Man in the Middle [Wolf Creek Pack 9] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove)

by Stormy Glenn

  “Chase, wha—” Justin was silenced by Chase’s dark, angry expression. Oh perfect, now he had two men mad at him. Justin wrapped his arms around his stomach and slouched down in his seat. If he hadn’t been surrounded by his mates on both sides, he would have slid from the truck and took off running.

  “I want answers, Taylor,” Chase said roughly, “and I want them now.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Taylor replied in a snarky tone.

  “You’re lying.”

  “Am not!” Taylor shouted.

  “Taylor—”

  Justin let out a loud screech and started pushing on Taylor, wanting out. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He hated being around people that were arguing or angry. Having that come from his mates made it even worse.

  “Let me out!” Justin shouted.

  “Justin,” Taylor began.

  “Let me out now!” Justin shouted even louder. He felt like he was suffocating in a sea of overamplified testosterone around these two. He needed fresh air, and he needed room to breathe.

  Taylor slid from the truck, his moves jerky as he moved aside for Justin to get out. Justin began to walk, feeling his heart sinking that both of his mates were arguing, and most likely, about him.

  “Where are you going?” Chase shouted.

  “Away from you two,” Justin replied.

  “Running away again?” Taylor snapped.

  Justin could hear the hurt in Taylor’s voice, but he couldn’t find it in him to care at the moment. He was sick and tired of this damn dysfunctional-ass relationship. They could have each other. If this was how things were going to be, Justin wanted no part of it. He would go back to Danny and his mate, and live out his lonely existence alone.

  Justin spun around and stomped back toward Taylor, shoving his finger into Taylor’s chest. “It’s better than having you sulking over god knows what, and Chase yelling his demands to be told. I don’t need this bullshit!”

  “You don’t need it?” Taylor snapped. “Then how do you think I feel when—” Taylor curled his lips in and spun around, walking back toward the truck.

  “Oh, no you don’t!” Justin said as he hurried after Taylor. He grabbed his mate’s arm and spun him around. Wow, he was shocked at how strong he was. Okay, he would examine that later. Right now he had a mate to chew out. “Tell me what’s wrong, or so help me, I’ll bite you.”

  “Is that how I’ll get you to feed from me?” The acid in Taylor’s voice stunned Justin. Never before had he heard Taylor speak that way to him.

  He didn’t like it.

  “What in blue blazes are you talking about?”

  Justin watched as Chase walked slowly around the front of the truck, keeping a close eye on Taylor. Justin looked into Taylor’s blue eyes, seeing raw hurt radiating in them. Oh, gods, what was wrong with Taylor?

  “I’m talking about you asking Chase what blood type he was, but you didn’t bother to ask me. I’m talking about you feeding from Chase for the first time, but leaving me out of the loop. Everything dealing with vampire stuff, you refer to Chase. Is that how it is, Justin? You’re one of the paranormal now, so little ole human Taylor is getting the shaft?”

  Justin was knocked back ten feet with shock. Had he really made Taylor feel as though he wasn’t wanted or needed?

  “You know how we feel about you, Taylor,” Chase said as he took a few steps closer. “How could you even think such a thing?”

  Taylor shot a glare at Chase that made icicles form around Justin’s heart. It was cold and withering. “I don’t really know how you feel, Chase, considering we just mated.”

  “And me?” Justin whispered, feeling as though his very happiness depended on Taylor’s answer.

  “I thought I knew how you felt, Justin. But since finding out you’re a vampire, I’m feeling left out,” he said softly. “Tell me where I belong in this relationship. Tell me where I fit in?”

  “Oh, hell,” Justin said as he wrapped his arms around Taylor, pulling his lover close. “You’ve sacrificed so much for me, Tay. I didn’t want to ask for you to sacrifice anything else. I felt guilty for all of the years you spent defending me against the Teacher that I didn’t want you to have to feed me, too. It was just another thing on your ‘have to take care of Justin’ list.”

  “Are you kidding?” Taylor asked as he cupped Justin’s face, his fingers warm and welcomed. “I love taking care of you. It would be my honor to feed you.”

