by Lynn Hagen
He pulled into the driveway of the brown-and-white cottage and got out. The front door was unlocked, so Colton let himself in. “Mom?”
No answer, but did he really think there would be one? He moved through the house and stood in the kitchen. The last time he’d been in this room she’d told him about Anthony killing three shifters. She had begged him to save his brother’s life. He had promised her he would but had failed to keep that promise.
Colton dropped into the chair where she had once sat and cupped his face in his hands. His entire family was now gone. He had no one. The agony ripped through him as his chest constricted and a burning lump formed in his throat. If only he’d come by. If only she hadn’t looked at him as a disappointment and looked at Anthony as her precious boy.
If only Colton hadn’t resented her for that.
If only his father had still been alive.
If only…
The pain became too much, and Colton broke down, the tears flowing as his body shook. He wanted his family back. He wanted to hug his mother one last time, to tell Anthony how much he loved him, and to have his father make all their problems go away.
He should have tried harder to build a better relationship with his mother. Colton should have tried harder to keep Anthony on the right path, but those opportunities were gone, and Colton was left with a gaping hole in his heart.
His head shot up when he felt a presence in the room. Lucian stood by the opening to the kitchen, his hands tucked into the front pockets of his slacks.
“What the fuck’re you doing here?” Colton used the heels of his hands to wipe away his tears.
He hated when Lucian stared at him with such intensity. It always felt as though the vampire was seeing right through him. “We felt your pain, my love.”
As Colton stood, he saw a shadow behind Lucian. The shadow moved closer. It was Antonio, and next to him was Corbin. The triplets had come to him when Colton felt like his very world had been pulled right out from under him.
“I don’t need you here.” Colton hated that his voice was so unsteady. “I can handle this on my own.”
“But you don’t have to,” Corbin said as he moved closer. “You’re the Master. Whatever you need, we can—”
“Get the fuck out!” Vampires in his mother’s kitchen felt like a slap to her memory. It was a vampire who had killed Anthony, who had broken his mother’s heart over his death, and he just wanted to be alone to mourn his loss.
All three stood so still they didn’t look as though they were breathing, as though they were statues in a museum. That had always creeped Colton out, the way vampires could appear lifeless.
Colton dropped back into the chair and crossed his arms over the table then rested his head on them. He closed his eyes, hearing the distant sound of his mother’s laughter, his father’s deep voice, and felt the warmth of happiness this house had once held. Nothing had ever been the same after his father’s death. His mother had slowly withered away, becoming a shell of the woman she had once been.
His throat grew tight, and tears stung behind his eyelids, threatening to spill once again. He swallowed repeatedly as he remembered just how beautiful she had once been. Her smile alone could light up the universe, and now she was gone.
Colton lifted his head and glared at the triplets. “Will you stop acting like that?”
Lucian’s head turned so slowly the image could have been in a horror movie. “Like what?”
One moment Antonio stood in the hallway, and the next he was at Colton’s side, placing a hand on Colton’s shoulder. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the touch was comforting.
“What do you need from us?” Antonio asked in that deep, hypnotic voice that always made Colton feel as though he was falling under the man’s spell.
What did Colton need? A drink? A smoke? To be left alone and to not be left alone? He felt detached from the world and craved another’s touch, but from a vampire? The very breed who had killed his brother? That was the crux of Colton’s problem. He refused to be the Master of those who had ended Anthony’s life.
But it was Erik who killed your brother, not the coven or even the triplets. He’d been a twisted monster, and Anthony had been a lost cause. Can you really blame an entire species for one man’s torment?
Colton rubbed his hands over his face, unsure what he should do. “What I need is to be left alone.”
“Don’t you think you’ve been alone long enough?” Corbin asked. “It’s been nearly a year since you killed Magnus and became the new Master, Colton. You’ve had enough time to yourself. Your coven needs you.”
