by Lynn Hagen
“Why can’t you just lie there and rest? You ask too many questions,” Ahm groused and then looked back out of the window.
“You would, too, if everything was coming down on you all at once. I don’t think I can take too much more of this shit.” He knew he couldn’t. Tater was this close to cracking. He needed to know what happened to his bear, and he needed to know what was wrong with him. He wanted to cross the room and throttle the blue man. Too bad he experienced extreme vertigo every time he moved.
“Then you don’t belong in our world, in my world. If you can’t handle the paranormal, get out of the kitchen, human.”
Was that a joke?
Tater had no humor in him at the moment. He was too worried about his bear. “Fuck you, Ahm.”
This made the blue man laugh, which only irritated Tater even more. “Sorry, you are not lucky enough to have me grace your bed with my presence.”
Fucker.
Chapter Eight
Olsen resorted to boxing the fucking wolf in front of him. The man was stupid enough to shift into human form, arrogance coming off of him in waves.
Olsen was about to show this rogue what real arrogance was all about. They circled each other, Olsen baring his canines, as did the wolf. He waited for the right opportunity and then rushed the wolf, taking him down, shifting mid-fall and tearing the fucker’s throat out.
Olsen backed away and looked around the field at the carnage. He was tired, sore as fuck, and bloody as hell. And he wanted his Tater back. He shifted, staggering a little as he walked over to Maverick. “They took Tater.”
Maverick’s eyes were crimson as he gazed around the field. “He’s safe. Ahm is the one who came to your house to warn us. I don’t know what the elf’s angle is, but Tater is with Christian right now.”
“What the fuck do you mean he’s safe?” Olsen growled. “Take me to him.” He hadn’t one caring bone in his body about how he was speaking to the alpha. This was his mate they were discussing. “I want my mate!”
“Ahm!” Maverick shouted.
Olsen wasn’t sure what was going on, but his jaw clenched when he saw the blue man who took his mate appear. Olsen charged him, only to have the man shimmer away and then reappear twenty feet away from him.
“I don’t have time for this bullshit, bear. Do you want to go to your mate or not?” Ahm said with disdain. “I could make you drive there. That would teach you some manners.”
Olsen really didn’t like him. He ran his hands over his head to try and calm down. His eyes widened as Ahm charged him, tackled him to the ground, and then they shimmered away.
“What was that for?” Olsen growled as he pushed the blue man off of him. Ahm merely laughed as he waved at Olsen and then shimmered away.
Olsen rolled onto his hands and knees and then pushed himself up. He looked around the room and then gasped when he saw Tater lying on the bed fitted with silk sheets. Olsen stood there for a moment taking in the sight. His mate was so damn gorgeous. He walked quietly around the bed, noticing how Tater’s lips were slightly parted, his face relaxed. He’d never seen his mate asleep before. When he had claimed Tater, Olsen was the first to fall asleep.
He reached out, running a knuckle down the smooth skin of Tater’s cheek. He leaned forward, laying a gentle kiss on Tater’s lips as he ran his hand over his mate’s head.
“Olsen,” Tater murmured.
His heart rate increased when his mate called out his name in his sleep. It was the sweetest sound Olsen could ever remember hearing. His eyes snapped to the bandage on his mate’s neck. Olsen growled softly as his fingers ghosted over the gauze. How bad was his Tater injured?
“Olsen.”
Olsen glanced at his mate’s face to see Tater’s eyes open. The pale green was dark with desire. Olsen’s cock hardened at the sight. His bear was clawing Olsen’s insides to get at his mate. To reclaim what was his.
“How are you feeling, love?”
A small flicker of longing played in Tater’s eyes as he nodded. “Good.” Tater looked Olsen over seductively, his tongue gliding across his bottom lip. “Thirsty.”
Olsen groaned at the sight of lust playing across his mate’s eyes and the movement of his Tater’s pink tongue. His cock jerked at a chance to have that small appendage gliding across his shaft. The beautiful thing about shifters was he didn’t have a stitch of clothing on from being in his bear form.
Perfect.
