by Jana Downs
As he settled into Alec’s arms, his lover’s breath warming his neck, he almost immediately started to drift. “I forgot that I got you your own room,” Alec murmured, kissing the line of his neck gently. “I can walk you over there if you like.”
“I’ll go tonight when it’s bedtime. I just want to sleep here with you if that’s all right,” Payne said.
Alec squeezed him tightly. “That’s more than all right. I like you beside me.”
They stayed that way for a few minutes, and Payne felt himself drifting in a comfortable warmth. He thought of everything that had led to this moment. His Alec was a kind man, a sexy man, too. Their compatibility was undeniable. Mine. The voice was right. Alec was his. It didn’t matter that it had only been a few days. “Hey, Alec?”
“Hmm?”
He swallowed. “I kind of love you, okay? And maybe, soon, you could love me back.” Alec stiffened behind him, and he was afraid that he had said something wrong. “You don’t have to or anything. I was just letting you know. I know, um, it’s kinda sudden.”
Alec turned him in his arms so that they were face-to-face. Payne stared up at him, his heart pounding so loud he could swear Alec could hear it. He kissed his nose. “Payne, you beautiful, frustrating Vessel of mine, how am I supposed to give you your space to grow and be independent when you constantly make me want to hold you close?”
“So that means you’ll consider it?”
“Consider it? Payne, I’m half in love with you already. I loathe admitting when my father is right about anything, but he was dead on with you. You and I will get along just fine, sweetheart. I’m not saying I’m there yet. But I will be.” Alec pressed Payne’s head against his chest and breathed deeply. The sound of his heart beating made Payne smile. He really was the luckiest Vessel ever. Alec laughed suddenly. “You’ve ruined the nap. I’m not tired anymore.”
“Sorry,” Payne said, not feeling one bit sorry for saying it. He was the lover of a powerful man who was going to change the way Vessels were treated, and Payne was going to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Vessels by helping him. On top of that, his owner was falling in love with him. Life was very, very good despite the bad news of the day.
Chapter Seven
Payne took a bite out of the lemon-zest chicken on penne noodles and nearly moaned aloud at the taste. He was going to have to get the recipe from Amber before they left. Alec’s mother was an even better cook than Payne was, and that was saying something. They were all seated around the dining-room table with the exception of the older Mr. Kane. The Kanes’ dining room was just as elegant as the rest of the house. With high-vaulted ceilings and a hand-carved and highly elaborate stone fireplace with a table to match, the place was something out of a high-end magazine.
Alec and he had re-dressed a half hour ago after showering, and Alec was still shooting him heated looks when his mother wasn’t looking. It seemed that Payne’s declaration had done something to raise his libido, because he’d been insatiable since they’d woken up. It was one of the reasons they were eating later. Alec couldn’t seem to get enough.
“Boys, I could cut the tension between you two with a knife. If you don’t behave, I’m sending you both off to bed without supper,” Amber said, clearly laughing at the two of them as she took a bite off of her plate. She pointed her fork at them. “Alec, you are worse than when you brought your first boyfriend home freshman year of college.”
Alec groaned. “Oh god, Mother. Don’t bring that up.”
Payne smiled at their exchange. It was nice to see the two of them interacting. They were really quite cute together. He was grateful that the older Mr. Kane was still locked up in his study making business calls. The man was creepy in a way that was hard to shake off. He looked at Payne like he was an unruly experiment. He half expected the man to want to dissect him. He reminded him too well of the scientists and Trainers that had strapped them down and injected them with this and that in an effort to fulfill whatever reaction they wanted.
The door to the dining room swung open, and Alec’s father walked in as if summoned by Payne’s thoughts. “We need to go, now,” Mr. Kane said, grabbing a roll off the table.
