Runaway

by B. A. Stretke

  James sat with Forbes and Bryn on the deck and drank lemonade while talking about nothing. He was finally feeling relaxed but still couldn't get that master vampire out of his mind.

  “Are you coming with us to the Federal tonight?” Forbes teased, knowing full well that James rarely frequented the bars or clubs of Laramie.

  “No, not tonight, maybe another time.” James blew it off as usual with an indulgent smile. He took a long sip of his drink and stretched out in his chair just to suddenly sit up and stare toward the corner of the house.

  The atmosphere had suddenly changed, there was a heaviness and suspense. “Someone is here.” He spoke softly and kept his eyes on the corner of the house. Someone was coming and he knew them.

  He couldn’t pull his eyes away as the man walked out of his rampant thoughts and rounded the corner of the house. He was tall and solid a picture of masculine perfection. Master Augustin Chamberlin so elegant yet so forceful, he was a leader and the power poured from him. The significance of this man enveloped James the closer he came. He walked with purpose and intent and kept his eyes, dark and smoldering, trained on James.

  He understood now why Augustin seemed important, it was becoming shockingly clear. James took a deep breath and held it in his lungs before slowly breathing it out. He felt his dragon stir and rise to the surface to sample the delicious scent of this male.

  James remained frozen to his chair as Augustin approached, each step reverberating in James’ heart and mind. The closer Augustin came the more James felt it surrounding him, the knowledge that this man belonged to him.

  Augustin walked up the stairs to the deck and stood before James. He held out his hand and James couldn’t help but take it. Augustin pulled him to his feet. James stood there transfixed by the sight before him. Master Augustin Chamberlin was indeed his mate.

  "Hello, James." He spoke and the sound danced across James' sensitive nerves. It was so beautiful, so thrilling, and so flawless.

  "Hello," James responded distractedly, while his eyes ate up the man before him, his mate. The reality of it was staggering, but how, he didn’t know this before? “We met yesterday, I didn’t recognize you.” James voiced his thoughts as Augustin stepped closer still holding James’ hand in his.

  “I cloak my scent whenever I leave Jackson, it’s a habit born out of a violent past. I did not expect to meet my beloved in dragon territory at a bonding ceremony. But then, Fate rarely gives us what we expect.” He raised James’ hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly while watching him closely. The simple act was so erotic that James’ felt himself getting hard.

  “You knew. The moment we met, you knew.” The words came out soft but with an accusatory edge that he could not suppress. Augustin knew and said nothing. He failed to hide the hurt he was feeling.

  “I knew you couldn’t smell me and the setting was not ideal for such an announcement. I chose to wait and see you today without the interference of my scent suppression. I wanted there to be no doubts in your mind who I am.” Augustin moved his left hand up and cupped the side of James’ face.

  James took another slow breath and closed his eyes. It seemed so unbelievable but it was true, he could taste the magnificence of this man. The touch of his hand was warm and comforting and James felt himself lean into it and rub his cheek against Augustin’s palm. He wanted to touch him but his hand would not move from his side. As hard as he tried, it would not move, but Augustin held tight to his other hand.

  Augustin moved closer feeling the struggle within James, but not understanding it. He moved the hand he was using to caress his face and slid it around James’ shoulders and pulled him close and pressed James’ against his chest. Augustin felt the stiffness subside a little but the reserve remained.

  He needed his beloved at ease and content, not pent up and fearful. The waves of anxiety coming from James were enough to choke. Calum had explained some of it but he knew there was so much he didn't know.

  "Don't fight me, sweetheart." He whispered softly in James' ear and brushed his lips over James' fiery red curls. "Don't fight it."

  “I’m just shocked is all.” James tried to explain as he rubbed his face against Augustin’s fine black suit. Augustin was a few inches taller than him and it made it easy for him to snuggle into his touch. The touch of his mate and the smell surrounded him causing his mind to calm and making his desires seem possible.

  "Let's sit for a while," Augustin said and moved them towards the deck chairs. It was then that James noticed that Forbes and Bryn had left and they were alone on the deck. James sat back down in the chair he'd previously occupied and Augustin pulled another over to sit next to him, very close. He continued to hold James' hand and James did not object.

  “I understand that this is a shock to you and I’m not asking you to do anything except get to know me.” Augustin pulled James’ hand to his lips and kissed it once again. The touch of Augustin’s lips was like a fire starter that burned at the point of contact and then flashed through James’ system. The heat from his touch and his nearness was heady and powerful and it was all James’ could do to remain seated and not leap up, shift, and fly them both to the mountains.

  He took long slow deep breaths as he calmed his feverish dragon. James managed to ease his mind then found himself studying the stylish and sophisticated man seated next to him. The idea that this man was his mate was hard for him to grasp. He’d done nothing in his life to warrant such a prize and he felt like a fraud sitting there acting like he belonged. No good would come from this, he had firsthand knowledge of what mated life could be and Augustin deserved better. James had a past that could easily crush them both. He came with more baggage than Boeing 747 at JFK.