Olsen placed one knee onto the bed, moving slow enough to make his mate aware of what he was after. His eyes darted down the bed when Tater’s silk-covered legs spread apart.
Olsen peeled back the sheet and then reached out to undress his mate. Tater lay perfectly still as Olsen revealed his pale flesh one piece of clothing at a time. As he removed Tater’s shirt, Olsen kissed his bare skin.
Tater moaned as Olsen licked his way from Tater’s collarbone down to one brown nipple. His tongue flicked out, teasing it until it was pebbled and peaked. Olsen’s hands ran up and down his mate’s arms and sides, feeling Tater’s skin pimple at his touch.
Olsen lifted his head, curved his hand behind Tater’s neck, and then pulled his mate in close as their lips collided. Olsen felt so feverish for Tater that he wanted to consume him.
He could feel the strong man in his arms tremble as Olsen crawled over his mate’s body, hovering as he settled his legs on either side of Tater’s. He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply when his cock rubbed against Tater’s. The feeling threatened his control.
Olsen crushed Tater under him as his lips ghosted across Tater’s, his tongue flicking across his mate’s kiss-swollen bottom lip. Tater twined his fingers behind Olsen’s neck, pulling him closer, so close that their bodies melded into one.
“Olsen,” Tater panted against his lips. “Please.”
His mate’s breath became ragged as his legs kicked restlessly. Olsen traced his lips over Tater’s chin, cheek, and then each eye. He inhaled the sweet scent of apples and cinnamon, feeling a deep-seated hunger clawing at his gut to claim his mate. Olsen rocked his hips, his mate taking the breath out of him.
Olsen nipped the shell of Tater’s ear, whispering softly, “You will not run from me. You will not push me away because I’m a part of you now.” Olsen flicked his tongue, the tip catching Tater’s lobe. His mate shivered at the act. “I’m not going to live with a hole where my heart should be because you are afraid. Let me in, Tater. Trust me.”
Olsen closed his eyes when Tater’s breath hitched, nodding into Olsen’s neck. He kissed his way down his mate’s tempting flesh, nuzzling the gauze, whimpering into it before leaning back. Olsen kept his eyes locked onto Tater’s, fear evident in his mate’s pale green ones.
His mate didn’t move.
Tater watched intently as he gave a small growl as Tater’s cock rested against his stomach, hard and leaking the clear liquid that he wanted to lick clean from his mate’s body.
Olsen ran the palm of his hand up the large and beautiful shaft as he knelt between Tater’s firm and muscular legs.
“Very nice, Tater,” he teased softly as his thumbnail dipped into the slit that was centered at the top. “Very nice.”
Tater’s chest expanded and contracted rapidly as his eyes watched every movement Olsen’s hand made. The side of Olsen’s mouth pulled back into a smile when Tater’s tongue shot out, licking his lips as his stomach quivered.
Olsen spanned his hand across Tater’s chest as he slid back, wetting two fingers, and then pressed the palm of his hand into Tater’s perineum as the two wet fingers circled around the tight muscle.
Tater’s legs pulled back and then his knees fell apart, his eyes darting around Olsen’s face. Olsen pushed both fingers deeply into Tater’s ass and then pulled them all the way out, repeating the process as Tater’s head thrashed from side to side. He twisted his hand, watching his mate as Tater groaned loudly and bore down onto Olsen’s fingers as he grazed Tater’s walnut-shaped gland.
Olsen laid his hand on
to Tater’s thigh as he pushed a third finger in. He wished he had lube, but they weren’t at his house, in his bedroom. He eyes jumped from Tater to the stand next to the bed. Hmm, maybe.
Olsen kept his fingers buried deep in his mate’s body as he leaned to the side, stretching to reach the drawer. His fingers curled around the handle, pulling hard. The drawer slid out and then hit the floor. “So much for multitasking.” He chuckled.
Tater jackknifed, bent over the side of the bed, and then rolled back over, handing Olsen the lube. A brow hiked up as he smiled at his Tater. “Impatient?”
“Hell yeah.” Tater kicked his feet out as he changed positions, getting onto his hands and knees. Good lord, what a magnificent sight his mate presented to him. Olsen leaned forward and nipped both ass cheeks.
