Mating Song (Eternal Flames Book 14)

by Cree Storm

  Shadow didn’t say anything as he continued to look into Deja’s eyes. When Shadow lowered his head and touched his lips to Deja’s there was no way he could stop his gasp of surprise. Shadow took advantage of that small opening and quickly inserted his tongue inside, licking and tasting all that Deja had.

  Deja didn’t stop him. Instead, he dropped his empty cup on the floor, turned a little more, straddling Shadow’s lap, and brought his hands up and around Shadow’s neck, carding his fingers through Shadow’s short hair, deepening the kiss.

  Shadow’s hands gripped Deja’s ass and squeezed, pulling him even tighter to Shadow’s body. Deja could feel Shadow’s erection pressed into his and just knew at any minute he was going to come. However, Shadow suddenly pulled back, stood, turned, then dropped Deja onto the couch, snarling, “Fuck, what am I doing?” Then turned away.

  “Kissing your mate,” Deja replied.

  Shaking his head, Shadow quickly replied, “We are not mates.”

  “Yes, we are. Even if you haven’t claimed me yet, we are mates,” Deja insisted.

  Slowly turning to look at Deja, Shadow rasped, “That is not going to happen. I can’t let that happen, Deja. I’m sorry. You have no idea how badly I wish things could be different, but…”

  “Why? What reason could you possibly have to not claim me? I’ve never intentionally hurt anyone. I try and be a good friend and brother… what reason could you possibly have to not claim me?” Deja asked, with tears in his eyes.

  “I know the line I’m about to say is overused and eyerolling, but it really isn’t you, Deja. It’s me,” Shadow answered.

  Shaking his head and feeling a sadness in his heart, Deja asked, “I don’t understand.”

  “Like you said, you are a wonderful man. You are caring, sweet, and pure of heart. I’m not. I will not let the blood on my hands and soul tarnish you,” Shadow softly stated.

  “Shadow, I’m not perfect. I am a living human being and I make mistakes just like any other person out there,” Deja replied.

  Sighing, Shadow replied, “So much death covers me, Deja. I have been a soldier practically my entire life. I have killed and watched so many others be killed. My life is… death. You are asking me to cover your light with darkness, and I just won’t do that.”

  “Maybe it is my light that will take away your darkness, Shadow. Did you ever stop to think that this is why fate has brought us together?” Deja asked.

  The door opened, and Deja looked up to find Blake standing there. He could see the unease in his friend’s eyes. “Is everything alright, Blake?”

  Never taking his eyes away from Shadow, Blake replied, “No, the crowd is getting bad and Jagger and his men can’t seem to calm them. They want you. Jagger asked me to come back here and see if you might be able to finish the show?”

  Deja stood. “Absolutely. Are the others willing to go on? If not, I can figure something out.”

  “We are if you are,” Blake replied, getting closer to Shadow. “There is no way that’s you.”

  Shadow backed up. “What the hell are you talking about? Back off.” Turning to Deja, Shadow snapped, “And you are not going back out there. Not until security measures are put into place.”

  Deja raised his brow and felt his hackles rise. “You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do. Jagger is counting on me, and the people out there paid good money for our show, so I will not disappoint them.”

  Shadow opened his mouth as if to argue further, but Blake stopped him when he rasped, “Fuck me, it is you. Shadow, I thought you were dead. Father said… mother cr… how is this possible?”

  “Blake? I thought there was something about you, but… No fucking way! What the hell are you doing here?” Shadow gasped, looking gob smacked. Deja looked between the two and quickly noted the similarities between the men before him. Both men had the same wavy snub nose, almond shaped eyes, squared chin with that dimple which always made Deja weak in the knees. “Holy shit! You guys are related!”

  “Brothers. Shadow left us when I was fifteen and he was twenty. We were told he was killed in a hunting accident,” Blake replied.

  “You mean the hunt father called out on me when he found out I was gay?” Shadow snarled.

