by Jo Penn
For the first time, Emile sympathized with his eldest littermate’s young human mate, Keeley Tate, now Keeley Sanchez. While Keeley was prone to impulsive acts and caused squabbles, he also did his best to fit into Drake’s life, and changed his own completely.
Still, this did not aid Emile in discovering if this creature seated quietly and patiently beside him was his fated mate. He considered what Vinncent said. Did Emile doubt the demon?
“Emile, darling.” Queen Lisette swept into the bedroom and kissed his forehead. “You have given us quite a fright, darling. From now on there will be no more going out without bodyguards. And to think you were prepared to be left behind to deal with the bomb yourself! Are you a bomb expert, Emile? Were you wearing specialized bomb equipment? A mask even? What made you think you could possibly beat a Renegade bomb, son?”
This was why Queen Lisette, the lioness, was well known for being so fierce. No one could escape her tongue lashings. For the next ten minutes, she reminded Emile pointedly why his decisions were not the best and what he would be doing from this point forward. Vinncent had attempted to speak and quickly fell silent when receiving a look from Emile’s mother and a wide-eyed head shake from Trent, who obviously decided this was a good time to vacate the room as he quickly dashed off. Emile felt that was a wise decision.
Emile was surprised to see his eldest littermate, Drake. Busy with his own mates and having an entire pride to run, as well as numerous other duties, Drake did not have last minute travel available on his schedule. Dominic, their other littermate, reveled in last minute travel availability and often partook. Emile did not, though occasionally was called away on important assignments.
“And you have acquired a mate! I am so happy for you, son.” Lisette smiled indulgently at Vinncent. “You are aware how precious my son is, are you not, Vinncent Aristol Aston?”
“He is my mate. He is everything to me. I will guard Emile with my life.”
This pleased the Queen immensely. “Excellent, darling. As Emile is the last white lion in existence, he is to be protected at all times and will continue the white lion line, we hope. There will be a surrogate used, of course, unless you are fortunate to find a female mate.” The Queen sighed happily at this thought. “That would be wonderful.”
Vinncent stiffened, and when he spoke, his gravelly voice was flat and emotionless. “That is not a possibility. We had a mate. Male. Marc Detroit. He was murdered nineteen years, ten months, and twenty-one days ago. As for sperm donation, it is something Emile and I must discuss.”
Everyone looked as stunned as Emile felt.
Another mate. He was fated another mate, and the creature was dead. Murdered. Emile had no idea how he should feel about this information except shocked.
Silence reigned for a time.
“We are sorry for your loss, Vinn.” King Diego, Emile’s father, said with quiet seriousness. “And for Emile, if you two are fated mates. This is a shock. Obviously, Vicus hunted down those responsible. You were probably too young to assist.”
Vinncent stood, the creature practically vibrating with reined in rage. Occasionally, Emile’s father had this effect on others. Drake often said the King did it on purpose, but there were times when he didn’t bother to sensor what he said. Emile rarely minded as he quite liked the reactions, but he found himself not at all pleased that the demon was upset. It was peculiar. Emile would have to think over why.
“I would not lie by claiming Emile and I are mates, it is offensive to suggest such a thing, and that I could not assist in hunting down those who took my mate from me. I will leave you to reunite with Emile.”
Emile watched Vinncent walk away, back stiff, strides measured.
“Just an observation, boy.”
Emile rolled his eyes. His father was not known for his tact. Drake smirked and took the seat Vinncent had vacated.
“I will be back,” Vinncent snarled.
Strangely enough, Emile found he quite liked the demon’s deep, gravelly voice. He also felt uncomfortable Vinncent had suffered and Emile’s father had poked at that hurt. Generally, Emile only interfered with his father’s peculiar behavior when he felt the man overstepped, or was making too much of an ass of himself.
“Really, Diego!” Lisette slapped the King’s arm, shaking her head. “Do not listen to my mate, Vinncent. He plays his games when now is not the time. Perhaps you can arrange dinner to be sent to the suite. Unfortunately, the plane food was dismal, and now I’m starving!”
