Learning to Love [Half-Demon Mates 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove)

by Sydney Lain

  Viktor cleared his throat. “I was born in a whorehouse. My mother was a prostitute that didn’t want me. I worked there cleaning and wiping down the chimney until the church placed me in an orphanage after my mother went to the priest and told him that she didn’t want me. She hated my face. Some humans can love their half-demon babies, but most can’t. I lived in an orphanage until I started apprenticing for a blacksmith. He didn’t want to teach me about shoeing horses. I lived the first eight years of my life in a whorehouse, so I knew what he wanted. I killed him and left the city. Shea, it took me hundreds of years to accumulate everything that I own. When I look at your home, it brings me back, but it’s better than some of the places I’ve lived.”

  Shea felt heat form behind his eyes. Viktor and Gunner weren’t men that he couldn’t relate to. In a lot of ways, they were alike.

  “I’m sorry,” Shea said. But the apology was like putting a Band-Aid over a knife wound. “You must think I’m selfish and self-centered.”

  Gunner touched his cheek. “The night we met, you saved me. I learned from you what it meant to care for someone. I wanted to help you.”

  “Shea, you’re a lot younger than me. You were born as a human, but I want both of you by my side. I relish the mating bond that flows between us.”

  He let the energy in. Feeling Gunner and Viktor made him invincible. Nothing could hurt him. Maybe that was why he came alone? He was using their strength to help Henry.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t leave a note.” Right now that was the best he could do.

  Gunner pulled him into a hug. Viktor shrugged. The half-demon didn’t know how to comfort and for Gunner it seemed instinctual.

  “Let’s warn your brother,” Viktor said.

  Shea smiled. This time Viktor wasn’t angry.

  “Yes, let’s go,” Gunner agreed.

  They climbed the narrow stairs one at a time. It creaked underneath their feet. Shea wasn’t sure the wood would hold their combined weight. Mice squeaked from behind the walls, but reminded out of sight.

  “There are a few rodents, but not a lot,” Shea said, not sure why he needed to defend his home. Viktor and Gunner didn’t want to know about the lack of heat, the critters that crept out after dark, the broken stove, or the lack of water. He might not be able to do much, but he could keep the truth from them and make his mates feel better with the rosy picture and not the bland reality.

  “There are a lot more rats than we hear,” Gunner said.

  Shea didn’t respond. More mice lived in the building than people and the three of them knew it. When they reached the third floor Shea said, “I live on this floor. Henry lives two floors above.”

  “The area doesn’t have a lot of trees. No parks. Is it hard living here and not being able to shift?” Gunner asked.

  “It’s a good place. Not much to look at, but a lot of the tenants are shifters.”

  “It’s cold and rundown,” Viktor said. “Are all shifters poor?”

  “Viktor, it’s not about the place. Shea felt safe here,” Gunner said.

  Shea nodded. “It’s about the people. I keep to myself, but I still feel less of an alien.”

  They continued up the stairs to the fifth floor. Viktor’s hand fell onto Shea’s shoulder before reaching out to grab Gunner’s arm.

  Shea sniffed the air. Henry always told him that he didn’t use his nose properly. Something smelled off, but he couldn’t place it. A scent lingered in the air. He recognized it, but from where? Shea froze as the answer came to him. “Hunters are here?”

  Viktor and Gunner nodded. Great. Shea was the last to know. If Viktor hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve walked into danger.

  “We have to find Henry.” Now, he was whining. How attractive.

  “We’ll find him,” Gunner said. Viktor looked at Henry’s door and sighed. It was obvious the half-demon didn’t care about Henry, but he cared about Shea. The half-demon tensed. “I hear them. I’m going inside. They won’t know I’m here until it’s too late.”

  “Don’t count on that. They saw you move at the warehouse,” Gunner said.

  Viktor shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. My speed comes from being able to move thorough time. Traps won’t stop me,” Viktor said. “Keep him here.”

  Shea glared and started to move toward Henry’s door. Gunner grabbed his arm.

  “Shea, stay out here with me. We’ll be back up.”

