Forbes reached out and took him by the upper arm before Hunter could get away, and he felt the fear course through him. The sensation was heartbreaking, and he immediately released him. "I'm not here to hurt you, Hunter." He said quickly and took a half step back as Flynn stepped forward.
“We were worried about you and wanted to make sure you got home okay. The clowns that were bothering you earlier have a tendency to take things too far sometimes. We wanted to make sure they didn’t start anything with you on your way home.” Flynn reached out and touched Hunter’s shoulder channeling the soothing effect of his dragon. To his delight, he saw the instant reaction on Hunter’s face as he visibly settled down and his heart rate and breathing slowed back to normal.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to insinuate that I thought either of you were a threat." Hunter dropped his gaze to the cracked sidewalk for a moment and then back up to regard them both. "I appreciate what you both did for me in there and thank you for checking in on me, but I'm fine. I don't live far from here, and I have my truck. I'll be okay." His assurances struck them as forced and laced with an apprehension which didn't make sense, but they could detect no lies.
Forbes and Flynn walked with Hunter to his truck one on each side of him in a stance they knew would soon become second nature as he was brought into their lives and their culture. He would be the final mate to the Quest dragons a mission that took over one hundred years to complete. He was a prize they would treasure.
The need to be near him was growing by the minute and the desire to own him body and soul was flooding Flynn’s heart and mind. He glanced over at Forbes and could see the need clearly etched in the creases around Forbes’ eyes and the set of his jaw.
Going slow was a good idea, but difficult to put into practice when their mate was so near and so pleasing. They followed him to a small red truck that looked as if it had seen its better days. The vehicle was clean and cared for, but the years of hard use were obvious. Hunter stopped at the door unlocked in and swung it open before turning to regard them.
"Thank you for seeing me to my truck, but I'll be fine from here. I haven't lived here long but I know this town, and I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me." Hunter looked tense but not fearful.
“Let me give you my cell number in case you do have problems.” Forbes stepped forward and held out his hand and to his complete surprise Hunter reached into his pocket and gave him his phone. No questions just handed it over that in itself added another puzzle to the equation.
Forbes was eager to have Hunter’s number but believed it would have and should have been a more difficult process. He hoped it was the growing trust between them and not that Hunter handed his phone over to everyone.
"Call us if those guys from tonight give you any more trouble. Call us if you just want to talk." Flynn added as Forbes handed the small smart phone back to him. Hunter smiled and nodded as he got into the truck and slowly pulled away from the curb. He was heading East. They kept an eye on him as they raced back to their SUV and promptly began to follow him without headlights and at a distance that would not raise the alarm.
CHAPTER THREE
Hunter wanted in the worst way to have been able to just hang with those guys for a while, but he couldn’t, not yet anyway. The fact that he was living out of his truck was not information he wanted the handsome twins to know. Working at the Federal and being roughed up by that goon was enough humiliation for one day. The homelessness could wait for another time.
In a week or so he would have enough set aside to at least get a small room in a cheap motel. Until then he had to make do in his truck and at the gym. He’d accepted a two-week trial membership which gave him a place to shower change and work out. The working out part was just for show, but he found the effort rewarding and it helped him expend some of his pent-up anger.
He checked his mirror but didn't see the twins following. He wasn't sure of the car they drove, but there weren't any cars behind him at this hour. A part of him wished they'd persisted and pushed to know more, and the practical part knew he was better off on his own right now. His life was in too much of an upheaval to manage social engagements on top of pure survival.
He wasn’t in a position to entertain although the twins might have been worth giving it a try. He smiled to himself as he pulled up to the curb in a semi-residential area and parked. He’d decided that parking near houses led to less suspicion than parking in an alley or anywhere downtown.
After sitting and watching the area for a few minutes just to make sure there wouldn’t be any trouble from residents noticing him there, he laid down on the bench seat of his truck and tried to get a couple of hours of sleep. He planned to wake early and move his vehicle to another location, so no one got suspicious and then get another couple of hours. He really didn’t want to deal with the police.
Once he began to shut down for the day, his mind instantly went to the gorgeous Keith twins. Hunter was so glad that he'd gotten their names. The first one who came to his aid was Flynn, and he was fucking amazing and his moves so effortless as he took that guy, that Briggs referred to as wolf, apart.
Forbes entered the fight as soon as the group from the table entered the brawl. They were used to fighting together, that was obvious by the way they moved in unison to take out one after the other. It was a joy to watch considering most of those men had treated him like dirt over the past couple of days. Watching them get their comeuppance was supremely gratifying.
Hunter wished he’d had Forbes and Flynn nearby when his father and brother turned on him. Watching them get tossed around the yard would have also been gratifying. His father had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and drug to his truck and tossed in while Lyle threw his things into the back.
Those people had been his family, his life and he'd worked side by side with them his entire life. Broken trust, broken lives, broken man. That was how he saw himself, and now he was fighting to find himself again and center his life with a focus on the future. He was a ranch hand, a laborer with varying skills in carpentry, animal husbandry, land management, and fortunately bartending.