  Blake gasped, “What the hell are you talking about? Father didn’t call out a hunt on you. Father told mother and I you had gone out on patrol and hunters found you. He said…”

  Snarling, Shadow replied, “The only hunters who found me were father and his friends. He thought he had left me to die, but he was fucking wrong.”

  “Father said… that explains why there were no outsiders’ scents in the area. I went out to where father said you were killed. I smelled your blood and the scent of our pride, but no others. I… Gods, Shadow I’m so sorry. I should have known… I should have…”

  Shadow hissed, “You saw and chose to see and accept. How about we do both of us a favor and you just keep thinking I’m dead, because the Shadow you knew did die. He died the day my family tried to slaughter me for wanting to fuck men instead of women.” Turning to Deja, Shadow hissed, “If you insist on going back out there, I’m going to have a talk with Jagger, because you will have security.”

  “But the distraction will take away from the show,” Deja stated in frustration.

  Shadow pursed his lips and his brows drew together. “Security will be provided, or you are not going out there. We may not be mated, but you are still my mate and your safety is still my priority. So it’s decided.”

  Deja wanted to knock the crap out of Shadow, but then the memory of that man attacking him on stage came back, causing him to shiver. Finally, Deja nodded. “How long do you need to set it up?”

  “Ten minutes,” Shadow stated, then turned pulling out his phone and pressing a button. “Wade, I need your help. Meet me wherever Jagger is and bring the guys.”

  Deja turned in time to see Blake fall back into a chair, bringing his hands to his face looking sad and defeated.

  Making his way to his friend, Deja knelt in front of Blake and placed his hand on the man’s knee. “It’s going to be alright, Blake. He’ll come around.”

  Blake dropped his hands and clasped them between his knees. “Is Shadow really your mate?”

  Nodding, Deja softly replied, “Yes, but he is as excited to be my mate as he is to be your brother. It seems Shadow has issues with relationships of any kind.”

  “He was always stubborn. I just can’t believe it’s him. Gods how could I have been so stupid? I knew something was off with our father’s story, but he was always so unpredictable in his anger and it was just easier to… Fuck!”

  Deja got closer to Blake and gripped the sides of the man’s head, bringing their foreheads together like he always did with his brothers when they were upset or hurting.

  “What are you doing?” Blake asked quietly.

  “Just hush, close your eyes and relax. I do this with my brothers all the time. Like I said earlier, music can heal… it can help… just relax and listen,” Deja replied.

  It didn’t take Deja long to know which song he needed to sing for his friend. Closing his eyes, Deja started to sing. “Give me a second I need to get my story straight…”

  Yes, ‘We are Young’ by Fun was perfect, for not just Blake, but for Deja as well.

  “Tonight, we are young, so let’s set the world on fire…” Deja sang and smiled when he heard Blake softly singing along with him. Halfway through the song, Deja moved his head back and he and Blake sang together as they looked into each other’s eyes and smiled.

  “Now I know that I’m not…” they sang together.

  By the time they finished, Blake looked much calmer and they were both feeling better as well. It always amazed him how music brought his thoughts and heart back together, and his spirits were much higher than they had been moments ago.

  “Thank you, Deja. I don’t know what it is you did just now, but I really feel better,” Blake whispered.

  Smil
ing, Deja patted Blake’s knee then stood. “Good. Now let’s get the guys. I have some song change-ups for our second set and I need to change.”

  “I’ll get the tech guy, so he knows what we’re doing.” Blake went to leave, then turned. “Just what are we doing?”

  Deja looked at Blake and smiled sadly. “Shadow is running from you and me. His ghosts from the past seem to be controlling whatever future he might be able to have. I think it’s time we make him face his past and come back to the present.”

  “And you are going to do this through songs?” Blake asked, sounding as skeptical as he looked.

  Nodding, Deja replied, “It’s my way, Blake. Music speaks to people and the ones who normally are deaf to talking are enhanced listeners when it comes to music. Maybe it’s the beat, the tone, or just the feeling we use when we put our voice to the words. Whatever it is, people don’t just listen to what we are singing, they feel it too and Shadow has erected a wall so hard and strong, I think the only way through to him is with music.”

