Macario's Salvation [Milson Valley 10] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Jo Penn

  “Yep,” Eber said with a lot of glee.

  It was another moment before Mac said anything and during that time Fale felt bad for the man. Fale had had a chance to process, Mac was being given none. Maybe he should come back in a few days and let his mate have some space and time to take it in.

  “Okay, right, well…I guess we should go inside and talk, Fale.” Mac frowned at the quad bike then down at the coveralls he was half wearing. “I should get cleaned up first. Lacy will skin me alive if I traipse mud through the house again.”

  “I’ll help you clean off the bikes.” A gigantic dark man with silver eyes murmured in a gravelly voice. “Take Mac’s mate inside and show him around, Eber.”

  Fale studied the creature, not sure what type he was but, not wanting to be too rude, didn’t ask. He worriedly returned his attention to Mac.

  “I-I can come back tomorrow—or in a few days if you need some time, Mac.”

  As much as Fale wanted to give his mate time, he also didn’t want to be sent away. It was hard to be away from his mate, and though one of the fae doctors had given Fale a tablet that relieved him on some of the anxiety and withdrawals he was suffering being away from his mate, nothing compared to actually being in Mac’s presence.

  Despite the mud splattered around and his hair standing up in places, Mac was still so handsome he made Fale sigh in appreciation. With the coveralls half off exposing his upper body and torso that he only wore a single top over, Fale was reminded of all that lush, satiny skin he’d massaged nine days ago, how it felt beneath his hands, the way Mac groaned. Mac was solid and muscular, fit without being bulky, and Fale found his mate utterly irresistible.

  Had Mac lost weight? Maybe he was experiencing the mating pull, and it was affecting him also. Or was that wishful thinking on Fale’s part?

  Mac’s smile was forced. “I won’t be long, and we can talk, okay? Unless you would rather go. Eber can escort you home, and I can pop over tomorrow.”

  “That won’t be necessary. Clean up, I’ll show Fale around,” Eber said.

  Steered away from the garages, Fale looked back to see Mac staring at the ground. He felt as deflated as his mate looked. Which really sucked. Finding your mate was supposed to be fireworks and hours fucking, not mooning over the man for nine days then shocking the poor guy into silence.

  Things could only get better, right?

  Eber turned out to be a fairly good tour guide. He told Fale where he was allowed to go and what would happen if he didn’t obey the rules. Fale nodded a lot and hoped the man didn’t quiz him. He was introduced to Avenger Vicus’ mates Deakin Myers and Ran Markson, Deakin absently waving a hand as he muttered about Macario being a slob while picking up crumpled sheets of paper from the floor of an office. Ran smiled and Fale suddenly relaxed.

  A moment later he was wide-eyed and jittery. Blazh Aston never stopped moving, and he could talk! The sprite hugged Fale so tight he couldn’t breathe. Jayce was friendly but a bit reserved. Fale understood that, considering Eber was very stern over Fale never, ever, telling anyone about Jayce. The man probably had a few concerns about others and their intentions.

  River Aston was smooth and charming and relaxed Fale again.

  “Where the hell are you going? We’re still talking!” a female voice shrilled.

  There was a murmur of a deeper voice, and then a door slammed somewhere in the vast mansion. Fale guessed it would take a while to get used to the Aston’s and their staff, and right now he felt relatively alone.

  “Oh, wonderful, you’re here!”

  Fale turned in time to be pulled into a woman’s arms. “Oh! Ah…”

  “I’m Lacy, Macario’s one and only sister.” Lacy held Fale at arm’s length, her beautiful face alight with happiness. “Aren’t you lovely! Oh, Fale, I am so very happy. We have been concerned about Mac for a time, what with him thinking he should go off and live like a human and becoming more difficult every day, obnoxious at times, let me tell you, then, of course, the cancer—but now you’re here, and you’re an immortal fae! Perfect, just perfect!”

  “Perf-fect? I’m…did you say cancer?” Fale whispered, his heart seizing. “My mate has cancer?”

  Lacy stopped gushing and gently patted Fale’s arm before releasing him. “Yes. We will discuss that, but for now, let’s get you settled in.”

  Fale shook his head. “I should know. I should get him a doctor! Humans need doctors—why can I not sense his illness?”

  “Come with me.”

