by Fel Fern
“That’s so beautiful,” Ron whispered, reaching out with his fingers.
“That’s us,” he said, giving his mate a gentle kiss on the lips.
“Us,” Ron repeated, laying his head on his chest. Ron felt like a small bundle of warmth against him, one he’d protect with his life. “I like the sound of that.”
“Better get used to it, too.” Striker tightened his embrace.
Ron must have been more tired than he thought, because Ron started snoring a few minutes later, but the human still held onto him tight. Striker could definitely get used to this. He should get towels to clean them up and some bandages for Ron’s neck, but maybe that could wait a little longer while he savored this tender moment.
* * * *
Striker had the most perfect evening and intended to laze around and do absolutely nothing the next morning with his mate until his phone rang shrilly. The clock opposite the bed told him it was just four in the morning. He groaned, tempted to throw it at the nearest wall, but not wanting to wake Ron, he snatched it and squinted at the glowing screen.
For a second, he wondered who Bennett was. What kind of fool would call a dragon shifter at this hour? Then it hit him. Oh right. He’d been dodging Bennett’s calls, but there was no avoiding it now. There might be genuine trouble in Horn, and the town had no dominant animal group in charge, just him. Occasionally, Striker did the town a favor and went on patrol or chased off potential threats like shifter groups who thought they could make Horn their new territory.
He sighed, parted from Ron despite not wanting to, and took the call outside the room. Once he closed the door, he picked up.
“What? I’m pretty sure I haven’t wrecked anything recently. I’ve been a good dragon, officer.”
“That’s not what I’m calling about, Striker. Why do you have to be such an ass all the time?”
He growled. “Hey, you’re the one calling me at such an ungodly hour.” Bennett usually went right to the point, so he ran his hand through his hair and asked, “So, what’s wrong now?”
“If you’d bothered to answer your phone, you’d know there’s a new vampire coven in town,” Bennett began.
Striker groaned. Vampires? Just great. Shifters he could easily deal with, but in his experience, bloodsuckers were tricky bastards. Shifters settled fights the old-fashioned way, with claws and teeth, but vampires didn’t like to get dirty, would rather wield mind tricks and deception as weapons.
“Tourists or permanently staying?”
“They don’t seem like roamers. Two days ago, our department found five bodies in the woods, outsiders, but the locals are wondering when they’ll be next. The other paranormals in town, even Randy, are saying they don’t want to be involved with the bloodsuckers, either.”
Striker didn’t need this now, not when his relationship was so new with Ron, but he couldn’t just let these vampires run free in his town. His dragon didn’t like that, because it considered Horn their territory. All his ancestors did. Horn was comprised of mostly humans and a couple of paranormals who were usually loners.
There was a small deer shifter group, he remembered, who were nearly as vulnerable as humans. The second biggest monster in town was probably Randy, the ex-marine werebear who lived on the outskirts. If Randy didn’t want anything to do with the vampires, then these leeches might really be potential trouble.
“And you’re sure they’re vampire kills?” Striker had to ask.
“Come down to the morgue yourself. Bite marks on the pulse points, bodies drained of blood. The vampire coven denied it, of course, but they aren’t interested in meeting face-to-face. Said a human like me wasn’t worth their time.” There was tight anger in Bennett’s voice.
Striker looked at the door. Behind it, Ron slept peacefully, and he didn’t want to wake his mate. Could he settle this and fly back here before Ron woke up? There was still two hours before sunrise, before the vampires officially went to ground. He could confront them directly, but that might be too reckless. He needed more information, do some ground work. He let out a heavy sigh.
“What is it you want me to do, Bennett?” Striker finally asked.
Chapter 9
Striker landed in the woods near the town and shifted back to human. He grabbed the bag he carried and put his clothes on. Once dressed, Striker slung his backpack and walked into town. At five in the morning, most of the shops remained closed, but there should be locals milling about. He passed by his favorite bakery but didn’t smell any bread baking. His dragon instantly picked up the smell of fear. It permeated the air, told him plenty about the closed windows and doors.