His father held parties for the men who worked for him twice a year, and it was always Hunter's duty to man the bar. He was never attending the party, he was working it, just like his brother. Lyle was there to fetch and serve, clean and compliment. It was fun sometimes, but in their father's eyes, they were never the equals of the men they worked with, so the parties were not for them.
Hunter took a deep cleansing breath and attempted to clear the past from his thoughts. Everything cleared except for two criminally handsome men who held on and made him want and need and wish he was clever enough to attract them and skilled enough to keep them. Why he wanted them both was a mystery, but it was a delicious mystery. Hunter had never been with two men before and never really thought about it either apart from seeing it in porn.
The idea of having them both, having sexy twins focused exclusively on his pleasure was something for his tired and stressed out mind to savor. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone checking to make sure their numbers were there. He doubted he’d ever use them, but he felt comforted knowing he had a lifeline of sorts.
He was surprised and pleased by the fact that both of their cell numbers were there. Forbes had entered his and Flynn's numbers and also included the land line for the Lodge where they lived. He gave Hunter three numbers in case he needed someone. Their thoughtfulness warmed his heart and left him feeling rather emotional. It was likely that they'd forget about him in a day or two, but right now this was real, and it meant the world to him.
…
They followed at a distance and watched as he pulled up near several houses and parked. They too pulled over and cut the engine and waited for him to emerge and go inside one of the residences. They waited as he sat there and didn’t move.
“Do you think he spotted us?” Flynn suggested as a possible reason for him hesitating.
&
nbsp; "No, he didn't see us. He wouldn't just sit there if he saw us." Forbes spoke softly as his mind worked on possible explanations. "Perhaps he has an unpleasant roommate, or he forgot his keys." He shook his head. "I don't know."
They watched as he appeared to lay down on the front seat. "He's sleeping in his truck," Flynn stated the obvious. "Why is he sleeping in his truck? This is really upsetting my dragon."
Forbes moved to exit the SUV, but Flynn grabbed his arm. “We shouldn’t bother him. I think he’s living out of his truck. I know this section of town, none of these are rentals. He doesn’t live here.” Forbes closed his door quietly and sat back in his seat.
“What should we do?” He asked.
"Wait and watch over him for now," Flynn answered. "We have to finalize that purchase of the Federal immediately." He added in a flurry as he scrambled for options, clearly fretting over Hunter's welfare. "We can renovate Franks back room into a bedroom for Hunter if he doesn't feel comfortable coming home with us right away." Forbes chuckled at Flynn.
“You got it all worked out.” Forbes kept his eyes on Hunter’s truck and the surrounding area. “I wonder why he hasn’t utilized the shelter?”
"Pride probably, he's most likely never been homeless before, and shelters are very humbling for some people. It's a shame, but that's the way it is." Flynn pulled out his tablet and began researching. He didn't have the skills Cameron had but he knew how to look up social media accounts, and he hoped Hunter was on social media. Unfortunately, there wasn't a single post on any platform.
After about an hour and a half, Hunter sat up and started his truck. "He's on the move," Forbes announced as he started the SUV and slowly pulled away from the curb keeping his lights off.
“Where’s he going at this hour?” Flynn watched the truck closely fearing that they might lose him. “It’s not even four in the morning, why did he leave the residential area?”
“I think it’s a system he has. He doesn’t stay in one spot all night in case the locals get suspicious and call the police. They followed him across town to the other side and ended up not too far from the Lodge. Hunter parked in front of a ranch house that looked to be vacant and sat there again for a few minutes before laying down on the front seat.
“This is one hell of a way for our mate to be living, Forbes. We have to do something fast.” Flynn was envisioning all manner of things happening to their vulnerable human mate. "There are too many paranormal creatures in this town for Hunter to sleep in his truck. He's not safe."
"I agree, we have to convince him to come home with us or something. Neither of us knows him or what he might agree to. What are we going to say?" Forbes was at a loss. Their human mate was skittish and not likely to agree to come to the Lodge and he probably wouldn't allow them to pay for a motel room. He was scrambling for a solution when Flynn caught his attention with a light slap to his arm.
“Calum convinced Chance to come to the Lodge by offering him a room to rent extra cheap of course. Perhaps we can take a page from Calum’s playbook.”
"That might work, or we could complete the purchase of the Federal and as his employers, we can give him a hefty advance. He'll have enough to rent a motel room, but the purchase might take a while and in the mean time he's still on the street." Forbes and Flynn tossed several ideas back and forth not settling on any as the perfect solution. They'd sat back to relax while keeping a keen eye on their mate when something caught their attention. It was a vampire for fuck sake, they could smell the freak from a block away, and it was checking out Hunter's truck.
They were out of their vehicle and moving toward the would-be attacker in seconds. Hunter hadn’t popped his head up, so he was clearly still asleep as this asshole leered inside. The vampire was so focused on his prey that he failed to hear the brothers approach until it was too late to run. It was in that moment that Hunter woke up, wide eyed and terrified at the face that was peering in at him from his driver’s side window.