  Chase closed the gap, pulling them both into his strong arms. “You belong with us, Taylor. That’s where your place is. And the only shaft you’ll be getting is mine when we get home.”

  A smile tugged at Taylor’s lips as he glanced down toward the ground.

  “And I can feed from you next, if you’d like,” Justin said, hoping, no, praying that Taylor knew just how sincere he was. He had no idea that not feeding from Taylor was going to make the man go loopy. All he had been trying to do was take some of the burden off of Taylor’s shoulders, not alienate him.

  “Ready to go home?” Chase asked right before he laid a soft kiss on Taylor’s lips, and then Justin’s.

  “Sure,” Taylor said, as if he were embarrassed for his meltdown.

  The more Justin thought about it, the more he knew that if roles were reversed, he may have had a meltdown as well. He hadn’t meant to not include Taylor, but as he thought about the events since finding out he was a vampire, Justin guessed it did seem that way.

  “And I’ll suck your cock until your eyeballs pop just as soon as we get home,” he said to Taylor as he batted his eyes and began to walk back toward the truck, adding a little hitch to his hips.

  “Tease,” Taylor said, but Justin could see the lust filling Taylor’s blue eyes.

  “Let’s go home, mates,” Chase said as all three climbed back into the truck.

  * * * *

  Taylor was feeling one hundred percent better as Chase pulled into the driveway. Gods, it felt good to be home. It felt like a hundred years had passed since Taylor had left his house to go on the hunt for Justin.

  “I never thought I would be this glad to be home,” Justin said as he climbed from the truck. “Remind me not to take off again, even if I think it’s for the greater good. As nice as Danny and Dominic’s home is, there’s nothing like sleeping in my own bed.”

  “Amen to that,” Chase said as he walked around to the back of the truck to grab his and Taylor’s things.

  Taylor and Justin walked into the apartment, Taylor hitting the light switch. He frowned when the kitchen lights didn’t come on. “Must be a fuse,” he said. “Stay by the door while I go check.”

  “Maybe we should send Chase,” Justin said, his voice a little shaky.

  “It’ll be fine, Justin. It’s just a blown fuse. I’ve dealt with them before.” Taylor walked further into the apartment, feeling as if something was off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something on the air, something that just wasn’t right.

  “What’s wrong?” Chase asked when he walked through the door. “Why are the lights out?”

  “There’s a blown fuse,” Justin answered.

  “Taylor. Move slowly back toward the door.” Chase’s voice inside Taylor’s head was spoken so low that Taylor had to concentrate just to hear it. It sounded cautious and filled with tension.

  “Why?” he asked as he began to look around, slowly moving back toward Chase.

  “No,” Taylor shouted as he was grabbed from behind, something metal shoved into his side.

  “Long time no see, ankle biter,” the person behind Taylor said, the words coming out in a lazy drawl. “Didn’t think you would see me again, did you?”

  “Let. Him. Go.” Chase bit out each word between clenched teeth.

  “What do I do?” Taylor asked frantically. “Who is he?”

  “A very bad man. The very man I was trying to protect you two from coming into contact with.”

  “He has a gun shoved into my sid
e.”

  “Oh, gods, Taylor!” Justin whispered into Taylor’s mind. “Do whatever he wants. Don’t let him shoot you!”

  “I hadn’t planned on it, Justin.”

  “Let’s cut to the chase,” the man said and then laughed, but it lacked any kind of humor. “No pun intended.”

  “You don’t want to do this,” Chase warned. “You won’t like the outcome.”

  Taylor felt the cold steel press harder into his side, making him wince. “Neither will you.”

  “Why? Why are you doing this? I’ve never done anything to you,” Chase asked as he moved over to his right an inch. It was barely a movement, but Taylor caught it, and so did the man with the gun.

  “Don’t fucking move,” he snarled. “You know exactly why. Germany, three years ago.”

  “The Parkins case?” Chase asked, confusion apparent in his voice.

  “That was my kill. That was my money to have. You had to go and warn the man!”

