by Lisa Oliver
“He’s lying. Ven please.” Joseph cast a worried look at the on-comer, but just as quickly went back to begging. “Can’t we talk about this? I promise, it was just one time…”
“What is the point in being the supreme leader in this town, if you can’t control the antics of one sniveling cat shifter?” Con growled in his ear. Ven was grateful the man spoke low enough only he could hear, but his beloved made a good point.
Standing, because that served a two-fold purpose; giving him more height, and stopping Joseph from crying on his pants, Ven open his mouth wide and hissed - the hiss of an ancient vampire who was beyond pissed off. Every head in the room snapped in his direction, the room was totally silent. Even the twink froze, his tray still wobbling in his hand above his head.
“My beloved and I are trying to enjoy a quiet and peaceful dinner,” Ven said in a low voice when he was certain he had everyone’s attention. “We are attending this meal, because the cause of homeless shifters is one that cannot and should not be ignored. I would be supremely grateful if someone in charge of this shindig can remove the persons who are disturbing everyone else’s meal, and I would recommend that the owners of this fine establishment pay close attention to the memos coming out of my office from now on. To find a man who was banished from my territory at lunchtime serving me my dessert that same night is a gross oversight on someone’s part. Am I clear?”
“My lord, yes of course, my lord, I’ll get onto it directly.” Jack Ford, the owner of the club who was sitting opposite him at the table, snapped his fingers for two bouncers who were loitering by the doorway. No one made a sound as both the twink and Joseph were dragged out of the room. In fact, it was as if no one breathed until Ven sat down again.
“I believe we were enjoying the dessert course,” Ven said smoothly, picking up a fork and spoon. “Tell me, beloved, are you able to eat chocolate, or is that only a natural canine dietary concern?”
As if he’d flicked a switch, everyone went back to what they were doing. But Ven noticed Con wasn’t eating and his response to sudden questions from the person on the other side of him were monosyllabic at best. My beloved needs to let his wolf out, he thought, noting the tenseness in Con’s limbs. Please don’t let him shift in here.
/~/~/~/~/
Con made it to the car. How the hell he did it, he had no idea, but Ven made the mistake of stopping to talk to Mosh, leaning in and keeping his voice low so even Con couldn’t hear him, and that was the final straw. Yes, he knew shifters should have more control over their animal sides, blah, blah. But his wolf had reached his limit and so had Con. It was as if the whole evening had been one shining example why he and Ven wouldn’t work as mates.
The socialization, the schmoozing, that fucking Joseph knowing what his mate looked like naked when all Con had seen so far was high priced suits. It was all too much for a shifter used to the simple life, and so he shifted, ripping his borrowed suit to shreds, and then he growled, low and mean, because the Fates knew he had more than enough to growl about.
Con’s wolf was a huge animal, his shoulder was higher than Ven’s head and the man was standing upright. Ven seemed startled by the rapid change, but Con couldn’t scent any fear coming from him. Mosh was wary though and it was him that spoke first. “Erm… my lord, now would be a good time to get in the car.”
“Nonsense,” Ven glided over so smoothly it was as though his feet didn’t touch the ground. “This lovely wolf won’t hurt me, and besides he’s far too big to fit in the limo in this form. You’ve had a rough night, haven’t you, baby. Will you let me stroke you?”
Grrrr. Mate. Ven smelled of musk and spices of old, a scent so strong in this form, the wolf wanted to roll in it. But there were people around. Lots of people, and the wolf couldn’t handle that uncertainty – who was safe, who meant his mate harm? In his head, there was only one solution. Con allowed the touch, enjoying the ripples in his fur as Ven moved along, stroking down his spine – or at least as far as he could reach. But the wolf was watching – flicking his eyes between his mate and the others who were clustered around the car.
It’s not safe enough here, he thought as Mosh took a step towards them. Waiting until Ven was mid-point down his back, the wolf grabbed his mate’s pants top in his teeth, swinging the man off his feet. Confident he had a secure hold, Con turned, sprinting across the lawn, heading for the trees. Trees meant safety, somewhere he could hide his mate.