“But, David, we’ve only just sat down—”
“Amber, love, this is an emergency. I wouldn’t interrupt your delicious meal otherwise. Have the droids box it up and we’ll take it with us.” His eyes went to Alec. “I found some discrepancies in the experimentation log. Some of these experiments are—” He searched for a word. “Well, they’re awful. I didn’t okay the correction of behaviors through chemical modification. They even bastardized my alignment procedure. I don’t know what is going on exactly, but it seems that the Facility that Payne originated from is our source. I’m going to find out exactly who is to blame for this, and heads are going to roll.”
Payne’s eyes shot wide. He’d always assumed that his Facility was like all the others.
Alec’s father pointed at him. “I need you to come with me and tell me which of these were done with any frequency. I need to know which Vessels you know of that they have been done to and if you had any of them performed on yourself. You’re the only inside person I have that has any sort of reliability.”
Payne steeled himself. This is what he’d wanted. He wanted to be an advocate for Vessels. “Whatever you need.”
“Good lad. The outside security and investigative group I hired sent me the logs that someone at the Facility was dumping, and I about shit kittens—”
“David!” Amber exclaimed.
He huffed. “Not now, Amber. I’m extremely agitated, and these boys have heard worse language, I’m sure.” She rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything. He continued, “If they performed half of the experiments we found in the files, we might have our licenses revoked for failure to address biological concerns. The human rights organization is going to have a field day.”
“We’re ready to leave anytime you are, Father,” Alec said, looking grim. “I knew there was something wrong when I went to pick up Payne. They didn’t tolerate him acting human very well at all.”
“It’s disgraceful,” his father growled. “I did not set up Vessels to be treated like lab rats. I set up the Facility to provide true soul mates for people by means of compatibility testing and the reassurance of a shifter’s mate bond. I never wanted our Vessels to be turned into little better than programmed zombies.”
It gave Payne a little hope that the older man was so outraged on their behalf. “It’s nice to know I wasn’t created to be a fuck doll, sir.” Everyone’s eyes turned on him. He cleared his throat, his embarrassment rising. “Sorry.”
“No need to be sorry, boy,” Mr. Kane said. “I thought my son was being too soft on you, and he probably is, but no wonder you have psychological scars, growing up in that environment. I’m going to kill someone. Every experiment I’ve pioneered was for the betterment of the client and the Vessel. This abomination is blasphemous in the worst sort of way.” He waved them toward the door. “There is a car waiting to take us to the airport.”
“All right,” Alec said, pushing back from the table. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to his mother’s cheek. “We’ll see you soon, Mom. If we don’t come back, can you have someone send our things back to my house?”
She nodded and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “Of course, honey. You be careful and try to keep your father from getting too upset. His blood pressure has been up lately.”
Mr. Kane snorted. “I’m fine, Amber. You worry over nothing. Get the lead out, Alecander. I’m impatient to get there.”
Payne scooted back from the table and stood. He took a step toward the door only to have Amber grab his hand. “Where do you think you’re going?” she asked. “I think my new son-in-law needs to give me a hug.”
Payne blinked. While it was nice to be a newly acknowledged member of the family, it was strange nonetheless. He hugged her neck, and she placed a kiss on his cheek the same she had with Alec.
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She patted his head. “Be safe. Take care of my Alec.”
Payne nodded. “I’m planning on it.”
She released him, and then they were walking after Mr. Kane, who was moving surprisingly fast for a man his age. Alec fell into step beside him and twined their hands. “I’m sorry the first week with me has been rather eventful,” he said.
Payne shrugged. “It’s all right. At least now I can do something about it. I’ve been looking at life out of a fish bowl for years. I’m just happy to be participating for once.”
“I promise things will settle down. We can do the normal couple thing and travel or something.”
“Sounds great,” Payne said, smiling at his lover. He was so considerate of him. “As long as we get to do ‘the couple thing,’ I think I’ll be content.”
Alec winked. “You’re stuck with me.”
“Good.”
“Would you two stop with the star-struck eyes all ready? I understand it’s the honeymoon period with you two, but we have a crisis on our hands,” Mr. Kane rumbled as they descended the steps to the driveway where the black limo waited.
