With a defeated sigh, Galen stepped away from the door and opened it wider for Bannon to enter. “I don’t know what you want to talk about. I don’t really see that there is anything left to say.”
“Ya be the stubbornest man I’ve ever met.” Bannon wouldn’t admit it in case it encouraged the little shit, but he found his mate’s stubbornness kind of endearing.
“That’s not even a word.” Galen turned away quickly, but not before Bannon saw the corners of his lips twitch.
“Is so.”
Galen lost the battle, and his lips stretched into a wide grin.
“You’re an idiot.”
“Aye, but you’re smilin’ now, aren’t ya?”
“What do you want, Bannon?”
“I might have died. Are ya not even happy to see me alive?” Bannon was not a stranger to witches and other Magiks, but after the shit he’d been through in Nevada, he was well shot of the lot of them.
“You know I am,” Galen answered softly as he crossed the room to flop down in the armchair near the closet. “What do you want?” Bannon threw his hands up in frustration and began pacing the room. “Now, that’s a bloody fine way to be greetin’ me, don’t ya think?”
“Look, I know what you’re here to say, and you’re wrong. I don’t know how many times we have to travel down this road. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met, but I can’t be your mate. I’m not a shifter, Bannon. I’m not going to fall for you just so you can meet your real mate later down the road and forget all about me.”
It was the most the man had said to him at one time in weeks. He was wrong, though. “You’re not makin’ a lick of sense, darlin’. Ya tell me how I sent ya that message from Nevada, if we’re not mates.” Galen shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m glad you did and I was able to help, but that doesn’t change what I am. Shifters only mate other shifters—you said so yourself. They don’t mate humans, witches, vampires, or whatever. I’m not a shifter, so therefore I’m not your mate.”
“How are ya knowin’ you’re not a shifter? Just because ya don’t change into an animal doesn’t mean you’re not a shifter. Aye, we are only matin’ other shifters, but ya don’t have to be full-blooded now, do ya? Even just a little bit will do. Take Malakai for example. He’s mated to my brother, Flynn, but he’s not changin’ into a beasty. I know what my instincts are tellin’ me, and they’re sayin’ ya belong to me.”
“I don’t belong to anyone!” Galen screamed. He jumped to his feet and pointed a finger in Bannon’s face. “I belonged to someone for half my damn life, and I won’t do it again. I make my own decisions now. I won’t let someone tell me what to do, when to do it, and how I need to do it better.” When he finally wound down, his entire frame was shaking, and his chest heaved as though he’d run a marathon.
“Calm yaself, Galen. That’s not what I’m meanin’.” Bannon took a step toward his mate but stopped when Galen snarled at him. “What is all this now?”
Like letting the helium out of a balloon, Galen deflated and sagged back into his chair. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m already half in love with you, and I’m not willing to fall the entire way.” That was exactly what Bannon wanted, though. He’d known Galen was his mate from the first time he’d caught a whiff of the man’s intriguing scent. Knowing the harsh life Galen had led as a slave, he’d taken things slowly, only befriending him and easing him into the idea of being mated.
While Galen had seemed eager for the friendship, his stance never changed on the mating part. For months, he’d steadfastly refused to accept the truth. Bannon doubted it was so much that he didn’t believe it, and more that he was trying to protect himself. There were painful secrets lurking in his mate’s past, something beyond even being kept as a slave for years.
“What are ya not tellin’ me, Galen?”
“If I pour my heart out will you leave me alone?”
“No.” There was no sense in lying to the guy. Bannon had no intentions of walking away from his sienota—his fated mate. What kind of man did Galen think he was?
“I’m begging you. Please, just leave me alone. I thought I could be your friend without wanting more, but I can’t.” Bannon opened his mouth to respond, but his cell phone chose that moment to begin vibrating in his pocket. With a growl of frustration, he retrieved the offending object and answered without checking the ID. “What?”
“Torren is asking for you,” Raven said on the other end of the line. “I guess The Council has a witch they want you to track down.”