Shouts and yells sounded behind him. Vampires were super-fast, but Con was no slouch either. He might not be the strongest wolf, but he was quick on his feet and while vampires could find heat signatures in the dark, he had full night vision. Weaving through the trees, he moved in a zig zag pattern, making it harder for them to be tracked. Ven was trying to get down, or get up, Con wasn’t sure, but he growled again, willing the man to be still. The last thing he wanted was to crush his mate’s skull on a tree trunk as they blurred past him.
/~/~/~/~/
My poor wolf has totally lost the plot. Ven gave up trying to get down and was now trying to work out where they were. Con was new to the area, and wasn’t likely to have a destination in mind. Ven knew every inch of his town and the surrounding woodlands like the back of his hand. When he spotted a familiar landmark, he reached back, tapping his wolf on the right side of his nose.
The speed didn’t falter, but the wolf did turn right. Thank fuck. Through a series of taps, Ven directed them to a small hunting lodge used more as a time out space because of course, hunting of any kind was outlawed in his territory. There were exceptions made for deer, back when he’d first set up his small town, but when deer shifters moved in, Ven outlawed all forms of hunting in animal or human form. The house was small, compared to his hotel suite, but it was always kept clean and stocked with provisions for anyone who might want to use it.
Ven directed his wolf to the porch, hoping the big beast would let him down gently. His belt was cutting into his middle and he doubted the best of dry cleaners could get the teeth marks and wolf dribble out of his pants.
The wolf stood still for the longest time, his nose twitching, his ears flickering back and forth. Ven knew, or at least he hoped, that Mosh would realize where Ven had directed them, and keep his men back for now. Paranormal laws 101 stated explicitly that a mate, beloved, or chosen, could never and would never hurt their partner, claimed or not. Con’s actions were understandable, even if they did take everyone else by surprise. Ven hoped, that in time, his beloved would trust that anywhere in Rockville was a safe haven for him. For them both. But that day wasn’t today.
“Babe,” Ven tried when Con didn’t seem to want to move or let go of him. The blood was rushing to his head and he really wanted to be put down. “We’re safe here. There’s no one around. You can let me stand up now.”
The whine was surprising, and loud, but after a moment the wolf lowered his head and gently disengaged his teeth. Being on his hands and knees might have factored into Ven’s hopeful plans for the evening, once he realized Con had come for him, but he wasn’t about to try and tempt the man in wolf form. Con’s nose running over his ass had him swirling around, shuffling back on his butt as he regarded the wolf who was watching him intently.
“I’m not surprised to see you in this form,” Ven said slowly, reaching up and flicking his hair back from his face. “I can’t imagine the stress you must have been under – the death of your twin, moving so far away from your home, leading a bunch of people who clearly don’t share your ideals. Then finding me. I guess that was a bit of a shock.”
“And I know,” he added as the wolf gently sunk down on his haunches, his green eyes never leaving Ven’s face. “I know Joseph’s antics, though not surprising to me, weren’t what you expected when you accompanied me tonight. I’m not going to apologize for the things Joseph said. I have a long sexual history, and I’m sure you do too,” he added firmly when a full-on chest growl erupted from Con’s long snout. “Between mates and beloveds, the past is
not important. All of those people for both of us ceased to matter when we realized who we are to each other.”
Con tilted his head slightly, his eyes still focused on Ven’s face. He was showing no signs of shifting back, but Ven realized there was something calming about talking to a sentient being who couldn’t talk back. He found himself wishing he’d stayed close enough to bury his fingers in Con’s long fur.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about each other,” he said, looking up at the bright stars twinkling in a clear dark sky. “I know you’ve got trouble with your pack, something we’ll deal with together. But you have to know, what you did coming to me, when you had no idea how you might be received, all because you wanted to protect me,” Ven smiled as he looked back at his wolf. “That was personal. That was special and I’ll treasure that as one of our first memories of each other always.”
Con’s wide mouth split, as though he was grinning. Ven could sense the pleasure the wolf took from what he’d said. “Of course,” Ven noted, although he was still grinning too, “completing the claiming process isn’t going to happen while you have your fur on, no matter how sexy you might be in wolf standards. Although, I find the idea that you’ll be naked when you shift back extremely arousing.” Sliding his hands over his thighs, Ven widened his legs slightly, caressing his inner thighs as his hands moved up to frame his cock. “See what you do to me?”
