“Why aren’t you angry at me?”
Jason sat with his hands clenched. While his face was pale, he was oddly composed.
“I imagine I’d be frightened and angry if some ancient mercenary bogeyman was trying to enslave me. In fact, I’m kind of amazed you’re helping out.”
Jason shook his head. “So why aren’t you angry with Dylan? He used you to get to me. He invaded your dreams…lied to you.”
“This isn’t the time to be angry.” Travis thought about that, recalling the sick feeling of betrayal, followed by the horror of realizing Dylan had all but martyred himself—again. “He sacrificed a lot for his people back then. He sacrificed his freedom for you. Everything has to be taken in context, Jason. He’s undoubtedly done bad things, but he’s not a bad man, not in his heart.” And he had no intention of sharing Dylan’s role in his dreams. It was too personal, too intimate. Dylan might have located Jason in Travis’s subconscious, but in the end he let him go. The dreams Travis and Dylan shared—what he could remember of them—they were intimate. They were a window into who and what Dylan really was.
“I still can’t forgive him. He came for me…in my dreams!”
“Put yourself in his position, Jason. Centuries slaving under this motherfucker, and when he finally reaches the end, he let you go, knowing he was going right back to it. Forever. Go ahead and be angry at the invasion of your privacy, but remember he’s a real person, and he sacrificed eternity so you wouldn’t experience the life he’s suffered through!”
When Jason didn’t answer, he coasted to a stop and put the car into park. “Get out.”
“What?”
“I’m doing my best to save the life of my lover. I care for you, Jason. We’ve been friends a long time, and I don’t want to lose that. But if I can’t count on you… If you’re a liability, you can’t come.”
The young gremlin stared at him, anger and hurt in his gaze. “I’m here to help you!”
“But you aren’t here to help Dylan. The town boundary is just a quarter mile behind us. Get into Arcada, and he won’t be able to reach you again.”
“Travis, don’t do this!”
“Then for now, let go of your anger and focus on the job at hand. Later you can be mad, Jason. There’s a time and place for everything. If you let this fill your mind, we won’t be able to plan, and we won’t be able to get any of us out alive.”
Jason reached out and slid a hand down Travis’s arm till he clasped his hand. “I’ll try. I will.”
“This goes beyond the dreams, doesn’t it?”
Jason’s blue eyes clouded over, and he pulled his hand away. Shit. Travis wanted to drive, to race down the road and find Dylan. But he couldn’t move, not till he dealt with the gremlin. Jason looked like such a kid sitting there, but with the fae, it was all relative. He might be eighteen; he might be eighty. It didn’t really matter. The pain in his eyes told Travis all he needed to know.
“I’m sorry, Jason. I didn’t realize.”
“I understand.” He sighed and then looked up at Travis. “You’re just so…beautiful. Gifted. And I’ve watched you hating on yourself, but that beauty is inside, just trying to get out. You’re a creator, yet you hide it. I used to imagine the things we could make together; you design and I create. I loved you so long, Trav, and then this…this man walks up and takes you away. And it’s not fair.”
“No, I guess it’s not fair. It isn’t fair that my best friend loved me and wanted the best for me but I was too wrapped up in my own unhappiness to see it. I’m sorry.”
Jason gave a short laugh and wiped a tear away with his thumb. “See, that’s what I mean. You take what I said and make yourself responsible for my feelings. The two of you together…” He shook his head. “Pathetic.”
“Yeah, we are a pair of sad sacks. All we do is make noble sacrifices for the greater good and then cry in the lemonade.” He wrapped his hands around the steering wheel. The heated steering wheel. Driving this car was like sitting in the lap of luxury. It was ridiculous, really.
“You in or you out? I mean, I have no clue what to do once we find him. Ulric wants you as badly as he wants Dylan, so this isn’t safe for you. But we need to decide what we’re doing.”
“I’m in. Head to the motel, and if they’re there, just let me off at the office. You go in through the front door; I’ll go in through the back.”
He put the car in gear and eased onto the road. They’d talked for less than five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. “Jason, there is no back entry.”