  Gunner was the expert at keeping Viktor and Shea from fighting. Rather than telling the half-demon off, he relaxed in Gunner’s embrace. Back up didn’t sound so bad.

  Viktor headed to Henry’s door. He glanced at them before kicking the door open. Five shots rang out. Shea froze. Gunner squeezed his arm even tighter. Shea sprang into action, but Gunner refused to let him go. Now there were fighting sounds. He needed to get to Viktor.

  “Stay with me, Shea. Bullets won’t stop Viktor. If you go inside, then you’d be risking our lives. Because we will protect you.”

  Shots buzzed and then a loud thump. Shea ran to the door and this time Gunner let him go, but he followed close behind the wolf shifter. He turned the corner and Viktor stood in the middle of the floor. One of the hunters lay unconscious in the corner. The room was torn apart, but Shea focused on Viktor, who was unharmed.

  Gunner surveyed the damage. “Is the hunter dead?”

  Viktor nodded. “Do you know him?”

  Gunner bent down and shook his head. “No, I’ve never seen him before.”

  “Where’s Henry?” Shea asked, looking at the destruction that was probably there before Viktor charged into the room.

  “He’s gone.”

  “Gone?” Shea asked. No one was just gone.

  Gunner pulled Shea back into his arms. “The hunters would’ve brought him back to the warehouse.”

  “Then we need to go,” Shea said. Both of his mates nodded and no one tried to stop him. Warmth filled Shea. He might be charging into danger, but he wasn’t going to be doing it alone. Together they’d rescue his brother. He would make the hunters pay for what they had done. Not just to him or Henry, but to all the nonhumans they had hurt. Maybe it was unreasonable to think this attack would matter. Still it helped light the fire as he charged down the stairs and both Viktor and Gunner were following, letting him lead.

  His wolf snarled ready to fight. It wanted out and tried to force the change. He pushed it away. Now wasn’t the time to let the animal break free. Shea was in charge and the beast needed to know that.

  * * * *

  Viktor didn’t want Gunner or Shea in danger. The coldness around his heart had thawed. Nothing in this world mattered, but his two mates. They breathed life into him. Now, he had to walk into danger with them. Gunner was like him, but Shea didn’t know the first thing about killing a man. He wanted to keep it that way.

  Shea wouldn’t go home and home wasn’t the rundown apartment, but his mansion. Just because Gunner knew how to fight, he also felt responsible for all the hunters’ sins. Gunner was too distracted to be useful. Viktor needed to protect them since neither would leave.

  “I’ll get closer. Both of you wait here.”

  His mates shook their heads.

  “I can get inside without them knowing it. I can use my power to control them.” Viktor left out that he didn’t need Gunner or Shea. If he said that, Shea would aim for his balls. Gunner’s face wouldn’t change, but there’d be a look of hurt in his eyes. Two things he wanted to avoid.

  “Shea, can you shift? Your wolf is stronger and faster.”

  “I don’t let the animal out to play.”

  That didn’t surprise him, but he kept his mouth shut. Viktor denied his demon lineage for over a century. Now, he embraced it. Someday Shea would too.

  He crept up to the front door. Shea and Gunner followed behind him. The door opened. He’d snuck in before but didn’t get a chance to look around.

  Gunner pointed at his chest and then to Shea before pointing to the left. He pointed at Viktor
and then to the right. Splitting up made sense, but leaving his mates might not be possible. Gunner leaned closer.

  “The hunters are toward the right. Only Dr. Fox is in the lab. We can take care of him.”

  Gunner made sense. Shea’s eyes turned yellow. He was itching for a fight. Reluctantly, Viktor nodded.

  The warehouse corridor led to a large room with a table, but no one was there. He continued inside. He turned around just in time to see the electric whip aimed at him. He narrowed his eyes. Electricity would slow him down more than anything else they could do. It interfered with the part of his brain that moved through time. For these men to know that, they must have had experiences with demons or half-demons.

  He sped up and moved behind the man trying to electrocute him. He slammed him down to the ground. The hunter cried out in pain, but that didn’t matter to him. Another man approached with a flamethrower. Maybe he’d been wrong and the electric current was a lucky guess. A flamethrower would do nothing to him because the flames would never touch him. But fire in this place might harm his mates, so he lifted his hands in surrender. He would wait for his chance and strike like a snake.

