by Joyee Flynn
“I’ll see to it.” She gave me a wink and waved her hands. Suddenly the leader was up in the air in some type of protective bubble.
“Attack!” The guy screamed in a panicked voice. The demons charged. This was going to be good.
“Can we shoot through your protection thing?” Mav leaned in and asked.
“Um, no. I hadn’t thought of that,” I admitted with a shrug. “The bullets would disintegrate.”
“Hey, I’ll take a protection shield over being able to shoot any day. You’re very impressive, my mate.” He gave me a wink and I felt like I was the best warrior in the land. I liked that my mate could make me feel that way. Now if I could only fix what I broke with my other mate.
“Yeah, give him another blow job,” Tyler muttered angrily. Yeah, I had a lot of making up to do.
Chapter 8
Maverick
I shielded my eyes in reflex as the first demon hit Asterio’s barrier and screamed before turning to ash. Oh, that was cool. I was so on board with having the fae around. Not that I hadn’t been before, but I was a little cranky about the way Asterio’s blood had affected me.
And I’d heard Tyler’s snarky comment. We just had bigger fish to fry right then. I could deal with fixing what I’d broken between us later.
It took a dozen more turning into dust before they realized there was some line there they couldn’t cross. Wow, I wondered if when they decided to give up their souls, they gave up their brains, too?
“Still think you can beat us?” Asterio asked with a smirk, leaning against his sword in a relaxed position like it was a cane.
“We’ll be back,” one of the demons snarled.
“Lift the shield,” Queen Magdalena whispered. Asterio nodded and undid his protection barrier with another chant. She walked down a few of the steps and let out a loud whistle. “We evened the playing field. Come and get us.”
“No!” The demon leader shouted as the rest turned back toward us. I watched in awe as the Queen lifted her hands and power flowed from her fingertips. She lit up every demon on the lawn besides the leader that she still held captive.
“I just got hard and I’m not even into women,” Ayden said in awe. Darcy cuffed him playfully upside the head as the Queen burst out laughing.
“I take it that’s your way of giving me a compliment?”
“Yes, your highness. Sorry, sometimes my mouth moves before my brain catches up.”
“My dear, it happens to all of us.” She turned to me and raised a brow. “What would you like me to do with the leader?”
“I’ll leave Darcy to answer that. I have no idea on the protocol for the local warriors. I’m assuming they have some sort of jail that can house demons for questioning.”
“We do,” he said with an evil smile. “Can you knock him out for a couple of hours? We can get him transported then.”
“We should make sure the demons didn’t try to attack anywhere else first,” Ayden suggested. Everyone was a flurry of movements then, some pulling out their cell phones to call and check in.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” one of the fae warriors grumbled. “I thought we were going to get to fight.”
“You’ll get your chance.” I chuckled, shaking my head. “The demons are organized now and attacking as opposed to their usual ways of hiding and trying to not draw attention.”
“How many are there?” Queen Magdalena asked.
“We just don’t know. There’s no official registry of all vampires, though the covens keep track of their own. But until recently, half our race didn’t live within covens.” I sighed, knowing full well it was a question that plagued every warrior. Just how large were our enemies’ numbers? “We have no clue, but right now we need to know who’s leaking information to them. My understanding is this isn’t the first time they’ve been privy to the inner workings around here.”
“No, it’s not,” Darcy growled, shaking his head. “They attacked Riley at the warrior compound not too long ago and bragged about how they kidnapped one of the cooks and tortured them until they talked. But that was before the wolves even got here so they have to have some new source of information.”
The purple-eyed beauty rubbed his hands up and down Darcy’s chest. “We’ll figure it out, big guy. For now, we’re safe, they’re dead, and no one even got hurt on our side.”
“You’re right. You’re always so smart, babe,” Darcy cooed, hugging his smaller mate.
It made me think of my own wolf mate now that the dust had settled. I turned around and realized Tyler was gone. I grabbed Asterio’s arm to get his attention. “Tyler?”
