“Same goes for you,” Lynk answered firmly. “I don’t care what they say. You are my mate, and I’ve waited a long time to get you back. I’m not about to let you go now.” To know Lynk would fight so vehemently for him—for them—
sent a wave of warmth flowing from Kieran’s chest and out to his extremities. He really should have known better than to doubt Lynk’s feelings for him, though. The man had faced down a group of angry vampires for him. If that wasn’t proof enough that Lynk wanted him, he didn’t know what was.
“We’ll figure this out. No one is going anywhere. Though, it might be a hell of a lot easier if we can find Thane. If Torren’s theory Flawless 107
about him being Zasha’s mate is right, it could save a lot of trouble and stress.”
“I would like nothing better, but how do you propose that we find my wayward brother?”
Kieran couldn’t stop himself from smiling. Gods, he loved the way Lynk talked sometimes, like hints of his old lives were sneaking into his speech. What he loved even more was peeling away that layer of formality and reducing the man to a babbling, writhing, lust-filled mess. There was never any telling what would come out of Lynk’s mouth when he was in the throes of passion. It was adorable, if also a bit humorous.
“I guess we start with Bannon.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me? I’m not so fragile, Kieran.” He knew that. Once the summons for a formal hearing had come in, he’d lost his mind just a little. The only thought that filtered through the anger was shielding Lynk from anyone who wanted to tear them apart. “I guess I panicked. I don’t want you to have to worry about these kinds of things. That’s what I’m here for. That’s my job.”
“That’s very sweet in an odd sort of way. I can handle this, Kieran. I’ve fought bad guys before. I even have a cape and everything.”
It took a second for Kieran to realize that Lynk had made a joke. It was so out of character for him that Kieran was stunned silent for another moment before he broke up into laughter. “You’re a real superhero, huh?”
Lynk’s demeanor became serious as his arms lifted to wind around Kieran’s neck. “Sometimes I need you to make everything disappear. Sometimes I need to give you that control and let you make the decisions for me. I always crave your dominance. Those dynamics will never change, but I’m not the same person as I was in our former life. Much the same as you are a very different person than before—
all while being the same man I fell in love with at the core.” 108 Gabrielle
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“I understand that, and I feel the same way. I love the things I remember about our life together, but I’m enjoying getting to know the person you are now.” The point to this discussion was still eluding him, however. “What are you trying to say?”
“That I don’t need you to take care of me all the time,” Lynk whispered. “Sometimes, I need to take care of you as well. I’m not a damsel in distress or a child afraid of the monster under his bed. I might not like confrontation, but I know how to fight my own battles, to fight for the people I love, and this time, I need you to let me do that.”
“So, what you’re trying to say is that I should stop coddling you and believe in you to make the right choices for what is best.” Kieran dipped his head once. “I can do that.” It wouldn’t be easy. His natural instinct to charge in and save the day would always be there, but Lynk was right.
It didn’t mean he had to like it, but the sexy smile and heated kiss his mate bestowed on him made it just a little easier to share some of the burden that lay before them.
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Chapter Thirteen
“This is really the best disguise you could come up with?” Lynk stared down at his clothing in disgust and rubbed at the scraggly beard that adorned his chin and cheeks. He looked like a vagrant. His trousers were dirty and ripped. The shirt he assumed was meant to be white was more yellow than anything with a spot near his belly button that looked like…“Is that blood?”
“You’re still gorgeous,” Kieran assured him with a soft kiss behind Lynk’s ear.
Lynk didn’t know how the man could even stand to touch him, let alone kiss him. His hair was greasy and matted, his skin crawled with all the grime that coated it, and he smelled like something that belonged in a barn. “This is disgusting.” Bannon, Galen, Raven, and Varik all looked exactly the same as they normally did. Torren’s normally black hair was now platinum blond, and his facial features were a bit sharper. It wasn’t much of a disguise, but Lynk admitted that he wouldn’t have recognized his brother if he didn’t already know it was Torren.
Kieran, however, was dressed from head to foot in solid black.
His gorgeous dark hair now flowed past his shoulders and was dyed the most shocking color of electric blue. Eyeliner along the bottom lids made him look dangerous rather than feminine. It all combined to form one erotic image of temptation that Lynk was having a hard time resisting. Who knew he’d be into such things?
“You are stunning,” he breathed, his mouth going dry and his cock threatening to swell inside his shabby slacks.
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Kieran gave him a shit-eating grin and jerked on the hem of his leather jacket. “You like?”
A throat clearing interrupted them before Lynk could embarrass himself, which he was immensely grateful for. “We need to be gettin’
started now,” Bannon said in his smooth Irish accent.
“So, how do we do this?” Varik asked casually as though he did this type of thing every day.
“We’ll be hosting a party,” Galen answered, obviously familiar with how his mate operated. “Bannon can populate the dream with enough people to keep everyone distracted long enough for you to speak with who you need and gather whatever information you can get.”
