by Maggie Walsh
“Patrice Lovering is not someone you want to turn your back on, or make an enemy of, trust me. But, if she does know I am standing here talking to you, and I’m sure she does, then she’s gonna come knocking on my door insisting I tell her every word that was said, and let me tell you, I am not too proud to say that woman scares the shit out of me. I think you two should go back the way you came and make it look like I didn’t tell you shit. I’ll go back inside and go about my life. There’s an abandoned boathouse down on pier 8. I’ll meet you there in an hour. There is no one out there and we will be able to talk in private.”
“Or, you could come to the mansion over on Cliffside Drive where we live, and talk? We promise you will be safe there,” Fabian replied.
“Yeah, but I would have to leave and come back here eventually, and if Patrice has any of her cronies follow me, and they find out I went to visit the head Vamp, I might as well just jump off those damn cliffs and end my life,” B.B. argued.
“Okay, seeing as we’re new here, we’ll take your lead on this. We’ll meet you there in one hour,” Fabian conceded.
“Oh, and as you leave, be careful what you say to each other. Patrice has great hearing, and I swear that dump of hers has ears,” B.B. stated, then spun on his heels and climbed the few steps into his home and closed the door behind him.
CHAPTER 2
They stood in the dark inside the old boathouse, Fabian by the bay door, that at one time was used to allow boats to come and go, looking out the small window. Silas stood at the front peering out a small slit in the wall that looked out over the deserted parking lot. B.B. had said he would meet them here in an hour. That was well over an hour ago. Either the little minx was pulling their leg or he was in trouble. Shit, stop jumping to conclusions, idiot. Just because the guy is late doesn’t mean he’s in trouble. Hell, you don’t even know the man. Maybe he’s one of those high maintenance types and needs extra time to pamper himself. Silas smiled at the thought, as a vision of B.B. flashed across his mind.
The human was definitely his type. Small, slim, but muscular. Not as muscular as him, or his brothers, but Silas could see B.B. had a very tight, toned body. The calluses on his hands didn’t go unnoticed when they had stood in B.B.’s backyard. Silas could tell the human was not afraid of hard work, but was also a diva in his own right. He had a sharp tongue and gave Silas shit, and he found it a huge turn on.
Silas wondered what B.B. would be like in bed. With the amount of spirit the guy showed to him and Fabian, knowing they were vampires and not showing any fear of them, Silas was sure B.B. would be an animal between the sheets, and he really wanted to get to know the human better and maybe have a taste.
Silas looked down at his watch and saw how late it was getting. Where the hell is the little sex kitten anyway? Silas sighed, then looked back out into the parking lot. They had no time for these games. That thought gave him pause and sounded so wrong. He had seen the genuine concern in the human’s eyes when he spoke of Atticus, and Silas had also seen the fear when he spoke of Atticus’s mother, Patrice. Had the disgusting woman shown up at B.B.’s to question him as he had said she would? Was B.B. safe?
The thought of B.B. being in danger didn’t sit right with Silas and he found himself fighting against the desire to rush out of there and run back to B.B.’s house to make sure he was okay. He couldn’t stand the thought of the gorgeous man being hurt and him not being there to protect him.
Shit! Where the hell did that thought come from? Yeah, the guy was hot as hell and Silas would love to get to know him better, maybe have a few nights of hot sex, but to be this worried about a man he didn’t even know made no sense. He was beginning to get agitated at his reaction to the man, as well as the situation.
“Where the hell is he?” Silas hissed.
“I’m starting to get the feeling we’ve been had,” Fabian said with a sigh, then turned. “He’s a half hour late and we’re wasting time. I’ll call Atax and River and have them go sit on little B.B.’s house, while also keeping an eye on Patrice Lovering,” Fabian said, as he pulled his cell from his jacket pocket. “Then, we can get out of here and hit the next name on the list.”
“What about the rest of the town? Is it wise to pull two guys off patrol?”
