Fangs with a Heart

by Tempeste O'Riley

  “Perhaps. Still….”

  Dr. Niko demanded Sasha remove his shirt, then placed the cold device against his chest, back, and abdomen in various places as he told him to breathe deep, slow, normal, et cetera. Sasha thought they were done, but when Niko pulled away, he then insisted on putting Sasha through a series of exercises where he would stop him at various points to listen again or take his pulse or do things Sasha didn’t understand. Not that Sasha understood the need for the stethoscope—vampire hearing negated such things.

  Finally, finally they were done, and Dr. Niko handed Sasha back his shirt. “Get dressed, sir. As far as I can tell, the pain hasn’t done any actual damage to you, though it probably didn’t feel that way at the time.”

  “Even if it had, Niko, you know it would have healed by now.”

  “Still, I would warn you to be very cautious of your words until you have secured your fated heart’s affections and bite. Once you have his bite, you should be all right, if I understand correctly. Oh, and work on the bond on your side as well. That should help you both.”

  “In what way? I won’t force him to do things he’s not ready for. What feeding we did I only consented to because he pushed.” And it was awkward as hell!

  “I’ve never seen you not be able to bat those pretty blue eyes and get whomever you wanted into bed. Don’t let Trace be the first. As your doctor, I’m telling you, you need to seduce your lover.” Sasha stared at Niko. Seriously, who gets told to go have sex by their doctor? “As one of your loyal coven members, I’m asking you to make sure you and your consort are strong and stable so our coven stays that way. We need you to be the prince you’ve always been, especially with whatever’s going on with the attack and with your uncle.”

  “I’m working on the situation with Trace, thank you very much.” Sasha sniffed, not liking having his intentions toward Trace questioned. He would win Trace over, and they would be a real couple. True, not that long ago, he hadn’t thought that possible, but he knew better now, and so Trace would be his. Period.

  “Good.”

  “Oh, is there any progress with the whole shifting situation with Sean? I know I’m not either of his fathers, but I am his godfather, and I don’t want anything to happen to him. I’ve never heard of this happening. Not that it never has—few shifter groups even allow us to know much about them—but still.”

  Niko sighed as he shook his head. “We’d get farther, I believe, if that infernal female would get over my fangs and focus on the actual research. But she’s so biased it makes it difficult.” Yeah, Sasha’d been afraid of that. “Thankfully her councilman’s intervention is helping. As for the whys and such? I’m leaning to work more with Trace’s idea, honestly. She’s against it, determined it has no scientific or logical value or basis. I’m not so lost in my test tubes that I’ve forgotten that they are a magically created race, so….” He shook his head and quirked his lips on one side. “We shall see in the end. All that matters is we figure out what’s needed to protect the boy. So far all his tests show he’s stable, as are his cells. So stop worrying and focus on your fated heart.”

  “Keep me up to date.”

  “Of course, my liege.”

  “Now there’s something I want you to do for Trace, and yes, he’s likely to not want to cooperate.”

  “Joy. What?” Dr. Niko asked, his tone wary, his body partly turned away, and his eyes not quite meeting Sasha’s gaze.

  “I want you to check his scars. Something is off about them since I fed on him. I think. I haven’t wanted to push to see his back myself, as that’s an intimate thing if it’s me. He’s not quite ready for that, I don’t believe. However, it’s clinical if it’s you. Not at all the same thing.”

  “He was fussing about his shoulder itching when he spoke to me earlier. Hmm….” Niko stared at his bag for a moment before he jerked upright, then snapped it closed. “I will see about Trace, but I need to get back to the tribe center. Besides, that’s where he is right now, so it should be easier to catch him. But it’s up to him if he consents to the exam.”

  “Love how it’s up to him, but for me, no,” Sasha grumbled, dragging the o out for at least the worth of five or six words. “Fine, agreed. Go help Sean. I have a criminal vamp or two to find and deal with.”

