He held out his hand to Kol, *You saved my life. If you hadn’t given me blood I would have died. A slow, agonizing death.*
Kol gave him a smile, “You aren’t upset that it changed your animal?”
Cage smiled, *Not in the least. It gives me an edge. And my wolf and my vampire know without a doubt who our mate is. So there is that.*
Kol laughed, and after they talked for a few more seconds, they drove home.
Cage sat in his truck, with Kol in the passenger seat.
*Is it okay if I ask you some questions?*
Kol nodded, “Absolutely. Ask away.”
Cage gave a small huff, *I wanted to ask if it was normal to hear your vampire. If yours in a separate entity. Like mine is.*
Kol turned shocked eyes on him, “Um. No. I don’t have a separate thing in my head. It’s all me. I do sometimes get different urges, darker urges, but that’s it. I am only me. Have been since I was turned. Many, many, many years ago.”
Cage felt his eyebrows lift at that, *So it’s just my vampire that is separate.*
Kol shook his head, “I can’t imagine why it would be that way. Is your wolf separate?”
Cage shook his head this time, *No. He has always been at my side from the beginning. But when I got that dose of blood, it changed me. All of a sudden, I could hear this voice in my head. A deep, aged voice that had urges also. Ones I refused to give into. But as I grew older, the urges got worse and I finally gave into them by drinking animal blood.”
Cage looked over at Kol, who had his eyebrows raised, “I have never heard of having it be so solitary. I need to look into this. It was my fault you were changed, so I have to find these answers. You are the only hybrid I have ever met.”
*I want to help you. I need to figure this out so I can claim my mate.*
Kol shook his head, “You haven’t claimed your mate? Are you crazy? I have waited hundreds of years to find my girl and you haven’t claimed yours at all? Has she come of age?”
Cage nodded, *She did years ago.*
Kol pinched the bridge of his nose, “I can’t believe this. Why haven’t you claimed her?”
Cage gave an angry huff, and Kol raised his eyebrow, “Whoa. I just need to understand Cage. Tell me.”
*I don’t want to scare her. My monster is just that. A monster. He craves her blood and I want it too. I don’t know if she will change into a monster like me. And I worry that she will. That I will give her something she doesn’t need. Some fucked up monster that could hurt her.*
Kol shook his head, “That isn’t how turning a vampire works. His mate would turn to be like him, but he would never hurt her. You don’t have to be almost dead to turn to a vampire, contrary to popular myths. It helps sometimes, but it’s not how it works for mates. You wouldn’t hurt her when you took her blood. Her blood would sustain him like his would for her.”
*You don’t know that it would happen like that.*
Kol shook his head again, “I know that you are rare. And special. That there is something in your DNA that made you change. I want to find out why. How.”
Cage rolled his eyes, *I don’t feel special. I feel like a freak. You can read my thoughts can’t you? Read the pain there.*
Kol’s eyes widened, “I haven’t tried. I generally don’t like to read others' minds. It doesn’t always turn out how I want.”
Cage looked him dead in the eye, *You want your answers? Then here you go. Read my thoughts. Help me find out how the fuck I got a vampire that is seperate from me. How I am not normal in the least. I beg you. I need answers.*
Kol gave a slow nod, “Just sit still. You may or may not feel me in your head. Most don’t, but other vampires can sense if someone tries to read their thoughts.”
Cage went still and sure enough, it felt as if someone was sifting through his memories like they would pages in a book.
Kol’s eyes were slightly unfocused and as Cage felt him delve deeper in his memories, Kol’s eyes took on a reddish tinge.
Cage watched as Kol went still as stone and then blinked and the sensation of having someone in his head was gone.
His vampire grumbled, *I didn’t like that.*
Cage wanted to roll his eyes and didn’t reply.
Kol studied him, “I wasn’t expecting that. I know you said as much that your vampire is different, but I didn’t believe it. Your vampire is so separate from you. Not one like your wolf is or was with you. It made your wolf, more? I have never seen a creature like yours before. I don’t understand it. I need to figure this out. To find out the answers for you. I will try to find another vampire, but I haven’t been part of their community and don’t wish to have them find me, so I don’t know if I will be welcomed. I will try though. See if I can get one of them to speak with us.”
Cage nodded, *Thanks Kol.*
Kol’s lips twitched a little in the corner, “You are welcome.”
Cage walked away, wanting to find the answers as well.
Chapter Eight
Wren
After getting the bakery up and running, they were all ready to go, when Raina got a weird phone call.
She acted weird for a long time before it, and then she got the call, and she had gone white as a sheet, and then grabbed a bag and was picked up by Ryke.
They all left. Every single one of the men in Cage’s crew. Just gone.
She hated it. She wished she knew why they left and what they had to do, and it rankled against her that she had no idea.
She hoped that one day she would know and wished that that day was sooner than later.
Sighing, she threw herself into work and helped Riley to finish the last minute things that they needed in the bakery.
When Riley had come back it had been such a wonderful surprise.
She, Ever and Riley had been such good friends when they were kids that it was so great to have Riley back.
And Riley had been excited as well. But had them swear they wouldn’t tell Deacon that she was here.