“I doubt anything will happen in the next few weeks. These disappearances are once a week, but throughout the region, like whoever this is, is trying to fool the authorities. The last hit here, before Atticus, was four months ago. The one before that five months. So, I think we have some time. But you’re right, we should still keep the town under observation. I’ll have Saber join up with JuJu.”
Motion in the far shadows caught his attention. “Wait. I just saw something move out there,” Silas exclaimed as he turned fully toward the hole. “I think it’s B.B., but he looks like he’s moving funny.”
Fabian came to stand beside him and peered out the opening too. A flash of violet in the shadows to the left caught his eye. The figure seemed to be stumbling, or limping. The hairs on the back of his neck rose as a feeling of dread filled him. Something wasn’t right. He knew it was B.B., he could smell the human, but he also caught a whiff of blood, and lots of it. There was something else too, he just didn’t understand what it was.
As much as he wanted to stay in hiding, so no one would see them meeting with the human, he knew they had to act fast, or something life changing would happen. There was something about the scent of that blood that had his true vampire snarling. His gums began to itch and he ran his tongue across his teeth, noticing his fangs were beginning to descend. Pain at the tips of his fingers warned him that his claws were also about to rip from his fingers. Silas had no idea what was happening to him, only that he needed to get out there as fast as he could. Something told him that if he didn’t get to B.B. now, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
“Shit!” Silas hissed, then ripped the front door from its hinges and bolted through the opening, crossing the distance between them and B.B. in a mere second. He had no idea if Fabian followed and at the moment he didn’t care, all he knew was he needed to get to the human.
Once across the lot and within a few feet of B.B., Silas saw that the man was in bad shape. It looked as if someone had beat him to within an inch of his life. Silas got to B.B. just as the human was dropping, and wrapped his arms around him, catching him, and slowly lowered him to the ground. Silas knelt on the hard surface with B.B. cradled against him, and he was suddenly consumed with a sense of peace he had never experienced before, but there was also a pain that he had never felt before, agony. Silas drew in a deep breath through his nose to try to calm the confusing feelings inside him, but he was assaulted by the most amazing scent of nutmeg and ginger. Gods, he could get lost in that scent.
Realization dawned on him. Silas was shocked beyond speech as he just held onto the human and stared down at the man in his arms. Silas cupped B.B.’s cheek tenderly as a sense of wholeness washed over him, but then panic took over as he looked at B.B.’s injuries. Someone had hurt the human bad and Silas was now filled with terror thinking of B.B. dying.
“Why didn’t I know it before? He was standing right in front of me and I had no clue. Why? Don’t die, little one. Please stay with me,” Silas pleaded, shocked to hear the heartache and desperation in his own voice.
B.B.’s face was covered in blood and his clothes were torn. Silas could see claw marks marring B.B.’s flawless skin throughout his body. His right arm was a dark purple and Silas was sure it was broken, but the worst of it was the bone that he could actually see poking out a small hole in B.B.’s left thigh, his leg oozing blood.
“Silas, we need to get him out of here. He needs medical attention, now. Silas? Silas!” Fabian yelled as he placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a small shake.
Silas’s head snapped up, surprised by Fabian’s closeness. He had been so focused on B.B. that he hadn’t even remembered Fabian was there. When their gazes met, Silas could see the deep conc
ern and confusion in Fabian’s eyes. “Silas, we have to get him to a doctor. Come on brother, I’ll help you,” Fabian offered, and stooped low, reaching out to help with B.B., but Silas didn’t want anyone else touching what was his.
“No! Don’t touch him! He’s mine! My mate!” Silas hissed vehemently, as he pulled B.B. closer against his chest.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Sitting beside the bed, staring down at the beautiful creature before him, Silas couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that he had actually found his true mate. After all these years of living all over the planet and meeting millions of people, he had finally found him. And thank the gods it was a him. Silas had no idea what he would have done had his mate been a woman. Not that he didn’t like women, because he did, he was just never attracted to them. Sure, he could appreciate a woman's beauty, but sexually, he never felt the need to be with one.