With a snarl, Colton got up and headed for the front door. “Just…just stay the hell away from me.” He stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
But he didn’t get far. Before he could make it to his car, the triplets surrounded him. Colton grabbed his temples as the tears streaked down his face. “Just make the world stop spinning,” he begged as he sobbed. He wasn’t sure who grabbed him, but he was enveloped in one of the brothers’ arms as he once again let the floodgates loose.
Memories of his childhood, of his parents, of his brother before Anthony had gone down the wrong road plagued him. He just wanted his family back, just wanted to feel whole again. Why was life shitting on him so much? What had he done to deserve this kind of pain?
Finally, after what felt like forever, Colton pulled away, using his shirtsleeve to wipe the remaining tears. It would be so easy to give in, to give the brothers what they wanted, to take over the coven and rule over the vampires.
But Colton never made things easy for himself. It was as though he had some sick, twisted need to make his life harder. He’d run behind Anthony when his brother had been alive, always trying to steer him on the right path, knowing full well it would never work. Colton had constantly beaten himself up over his failure to make Anthony into a productive member of society.
Just like he was refusing to lead a coven of vampires because one of them had taken the only sibling he had. I’m so fucked up I don’t even know what the right decision is any more.
“Just one night.” Antonio cupped his face, bringing his lips so close that Colton couldn’t help but recall the kiss they’d shared. “Give us one night and then we won’t pressure you anymore.”
“You can’t give him that option,” Corbin argued.
“Yes, he can,” Lucian said. “Colton isn’t our prisoner, and we can’t force him to stay.”
“One night,” Antonio whispered into Colton’s ear. “And you can leave at first light.”
Did Colton really want to be alone? He no longer felt like he belonged to his pack, so going home didn’t feel like an option. He was hurting over his mother’s death and wanted to be with someone who could make him forget.
And standing in front of him were three men who could not only make him forget but, while at the club, Colton could get so drunk off his ass that he wouldn’t even remember being with them.
His wolf snarled at the thought. It always snarled whenever Colton ran from them. Stupid mutt. What did it know?
Antonio nuzzled Colton’s neck, pressing kisses to his jaw. His scent drove Colton insane as his lips set his blood on fire. “One night,” he muttered past the hard, burning lump in his throat.
Chapter Three
Victor didn’t like where the trail leading to Pierre led him. It wasn’t as though he was afraid of the leopards. He just didn’t like having to go inside the lounge to hunt Pierre down. He wasn’t even sure why Lucian had asked him to bring Pierre in. Victor was the runt of the coven, so short most treated him like a kid and called him a pest, or worse.
He was also at the bottom of the pecking order, and the vampires never failed to remind him how worthless he was. One vampire in particular, Riley, loved to make Victor’s life a living hell.
As Victor approached the club, he saw Chance Montgomery standing by the front door, his arms crossed as he talked with some guy. “Just act tough,” Victo
r whispered to himself. “Show no fear.”
That was easier said than done, considering Victor felt as though he’d vomit at any second from his nerves. He was five feet two while Chance was well over six feet and lean with muscles.
Why couldn’t Chance be in one of the playrooms doing his depraved thing? Why did he have to be outside where he could harass Victor?
Chance stopped talking and looked his way. A cruel smile curled his lip. “Victor.”
Bile rose to the back of Victor’s throat. Why did his name sound so obscene when Chance said it? He kept his shoulders back and his gaze straight ahead as he tried to walk into the lounge, but Chance stepped in his way as he shook his head.
“Why should I let you in? The last time you were here, you started a brawl.”
“That wasn’t my fault,” Victor argued. “Some guy grabbed my ass.”
Chance’s eyes bugged. “What the hell did you expect coming into the lounge, flowers and a poem?”
“I’m not here to get my groove on. I’m here on business.” Victor tried to race around Chance, but the leopard grabbed his upper arm and pulled him back.
