"They are brutal, and anyone who allies themselves with them is not normally long for this world. They value nothing and no one. Do you trust this private detective? Do you believe he was telling you the truth when he said that he saw her outside Denver?"
“Do you think he would lie to me just to keep me paying?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Dane knew the answer to that. Of course, he would, why not, easy money and no work. But he did give him the heads up about Grant, so he knew something.
“I don’t know the man, so I couldn’t comment on his ethics. What do you think?” Alrick continued to hold his gaze.
“I don’t know. He knew that Grant was involved and advised me to move here from Jackson, but he couldn’t tell me anything about the club or much about their movements. He left it up to me to get the information from Grant. When my money ran out, he was done. I haven’t heard from him again. I hired him a couple of years ago, and I’ve paid him a lot of money, but he never delivered even a picture of my sister.” Dane started to doubt his hired help and wonder if it was all just a wild goose chase, giving him hope and keeping him paying.
"He was correct when he said that Grant was connected," Alrick told him and had Dane giving him his complete attention. "I had Kyle do some checking. The club is expected to be passing through town in the next few days. Your intel on that was correct." Alrick brushed the hair back from Dane's forehead and kissed him. It was a brief proprietary kiss that made Dane smile despite what was going on.
"I don't know where they will be. I can't follow Grant like I was planning to do." Dane started talking, but it seemed like he was talking to himself as he flipped verbally through his options.
"I can help you," Alrick announced and saw Dane stop short and stare up into his eyes.
"I can't pay you," Dane whispered, his eyes full of sadness that was breaking Alrick's heart. This mate bond was brutal, he could feel what his mate was feeling, and he needed for Dane to be happy.
"I don't want your money. All I want is for you to be happy." Alrick had said the words before he had a chance to think about them. "I'll get to the bottom of this, but I want you to prepare yourself for the worst."
Dane knew what he was saying, but in his heart, he prayed that Kara was still alive and that she would be willing to come home. "I will." He answered, but he would never be prepared for the worst, if that was what was to come.
Alrick helped him lay back down and covered him once more with the comforter. "Get some rest, and I'll be back in a few hours." Dane nodded, and Alrick bent and placed a warm, loving kiss to his forehead. Dane watched him leave and close the door behind him. Dane thought he would never be able to sleep, but fell asleep soon after Alrick had left.
CHAPTER FOUR
Alrick met his men, all of them, in the great room. He sent a text message to Calum informing him of the recent developments. He let him know that the Dragon Bloods would probably be putting an end to the Death Rangers sometime within the next couple of days.
Alrick shared everything that Dane had told him regarding the Death Rangers, his sister, Grant’s involvement and the private detective.
"The detective should have found her. The Rangers don't hide that well." Bryn commented. "He was either working with the Rangers, or he was using your mate for money." Alrick nodded, his thoughts had run in the same direction.
“Yes, once we deal with the Rangers and determine if Kara is still alive, then I will find the detective.” He would settle the score, anyone that would take advantage of a vulnerable guy like Dane needed to be taught proper empathy and manners. Alrick would see to that lesson.
Kyle, with tablet in hand, made his report. "The Death Rangers left Los Angeles yesterday in route to North Platte, Nebraska which will put them in or around Laramie tomorrow. My contact indicates that there are no outsiders riding with them. They stopped taking tag-alongs about a year ago. They have no difficulty attracting donors wherever they stop so they don't travel with blood donors any longer." Kyle looked up from his tablet. "Are you going to tell Dane that the Death Rangers are rogue vampires?"
“Eventually.” Alrick let out a deep sigh. “But now isn’t the time.” Kyle nodded as did the other men in the room.
"I can't imagine that Kara is still alive," Kyle commented. "We all know what the Rangers do to their donors when they're through with them." Silence fell as no one wanted to comment but everyone agreed with Kyle's assumption.
"Either way, Dane needs to know what happened to her and I plan on getting him the answers he needs." Alrick was to the point but had no delusions.
