by Maggie Walsh
The Angel Pack 9
Wounded
King Dante places Shelby in the protective custody of the Angel Pack to guard the secret of who he truly is and what he is capable of. Shelby has known who his mate is since before he was kidnapped by his psycho father six months ago. But now he fears that being in the same house as his mate will finally show Xander who he is. He has been hiding from his mate, but now that they are face-to-face Shelby needs to stay strong and reject Xander. He can’t afford to get attached to anyone and have them turn on him when they find out the truth.
But Xander won’t give up on his mate and does everything he can to show the gorgeous man that he wants him for who he is and will never try to control him or tell him what to do. The battle to save their world explodes at the same time the battle to save his mating puts Shelby in danger.
Genre: Alternative (M/M, Gay), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 71,884 words
WOUNDED
The Angel Pack 9
Maggie Walsh
EROTIC ROMANCE
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove
WOUNDED
Copyright © 2016 by Maggie Walsh
E-book ISBN: 978-1-68295-091-3
First E-book Publication: March 2016
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2016 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.
PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Letter to Readers
Dear Readers,
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Regarding E-book Piracy
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This is Maggie Walsh’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Maggie Walsh’s right to earn a living from her work.
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DEDICATION
First and foremost, to my husband. He stood by me and took care of me so beautifully over the last six months as I have struggled with health issues. He also took care of the kids and all their needs as well as taking over everything in the house. He stepped up to the plate and went above and beyond. Even dealing with his own health issues at the time. So thank you Bright Eyes.
To my children who have gone through hell and back with Mommy’s illness. They stayed a comforting force in my life as well as a great support system. Their love and care for me was a beautiful thing to see. I know I have been raising them right. I love you Richie, Ryan, and Tessa. You are my heart and my reason for fighting so hard to survive.
To my sisters Eileen, Peggy, and Mala, whose concern and support for me as I went through this tough time in my life was a blessing. I love you more.
To the one and only fabulous Shelby. I am so proud of you and everything you have accomplished. I am so thrilled that you came into my life. I hope you like your counterpart, and my prayers go out to you that you will find your knight in shining armor someday. You’re a wonderful man and you deserve happiness. Always remember that. I love you my friend.
To three very special ladies, who without them, I wouldn’t have written a word while I was going through this, but they kept my spirit’s high and encouraged me to write when I felt like it and rest when I needed it. Their support and encouragement has been a godsend to me and I will never be able to repay them for all their love and kindness. Ashley Malkin, Kelex, and Kristina Galbert. You ladies mean more to me than you know. I love you all.
And to my readers who waited patiently for this next Angel Pack, and sent me words of love and encouragement through emails and Facebook. All your prayers and well wishes touched my heart and I thank you all so much. I love you.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
About the Author
WOUNDED
The Angel Pack 9
MAGGIE WALSH
Copyright © 2016
Chapter 1
“Cold. Why is it always so cold? I swear, when I get out of here I am moving to somewhere tropical. Ooh, maybe Hawaii? That would be so great.”
You can’t move to somewhere tropical, you ass. You’re a vampire. All that sun would be too much for you. You would have to spend more time at home in bed hiding from the sun then actually being out and about.
“Yeah, that would suck. This body screams for attention. Well, at least it used to before these shitheads grabbed me and chained me in this godforsaken shithole for months. I swear, the first thing I’ll do when I get out of here is kick every one of their asses. That’s before I kill all of them. Family or not, they deserve to be laid out in the sun.”
Well, they are your family. You know you can’t kill them. Plus, there are seven of them and only one of you. How is your sorry twink ass supposed to kick all their asses, never mind kill them?
Face it, Shelby, you’re not the physical violence type. Well, unless you count going all diva on someone. Then you’re fierce as all hell. You can flay people with your forked tongue better than you can with your hands. Plus, you know you wouldn’t want to risk breaking a nail.