“I don’t see him,” he answered, panic in his tone. “Tyler!” We raced inside, calling out his name as the wolves came up from the basement. One of them pointed out which room was his and we raced toward it, knocking frantically on the door.
“Oh, for god sakes, go away,” he bellowed. Like any good mate, I didn’t listen, instead breaking the lock on the knob and entering. Yeah, add it to my list of crimes. I almost dropped to my knees in sorrow when I saw he was packing. Asterio made a distressed sound, verbalizing how I was feeling.
“So, you’re packing to come stay at Barnabas’s house, right?” I asked, my voice cracking slightly.
“No,” he whispered, shaking his head, still not turning to face us. “I’m leaving to go start over someplace where people don’t know me and maybe try living among humans. I could get a construction job building houses, have a peaceful life, and never hurt again.”
“Then we’ll come with you,” Asterio offered.
“Right, because you guys aren’t the main reason I’m leaving anyways.”
“But we’re not the only reason.” And just like that, the lightbulb went off over my head. “We won’t ever let the demons take you again, cub.”
His shoulders went stiff and I saw him flinch. “I decided to leave when I got back and Ayden pissed me off. Obviously even the people I thought were my friends think the worst of me as well. I’m tired of my past and being a wolf clouding everyone’s judgment of me.”
“I didn’t understand, Tyler. I’m so sorry,” Asterio pleaded as he stepped forward and took the clothes Tyler was folding out of his hands. “Please just hear us out. If you still want to leave after that, then we won’t stop you.”
“You going to stop me now?” He growled, his teeth becoming exceedingly long as he shook. Was he going to shift?
“Um, well, no?” Asterio stuttered. Yeah, I didn’t have an answer for that either. “Maybe? Not forcibly or anything but yeah, I’m going to do everything including lying down in front of your truck to keep you from leaving me.”
Tyler’s face almost instantly went from an expression of anger to pain. “Why do you care? You have Mav.”
“Cub, don’t do that,” I said gently as I reached out and cupped his cheek. “We fucked up and hurt you. We know that and we’re here to apologize for that and make things right. But don’t act as if we’ve never showed we care. We had days together, Tyler. Please don’t forget them and let a mistake wipe away that memory.”
“I’m not really that upset with you if fae blood fucks with you,” he admitted as he stared at the ground. “I can’t necessarily relate, but the fear is overwhelming me.”
“What fear?”
“Are you fucking shitting me?” He laughed darkly as he pulled away. “Fear that you’ll get tired of your screwed-up cub and push me off the couch again. Fear Asterio won’t ever see me as anything but a common whore and slut. Fear you’ll love each other and only put up with me because we’re mates.
“Fear that I’m so fucking depraved and wanting anyone to show me the slightest affection I won’t be faithful when you screw up. I’m scared the demons will come or my Alpha will find me. I’m scared that I just can’t function around people anymore, and being on my own might be the only way to keep me sane!”
“Let us help you,” I said gently as I tried to hug him.
“Ri
ght? So you can pull the happiness rug out from me again? No thank you. I’m not a horse who follows the carrot to walk into shit over and over again.”
“Interesting analogy but not quite the same thing here,” I replied with a growl and tossed him onto the bed. He snarled at me as I followed him down, pinning his arms over his head. “Now let’s address your comments one by one, shall we?”
“Get off me!”
“No.” I kissed him quickly, pulling back when his teeth got scary again. “I’m sorry I was a douche. I can’t even describe to you how bad I feel about it and the panicky manic-ness I felt when I had his blood.”
“Are you okay? It didn’t hurt you or leave any lasting effects, right?” He looked so worried that I think he finally felt something else strong enough to break through the fear. There was my mate!
“I’m okay now.” I gave him a soft smile and another kiss now that his teeth went back to normal. “I woke with one hell of a hangover from whatever the Queen dosed me with. I mean, yeah, I wanted to toss what little food I didn’t have in my stomach, but I’m good now.”