“It’s high time that bunch of degenerate monsters was eliminated anyway. They cause nothing but pain and misery wherever they go. The vampire community has refused to take them in hand so, I say, we do it for them.” Angus, usually not the first to speak up, made his feelings clear on the subject.
Alrick stood silent for a few moments as he worked out the plan in his head. "The Death Rangers do not leave Laramie; this is their last stop." Alrick divided the men into three groups that would cover the town proper and outlying areas. Once the Rangers were located the Clan would descend. Alrick would make them pay for the anguish of his mate.
“They stay as a group, except for their lackey who gathers donors. He promises them alcohol, drugs and a chance to party with a real biker gang. He then brings them back to the group to be fed upon.” Kyle continued as he kept his eyes on his tablet.
"Yeah, Laramie is our home now, so we need to take out the trash." Donell echoed Angus's words, and the rest of the men agreed.
Kyle called up a picture of Kara from five years ago and made sure everyone looked at it. "She was a beautiful girl." He added. "She looks a lot like your mate."
Alrick looked at the young girl with long brown hair and the same chocolate brown eyes of his mate, and he couldn't agree more.
"From what I understand, Grant and several others are regular hook ups for these guys. But I have no information on any of the others being a woman. The Death Rangers have a proclivity towards the male gender when they feed." Kyle's meaning was clear; it was unlikely that Kara was with them or waiting for them.
…
Alrick returned to his room shortly after six, and his mate was still sound asleep. He lay down carefully next to him on the wide bed and placed his hand over Dane's that was on top of the comforter. He needed the closeness as did his dragon.
They would deal with the Death Rangers tomorrow, and Dane would get satisfaction. If the girl wasn't with them, Alrick would make them talk. They would tell him where she was and what they did to her before he killed them.
The Dragon’s Blood Motorcycle Club had been in existence since the 50's when it was discovered to be an easy way to get around the country and blend in at the same time. No one realized that the original ten-member club were the same ten members of the club today because no one paid them close attention. The Death Rangers though liked attention and trouble.
They organized ten years ago, with a handful of rogue vampires led by Florian Chamberlin who claimed to be of royal blood. Apparently, he was a distant cousin to some of the Vampire elites that resided in northern Wyoming. The connection was denied once the body count started to rise and the rogue gang threatened the anonymity of all vampires with their reckless and cruel behavior.
Other than Florian and his lieutenant Costel, all the other members keep changing. They keep a steady number of around twenty, but the names were always changing. Florian picked up new rogues from time to time when other club members died or moved on. Florian and Costel had been there from the onset, and they were the most bloodthirsty of the bunch. They feigned culture of the outcast, but it was all theater. They liked to inflict pain and death, they either got off on it, or it gave them a sense of power and superiority.
The thought that his young, human mate was attempting to contact these monsters sent a chill through his body, and his dragon let out a low growl. Dane stirred in his sleep and turned
over to face Alrick. Alrick had a moment to study his mate's delicate features, then Dane opened his eyes and began to study Alrick. The small smile and the light in his eyes made Alrick's heart pound and his breath catch in his throat. He was falling for this man, hard.
"You're so handsome," Dane whispered and ran his fingers down the side of Alrick's face. "You look so menacing, but your eyes are soft and speak of tenderness."
“Only for you, sweetheart. No one else.” Alrick answered and turned his head to kiss the hand that was touching him so lovingly. The smile came back again to Dane’s lovely face, full and bright and Alrick could not help but return it. “You make me happy, Dane. Being with you is all that I want and all that I need.” Alrick wasn’t normally a tender moments kind of guy, but he couldn’t hold back from telling Dane exactly what he was feeling. It felt natural and important that he stay truthful and open with his mate. With that said, he knew that he would have to tell Dane everything, very soon.
Dane was a goner, and he knew it. He had so much on his plate right now that starting a relationship should be out of the question, but here he was, more than ready to move forward with this rugged and handsome man. Everything about Alrick pushed him to ask for more. Dane leaned closer and ever so slowly pressed his lips against Alrick’s.