“By bringing most of Snake River into this dreamscape, we’re hoping that it will put Tuesday at ease and not arouse suspicion,” Torren added. “If he was dreaming of a party, it would only make sense that it would include members of his own coven.” Yes, it all made perfect sense other than why Lynk needed to look and smell like a hobo. “You don’t think a homeless man at this extravagant party will be somewhat of a red flag?”
“It’s a block party.” Bannon winked at him. “Just park yourself against a wall, and people, they’ll be ignorin’ ya. It’ll make it easier to do your job without bein’ interrupted.” He didn’t wait for a response as he turned away from Lynk, took Galen’s hand, and closed his eyes.
“We can do this,” Kieran whispered in his ear. “Just find Thane.” A chaste kiss was dropped on Lynk’s lips before Kieran backed away, moving farther across the enormous, vacant field.
The rolling fog, dark shadows, and ghostly beams cast by the moon were starting to creep him out. It was far too silent, as though all noise in the universe had been muted before passing through the thick, gray clouds that hovered around them.
A large building suddenly appeared out of nowhere right behind him, rising up out of the ground as though sprouted from a seed. Lynk gasped and backed away, staring around him with his mouth hanging Flawless 111
open. More buildings appeared, along with bright lights as well as soft twinkling string lights. The volume inside their little world suddenly exploded into loud, thumping music, raucous laughter, and animated conversation.
There were people everywhere—some with drinks in their hands, others just standing together in small groups, smiling, chatting, and looking very pleased to be just where they were. Not one person appeared confused or suspicious about suddenly finding themselves thrown into a party where they hadn’t been just moments before. The power of dreams was a magical thing.
Lynk didn’t see any of his cohorts, though. They’d all dispersed into the crowd, leaving him very much on his own. A little quiver of panic worked its way up his spine, but he batted it away and prepared himself for what needed to be done. He didn’t know how long they’d have, so he needed
to make the most of his allotted time.
Settling himself against the wall of the brick building behind him, he slid down to the concrete sidewalk and tried to appear as unassuming as possible. A bottle of cheap whiskey appeared in his right hand, the cap removed, and only half-full of its contents. Lynk stared at it for a moment before snorting and rolling his eyes. Bannon Murphy was just a barrel of laughs—the idiot.
Curling the bottle close to his chest, Lynk figured he might as well play the part of drunken vagabond. So, he splayed his legs out in front of him, let his head loll to the side so that his ear rested on his shoulder, and hiccupped a couple of times just for effect.
Internally, he emptied his mind of all thoughts, shut out the noise around him, and dropped his shields—opening himself to his lost brother. “Thane? Are you here?”
“Hello, brother.” Thane sounded weak, his voice muffled like he was speaking through a ball of cotton. “It’s been a long time.”
“We’re going to help you. We’ll get you out of there, but I need to know where you are. Is Leader Tuesday holding you in Snake River?
Are you locked away in a dungeon somewhere?” 112 Gabrielle
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Lynk heard his brother snort at him through their mental bond. “A dungeon? Perhaps he has me guarded by a dragon as well? The lonely and frightened damsel, forced to lament the loss of her freedom until the white knight arrives on his valiant steed to scale the castle walls.”
“Okay, now you’re just being a dick.” Lynk rolled his eyes.
Thane had always been a bit theatrical and dramatic.
His rich, warm laughter traveled through their link, growing louder and more defined. “Sorry, Lynk. It’s just so much fun to tease you, though.”
“Yes, so you have all told me on numerous occasions. That’s not helpful right now, though. I need to know where you are if we’re going to get you out.”
“I’m right here, of course.”
“Thane!” It took a great deal of restraint for Lynk to remain seated and not throw himself at his twin. To outsiders, it would appear as though they weren’t even related, let alone had shared the same womb.
Where he was small and thin, Thane was over six feet with muscles for days. His hair was a golden blond like sunshine on a wheat field, a stark contrast to Lynk’s midnight locks. Thane’s hair was longer than when Lynk had last seen him, and he was in desperate need of a shave.
“You look like shit,” Thane commented with a wink as he settled on the ground beside Lynk. “Where are we anyway?”
“One of our Enforcers is a dream builder. And my appearance is a ruse. What’s your excuse?”
“I’ve been held hostage for the last two years? I spent the last few months of that captivity inside a well? Are those good enough excuses for you?” Thane didn’t sound bitter. In fact, there was a bit of amusement in his tone.
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Lynk was horrified, however. “Where? In Snake River? Did Leader Tuesday do it? Are there guards? Why can’t you use your magic to get out? What do they want with you?” Thane chuckled under his breath. “Calm down, Lynk.” The smile slid from his face, and he became serious. “You know exactly what they want, but I won’t tell them where the Book of the Banished is.
That’s why they dropped me in the well. They’re getting desperate and trying to crack me. I’m being held by vampires, but I don’t know their names or even where I am. Snake River? Where exactly is that?”
“In Wyoming,” Lynk supplied then shut his trap so that Thane could continue.