“Fuck me already,” Tater growled.
Olsen chuckled as he lubed his cock and then tossed the bottle aside. He reached his left hand out and pushed Tater’s upper body to the bed, making his shoulders touch the mattress as he curled his fingers around the back of Tater’s neck. “Submit.”
To his surprise, Tater’s arms reached up and his fingers curled around the headboard. His shoulders sank lower, and his ass rose higher into the air.
Tater’s submission was going to make Olsen’s bear break free. His canines grew from his gums as Olsen began to breathe heavily. He shook his head, trying to cage his bear. His nails slid from their sheaths as his cock grew in size. Olsen quickly moved his hand from Tater’s neck.
No!
Olsen pinched the skin under the head of his cock, the pain reining in his bear. His cock eased back to its normal size as his nails re-sheathed. He had to gain control or his size would hurt his mate.
“Olsen?”
Olsen ran his hand up Tater’s spine as he grabbed the base of his cock with his other hand, lining it up and opening his mate up to his claiming. Olsen and Tater groaned at the same time as Olsen sank deeper.
He fought hard to make his bear heal. Olsen pulled his hips back and then slammed forward, his teeth hurting to the point of pain. His bear wanted to bite, to claim, to reestablish who Tater was to him.
Olsen gave up the fight and dropped over Tater, blanketing his back as he sank his teeth deep into Tater’s flesh.
“Olsen!” Tater cried as his legs slid further apart, his ass jutting higher, begging for Olsen to fuck him harder.
Olsen’s teeth stayed embedded as he grabbed Tater’s hips and powered into his mate’s tight ass. His cock felt like a steel fist was gripping it as he whimpered into Tater’s neck. He was losing control. The thought of his mate being hurt, of nearly dying, had him going crazy.
“I’m okay, Olsen,” Tater panted. Olsen wasn’t sure how Tater knew about the internal battle, but the words seemed to calm his bear. He pulled his teeth free, licking the wound as he tried to steady his breathing.
Olsen wrapped his arms around Tater as he slowed his frantic movements, his body moving in a gentle rocking motion as he pressed his face into Tater’s back, kissing his spine as his cock glided in and out of Tater’s soft body.
“I love you, Olsen.”
Olsen couldn’t catch the whimper before it left his lips. Tater had just made him the happiest bear on the planet. “I love you, too, mate.”
“I’m scared,” Tater confessed.
Olsen closed his eyes, thankful that his mate was reaching out to him, was telling him his fears. Olsen felt closer to Tater in that moment than he had at any other time. “I have you, baby.”
Tater nodded into the mattress as Olsen felt apart inside of his mate, his body tightening as his orgasm approached. He reached under his mate, grabbing Tater’s cock into a tight fist, tugging at his mate’s shaft as Tater mewled and squirmed.
“Pull it harder, bear. Harder,” Tater begged. Olsen yanked as his hips shot forward, burying his cock to the hilt. Tater shouted, his head falling back as Olsen’s hand was bathed in his mate’s cum.
“That’s it, love,” Olsen crooned as he thrust a few more times, roaring as his body went rigid, his cum erupting from his cock as his hips snapped rapidly, fucking his mate like a crazed man.
Olsen was toast. He didn’t have the energy to do a damn thing except drop to his side, taking his mate with him. His dick was still buried deeply, the size having nearly doubled. He would have to wait until it eased before pulling free. He didn’t mind. Olsen had Tater to wrap his body around while he waited.
Olsen wasn’t stupid. He didn’t spoon Tater. He pressed his mate into the mattress and covered Tater’s body with his, lying over Tater, making sure his mate didn’t go any damn where.
Tater woke from his sleep. The first thing he noticed was a heavy weight on his back. He smiled against the silk sheets. Olsen had him pinned down, his weight telling Tater that he wasn’t going anywhere. The second thing he noticed was the rapping at the bedroom door.
“Lay here, babe,” Olsen said as he kissed Tater’s ear. The bear got up, sauntering across the room.