“I felt guilty for not staying with you, but I wasn’t strong enough, Mav. I thought if you woke up all worried about Asterio again I’d break mentally.”
“I know, cub. I wasn’t upset in the least, okay? This wasn’t your fault and it hurt you, and for that I’m sorry.” He nodded and I gave him another kiss, this time with tongue. “Now, about Asterio accepting my blow job instead of paying attention to you.” Tyler’s eyes flared with anger. “Now, just hear me out.”
“Fine.”
“He met both of us today and he probably knew you better, right?” I waited until he nodded. “So he didn’t know how I normally was with you after sex. For all he knew I could have been fucking around or being a jerk or who knows. But I did have my fangs by his dick. Would you have risked pissing me off right then?”
“No, I didn’t think about it like that,” he mumbled.
“I’m just saying he’s been through a lot, too, so maybe cut him a little slack on that. I’m sure he’s more than willing to make up for his blunder as I am.”
“I could have forgiven that, but he thinks I’m a whore. He wants to change my wolf tendencies.”
“No I don’t,” Asterio said firmly as he pushed me off Tyler. “See, now I pushed him to get to you, so there.” I couldn’t help but smile at that one. “I’ve been in your world less than thirty-six hours, Tyler. Hell, I did throw up after crossing over and felt like ass all day yesterday. I’m scrambling to learn all I can then I meet you and wow, did that send my mind reeling.
“And you’re gorgeous and I’m huge and so I kept thinking, would I hurt him? Would I be enough? Does he wish I was a wolf or a vampire like Mav? Then I just start to get past that and then I learn what you’re into sexually, which is hot by the way. And then my brain won’t stop running. What if I can’t satisfy you? Will my lack of experience show? Then Mav starts acting strange and I just had no idea how to handle that.
“So I handled it poorly. I was scared. What if the effects were permanent? Would you hate me for changing him? Did you blame me? And then the Queen, who’s like my mother, is yelling at me and you’re leaving. So I race after you and I see another warrior touching you and all my earlier worries came to the front of my mind. Maybe you didn’t want me anymore and I handled that even worse. Then you wanted to have sex.
“I was already spinning and then all the blood in my body went to my dick. So none was left in my brain by the way. And you wanted it in front of my friends. I didn’t understand the submission thing. I saw it as me using you and thought you wanted me to use you like a toy. I’m sorry I didn’t know enough about wolf culture that I insulted you and I suck. I admit that. But please, cub. Just take one minute and see all this from my perspective!
“I can’t ever seem to get my feet under me. Hell, the only time I’ve felt solid and not like I’m spinning out of control is when the demons showed up. I knew I could protect us all. I knew it. I won’t ever let them take you or hurt my mates. Even if I have to put a protective barrier around our house every night to keep you safe, I will. Please, Tyler.”
Wow, that was an impressive ramble! Asterio seemed almost hysterical by the end of it. And now that I had a moment to see things from his perspective, I didn’t blame him. I could see Tyler felt the same.
“Next time if you’re not okay with having sex in front of your friends, you lean over and nip my neck,” Tyler whispered hesitantly. “It shows me and any wolves around that you understand I was submitting to you and accept me. It wasn’t just what you said, Asterio. You basically denied me as your mate in front of them. I get that you didn’t understand that, but it still hurt.”
“Cub, I’ll fuck you all night long in front of the Queen if it will make you happy.”
“Um, you said she’s like your mom, so no thanks.” Tyler chuckled.
“I don’t care. I’ll deal with my discomfort if it’s what you need. I’m so sorry.”
“So did we deal with all your worries?” I asked gently, hoping my mate felt better. Because damn, I needed him. I needed them both.
