by Lynn Hagen
And why in the hell doesn’t the tavern have air conditioning? He used his arm to wipe at his face. God, he felt like he’d been dropped into the pits of hell. His unruly hair was now matted to his face as the sweat gliding from his scalp dripped onto his legs. To hell with a glass of ice water. Jason would give anything for a large pool right now—or walk-in freezer.
"We’re not trying to keep secrets," Dr. Whitfield said, "but I think it best if Matt explained things to you."
The mention of his mate’s name made Jason ache for the man he was still thoroughly pissed at. He didn’t want to see Matt right now, yet a large part of him became excited at the knowledge that his mate would soon be there.
The heat was definitely melting his brain. He shot to his feet when the office door opened and Matt stepped inside. Even though he was angry at the guy, Jason couldn’t help but want Matt. It wasn’t just his dark and masculine looks, but his entire aura. His presence dominated the room, demanding to be noticed.
Jason pulled himself together, annoyed he’d felt swept away at Matt’s arrival.
"What’s going on, Matt?" he demanded.
Instead of answering, his mate crossed the room, then lifted Jason’s shirt. His gaze was fixated on Jason’s stomach. "It’s true."
"Can you please tell me what everyone is talking about?" Jason said. "Why did Devin call a vet?"
"Because the Whitfields have been treating shifters and their mates for seven generations," Matt said. He was still staring at Jason’s stomach with too much curiosity.
Jason glanced at Dr. Whitfield. "You’re human?"
The doctor inclined his head. He and Devin had moved closer to the door as Matt continued to hold Jason’s shirt up.
"You are going through the Katana." Matt’s explanation hadn’t cleared a damn thing up. If anything, Jason was even more confused. Wasn't that the name of some sword? But since that didn’t make any sense, he needed clarification.
"What is a Katana?" Jason asked. "Is that a word you guys use when someone passes out from the heat?" Jason knew he’d guessed wrong when all three men appeared puzzled. "That’s all it was, right? That’s why I’ve been getting sick, too. The heat?"
Oh, Jason did not like the soft look Matt gave him.
"Katana doesn’t mean heat exhaustion." Matt slid Jason’s hands into his. They felt steady and strong, engulfing his while Matt brushed his thumbs over the backs of Jason’s sweaty hands.
Jason’s gaze darted to each man before settling on Matt. "Is it some sort of cancer? Can you diagnose that from vomiting and passing out? A virus? The flu?" Panic set in. What he hadn’t told Matt was that, for the past two days, his stomach had been cramping. He’d attributed the pain to the heat and dehydration.
"Jason," Matt said, and Jason didn’t like his tone. It was the type of voice people used when telling you that you were dying. He tried to pull his hands away, but Matt’s grasp was firm.
"Would you gentlemen mind leaving me with my mate?" Matt asked without looking away.
Devin and Dr. Whitfield exited the office, quietly closing the door behind them.
"I don’t like the way you said my name. Am I dying?" Jason’s imagination went wild with possibilities. Each scenario grew worse as he searched Matt’s eyes for an answer. "I’m going to have a heart attack while waiting for you to tell me I’m having a heart attack. What’s wrong with me?"
Matt’s gray eyes softened even further. "You’re pregnant."
Jason froze for a few heartbeats, then narrowed his eyes. "If you wanted to pull a prank on me for what I did earlier, you should have come up with something I would have believed. I knew it was the heat."
When Matt didn’t so much as crack a smile. Jason’s relief vanished.
There was no way Matt could be serious. Men didn’t get pregnant. They were the ones who impregnated.
Then again, the world he’d stepped into made absolutely no sense. Things that shouldn’t exist, did. There were men who shifted into animals, vampires, demons, and guys who just popped into rooms without using a door. There was another realm where the Consiglio presided over a magical prison. What was one pregnant man in the scheme of things?
As the truth of his reality sank in, Jason felt like he’d been sucker-punched. He had not seen that one coming.