“Can’t it wait?” Bannon wasn’t conceited, but he knew his skills as a Tracker were unmatched by most in the country. Usually, he didn’t mind being sent out on assignments, but that was before he had a mate who was hiding shit from him.
“I don’t think so, man. Torren is doing his best to get things settled and ease into his position as elder so he can see his kids. I know I wasn’t too big on the idea at first, but he’s a good guy. He’s not going to take them away from Raina and Teegan.” Maybe it made him an asshole, but Bannon didn’t really care.
He’d met the females a few times, but he had no real emotional attachment to them or their adopted cubs. He’d only met Torren once, and most of that time had been spent unconscious because of Leader McCarthy’s psychotic brother. The trio’s parental issues were none of his concern.
“Where’s he stayin’?” Bannon finally asked with a sigh.
“He’s in Casper right now. You want me to drive?” Bannon gave Galen a lingering look and sighed again. “Aye, I’ll meet ya in five minutes.” He disconnected and turned to Galen once more. “I—”
“I heard,” Galen cut him off. “Be careful, Bannon.” Then he rose from the chair, went into his private bathroom, and closed the door.
Unsure if he should go after him or not, Bannon hesitated for a full minute before he finally pushed up from his seat and walked out of the room. Something had to give soon, or he was going to lose his mind. Maybe by the time he returned from Casper, he’d have a new plan to woo his reluctant mate.
He briefly considered asking for Raven’s advice, but the man was a complete jackass. Oh, he had a lot of respect for the Enforcer, and liked the hell out of him, but Raven had a tendency to leap into a situation without thinking ahead to the consequences. Asking the man for advice on how to handle the situation with Galen would be murder-suicide for his muddled relationship.
Then again, he seemed to be doing a pretty good job of screwing it up all on his own.
* * * *
Galen sat on the edge of the tub and fisted his hands in his lap, waiting for the snick of the door that would signal Bannon’s departure. He didn’t have to wait long, but he didn’t know if he felt relief or disappointment at the fact. Part of him wanted Bannon to come after him and demand that Galen…well, something. Everything was so confusing, and he really didn’t know what the hell he wanted.
“I hate this,” he whispered to the empty room. He hated how his feelings were all twisted up in knots—right along with his stomach a lot of the time.
Bannon Murphy was without a doubt the sweetest, kindest, not to mention the sexiest, man he had ever met. No matter that Galen continuously pushed him away, Bannon never stayed gone for long.
He was a persistent bastard, but it was just one more thing Galen loved about the guy.
“Galen?” A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by Kendall’s voice. “Honey, are you in there?” Leaping up, Galen hurried to the door, jerked it open, and threw himself into Kendall’s arms with enough force that he knocked his friend back several steps. Now that Bannon was gone, he was free to fall apart, and that was exactly what he did. He sobbed and shuddered, holding on to Kendall for dear life as he soaked his friend’s shirt with his tears.
So lost in his meltdown, he didn’t immediately notice that Kendall wasn’t the only one in the room until two more sets of arms wound around both of them. “Shh, Galen,” Jory whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
&
nbsp; “We’re all here for you,” Aslan added. “Please don’t cry.”
Pulling himself together, Galen eased out of the group embrace and wiped roughly at his eyes. “I’m fine, guys. Thank you.”
“Do you want to talk about it?” Kendall asked, concern written all over his face. “Bannon is your mate, isn’t he?”
“No,” Galen answered immediately, shaking his head defensively. “I can’t be his mate.”
“I know it’s scary.” Jory took his hand and led him over to the bed where he urged Galen to sit. Then they all climbed up on the mattress with him, surrounding him in comfort and support. “I didn’t want to admit that Stavion was my mate at first, either.”
“I almost pissed myself every time Cassius walked in a room,” Kendall added with a light chuckle.
They were sweet for trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t the same situation at all. “I love him,” Galen confessed with another sniffle. “I can’t be his mate, though.”