  “Well for your chance at getting your mate, I hope you are right,” Blake said, then turned and left the room.

  Deja let out a long sigh, then whispered, “Me too, Blake. Me too.”

  * * * *

  Shadow stood there with Jagger and his team along with Suneth and a couple of his men, too, as Shadow instructed, “We line the front of the stage and I would really like someone up top.”

  Jackson approached in a huff. “Just what do you think you’re doing? You have no right to step in and take over. Security is my job and…”

  “If you had been doing your job, Deja would not have been attacked. Just where were you anyway when that asshole jumped the stage? Where were the other guards?” Shadow snarled.

  “How was I supposed to know that someone would jump the fucking stage? It isn’t like Deja and his band of misfits are superstars or…”

  Jagger held up his hand. “That’s enough, Jackson. Your job was to keep Deja and the rest of the band safe. You failed. Your services are no longer needed in my club. Pack your shit and go.”

  “What! You can’t fire me! I didn’t do anything wrong. I was at a vantage point to watch Deja’s performance and make sure that rig worked. I…”

  Jagger turned and grabbed Jackson by the front of his shirt, his eyes turned red and his fangs broke through his gums as he snarled, “Your job was to keep Eclectic safe and you failed to do that. I can fire you and I am firing you. Now get your shit and get out of my club!”

  Jackson gave Shadow another nasty look, then turned and left. Jagger looked at Shadow. “I have an offer for you, Shadow. I would like you to be head of security here at the club. That means for every night, not just when Eclectic is performing.”

  Shadow opened his mouth to refuse, but Jagger held up his hand. “I will pay you well and you can hire as many men as you deem necessary. I only wish to be in on the interviews. Just think about my offer.” Placing his hand on his right ear where the communication device was, Jagger nodded, saying, “Okay, we’ll be ready.” Turning back to Shadow, Jagger said, “It’s a go.”

  Shadow looked at Wade and his commander smiled as he asked, “This is your show. Where do you want us?”

  Looking at the men he had fought side by side with for so many years, Shadow knew without a doubt they had his back. It didn’t matter that Shadow rarely conversed with the guys and tended to keep them all… well all but Snake, at arm’s length. They knew he would protect them with his very life.

  “Commander, I need you, Snake, and Flyer to man the front of the stage. Bullseye, you and Six can take the left side of the stage, and Oz, you and Asbuth watch the right side. Also, Suneth, I need you and Juddan to stay in the back. This way if there are any problems within the crowd it will be covered from all sides.”

  The two gargoyles nodded, and Wade asked, “Where are you going to be?”

  “Jackson was right about one thing, the best vantage point to watch the stage and the audience is up high. I think up there in the balcony will be perfect. With the communicators Six went and got from his truck, I can keep in contact with all of you from there. Let’s go,” Shadow stated as he made his way to where the stairs to the balcony were located. He knew he wasn’t fooling anyone. They all knew he had chosen the furthest point from the stage. Not just because he wanted to avoid the man, but it was too hard to be so close and smell his mate’s luscious scent without taking him right there on the stage in front of everyone in attendance. Fucking mating hormones.

  The lights went out and Shadow quickly scanned the crowd for any movement. His cat’s eyes could see just as well in the dark as they could when the room was lit up. That’s how he knew that Deja had made his way on stage and was standing behind a microphone, ready to start. The crowd went silent. Not a voice or whisper was heard. The lights just above Deja slowly began to brighten, until all that could be seen was Deja behind his microphone. The piano began to play, and Deja started to hum for a moment. Shadow felt his heart beating faster within his chest as Deja began to sing. “There’s so much life I’ve left to live and the fire’s burning still…”

  “Oh damn, I love this song.” The person sitting to his right said.

  “What?” The man’s friend said, never taking his eyes off the stage.

  “‘I Surrender’ by Celine Dion. Gods it’s beautiful. It talks about how we are nothing without our partner. How that one person is our very existence, our soulmate,” the man explained.