  Fale suddenly realized he was in the presence of another Aston alpha. Though she spoke gently and smiled, this woman was powerful and not to be disobeyed. He followed meekly and worriedly after Lacy, so overwhelmed now he wasn’t sure he could take everything in that he was learning. Lacy led him to a large kitchen decked out with everything needed to whip up a five-course meal for a hundred people. Two creatures were in there working diligently, Lacy introducing them as Stephanie and Stephen, the family’s chef and sous chef. After asking for refreshments to be brought to the sitting room, Lacy waved Fale after her through the mansion and into a comfortably decorated, smallish room that overlooked a flower garden.

  “This is mine and Jayce’s room. No one else comes in here, which is a shame.” Lacy flopped into a seat and placed her feet on a matching ottoman. “Sit down, Fale, you look far too anxious.”

  “It’s a nice room.” Fale sat in the matching chair to Lacy’s that were positioned by the window with a small table between. “It would be a great spot to sit and read or just enjoy the sunshine.”

  The sun was nearly set now, but the view was beautiful.

  “You’re welcome to join Jayce and me anytime you want, and when we’re not in here you’ve got it all to yourself.” Lacy chuckled. “A great spot to get away from the insane siblings. Anyway, Eber let us all know that you are Mac’s mate and all of my family couldn’t be happier. It has been difficult for Mac the last few years, and not just because of the paranormal aspects. He feels he should be able to leave us and live like a human because he is mostly human, yet it isn’t possible. With an Avenger as our brother, we must all be careful. It is safest together. With Renegades and Hunters always on the lookout for anyone they can use, it just isn’t safe to be by ourselves.” Lacy shrugged. “We have a good life. We are family, and though Layke and Mac deny it at present, we love each other and are better together. When Mac was first diagnosed with his condition, it was by accident. You asked why you couldn’t sense the illness. Well, I sensed the illness the moment it infiltrated his system. Ah, thank you, Stephen.”

  Stephen set up the tray on the table and hurried away silently. Lacy poured their drinks and handed Fale a glass.

  Fale took a sip, unsure what the colorful concoction was, and spluttered. “Holy magic, what is this!”

  “This is cocktail hour, and that is a mojito.”

  “Yum.” Fale managed as he sucked as much as he could through the straw.

  “Slow down, little brother!” Lacy tapped a bowl with fresh fruit. “Have some fruit, crackers, and cheese. And tell me you’ve had alcohol before.”

  “I have, once.” Fale smiled. “I read up on the Aston’s after I met Mac. You’re a witch and healing is your gift and you’re a doctor for humans. Does that mean Mac will be okay?”

  “There is no known cure for pleural mesothelioma. Mac has had radiation, and operations to drain fluid and it worked, for a time. He is undergoing chemotherapy at present. My gift is healing,” Lacy murmured. “And I can heal anything but severe burns—though I can reduce them a little—and natural ailments such as asthma and terminal diseases. Sometimes it does not seem fair that I can heal a creature who is near death from being attacked, but I cannot heal my brother’s cancer.”

  “I understand.” Fale did. “Magic and gifts are wondrous and provide so much, but they cannot change some things. We cannot alter the fundamentals of nature and biology, mechanics and life itself. You cannot modify the way a body works. A gift, th
ough, can aid you in finding a solution.”

  Lacy nodded. “Yes. Layke works himself to the bone trying to find a cure. As do so many scientists and doctors. Sometimes Fate has made a decision, and there is nothing we can do to change it. And then she shines a light and gives us an opportunity.” Lacy smiled at Fale.

  Fale gulped more mojito. “Mating with me will make Mac immortal, too. I don’t care if he doesn’t really want me, I just want him healthy and happy.”

  “Oh, you are such a sweetie.” Lacy reached over and poked Fale in the shoulder. “Don’t worry, Mac will never use you, not even to live.” She scowled. “The stupid idiot. Mac has a good heart. Nope, you’re going to have to seduce him.”

  Fale choked on his drink, Lacy reaching over and patting his back. “S-seduce him?”

  “Fale Taucher, are you a virgin?” Lacy grinned widely. Fale could see she was going to make a great big sister, and her smile was similar to Mac’s.

  “No.” He snorted. “I’ve had sex.”

