by Alanea Alder
“Food when we were alive was dry stuff with bugs in it. Blood was so much better that we never went back and tried anything,” David said, patting his stomach while Daniel licked his fingers, both having inhaled their halves.
“I can’t wait for you guys to try pizza or ice cream,” Ashby said, smiling.
“Maybe we can try chocolate too,” Daniel asked.
“Let’s go ask Roman to order some chocolate,” David said bouncing off the barstool.
“Yeah!” Daniel said and they both took off.
“Wait you two! He’s in a meeting with Prince Gabriel!” Baptista said and took off after the two smaller men. Ashby giggled at his new friends. They weren’t trouble, just impetuous. He carefully put all the ingredients away and looked around the kitchen. He spotted a huge walk-in freezer. He wondered if they had any ice cream in there that he would share with the twins. It probably wasn’t the same as the gourmet stuff he had at his shop, but it would be a start. He struggled to open the thick metal door. When he finally got the door open he stepped inside. The door closed behind him and he turned the light on. He was fairly impressed with the freezer. It looked like someone really organized it well. There were shelves on all four walls and a standing shelving unit in the middle of the room. It took him a few minutes to find a gallon of chocolate ice cream. Grinning at his find he went to open the door and it wouldn’t budge. He turned the handle and threw his weight into the metal surface and nothing happened. He tried again and again to shove the door open, but it wouldn’t move.
What kind of idiot locks himself in the freezer? Oh yeah that’s right, me! Well they should be back soon. I’ll just wait for someone to come into the kitchen and let me out. Yeah, I’ll just wait. Ashby decided sitting on anything would just mean getting colder faster so he walked back and forth to keep his blood moving.
Any minute now.
* * * *
“What do you mean you can’t find him?” Gabriel asked in a deadly quiet voice. He hadn’t felt any pain or panic through their bond.
“Sir, Daniel, David and I left the kitchen for just a couple minutes and when we went back he was gone. There was no sign of intruders in the club and no foreign scents,” Baptista said, hanging his head low.
“All you had to do was watch over him,” Gabriel said, taking slow even breaths.
“I’m sorry my prince. I am heading back out now to assist in looking for him.” Baptista was not able to look his creator in the eye. If anything happened to the small, sweet man, he would never forgive himself and would gladly accept any punishment his prince deemed fit, right after he destroyed the ones responsible.
“I want everyone awake and looking for him. I don’t care if the club stays closed until he is found, he is everyone’s top priority,” Gabriel said, walking past Baptista to go look for his mate. He paused at the doorway.
“If anything has happened to him, I am holding you responsible,” he said coldly.
“Yes, my prince,” Baptista replied.
Gabriel walked past the twins who were waiting outside the office, tears streaming down their faces.
“You two, go over every second of surveillance footage. See if you can discover anything from it,” Gabriel said and moved on without waiting for their response.
“We’ll find him Baptista, you’ll see,” Daniel said. Baptista turned a tortured face to the twins.
“I hope so, for all our sakes,” he said and he, too, left the office to join the others in searching.
* * * *
Two hours later and they still hadn’t found his mate. Gabriel paced the lower level dance floor that had quickly turned into command central as his coven members frantically searched for his missing mate. Everyone was doing their best to find Ashby, he knew that, but it did little to assuage the mounting panic in his chest.
“Sir, we checked all the footage and no one came in and no one left during that time that he was in the kitchen alone,” Daniel said.
“What was the last thing he said to you? Was he sad? Wanting to go home?” Gabriel asked, getting desperate. David sniffed and wiped his eyes.
“He said he couldn’t wait to introduce us to pizza and ice cream,” Daniel said quietly.
“What did you say?” Gabriel spun around and faced the two men.
“He said that Ashby couldn’t wait to introduce us to pizza and ice cream,” David said, looking confused.
“Oh dear God! I know where he is!” Gabriel said, taking off in a blur that the twins could barely see much less keep up with.
Gabriel ran past Baptista in the kitchen, who looked as though he were trying to see if there were any clues he may have missed. Baptista followed Gabriel to the large walk-in freezer.
