Cade: Le Beau Brothers: billionaire Shifter Series BBW mates (Le Beau Series)

by Dold, V. A.

  “Would you like to hear the specials?” she asked as she snapped her gum.

  Cade scowled at her slightly in disapproval. “No, thank you, please bring the crab cakes to start. Then the barbeque shrimp dinner and the grilled red snapper with red beans and collard greens. We’ll also take a bottle of the German Reisling, as well.” He handed her the menus and turned his attention back to Anna.

  “I’m sorry, cher, I didn’t realize the wait staff here was so poorly trained.” He was honestly horrified.

  She giggled at his pinched expression. “It’s all right. You eat at restaurants that aren’t stuffy five-star snob collectors sometimes, don’t you?”

  He blustered a little for show. “Of course I do, I just wanted tonight to be perfect.”

  “One waitress with a nervous gum habit won’t ruin our night,” she chided him.

  “Very true,” he agreed. “I just enjoy playing and bantering with my mate.”

  “Now perhaps you can clue me in on who Etienne is and what you were talking about.” She leaned forward with her arm on the table tucking her hand under her chin for effect. She wasn’t letting this go without answers.

  “Etienne is a vampire.” Cade waited for that bomb to echo around a bit.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. Next you will tell me fairies are real too.”

  He tipped his head and cocked an eyebrow as if to say “Well, um, yeah, they are.”

  “Oh good, Lord, how do people not know this?” She was talking to herself more than to him.

  “We have rules and consequences in place to keep all the paranormals secret from humans.”

  She had a thoughtful expression while sipping her water. Okay, Anna you’re a big girl. You can handle this. Now suck it up and quit being a sissy.

  He snorted water out his nose at her little rah-rah speech to herself.

  “Oh, shut up.” She laughed at him. “So how did he know I am your mate?”

  Wiping the water from his face. “Well, I’d like to discuss that with you.” He paused and reached for her hand. This was going to be a difficult conversation.

  “I’ve had endless worry and concern about Tim. I’ve had numerous reports of him bragging about how he is going to force you to come crawling back to him. Because of my extensive holdings throughout the French Quarter and New Orleans in general, there’s little I don’t know the minute it happens.” He waited to see if Anna would ask any questions. When she continued to wait quietly, he began again.

  “I’m sorry to tell you, Tim has gotten himself in deep with the local crime syndicate. These people are very dangerous, and I can’t have you anywhere on their radar. I’m sure you don’t want your sons near the situation either.” He waited again.

  Anna took a deep breath and sighed. “I always knew he was a complete idiot, but this is more than even I imagined. What are you going to ask the vampire to do?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but, like a car pileup on the interstate, she couldn’t look away.

  “Vampires can make humans forget things and also plant ideas into their heads. He can make Tim want to leave you alone. He can also get Tim to keep his illegal dealings away from your boys.”

  Anna sat nodding as she thought that through. She didn’t want him anywhere near her or the boys.

  “Etienne will look him in the eye and tell him what to do. He’ll also take a small amount of his blood so he can track Tim if need be and read his mind at any time to verify he is following his commands. That’s it.”

  “Do it,” was all she said. End of conversation and she preferred to never speak of it again.

  He took her cue and dropped the subject.

  The food was incredible, dessert was a decadent triple chocolate bread pudding that when paired with Drambuie and coffee was orgasmic. They chatted, people watched and fed each other the warm, chocolate slice of heaven. All too soon dinner was finished. The two hours they’d been eating and playing had flown by.

  During dinner Cade had come up with a plan to woo his incredible mate. His destination was about two blocks from where they sat. “I want to talk to Etienne, and then let’s walk further down the street and check out the clubs and music. Maybe there is a good band playing,” he offered as a cover.

  It didn’t take long to locate Etienne on the street. “I have a man that I’d like to have modified,” Cade told him.

  Etienne nodded his head once in acceptance. “Email the particulars and consider it done.”

  Cade thanked him and they said their goodbyes.

  Chapter 11

  They strolled slower due to the heavy meal they had just enjoyed. Anna couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten that much, but dang, the dinner and dessert were too good to stop. Leaving chocolate dessert unfinished should be considered a crime anyway. It was just not done.

  A stripper tried to entice them into the gentleman’s club, quietly offering Cade a threesome as she checked out Anna with a hungry look. He politely thanked her and they continued down the sidewalk.

  They reached the corner of Bourbon Street and St. Peters Street, the home of the popular karaoke bar. He gently guided her through the crowd as they dodged the masses of people constantly moving up and down the ten blocks of world famous asphalt.

  The open walls of the bar allowed the public on the sidewalk and street to peer in from almost any angle. They could see the stage in the corner with the DJ playing the selected music of the karaoke singers. That’s when she saw Stefan sitting at a table close to the stage with another man who appeared he could be related to both Cade and Stefan. Cade turned to her with a raised eyebrow, tipped his head toward the bar. “Looks like it could be entertaining, let’s check it out.”