A mother walked passed by him, holding tightly to the hand of her five-year-old, looking like she was in a rush. Striker had been avoiding going to town since he got fired from his last job at a construction company. He’d gotten pissed, accidentally set the site on fire, but no one was hurt and he paid for the damages.
Striker wasn’t exactly well-liked. People knew or suspected what he was mostly stayed out of his way, but two old women stopped him on the sidewalk and flashed him smiles of relief.
“Here to see the sheriff and take care of that little vampire problem?” one asked.
“Well, I hope,” Striker answered. “Once I get all the answers then I’m sure the sheriff and I can work out a solution.”
Yeah. That sounded pretty diplomatic, even for him.
“We’re glad you’re here,” the second one said. “Good luck.”
Huh. Interesting interaction. Striker made his way to the sheriff’s station and was instantly led into Bennett’s office.
Striker took a seat. “Wow, Bennett. You look like shit. Working overtime much?”
Bennett gave him a friendly look, then sighed. “Why have you been dodging my calls?”
“I was away for personal business.”
“Personal?” Bennett raised an eyebrow. “I understand you value your privacy and time, but this can’t wait.”
Bennett pushed a folder in front of him. “Is this allowed?” he asked.
“This is confidential information, but none of my men can handle anything like this on their own, not without severe casualties, and you know that.”
He looked through the photos taken of where the bodies were found. Striker only needed to shift through a few and handed them back. The kills weren’t messy or savage, but efficient, neat. Definitely the work of someone or a couple of someones who fed regularly to survive. The more modern vampire covens enlisted volunteers, willing blood donors, but this? Was this coven so bold they thought they were above the law?
“I don’t need to head to the morgue. These are definitely vampire kills, and to my knowledge, the only nearest vampire coven is hundreds of miles away. They can be rogues passing by, but it’s unlikely. Vampires seldom roam far from their nest.”
“I’ve gotten in touch with a representative from the coven, but they’ve been ignoring my calls after the first one. I got Randy to accompany a couple of my officers last night, but they came out of what should be a peaceful meeting badly injured.”
“Get to the point. What? Do you want me to light their coven house on fire? We can wait until sunrise, and when they’re sleeping it would be easy.”
Bennett looked appalled, but he could tell the sheriff thought about it seriously. “Come with me to meet their king tonight for one last round of negotiation. They’re saying we have no proof, that rogue vampires probably murdered those tourists. I want a confession, resolution for the victims’ families.”
Striker couldn’t help it, he laughed. It might be an inappropriate response, but Bennett didn’t know vampires. A rogue coven had crossed into the woods near his mountain one time and that had been a nightmare he didn’t care to repeat. Those leeches could be unexpectedly cunning.
“Those families deserve closure, I get that, but what will you do, even if by some small chance the king surrenders those who were responsible for the murders? Put them in a cell that isn’t bu
ilt to contain vampires? What if the king himself had a part in those murders?”
Bennett looked ashen. Striker knew Bennett was a good sheriff, but when it came to supernatural matters, Bennett was out of his league. He felt a little guilty for not answering the guy’s calls earlier, but the murders occurred before he flew out to meet Ron. It didn’t matter. Striker made a vow to be more vigilant next time.
“Look, we both know I can handle the dirty business no one else would. Let me do my job and Horn will be free of these vamps. Isn’t that the reason you called me?”
Besides, a bloodthirsty vampire coven living in his town didn’t sit well with him. What if Ron wanted to head to town in the future, or decided to move in with him? No, it was inevitable Ron would stay under the same roof with him.
Even now, being a couple of miles apart, he already wanted to have his mate next to him. Striker refused to have any potential threats near his mate, because once the vampires found out who his mate was, they might go after Ron. Being mated also meant their life forces were one, so if Ron died, he wouldn’t be far behind.