Ven knew he wasn’t being fair, teasing his unclaimed beloved in wolf form, and when the huge animal tensed as though he was about to jump, he wondered if he’d made a huge mistake. He’d never heard of wolves claiming non shifter mates in their fur, but he never claimed to know everything either. But just as his muscles did some tensing of their own, a shimmer appeared around Con’s wolf form, and a panting man on his hands and knees appeared in his place – gorgeously naked just as Ven knew he would be.
“We have to talk first,” Con said with some effort, as he swung around, and sat, not quite within touching distance. Ven noticed the chill of the wood on his beloved’s bare ass did nothing to diminish the rampant erection the man was carrying. His butt clenched in anticipation.
Chapter Six
Con couldn’t believe what he’d just done. Abducting his own mate, tearing him away from the people who… who… Ven has a reputation to uphold. Of all the stupid, idiotic, bumbling fucking things I could’ve done… Yet he could no more deny his nature than Ven could. The hut, cabin, house or whatever it was, was empty at least – no fresh scents to rankle his wolf. But the same couldn’t have been said for the country club, and Con was glad to get away from there.
And then there was Ven himself. Con groaned under his breath. The man looked as though he was on a picnic, only his wind-ruffled hair, and his wrinkled clothes any sign he’d been teeth-handled by Con’s animal half. His smile was mischievous, his dark eyes twinkled and yep, he was sporting one hell of an erection.
Don’t look, don’t look. “I’m just a simple builder,” he said haltingly, trying so hard to keep his eyes on Ven’s face. “I was a loner for years, from when my brother took over the pack from our father. There wasn’t room for two alphas. The pack was confused. He was older than me by two minutes… I left.” Shit, I’ve got to pull myself together.
“Was leaving your pack easy? Difficult? Did it make you angry or relieved?”
“Easy.” Con dropped his head. “Relieved.” The last word was whispered. That’s not good enough. You’re a fucking alpha no matter what anyone else says. Buck up. Man up. Con lifted his head. “I hate to disappoint you. I’m an alpha who doesn’t want to lead. I never did. But duty is deathly important to me. Honor. Truth. I’m so fucked. I should never have taken your blood the way I did, but I didn’t want to dishonor your gift. My pack,” Con’s laugh was hollow, “I don’t trust them. There’s stuff going on and I’m worried sick I’ve brought trouble to your peaceful town. I need you. I want you, but I just…”
“You are not running from me.” Con blinked. Ven was suddenly right in front of him, their faces mere inches apart. “Don’t suggest for one second you’re leaving me, no matter how noble you might think you’re being. I don’t know who’s been filling your head full of shit, but there’s nothing wrong with your instincts, as an alpha or a mate.”
Con wanted to believe him so much. “I just want to do the right thing, but I don’t know what that is since Donny died. The only thing that felt right since that night was moving here.” Con could barely breathe. Ven was so close – within touching distance and all Con could smell was his vampire’s alluring scent. All he could see was the warmth of Ven’s eyes.
“The Fates led you right to my doorstep,” Ven smiled. “I bet there’s a hundred romance writers out there beating their chests and screaming no, because we’re always told that’s not how it’s supposed to happen. But it happened for us, and while I’m sorry about the events that led you here, I’m eternally grateful you’re with me now.”
“How can you accept all this, the shit, the baggage I carry and me, all so easily?”
“Because you’re mine, Alpha Conroy Donel, every inch of you is mine as much as I am yours. Mosh will tell you I’m impossible to live with.” Con leaned into the hand Ven placed on his cheek. “I have mercurial moods. I never think to pick up after myself because for the last five hundred years there’s always been someone to do it for me. I used to have an annoying habit of making dignitaries squirm when I made out I wanted to feed from them, and they never knew how to tell me no. So yeah, I can be a right bastard. But I’d be your bastard forever more if you’ll have me.”