Gabriel jerked the freezer door open so hard he ripped the heavy metal door from the frame. He dropped it to one side.
“Mon ange!” he raced forward to scoop up his tiny mate.
“Ab–bout f–freaking t–ime you f–ound m–me.” Ashby shook as his teeth chattered together. Immediately, a leather jacket was thrust at Gabriel. Baptista had stripped it off as soon as he saw how badly the small man was shaking.
“Mon dieu, I’m never letting you out of my sight. Never again.” Gabriel walked out of the kitchen heading toward the stairs.
“I w–wanted to make sundaes. Daniel and David have never tried ice cream.” Ashby’s shaking started to subside somewhat.
“I have been losing my mind looking for you.” Gabriel buried his face in Ashby’s neck.
“I was only a little lost, I’m sorry you got so upset. But see, I’m getting better now.” Ashby ran his fingers through Gabriel’s shoulder length hair.
“We’re going upstairs. I am personally going to get you warm again.” Gabriel tightened his hold as they walked into the main club area where everyone was assembled. Ashby giggled.
“OK!” he said, laying his head on his mate’s broad chest. Gabriel turned to face his coven.
“Thank you, all of you, for looking for Ashby.” He turned his head slightly.
“Baptista,” he said to the man standing at the edge of the dance floor without turning around.
“Yes, sir?” Baptista stepped forward, his back ramrod straight.
“Your punishment is that you are permanently assigned to Ashby’s protection detail. If this afternoon is any indication, it will be more than harsh enough,” he said as a slight smile tugged one side of his lips. Baptista’s eyes filled with tears.
“Thank you sir!” he said, bowing nearly in half. Gabriel nodded and carried his mate up the stairs to their apartment.
Chapter 6
“I think I resent that watching over me became a punishment,” Ashby said, poking Gabriel in the chest. Gabriel smiled softly down at his mate who still had blue-tinged lips.
“You forget, I have been listening to your misadventures with Nicolas and Rebecca for the past couple months,” Gabriel said leaning forward and taking Ashby’s lips between his own. Ashby leaned forward in his arms trying to deepen the kiss, but Gabriel pulled back and winked down at his shivering angel.
“Let’s get you in the shower, mon ange,” Gabriel said, walking through their door and shutting it behind them. Without stopping in the master bedroom he headed straight to the master bath. He gently placed Ashby on the counter and went to the large stone-tiled walk-in shower. He adjusted the temperature to something lukewarm, and when he turned back around Ashby had already shrugged out of his shirt and tank top and was removing his jeans. Gabriel threw the jeans in the corner and stepped between his mate’s legs.
“When we couldn’t find you, I found myself willing to give up everything, my position, my people, everything I am, just to get you back.” Gabriel leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Ashby’s waist, resting his head on his shoulder.
“I’m so sorry, Gabriel, I didn’t mean to lock myself in, I just have this strange history with freezers,” Ashby started. Gabriel lifted his head.
“What do you mean? Y
ou never mentioned this when we spoke.” Gabriel stepped back and removed his own clothing. He heard a sigh and when he turned back around Ashby was staring at him with a soft smile on his lips.
“Focus angel, what about you and freezers,” Gabriel said before wrapping Ashby’s legs around his waist and carrying them both into the shower.
“That water is almost cold!” Ashby protested and Gabriel adjusted the temperature until steam started misting around them.
“Freezers?” Gabriel asked, nearly getting distracted at the hard length that was poking him in the belly. Ashby sighed.
“After I bought the ice cream parlor, I didn’t have a lot of money left over so I could only afford an old and refurbished walk-in freezer for the shop. The first time I locked myself in, it took nearly eight hours for someone to find me. After the sixth or seventh time, the town kids would check in on me regularly. If they had to let me out of the freezer I would give them a two-scoop ice cream cone. At the two-year anniversary of the parlor opening, the town chipped in and bought me a new freezer with a release latch. I think they were convinced I would accidently kill myself.” Ashby shrugged and looked at Gabriel who was staring at him with a look of pure terror on his face. With Ashby still wrapped around his waist he walked to the far side of the walk in stone shower and hit an intercom button. Roman’s voice immediately came on the line.