  Twice. But Fale wasn’t going to tell her that. Lacy was already looking at him like he was an adorable kid.

  “Okay.” She smiled knowingly. “Now, the reason you cannot sense Mac’s cancer is because I have a witch spell that blocks it. My twin, Layke, is a wizard and a doctor, and is working diligently on a cure, but so far it has been a fraught time due to Mac being human with shifter DNA. The two mixing together usually blend well and give the person attributes of both, such as slower aging, agility, and sometimes a gift. Mac has a gift, but Layke has managed to narrow down that this is the cause of our brother’s illness. Mac’s gift is to distort others senses. It is a useful gift, but it can have the side effect of draining him as he is mostly human. Because of this, it has allowed an imbalance and his immune system broke down.”

  Fale nodded understanding, to an extent. Okay, not so much. What he got from that was, Mac was human with a little shifter biology and had a gift. The gift was too powerful for a human body to sustain and as a result, Mac’s body began breaking down, and the disease got in.

  “So he won’t let me claim him so he can be cured?” That filled Fale with fear. He didn’t want to lose his mate, he was already half in love with Mac.

  The day at the spa, Mac had been so sweet to Fale. And he didn’t have to be. He could have just dismissed the fumbling young fae and asked for silence during the massage, but he’d taken the time to reassure Fale, and they chatted. And then, of course, Fale learned a lot about his mate while following Mac around.

  “There was a case recently of a vampire in demise who was claimed by an immortal creature. There was a concern at first that because the vampire was dying it was too late, that his body would not recover even though he had been claimed. Fortunately, he is fine now and immortal. So while Mac won’t accept your kind offer, if you offer to claim him so he can be well, I am positive when you two mate he’ll be okay. So if you want Mac, which I am assuming you do as you’re here, just be yourself and show you’re interested in him.”

  “It can’t be that simple.” Fale finished his mojito and poured another. The alcohol buzz wasn’t much even though the mojoitos were stronger than normal. A human would probably be halfway drunk from one glass, but it took a paranormal more alcohol to feel any real effects. “He doesn’t even feel the mate pull.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “It’s obvious.” Fale sipped, slumping in the chair. “Since we met he hasn’t tried to contact me, hasn’t pined for me, and probably forgot me. After that first time at the spa, he even asked for another masseuse!”

  “Oh, honey, of course he did.” Lacy laughed softly. “Mac is bisexual. More often he prefers women, and he dates a lot, or really, he fucks around a lot.” Lacy patted Fale’s arm as he gaped at her. “But every now and then there’s a guy who attracts him. Mac has a type. And he avoids that type because he likes to play around. You are perfect for him.”

  Fale didn’t see that, but Fate wouldn’t make a mistake, he hoped. All he could do was be here. He felt Mac was a good man, despite ignoring Fale and the mating pull.

  “Would he feel the mate pull?”

  “It’s hard to say at the moment. With so much going on inside Macario’s body and his head, his system may be too disrupted by the illness and medicines to actually register the mating pull.” Lacy poured herself another mojito and selected a cracker with cheese. “I’ve noticed he’s been distracted the last seven or eight days. He’s edgy, more argumentative, and though he’s been on dates, he hasn’t taken any of them up on anything more than dinner, drinks, or lunch.” Lacy winked.

  That was a relief. As much as Fale had tried to forget the dates and what might have happened between his mate and the creatures Mac went out with, it was never far from his mind. He relaxed and listened to Lacy talk about her family, drank mojitos, and nibbled cheese, fruit, and crackers.

  Fale had no idea what was going to happen, and he felt way out of his depth, but he was going to be here for Mac and show him they were meant to be together. He may be a sensitive young fae, but he knew what was important, and what he wanted. Just like when he applied to the different guilds and had to wear his parents down so they accepted his decision to leave Tahiti, he’d stick to what he wanted, which, in this case, was his Macario, his mate.

  Chapter Five

  “Pass the asparagus, please,” Deakin said from across the dining room table where he sat between his mates Ran and Vicus.

  Ran shuddered and looked at Jayce, who was hogging the asparagus and sat on Ran’s other side.

  “Sorry, babe, Jayce ate them all.”

  “What?! I told Stephan to make double the usual amount!” Deak exploded.