“Are you going to answer the door like that?” Tater asked his very naked mate. Olsen looked down at his body and then back at Tater.
“I’m a shifter. I’m used to being naked.”
Tater growled and threw a pillow at Olsen. “Put that on.”
Olsen chuckled as he covered his groin with the pillow before answering the door.
Christian stood on the other side, a smile playing across his lips. “Since you are in one of my guest bedrooms, I was wondering if the two of you wanted breakfast.”
Tater’s stomach growled right on cue. He was hungrier than he had ever remembered being before. He was also thirsty as hell. His throat almost felt like he had been sucking on sand.
“Thanks,” Olsen said as he attempted to shut the bedroom door.
“One more thing,” Christian said as he held his hand up. “Your mate lost a lot of blood. I had to have one of my coven members give him some blood. Since it was not mine, he will not change. He wasn’t that close to death, so there was no need to convert him. But he will crave his meat bloodier now and have a constant thirst.”
Tater sat up as he listened. It was true. He was thirsty as hell and craving something. He just had no idea what.
“He could remain that way, or I could finish the conversion. I’ll let you two discuss the matter.”
“Wait!” Tater yanked the sheet from the bed and wrapped it around his body. He noticed the glare coming from Olsen but ignored his bear. “What does that mean?”
Christian sighed. “You could be like the mate George, always carrying around a water bottle to quench your unyielding thirst. Or I could convert you into a vampire and you could feed from Olsen. There are downfalls to this, however. Sunlight will no longer be yours, and food will become a distant memory. But you will have immortality, as will Olsen.” The vampire walked away.
“Hell of a thing to drop on me and then just walk away,” Tater grumbled as he walked back toward the bed. It was the second time he was asked to make such a large commitment. What the hell was wrong with the world? How had it gotten so screwed up?
Tater shook his head as Olsen closed the door. “Hell of a thing,” he mumbled.
“What do you think? Can you live with the thirst?”
Tater wasn’t sure. He didn’t know what to—“Fuck!” Tater dropped to his hands and knees as pain unlike anything he had ever felt before ripped through his entire body.
He collapsed onto his back as his arms instinctively wrapped around his midsection. “Oh god!” he cried out as he rolled back and forth, the pit of his stomach feeling as though molten lava was burning a hole through him.
“Tater!” Olsen shouted as he dropped next to him. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“I…ahhh,” Tater screamed, sweat covering his body as his head felt like it was being squeezed tight. He barely registered his mate getting up and running out into the hall, screaming for Christian. Tater couldn’t breathe.
He couldn’t fucking breathe.
>
He felt a cold hand run over his head and then a loud curse as he writhed in pain on the floor.
“Did that vampire blood do this to him? Did your fucking guy infect him?” Olsen shouted from beside him.
“No,” Christian said loudly. “That wouldn’t have happened. I think I know what’s wrong with him.”
“What?” Olsen bellowed.
Christian’s cool fingers touched Tater’s neck, his pulse beating so fast that his heart actually hurt. “The one who bit him was infected, Olsen. He was high off of Liquid Wrath. It is now running through Tater’s veins. The only way to save him is to convert him.”
Tater could feel his face growing tight, as if all the blood had pooled there. His eyes hurt and his temples throbbed so hard that he feared an aneurysm at any moment. “Do it,” he bit out right before his body began to convulse.
Chapter Nine
Olsen paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair so many times that it was standing on end now. He began to pull at it as he watched helplessly. Tater was going to die, and there was nothing Olsen could do about it.
“I have to exchange blood with him. If you cannot handle this, leave,” Christian said over his shoulder at Olsen.
“Just save him.” Olsen’s voice was hoarse as he watched the prince of vampires lean over his mate.
His bear was going crazy, banging his head into Olsen’s ribs, trying its best to break free as Olsen’s pacing became more manic. Olsen wanted to ask the prince about taking the tainted blood into his body, but feared stopping him.
The man must know what he was doing.
Olsen watched as his mate’s body went rigid, Christian leaning over him, what he was doing hidden. Olsen was scared shitless. He ran his hands through his hair once again, pulling at it as time seemed to slow down.