by Lynn Hagen
Maybe when he was done here he would take a run in the woods that lined the town. His skin began to tighten at the thought, making Kade start to sweat.
“I’ll call him now.”
Taking a drink of his coffee, Kade glanced at the elderly couple once more. He couldn’t help it. Anyone—no matter their age—was viewed as a threat.
No, that wasn’t right. He needed to stop thinking that way. Kade set the cup down and ran his hands over his hair, telling himself he wasn’t in Casing Prison any longer.
He was free. The old couple posed no threat.
“Maverick’s beta wants to see you,” Cody said as he walked back toward Kade.
“I don’t have a way out there,” he said, his heart feeling too big for his chest. He knew that he needed to see the alpha, but Kade wasn’t sure why the beta wanted to see him. Kade had met Kota a few times, but they had never really talked.
“That’s not a problem,” Cody said as his brows dipped, watching Kade with concern. “He’s coming here.”
Kade needed to pull himself together. One day in town and I’m losing it. What hit him as strange was that he was extremely calm around Keaton. He hadn’t felt like a caged animal. But sitting here, Kade felt as if he needed to escape, to get away from everyone. His pants began to feel confining, his shirt itchy.
Kade still wasn’t used to wearing street clothes. He walked around Bishop’s in pajama bottoms because he was used to loose clothing. Brushing those thoughts aside, Kade began to drink the coffee Cody had given him until he heard the loud sound of a truck parking outside.
Kade forced himself to relax. He hadn’t done anything wrong so there was no need to worry about the beta coming to see him. His insides settled as he turned, watching Kota enter the diner.
The last time Kade had seen the man, his hair had been down to his waist. It was now cut to his shoulders in a stylish manner. Standing, Kade followed Kota to one of the booths and slipped in, wondering again what the beta wanted.
“Now,” Kota began. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Three
Keaton put the unused fruit in the cooler, his eyes continually watching the door of the shop. Kade had said he would be back when he was done running his errands. Dusk was falling, the light of day waning.
Maybe he got caught up in other things and couldn’t make it. Whatever the reason, the disappointment settled inside of him. He had been looking forward to spending more time with Kade.
Lingering long enough, Keaton closed the shop. Maybe he would see the guy tomorrow. It just sucked to be stood up. Shoving the shop keys in his front pocket, Keaton began to walk toward his car. He could feel the coolness of the night settling over his skin. It was eerily quiet tonight, the streets bare.
Keaton just reached his car when he heard footsteps. Hoping that it was Kade, he glanced up and saw a stranger instead. He needed to stop acting so desperate. Since when did he worry about having friends?
A niggle of unease shot through him when he saw the stranger standing on the sidewalk, just watching him. There was something wrong with his eyes. They were freaky-looking, the whites of his eyes a little too red. Was he a stoner?
“Dude, you should stop putting that garbage into your body.”
The man smirked, one side of his mouth pulling up into a tight half smile. “But it’s that garbage that keeps me alive.” He chuckled under his breath.
Keaton had no idea what he was talking about, but the lull of his voice was tranquil, setting Keaton at ease. The worry that Kade would not return seemed to melt away. The fact that he was alone with a stranger, having this bizarre conversation should have been enough to make him get in his car.
But he just stood there as if waiting for…he wasn’t sure.
“I’m hungry.” The stranger moved so fast, Keaton didn’t know what hit him. One second the guy was standing three feet away from him, the next he had his hand wrapped around Keaton’s throat, cutting off his air.
Keaton began to struggle, clawing at the man’s hand. The stranger pushed Keaton’s back into his car. He moved his face into the crook of Keaton’s neck, coming so close that Keaton could smell his foul breath.
“Get your hands off me.” Keaton shoved to no avail. The guy hissed and that was when he saw the sharp teeth in the man’s mouth.
“Scream and I’ll tear your throat out.” The terrible threat was heeded. The guy was strong enough and had the sharp teeth to do just that. Keaton didn’t move an inch, although his heart was racing wildly.