  “Oh, right, sorry. I thought Stephan made more because he knows how much I like them.” Jayce sadly passed the serving bowl past Ran.

  Deak snatched it and quickly emptied the asparagus onto his plate.

  Blazh, down the right side of the table, was busy chatting to Lacy while River on the other side of Blazh was having a quiet and serious conversation with Vinn’s mate, Prince Emile Sanchez. Since Emile and Vinn mated a few weeks ago and moved into the mansion, Emile’s family had constantly been visiting. Tonight, Emile’s triplet Dominic, and Dom’s mate Chane were visiting for dinner. Last night it had been Emile’s twin brother and sister, Ryder and Kirsten.

  “Why aren’t you eating?” Vinn nudged Mac’s arm.

  Ever since they were little kids, Mac had sat between Vinn and Eber. As well as being brothers, they were best friends. Tonight there had been a bit of a problem with Fale joining the family table. Lacy had a chair placed between Eber and Mac for Fale, but Eber had moved it to the other side of him. Fale had looked unsure what to do about that, so Mac ignored the situation. It was just a chair, after all. It didn’t matter where anyone sat—unless he had to sit beside Blazh, then Mac would just burn his own damn chair because the youngun never shut the hell up. Mac loved the kid, but man could Blazh talk!

  “I am. I’m surprised the Sanchez’s don’t just grab their kitty and take him home again. Everyone knows Emile is the Queen’s fave.”

  Vinn grunted something unpleasant. “Don’t call my mate ‘kitty.’ Now eat.”

  “I did, earlier. Ask River or Jayce.”

  “He did. He did eat before we went on the quad bikes.” Jayce pointed a piece of asparagus at them and grinned. “That was so much fun. Thanks again, Mac.”

  “Pleasure.”

  “That was hours ago. Why not have some of the soup Layke had Stephanie make?” River said.

  Mac smiled, though he didn’t feel like it. In fact, his stomach was cramping, and he knew he’d soon be wheezing and sweating. Wishing to avoid doing that in front of his family, he used the little trick his friend Mikey told him worked like a dream when he was with some girl, or guy, and wanted to make a fast getaway. Mac called his own phone.

  “Hey! No phones are allowed at the table. We all agreed.” Jayce waved another damn asparagus at him.
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  “Sorry, bro, but this looks important.” Mac frowned at his phone and pushed back his chair. “Yeah, I better take this—”

  “No phones at the table.” Vinn snatched the phone. “If you can’t eat, tell us.”

  Dammit. Mac glared at his brother, then everyone else as they were all watching him. Picking up his fork, he stabbed a piece of perfectly cooked salmon and put it in his mouth. His stomach complained after he swallowed and he felt perspiration pop up on his forehead.

  Vicus rose, both his mates staring up at him adoringly. “Let’s go, Macario.”

  Mac was already up and moving away from the table, his stomach ready to release its contents. Chemotherapy was a bitch.

  Vicus caught Mac and, with an arm around his waist, nearly carried Mac to the downstairs bathroom in time for Mac to empty his stomach into the toilet. By the time he stopped vomiting, he was weak, exhausted, and felt disgusting.

  “Open,” Layke instructed.

  Mac barely managed to open his eyes. “Rinse.”

  “Here.”

  Mac felt like shit and now felt worse as Fale knelt beside him and held a plastic cup to his mouth. Mac managed to sip, then spit into the second cup the young fae put in front of him. Layke pressed a tablet into Mac’s mouth, one that reduced nausea and the dizziness.

  “He needs to lie down and rest,” Fale said quietly. “I can probably carry him.”

  Not hung up on who was stronger than who normally, Mac felt uncomfortable with the idea of the handsome male carrying him around. It just felt wrong. But he knew he wouldn’t make it on his own and lying on the floor beside the toilet was an unattractive perspective.

  “Give the tablet a few moments to work. Moving Macario will cause another bout of vomiting otherwise.” Layke advised and stroked a hand over Mac’s head. “I will give you a sedative.”

  “Would you like more water, Mac?” Fale asked quietly.

  Mac felt the fae touch his hand lightly with the very tips of his fingers. He would have pulled away, he felt gross and wasn’t up to being felt up or dealing with a mate right now, but strangely enough, Fale’s touch soothed the chaotic emotions he was feeling.