  Shadow did his best to watch the crowd, but Deja standing there with wearing a white and gold silk jumpsuit and his white hair with gold sparkling throughout, was mesmerizing. Damn, the man was fucking gorgeous.

  “What would happen if they knew I’m in love with you…”

  Those words brought Shadow’s eyes directly to Deja’s face. His shifter sight could see the man was looking right at him, but how he had known Shadow was on the balcony he didn’t know.

  “Cause I surrender everything…”

  Fuck, if Shadow couldn’t feel each word seeping into his heart and soul. Deja was singing this song to him. Shadow knew it and anyone that knew about them also knew it.

  “I’d hold you in my arms and never let go…”

  Shadow knew he had to have stopped breathing as he listened to his mate sing how he would hold him and never let go.

  “Can’t you hear my call? I surrender all…”

  The man next to Shadow blew his nose. Looking down at the man, he looked up, with a small smile. “Just beautiful don’t you think? He is saying everything I wish I could say to my Travis. I don’t know who he is singing to, but they are a lucky man.” The man turned whispering, “Just as lucky as I am to have you.” Then he kissed who Shadow could only suspect was Travis.

  The song was becoming more and more powerful and the words were smacking into the stone wall around Shadow’s heart. The wall that had kept Shadow safe for centuries. The song came to an end and the lights immediately went out. Seconds later the piano began to play, and two overhead spotlights came on, showing two men on each side dancing a contemporary style dance to the music playing.

  A third light came on and Deja had moved closer to the band with his microphone stand in front of him. “How can you see into my eyes like open doors…”

  Shadow noticed that the goth guy was now playing the drums instead of his brother. Shadow couldn’t help but wonder where Blake had gone.

  “…lead it back home…”

  Blake jumped out from behind the curtain, singing, “Wake me up!”

  The two sang together in a beautiful mix and Shadow was entranced as he watched them perform. The dancers were moving, rolling, and swaying all around the floor in front of Blake and Deja. It was truly glorious to watch.

  “Save me from the nothing I’ve become…”

  How could Deja sing such a thing? He was everything. It was Shadow who was nothing.

  Deja slowed turned to face him as he sang, “Frozen inside without your tou
ch…” and as he did, their gazes met, and Shadow could see the pain and loneliness in his mate’s eyes, and something inside him cracked.

  Suddenly the tempo changed, and Blake began to rap out words. Deja turned away, joining Blake as they sang back and forth.

  “Bring me to life…”

  The second the song ended, the lights went out. The piano switched to another song as the spotlights shone on the dancers on the front part of the stage. Blake was back at the drums, but Deja was nowhere to be seen.

  A few moments later, Deja walked back on-stage and went right to the mic standing center stage. As Shadow got a full view of his mate, he gasped as his cock began to throb. Deja stood before them now in a new outfit. He wore a formfitting gold suit with the jacket hanging open and no shirt underneath, his bare chest glittering in the lights from some kind of body glitter. Sleek golden spiked heels adorned his feet and he had his luscious long platinum-blond hair pulled back away from his face and secured behind his head in a sexy as hell manbun. Shadow had the urge to loosen that bun, allowing his mate’s tresses to flow down his back as Shadow ran his fingers through its silkiness.

  The tempo changed, slowing down, and Deja grabbed the mic in one hand as he closed his eyes and began to sing. “Another head hangs….”

  Shit, Shadow knew this song. It was the Cranberries song ‘Zombie’ but they were playing his favorite version, by the band Bad Wolves. However, Deja changed up a couple of words as he opened his eyes and looked right at him, and Shadow didn’t miss it for a second. “But, you see it’s not me, it’s not your family… In your head, in your head, they are fighting…”

  It was at this moment that Shadow knew his mate understood his struggle. Shadow’s need to protect himself from all the pain a relationship caused. All it led to was being cast aside or left dead.

  Blake pounded on the drums and the song intensified as Deja ripped the mic from the stand and moved to stand on the corner of the stage below him, looking right at him as he belted out the words strong and with passion, “What’s in your head? In your head, Zombie…”