Chapter 9
Tyler
“You both could kick my old Alpha’s ass with one hand tied behind your back, so I’m not scared of that anymore,” I admitted, finally relaxing a bit. Seeing that I wasn’t the only one that had fears about our mating helped penetrate the haze of freaking out I’d been hiding in. “But as for the rest, I guess time will only tell.”
“So you’re not leaving?” Asterio asked with so much hope I’d have to be evil to have denied him.
“No I’m—” I didn’t get to finish because he mashed his mouth down to mine in a kiss that was filled with so much passion my toes curled.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he said in between peppering my face with kisses as I gasped for air. How could he talk after a kiss like that? I assumed that he just had bigger lungs, otherwise I might take offense. I held his face still and stared into his eyes, searching them for one answer.
“You really do care if I left or not, don’t you?”
“Yes!” he exclaimed with wide eyes.
I took a risk and trusted my mates were telling me the truth. I’d never had people in my life who would do that. But who better to take a chance on? “Then I’m going to grab a bag for a few days’ worth of clothes while we discuss where we want to live, and let’s go see if there’s any food left from the party. I haven’t seen Planet Earth in years. I really liked it and want to see it again.”
“Sounds like one of the best ideas all day,” Mav agreed with a smile. I raised an eyebrow at him. One of them? He shrugged and gave me a wink. “You did come up with the idea to have sex a few times today. Can’t rule that out.” I think he realized his mistake the moment it was past his lips. “Cub, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s okay.” I gave him the best grin I could muster. “I need to get past it. I know it wasn’t really you. Let’s just go relax and answer any questions our mate has about our world while we watch TV and have some snacks.”
“Thank you, cub.” Mav leaned over and brushed my lips with his as Asterio still had me pinned down. Now my mind was just in the gutter. While I always pushed for sex, sex I could do, I didn’t want to be that person with my mates. I wanted them to see there was more to me, even if I didn’t have a clue what was there.
Asterio let me up, and I closed up one of the bags with a few days of clothes and some of my toys. I really hadn’t planned it that way. But who the hell was I to mess with a fortunate turn of events? Well, fortunate if they wanted to play with the toys… On me.
On the way out, Ayden stopped me and apologized. I not only forgave him but said I was sorry as well. I jumped down his throat earlier instead of hearing him out. He gave me a hug and said if I needed to talk about anything, he’d be there for me.
“Let me get a few things settled and then maybe soon I’ll come to you for help.” I took a
deep breath and met my mates’ confused faces. “I’ll explain on the drive back.”
“They want you to be happy, Tyler. I can hear it in their heads as if they were screaming it to me,” Ayden whispered so no one else could hear. “These are good men. Trust them.”
“I’m trying.”
“That’s all any of us can do.” I hugged him again and we left.
I was proud of how Asterio hopped right into the truck with no issues. But then I realized he rode in a vehicle to get to Darcy and Ayden’s house after all. I guess he liked it. It made me smile. I wanted him to like our world. I wanted him to be happy.
“So, there are different types of fae, like warriors and ones with extra magic, right?” I asked, noticing when Asterio nodded. “Ayden’s like that but for wolves. He’s got powers that are rare. He told me that supposedly he’s descended from the god of love or something, but I don’t know about that. All I do know is they help people. He can work with mates on communication or hidden desires. But he can also guide people through past traumas.”
“Make you relive them or just see them like I can when I drink blood and focus my gift?” Mav asked quietly.
“I don’t know. One of the vamps was talking about how his trauma was when he was a child and Ayden helped him go through it as an adult. I’m not sure how that will help me, but I know he can work with the brain to dull down the fear and accept what happened.”
“Why have you not asked him for his help before?” Asterio sounded so confused that I shot Mav a look.
“I explained certain parts of what I saw when I drank your blood, but we were in mixed company.”
“Yeah, right, I knew that,” I mumbled, focused on the road. I felt like and ostrich sticking my head in the sand. Maybe if I didn’t look at them and kept my eyes on the drive, they wouldn’t look at me. Riiight.