It was a strange request to make and to Wren she thought it wasn’t fair and thought that they were good the last time Deacon had seen Riley, and yet, Riley insisted and was her friend. So she let it go.
When the men came back, they had extra people with them, including a cute girl of about seventeen that was named Layla.
There was also an older couple who stuck to themselves, but Wren had seen once or twice around town.
Layla had told them that they were her and Logan’s parents and Wren wanted even more to know their story.
Where they came from. Where the other men in the crew came from. How they were just there with no explanations.
No one told her anything and Cage still refused to look her way.
She was tired of that. Wanted his eyes on her, like she knew they had been in the past.
He seemed almost ashamed of himself or something now. And she wished she could take his pain away.
That she could hold him in her arms and let him know that she was there for him always.
But it was still not meant to be.
She wouldn’t give up on her dreams though. That someday, Cage would be hers.
That she would finally get to kiss him and hug him and make love to him like she wished she could for years.
That thought kept her going. Made her waiting bearable.
She helped the girls out in the bakery and did her best to keep her positive attitude in place.
As the days flew by, Wren fell more in love with the bakery than ever.
It was her happy space and she loved working with Riley and Raina and Layla.
The girl was a genius with fondant and cakes. She could decorate anything and Wren could see her own wedding cake in some of the cakes Layla made.
It was pathetic, but she planned hers and Cage’s wedding anyway.
She already had a dress picked out after going with Raina to her dress shopping appointment and knew exactly what her bridesmaids would be wearing.
It made her happy. She never showed anyone her plans, just made them in secret, but it was fun.
That is until now.
After Riley had been taken by Deacon yesterday it was all she could think about.
Her dreams came to a screeching halt.
Cage would never come to her place of work, throw her over his shoulder like she heard Deacon had, and take her away.
And it was a hard pill to swallow.
Wren came in the next morning, dejected and wishing that life had been different.
When Deacon came in, she wasn’t sure if Riley wanted to see him. If it ended well and she told him so.
He was kind to her like he always had been, but she was hurting and regretting her life choices.
“I wish other men were like you.”
Deacon’s eyebrows raised, “You would be surprised at just how they are like me.”
She shook her head, “No they aren’t. Cage used to be, well. It doesn’t matter. He isn’t like you. I don’t know why my heart is stuck on him. I need to just let it be and drop it.”
Deacon’s face looked panicked,”Wren he does want more. He just has, his, uh, issues?”
Rolling her eyes, she said, “Issues. Right. Like I believe any of that. I just want to stop this. It’s stupid for me to believe he would want me. After all this time. It’s never going to happen. I just need to move on. Date someone else. See if I can get over him.”
Deacon’s eyes went unfocused for a minute and she sighed, “I know you think I’m crazy for liking him for all these years when he never gave me a second thought, but dang it, he was it for me. I always thought so, but day after day and year after year he still doesn’t see me. And it seems he will never see me. I just need to let it go. I wanted what you did with Riley.”
She shook her head, “Just forget it. I’m just rambling. Don’t hurt her Deacon. She deserves better than that.”
He nodded and walked into the kitchen and she sagged against the counter.
Hating that she had revealed that. But it was how she felt.
Riley had been so against seeing Deacon, had said that he hurt her and yet here he was, strolling into the kitchen without a care in the world.
She had always liked Cage. Had believed for years that they would end up together. But it was only fantasy.
Not real. Just made up in her dreams.
And now it was glaringly obvious.
He was never going to make a move. Never going to come for her and she had to let the ideas and dreams of them go.
She blinked the moisture from her eyes at the thought and looked up when the next customer came in.
She pasted a smile on her face and helped the next few people that came in.
When she left, she had to get home and put her dreams away.
For a little while that is.
Chapter Nine
Cage
After getting that message from Deacon, Cage hurried out to Tegan’s and Kol’s shop.
A saw was on, and he saw Kol cutting a board with it.
Tegan smiled, “Cage. What brings you to our shop?”
*I never know how you do that Teg. I need to talk to Kol. I think I’m gonna lose my mate.*
Tegan’s eyebrows rose, “I told you that. For years. That you needed to pull your head out of your ass. Wren is freaking amazing Cage. She has loved you for years. Fucking years. Since junior high. Or maybe before that. I don’t know how you don’t know that. Even blind I could see it.”
Cage felt his monster rumble with pain and he shook his head, *It wasn’t that easy. It never has been. If I had claimed her, and she turned into a monster like me, I would never forgive myself.*
Tegan shook his head, “I wish you would stop thinking you are a monster. There must be a reason why you have two sides to your soul. Don’t keep thinking you are a monster. You say stuff like that to Logan, but you don’t believe it yourself. I don’t get it. I would kill for an animal. For my dragon and my mate. I wish you would see it. See that you deserve her. That she completes you in ways you can’t even imagine. Stop punishing yourself.”
*Teg, it’s more complicated than that.*
Tegan rolled his sightless eyes, “Sure. Keep telling yourself that. I will never believe you can hurt Wren. You are the kindest, most gentle person I know. You barely even want to drink blood from animals. Let alone hurting someone.”