  Taylor didn’t like the way the guy’s voice was growing in hysterics. It did not bode well for him. He wasn’t sure how to deal with a nut job, but he knew that Chase shouldn’t be pissing the guy off.

  “Chase, you’re making him mad!”

  “Just stay calm, Taylor,” Chase replied, his eyes flickering to Taylor’s for a moment. “He already has an agenda. The only thing I can do is try to get you away from him.”

  “It was faulty intel. You would have shot an innocent man.”

  The guy laughed, the sound making the hairs on Taylor’s body stand on end. The man was off his fucking rocker!

  “No one is innocent, Chase. Everyone is expendable. That was always your problem. You thought you could save the world. You were a fool back then, and you are still a fool.”

  Taylor cried out when the gun went off. He collapsed to the floor, feeling a pain so raw radiating in his right side that he turned to his left side and began to pull himself across the floor. He had to get to Justin. He had to save his lover.

  A howl so loud that Taylor thought his ears would bleed erupted as Chase shifted. But then Taylor heard another gunshot. He pushed to his feet, swaying slightly as he crossed the room, pulling Justin into his arms, and keeping the smaller man away from harm.

  “Taylor,” Justin cried as he clung to him. “He shot you!”

  “I’ll be fine,” Taylor bit out between clenched teeth, feeling the room spin all around him. Maybe he needed to lie down for a minute.

  * * * *

  Chase backed up when Remington hit the floor, his eyes glazed over and staring at nothing. He didn’t have a gun, so Chase knew there was someone else in the apartment. His heart stopped beating when he looked over at his mates and saw Taylor lying on the floor, Justin clinging to him and crying.

  “Go to them. Get help your mates.”

  “Marc?” Chase’s mouth dropped as his friend, Marc Duggon walked down the stairs and headed straight for the dead body on the floor by the door.

  “Hurry, Chase. I’ll take care of this piece of shit,” Marc said as he bent over the body.

  Chase forgot all about Marc as he raced across the room, pulling Taylor from the floor. His heart dropped when he saw the massive amount of blood already on the floor underneath his mate.

  “Help him!” Justin screamed.

  “Call Devlin, Justin. Tell him to get here as fast as he can with his mate. Use my phone.” Chase handed his phone over to Justin as he pulled his shirt off and tried to stanch the bleeding. If Taylor lost too much blood, there could be irreversible damage. He applied heavy pressure to the wound as Justin practically screamed into the phone for Devlin to get his ass here now.

  “Don’t you leave me, Taylor. Justin and I need you. We’re nothing without you with us.” Chase felt the hot, wet tears slide down his face as he prayed Zacarius and Devlin got here in time.

  Sirens could be heard off in the distance, and Chase knew that Joe Nash more than likely was the one heading up the cavalry, but he didn’t have time to answer any questions. He had to save his mate.

  “I’ll go talk to the cops,” Marc said as he walked back inside through the patio door. Chase didn’t even care what the man had done with Remington’s body. All he cared about was making sure Taylor stayed alive.

  “They–They said that they are only twenty minutes away,” Justin said as another sob tore from his chest. He dropped down to his knees, setting Chase’s phone down as he cupped Taylor’s face. “Don’t leave me, Tay. I love you.”

  “Not going anywhere,” Taylor bit out and then grimaced.

  “No talking,” Chase said, turning his head to the side so he could wipe the tears onto his shoulder. “Lie perfectly still.”

  “Why are we waiting on Zacarius and Devlin? We should be rushing him to the hospital!” Justin cried out.

  Because Chase knew Taylor wouldn’t survive if he went to the hospital. He had seen this type of wound before, and it was almost always fatal. Devlin had told him what Zacarius had done for Danny when he was poisoned. Chase was desperately hoping that the prince could do the same thing for Taylor. He was only one hope of Taylor surviving this, and Chase was praying Zacarius could pull it off.

  After twenty agonizing minutes of keeping the pressure on Taylor’s wound, and Taylor growing so pale that Chase feared that it would be too late, Zacarius and Devlin walked through the door.

  “Oh, my,” Zacarius said as he hurried over. “How long has he been losing blood?”

  “Since I called you,” Justin nearly shouted.