“Hmm.” Thane scratched at the scraggly beard on his jaw, the hairs a shade darker than the sandy locks that fell from his crown to brush over the tops of his shoulders. “I’m not sure how I got all the way to Wyoming. I was in Belgium when they took me.” Lynk didn’t know what to do with that bit of information, so he tucked it away to discuss with the others later. “How are they keeping you there?”
“They kept me sedated for the first few months. Now, they feed me only enough to keep me alive so that they can drink from me or syphon blood into vials. I think my magic is dying along with my body. It has abandoned me.” He sounded so sad, almost ashamed of the things that had been done to him.
Looking his brother over with a critical eye, Lynk realized that Thane appeared pale, and his body mass was greatly reduced from the man he remembered. Still, he seemed larger than life to Lynk, who had always looked up to his twin, both literally and figuratively.
A fierce protectiveness filled him, reversing the positions they’d fallen into as children. The bigger and stronger twin, Thane, had accepted the role of Lynk’s protector and never complained about the task, even taking Lynk’s side against their other siblings. Now, however, it was Lynk who would be Thane’s champion, a job he took very seriously.
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“I’m going to get you out of that well. Be strong for just a little while longer, okay?”
Thane pressed his forefinger right between Lynk’s eyes and asserted pressure. “What is going on inside here? What trouble have you gotten yourself into?”
Lynk frowned. “Who said I’m in trouble?”
“You are a horrible liar. I think it’s probably a Braddock trait.
Either way, I know something is going on, so you might as well spill it.”
“There is a vampire named Zasha who thinks I’m his mate.”
“But you’re not.”
“Correct. I have a mate. A big, possessive werewolf mate who is going to end up eating this vampire for desert if we don’t get this sorted soon.” If Zasha came anywhere near him, Lynk had little doubt that Kieran would react quite violently.
Thane whistled low. “A werewolf, you say? Well done, my brother.” He winked roguishly and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Why does this vampire think you belong to him?”
“I have a theory.” Lynk bit his lip and looked away, unsure of how much to reveal. If Thane knew he had a mate out there waiting for him, his Infinity of all people, maybe it would give him more reason to fight for his life and freedom. Or it could completely backfire and blow up in Lynk’s face.
“Just tell.” Thane huffed in obvious exasperation. “I’m going to get it out of you eventually, so just save us both the time and trouble.”
“I think Zasha may be your mate,” Lynk blurted, watching Thane intently for his reaction. “When we were in Snake River a few days ago, I was searching for you through our bond. I was open to your energy. I think maybe Zasha is confused.”
“A vampire mate,” Thane mused with a crooked smile. “Is he here?”
Well, that wasn’t the reaction Lynk had been expecting, but he supposed it was better than Thane getting pissed because he was Flawless 115
being kept from his fated mate—a mate he could have been missing for hundreds of years now. “He’s supposed to be here, but I really don’t know where anyone is. They’ve all kind of scattered.” Lynk flapped his hand around in front of him, indicating the party in full swing around them.
“What about this mate of yours? Can you get a lock on him?” Lynk beamed. “Oh, yeah. Hold please.” He closed his eyes and pushed his thoughts toward his lover, searching him out in the throng of people.
“Hey, sugar. Did you find Thane?”
“Of course. Do you know where Zasha is?”
“Nope, but our time is about up. Be ready to leave in three minutes or so.”
“I have to go,” Lynk said aloud to his brother. He embraced Thane, squeezing him hard before jumping to his feet. “We’re coming for you. Don’t give up yet.”
Thane smiled, slow and easy as though he didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ll wait right where I am. Oh, and try to keep your werewolf from eating my mate before I have a chance to meet him.”
“You are such an idiot.” Still, Lynk couldn’t help but laugh at his brother. “I’ll do my best. Do you really think I’m right and Zasha is your mate?�
�
“I’ve rarely known you to be wrong about anything, so yes. I think Zasha is my mate.” Thane tilted his head to the side and rubbed at his chin. “Have you tried explaining it to him? You might just gain an ally if you can convince him.”
“This all hangs on the fact that he actually believes me to be his mate. There is the possibility that he’s only acting on orders in an attempt to separate me from everyone and hold me in Snake River.”
“You won’t know unless you try. Not everyone is your enemy, Lynk.”
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Lynk frowned, shook his head, and walked backward as he noticed the dream beginning to collapse around him. “That doesn’t make everyone my friend, either. Guilty until proven innocent.”
* * * *
“Okay, so what do we know?” Torren asked as they all gathered in one of the rooms in the basement after waking up from their drug-induced sleep. With Varik and Raven joining their group, it was the only place in the house they could meet that was light-tight and allowed their friends the protection from the sun’s harmful rays.
What had felt like only minutes to Kieran had actually been nearly two hours. He’d always thought it was exactly the opposite. A few minutes in the real world equaled several hours in a dream. It was a little disconcerting to have all of his preconceived notions proven false.
“I never saw Leader Tuesday,” he offered when no one else spoke up. “Did anyone else?”
Everyone shook their heads with identical frowns on their faces.
“I recognized a lot of people as members of the Snake River Coven, but I didn’t see their infamous leader,” Raven agreed. “I was, however, able to speak to Gideon.”
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