  Dr. Niko smiled wide, his fangs showing. “Good. I want to see whoever is behind this dealt with. No one touches those that are ours, and Trace is one of us, even if his fangs are kitty ones and not proper vampire ones. I just hope you find who is doing this before they find a way to get at Trace again.”

  “He’s well-guarded. And if anyone hurts him, they will die.”

  “Oh, I know they will,” Niko said so matter-of-factly it brought a smile to Sasha’s face. It was good to have his people believe in him and believe in the bond he had with Trace.

  TRACE PROWLED around the woods near his home on the tribe lands. Jalin had gotten him out of Sasha’s area and off the coven grounds without Sasha getting upset, though he knew he would be when Dr. Niko started his poking and prodding. Yet even in his lynx form, Trace knew the doctor was important for Sasha to see.

  When he’d first arrived at the tribe lands, he’d tried talking with Dr. Liliana—for all the good it had done him. Gods’ fur, that female irritated him. He’d knocked politely on the door and waited, only entering when he’d heard a muffled call of some form.

  It took a couple minutes to find her, as she was curled up—in her human skin—in a back sitting room under a light throw, looking out the window. When he looked out the same, he noted only the forest, so she wasn’t watching anyone in particular. Huh.

  “Excuse me, Doctor.”

  She turned slowly, her brows pulled together and down until they were more dark slash marks above dark flashing eyes. “What do you want?” she snapped.

  “I stopped by to see how the research is coming about Sean. And to see if you needed anything extra brought in. Equipment, materials, chemicals, et cetera.”

  Her expression of irritation mixed with, well, if he didn’t know better, he’d say loathing, didn’t lessen. And he did know better—right? “If I have need, I will send my requests to Duncan. I’m not in the mood to deal with one of ours that has decided he’s now a vampire pet.”

  “I am no one’s pet. However, I am the council’s representative, which means those requests go through me. Push me and everything will go through me… for you. Dr. Niko, however, only has to contact his prince directly. Who has the ear of the alpha mate. Of course, so do I. Have the ear of all three. You might consider getting over yourself and actually focusing on your job. You are a doctor, which means you are to heal. You are a research doctor, which means you are to study and find ways to help, new ways to heal, to find out what’s wrong, or what’s not, when something is worried over and it’s actually a worry. What it isn’t is to judge, to harm, or to let your assumptions get in the way of doing your actual job.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do before my appointment with Duncan. Good day, Doctor. I hope to see that list of needs soon.”

  Not giving her time to respond, though she was sputtering behind him, he walked out, leaving her behind. There was no way he could stay and not want to strangle her. It had taken all he had not to wrap his fingers around her scrawny neck as it was. But that wouldn’t help Sean… and if he kept repeating it, she’d stay healthy and they would get their answer soon.

  He climbed his favorite tree, tried hunting some, ran from tree to tree, but nothing he did helped settle his nerves or made him forget the fact he wasn’t near Sasha. He wanted to be back with Sasha, even if the covenstead didn’t have a good forest to play in. But his human side needed time away from their mate, and their mate needed time to work on his hunt of the one who had tried to kill them. Still….

  A strange scent caught his attention as he leaped to a new tree. He hadn’t been out this far in a long while, though he knew he was still on tribe land. Why
couldn’t he place the scent? It wasn’t quite right. A bird but not. Owl, maybe… but that wasn’t right either. Not exactly….

  Hating not knowing what he was scenting, Trace set about following the trail, faint as it was. He kept going, even though he strayed farther and farther from the tribe center. Annoyingly the trail didn’t get stronger that he could tell. What the hell?

  “Trace!”

  Trace came to a sudden stop, freezing at the sound of his name in Duncan’s strong voice. His very human voice. Why was he out there, and why did he sound so irritated? He twitched his ears as he turned his head to look at the ground far below him. With a frustrated mew, he waited for Duncan to either explain what the issue was or join him.

  “You were supposed to see me almost an hour ago, Trace. I should not have to come find you, much less so far out without your guards with you.”