His friends exchanged looks of confusion, each sporting identical frowns on their faces. “You can’t or you won’t?” Jory finally asked.
“I can’t. He’s a shifter.”
“I still don’t get it,” Aslan said with a shrug. The poor guy rarely understood anything, but Galen loved him all the same. What Aslan lacked in worldly knowledge, he made up for in enthusiasm.
“Shifters have to mate other shifters. That’s what Bannon told me anyway. I don’t understand why that is.” He shook his head as his brow furrowed. “Everyone else can mate whoever they want. Fate doesn’t discriminate for them. Why are shifters different?”
“Okay, slow down.” Jory scooted around until he could stretch out on his side and prop himself up on his elbow. “Bannon is a shifter, and that means he can only mate another shifter. Is that right?” Galen nodded in defeat.
“And you’re not a shifter,” Kendall continued.
“So, you can’t be his mate,” Aslan finished with a disgusted huff.
“That’s stupid.”
Galen couldn’t agree more. “He won’t leave me alone, though. I don’t know what to do.”
“If Bannon says you’re his mate, maybe it’s true.” Jory shrugged when Galen glared at him. “It seems like he would know better than anyone. Just because you don’t actually shift doesn’t mean that you don’t have some shifter blood in you somewhere.”
“That’s the same thing Bannon said.” Galen sighed and rested his head on Kendall’s shoulder when his friend’s arm went around his back. “I’m scared.”
“No shit,” Aslan said with a snort. “I don’t know how any of you guys do it. Your men are enormous! Don’t you ever worry about them squishing you while you’re sleeping? And how the hell does sex work with them? I’d think they’d crush you.” There was a moment of silence before Jory, Kendall, and Galen burst into laughter. “Oh, just wait,” Kendall gasped. “Your turn is coming.”
“Sooner than you think,” Galen added with a smirk. “Have you talked to Torren yet?”
Aslan wrinkled his nose and looked away. “I haven’t even met him. I know what Jonas said, but I think Torren showing up in my room as a ghosty thing was just a fluke, though. If I was really his mate, wouldn’t he be here with me now?” Galen didn’t have a good answer for that, so he said nothing at all.
He had the exact opposite problem. His “mate” wouldn’t leave him alone. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?”
His friends chuckled in agreement. “Yeah, I guess we are,” Jory answered. “You guys have it easy, though. They want me to be a freakin’ elder! What do I know about being in charge of anything? Hell, I still need Stavion to order my breakfast half the time because I can’t decide what I want to eat.”
“You care, though,” Galen said seriously. “You have the biggest heart, and I think you could do a lot of good.”
“Besides,” Aslan butted in with a smirk, “you’ll outrank Stavion if you accept the position.”
This sent them all into more fits of giggles, and Galen was feeling much better. He was so lucky to have such wonderful friends.
“I don’t think Stavion has realized that yet. I can just picture his face when I tell him.” Jory grinned mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows.
“How long do you have to make a decision?” Aslan asked.
“I told Layke that I’d let him know by Halloween.” Jory became serious again. “There’s just a lot to consider.”
“Well, if it makes a difference, I think you’d be a wonderful elder.” Galen took Jory’s hand and squeezed it gently. “There are a lot more out there like us who need someone to speak for them, Jory. I know you’re supposed to represent the demons, but you’ll have the clout to help others, too.”
Everyone was quiet for a long time, and Galen was sorry that he’d ruined the light mood. “How about pajama night? We haven’t had one of those in a while. No mates, though,” he added sternly.
“What about Malakai?” Jory asked. “I haven’t seen much of him since he’s been back.” He shrugged and smiled. “I like him.” Galen liked the little vampire, too. “Okay, we can invite Malakai.
I say we do it in your room, though. Kendall has the baby, so that’s out, and mine and Aslan’s rooms are too small.”
“Stavion can stay with Cassius tonight if he doesn’t mind crashing on the couch and possibly a crying baby,” Kendall offered.
Jory grinned. “I’ll convince him.”