“You tell me who you’re here to see, and I’ll go get him. I’m not letting your crazy ass in there,” Chance said. “Vane’ll have my ass if the cops are called here again.”
Victor didn’t like the way the other guy was ogling him. He could scent the guy was human and no threat to him, but he had an evil glint in his eyes that gave Victor a chill.
And that was saying something considering Victor was a vampire and he was supposed to be the one giving other people the chills—though with his height and scrawny frame, that hardly ever happened.
Most viewed him as an annoyance instead of the intimidating vampire he should be.
“I’m looking for Pierre Bontemp.” Just to make sure Chance understood how serious he was, Victor added, “Lucian wants to see him.”
Chance chucked his thumb over his shoulder and spoke to his friend. “Go get Pierre.”
The guy glared at Victor, and Victor had an urge to stick his tongue out, but he didn’t since the human had done as Chance asked and gone inside Leopards Lounge to fetch Pierre.
“Why don’t you ever invite me to a playroom?” Victor asked when he and Chance were alone. Not that he would ever accept the invitation, but Chance’s reputation preceded him, and Victor was honestly curious why the leopard never hit on him.
Chance’s gaze slid over him. “You’d be too much trouble, squirt. I only deal with men I can control.”
“You mean beat up.”
Chance snarled. “I only give men what they ask for, nothing more and nothing less.”
Victor studied him. Chance was extremely handsome, and he couldn’t understand why the leopard was so perverted. What a waste of a good-looking man. “So men really want you to hurt them?”
“You’d be surprised just how depraved some people are.” Chance shrugged. “But they pay good money, so why not give them what they ask for?”
“If you say so.” Victor was glad when the human returned, hauling Pierre from the club. Pierre was tall and lanky, with dark hair and even darker eyes. His face was shaped weird, and every time Victor looked at him, he thought of a praying mantis’s head.
“Oh hell no.” Pierre tried to run back in when he saw Victor, but Chance blocked his escape with his powerful body frame.
“Take this shit somewhere else,” Chance snapped.
Victor grabbed Pierre by his shirt and used his inhuman speed to race to Black Dragon. When he stopped a block away—because there was a line outside and he didn’t want the humans to see how fast he was—Pierre yanked himself free.
“You’re not taking me inside,” he argued. “If Lucian or his brothers get their hands on me, I’m finished.”
“I’m just following orders,” Victor argued. “Lucian told me to bring you in.” And Victor would do whatever the triplets wanted. They were much nicer than Magnus had been, though they were a lot scarier. Their old Master had loved to flaunt his power while the triplets didn’t need to use such dramatics. Their simple presence was enough to make many vampires steer clear of them.
“Why does Lucian want to see me?” Pierre threw his arms out, his eyes growing wide. “I didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”
“He didn’t tell me why,” Victor said, “and I didn’t ask. How do you know he doesn’t just wanna talk?”
He looked incredulously at Victor. “Are you serious? The triplets don’t just ‘talk’ to people. They bury them in coffins. I’m not spending the next one hundred years buried underground while I starve and slowly go mad.”
Victor reached for Pierre, but the vampire hissed at him and came at Victor with his fangs bared. “I’ll kill you before I let you take me back there.”
Pierre ripped a gash in Victor’s wrist with his fangs. Blood rushed from the wound so fast that Victor didn’t think he could seal it in time before he bled out. He cried out and cradled his arm to his chest.
When someone grabbed his arm, Victor squeaked. He looked up to see Lucian standing in front of him. The elder vampire pressed Victor’s wrists to his lips, and then the flow of blood stopped.
Victor’s lips parted. Lucian was so beautiful that it hurt to look at him. “T-Thank you.”
Lucian turned and snarled before he grabbed Pierre and hauled him inside the club. Victor simply stood there, touching the wrist that Lucian had licked. He felt honored that one of the triplets had healed him and swore he’d never wash his wrist again. Okay, so he might have a slight crush on the Veneto brothers. Who wouldn’t? They were devastatingly handsome—even if they did look as if they’d rip your heart out.