  Trace cocked his head as he tried to remember why he needed to see Duncan. Oh, right, the human half of him was supposed to discuss the mating issue again. Duncan wanted to push Trace to finally mate Sasha, he thought. He was all for that! But the not-a-bird scent….

  “Now, Trace! Come down here. We can talk as we walk back, and by then it will be time for you to return for your date with the prince.”

  Letting out a disgruntled huff, Trace bounded from branch to branch, making noise and raining leaves and needles on Duncan every chance he got as he descended.

  “You’re a brat.” Duncan brushed the detritus off his head and arms as he grumbled.

  When Trace finally landed on the forest floor near Duncan, he noticed a bag that smelled like himself—his human clothes, he assumed. He only took a moment to sniff them and rub against the bag before he shifted. He snatched up the bag and went about getting dressed even as he commented, “I was following something, you know.”

  “What? Something that was more important than a conference and your date?”

  “I have no idea, but this is the second time I’ve found the scent of something that isn’t quite right, and it’s not an animal I can place. The first time no one else could even find it. This time I’m marking where it was so I can show the others.” He looked in the bag, but no, his cell wasn’t in there, dammit. Hmm…. “You have your phone on you?”

  “Of course. Why?” Duncan asked even as he pulled out his smartphone and handed it over.

  “Thanks.”

  Trace quickly tapped in the numbers he needed and waited as it rang twice before he heard the deep hello.

  “Hey, Van? Can you come out to where I am right now? Duncan is insisting I return to the main area with him, but there’s something here that I think needs to be checked out.”

  Vance’s rumbling chuckle made Trace smile even as he awaited his response. “If you feel it’s important, I’ll come out. I trust your instincts, man. But I don’t know where you are and this isn’t your cell, so I can’t just pull up the app and find you like I normally could.”

  “Damn, didn’t think of that. Hold on. Let me see if Duncan has a GPS locater app.” Trace pulled the cell away from his face and went to tap the central app button, but Duncan pushed his hand away.

  “I have one. Here.”

  An app popped up, and a moment later, Trace read the coordinates to Van. “It smells like bird but not. Almost like an owl, but that’s not right either. My lynx is not happy at being interrupted, but not like he was hunting. I can’t explain it right. Still, something was odd. So since I have to go back and I don’t have my guards,” he grumbled, “can you investigate for me?”

  “I’ll head out now. Thanks for letting me know.”

  He clicked off and returned the phone to Duncan. “Thanks. I know it probably seems like a weird worry, but this is the second time I’ve found something that doesn’t belong here. Something that I’ve never scented before. I just hope Vance can find it this time. Last time no one else could.”

  “Wonder if it could be one of the snowy shifters? They’re so rare, and I don’t know of any in this region. The regular snowy owls, sure, but not the shifter kind.”

  “Huh. Didn’t think of that. I’ve never met one, so maybe. I’ll leave it to Vance to figure out. If he finds a stray shifter, he won’t hurt them, so I’m not worried. Do you want to take me back or help me follow the trail?” His lynx was all for following, though he knew Duncan wouldn’t be. Plus he’d agreed to the date with Sasha, so he had to show up. The side of him that had spent all these years with the intertribal council sided with his lynx, though—the possibility of meeting a bird shifter was tempting.

  “Nice try, son. Let Vance do his job. Neither of us ought to be out here alone. You even less so.”

  “I’m so sick of the guards.”

  “I know, and I understand, but it’s needed for now. I have people looking into what’s going on as well, but unfortunately, those responsible haven’t left any trails other than what you’ve already been told about.”

  They weaved their way back through the forest, the walk slower as humans than it was in their lynx skin. “I can’t figure out the endgame. I could have died, and Sasha would have been hurt, but that wouldn’t have destroyed his ability to rule his coven. It might have damaged his relationship with the tribe, maybe, but with his being family with Jason, even that’s not likely given that it wasn’t one of his who attacked me. They left too much proof that it was linked to Sasha’s uncle to make it believable that it was Sasha’s fault, unless the tribe was to blame vampires as a whole.” Trace shook his head as he climbed over a fallen tree instead of walking around. “I don’t get it at all.”