“Sir?” he asked.
“I want a new walk-in freezer ordered, with a safety latch so that no one can get locked in,” Gabriel said
“Already ordered sir, you destroyed the one we have now,” Roman said flatly.
“I also want a surveillance camera installed inside the freezer,” Gabriel said, smiling when Ashby began to blush.
“I’m not that bad!” he protested. Gabriel silenced him with a quick kiss.
“Sir, to confirm, you want a surveillance camera placed inside the walk-in freezer?” Roman asked, sounding only slightly intrigued.
“Yes,” Gabriel said simply.
“I’ll get Beavis and Butthead online to order an all-weather camera. We’ll have it in by the end of the week,” Roman advised.
“Thank you.” Gabriel pushed the button to end the call.
“You have a telephone in your shower.” Ashby stared at the speaker in the wall.
“Technically it’s an intercom system, it’s only tied to a select few phone numbers. That way those who have access to me upstairs are restricted.” Gabriel moved them back under the hot water.
“You didn’t have to put in the camera,” Ashby pouted, his lower lip sticking out.
“You are adorable when you argue.” Gabriel swiped his tongue across the protesting lip.
“Gabriel.” Ashby breathed his name and leaned in for a kiss. Gabriel took advantage and plundered his mate’s mouth, pushing, demanding compliance. He turned to his left and used the hand pump attached to the side of the shower wall to get some waterproof lube. He reached behind Ashby and began to finger his mate’s tight hole. He was still partially stretched from the night prior and it didn’t take long until he was easing Ashby down on his hard cock.
“Not gentle, please,” Ashby begged.
“How do you want it angel?” Gabriel left Ashby fully seated on his prick. Ashby looked Gabriel in the eye and leaned forward and buried his teeth in Gabriel’s neck.
“Hard. Fuck me with your huge cock.” Ashby’s lips moved against Gabriel’s skin. Gabriel felt his control snap as his mate took his life’s blood into his body and the dirty words fell from his angel’s lips. He turned and pressed Ashby against the shower wall. He pounded into his mate’s greedy ass again and again. The animalistic grunts and the sounds of flesh against flesh echoed in the shower stall.
“Come,” Gabriel demanded and thrust his forefinger in beside his cock stretching his mate further. Ashby’s eyes went wide and he screamed out his release, his hot cum mingling with the water. Gabriel removed his finger and thrust deep once more before emptying into his mate.
“God I needed that,” Ashby said, closing his eyes. Gabriel lifted him off his softening dick and gently washed his mate’s well-used hole.
“We have the rest of eternity. It will only get better between us,” Gabriel said washing his own body.
“What do you mean eternity?” Ashby asked, pausing in soaping himself up.
“I’m a true immortal, mon ange. Unless someone gets extremely lucky, I will live forever, and as my mate, so will you,” Gabriel explained rinsing his hair. When he looked down he noticed that Ashby had gone extremely pale.
“When were you going to tell me?” Ashby said. Gabriel could see a flash of anger in his eyes.
“I don’t know what you mean, does it matter when I tell you? We are mates, I am immortal, as my mate so are you. Were you not going to mate with me had you known?” Gabriel asked, starting to get irritated.
“No, but this is huge Gabriel. You should have told me,” Ashby turned his back to Gabriel after he rinsed off the soap.
“I didn’t realize it would affect you this much. How about we have a nice dinner after we get back from shopping for your new things?” Gabriel said, turning off the water and stepping out of the shower. Ashby stopped in his tracks behind Gabriel and gaped up at him.
“What do you mean new things?” he asked in the barest of whispers.
“You will need clothes and things since you will be moving in.” Gabriel looked down at Ashby, not sure why his mate was looking at him as if he just suggested they go out and kill kittens instead of the day of pampering and shopping he had planned for him.
“You never even asked me what I wanted,” Ashby said before grabbing a towel, his old clothes, and marching out the door. Gabriel watched as he walked out of the master bedroom to the guest bedroom and slammed the door.