  James lost his mother at an early age, many years ago. The cause of her death was reported to be from a fall. His mother had been a human and although granted extended life and vitality due to mating a dragon, she still died when she hit the bottom of the stairway. What people didn't know at the time, was that her death was not due to the fall alone but the years of abuse and neglect at the hands of her so-called mate. They discovered that later.

  James was taught to never discuss happenings in the home with anyone. The incidents were covered and disguised and everyone wore a smile when in public, it was an order. His father was a palace guard and worked closely with King Duncan. He played the part of dutiful husband and father to the community but he was a cold-hearted monster behind closed doors.

  James had not been present when his mother died, but he had his doubts regarding the cause being an accidental fall. When the body was examined and the old wounds and injuries discovered, the truth of his home life became common knowledge.

  James' life had been worse than even his mother's because dragons could take more abuse. His father took great pleasure in being able to inflict marks on James that hurt like hell but healed almost immediately. He managed to scar his son mentally and emotionally over the course of his young life. James said nothing because that's what you did, you said nothing and life continued in its terrible way.

  James and his mother were not close, they shared the victim identity but they remained distant from one another. She never showed him anything but contempt and scorn, and often blamed him for the violence in the home. She believed that if James hadn’t been born, life would have been better for them and her husband would not have been violent.

  James knew no love or acceptance and home was a horror to be endured, the only brightness in his life back then was Calum and Bryn, the Keith boys he grew up with. They allowed him to be a part of their family and taught him the true way of the dragon. He spent all his time with the Keith’s and went home only when it was absolutely required.

  They knew nothing of his home life and bought the deception that James’ father spun to the Circle. The day came when the hiding stopped and the truth was discovered. James wasn’t sure which was better, living the façade or having his life, his existence shattered and pitied.

&
nbsp; The reality of his family made living in the Shetland Circle almost impossible for him. King Duncan banished his father and the heaviness of that act and the implications it bore were difficult for James to carry. He took responsibility for everything, the inadequacy he felt as a son, his father's anger, and his families dishonor and he ended up running.

  After a few weeks, Calum found him and brought him home. King Duncan bonded him to Clan Keith and he became James Keith, no longer the son of the brutal coward, Rory Lorde. He had a new family, a new life, and a new name. But the old James still lingered beneath the surface.

  Now Fate had given him a mate that was so far out of his league that he believed he had little hope of measuring up. Master Chamberlin was a leader, an ethical and moral leader. His Coven belonged to and moved within an elite section of society. How could he ever satisfy a Master Vampire?

  He'd worked tirelessly to try and earn his father’s acceptance if not love, but all he ever got were recriminating remarks or the back of his hand. Rory Lorde actively and viciously hated him and told him so often.

  “Come back to me.” The words were spoken softly yet they had the power to pull him out of his abysmal thoughts and back to the here and now. They were standing now and Augustin was staring at him with a look that was not pity but thoughtfulness shaded with worry. “There you are.” He smiled and James’ insides melted at the tenderness conveyed through his words and his touch.

  Augustin was careful, very careful as he released James' hand and cupped the side of his face tilting it so he could look into his eyes and see the insecurity and hesitation clouding their brilliance. "You are mine and I am yours, everything else is a side note. Focus on me, sweetheart. See who I am." Augustin kept talking and gradually he felt his beloved return.

  He felt James raise his hand and tentatively touched Augustin's arm and then moved to grasp his shoulder. James refocused his eyes to watch his hand where he held onto Augustin. "I'm not a good choice," James mumbled and refused to meet Augustin's gaze. "I have a past and there are things there that you don't want to know. You don't want to be involved with someone like me Augustin." Even as he spoke the words, Augustin could feel the anguish pouring off him in waves.

  "You are all I want and all I will ever need. Your past, regardless of its content, is not and never will be a deterrent to my ever-growing love and devotion." Augustin took the opening and dropped a gentle kiss to James' soft lips before capturing his gaze once again. "I'm not a choir boy, James, I've had a past as well and I will never judge you for yours."

  James dropped his head to rest his forehead against Augustin’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around his waist and held him. “I’m sorry Augustin, I am so fucking sorry.” The words came out with pain and gravel and Augustin was taken by surprise when James suddenly pulled away and stumbled back a few steps and whispered. “I’m sorry.” He then turned and took off around the corner of the house.

  Augustin did not pursue, he stood on the deck and listened as he heard a motorcycle roar and slowly fade into the distance. James had bolted, it shouldn't have been a surprise but it was. He thought they'd connected, but James' fear was stronger than their present bond.

  “He’s heading for the mountains.” Bryn walked up to stand beside Augustin. “He’ll let his dragon loose and try to appease him. His dragon is pissed, I could feel his fury all the way from the front of the Lodge.”

  “Why is he angry?” Augustin asked, still hurt by his beloved abandoning him, but trying not letting it show.

  "His dragon wanted to mate you on the spot. His dragon recognizes you as his mate and he wants you, bad. James, on the other hand, has some issues to resolve before he can comfortably take his place at your side, I'm afraid." Bryn sighed and then added. "He won't be able to stay away too long; his dragon won't let him. Don't worry he'll seek you out." With that Bryn turned and went back inside.