Cage went still, *I killed the guards in the facility. And drank from them. Sucked them dry. And it was the best thing ever. I loved every second of it.*
Tegan shook his head, “That’s different and you know it. Tell me of a person who didn’t deserve it that you hurt. I will wait.”
Cage gave a silent snarl, *They were only doing their jobs and I killed them.*
Tegan gave a sardonic chuckle, “Cage, are you hearing yourself? Easton told us that only men who had no families or anyone were allowed to work at the facility. It was too dangerous otherwise. Stop trying to convince me. In all the time I have known you, -since I was a little kid,- you have never touched someone in anger. Never hurt someone like that. You kicked Ryke’s ass once, yes, but the jerk deserved it. He is an asshole. So it seemed appropriate. But you have never hurt a single person. You don’t even like to go hunting. Will only take as much blood from an animal that you know can handle it. Stop torturing yourself. Wren is a big girl. She can handle anything you throw her way. This I swear to you.”
Cage wanted to believe Tegan. He really did.
Kol came up behind him, “You should listen to Tegan. He is the smartest one out of all of you. He sees more than anyone else can even believe. And he hasn’t led anyone astray before.”
Cage shook his head, *You know why I can’t listen to him.*
Kol let out a breath, “Listen. I found some answers for you.”
Cage felt himself stiffen and looked at Kol, waiting.
“When I was inside, they took my blood and did experiments on me. Over and over they beat me, cut me open, broke my bones and waited as my vampire healing took care of it all. Anything they wanted to do, they did. They didn’t care that it hurt. Every. Fucking. Time. They didn’t care that I was and am a human, just a little different than they were. I was nothing but an experiment to find out how I could heal so they could heal others. But they didn’t just use my blood for that. They took it, and used it on other shifters. Tried to change them. To make their animals more. Better.”
Kol looked down, utter defeat on his face. “I never knew what happened to those men. To those shifters. Until the day that you broke us out. And then, I saw it. All the experiments that went wrong. All written down for me to see. To read. One was even saved in formaldehyde. It was just a rabbit shifter, but it was trapped half way between itself, and the hybrid they wanted it to be. None of the experiments lived. Not a single one.”
Kol looked up at him, his eyes haunted. “Except for you. But they didn’t know about you. Didn’t know that I had given you my blood all those years ago. I didn’t know it would change you. But it did. And now I know why.”
Cage waited, holding his breath as Kol told him, “I went to speak to Bobby. Your uncle told me about your family. Your heritage and your ancestors. He told me that hundreds of years ago, your great, great, great, great grandfather was out in his wolf form, and ran across a woman. It was his mate. And yet, she wasn’t any of his kind. She was something other. A vampire.”
Cage went still, *A vampire? He mated with a vampire? I didn’t know that was possible.*
Tegan stood at his side and Cage made sure to broadcast his thoughts, so that his friend could hear his replies to Kol.
Kol gave a tight nod, “She was. They had kids that were either a vampire or a wolf. But they had enhanced abilities that most shifter kids didn’t have. They could speak telepathically and read people’s minds. And they craved the blood of their mates. They were stronger than regular shifters too. And as their line passed on those traits, the abilities lessened, but some still could use their
mind reading. Your uncle has it. He just never uses it. And you. You had vampire blood in your DNA already, so when I gave you mine, it made your vampire manifest and changed your animal. So completely that no one would have guessed. But here it is. Embrace it Cage. You won’t hurt your girl when you claim her. It isn’t inside of you to do so. And when you bite her, she will get one or the other of your animals. Not both. You were the only one to get both. Your kids might be both. But you won’t know until you have them.”
Cage stayed so still as the information that Kol gave him washed over him and he just stared at Kol.
*You are dead serious about this.*
Kol nodded, “I talked to your uncle and spoke with a vampire in the main coven of vampires. They both confirmed you are different, but had and have vampire in your DNA. So that changed you. Gave you more. Made you more.”
Cage blinked, so shocked at the revelations he didn’t know what to think.
Tegan gave a small laugh, “I was not expecting any of that. Like whoa. Cage, man. If you don’t believe Kol, go talk to Bobby.”
Cage nodded and looked over at Kol, holding out his hand, *Thank you Kol. For finding out for me. For helping me.*
Kol smiled and pulled him in for a hug, “I feel responsible for you kid. You are my friend and my kin. I think of you as my own son. You have my blood in your veins.”
Cage hugged him back, *You are as much my father as my own was. Thank you for saving me.*
He hugged Tegan next and then walked out of the shop, feeling lighter than he had in years.
He drove to his aunt and uncle’s house and walked inside.
Bobby was in the kitchen, fixing something in the sink.
His uncle turned to him, “Cage! This is a nice surprise.”
Cage nodded and hugged his uncle. *I needed to talk to you. I heard you spoke with Kol.*
Bobby’s eyebrows rose, “I did. He is a good man. I wasn’t expecting him. Or that he was the one to save you.”
Cage nodded, *He did more than that. He is my sire. Practically like my father. He told me what you spoke of. Is it true that I have vampire blood inside of me?*
Cage Page 7