Vinncent paused, frowning in confusion. After a moment he politely nodded and hurried away.
“We have crazy parents. I’ve been telling you that since we were able to talk.” Drake chuckled, and then turned serious. Drake was Alpha, and though he had a compassionate heart, he was hard when necessary. “You ever pull a stunt like this again, and I won’t be letting you out, brother. You got it?”
Turning up his nose, Emile waved a hand dismissively. “I will be more cautious in future–”
Drake moved to the bed and jerked Emile into his arms, holding tight. “Listen to me, Emile. Dominic and I cannot do without you, you know this.” Dark brown eyes clashed with deep blue. “We are connected for all time, and while we accept you aren’t as affectionate and are completely nutty, I won’t let you go.”
That was, at times, restricting for Emile. It was something a few members of the family and he had in common, that they felt restricted by the almost suffocating affection and smothering love, but even more so with the monitoring the family placed on them. Trent had meltdowns over it and used his strategizing gift to find a little space, while Emile just dismissed them and continued with his work.
But he couldn’t dismiss Drake, his Alpha, and littermate. With an irritated sigh, Emile nodded. After a moment of studying Emile, Drake let him go and returned to the seat beside the bed.
“So nothing? No reaction at all to the big, smoldering, hot demon? Do you know how rare those creatures are? I think we should have him monitored and protected at all times. Yeah, I know, Vicus and Eber probably have him well trained and from what I recall he works for the Alliance as an assassin, but still.” Drake smirked. “Maybe we should get a surrogate to carry on those demon genes, too.”
Emile wearily shook his head. “I didn’t expect you would travel to Zurich. What of Xavier and Keeley?”
“Of course I am going to come, brother! Xavier is worried about you and Val Baby, so my mate has come also, and as neither of us wished to leave Keeley behind, especially without you or Mother to keep him in line and Dominic being too distracted with Chane, Keeley is here also. Now, is Vinn Aston your mate or not?”
“I really do not know, Drake.”
Drake studied Emile briefly and gave a sharp nod. “Okay. We have time to figure this out. We can’t let him claim you, or you claim him until we know the chemical is gone, but the doctors think now that we’ve flushed your system and are topping you up with fresh blood, you’ll recover quicker. Which means you’ll be able to scent soon.” Drake patted Emile’s shoulder. “Until then, you’re going to be smothered with motherly love, bro. After all, you are Ma’s favorite.”
Emile tried to hide his grimace, he really did, but good manners escaped him.
* * * *
Fuming and confused, Vinn wandered the compound watching soldiers go about their duties, train in the arena, and tried to figure out how to deal with this development.
Having been raised in a very influential and powerful family, Vinn was accustomed to being treated respectfully and generally wasn’t accused of lying. But he could live with that. He knew the Sanchez’s were protecting their son, he understood and could, in a way, respect it, even if he didn’t like it. What didn’t sit well was Emile not responding in any way to Vinn, feeling no mate reaction whatsoever.
Even humans felt a pull to their mate despite receiving no sense of connection.
“It is unfortunate but not a catastrophe,” Eber said beside Vinn. “The chemical will soon
be expelled from Emile’s system, and he will have the mate reaction. Just be patient and stay close to him. And remember, Emile likes everything to be in its correct place. I recall Vicus once telling me how he got a little blood spatter on Emile during a battle and the lion looked like he would plot Vicus’s murder.”
Vinn realized his brother meant well, but the gargoyle did not have a sensitive side in these types of matters. He appreciated the effort though.
“The King is less than pleasant. In fact, he’s a fucking wanker,” Vinn fumed. “He had the nerve to insinuate I lied about Emile being my mate. And he made a pointed remark I was too young to have been of any use when Marc was murdered.”
Eber growled. “Yes, that is out of line. We have to remember Diego has a gift of analyzing. Bruno once said it was like sorting through the shit creatures’ sprout, so Diego prods and stirs creatures up till he gets the information he wants. Let’s go eat, and then you can go back and watch over Emile.”