“Oh Gods, my nails. Don’t even get me started on how horrible my nails look by now. I can’t even look, and I’m sure my flawless alabaster skin is all haggard and gray. I need a mani-pedi in the worst way. A day at the
spa taking care of all my personal needs would be fabulous right now. A massage, facial, maybe a seaweed wrap, ooh, and a haircut. My hair is too damn long and I’m sure all my fabulous color is gone by now. I think I’ll go with my natural platinum blond and hot pink this time. Damn, that would look great. Maybe go with that hot cut that Taylor has? I would so rock that look. Ugh. Come on, you asswipes! Let me out of here! I need to go home. I have a life, you know!”
Shelby shifted, trying to move his arms without making the metal cuffs dig into his skin. He twisted his back slightly, trying to turn onto his hips, but there wasn’t much give to the cuffs around his wrists and ankles, and the chains were too short to allow him much movement.
He sighed heavily in frustration when he couldn’t move more than an inch. He was tired of lying on his back. He never thought he would ever hear himself admit those words. Normally, he loved being on his back, especially naked with a hot man between his legs, but after spending...what was it now? How long had he been trapped here? The days and nights began to bleed together and he wasn’t sure anymore how long he had been here. Think, Shelby. A month? No, it was longer than that. Three months? Maybe? Was it longer? No, it couldn’t be longer than that.
“But I think it is. Hey you, twat munchers! I know you can hear me! If I missed the summer, I will so kick your asses!”
“Why would you worry about summer so much, Vasily? Or have you forgotten you are a vampire? A creature of the night, not of the sun.” The husky voice of his brother Vlad came to him over a speaker system. He hated Vlad. Shit, he hated all of them, and he really hated how annoying his brother’s voice was. The man spoke perfect English, but still held a Russian undertone to it.
“Don’t call me that, asswipe! My name is Shelby!” Shelby yelled as he pulled on his restraints.
“Shelby is a girl’s name, Vasily. When are you going to learn that when you give up this life you have chosen and embrace who you truly are, then and only then will you be released to be welcomed back into the family fold?”
“I have embraced who I truly am, fucker. It’s you sick, twisted motherfuckers who can’t accept it and leave me alone!”
“You know I can hear you perfectly, Vasily. Why must you yell?”
“Because it makes me feel better, fuckface!”
“If you do not stop this and give in to Father’s wishes, he will have no other choice than to make you do as he wishes, and you know he can, Vasily. You know he can make any vampire do as he wishes.”
“Not our king, he can’t!”
“Ah. The superior King Dante. What a waste of royalty. The man is a liar. He is a fraud. He has fooled all of our kind into thinking he is the one to lead us just because his father was king, but he is an atrocity. Not only does he have a male mate, but he expects us to believe he has two, and that they are his true fated mates. It’s disgusting.”
“As usual you don’t know what you’re talking about. King Dante is our rightful king and he does have two fate-mated male mates. He is the only one who can keep our people safe and moving forward.”
“No, Vasily! They have brainwashed you. Father is the oldest living vampire and it is his right to lead our people. He will take us back to our glory days, the days where the vampires were at the top of the food chain and all others bowed down to us. Not making friends with those fleabag shifters. How dare he tell us that he is king of the vampires, but that we must follow under a wolf.”
“It is the Gods’ prophecy for the Alpha Prime to lead all paranormals, you ignorant asshole.”
“I see you have not learned your lesson yet, brother. I would have thought that six months under our care would have broken you by now, but Father is right. The hold they have you under is strong. We must amp up our treatments if we are to unwash your brain.”
“First of all, unwash my brain? You’re a fucking moron. Second, you call what you have done to me care? I swear to the Gods, Vlad, that when I get out of here I am going to personally give you a fucking lobotomy. You don’t use your brain now, so it won't be much of a difference, but it will give me great joy,” Shelby hissed through clenched teeth.
Suddenly a jolt of electricity shot through his body, causing Shelby to clench his teeth harder as his body lifted off the bed as much as it could, his eyes squeezed shut, and his body went rigid. After a few seconds, the searing pain of the volt eased and he slumped back down onto the bed as he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath and slow his heart.
“Again.” He heard his father’s thick Russian accent. Immediately another jolt of electricity coursed through his body, making his brain vibrate and his whole body tense up again. Shelby tried to scream out when he bit through his tongue, but his jaw was too tightly clenched to allow the scream to escape. This one seemed to last twice as long as the first and Shelby was afraid his brain was going to cook inside his skull. He dropped back down to the bed as he was released from the volt. His heart was beating so fast he thought for sure it would stop suddenly.