“Dad,” Alec said. “I’m going to have to go with Mom on this one and ask you to chill. Nothing is going to get solved by being angry at this.”
Mr. Kane stopped abruptly, turning around and glaring at Alec, who stood a few steps above him. “Don’t take that patronizing tone with me, boy. I don’t think you have any idea what this could do to not only our reputation but to the entire industry in general. I don’t want people to think it is acceptable for humans to treat Vessels like they’re not people just because of this.”
“But, Dad, that’s how we’ve been marketing them for years,” Alec said. “I’m not patronizing you. I’m trying to ask you to have a level head about the situation. I’m telling you that we’re basically going to have to start from the ground up through marketing and reorganization in order to bring the company back up to its former glory.”
“Well, add that to your list of duties. I’m going to be too busy correcting the chaos that these butchers have created with their unregistered experimentation.” He whipped around and descended the last remaining steps. The driver opened up the door, and he ducked inside, clearly expecting them to follow after him.
“Don’t mind him. He’ll calm down,” Alec said. “I haven’t seen him this upset about work in years.”
“Maybe you should advertise it as sort of the ultimate matchmaking service,” Payne suggested, his mind going over some of the things he’d learned about the organizational process. “You prescreen candidates anyway, and that way it’s not like you’re selling people. It’s a fee for a service.”
Alec blinked. “That’s brilliant. We could still charge the same amount.”
Payne nodded. “The only difference will be in whether or not the Vessel wants the match or not. If you drop the personality alignment, it will enable the Vessels to make a choice. Trust me when I say our instincts will tell us in about five seconds whether or not the person is for us.”
“Five seconds, huh,” Alec said, grinning. “Was that the five seconds before or after you bit my head off?”
“Before actually,” Payne snipped. “And the nanos in the brain is going to have to go. That’s fucking sick that you can say a word and take away my free will.”
Alec nodded. “Agreed. We’ll talk that bit over with my dad. I don’t know if he’ll go with it.”
They reached the car and ducked inside.
* * * *
Alec was nearly certain Payne had never been in this area of the Facility. However, the grim set of his mouth said he wasn’t happy about being in the sterile white corridor that was barren of any speck of color from one end of the hall to the other.
“Are you all right?” Alec asked as the security team met his father halfway down the hall with a large purple binder. Their dark-gray uniforms were in stark contrast to the washed-out space.
“I don’t know. I feel a little queasy.” He also looked a little pale, but Alec didn’t say so. “This reminds me too much of the punishment and pain-training rooms.”
“I’m not into the whips-and-chains stuff. Why would they make you train for it?” Alec asked, trying to keep his mind off of his fear.
Payne tapped his fingers nervously on his pants leg. “A lot of owners don’t like to admit their true tastes. We’re trained for all situations. That’s why.” His color really wasn’t getting any better.
Alec reached out and grabbed his arm. “Hey, stop for a minute and look at me.”
Payne stopped and turned to face him. “What?”
“Take a deep breath. If this is too much, I can send you back to wait in the lobby,” Alec offered. He would cushion his lover as best he could. This place had obviously inflicted some trauma on him.
Payne shook his head. “I’m all right. I’m just thinking too hard about what happened and not about what I have to do. I’ll refocus. I’m sorry to make you worry.”
Alec rubbed Payne’s arm in comfort. “None of that. It’s all right to be scared. I’m pretty freaked by this place as well. It’s not natural, and the horrors that have gone on here are enough to give anyone nightmares. No one is blaming you for being unnerved.”
“Thanks, Alec,” Payne said. He sighed and leaned into Alec, snuggling close. Alec immediately wrapped his arms around Payne’s shoulders. “You know, the newness will wear off.”
Alec blinked. “What?”
“The newness, the infatuation. What happens when you wake up one day and don’t want me to be a partner anymore?” The vulnerability in the question struck Alec.