  The hunter’s eyes wandered. He gripped the weapon like a man that wasn’t planning on using it. His hand was nowhere near the trigger.

  “Why are you trying to hurt nonhumans?” Viktor asked.

  “That’s my job,” the hunter said. “I don’t have a choice.”

  Viktor shook his head. “Gunner walked away. Others probably have too.” He took a step closer.

  The man lowered the weapon. “A few of us have tried to leave, but we never get very far.” He dropped the flamethrower. “More hunters have arrived. They’re cold-blooded killers, warped and evil. Don’t try to talk to them. Just kill them.”

  “Why are you telling me this?”

  “I can’t leave, but I don’t want to help. Kill me and get out of here.” The man’s eyes looked old and defeated. “There’s no other way for me to be free.”

  “What’s your name?” Viktor asked.

  “Tom,” the hunter said.

  “Tom, I can hide you. I’m very wealthy with a lot of land around the world. I’m good at hiding people. Trust me.” This man reminded him of Gunner and he wanted to help him. A few days ago, that wouldn’t have been the case. The change had already started.

  The hunter shook his head. “Not a possibility for me. Kill me.”

  It bothered him. This man wanted something different, but didn’t know how to obtain it. He didn’t know how to let someone help.

  “Just because you’re born one way. Don’t let it define you. Death is the same as running away.” He reached into his pocket and handed the man a card. “This is the address of a safe house. I won’t kill you. You need to live. I can help you, but if you want to die, then I can’t help you with that.”

  Viktor left the room and hurried down the hall. Gunner and Shea didn’t know there were a lot more enemies in the building than they originally thought.

  Chapter Ten

  This place reminded Gunner of everything that he hated about his life. The cold fed into darkness. His genetically created ability to see in the dark helped him lead them deeper into the warehouse. They walked into a brighter area. The smell of antiseptic overpowered his senses. Shea squeezed his nose as they headed toward Dr. Fox’s lab. If the smell bothered Gunner, it must have been torture for the wolf shifter. Shea bumped into his back and that was when he realized his legs had stopped moving.

  “What’s wrong?” Shea asked in a whispered tone.

  He didn’t answer. Instead he kept walking, forcing his mind to focus. As they reached the door, it opened. He pushed Shea behind him to shield the wolf shifter, but Shea tried to get to his side. The shifter’s persistence couldn’t be stopped, so he let him step forward and focused on the real danger.

  “Gunner,” Dr. Fox said. “You’ve returned. I like to cut into broken things and you’re as broken as it comes.”

  Shea stepped toward the doctor, but Gunner grabbed his arm and held him at his side.

  “The only broken man is you, asshole. Where’s Henry?” Shea demanded.

  “Henry?” The doctor tapped his chin as if he needed to think about it. “I’m about to prep him for surgery. Don’t worry. I don’t use drugs. I will tie him down and cut out his spleen, while he’s awake. The screams will be music to my ears. I’m going to pull out his insides and transplant them into a hunter to see what I get.”

  “You’re not going to touch my brother,” Shea said, still trying to get past Gunner.

  “Shifters can turn humans into nonhumans? Would the parts turn a hunter into a shifter? My creation will be a masterpiece.”

  “Hunters are created to exterminate nonhumans. How does attempting to turn a hunter into a shifter accomplish that?” Gunner asked.

  Dr. Fox laughed. “The organization started experimenting on humans. We wanted to find the secret to immortality. Our job isn’t to protect them. It’s to capture nonhumans and turn them into test subjects. After I cut out a shifter’s spleen, he will heal fast. That’s what we’re looking for. Those secrets.”

  “What about protecting humans?” Gunner asked. All the good that he believed he was doing was a lie. Everything about his life had been a lie. Shea grabbed his arm and leaned closer. His mate’s support kept him grounded.

  “Who cares about them? Gunner, how do you think you were created? Our experiments started on humans, but they were nothing. The Organization heard rumors of vampires and then about men that turned into animals. Those secrets held power. Nonhumans were our future. The Organization’s creator is over ninety years old and he looks twenty-five. How old do you think I am?”