  Augustin stood there for a few minutes before heading back to his car. The afternoon ended in a manner he had not foreseen and it left him feeling empty and alone. Those were two things he hadn't felt in many years, not since before he took over the Coven.

  Calum had warned him that James had issues and that running was one method he used to deal with said issues. Still, he hadn't expected him to run so soon after meeting him and having their relationship made clear. Augustin wasn't sure how to take the rebuff, was it an outright denial of their connection or was it nerves or was it both. Difficulty within a new relationship he could handle, but rejection by his beloved he could not.

  Augustin made his way back to the hotel and isolated himself in his room. He respected his guards but he couldn’t discuss personal matters with them. Vadin was his sounding board but Vadin was not available. Damn, he needed to broaden his inner circle.

  He took off his coat and tie and made himself comfortable with a whiskey. Being apart from his beloved after just finding him was taking a toll on his spirit. He did not like feeling inadequate, unimportant, or unworthy and his beloved was making him feel all those things. The thrill of the discovery was quickly turning into a crushing disappointment.

  Augustin finished his whiskey and then poured a glass of blood, it wasn’t fresh and it wasn’t his beloved but it would do. He always kept some on hand and right now he needed the energy it would give him. He thought he would have at least tasted his beloved today, but circumstances made that impossible.

  Augustin finished the blood in one swallow and then stretched out on his bed. He needed to think and get his raging emotions under control before he lost all control and went after his beloved and forced him into submission. That would not be a good strategy.

  He needed to find out more about James. He needed more than a vague reference to trauma in his youth and dysfunction in his family. Augustin assumed that James believed he was unsuited to be mated and feared the outcome of the union. There was one more possibility that came to mind but Augustin loath to consider it. Perhaps Augustin being a vampire was the real issue. James may refuse him based solely on his species.

  That bitter thought brought a fresh wave of pain that enveloped Augustin’s heart and squeezed. He placed his forearm over his eyes and tried to block out the pain he’d seen in James’ eyes just before he took off. He couldn’t read him so the cause was unknown to him other than the obvious which is that James felt he could not bond with him.

  The sun began to set and with it, the darkness took over the room. It was a cloak he found comforting as he struggled to analyze every moment of their time together. Sometime during the night, his thoughts shifted and memories of his own past rushed forward.

  When he told James that he hadn’t been a choir boy himself, the claim was a gross understatement. He hadn’t ascended to his current position without spilling blood, the blood of family. It was a time of ruthless authoritarian tragedies and the health and welfare of the Coven hung in the balance between blood and duty.

  Augustin felt the surge of discomfort that always accompanied the ghastly recollections and he sat up. He swung his legs off the side of the bed, planted his feet on the floor and rested his face in his hands. Would his beloved understand the necessity of the actions he took or would he only see the horror of the act? Having his beloved James run from him had left him with an insecurity that he had not possessed before. The need to measure up to one person had never been a concern of Augustin.

  He was the Master, he led his people and they respected and honored his leadership. He had friends, one very close friend and never had he felt the need to be accepted or felt the fear of rejection. Take it or leave it was his axiom and he was never one to conform or beg. Now he was a wreck and aching in every part of his soul for the acceptance of one man, his beloved.

  He got up and stripped, perhaps a shower would clear his mind and help him to deal with the agony tearing at this soul.

  …

  James tore through the streets on his custom lowrider keeping his mind on his destination, the clear mountains. The
area they all went to when needing to cut loose. He needed to cut loose, explode and calm his raging dragon. Leaving his mate was ripping him apart and his dragon was furious to be so far from the one connecting their souls.

  James panicked when the flood of emotion overwhelmed him and the need to claim his mate was overpowering. He had to run, he saw no other option, but now he felt empty, alone, and miserable. He pulled to a stop near the top of the mountain and dismounted. He ran through the trees before taking flight and letting his dragon roar.

  CHAPTER THREE

  It was hours before he crashed back to earth and curled beneath a thick canopy of trees. He wanted to hide, shame and weakness taking the place of his previous anxious fear. His dragon was despondent and no longer fighting him and that was the worst feeling of his life so far. He couldn’t shift, his dragon was holding tight to his form and James didn’t have the energy to force it.

  He tried to sleep but it was impossible regardless how tired he felt. The image of his mate standing there frozen in shock as he ran away from him was emblazoned on his mind and would not go away. He dishonored Augustin and disgraced himself, but running seemed to be the only thing he was good at. It became his default reaction whenever things got tough or uncomfortable. He was nothing but a runaway.

  In the past, he ran from situations that caused him pain and derision but this time he ran from an individual, his mate Augustin Chamberlin. Instead of the relief, he felt in past escapes, this time he felt small, mortified, and disgraced. But the fear of Augustin knowing the truth and the possibilities of being lumped together with the crimes of his father kept James curled on the ground under the trees.

  Come morning, he woke in his human form. Sometime during the night, his dragon receded and his human form took over. He still felt his dragon just beneath the surface, agitated and unhappy at the way things were handled. He was holding him in check, but just barely.