  “Does make one wonder how well they know Prince Sasha, the tribe, and the coven. I would say not well to not at all. As for endgame, causing war seems most likely but not realistic. Removal of the prince, perhaps.”

  “On what grounds?” Trace snapped, stopping to face Duncan, hands flying around as his temper flared.

  “Not that way, son. Ousting him. If he’s too distraught and gets hurts fighting, it would make him easier to attack and take out or capture so someone else could take over. That’s the logic behind thinking it’s his uncle, right? That and the claim it was his children.”

  “Well, yes.” Trace thought about it for a moment, dropping his hands to his hips. “But the coven would never follow him. From what I’ve seen, they don’t like him. I overheard a few mention that his kids were better than him. Well, the son. The daughter is seen as a gold digger and a bit vapid.”

  “Even with the possibility that they attacked you?”

  “I don’t think anyone believes it was them. Sasha seems suspicious that Vlad had something to do with it, but that’s about it. Most believe that it’s a frame to distract from what’s actually happening. I have no clue, as I don’t know enough about any of them yet.”

  Duncan shook his head slowly but motioned for Trace to start walking again. “Come on. The fact you don’t know the coven here better is a failing on your part. You ought to. You’ve known you were the mate of the royal prince for over five years, son.”

  “Duncan—”

  “No, it’s time. You have to stop letting what Ford did control your life.”

  “Don’t say his name!”

  “He only has power if you let him. How many battered partners, spouses, wives, husbands, et cetera, have you helped, donated to causes for, taken in, and more over the years? Do you still give to battered shelters and programs? Yet you won’t let yourself move forward.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Trace mumbled. It’s not like he hadn’t tried! Trust was so hard to come by now, and even then, the past tended to sneak into his thoughts, and memories returned at the worst time to haunt him. He wanted a normal life; he’d just found that it wasn’t possible. Not for him.

  “You have the perfect mate waiting for you. He’s gifted to you by Baast. Do you really believe that our Goddess would be so cruel as to gift you a destined mate who would hurt you?”

  “I didn’t think my last mate would, and lo
ok where that belief got me. Nearly dead.” Would have been if it hadn’t been for you.

  “He wasn’t the right partner for you, and you know it. You had doubts before you mated with Ford. I’m sorry for what happened, but I can’t undo the past. You can have everything you always wanted, son. You have a mate who will care for you and cherish you always. That’s what any parent wants for their child, and while you may not be mine by blood, you are mine by choice, so yes, I’m going to browbeat you until you accept that fact and do what’s right for you both.”

  “You should have been a mother.” Trace huffed but didn’t dismiss what Duncan said outright. He knew what he said was true. Baast didn’t make mistakes. Sasha wouldn’t hurt him, not in any bad way. But could he be what Sasha needed? Sasha was a Dom, sorta. When threatened or angered, he was violent and lethal. What would he be like in the bedroom, though?

  “Trace….”

  “Thinking.”

  Duncan walked beside Trace quietly for a time, not speaking other than when they met up briefly with Vance as he headed out to investigate. Not long before they reached the edge of the “town” part of the tribe land, Duncan spoke again. “Son, I only push because I worry about you. When you lived at the council headquarters and worked directly for us, it was one thing. I could monitor you, make sure you were healthy and stable. I’ve done the best I could with you out here, but knowing that you’ve been struggling with a rejected mating all this time—that worries me like nothing else. Please try to work things out with your mate. Seek outside help if needed.”

  Trace froze, unable to do more than stare and blink at Duncan as he tried to process that last bit. Outside help? “Wha-what? What do you mean?”

  “If it’s too hard to talk to me about the specific concerns, then talk to a counselor. There are people trained in helping those that have been abused as adults. Others that help with depression and such.”