  If Gunner had to guess, he’d say early thirties, but knew this man was much older.

  “Sorry Gunner. Forgot you’re not capable of thinking with any complexity.”

  “Don’t talk to him like that,” Shea demanded.

  The doctor smiled. “You’ve got a dog. A barking, snarling mutt.”

  “I’m not a dog, moron. Get it right.”

  Dr. Fox rolled his eyes and looked back at him. “I’m sixty-six. Amazing what nonhuman genes can do.”

  “You people don’t get to choose. There’s no taking a piece from here and putting it there to see what you end up with.”

  “Mutt, I can do whatever I want.”

  Shea’s eyes turned yellow. “I’m a wolf shifter, not some dog.”

  Five hunters entered the room. Shea stepped closer to Gunner. The doctor pointed to them. “Take them alive. I have plans for both of them.”

  Gunner growled. He didn’t want to know Dr. Fox’s sick plans.

  Each of the five hunters drew a gun.

  Dr. Fox pointed at Gunner. “I give orders. Hunters follow them. You don’t get to choose your life.”

  Gunner stepped forward, keeping Shea tucked behind him.

  “Touching. Saving a disgusting wolf shifter. You’ve really fallen, Gunner.”

  “No, I haven’t. For the first time, I’m free.” Before Gunner could move, one of the hunters pulled the trigger. The loud bang echoed through the room. He braced for the pain, but it never came. A body collided with his and pushed him to the floor. Gunner slammed into the ground with Shea huddled at his side. He grabbed Shea and pulled him closer. Blood dripped onto his hands. Shea clenched his eyes closed. Blood gushed from his mate’s shoulder. Shea gave out a painful moan as his hand tried to stop the bleeding.

  The doctor laughed.

  Gunner charged. More guns clicked as the safeties were released. He smashed Dr. Fox’s head against the wall. The man’s wide, lifeless eyes stared at him with an expression that couldn’t quiet comprehend that he’d lost. He let go of the doctor’s body and it slumped to the floor like a heavy sack.

  The hunter that shot Shea aimed at him. Craig turned and shot the man in the head before he pulled the trigger. He blinked, unable to believe his former cell member would kill for him. Befor
e the other hunters could react, Craig shot another one.

  Gunner charged at the remaining two. His hands reached for one of the knives he’d taken from Viktor’s house. He threw it and it landed in the hand of one of the hunters. The gun fell from his grip. Gunner slammed his fist into the second one’s head. Craig brought his arm down and knocked out the one with the bleeding hand.

  “How did you do that?” Craig asked.

  “Do what?” Gunner asked, as he hurried back to Shea.

  “Move that fast.”

  He blinked. One minute he was standing over Dr. Fox’s lifeless body and the next he was behind his attackers. It was like a part of Viktor lived inside of him and had possessed him long enough to save their lives. Now wasn’t the time to think of that. Shea needed him.

  “He needs to shift,” Craig said. “Shifters heal faster in wolf form. The bullet wasn’t silver, so shifting should push it out.”

  Shea shook in his arms.

  “Fuck,” Viktor said as he entered the room.

  He crouched down next to Shea.

  “I’m sorry. The bullet was meant for me,” Gunner said. It was his job to protect Shea and he’d failed. This was his fault.

  “No,” Shea said. “You were trying to shield me. Couldn’t let that happen.”

  Viktor ripped off Shea’s shirt and moved to his pants. The shifter tried to protest, but he was too weak.

  “What are you doing?” Gunner asked.

  “He needs to shift. It’ll be easier without his clothes.”

  Viktor won the battle and Shea lay naked on the floor still holding the hole in his shoulder.

  “Shift,” Viktor ordered.

  “Not an animal,” Shea said. His voice sounded weak.

  “Not this shit again,” Viktor said.

  Gunner froze. Shea was going to die because he wouldn’t shift. His refusal to accept what he was would kill him.

  “You have to in order to heal,” Gunner pleaded. He needed his mate to be okay.

  “Shea, you took a bullet for Gunner,” Viktor said.