  Even after twenty minutes, the man hadn’t calmed one bit. Chase didn’t blame his mate. If he wasn’t trying his best to keep Taylor alive, he would have fallen apart as well. Only by concentrating on Taylor had Chase been able to hold it together.

  “Do you need my help?” Joe asked as he walked through the apartment door, his face grim, his brows furrowed.

  “Yeah, can you keep everyone out?” Chase asked.

  Joe nodded. “Consider it done.”

  Chase glanced over at his brother-in-law. “Zacarius, can you save him?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Maybe?” Chase snapped. “What do you mean maybe?”

  “I mean that I can perform the ritual, and it might save your mate’s life, but it could also cost him his life. I do not know if he is strong enough to survive the ritual.”

  “He’s strong enough.” Chase glanced down at Taylor, smiling weakly when he saw Taylor’s eyes looking back up at him through the small slit in his eyelids. “He’s one of the strongest men I know.”

  Chase looked up when he felt Zacarius’s hand on his arm.

  “You need to be warned, if I perform this ritual, Taylor will no longer be as he is now. Not only is this ritual forbidden and never to be spoken of again, but it will transform Taylor into a vampire like Justin.”

  Chase’s jaw dropped. Two vampire mates? Did he have that much blood inside of him? “Ho—how can I feed the two of them?”

  Zacarius smiled for the first time since he walked through the door. “There are ways, my brother. Once Justin and Taylor are used to our ways, they will only need to feed a few times a week, and you have plenty of blood for that.”

  “And until then?”

  “Until then, they will need to feed from bagged blood as well as you.”

  “Oh, Justin isn’t going to be happy about that. He doesn’t like that sight of blood.”

  Zacarius chuckled. “He’ll get used to it.”

  “I guess he’ll have to.” Chase sighed as he looked back down at Taylor. “I guess they both will.”

  Chapter 16

  Justin was so scared that his insides actually ached. Taylor was shot and bleeding all over the place, possibly dying. And now, Chase was going on about some ancient vampire ritual that might or might not save Taylor, but would turn him into a vampire.

  And they had to have sex…with witnesses.

  And with Taylor injured as he was, Justin had no idea how in the hell that was going t
o happen. Taylor couldn’t even move. There was no way that he could endure the rigors of sex, especially with a wolf-shifter. Chase was a rough lover, but Justin loved every moment of having the man’s hands on him. He knew Taylor did, too.

  But that still didn’t explain exactly how this was all supposed to take place.

  Justin watched as Taylor was stripped naked and then lay out on the bed. His wound was wrapped, a sheet draped over his bits and pieces, and then Prince Zacarius helped Taylor drink something tinted red out of a cup. It had green leaves floating in it.

  “What’s that?” Justin asked, gesturing to the cup with his chin.

  “It is simply a drought that will help stem the flow of bleeding and take away some of Taylor’s pain.” Zacarius looked up as he pulled the cup away from Taylor’s lips. “Do not worry, little one. It will not harm him.”

  Justin turned away and rubbed his hands down his face. This wasn’t going to work. There was no way that it could. He was going to lose Taylor, and there was nothing he could do. He was human, vampire, whatever, and he was totally useless.

  “Justin!” Chase shouted, grabbing him by the face. “Stop, angel. This isn’t helping. You’re broadcasting your worry all over the place. Taylor is fighting as hard as he can to stay alive, and we need to believe that he can stay with us.”

  “I know, I just—oh god, Chase!” Justin dropped his head against Chase’s broad chest. He felt the man’s arms wrap around him and hold him close. “I just need him so much. I don’t know what I’ll do if he dies.”

  “He’s not going to die, angel. We’re going to save him and turn him into a vampire just like you, remember?”

  “What if he doesn’t want to be a vampire?” Justin asked, a slight wobble in his voice. “What if he hates us for doing this?”

  “Co–could n–never hate you.”

  “Taylor!” Justin shouted as he spun around and dropped to his knees beside the bed. He grabbed Taylor’s hand between both of his, not knowing where else to touch his mate but needing to reach some part of him. “How do you feel?”