“I don’t have any cash on me.” Keaton had never been mugged and found the experience terrifying. He just wanted this to be over. Maybe if he did exactly what the man said, the guy wouldn’t choke him to death. He began to reach for his wallet when the stranger scoffed, giving a curt shake of his head.
“That’s not what I’m after.”
Regardless of the man’s threat, Keaton shouted when the stranger bit his neck. The searing pain was hot, agonizing as terror ripped through him. He knew the man had broken skin. Keaton could now feel him sucking at his neck. He was trembling hard, his entire body taut and rigid, fear pouring over him in vibrating waves.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” someone said in a sharp whisper. Keaton wasn’t sure who it was, but he prayed it was help. He was beginning to feel light-headed, his vision dimming. From the corner of his eye, Keaton saw a man three times his size approach. He prayed it wasn’t someone else out to hurt him.
Faster than lightning, the second stranger gripped the one attacking Keaton by his hair, placing a blade at his throat. “Ease your fucking fangs out of him now.”
Keaton thought that was a damn good idea, although he knew he had to be hallucinating to hear the word fangs. The stranger had pierced his skin and had been sucking on his neck. Keaton didn’t need it spelled out for him.
He was being attacked by a vampire. Maybe. Keaton wasn’t really sure what was going on. Everything was happening so fast and his mind refused to believe that vampires truly existed.
The guy could just be one of those fruitloops who had their teeth cosmetically changed so he would think he was a vampire.
Keaton just wasn’t sure.
The second stranger gave a low growl as his fingers tightened in the mugger’s hair. The muscles in his shoulder flexed as the stranger pressed the knife harder into the mugger’s throat. “I’m not in a playing mood tonight. Let the human go.”
Shock radiated through him at the stranger’s words. The reality of the situation wasn’t lost on Keaton. He could feel the pressure at his throat begin to ease as the sharp teeth slid free.
What happened after that was a blur. Keaton’s legs buckled under him as he slid down his car and hit the ground. He could hear a fight, grunts, and a trash can being knocked over among other noises.
He tried to push to his feet but his arms felt like rubber bands. Every time he was halfway up, Keaton fell back down. He was stumbling, trying to get away from a creature that should not even exist—that might not exist.
Keaton swayed into the street, feeling the bile rise to the back of his throat. He placed his left hand on his stomach and stood, his head falling back onto his shoulders as he stared up at the night sky. He was trying to gather the strength to keep walking. Keaton was trying his best not to crumble. His head was light, bobbing around as he tried to focus. His neck was warm and wet, the front of his shirt soaked in his own blood.
“Help,” he said weakly, barely a whisper, his strength dwindling.
When his head began to tilt back, Keaton’s body fell with the momentum, crashing onto the street as he blacked out.
* * * *
The meeting with Kota had taken longer than Kade had expected. He hoped Keaton was still waiting on him. Kade had wanted to get out of the diner sooner. It made him extremely uncomfortable to have the beta in his debt. The only thing he had been thinking about the whole time was Keaton.
Kade had secured the loan money—even if it was Kota who had pr
omised it to him. He just wasn’t sure how to start up a business. Cody had offered to help in the planning and Kota said that he would send somebody Kade’s way who knew about the financial side of the business.
Kade had a lot to do, but right now the only thing on his agenda was his mate. After he hung out with Keaton tonight, Kade was going to let his leopard run free. His cat was already yowling at Kade’s thought, trying to urge him to go run now.
Turning the corner, Kade furrowed his brows when he saw two men fighting by the juice hut. He wasn’t sure what was going on and having those two men fighting close to where his mate was working had Kade gnashing his teeth. It wasn’t until he got closer that Kade realized one of the men was a timber wolf.
He wasn’t sure who the shifter was, but the guy was fighting like a true warrior. It was just odd as hell that the man was openly fighting on the street. Kade knew that not all the residents were aware that the paranormal ran this small town.
What in the fuck was—Kade’s heart hammered in his chest when he saw Keaton lying in the middle of the street. He took off running until he dropped at his mate’s side. Oh, fuck!