Jason grinned, suddenly looking mischievous. “You ever wonder how I got the steel into the walls of Dylan’s room—while you were in there? I can always find a back way. And if I can’t, I’ll come in through the front door.”
Travis accelerated, hoping to make up lost time. To the right, black smoke spewed up into the sky. Somewhere out there a pack of rogue wolves roamed the forest, struggling to break into Arcada. And behind him, his mother was alone in the house with no one but Kell to keep an eye on her if things went to hell.
He did his best to put it all out of his mind, to focus on the one thing he could possibly do at this moment.
Save Dylan Ryve and bring him home, to Arcada.
Chapter 22
Dylan did his best not to huddle in the corner. He stood straight, staring at the wall, ignoring the pain. Outside, the morning had given way to afternoon, and he felt his mind slip to another time. The memory played out like a movie, and he walked through it unseen. Briefly it was another day not so long ago. Snow was coming down; the room was cold; and Travis was in his bed, cold and sick, needing his touch so badly. He walked around to the foot of the bed and looked down into the face he already missed…
With a jerk Dylan came back. He’d fallen into the pit of despair once before, living only for memory. For a time it helped, but in the long run, it led to insanity. He wasn’t ready to go back to that place. He thought of rebellion, of doing the unthinkable—taking Ulric’s life before the mercenary completely leeched his soul—but the geas was now new and powerful and immediately punished him for that thought. Under the wide leather cuffs he wore, his wrists tingled and burned. He didn’t bother to try and hide his throat; the fae was stretched on the bed, dozing off his sexual release.
Dylan could kill him now, as he slept, but then what would happen? Would Dylan also die? That might not be so bad. He clenched his fists, willed himself to move, but remained rooted to the spot as Ulric had ordered.
He couldn’t even swear, because he’d been ordered to silence.
Dylan was hungry. He thirsted. His throat hurt, and his mouth tasted vile. The small refrigerator was just feet away, but he couldn’t even reach for a bottle of water. He was a statue made of stone, a gargoyle with a heartbeat and a cold, frozen face.
He sensed Travis’s heartbeat before the front door unlocked and then opened. The shifter must have found the key among his possessions. Dylan’s heart broke at that moment. Unable to speak, he couldn’t warn him. Unable to move, he couldn’t protect him. He could only watch as the one person he loved above all others stepped into the room to face the mild-looking monster who lay waiting.
Travis was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only worn jeans. That should have alarmed Ulric, but instead he sat up, looking intrigued. He stared, blinked, and then his flaccid erection began to thicken.
“I don’t recall ordering entertainment.”
Travis rolled with it. He’d come in ready to fight. Instead he closed the door, leaned back, and leveled his naughtiest, most alluring look at the mercenary.
“I guess you’re just lucky, then. I got a call. Maybe I’ve got the wrong room?” He glanced down at the old-fashioned key in his hand. “This is the room they sent me to.”
“Maybe it’s the right room, just the wrong day. But never mind. Now that you’re here, you might as well stay.” Ulric patted the edge of the bed.
No!
The scream echoed in his mind, b
ut Dylan was unable to say anything out loud. Even though Travis was using sex as a distraction, he was just a kid, completely incapable of taking on someone like Ulric. He looked innocuous, but he was wickedly powerful, with too much intelligence to challenge.
Travis moved forward till he stood near the bed, and then paused. “Who’s he?” He jerked his chin in Dylan’s direction.
“Never mind him. He’s my bodyguard. He’s seen…well…all of me.” Ulric laughed suggestively, and after a beat, Travis laughed as well.
“He’s hot.”
Ulric’s humor fled. “He’s not for you, whore.” He moved swiftly, then casually backhanded Travis and knocked him to the floor. Travis landed awkwardly and scrambled to a sitting position, catching a trickle of blood before it ran down his chin.
“Damn, mister!” He played human extremely well, shakily rising to his feet. No doubt Ulric suspected something about him, but there were so many Others around Arcada; half-breeds and sensitives were drawn to its borders, often unaware of why they were compelled to come to the region. He’d undoubtedly met a few of those in the past few days.
Once Travis was up, he shot a nervous glance in Dylan’s direction, then stood hesitantly, uncertain what to do. Ulric patted the bed again, and in spite of his inability to move, Dylan saw red.
