Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)
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The Moonlight Breed 6
Let the Rain Come Down
After spending a decade of doing exactly what he’s told and having every minute of his life choreographed for him, Oscar has no idea what to do now that he’s free. Keeping him and his friends hidden from people who want to hurt them is top priority, but he can’t help wanting something more for himself.
Neither completely man nor animal, but somewhere between, Demitrius Accola has lived his life as an outcast, enduring the fear and judgment of others because of his appearance. Assigned to protect the new Moonlighters in Haven, he never thought he’d find his mate. Nor did he expect that the little shifter would be completely unafraid of him.
When the past Oscar is trying to outrun finally catches up with him, there’s no question of how far Demitrius will go to protect his mate. It’s only a question of if it will be enough.
Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 36,866 words
LET THE RAIN COME DOWN
The Moonlight Breed 6
Gabrielle Evans
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
LET THE RAIN COME DOWN
Copyright © 2012 by Gabrielle Evans
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-955-2
First E-book Publication: July 2012
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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LET THE RAIN COME DOWN
The Moonlight Breed 6
GABRIELLE EVANS
Copyright © 2012
Chapter One
“You don’t have to leave, Mr. Accola.”
Demitrius stared back at the coven leader, Stavion, and contemplated his options for a long time before finally responding. “I think it’s best for everyone if I just go on my way.”
If not for the half-starved and beaten man who had shown up on his doorstep, he wouldn’t have been in Haven at all. Other than a first name, he didn’t know who the guy was, didn’t owe him anything, yet he hadn’t been able to turn away the battered half-breed.
So, Demitrius had brought him—Jeremy—inside his small house near the base of the mountains, fed him, and attended his wounds. Once the sun had set, he’d practically carried Jeremy the entire four-mile hike to the refuge he’d heard rumors about on his rare trips into town for supplies.
No one wanted Demitrius around, and he was okay with being on his own. In fact, he’d been alone for so long that he wasn’t even sure how to act around people anymore. Even the two Enforcers standing guard near the door of the coven leader’s office weren’t hiding the fact that they couldn’t wait to see him gone.
“I hope you’ll reconsider,” Stavion urged. “We could use more Enforcers, and I get the feeling that you need a little healing. That’s what this place is, Demitrius.” He waved a hand toward the dark window behind him. “This is a sanctuary for the lost.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m more than aware of who I am and where I’m going.”
“You’re angry,” Stavion replied bluntly. “Fate dealt you a shitty hand, and you’re pissed off. I get it, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s a cabin on the back edge of the property where you will have privacy. Give people a chance. They might just surprise you.”
Demitrius highly doubted that. No matter where he went or who he met, it was always the same reaction. Fear. He couldn’t change the way he looked or make others see past his terrifying appearance, and he didn’t have the patience for their bullshit anymore.
“I really need more Enforcers,” Stavion prodded, still doing his best to convince Demitrius to stay.
Strangely, it was the right way to go about it. No one had ever needed Demitrius for anything. More than that, Stavion wasn’t treating him like he had some kind of communicable disease. Hell, it had taken Demitrius a good ten minutes to realize that the vampire wasn’t blind, because Stavion hadn’t reacted at all to Demitrius’s huge size or animal-like features.
No, he didn’t like being alone. It was just easier that way. Could he really make a new start, a new life for himself here in Haven? Or would it just be the same old crap that he’d endured his entire life? There was only one way to find out.
“What exactly would this job entail?”
A satisfied grin spread across Stavion’s face as he held his hand out for Demitrius to shake. “Welcome to Haven, Demitrius Accola.”
* * * *
“Did you hear that?”
Three naked bodies huddled around Oscar near the back of the cave that had been their home for the last four nights. Zavion held a death grip on his elbow, shaking from head to toe so violently that his teeth clacked together. “It’s them. They found us. What do we do?”
“Hush,” Oscar breathed. “Just stay quiet.”
The sounds of boots c
runching through the brush and rocks grew louder, nearing the mouth of the cave. He couldn’t really tell how many people were out there, but he was almost certain there were more than two. Tucked back into the darkest corner, he hoped they’d be hidden by the shadows, undetected by anyone who entered their hiding place.