God no! Kade could see the blood trickling from two puncture holes in Keaton’s neck. There was blood soaking into his shirt and his beautiful blond hair. With a shaky hand, Kade checked Keaton’s pulse.
It was weak, but there.
Kade hadn’t a clue what to do. He yanked his T-shirt off and pressed it into the wound, glancing around to see if anyone was on the street to help him. The timber wolf was currently occupied, trying to kill the other guy. From his mate’s puncture wounds, Kade assumed the other opponent was a vampire.
He hadn’t dealt with this kind of shit in too damn long. As his hand pressed into his mate’s throat, he remembered the healing agent in his saliva. There were a lot of things that Kade had forgotten over the years. He had been locked up with nothing but humans, so any abilities that he had were hidden right along with his leopard.
Kade leaned down, pulling the T-shirt away. He began to lick the wound, praying that this worked. His mate had already lost so much blood and he was terrified that he had gotten here too late. He damn near shouted in triumph when the twin circular holes stopped bleeding, the tissue slowly filling in.
Kade didn’t stop. He kept swiping his tongue over Keaton’s neck, praying for a miracle. His mate was so pale and lying unconscious in Kade’s arms. He brushed the blond strands back that were thick with dried blood from his mate’s neck, examining the wounds a little closer.
The holes were closed, the skin raw around the edges, but Keaton was no longer bleeding. He gathered Keaton in his arms and got him out of the street. Kade just wasn’t sure where to take him. The juice hut was dark, telling Kade that Keaton had already locked up for the night.
When he heard loud footsteps, Kade turned to see three men heading his way. The largest of the three joined in the fight and helped the timber wolf kill the vampire. The two smaller men were hurrying over to Kade.
“Is he okay?” the blond asked, his eyes sweeping over Keaton’s body. Kade pulled his mate tighter to his chest, taking a step back. He bared his canines, warning them to keep away. His mate was injured and Kade would do whatever it took to keep Keaton safe. He didn’t know these men and was ready to fight to the death to make sure no more harm came to his mate.
“Whoa,” the one who had just joined the fight said as he carefully maneuvered himself in front of the two smaller men. It took a second, but Kade recognized Law Santiago from the bike shop. “Have you lost your fucking mind? How dare you show your teeth to our mates when we are over there fighting your mate’s attacker.” Law took a step closer, but one of the small guys spun and pushed his hands into the timber wolf’s chest.
“He’s scared, Law,” he said as he continued to push at the man. “You and Dagon just give him some room.”
Kade listened to Law shout angrily in Spanish. He could only assume the man was cursing.
Law’s mate turned toward Kade. “Take him to the resource center and I’ll call the doctor. Do you know where it’s at?”
Kade nodded. He had seen it on his way to the diner. He had no clue at the time what it was used for, but now that he needed it, Kade was thankful as hell.
“Then go. The building is unlocked.”
Without another word, Kade took off. He hadn’t run this fast in a very long time. He made it to the center and hurried to the door. Spotting a hallway, Kade raced down the corridor, finding a room filled with cots. He placed his mate on the first one, checking his wound to see if it had opened back up.
“Kade,” Keaton whispered as he gently tossed his head from side to side. Kade ran his fingers over his mate’s hair, shushing him.
“I’m right here.” Kade crawled up into the cot and curled around Keaton, feeling a strong need to protect him, to touch and make sure that his mate was okay. “I’m so sorry that this happened to you.” He continued to stroke the blond strands. It brought him comfort.
“My throat hurts,” Keaton whispered. “Some guy tried to tear it out.” Keaton turned his head, his sapphire eyes skimming over Kade’s face. “I think he thought he was a vampire. But vampires don’t exist. He was crazy, right?”
Kade wasn’t sure what to say. He couldn’t bring himself to lie to his mate, but he knew the truth would put added stress on the man’s already stressed mind. “Just rest.”
A small smile formed on Keaton’s lips. His expression was painful. “You didn’t stand me up.”