…
Hunter woke to a scratching sound and sat up to come face to face with a man looking at him through his driver’s window. He looked unkempt and a little crazy, more like a monster than a man. The face was pale, white tissue kind of pale and the eyes were a bright red that caught him and held him in their thrall. Hunter felt his panic raising as he fought against the power drawing him nearer.
As he continued to stare, unable to look away, the creature slowly opened its mouth as if feeding on and excited by the look of fear and suspense expressed by its victim. The creature revealed not only disgusting looking brownish stained teeth, but also a pair of abnormally elongated incisors that looked to be as sharp as a knife.
If Hunter's rational mind wasn't rebelling against the possibility, he would have called the thing a vampire, but it had to be something else. It had to be something that was real because it was at his window trying to get in. Hunter tried to reach for his keys that he left in the ignition, but all he managed to do was knock them to the floor. This was a nightmare, it has to be a bad dream.
The thing smashed the driver’s window and was reaching in for Hunter who was frantically trying to stay out of its reach. Then it suddenly froze and turned to his right seemingly started by something that Hunter could not see. What he did see was this thing abruptly burst and become engulfed in a clear blue flame and fall to the earth as nothing more than powdered dust. This occurred in seconds, he was there and then he was dust. He was gone, neutralized by something more powerful than him.
While Hunter continued to stare out his broken window, a figure emerged and then another, and Hunter found the prospect of confronting whatever did that to the creature too much to endure and his mind shut down.
…
The moment the vampire punched his fist through Hunter’s window was also the moment the vampire knew he was going to die. He turned just in time to see Forbes unleash the dragon fire upon him incinerating him in seconds. Dragon fire burned hot and pure and left nothing behind but a fine purified dust.
Forbes and Flynn rushed to the truck and saw Hunter seated there with a blank stare. He was looking at them but not seeming to see them and then his eyes closed, and he dropped back against the seat. Hunter had passed out.
"Let's move him to the passenger side, and I'll drive him to the Lodge. You bring the SUV." Forbes instructed, but Flynn gave him the side eye before contradicting him.
“Maybe I should drive him to the Lodge, and you bring the SUV.” Forbes smiled.
"How about we both drive him to the Lodge and pick up the SUV later?" That was more agreeable. Flynn hurried to the passenger side and helped Forbes to reposition the now unconscious Hunter to the center of the bench seat. He got in, and Hunter instantly fell to rest his head against Flynn's shoulder. Flynn wrapped his arm around Hunter and cuddled him close.
Once Forbes was seated and pulling away from the curb, he dropped his hand to rest against the inside of Hunter’s thigh. They looked at one another and the feeling of home hit them both. This is how it was destined to be, Forbes and Flynn with Hunter cuddled between them.
“This is where he belongs.” Flynn voiced his observation. “Whatever troubles plague him, we will fix.”
“This is exactly where he belongs.” Forbes agreed. “Now we just need to convince him of that fact. We also need to be prepared for when he wakes up. He’s going to be confused and have a lot of questions.”
“We’ll go to the guest house behind the garden. It’s private and it’ll allow us the time and space to hopefully win him over.” Flynn suggested. It was one of three guest houses that Calum had built and was the smallest of the three but still measured over three-thousand square feet. “Maybe we should see if Calum would allow us to move to the guest house permanently. I’d like our own place.” He finished and looked over at Forbes.
“The guest house behind the garden is perfect. It’s hidden but not located too far from the Lodge in case we’re needed. It’s also beautiful, Hunter will like it.” Forbes
took Hunter’s hand and raised it to his lips for a gentle kiss while Flynn kissed Hunter on the top of his head. They pulled the truck around to the back of the property and parked by the side of the large garage. It was a short walk to the guest house that had been built behind the garden. It was a beautiful structure in a beautiful location perfect for their perfect mate.
"I'll carry him," Flynn said as he eased himself out of the truck before reaching back for Hunter. Forbes took a tarp from the garage and secured it over the broken window in the driver's door to keep the morning dew out of the interior. He then caught up with Flynn and Hunter and quickly opened the guesthouse door for them.
“Put him in the smaller room for now. I don’t think he’s ready to share a bedroom with us yet.” Forbes instructed as he headed to the kitchen for water and aspirin. He met them moments later and watched as Flynn carefully laid Hunter on the bed and took his boots off and made him as comfortable as possible. He was still unconscious, and Forbes was not sure when he would wake. The shock could keep him under for a while. He set the water and aspirin on the bedside table.
They sat on either side of the bed each holding one of Hunter’s hands and waited. This was so right even if Forbes had thought the idea of sharing a mate to be ludicrous at first now it seemed natural and right. This was his twin, Flynn, who he’d shared many a man with in the past. Sitting here with both of them holding Hunter and caring for him, it was right and proper and as it should be. This was their destiny.
“If we hadn’t been there tonight, Hunter would have been killed. He wouldn’t have survived the vampire attack. He would have been lost to us forever.” Flynn’s voice was rife with anxiety. The fear of what might have been filled his heart and mind. The danger was so close and could have been missed if they hadn’t gone to the Federal, if they hadn’t followed him, if they hadn’t decided to stay with him, so many things came together to save their mate.
The Dragon Twins Page 3