Yanking his hands free, he backed away from Matt. His heart beat wildly, his throat went bone-dry, and he struggled to breathe. "Tell me you were joking." It was plea.
Matt shook his head without so much as a smile twitching at his lips. Either he had a better game face than Jason or he was telling the truth. This wasn’t a prank. His mate truly thought Jason was carrying his child. Matt had taken the loony vet at his word.
Jason wanted a second opinion from someone who didn’t shove his hand up a horse’s ass. He couldn’t believe Matt had listened to the quack.
His hand fluttered to his stomach while his gaze snapped around the room. His mind was in a whirl as he tried to make sense of what Matt was saying. Pregnant? How? Well, he knew how, but that was impossible.
"Have you been experiencing muscles cramps in your stomach?"
Jason nodded.
"That was your body preparing itself to carry a child."
The dizziness returned. Jason swayed as the image of a child growing inside him surfaced. The edges of his vision turned gray. He fell toward the floor, but Matt caught him.
"No," Jason whispered as he looked around desperately. "That can’t be right."
Matt carried Jason to the chair and sat, cradling Jason in his arms.
"Don’t you clam up on me now." Jason ground his teeth as he glared at Matt. "You knew this could happen and you didn’t say anything! I should have had a choice, especially when a game-changing moment was involved."
"You’re absolutely right," Matt said.
"Don’t you dare agree with me! Why the hell didn’t you warm me about…this?"
"Because I thought fate had cursed me," Matt explained. "My mother died giving birth to me, and my father blamed me for her death. He never let me forget what I’d taken from him."
Jason paused in his ranting as Matt’s words sunk in. As angry as he was, the misery in Matt’s eyes made Jason want to hug him. "How is that your fault?"
Matt shook his head and Jason’s heart ached for him. He couldn’t understand how a parent could blame a child for something he hadn't done?
"I was so stunned when I discovered you were my mate that the Katana hadn’t entered my mind."
The raw anguish in Matt’s eyes drained the rest of Jason’s anger, leaving behind fear of not only caring for a child, but raising one. He didn’t know the first thing about babies and never thought to have one of his own.
The thought of having another life depend on him for his or her survival scared Jason, but the thought of how he would deliver the child terrified the shit out of him.
"Things are going way too fast for me. People usually date for months, even years before making a commitment. In the course of a few days, I’ve been mated and impregnated."
He was so screwed.
"We’ll get through this," Matt said. "I know most of what’s happening makes no sense to you. You haven’t had a chance to adjust, and now you’ve been thrown for yet another loop."
"This isn’t a fucking loop. This is an epic roller coaster." Jason stared at the floor as he wondered how much crazier his life could get.
Chapter Eleven
The following evening Matt stood in his bedroom as he watched his mate sleep and wondered if he was doing the right thing. His pack meant everything to him, but he was about to take a dangerous gamble for a guy who wouldn’t appreciate the sacrifice he was about to make.
If they were caught, none of them would ever see the light of day again. Jason would be left to raise their child on his own. The rest of his pack would be left without their alpha.
His responsibilities weighed heavy on his shoulders. Matt was half tempted to leave Anthony to rot, but his fr
iendship with Colton wouldn’t allow him to turn his back on the guy.
"You ready?" Rio asked as he stepped into the doorway. "Guys are waiting downstairs."
Matt walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"You don’t have to go," Rio said as his eyes softened. "Everyone would understand. You have a pregnant mate to look after. The risk is too high."
"I won’t let you guys go in without me. I can’t pick and choose when to be an alpha." Matt glanced at the closed door and his heart twisted. "I want Nick to stay behind to watch my mate. With Bael still on the loose, I’m not leaving anything to chance."
The human had become Matt’s entire world. Jason was infuriatingly stubborn, but Matt had finally found the one who fit, who felt like home.
And you’re about to risk that for Anthony. But so much of who we are is tied to family. Colton was family, and Matt was bound to him by loyalty.