What the fuck did I do? Gabriel slammed his hands on the counter. He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure as he dried off. He walked to the master bedroom and got dressed while he replayed the conversation. He glanced at the closed guest room door. Sighing, he headed downstairs to resume the meetings he had canceled to be with his mate today.
If he wants to be alone, then he will have all day to be alone, he threw himself into his work to distract him from his mate’s hurt expression.
Chapter 7
“We have three new guys in the pride and sweet baby Santa, are they hot! Liam was complaining to his grandfather about getting behind with the pride accounts and about the hyena attacks. Grandpa Lewenhart digs up three gay lion hotties and ships them to Arkadia. I almost peed myself laughing when they introduced themselves in the diner. Liam cussed a blue streak, calmed down, and then gave them the town tour. I swear if I weren’t mated… First we have Rex Townsend. Light-brown hair and brown eyes, built like a linebacker. Rian trips over his damn feet around him.” Rebecca shared and he could almost hear the eyeroll.
“Sounds yummy, what about the other two?” Ashby asked intrigued.
“Next we have Kent Fieldings, think really buff Clark Kent, complete with glasses. Swimmer’s build, kinda shy, absolutely adorable. He blushes, Ashers, blushes! Kate and I want to adopt him. He was Lachlan’s solution to Liam being behind in accounts and paperwork, the guy is a genius with numbers. He makes you think bad things, like being naughty in study hall.” Rebecca laughed.
“Next?” Ashby asked, dying to hear about the last one.
“Last, but certainly not least, is Talon Forrester. This guy is almost as big as my bear, about six foot seven. He’s massive, like blot-out-the-sun huge, but in the super cut and defined kind of way. Kate and I are begging Liam to throw a pool party this summer, but our mates heard why we wanted one and torpedoed that idea. But we are not giving up yet.” Rebecca dropped her voice to a whisper.
“Anyways, how are things in Purgatory? I still think that name is wicked,” Rebecca said.
“I locked myself in the damn freezer!” Ashby complained to Rebecca. He heard her giggle and smiled. She had a way of making him
smile even when he was mad or upset.
“Ashby, it could have happened to anyone,” Rebecca said warmly.
“I know, it just keeps happening to me. I hate being cold,” he said, shuddering.
“I bet you’re all wrapped up in a soft blankie now,” Rebecca said, teasingly.
“Yup. Gabriel bought me a baby penguin blanket during the months we were talking over the phone. It was waiting for me in the linen closet. He must have been taking notes during our long conversations this winter because I also found some coco in the kitchen. Imported stuff.” Ashby exclaimed.
“Is it any good?” Rebecca asked eagerly.
“It’s amazing, but, I miss my tiny marshmallows,” Ashby said quickly.
“I’ll buy a bag of mini-mini marshmallows for you so when you make your imported hot chocolate you can have your extra sugar,” Rebecca said, laughing.
“I don’t know when I’ll be home again. I don’t have any clothes. Gabriel dropped this bomb on me that I’m immortal now and that he was going to throw away all my stuff and I kinda freaked out. I don’t mean to sound bratty, but I want my own darn underwear. I know that he will expect me to give up my life and move here, but how can I leave you and everyone? My shop is there. If only vampires could live in Arkadia, that would be the best, then the coven could be safe and I could stay with you guys.” Ashby let all his frustration come forward.
“OK, one thing at a time. Was it really that big of a stretch that you would be immortal? You must have known it was a possibility. Your only other option would have been to walk away from your mating, and I highly doubt Gabriel was planning on throwing away all your belongings. What did he say?” Rebecca asked.
“He said the same thing about not really having a choice about the immortal thing and he said he was going to take me shopping for new things since I would be moving in. I don’t want new things! I don’t want to leave Arkadia!” Ashby let his tears fall.
“I admit that he shouldn’t have just assumed you would be moving in, especially since you have your own business, but taking you shopping is an Alpha male thing, Ashby. You’ve seen Aleks. That man practically becomes a caveman around me sometimes. It’s in their DNA to provide for their mates. I don’t think vampires are much different than shifters in that regard. As for letting vampires into Arkadia, let me talk to everyone and see what they think. I don’t want to lose you either.” Rebecca paused.