“How is Valiant?”
“I have only heard he is in a similar state as your mate and they have flushed his system. Dimitri is pissed because Ryson gave too much blood and is weak now, though I don’t understand the problem. Wouldn’t it make the creature more malleable? I would have thought Dimitri would enjoy that.”
Vinn shook his head, knowing Eber really didn’t get it. “A mate’s health and well-being come before them doing as we want, E.”
“Sure, but it’s not like Ryson ever listens to Dimitri, so this way he has a few hours to actually have his mate’s attention.”
“Your logic often eludes me, brother.”
“True.” Eber was not concerned. “Here’s the dining room and look, there’s your mate’s father. Why don’t we join him down that end of the table?”
Vinn could think of a dozen things he’d rather do, but he would have to make an effort. Half an hour later, he wished he hadn’t. King Diego spent the entire time telling them how much attention Emile generated, how desired he was, how precious and rare, and on it went, even touching on no one being good enough for his son. Across the table sat a short, cute human with sunlit hair and hazel eyes. He smothered a grin or two a few times and mostly read the e-book in his hand. Keeley Tate was good friends with Vicus’s mate, Deakin, and the Alpha wolf mate, Finn, so Vinn knew the human and that he liked to cause mischief.
Drake, the crown prince and Emile’s littermate, swept into the dining room and took a seat beside Keeley, his mate.
“Emile is resting finally.”
“Is he better?” Keeley asked.
“Recovering. Fortunately, he and Mother are always prepared and kept their blood stocks up. So, Vinn, Eber, how is your family?”
While Eber responded with grunted comments, Vinn ate. He wanted to return to his mate and watch over the lion shifter, keep Emile safe. Losing Marc taught Vinn all about pain and loss, the misery and agonies. It also taught him the purpose of protecting and being alert.
Emile though? Vinn was surprised by the designs the fates had for him. They were so different. Vinn was not neat, he may have been taught manners but he also disregarded them often, and he was in no way diplomatic. He could not see Emile the Prestigious being happy lumped with a mate who couldn’t fit in with his associates and at critical functions.
Marc would have. Marc had manners, could be diplomatic and yet down to earth. Yes, Marc would have been the bridge between them, would have made it work. But Marc was gone, had been gone too long from Vinn’s life, and there were times he found it difficult to move past that, past the loss and not drown in the black pain.
Rising and pushing back his chair, Vinn left the dining room, ignoring the looks cast his way. He needed space to think.
* * * *
“This is not coffee.” Emile placed the mug on the bedside table, nose wrinkling at the disgusting taste.
Linc smiled as he packed up his medical bag, one their family bought for him when Linc announced he was going to become a medic. That announcement had resulted in their mother crying and wailing for a week, and Linc being grounded so as to ‘discuss’ his career choice. Basically, the cub was such a soft hearted, angelic creature that couldn’t hurt anyone, and was utterly useless in a fight. They were worried he’d be harmed going out into the field where fighting was taking place and with this fear in mind, the family found a solution that worked for them. Possibly the solution was not exactly what Lincoln would have liked, but it was realistic, and with his lack of fighting skills and as a royal, these factors had to be considered. The cub could be a paramedic, but the ruling was he would not go into the field. The only reason he was here on this trip was that he was traveling with Emile to visit the Zurich compound and their family here. The diversion to the Renegade house where the chemical bomb exploded was meant to be a very simple, uneventful information gathering side trip.
“It’s decaf. Just until your body is fully recovered,” Linc assured him. “I saw your mate. He’s been prowling the compound all night. Most of the soldiers have been on high alert.”
“Mate,” Emile tested the word. “Why was the creature prowling the compound, brother?”