How could his mate think of something like that right now? He had just been attacked, and Keaton had been worried that Kade stood him up? The man needed to sort out his priorities. Kade glanced up when he heard someone approaching.
“I’m Dr. Sheehan. Can I take a look at him?” The doctor hadn’t moved away from the door. He stood there waiting to be invited into the room. Kade could see someone standing behind the doctor.
“Who is he?”
“My mate,” the doctor said. “He is just going to stand by the door and not get in my way.”
Kade’s eyes flickered over to the man and then gave a short nod. The doctor moved closer, sitting on the side of the cot. “Did you heal him?” the doctor asked as his fingers probed at Keaton’s neck.
“I licked his wound.” Kade watched as the human continued to examine his mate. His fingers were slim, his hands gentle. Kade wasn’t sure who this man was, but he could tell the guy cared. Kade stiffened when the doctor reached into his bag and pulled out a needle. “What is that for?”
“I need to draw his blood to see if the vampire who attacked him was infected.”
Infected? What did the human mean, infected? “What would he be infected with?” Kade hadn’t heard anything about a vampire infection. The idea alone perplexed him. Vampires bit. Vampires drank. Sometimes they killed their victims, but most of the time they just fed. The thought of Keaton being infected with anything scared the hell out of Kade.
“There’s a paranormal drug called Liquid Wrath. It is correctly named. It comes in the form of a liquid and although it has a different effect on each species, aggression is the top symptom for every user.” The doctor stored the vials in his bag. “Is this young man your mate?”
“Yes.” Kade didn’t like where this was going. He could tell that the doctor had more to say. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it.
Kade had heard talk about Liquid Wrath when he was in prison. He heard that it was a new designer drug that was killing people. But of course he had been locked up with nothing but humans. They wouldn’t know anything about what was happening in the paranormal world.
Dr. Sheehan cleared his throat. “If the vampire who bit your mate was infected, then the next time you two are intimate—or I should say the next time you bite him, you’ll convert him into—what is your breed?”
“Snow leopard,” Kade said, his head reeling from what the doc was telling him. He had never heard of being able to convert anyone. Not even v
ampires had that capability. A person was either born human or other. Kade’s mouth went dry as he stood, wiping his hand over the stubble on his jaw.
Good god, this meant that when he claimed Keaton, his mate would become a snow leopard. The idea both terrified and thrilled him. He hadn’t even gotten around to telling Keaton that they were mates. Now he had to explain to the man that he was going to be converted.
What if that was something Keaton didn’t want? What if Keaton refused him? Kade’s head began to pound with all the unknown variables. He was getting ahead of himself. The vampire may not be infected at all. He needed to wait for the doctor to give him the results before he said anything. “How long will it take before you know?”
“A few hours.” The doctor stood. “Let him stay here and rest. He should gain some of his strength back before you move him.”
Bishop rushed into the room as the doctor was leaving. “I heard what happened. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but I’m not so sure about my mate.”
Bishop’s eyes grew round as he glanced from Kade to Keaton. “I dropped you off in town to find a job, and instead you find your mate. How the fuck did you get so lucky?”
“I might not be.” Kade explained to Bishop what the doctor had just told him.
“I heard about that drug,” Bishop said. “I hadn’t heard that it mutated.” His brother’s eyes dropped down to Keaton and a warm smile appeared on his face. Kade wasn’t sure why Bishop was smiling when he had just explained that Keaton was attacked by a vampire who might be infected. “You did good, bro.”
Ah, that was why Bishop smiled. He had to agree with his brother. Keaton was one gorgeous-ass man. A wide smile parted Kade’s lips as he glanced down at Keaton. “That I did.”
He just hoped that Keaton would allow Kade to claim him. Even though Keaton had chased him down and asked him to be friends, what Kade was going to ask just might scare the man away. He hoped not. Just from the little bit of time he had spent with Keaton, Kade had found the human refreshing and fun. The earlier edginess he had been feeling in the diner was gone and Kade knew that Keaton had something to do with him calming down.