Happier than he’d been in weeks, Galen flopped back on his bed and sighed. He still didn’t know what to do about Bannon, but for one night, he wasn’t going to worry about it.
Chapter Two
“I need you to locate a faerie by the name of Camdin Maywater.” Bannon frowned at Elder Winters. “I thought I was to find a witch?”
“You will, but we need Camdin located as well.” Torren rose from his seat and walked around the big oak desk.
Bannon had no desire to leave Wyoming. He’d seen a lot of the country since coming to America, and while it was exciting, it kept him far away from Haven for long stretches at a time, and therefore, away from Galen.
“This is the guy you want to name elder of the fae,” Raven said from Bannon’s side. “No disrespect, but why him?”
“He’s important, and he has something I need,” Elder Winters answered cryptically.
They weren’t going to get any further information, and Bannon knew it. “So, I’m to find a faerie and a witch. When do I leave?” The elders exchanged a glance, and Torren looked apologetic when he returned his attention to Bannon. “We need Galen’s help.”
“No.” Bannon shook his head firmly and crossed his arms over his chest. “He’ll not be goin’.” Anger welled up in him at the thought of the elders using Galen in such a way. His mate was no warrior, and he was going to bloody well keep his ass at home where it was safe. “I’ll bring back whoever you’re wantin’, but you’ll not be usin’ my mate.” He didn’t realize his slip of the tongue until it was too late and Torren was smiling in triumph at him. There had been speculation, especially after Galen dreamed of him while he was being held prisoner in Nevada. Until he’d just blurted it out, no one knew for sure that he and Galen were mates, though.
It wasn’t even so much that he’d said the words, either. His angry reaction to the news was all the proof they needed. The big question was why they were so interested in digging out the information.
“You have to claim him.”
“Whoa, Torren. What the hell, man?” Raven stepped forward, waving his hand indignantly.
“We need Galen,” Torren answered simply. “I know what he can do, and his powers will be stronger—along with Bannon’s—if they’re bonded.”
“Why?” Bannon was so furious that it was the only word he could get through his clenched teeth. It was bad enough that they wanted to use Galen in whatever scheme they’d cooked up, but to force them to claim each other was taking it too far.
A mating between a destined pair—or trio
or whatever—was sacred. Claiming a mate was the most intense and personal thing a paranormal ever did. Marriages ended in divorce every day. There was no calling it quits once you claimed a mate.
To make matters even worse, Bannon was totally onboard with making Galen his own. Galen was far from being ready for something like that, though.
“Being bonded will make both of your abilities stronger. We don’t have a lot of time, Bannon.”
“How long do I have?”
“Until Halloween,” Elder Winters answered quietly. “We need to locate them before The Council meeting.”
“Them? Who exactly are we trying to find?” Raven tilted his head to the side and frowned. “This sounds fucking shady as hell.”
“We need two witches, Raith and Lynk, before the Halloween festival.” Torren sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “It would be best if we could find all twelve of them, but that seems unlikely in the short timeframe.”
“A dozen?” Raven choked. “Who are these witches?”
“My brothers.”
“So, why can’t you just dial-a-bro?” Raven crossed his arms over his muscled chest and took up a similar posture as Bannon. “What are you hiding? I don’t mind doing my job, but this reeks of bullshit.” Bannon couldn’t agree more. They wanted them to find a faerie and twelve fucking witches, but they wouldn’t tell them why.
The elders exchanged another look, and this time, Torren huffed in defeat. “My brothers have been in hiding since our father was executed. We’ve spread out over the country—possibly the world. We don’t keep in touch because it would be too dangerous.”
“Divide and conquer,” Raven mumbled. “It seems to me that it would be safer for you to stick together.”
“You’d be wrong. We tried it at first, but because of our combined magic, it was easier for the Trackers to find us. After we split up, we kept in touch by phone until Raith was caught. All it took was a simple check of the contacts in his phone to trace us to the cities we were living in. I barely escaped, and I haven’t spoken to my brothers since.”
Haven 4: Back Roads Page 2
