood filled his lungs and teased his hunger. His determination and control kept him from acting on that hunger. He and his coven had seen the carnage that resulted from vampires with no conscience or concern for the lives around them. None of them would waver in their vow to feed from volunteers or bagged blood until they found their beloved. Only then would the sweet flavor of their true love’s blood sustain them for the rest of their lives together.
“I am uncertain of our numbers. We started with fifty-seven. Some of our men are missing. I do not know if they are alive. Many fell during our escape,” Ronyn answered, his breath labored as he struggled to speak. “Dane and Alec were able to open the gateway to your world. I fear that they might have been lost to us.” He looked up at them with eyes filled with pain. “They risked everything to help us escape the slavery of the stables.”
“We have been told this,” Burke admitted. He looked at the open gateway and felt the power of the magic that had opened it. It was good and true. There was no evil intent in the men who had opened it or in the men who had come through it.
They all waited in hushed silence, each man worried for the men still on the other side. Ronyn looked at his friend Callyn in concern. He did not like that it was taking so long for Dane and Alec to come through to the safety of this new world.
“It’s been a while. Where are your friends?” Murdock asked for all of them.
Ronyn looked over his shoulder to view the open gateway with concern. “Callyn, you were the last one to leave the stables. Did you see anything?” he asked the man who was kneeling beside him on the lake sand.
“I did not, Ronyn,” Callyn admitted, his blue eyes filled with worry as he looked toward the gateway. That, at least, gave him hope that their protective leaders were still strong enough to control their magic to keep the integrity of the pathway to this world strong. They could still make their escape through it. “I heard the fight that was going on, but Dane and Alec yelled for us to flee. They insisted that we not stay behind to help them.”
Callyn turned to look at the handsome man who was squatting before him. There was a soft, rumbling growl coming from him. It made him smile. He sounded like a contented vuk from their enchanted world. He had the sudden urge to reach out and pet him.
“Hi, Callyn. My name is Dalton Harrison,” Dalton spoke softly as he reached out and touched Callyn’s left cheek. “I have been waiting for you for so very long.” As much as he wanted to gather Callyn within his arms and hold him, he held back, doing his best to keep his wolf under control. His wolf would not be denied, however. He needed to touch this man.
Dalton was amazed by the gift that was before him. He breathed in deeply and couldn’t prevent the growl that escaped him as this man’s scent filled every cell within his body. His heart thudded within his chest as he looked upon the beauty of his mate. Mate . He had never thought he would ever say that word.
Looking at the man named Callyn, he drank in the beautiful blue eyes and blond hair of the man. He was engaged by the beauty mark above his mate’s upper lip and pictured kissing and licking at it. He wanted to devour this man. He wanted to claim him.
Burke looked at his best friend in surprise. Dalton had found his mate. Lanaya had been correct. Did that mean that every man here was destined to be mated to either his men or Murdock’s? Viewing the men around them who had paired off with the men who had come through the gateway, it seemed to him that some of them had already made a connection.
Murdock’s brother Vincent stepped closer to the large man named Ronyn and took his hand. He brought it up to his mouth and kissed the pulse point on his inner left wrist as he looked into the man’s beautiful blue eyes.
“I am Vincent Whitfield, Ronyn,” he said quietly. “You are injured. Please allow me to care for you.”
“Pleased to meet you, Vincent,” Ronyn said shyly. He pulled his wrist free from Vincent’s hold, a little unnerved by the racing of his own heart from that touch. “I am fine. Do not concern yourself.”
Ronyn’s tone was gentle and soft, in direct opposition to his large, muscular appearance. Vincent was intrigued. This man, this incredible man, was his destiny. His blood called to him. His hea
rt sang to him. Vincent wanted to wrap him within his arms and hold him until Ronyn’s fears abated. He wanted to love him until he could think of nothing but the pleasure of their joining and the rightness of their bonding.
He reached up and touched the gash on Ronyn’s left cheek. The scent of his blood made him know that this man was his beloved. He wanted to lean forward and lick at the gash to heal it. He also wanted to begin the bonding process by tasting the sweetness of his beloved’s blood, but he could not. He had to respect the rights of the man. Ronyn had to be made aware of everything and be given the choice to be his.
“Murdock, it looks as if some of our men have found their mates,” Burke said quietly, looking at his friend and nodding his head toward the men who were naturally gravitating toward each other.
Murdock nodded. “Lanaya revealed this to me,” he said quietly. “It seems that you and I are not to be the recipients of this same miracle, my friend.”
Burke did his best to remain calm, unable to do anything but agree with his vampire friend. Such was their lot in life. He and Murdock were destined to be alone.
“I’m sorry for you, Burke, but for me. It’s for the best,” Murdock said quietly.
“What the hell are you talking about, Murdock?” Burke asked, annoyed and confused by his friend’s attitude toward finding a mate.
The sudden appearance of two men who were propelled from the gateway to land with a huge splash in the pool of water prevented Burke from responding. When the gateway closed with a resounding boom, the cries of one of the men filled the air.
“Please! Help my brother!” the man cried out.
Alexa's Warrior Mate (Guardian Warrior Mates, Prophecy of Salvation Book 1) Page 55