Then he spotted Colton standing with Antonio and Corbin. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head when Colton looked his way.
“You may stand,” Antonio said as they passed him.
“But he’s my Master,” Victor replied. “I gotta show him respect.”
“Were you hurt?”
Victor forgot how to breathe. Had Colton just spoken to him? Had his long-lost Master just shown concern for him? “N-No.”
He stared in wonderment as the three walked into the club. Victor felt like doing a happy dance. Colton was finally home where he belonged and would rule over their coven.
This was the happiest day of his life. Now, maybe, things in the coven would improve, because, as of right now, Victor’s life amongst their group truly sucked.
* * * *
When they entered the club office, Lucian released the vampire, and Pierre dropped to his knees and bowed his head. Lucian wasn’t in the mood for the prick’s games. Pierre was no more subservient than Colton was.
His brothers joined him, Colton at their side. “Is this him?” Colton asked.
“Yes, but I’ll deal with Pierre.” Lucian took a seat behind his desk and held his hand out. “Let me see the warrant.” He thought Colton would argue with him, but to his surprise, his mate handed the piece of paper over.
Lucian snarled as he read the charges and then gave the paper to Antonio. “You drained two humans?”
Pierre’s head shot up, and he had the nerve to look shocked. “No I didn’t!”
“The warrant never lies,” Colton argued. “The cops found their bodies in a dumpster, thrown away like trash.”
“That’s a lie!” Pierre shot to his feet. “I never tossed them in a dumpster.” From the look on Pierre’s face, he realized his mistake. He narrowed his eyes at Colton as he backed away. “You tricked me into a false confession.”
Colton looked at the triplets, one by one. “Do you think I tricked him?”
“It sounded like a legitimate confession to me.” Lucian studied his mate, hiding his smile at Colton’s cleverness. He knew the wolf shifter was intelligent, but he’d just showed how cunning he could be.
Pierre tried to open the office door, but Antonio slammed it shut, baring his fangs at him. “You know better than to kill your food source. Do you want
humans to be afraid of us? Do you wish for our food supply to dry up?”
“We should be ruling over them!” Pierre pivoted to face Antonio. “They’re nothing but cattle, and we have to lure them to this godforsaken club and then erase their pathetic minds once we’re finished with them. They should be bowing at our feet, willingly offering themselves to us.”
Lucian rose from his chair and rounded his desk. He moved so close to Pierre that the vampire backed against the door. “I wasn’t aware you’d become the new Master and were changing rules that have been in place for thousands of years.”
Pierre cut his angry gaze at Colton. “It’s not like he cares about us, so why should I?”
That was what Lucian had been afraid of. With Colton refusing to become their Master, the coven was losing faith and going rogue. It didn’t matter that Lucian and his brothers ruled over them for the time being. Vampires needed their Master, and Colton hadn’t taken up the mantle. The vampires were starting to stray, and Lucian had to figure out a way for Colton to see the mayhem he was causing.
“What the fuck does that have to do with anything?” Colton demanded. “What I do or don’t do doesn’t excuse you killing two humans.”
“It has everything to do with it,” Pierre snarled.
Lucian curled his hand around the prick’s throat. “Watch your tone when you’re speaking to your Master.”
“What Master?” Pierre spat the words. “He’s just a wolf shifter. He’s nobody to us. Magnus might’ve been rotten to the core, but at least he had the balls to lead this coven.”
“His son killed my brother,” Colton snapped.
“Cry me a river,” Pierre said. “I’m pretty sure wolves have killed more vampires than vampires have killed wolves. It’s just an excuse to get out of your responsibilities.”
Lucian should have killed Pierre for the way he spoke to Colton, but he wanted to hear his mate’s reasons. Colton had never opened up to them, had never told them why he didn’t want to become Master, and Lucian knew it was more than just Anthony.