“Look, I’m thinking of this as an arranged marriage of sorts. Happily enough, it’s turned into something that is ten kinds of rare. You care for me, and I care for you. There isn’t going to come a point when I shrug you off like an old coat.”
“But what if I fall out of love with you?” Payne asked, clearly pushing. Alec’s heart constricted at the thought. Damn. It shouldn’t hurt so much to think of him walking away.
He swallowed. “Then I guess you’d leave me.”
“You’d let me? Just like that?”
“Just like that. I don’t want you unwilling, Payne. I thought I made that clear.” As much as it would kill him to do so, he would walk away and give Payne the tools he needed to make it on his own.
Payne hugged him tightly. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
Haven’t I said it over and over, sweetheart? When are you going to believe me? “You ready to go on?”
Payne nodded. “Let’s do it.”
* * * *
Payne pointed out the procedures that had been performed on him with a rioting stomach. He really, really wanted out of the lab, but if this helped Mr. Kane get whoever had killed the Vessels, he was going to put up with the discomfort.
He pointed to a procedure in the book Mr. Kane had put in front of him. “This one was done on my sister when she slapped her education specialist when she was eight. She couldn’t form complete sentences for a week.”
Mr. Kane let out a string of angry curses. “Animals,” he snarled under his breath. He scribbled something on the massive ledger he was keeping records on.
They were only a quarter of the way through the book, and Payne was already exhausted. All the procedures were summarized in this book in neat little paragraphs that failed to convey the true extent of the pain they caused. Even the little “side effects” warnings were mild in comparison to the reality.
A familiar voice rumbled from the doorway. “What are you all doing in here?”
Payne looked up in time to see the security team they’d come in with step in between Trainer J and the rest of the lab.
“Jack?” Mr. Kane asked, his brow furrowing. “How is this possible? Jack Raines?”
“David Kane,” Trainer J said, his mouth dipping down into a frown. “I didn’t expect you to be involved in this.”
“Involved in what exactly?�
�� Mr. Kane asked. “I’ve taken over the lab to find out what they’ve done to the place.” He paused. “How did you get here? The last time I saw you, you were just a kit in Brazil.”
“Father?” Alec asked from his place a couple of computers over. “What is going on?”
Mr. Kane waved the security guys off. “This is one of the shifters from the clan I told you about. He was the son of the chieftain there.”
“Father went to be with the all-mother a few years ago,” Trainer J, who was apparently named Jack, said.
“I’m sorry to hear that. But what are you doing here? And why are you dressed as a Trainer?” Mr. Kane asked.
“So you didn’t know about this?” Jack asked. His eyes went to Payne, and they softened. It was a look Payne had never seen before. “Hi, Payne. Is your match working out?”
Payne nodded, unnerved. “Yes, sir. My owner is the epitome of kindness. I love him very much already.”
Relief washed over Trainer J’s expression. “Thank God. I was afraid he’d bring you back for a personality alignment and I wouldn’t be there to intercept.”
“Jack, what is going on?” Mr. Kane demanded, interrupting their very confusing conversation.
Jack considered them for a moment before he spoke. “You swear you had nothing to do with the things they did here?”
“I swear, Jack. I would never hurt a Vessel. You know that. I’m trying to figure out who did and plan to bring them up on charges,” Mr. Kane promised.
Jack snorted. “They should be taken out and murdered like the butchers they are,” he muttered under his breath just loud enough for Payne to hear. Louder he said, “A few years ago a group of Vessels escaped the Facility and made their way down to our tribes in South America. My father was outraged at how they’d been treated. When you came with your scientists when I was young, you promised that what you intended to create was a way for human beings to enjoy the same sort of fated mating bonds that we had. It was why father agreed to begin with. For a thousand years, humans had lost their ability to connect, but through a mate bond we hoped that your race would heal. The only thing we asked was that you not allow them to shift as we do because it is a gift that must be trained and guided through another shifter.”