If the people closing in on them were human, everything would be fine. If they were from The Hive, there was absolutely nowhere for Oscar and his friends to hide. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t afraid, but he honestly couldn’t believe that they’d been able to get as far as they had without being caught.
“Hello? Is someone here?”
Four enormous shadows blocked out nearly all of the sunlight, but Oscar breathed a little sigh of relief. The voice that called to them was in a heavy Irish accent, and no one from The Hive had any type of accent. Hell, they all kind of talked like robots in his opinion.
Still, he didn’t know if these strangers were friends or foes. Part of him was desperate for help, for a white knight to swoop in and save them. He had to be smart, though. Trusting blindly could very easily have lethal consequences, and as the unofficial leader of their group, he was responsible for more than just his own well-being.
“We can scent ya in there,” another man called, increasing Oscar’s anxiety once again.
If they could smell them, the newcomers definitely weren’t human.
“I’m hearin’ your hearts beatin’,” the third man added, which only increased the already frantic rhythm of Oscar’s pulse.
“We’re dead,” Zuriel whispered nervously. “We are so dead.”
“Shut up,” Zavion reprimanded in a hissing whisper. “They’re going to hear you.”
“They can hear our heartbeats,” Zuriel snapped, abandoning any attempt to keep his voice down. “It’s not like they can’t hear us whispering.”
Cicero closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his midsection as he pressed closer to the rock wall behind them. Other than the muffled sound of his growling stomach, he didn’t make any noise, and the trembling of his bottom lip was utterly heartbreaking. Oscar just didn’t know what to do about it.
“Now, no one is wantin’ to hurt ya,” the first man said kindly. “Come on out here.”
“Should we?” Zavion asked. “He said they won’t hurt us. Maybe they can help.”
“What is it that you’re needin’ help with?” The man on the far left shuffled a little deeper into the cave, keeping his hands aloft in a nonthreatening way. “My name is Cian Murphy. These are my brothers, Devlin, Farren, and Oisin. If you’re needin’ a place to go, I think we can help ya with that. We’re knowin’ a place where you’ll be safe.”
“Really?” It was too good to be true, but Oscar couldn’t stop the hope from bubbling to the surface. Shaking off the hands trying to hold him back, he crawled forward, blinking rapidly when the beams of sunlight felt like acid in his eyes. “You really know a place?”
“It’s a place in Wyomin’ called Haven.” Cian crouched down to Oscar’s level and held his hand out in offering. “You’ll be welcome there.”
They were hungry, tired, and dirty, and the nights were growing colder. The twins, Zavion and Zuriel, were little more than skin and bones, and Cicero hadn’t spoken a word since they’d escaped The Hive. Maybe it was a bad idea, but Oscar was out of options.
Placing his trembling hand in Cian’s, he glanced over his shoulder to his friends and then back to the mountain of a man in front of him. “I don’t know what to do anymore. If you can help, I’d really appreciate it.”
* * * *
They’d been living in the huge mansion in the Haven Coven for nearly two weeks, and Oscar still couldn’t believe the sheer size of the place. Rarely did he venture out of his room without an escort, but even his room was nearly triple the size of the closet-like place he’d shared with Cicero at The Hive.
Everyone he’d met had been very kind and accommodating. It was very odd, and Oscar kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. In his experience, people were never nice to him unless they wanted something in return. Still, he had clean clothes, real food to eat, and a warm bed all to himself. More importantly, his friends were taken care of, and he wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize that.
“Oscar?” There was a perfunctory knock on his door before it opened and Boston Mackey stepped inside.
“Is it time?” He and his friends were supposed to be meeting some people who knew a bit about their breed and were coming to help them adjust to life at Haven. Boston had been a member of their rather unconventional pack before he’d come to Wyoming to be with his mates.
“Yeah, it’s time. There’s no need to be nervous. Xander is a big guy, bigger even than most of the guys you’ve met here, but he’s as nice as they come.”
“Okay.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Oscar offered a wobbly smile and waved him toward the doorway. “I need to get the others.”
“The twins are already down in the library pestering the hell out of everyone.”