  They worked their way to the front of the room to Stefan’s table. The men rose like old world gentlemen as she approached. Cade put his hand on her lower back and began the introductions. “Anna, this is my brother, Marcus. Marcus, this is my beautiful Anna.”

  She graciously reached to shake Marcus’s hand. With a twinkle in his eye, he lifted it to his lips instead.

  Cade showed his brother his teeth with a very dangerous growl.

  Both Stefan and Marcus barked out loudly as they laughed until they had tears in their eyes.

  They settled in for the combination of star quality accountants living their alternative lives and drunken college girls screaming into the microphone. To her surprise, Cade walked over to the DJ, signed up to sing, and whispered to the man while slipping him something. She would swear he was passing the guy money for some reason.

  The latest suit-wearing business man finished his rendition of House of the Rising Son by the Animals from 1964. The DJ signaled to Cade and handed him the microphone. So that was what he was paying for, he wanted the next spot in line to sing. Who knew he sang karaoke? She prepared herself to hold her face in a positive expression in case he really stunk up the joint.

  Stefan and Marcus wore carbon copies of the Cheshire cat grin. Their reactions had her interest piqued. What did these two know that she didn’t? Maybe he was a closet rock star.

  “This is for Anna, the love of my life.”

  A few heart beats passed and the music started. It only took three notes to play and she recognized the song. “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & the News. She covered her mouth in shock and glee. Tapped her foot in time to the music, she was smiling so huge her face started to hurt a little, but she couldn’t stop. No one had ever sung to her before.

  The microphone was cordless, allowing Cade to walk over to the table and really work it. “Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream, stronger and harder than a bad girl's dream,” as he played with her new ring. He brushed his fingers along the back of her shoulders and stepped in front of her chair.

  Oh my gosh. You’re incredible! He had the perfect growly voice and sounded so much like Huey Lewis.

  He poured his heart and soul into this song for her. Telling her in every word how he felt about her. He gazed at her with love a
nd longing in his eyes as he sang the chorus. “That's the power of love, that's the power of love.”

  Stefan and Marcus were eating this up like candy.

  She could tell he was ignoring them and focusing on her. He danced away from her showing off moves she had no idea he had. He was a complete showman and the crowd loved him. He did a slow, sexy dance back to her, seducing her with every searing look and word he sang. He finished the song on one knee in front of her while holding her hand. She had never been so blown away with love for anyone. If she had harbored any doubts about mating with him before walking through the bar doors, they were shattered now.

  She had tears of love and joy streaming down her face. Her heart was so full it felt like it would burst right out of her chest. Without looking, he handed the microphone to the DJ behind him and took her face in both of his hands. She received the sweetest, most passion-filled kiss.

  Stefan cleared his throat. “Come on guys, get a room.”

  Cade slowly released her lips, gave her one last soft kiss on her lower lip and snarled at his brother for the interruption.

  She wiped the remaining tears from her face and shyly excused herself from the table to freshen up in the ladies’ room. She was sure she was hideous after all the happy tears and mascara.

  Weaving through the crowd to get to the far corner of the room where the bathrooms were located was a challenge. She had to go around the far edge of the long oak bar lined with partiers. She had almost gotten to the door when a man grabbed her arm. It was obvious by the way he swayed he had imbibed a few too many of whatever he was drinking.

  The man leaned in with his alcohol laced breath and whispered in her ear so no one else would hear. Not that they would, over the volume of the bar. “You are a mate and yet unclaimed.”

  She pulled back from him trying to free her arm. He had a tight grip on her and wasn’t about to let go. “What do you mean?” She was confused as to how he knew she was Cade’s mate.

  “You bear the mark of a highly desired mate. Rare and prized. I’ll be your mate and care for you.”

  She was stunned by both his mention of some mark and declaration he would be her mate. What’s he talking about?

  In a flash of snarling teeth and partially shifted wolf, the man was ripped from her arm and thrown to the floor. Cade would have torn him to shreds in front of a bar full of humans if Stefan and Marcus hadn’t been there to pull him off.

  As the man went down still clutching her arm, Anna was knocked to the floor. He lost his grip on her as Cade barreled into him, and she did her best to scramble away from the men.

  Stefan and Marcus signaled to the dozen other shifters scattered around the bar to create a visual shield around Cade and Anna. A wolf in the middle of the bar would definitely make the news, pictures and videos would be posted within minutes if the scene was not blocked from the public eye. She almost screamed when another stranger pushed through the wall of shifters and grabbed the idiot on the floor, yanking him to his feet. Teeth were snapping and animalistic snarls and growls were coming from both men.

  “You stupid whelp.” The elder said. “You never lay hands on another man’s mate. EVER!” He backhanded the younger man so hard his head snapped back at a very painful angle.

  She winced and shrank further back.

  Cade held onto his wolf by a thread, it threatened to burst out needing to protect its fallen mate.

  He was reduced to a wild, rabid animal at the sight of his mate frightened and huddled on the floor. The beast who dared touch her would die a gruesome, painful death.

  The brothers stepped between the two men and Anna providing a safety net for Cade to tend to his mate and collect himself. If that idiot had half a brain, he would stay very quiet and not draw any more attention to himself.