Alrick had kissed him before, but they'd been quick pecks and possessive little nips, now he wanted passion. He wanted to feel Alrick's kiss to the tips of his toes. Dane wanted the heat so obviously present just below the surface of everything Alrick said and did. Dane wanted the hunger released and the lust sated, and he wanted it now.
He pulled back and stared into Alrick’s heated expression. “I want you.” He told him very clearly.
“I’m yours.” Was all Alrick could get out of his now contracting lungs and soaring libido. He moved to partially cover Dane with his upper body as he gathered him close and kissed him, this time with everything he was feeling. He held nothing back as he plundered the most tantalizing lips he’d ever touched. Dane was an amazing creature, so calm, sure and dedicated to his purpose, but also sensuous and passionate when it came to his desires.
Dane was letting go and letting him in, and it was brilliant. Alrick reacted to the sensations of desire flooding his veins and fogging his mind. Dane opened for him and allowed a depth of discovery Alrick had not expected but welcomed eagerly.
Dane wanted more, he was under the comforter and Alrick was on top and it made him feel trapped. He had to experience Alrick pressed against him, naked and hot and needing as much as Dane was needing. He wanted to know that Alrick felt the same.
Dane began to struggle to get free of the blankets that were holding him. Alrick seemed to understand immediately and shifted his weight so Dane could push the covers off. He was dressed in only his light cotton briefs, and he wanted Alrick the same. "Take your clothes off." He said as he pressed hot breathy kisses to the side of Alrick's neck leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake.
Alrick pushed himself up and off the bed but kept his eyes on Dane, burning him with his stare. He stripped and watched the look of hunger envelope his mate. Dane hid nothing; it was all there for Alrick to enjoy. Dane's eyes traveled his now naked body and ate up every inch. His gaze paused for several seconds as it rested on Alrick's considerable endowment. His anxious appreciation was made clear to Alrick in the way his light briefs began to tent around the swelling of his cock.
Alrick threw back the comforter and the sheets and lay bare the beauty that was Dane. He dropped down onto the bed beside him and placed a heated open mouth kiss to Dane’s midsection. He then began to remove the cotton briefs hiding the prize he so desperately wanted. Alrick trailed kisses down the center of Dane’s abdomen to his groin as he completely removed Dane’s briefs and tossed them aside. “Do you like this?” He asked as he tasted and stroked Dane’s throbbing member and nuzzled his balls.
“Yes, more, you.” It was a string of words that surprisingly made sense to Alrick. He deep throated Dane’s considerable length. Dane moaned and thrust upward burying himself inside the tight confines of Alrick’s talented mouth. The enthusiasm of his thrusts and moans pushed Alrick to go further. His dragon wanted a claiming.
He wasn't sure the extent of Dane's experience and, honestly, he didn't want to know. But Dane seemed eager when Alrick began to play with his hole, circling with his thumb and steadily increasing pressure until the tip popped inside. The natural lubrication that is present only with true mates, eased the entry and began to loosen the muscles allowing Alrick to push his thumb completely inside. The heat and pressure were mind numbing. Alrick sucked harder, drawing Dane deeper.
Dane closed his eyes and focused on the delicious sensations and the building excitement. Never had anyone given him such care and pleasure. The pressure on his hole was a little shocking at first, but it felt too good to stop. Besides Alrick was special and Dane knew that he would not hurt him. He'd had many chances to do that already if that was what he wanted. He wanted a relationship, and so did Dane. It was too many years alone, and Dane was ready to accept someone into his life, and he was ready to accept help.
He found it interesting that his body seemed to open without pain to the pressure of Alrick’s fingers as he continued to stretch him. He felt full and ready, but Alrick slipped in another finger forcing his hole to open wide. Between the lips on his cock and the fingers in his hole, Dane thought he was going to lose his mind.