That was the kind of tactics bloodsuckers went for. While Striker hadn’t tangled with this particular coven, he had to expect the worst, that the vampires would try anything to get an upper hand.
Bennett shook his head, suddenly looking a lot older than his years. “Talk first and from there, we’ll see where it goes. Will you come with me as a guarantee? I didn’t tell them there was a dragon shifter in Horn, only that there’s a bigger predator than Randy they should be wary of.”
Striker considered Bennett’s request. His way would be easier, and he’d get rid of the problem right away, but Bennett was town sheriff, and he respected the human for wanting to try the non-violent route first. Besides, after mating Ron, Striker wanted to improve his relations with the local law enforcement and the rest of the town.
“Fine, set up the meeting, but it’s my call if they try to kill me or you,” he answered.
Bennett rose to his feet, held out his hand, and he shook it.
“I’ll see you tonight,” Bennett said as he walked out the door.
“Oh right. Can you give me the address of their lair?” Bennett looked like he was about to protest, but he continued, “Don’t worry, I’m just going to walk past, I won’t do anything rash.”
Bennett gave him a dubious look but gave him the address anyway. He walked out of the station and decided to take-away some breakfast from a nearby diner before continuing his stroll. No surprise the vampires chose to make their den in the most expensive side of town. Striker walked past huge houses and surveyed the biggest one at the end of the road.
His golden dragon instantly woke, sensing the presence of dozens of leeches inside. Not a danger yet. They were probably heading to their coffins to lay down for the day. The hired guards he didn’t expect. He spotted men in black toting rifles moving through the windows of the giant mansion. More loitered outside the gates. A mix of humans and shifters. These vampires took their daytime security, a time they were most vulnerable, seriously.
Not amateurs then or old world vampires who knew nothing about modern technology.
If Striker intended to hit them from above, he’d wind up hurting these hired guns, as well. That didn’t sit well with him. They were only doing their jobs. True, mercenaries weren’t his favorite type of people, but he bet they had families, too. Vampires, on the other hand, were the worst kind of paranormal to watch out for. Immortality did strange things to the supernatural, and vampires were the prime example of that. Over time, most of their humanity eroded away, and they saw humans and other weaker shifters as prey or food.
Before one of the hired guards caught sight of him and wondered what he was doing there, Striker made a swift exit. Once he returned to the woods near town, he shifted and flew back home, his thoughts distracted.
Now, how was he going to tell his mate that he had to cancel date number two tonight because Horn had a vampire problem?
Chapter 10
“You plan to do what?” Ron blurted during breakfast. He woke up at six in the morning, wondering where Striker headed to. Ron had panicked, seeing the dragon shifter wasn’t anywhere, but Striker had returned from a trip to town.
“It’ll be quick. Bennett and I will just have a word with these vampires,” Striker said, finishing his coffee. It was sweet, Ron mused, that Striker bought them breakfast despite the busy morning he had.
Ron sipped his own mug. Agreeing to mate Striker last night had been an impulsive yet the best decision he ever made in his life. Even now, when morning arrived, he had no regrets, but Ron never expected this. He’d gone from being a socially awkward geek who mostly stayed in his apartment to becoming the mate of a dragon shifter who apparently handled the town’s supernatural problems.
“Ron?” Striker looked concerned.
“It’s just, like everyone else, I knew the supernatural existed but hearing you talk about these vampires, knowing that someone I care about is putting himself in harm’s way, it suddenly got all serious.” Ron took a deep breath, surprised Striker rose from his stool to stand behind him and give his shoulders a reassuring squeeze. Striker used one hand to tilt his head and gave him a quick, deep kiss that jolted him wide awake.
“I’m the biggest monster around these parts, baby. You don’t have to worry. Pity the sheriff didn’t agree to me roasting them alive while they’re asleep, otherwise this problem would have been taken care of.”
“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Ron asked. “I’m sorry, I’m still taking this all in. Your world, I mean. It’s different from the one I’m used to.”