“Why don’t you lose those pants?”
Travis slipped his thumbs into the waistband and hitched them a bit lower. Instead of drawing closer to the bed, he stepped back, setting off the alarm at the back of Dylan’s mind.
His shifter was going to attack, and Dylan had no choice but to stop him and protect Ulric. But instead of changing shape, Travis stripped from his jeans. He stood unashamedly in front of Ulric, letting him look. The fae hissed in arousal.
“I generally don’t like your type, kid, but damn, you are…gorgeous.” He rose to his knees while Travis smirked cheekily.
“You like?”
“If you bleach your hair, I might consider keeping you.”
Goose bumps broke out on Dylan’s skin.
“You like blonds, then? I can rock blond for the right price.” Travis dropped his hand to his dick and covered it coyly. “I can be whatever you want, mister.” He made “mister” sound dirty. It came out whispery and low.
“Come here, then.” Ulric lazily stretched out a hand, beckoning Travis.
No! No, no, no…
Not a sound came from Dylan. Travis was naked, unarmed, and he was too close to shift with any advantage. He set a knee on the bed to display his lithe, muscular body, his genitals, and his dazzling smile. He wasn’t erect, but his cock was thick and long enough to deceive. Travis reached up and ran a hand over his chest, then let it trail down his belly. He gazed at the open fly of the fae’s brand-new jeans.
Ulric breathed heavily and clamped a hand around Travis’s wrist. Surprise flickered over Travis’s face, because like everyone else, he’d underestimated Ulric’s strength. In a pinch Dylan could overpower Travis, yet he’d never been able to break away from Ulric’s uncanny physical power.
Ulric towed the young man closer, throwing him off balance. After a moment’s resistance Travis fell forward, Ulric fell back, and they were nose to nose.
“Well, hello.” Travis grinned, but Dylan knew he must be frightened. That wouldn’t make Ulric suspicious. Travis put an arm on the bed to brace himself just above the fae. “And what can I do for you, mister?”
WELL, DAMN. HE’D lost his strategic advantage the moment Ulric dragged him off balance. He struggled not to glance over at Dylan, who stood frozen in the shadows. Since Travis entered the room, D hadn’t moved an inch, though the scent of his panic was thick in the air. He couldn’t catch even a trace of Jason’s scent, though he remembered that the gremlin had managed to work inside the alpha’s house without anyone knowing he was there.
If Jason had a single evil bone in his body, they’d all be fucked. Ulric was bound to have a weakness, but Travis didn’t know what it could possibly be. Slowly, carefully, he moved to his knees. Next to him, Ulric’s cock was turgid and erect, though he’d climaxed recently. Travis caught the scent of semen in the air. He steeled himself not to look at Dylan, knowing the fae wouldn’t have been a willing participant.
Whatever was wrong with him, he wasn’t going to help Travis. And Jason couldn’t be relied on. So Travis did what he was best at: he flirted. He lowered his lashes and murmured innuendos, and all the while he drew away from the fae. His strength was freakish, probably because of his age.
“I’ve got a friend. His name’s Nathan. He’s blond, looks like a surfer. He’s my protégé.” He grinned saucily at Ulric. “Maybe the three of us could party.”
“Sounds lovely.”
The man wasn’t homely, but he sure lacked the stunning beauty of the fae Travis had encountered. And his clothes! If he weren’t so scared, he’d laugh. If Ulric couldn’t lure his prey through his appearance, he must have other tricks up his sleeve.
Jason, where are you?
He crawled backward, as though heading for the man’s groin. Could he have sex with a scary-ass stranger? Strike that; he probably could. Could he give the fae a BJ when the very thought of it repelled him? He glanced at Dylan and saw agony etched on his face.
No, he probably couldn’t.
So instead he straddled Ulric, who’d fished his cock and balls out the front of his wide-open jeans. Looking down at the fae, Travis used his weight to trap Ulric’s hips and thighs. Then he slowly began to grind and gyrate—a lap dance, all in the name of love. When their genitals brushed, Travis stifled a shudder. “So…you didn’t tell me your name.”