  His hands shook so badly, he was afraid to touch her for fear of frightening her more. Crouching down, he reached for her. But he stopped, his hands and hovered over her body shaking frantically with mind-numbing fear.

  Oh, God! Please don’t be afraid of me, Anna.

  Babe? Why would I ever be afraid of you?

  Anna, oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I saw him grab your arm and whisper in your ear and I just lost my control.

  I’m okay, but can I get off this disgusting floor?

  He let out the breath he had been holding, stood and scooped her off the floor into his arms. He stood for a minute breathing her in and calming his wolf enough to make his way to the exit.

  “Baby? Cade, are you okay? You’re shaking.”

  “Yes, mon précieux mate, I just need to recover from seeing you fall to the ground possibly injured.”

  “Can you put me down? It’s a little embarrassing to be carried around in public.”

  “Give me another minute with you in my arms. I need to feel you’re safe, to touch you.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him what he needed. After what seemed like fifteen minutes, he slowly lowered her feet to the floor, sliding her body along his, keeping his arms wrapped around her to keep her close. He wasn’t able to release her completely yet.

  When he finally had control, he swept Anna behind him and confronted the whelp who was being held by the scruff of his neck by a man who must be a father figure to him. He was in human form, and yet it sure looked like the man had him by the scruff of the neck like a dog.

  “How dare you touch my mate,” Cade growled dangerously.

  The elder stood tall and proud. “Pardon me, my lord. Do you wish to claim blood rights against Travis?”

  He shot a worried glance at Anna out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to explain the man’s strange way of addressing him or expose her to that barbarian form of justice. It was his right, but he wouldn’t exercise it for Anna’s sake. “No, I leave his punishment to you. You will teach him some manners and the rules of mate etiquette, the next wolf he offends may not let him off so easy. May I ask your name?”

  He bowed low once for Cade and for each of his brothers, “I am Jason Ledet.”

  “Jason, I hold you responsible for his actions, don’t let it be heard that he has acted so inappropriately again. I won’t let him off a second time.” Cade looked Jason directly in the eye until the elder lowered his eyes in submission.

  Cade turned his attention back to Anna.

  “Babe, could we please leave and go back to the hotel? I need a little air.”

  He gave her a single nod and created a path through the crowd by the sheer menace radiating from him.

  He turned down St. Peter Street in order to grab a cab back to the hotel. The distance was a far walk from the bar and they were both overly stressed. A ride back would help to ease their nerves.

  He helped Anna into the car and then slid in next to her, pulling her close. He had to touch her or he would lose his grip on his wolf there in the back seat. There was silence between them all the way back to the room. She was in deep thought and he didn’t want to remind her of what just happened.

  Afraid if he made too much noise he would break the spell, he closed the hotel room door quietly behind them. His mate was back to the safety of her room and his wolf could relax. He sat silently as long as he was able. “Cher? Are you all right? You are so quiet it’s terrifying me.” He spoke barely above a whisper.

  She snuggled into him like a puppy burrowed into a pile of blankets. “I’m fine. I have questions about what happened and what was said. I’m just not sure how to ask them.”

  “What was said that you’re wondering about?” He gently stroked her hair and waited for whatever was coming. He would answer her openly and honestly. There were no lies between mates.

  “The man from the bar, Travis, said I have some kind of mark. Something about rare mates. What’s he talking about?”

  “The perfect circle birthmark on your shoulder is the mark of a very rare and powerful female shifter.”

  She sat up straight searching his face. “But it’s just a regular birthmark, a
nd prior to meeting you I wasn’t even close to being a shifter.”

  “Shifters don’t normally bear many female children, case in point, I have all brothers. Most of our mates are human women who are converted during the mating. Throughout history females bearing your birthmark became extremely powerful shifters. A male is naturally at his most powerful at the full moon. But a female with your mark is crazy powerful at the new moon. The mark is a dark circle to symbolize the phase of the lunar cycle, the moon when completely dark.”

  “So I’m some kind of super powerful shifter?” She shook her head as if subconsciously she were denying the possibility.

  “Yes, actually you are. Your power is another reason why we were able to connect in the visions. I wasn’t the only one bringing us together, you were helping create the link as well,” he said proudly.

  “He also said he knew I wasn’t claimed and he’d be my mate.”

  For another wolf to say such a thing set his wolf into a snarling frenzy. He didn’t realize he was snarling viciously out loud until he saw Anna stand and step away from him.

  He instantly stopped. Shit, he did it again. He had to stop scaring his own mate. “I’m sorry, mon amour. I still have limited control after what happened in the bar. Please forgive my grouchy wolf and sit with me again.”

  She hesitantly sat. She was a little stiff when he tried to pull her back in, so he let her have her space. “What’s claiming blood rights?”

  He hung his head. He really didn’t want to tell her about the horrors of blood rights. Exposing her to the knowledge of such practices was too soon after the scene at the bar. “I’d rather not talk about that right now, it’s brutal and ugly. I don’t agree with the punishment, and only the most archaic pack families still practice it. Can we please talk about it another time?”