Alrick hooked his second finger and managed to peg Dane’s prostate on every thrust of his hand. It sent Dane into tight squeals of ecstasy that stroked at Alrick’s ego. Finally, after several minutes of aural and physical manipulation, Dane was ready. Alrick pulled his fingers free and kissed his way back up Dane’s beautiful body to carefully settle himself on top of his pliant little mate. He stared down into his chocolate brown eyes and waited.
He pressed his hard cock against Dane’s soft belly and kissed each side of Dane’s lips gently. “Do you want this?” Alrick needed total agreement before he continued. He’d never take advantage of his mate, even though he would probably die if the man told him no. “You ready for me?”
Dane cupped the sides of Alrick's face and wrapped his legs around his waist pulling him as close as possible. "Yes, I'm sure, and I'm ready and all I want in this world, at this moment, is you." Dane was clear with an edge of desperation that spoke directly to Alrick's heart. He kissed him, hard and showed him just how much he was wanted. Alrick kissed like it was a matter of life and death.
Dane returned the kiss just as desperately as it was delivered. They moved together in a rhythm of thrusts that pushed them both to their limits, their needs mirroring one another. Alrick pushed Dane's legs apart and lined up his hard, aching cock and unable to wait a moment longer, plunged in fulling seating himself in one thrust. Dane was stretched and prepared but still squirmed and cried out at the sudden invasion. Alrick stilled, and soon Dane found that the shock turned into the most intense pleasure of his life.
It was more than he could imagine and pushed for Alrick to move and to give him more. “More, Alrick, I need more.” He panted out on labored breaths as he was consumed by a sensation so powerful that stars and bright lights began to crowd his vision. “More.”
Alrick could deny his mate nothing. He picked up his pace, driving into Dane hard and fast as Dane continued to chant more and held onto Alrick like a lifeline. It was an experience known only to true mates, and Alrick had no idea it was this life altering and beautiful.
He could feel Dane's heels digging into his back, and it was wonderful. Alrick continued his punishing speed and the room filled with the sound of lovemaking, the slap of moist flesh and the breathless moans of ecstasy. Both were lost in the sensations of this amazing connection.
Dane stiffened and tightened his grip as he was the first to fall apart and come with a force that left him throbbing and sore. He filled the area between their bodies with his warm seed. Alrick was not far behind as the smell of hi
s mate’s release and the delicious groans, pushed him over the edge.
He plunged deep and held still as he filled Dane’s tight channel and he could physically feel the connection between them snap into place. He dropped his head instinctively and sunk his teeth into Dane’s shoulder marking him as theirs, while his dragon preened and gloried in the claiming.
Dane felt the bite, and it went from surprise to pure nerve tingling ecstasy in a split second. The feeling was so erotic that Dane felt himself climax again spreading more seed between them. It was out of this world. Dane held fast to Alrick as if afraid he would leave or disappear. After a few moments spent catching his breath, Alrick pushed up onto his elbow and looked down into Dane's sated expression.
Dane saw his face all angular and intense shifting in the light making it look like he had shiny black scales and a strange translucency. It had to be an illusion, but he's seen this look before, and it was so real that Dane ran the palm of his hand over Alrick's face and hair.
“Your eyes, they are so bright. I’ve never seen anything like it.” Dane was in awe of what he was witnessing.
Alrick had finished the bite and claimed his mate before his rational mind could get control of his dragon. As much as he wanted to wait for Dane to be informed and for him to give his consent, he was not sorry that his dragon had decided for him. They were a bonded pair, and their connection would begin to grow at an accelerated pace. His dragon was dancing on the edge of his consciousness, and he became aware, by the look of wonder on Dane's face, that his dragon was showing itself ever so slightly to its new mate.
CHAPTER FIVE
Alrick could feel his mates interest and attention as Dane studied his features and touched his face and hair. “What is this, Alrick?” His question was not harsh, just curious and it touched Alrick that Dane trusted him even as his reality began to bend.
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