“You will come home where you belong, Vasily. You will take your rightful place in this family, and you will use your gift to help me take over my rightful place as king.” His father’s harsh command broke through his scrambled thoughts.
“No,” Shelby said breathlessly. “I have told you all before. I will not help any of you find your mates. It is up to each paranormal to find their true mate on their own. It is against the Gods’ wishes for anyone to give aid in this.”
“So now you think so highly of yourself as to speak for the Gods? Why do you think they gave you this gift, Vasily? They gave it to you, my son, so that you would use it to help your family to grow and prosper. That is the Gods’ wishes.”
Shelby gritted his teeth from hearing his father’s voice. The man’s thick Russian accent really grated on his nerves. The asshole came to America over a hundred and fifty years ago. You would think he would have lost at least some of it by now, but no, the man refused to. He said learning this infuriating language was enough. Such an asshole.
“You will remain here until you submit to my wishes, Vasily. I will break this defiant streak in you if it takes me forever. Soak him, he stinks,” his father ordered.
Suddenly, a trickle of water began to hit him in the forehead. Shelby closed his eyes against the splash. The water came a little faster and it was cold. Shelby turned his head to block his face from the onslaught, but it was no good. He knew his father would never give up. The man had always been a sadistic, controlling bastard. Everyone did whatever he said when he said it. There was to be no hesitation or question. When his father said jump, you just jumped. You didn’t ask how high because that was a hesitation.
That was one reason why he had left home a thousand years ago. The main reason was because his father was a ruthless killer who would kill anyone who defied him. The only reason Shelby was still alive was because his father needed him, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew that once he found all of his siblings’ true mates, as well as his father’s true mate, then he would be of no use to the man any more. He would kill Shelby without a second thought.
When he had found out that his family was now in America, he had taken off for the council. He met with King Marco and told the man everything. King Marco had kept him safe ever since. Well, that was until King Marco died when the whole council was destroyed. Shelby had already been a part of King Marco’s son Dante’s coven for over twenty-five years, but he had never told Prince Dante who he truly was. King Marco had insisted he keep that between them. The man didn’t trust anyone on the old council and he was afraid that if anyone found out about who and what Shelby really was, that they would grab him and use him for their own nefarious means.
Shelby loved Dante. The Prince, now King, had always been good to him. He knew he could trust Dante with his secret. Shelby wanted to go to his King and tell him everything, but he had been taken by these asshats before he had gotten the chance.
The flow of the water picked up and Shelby’s head started to h
urt from the cold as his body began to shake. He knew he wouldn’t die from this and he wouldn’t catch a cold or anything, but it still hurt like hell. He clenched his body as best he could and tried to lose his mind in more pleasant thoughts to block out what was happening to him. He thought about some of the fun times he’d had with the one true friend he had in this world. Nicco. Gods, he wished Nicco was here. The man would tear his family apart if he knew what they were doing to him.
* * * *
“Come in,” Viktor called out as he continued to read over the paperwork in his hands. The door to his office opened and Nicco walked in, closing the door behind him. Viktor looked up at his friend and his eyebrows drew down in concern. “Are you okay?”
Nicco crossed the room and dropped down into the seat before the desk. “Yeah, just not sleeping too well lately,” he answered in a tired voice.
“Anything I can do to help?”
“You got another Adam lying around you can spare?” Nicco said with a small chuckle.
“No. So what is it, my friend?”
Nicco loved Viktor like a brother. He was always there for him and Nicco knew Viktor would fight to the death for him, just as he would for Viktor. He couldn’t be happier for his friend that he had found his perfect mate, and Adam was perfect for Vic.
Nicco’s eyes flicked in the direction where Adam was. The beautiful familiar was never far from Vic’s side. He knelt naked at Viktor’s feet, with his hands tied behind his back with a black silk scarf as his head rested on Vicktor’s leg. The submissive’s eyes were closed and his face was a mask of peace. Nicco looked back to his best friend. “You do know how lucky you are, right?” Nicco gave Vic a smile.