He was a big, strong vampire and the thought of a woman under him actually scared him. Women were gentle, tender creatures, that you needed to be careful with, so you didn’t hurt them, and with Silas’s sex drive, a woman wouldn’t be able to handle the hard fucking he enjoyed with his sex partners. But now, looking upon the one fate had made for him, Silas had to wonder, would B.B. be able to handle it?
Silas smiled as he thought of how the little minx had stood up to him and had used that sharp tongue on him. B.B. was a gorgeous little spitfire with an attitude and Silas loved it. Yes, the man was the hottest thing Silas had ever seen, and he was fierce, but he was also... small. Well, small compared to him and his brothers, except for Jasper. Not only was B.B. smaller than him, but he had a few feminine qualities as well and that was what worried him.
He loved bedding men like B.B., but most of them were just that, men, and could handle him. Yes, B.B. was a man, a very stunning man, but his build was what really worried Silas. B.B. was about five foot six and maybe a hundred and twenty pounds. His body was perfectly toned and slender, with defined muscle in all the right places, but his mannerisms reminded Silas of a woman.
He wouldn’t reject his mate, and he sure as hell wanted him, but could he be soft and tender? Because looking down on B.B. now and seeing how vulnerable he was, had all of Silas’s protective instincts raging inside him. He would protect this beautiful man for the rest of his days, or die trying, but how could he protect his mate from himself?
Not that he was some sadistic fuck, or that he would ever intentionally hurt his mate, but when it came to sex, he was adventurous and loved to fuck hard, yet B.B. needed someone more gentle. He had to be the man B.B. needed and put his own wants and desires aside. No, his needs were to make his mate happy and if that meant he had to change, then so be it. From this day forward, B.B. would always come first, and he would do whatever he had to do to make sure his mate was safe, happy, and loved.
His mate moaned in his sleep, but it wasn’t a moan of pleasure, it was a pain-filled sound. Silas stood from his seat beside the bed and sat on the edge, grasping B.B.’s smaller hand as he watched his face for signs of distress, or if he was waking. After a few moments and nothing, Silas sighed softly. He hadn’t realized he had been holding his breath. Just as he was about to move back to his seat, B.B. moaned again, but this time there was more pain behind it.
Silas looked over the bruises on his mate’s handsome face and his heart clenched. Although he had cleaned up his mate when they brought him here to his room, as well as put splints on his arm and leg, then closed his wounds, B.B. was human and it would take him some time to heal. If his mate had been a vampire like him, or even a shifter, then he would be almost completely healed by now, and certainly by morning.
“How is he?” Fabian asked, as he walked into the room with Jasper, Saber, and Kalen following. Each of his brothers approached the bed and looked down at his mate.
“He keeps whimpering in pain, but hasn’t woken yet,” Silas replied, as he raised a hand and gently brushed back a lock of B.B.’s violet hair from his forehead.
“I spoke with Raven to update him on what was going on. After telling him about B.B., one of his healers spoke with me and told me that if he is your true mate, then your blood, as well as your saliva, would help speed up the healing process,” Fabian said.
Silas looked up at his brother with surprise. “Really? I’ve heard of it before, but never thought it was true.”
“She said that, as you know, our blood has special properties that can help anyone heal, but when it comes to a true mate, the healing is almost instant. If you let B.B. drink from you, he will begin to heal right before our eyes. And if you use your saliva on the smaller wounds, it will seal them as if you bit B.B. for nourishment.”
“It’s worth a try, brother, if it helps your mate,” Saber said, as he sat in Silas’s unoccupied chair.
“True. I knew our blood helped heal others, but can it really do it that fast for a human? As well as his broken bones?” Silas asked.
Fabian sat on the opposite side of the bed as he replied, “That’s what the healer said. It’s only because he is your true mate that it will happen so fast.”
Just then B.B. whimpered again, the sound going straight to Silas’s heart and causing him pain. “Okay, so how do we do this with him still being out?”
“Remember when I was young and Fabian wanted me to eat stuff that I didn’t want? He would hold my jaw closed and pinch my nose. Eventually I needed to breathe, so I swallowed,” Jasper said matter-of-factly.