Con could drown in his mate’s dark eyes. “I want you. I do. I want you more than anything. All I wanted when I saw you the first time was to grab you and spirit you away so I could sink my teeth into your neck. But tonight. All those people. So happy, so content in their lives and you fit beautifully in with them. And then there’s me. I’m not any of those things.” Con seriously needed to shut up. He wasn’t making sense even to his own ears. It didn’t help that his wolf was so close under the surface of his skin, wanting his mate and pushing Con to do some serious biting. His wolf had no concerns about society, position or anything else. He just wanted the claim.
“Oh babe.” Ven leaned closer, his surprisingly strong arms wound around Con’s neck, holding him like he mattered. “You have had a shit ton of stuff happen to you in the past few weeks. I bet before all this happened you had a quiet well-ordered life, working hard and doing what you needed to do to stay sane without a pack. But you’ve got me now, and we’ll face all this shit together. You don’t have to deal with any of this on your own anymore. You have my word, babe, you’ll never be alone again.”
Oh, my gods. Con knew he shouldn’t, but he could feel the tears welling up and he couldn’t stop them. All the pain he felt when he learned of Donny’s death, the shock of being an instant-alpha responsible for others, having to cope with the aftermath of violence for the very first time, and that was all without his worries about Megan’s motives and the attack. Giving up everything in the life he’d carved for himself, dealing with traumatized pack members – Con had no idea how on edge he’d been until he relaxed into Ven’s embrace. Wrapping his arms around Ven’s slender waist, and burying his face in his mate’s shoulder, Con’s emotions poured out, the shakes in his body having nothing to do with the brisk air.
Five minutes. Ten. Con had no idea how long he’d been sobbing on his mate’s shoulder, but when his harsh tears finally dried up, and his breathing calmed, he wanted to keep his head buried regardless. Ven was warm in his arms, and Con took in his scent with every inhale. He wasn’t ready to leave the comfort he hadn’t realized he needed, and he couldn’t bear to look up and see any signs of disgust at his weakness on his mate’s face.
“It’s been a long time since I hugged someone special,” Ven said as he slowly pulled back. He’s smiling at me. Not disgusted? “I’d forgotten how therapeutic and comforting it can be for both parties. Most people w
ho meet me don’t think I’m the hugging type.”
“Like Joseph you mean?” Shut your damn mouth, idiot. Now is not the time to be inviting unfavorable comparisons.
“Do you have a desperate need to talk about him?” Ven brushed at the damp patch on his suit jacket. A damp patch caused by Con’s tears. “Shall I explain our relationship, and how it never involved hugging like the one I enjoyed with you, and why? Did you want to hear that Joseph was already history before our meeting because he screwed around on me? Will that settle your wolf and make you feel any better?”
“NO!” Con slapped a hand over his mouth, but the growl was already out. Taking a moment to center himself, and pull his damn wolf back, Con said in a more even tone. “I should never have mentioned his name. You’re right. He’s in the past. I’m unsettled. My actions this evening. Your reputation. And now this. I just hate thinking he who should not be named is probably better for you than I am.”
To his shock and delight, Ven laughed. Not the casual titter, or even the amused chuckle he’d been using all evening, but a full-on belly laugh. “Oh, my beloved,” Ven said, wiping the tears from his eyes as he rocked back on his heels. “You taking me away the way you did, so concerned for my safety and no regard at all for my personal powers? If anyone had any doubts you were the perfect man for me, they were thrown right out of the window when you ran off with me dangling from your mouth like an errant pup. It was hilarious, it was brilliant. The whole town will be talking about it by morning. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a picture in our local paper – only showing my behind of course, but definitely one showing you in all your wolfy glory.”
That reminded Con of something he’d noted when he investigated Rockville. “There’s no pictures of you online, or anywhere. Why is that, if it’s okay to ask, that is.”
“You can ask me anything, my beloved. My life is a long but open book to you. It’s simple really.” Ven waved a hand down his body. “My packaging doesn’t fit my power levels. My life is a lot quieter if strangers rely on information about my reputation rather than think they can challenge me because I look like a twenty-year-old twink. Make’s sense, don’t you think?”