“Well, Pa may have stirred the demon up a little.” Linc gave a shy smile. “But I think Vinncent was unsure what to do. They barred him from your room last night, and once Drake settled the gargoyles and demon down, Vinncent kept vigil outside…in the grounds, outside your door, on the roof, under the building. He could get in anywhere. Anyway, he is very impressive. I-I’m happy for you, Emile.”
“Thank you. Where is Vinncent now?” Emile patted Linc’s slender little hand once, twice.
Linc beamed. “Right outside. Did you know that demons only require a few hours’ sleep every seventy-two hours? He said he’d tell me about demons sometime. I think he’s honest and will keep his word. He appears sorrowful.”
When Vinncent had walked out of the suite last night, Emile ran a few dozen searches. What Vinncent told them was true. His mate died nearly twenty years ago. The man’s name was Marc Detroit, and he had been a Halfling fox shifter who was training to be an Alliance soldier. Avenger Vicus had Marc protected, but the shifter managed to slip the protection detail. A large search party was immediately sent out, and two days later his body was found, the creature barely recognizable. In all the reports, Avenger Vicus hunted down those responsible for Marc Detroit’s death and slaughtered them. All those involved were Renegades. It was thought he was targeted because he was mated to one of the Avenger’s brothers.
A strong possibility. Renegades would love to control an Avenger, those creatures were the most powerful, but Emile was not so sure. If they wanted to control Vicus, why kill Marc? The situation may not have gone as planned and they worked the fox shifter over too much, resulting in the creature’s death. But the more Emile read and consulted with Trent, Emile could see how that theory would not work.
Was Marc set up? Why did he slip his protection detail and leave the Alliance training grounds when he was dedicated to becoming a soldier and knew he would be a target due to his mate and family? It wasn’t logical. But unfortunately, Emile could not quite confirm either way since he did not know Marc Detroit, didn’t know how the man behaved and thought.
Last night, Emile studied the shifter’s photographs. Marc had been attractive in a careless way. The reports said the shifter was a bit of a risk taker, lively, loved a good joke, and was cheeky. He was six foot with rust colored hair and green eyes, fit and aging slowly due to being half human. The report also mentioned Marc was a touch insolent to authority and he got reprimanded a lot during training, as well as by Vicus, Lacy, and River.
A good man. He worked hard and was improving well once he settled in. Marc was well liked by everyone at the training facility, and they grieved his loss. A few names stood out to Emile. Ones he saw in the Alliance who became soldiers, or worked as bodyguards at the different councils. Some he trusted and considered friends or associates. There were others amongst the list, just a
few, who did not make it through training. One, in particular, was now very resentful, almost vengeful, against the Alliance. Emile would consult with Avenger Vicus, certain Vinncent’s older brother would have interrogated everyone who was at the facility who had the slightest contact with Marc. Vicus was extremely thorough. Emile had always liked and respected that about the Avenger.
Still, something niggled at him, a memory, an important detail he could not quite latch onto to which, aside from being incredibly irritating, meant he missed something in his research. He would have to dig deeper, discover what it was that caused the little alarm inside him to push for further answers.
Emile wasn’t sure how he felt about any of this, but he never backed away from a situation. Though he didn’t look for and plan to have a mate, if this is what fate arranged he would not be disrespectful and deny Vinncent. He would take his time though.
“Linc, can you please ask Vinncent to visit with me when he has a moment?”
“Okay. I’m sure he would like that, and maybe you can scent him now or get a sense of him.” Linc looked so wistful, so hopeful.
“We can hope so as to resolve this issue one way or another. I hope you find your mate soon, little lion.”
Linc flushed. “T-thanks…I hope so, too. I’ll get Vinncent for you.”
Making himself comfortable, Emile had gained a little strength from his system being flushed and new blood being injected. Lying in bed receiving visitors may not have been exactly what Emile wished, it certainly was not his style, but there was little to do until he was well and his mother allowed him out of bed. Sighing over being two hundred odd years and confined to bed by his mother – not many were game enough to take on Lisette Sanchez, Emile included – he glanced up, catching movement in his peripheral vision, and saw Vinncent approaching.