Ron also hadn’t realized that plenty of folks were depending on Striker, that they’d go to him for help. It made complete sense, of course. Striker was the most powerful paranormal in Horn and would protect his territory from enemies.
“Vampires aren’t your regular supernaturals, because as time passes, they leave their humanity behind. To them, mortal lives mean nothing,” Striker said in a gentle voice. “Look, it’s just a talk with the coven.”
“What if they really killed all those people?”
Striker looked grim-faced, expression serious. “I have no doubt they did, but they must’ve assumed the town would let it go because Bennett and his men could do nothing about it.”
“Maybe I should come with you, in case you need back up?” Striker looked ready to argue, but Ron wasn’t done. “The more you tell me about vampires, the more I start to distrust them. Someone has to watch your back. I know you’re a powerful dragon shifter but still.”
Striker suddenly pulled him into a fierce hug. “Baby, you have no idea how much those words mean to me. I never had someone who cared if I got hurt, it’s nice, but I can’t risk you. With our life forces melded, if something happens to you…”
Striker trailed off and didn’t finish. Ron sucked in a breath, feeling foolish. He called Toby that morning when he realized Striker had left. Toby was the one who told him that if Striker got hurt, he’d be the first to know through their mating bond. Ron also took that as an opportunity to ask Toby more about what it meant being mated to a dragon shifter. He didn’t realize that by mating Striker, he also made the dragon shifter more vulnerable.
“Striker,” he began, reaching for Striker’s hand. “Why would you choose a human like me for a mate?”
Striker hauled him to his feet until they faced each other. Striker frowned. “What do you mean? Are you regretting saying yes to me last night?”
Hearing the hurt in Striker’s voice, Ron placed a hand over Striker’s chest. “Not at all, but in a way, I’m your weak link, aren’t I?”
Striker took his mouth, obliterated any lingering thoughts in his head. The dragon shifter thrust his tongue down his throat, which only woke his dick. Ron wanted to rub himself against Striker, peel that tight white shirt off to reveal tanned firm muscle, but he held himself back. They were discussing something very important.
“Don’t ever call yourself that,” Striker said after pulling his mouth away, golden gaze serious. “Ron, you know you’re so much more than that. You complete me.”
Those words blew Ron away. “I don’t want to be a burden,” Ron whispered.
Striker growled. “No more self-deprecating comments, baby, or that’ll earn you a punishment.”
Ron squirmed under Striker’s gaze. “A punishment?”
“A spanking, after which I’ll blow you.”
“How is that supposed to teach me a lesson?”
Striker smirked, and the dark cloud lifted. The scary dragon was gone, replaced by his sexy, gorgeous, and cocky mate. “Because I won’t allow you to come, no matter how much you beg me.”
Ron swallowed. “Don’t tease, because I might just like that.”
Striker widened his smile. “Let’s see about that.”
* * * *
Striker knew he shouldn’t have relented agreeing to have lunch with Ron in Horn, but Ron wanted to see the town. Besides, the vampires were asleep, and what did it say about him, if he couldn’t protect his mate? He couldn’t keep Ron in his mountain the whole time, either. Striker took Ron to his favorite diner, aware he’d gotten a couple of curious stares when they walked in.
Ron must have noticed, because his mate lowered his menu and asked him in a whisper, “Are you, like, some of local celebrity or something?”
That got a chuckle out of him. “The opposite, actually. I’ve caused a lot of property destruction in the past and recently, after I lost my job.”
“At that construction company?” Ron asked.
“You remembered,” he said fondly.
“Of course.” Ron huffed. “I remember everything you tell me.”
“Striker, who’s this delightful human with you?” asked a familiar voice.
Sensing another predator, a dominant shifter in his midst, Striker narrowed his eyes, his dragon ready to strike out anyone who might cause trouble for Ron and him. Seeing the sandy-haired big guy in a red flannel shirt and jeans, he relaxed a fraction of an inch. “Randy, you look like shit.”