Rio gave Matt a devilish grin. "I’ll go break the news to Nick that he’s not invited to the party."
He’d chosen Nick because Nick was the darkest and deadliest of them all. Aside from Matt, Jason was safest with him.
"I just might have to shoot him," Matt said as they headed downstairs. His entire crew of bounty hunters stood in the living room. They were dressed in fatigues and looked like the collection of ruthless men they were.
Matt paused when he saw Colton and Nick staring at each other like they were about to exchange blows. "What’s going on?"
"Nick thinks Anthony isn’t worth serving a life sentence for," Rio said while leaning causally against the banister.
Matt knew that most of the men felt that way, including him. "We don’t have time for this shit," he growled at them. "Let’s get moving."
Rio held up his hand when Nick tried to walk by him. "Boss man says you gotta babysit."
Nick glanced between Rio and Matt with a bewildered frown. "Seriously?"
"Never more serious," Matt said. "Get upstairs and guard Jason with your life."
Nick scowled. "Sure, we’ll paint our nails and talk about the cutest boys in school."
Matt was getting a damn migraine and they hadn’t even left the house yet. The thought of Nick—a man who resembled a malicious thug—painting his nails and gossiping made Matt want to scrub the image from his mind.
"Go with hot pink," Rio called after Nick. "It’ll bring out the killer in your eyes."
Nick flipped Rio off before disappearing.
Matt gave Rio a strange look. "Do I really want to know?"
He gave Matt a roguish grin. "Probably not."
He stood there for a moment, watching Rio head outside. Matt shook his head and had started after his men when his phone rang. The call was restricted.
He started to ignore it. They were on a tight schedule and already running behind. For the first time since Mercury Rising began, all the bounty hunters—except for Nick—would converge on one capture warrant. Even if they succeeded in catching the lion, the doorway to the realm where Council Hall resided would only be open for a few seconds.
It would take a miracle to get all of them through before the veil closed.
Matt answered the phone. If it was an emergency, he’d have one of the bears handle it. "Matt Romero."
"It’s a setup. Magnus wants the wolves gone. The Consiglio doesn’t have Colton’s brother. The vampires have him."
Before Matt could ask who the caller was, the person hung up. He stared at the phone, questioning whether the call was real or not, whether they should go through with their plan, and wondering who had known about their plan.
Rio walked back inside. "We’re all waiting—" A frown puckered between his eyes. "What’s wrong?"
"I just got an anonymous call telling me we’re being set up. Magnus is the one who has Anthony."
"Do you think it’s credible?"
Matt wasn’t sure, but there was no way in hell he would chance this rescue if it was a trap. "Until I find out, we’re not going."
Rio rubbed a hand over his smooth face. "I had a bad feeling about this to begin with."
That made two of them.
* * * *
Andreas slid his cell phone into his pocket seconds before Magnus stepped outside. The man wore a smug smile, as though he was sure his plan to set up the wolves couldn’t fail.
The guy had no idea of the shit storm that was coming his way. Andreas would enjoy watching the bastard fall from his throne.
Magnus’s cold eyes pinned Andreas as a malicious grin appeared. "Have a few of the lower level vampires prepare the Black Dragon for celebration."
Andreas inclined his head. Magnus had only done him a favor. He didn’t want to be at the door when the wolves came knocking.
* * * *
They stood a block from Black Dragon. Matt had an uneasy feeling about this. Andreas wasn’t manning the front door. The vampire always manned the front door. The street was also deserted, something unheard of for the nightclub. Partiers should be lined up to get inside.
"I should go in alone," Colton said as he stood beside Matt. "This is my mess to clean up."
"No one is being forced to be here," Matt said in a low voice, but loud enough for the others to hear. "If anyone wants to leave, they can."