“It’s Ric.” The fae leered at Travis, who prayed—prayed that he’d get some sort of hard-on. Granted, a hooker might not truly get turned on by his clients, but he needed this to be convincing, at least till the cavalry showed. And that was looking less likely by the minute. He listened, scented the air, but there was no sign of Jason. But hell, did he expect him to come in through a vent or something? Maybe up through the drain in the tub?
Ulric gripped his thigh in one hand, his hip in the other, and guided him, taking him through a crude parody of fucking. Travis gave a few patently fake moans and groans and then sent a nervous glance in the direction of Dylan, praying there was someone at home inside the man. His normally brilliant eyes were dark and muddy looking, his entire mien listless and dull. But his bare hands were clenched.
“Fuuuckk…” Beneath Travis, Ulric was having a grand old time. His face was flushed, he grinned, and Travis didn’t allow himself to relax for a second. He rubbed at the fae’s chest till his shirt came undone and then tweaked his nipples, hoping to distract him just a little more. He hooked a finger into his own mouth, playing the whore.
They both froze at the sound of a knock on the door.
Ulric barked a command in a language Travis couldn’t understand and then started grinding again, his sharp gaze following Dylan, who opened the door.
Hell and damnation. Jason stood outside, pale, shivering from more than the cold. His fear was pungent, but his jaw was set.
“Nathan, took you long enough! Did you have the wrong room number?”
The gremlin entered the room, glancing fearfully at Dylan, who stepped back against the wall.
“Don’t worry about Lurch there. He’s just the bodyguard. This is my new friend Ric. He’s not the date I expected, but he wants to play with us both.”
“Hey.” Jason’s voice was faint and scratchy.
“So Ric, here’s the thing. I’m training Nathan, and he’s never done the bottom thing before. He’s only been with me and his boyfriend, so we’re gonna play easy with him. Our boss doesn’t want him scared off.” Travis looked at Ulric and gave him his most bewitching smile. To his chagrin, the fae was fixated on Jason.
Did he know? Could the fae sense others of their kind the way shifters could?
“Take your clothes off, Nathan. All of them.” Ulric moved back into his rhythm, an
d damn if he hadn’t gone harder, longer. Fuck. Either he really did have a thing for blondes, or he knew. Jason stood frozen in his tracks, and Travis started to rise. If he could get to Jason’s side, they could fight. Or flee.
“Need some help there, Natty?”
Before Travis could move, Ulric tightened his grip on him and held him in place. The pressure began to build, and he looked down in shock. Slender fingers pressed—dug—into his flesh. And something else was happening—a buildup of energy.
Dylan made a choked sound but didn’t speak. He couldn’t speak. His eyes spoke of his agony and helpless fury.
“Hunnnhh…” The pain increased, and Travis gasped, struggling to escape the fae’s deadly grip. He felt the bones in his hip and thigh begin to weaken, and to his horror, one finger popped through the skin of his hip, then dug into the bloody flesh.
“Let me go!” He couldn’t shift, not like this. He curled his fists, punched, and landed a powerful blow on Ulric’s chest. It would have shattered the chest and heart of a human.
The fae coughed and then laughed. Bloody spittle reddened his lips, and he licked it away.
So Travis went for Ulric’s throat, but a deep, grinding pain inside made him go limp and breathless. Blood poured from his open wounds, and the raw edge of bone protruded from his thigh. His hip and pelvis were damaged, maybe broken. And the blood…
“Dylan!” He screamed in agony, not caring that he’d just given it all away.
“Do not let that boy escape!”
In a flash Dylan had Jason locked in his grip, oblivious to the smaller man’s struggles. Ulric rose and casually threw Travis to the floor, where he writhed, too crazy from the pain to shift. He dragged himself to a sitting position, pointedly ignoring the gore and wreckage of his body. If he didn’t shift soon, he’d be ruined. If he survived.
Priority one: survive. Worry about everything else later.
Ulric slowly sauntered across the room, pants closed, tucking his shirt. Dylan held Jason in an implacable grip, but he was white, sick looking, and his gaze never left Travis.
Silver-Steel Page 25