Yes, that sounded like Zavion and Zuriel. They were happy as clams in Haven, and Oscar could see them growing in leaps and bounds in just the couple of weeks since their arrival. It only reinforced his conviction that he’d do whatever it took to keep them right where they were.
“What about Ro?” Cicero was doing better since their rescue, but he still wasn’t talking. Oscar had seen him smile once or twice, though, and to him, that was progress.
“He went down with Malakai.” Boston bumped their shoulders together and chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to steal my mate.”
Cicero was comfortable with Malakai for whatever reason, and Oscar didn’t want to take that away from him. If it was going to cause discord within the house, however, he couldn’t let it continue. “I’m sorry, Boston. I’ll talk to him.”
“Ease up, Oz.” Giving him a little push between the shoulder blades, Boston got them moving down the hall and in the direction of the library. “I’m just messin’ around. I think it’s great that he feels comfortable with Malakai.”
Letting out a shaky breath in relief, Oscar smiled again and bobbed his head. “Okay. Sorry. It’s just…well…”
“I get it, but it’s not like that here. No one is going to make you leave, and no one is going to hurt you guys again.” A big hand landed on his head and ruffled his hair affectionately. “My family is coming all the way from Georgia to help you guys, and Stavion is having cabins built on the adjacent property. This is your home for as long as you want it.”
Looking away as they entered the library, Oscar quickly turned his sniffle into a cough and rubbed his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. He was far too emotional since coming to the mansion, getting choked up over the simplest of things. It had just been so long since he’d had anything that even remotely resembled hope. How did he begin to pay these people back for what they’d given him?
Checking out the others gathered in the room, he immediately spotted several men he knew. Devlin and Cian Murphy were there along with their brother and Boston’s other mate, Flynn. The coven leader, Stavion, was there as well, speaking with the guy who had to be Xander. “Holy crow, he’s huge.”
Boston chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “He’s a big teddy bear. I promise.”
Cicero was sitting in one of the far corners with Malakai, and though he wasn’t talking, he nodded continuously and smiled softly as he listened to his new friend. Zavion and Zuriel were doing exactly as Boston had said. The twins had parked themselves on one of the sofas, boxing in Cian and jabbering away while waving their hands around in identical displays of excitement.
Cian looked to be taking it all in stride, laughing right along with them. It was such a huge weight off his heart to see how happy and secure his friends appeared. Now he just needed to let himself feel the same sense of safety and belonging. Unfortunately, he was more resistant to the idea of letting himself get comfortable. Hell, he
had a bag packed and ready to go under his bed, just in case he needed to make a quick exit.
“Hi!” A petite blond with spiky hair and painted eyes popped up in front of him, almost as though he came right out of thin air. “I’m Keeton.” He grabbed Oscar and pulled him into a crushing hug, nearly picking him up off his feet. “You are absolutely adorable!”
Oscar’s eyes went wide, his heart raced, and his breathing increased. Panic paralyzed him at having this very enthusiastic stranger grabbing him like this, but he couldn’t even open his mouth to stop it. Luckily, another stranger intervened, prying Keeton off him so he could suck in deep breaths.
“You’re going to give him a heart attack, Kee.” Then he popped Keeton in the back of the head and shoved him away. “I’m Braxton. You must be Oscar.” He kept a respectful distance and held his hand out for Oscar to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Heat infused his cheeks, and Oscar could feel the blush working all the way up to the tips of his ears. What a fantastic first impression. He’d totally overreacted, but it was too late to take it back now. The best thing he could do was act as though it hadn’t happened and keep moving forward.
Grasping Braxton’s hand, he shook it firmly but released it quickly. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.”
“Well, let’s introduce you to the gang so we can get started.” Braxton placed a hand lightly on Oscar’s elbow, not grasping him, but coaxing him gently as though he was a frightened child.
Honestly, that was exactly how Oscar felt. Twenty-three years old, and he’d never made a single decision for himself—until he’d escaped from The Hive and taken his friends along with him. Unfortunately, he’d had no plan other than getting as far away from the facility in Missouri as possible. He’d done the best he could, but needless to say, he wasn’t leadership material.