Kalen chuckled as he reached out and mussed the top of Jasper’s head, “Yeah, and who knew it would come in so handy in your training, and now you love to swallow.”
Jasper smacked his hand away as he glared at Kalen, but Silas could see the touch of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Silas wanted to laugh too, but held back. Saber and Fabian didn’t have that problem and both burst out in hearty laughter. “Ha ha. You know, it takes one asshole to know another, so…” Jasper said.
“Yeah, and I know assholes. Love them actually, and so do you. Oh wait, you like to bottom not top, right?”
“Fuck you, Kalen,” Jasper grumbled, then pouted and crossed his arms over his chest.
Silas leaned in and poked Jasper’s side as he chuckled, and said, “Don’t let him get to you, squirt. We all know how much Kalen says he tops, but secretly loves a nice long, thick one ramming him from behind.” The others all burst out laughing again as now Kalen glared at Silas and pouted.
“Okay, guys, that’s enough. We need to help Silas with his mate. We all know how special and precious a mate is and how important it is for all of us to help our brother make sure his mate is safe,” Fabian said. “Jasper has a good idea. Nick a vein, Silas, and I’ll hold his jaw open then pinch his nose.”
Fabian moved closer and pulled B.B’s lower jaw down, opening his mouth. Silas had the urge to claw his brother’s face and rip his hand away for touching what was his, but he fought against it and let one of his claws grow, then sliced across his wrist. Once the blood began to pool, he placed his wrist against B.B.’s lips. After a few seconds, Fabian pinched B.B’s nose, and Silas watched as his mate’s throat muscles began to work, showing him that B.B. was swallowing, even in his unconscious state.
After a few minutes, Silas pulled back and licked across his wrist, healing the wound, as Fabian released B.B. and moved off the bed. Silas sat awestruck as he watched the bruises on his mate’s face begin to fade. He carefully pulled the bandage from B.B’s arm and saw that it too was healing. “That’s amazing,” he whispered.
He had been so focused on his mate that he hadn’t realized that Fabian had moved around the bed and now stood beside him. Fabian laid a hand on his shoulder and Silas flinched, looking up. “The miracle of true mates. It looks like B.B.’s going to be okay now, thanks to you. We’ll let you both get some rest while we keep investigating Atticus. Try to get some sleep, okay? And call if either of you need anything.”
“Thanks, big brother,” Silas mumbled, then turned back to his mate. H
e didn’t want to take his eyes off B.B.
CHAPTER 3
His head felt all foggy. Not like when waking normally, or even during a dream, but more like when he had a hangover, but for the life of him, B.B. couldn’t remember drinking last night. Opening his eyes, he tried to focus on the ceiling above him, but was confused by the sight of a dark maroon curtain. He blinked a few times, then lifted his hand to rub his eyes, when a slight bite of pain raced through his arm. “Shit, what the hell?”
Then suddenly it all came back to him. Meeting Fabian Valentine and his brother, the sexy ass Neanderthal. He was supposed to meet them privately at the marina, but when he went to leave, those two assholes showed up and knocked him around. He knew Patrice, Atty’s mom, had at least seen the two vampires come to his yard. She may not have heard what they discussed, but somehow Patrice always found a way, and he knew she had sent those two brute’s to rough him up a little. Well, if you could call beating the shit out of him and breaking bones roughing him up a little.
After the first couple of hits and a broken leg, he had stopped trying to fight back and just lay there unmoving, hoping they would think he was unconscious or dead. It had kind of worked, because the beating lessoned and they had left a few minutes later, but not before they kicked him in the ribs and stomped on his arms first. Fuck, that had hurt, but he fought against the scream when the bone snapped, willing himself to not move or make a sound.
Even after the beating and the two guys had left, he knew he needed to get to the vampires. They were trying to find his Atty and he knew they would be able to help him too. So as much as his body protested and fought against him, B.B. had waited half an hour after the thugs had left, then slowly and painfully made his way down to the marina. He had no idea where the strength and determination had come from, especially with a broken leg, but he just knew he needed to get there.