Matt expected the men to turn and walk away. Their expressions clearly showed that they weren’t down for this plan to rescue Anthony. But this wasn’t about Anthony. This was about supporting Colton. The guy knew his brother was a fuckup, yet Anthony was family and all of them believed in family—though most had no blood relatives they would defend. This pack was all they had, and they would stick by Colton.
He’d do anything for his men, but starting a war for Anthony made Matt’s back molars grind.
"I doubt we can use the roof," Rio said. "They’ve probably beefed up security since it was your means of escape last time."
There were only two ways in—the rooftop and the front door. Either option would have them facing a horde of vampires. An ache grew in Matt’s chest when he thought of Jason. At least his mate would have Nick to stand by him if this went south.
He forced those thoughts away. He needed to keep his head in the game or he just may lose it.
Matt stood tall when the front door to the club opened and Magnus walked onto the deserted street, his arms held out wide. "I’m curious to know how you figured out where Anthony was."
Matt shoved his hand against Colton’s chest to stop him from plowing forward. His gaze shot to the rooftop where he spotted over two dozen vampires standing. More filed out into the street from the front door and stood behind their coven leader.
They were outnumbered by three to one, if not more, and hours away from dawn. The sun wouldn’t be of any help to them this time.
"You’re a filthy piece of undead crap," Colton spat as he pushed against Matt’s hand. Colton’s eyes looked murderous, but then again, so did Magnus’s. The entire coven of vampires appeared ready to pounce and feast on them.
Not all of them, though. More than a few looked like they really didn’t want to be there. They looked toward Magnus with uncertainty, like they wanted to run away instead of backing their leader.
"You were the one who started this," Magnus pointed out. "You were the one who came into my club with the intent to do harm."
"You could have just given me Anthony," Colton argued.
"He didn’t want to leave," Magnus said. Matt heard the truth in the man’s voice and saw it in his eyes. Shit. Anthony didn’t want to be rescued. Not then and not now. They were about to fight for a man who would more than likely return to the vampires the first chance he had.
For the first time in a long while, Matt wasn’t sure how to proceed. They couldn’t back down now. Even if he decided Anthony wasn’t worth it—which he’d decided a hundred times in his head—the vampires wouldn’t let them just walk away. They were in this until the end.
Matt couldn’t be sure who started the fight. He’d been standing there c
ontemplating the situation and the next thing he knew, it was a street brawl. Howls and hisses erupted, and claws, fangs, canines, fur flew. Matt found himself battling two vampires at once. He didn’t want to fight them.
He wanted Magnus.
When Matt glanced up to find him, he spotted Magnus slipping into the front door. No doubt he would watch the fight from the safety of the upper floor.
"I’m going after Magnus," Matt said to Rio, who was fighting right next to him.
Rio gave him a wicked grin. "Call me if you want me to join the party."
"I’ll save you a party favor," Matt said before plunging his hands into both vampires’ chests and extracting their hearts. He dropped the beating organs on the ground before he headed for the entrance.
The pathway to the door hadn’t been laid out in front of him. Matt had to fight his way there. It seemed every single vampire was determined to stop him from going after Magnus.
He kicked, punched, clawed, bit, and extracted hearts, using any means necessary to get to their leader. As he fought, Matt wondered if any of his men would be held accountable for the vampires they killed. The Consiglio might not see this as self-defense or even care why this fight had started in the first place. Would his men be brought up on charges? Would his men be sentenced to a capture or kill warrant?
And why in the fuck hadn’t he thought about that sooner?
If the Consiglio wanted to punish anyone for this, Matt would lay the burden on his own shoulders. He would make damn sure none of his men suffered the consequences. Loyalty meant everything to him, and Matt’s men were showing it in spades.
Landon and Rio finally reached Matt, and helped him fight off the vampires so he could make it inside. He wasn’t sure how long it had taken, but he finally reached the vestibule.
The hallway was empty. No ticket girl behind the bulletproof glass. No bouncers standing by the normally closed double doors at the end of the hall. As a matter of fact, the doors were wide open.
