by Lynn Hagen
If they were… Trey felt light-headed. “Is he… Is he a vampire?”
Trey didn’t get an answer. The guy was inhumanly fast, breaking the hold Ben had on him. Trey squeaked and ran across the room as the vampire lunged at him. Ben grabbed the guy around his waist and slammed him to the floor. The coffee table was destroyed, leaving behind large splinters of wood as the two fought.
Trey had been in a few fights in his life but never this brutal. The two exchanged blows that would have caved Trey’s chest in if he’d been on the receiving end.
Fearing the vampire just might win, Trey looked around for any kind of weapon he could use. He raced to the kitchen and grabbed a large knife from the drawer and then hurried back.
In that short amount of time, Ben had shifted into a wolf. Trey was shocked at how gorgeous and deadly the wolf appeared. The creature was huge! It was mostly gray, with large patches of white and thin streaks of black. Trey had never seen a wolf up close, but he was pretty certain they weren’t supposed to be that big.
From snout to the tip of his tail, the wolf had to be at least six feet. And if Ben walked up to him right now, Trey was dead certain the wolf’s head would reach Trey’s shoulders.
Were shifters supposed to be that big in their animal form or was Ben a fluke?
“You’re not going to win,” the stranger taunted, making Trey grip the hilt of the knife until his knuckles turned white. “Manny will finish what he started. Your entire pack will be slaughtered, just like the others five years ago.”
What was the guy talking about?
The wolf gave a deep, low growl before it jerked forward and attacked, clamping its jaws down on the vampire’s throat. Trey quickly looked away, pressing a hand over his mouth as he gagged.
He had to still be asleep. This had to be some bizarre nightmare. Trey was not witnessing a deadly fight between a vampire and a wolf shifter.
This was the same kind of meltdown he’d felt when he’d seen those men turn into Rottweilers. When he’d seen them turn into piles of dust. He’d blamed the hallucinations on bad gas station sushi. Trey might have tried to convince himself of that before, but he couldn’t now. Not when this was happening right in his own home.
Trey was pulled from his thoughts when Ben changed back into a human. He had blood on his chin and chest as he stood there breathing heavily.
“It isn’t safe here.” Ben started toward the hallway as if being bloody were an everyday occurrence. “Pack some things. I’m taking you home with me.”
Trey refused to look at the body on the floor. He didn’t want the sight etched into his memories, so he ran behind Ben, focusing on what the guy had just said. “What the fruit loops is going on? Why was that thing in my house? What beef does this Manny guy have with you? Are vampires really real?”
Ben went into the bathroom and washed the blood from his face and chest. He looked at himself in the mirror instead of looking at Trey. “Yes, vampires are real. The rest is a long story that I’ll explain when you’re safely tucked away.”
“Safely tucked away?” Trey set the knife on the shelf behind the toilet. His headache was getting worse. “I’m not running and hiding, Ben. I have nothing to do with whatever is going on.”
Ben turned his chocolate-brown eyes on Trey. The guy still appeared savage, hardened, looking nothing like the Ben who had ravished Trey’s body hours ago.
“You’re my mate, Treyvon. Which means you’re leverage for my enemies, and I’m not leaving you unprotected.”
“But I didn’t sign up for this!” Trey felt like he would be sick. “A hot guy showed interest in me and we shared a few meals and had sex. End of discussion. I’m not involved in some plot to wipe out anyone. I’m not…I’m not…” Trey took a step back. “This is too much for me.”
He walked to his bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed. What in the blue blazes had he just gotten himself into? Hellhounds, shifters, and now vampires? Next Ben would tell him that Bigfoot was real.
Trey rubbed his temples. At this rate his head was going to explode.
Ben walked in, lowered himself in front of Trey, and moved Trey’s hands aside, massaging his temples. “I know you didn’t sign up for this, but I have a feeling you’re stronger than you think.”
“To beat a vampire?” Trey asked incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?”
“No, not to physically fight. That’s my job. I meant mentally and emotionally. You didn’t run to your room when I told you. Instead, you grabbed a weapon and were ready to have my back.”
“Buddy, I was ready to piss myself. That was all that I was going to do.” Trey might have gotten a knife, but he doubted he would have been able to use it. Now that the rush of adrenaline had worn off, the thought of stabbing someone made his stomach churn.
“Regardless, I’m calling in backup, and we’re going somewhere safe.” Ben got up and snatched his phone from the nightstand.
As badly as Trey’s head hurt, he went to his dresser and grabbed some clothes. By the time Ben hung up, Trey was fully dressed. Even if he protested leaving with Ben, he wasn’t going to be naked when the guy’s friends arrived.
“Look.” Ben cupped Trey’s face, and damn it, Trey hated that he needed that touch, needed the comfort. “I know this all seems insane to you, and any other time I would give you space to adjust, but time isn’t a luxury we have at the moment. There could be more coming, and right now we’re sitting ducks.”
Trey jerked away from Ben’s hands. “Is this your idea of wooing me? Because I think you need to work on your technique.”
Ben dressed as he talked. “This is not my idea of wooing you. This is an inconvenience I need to deal with.”
“You did not just call what happened an inconvenience,” Trey argued. “That was completely lethal and terrifying. Do you honestly expect me to blindly follow you into the rabbit hole? In case you’ve forgotten, I have a dead vampire lying on my living room floor.”
Trey snapped his mouth shut when someone knocked on the front door.
“Pack some things, Trey. We’re leaving.” Ben stalked from the room, leaving Trey standing there with his heart in his throat and his headache getting worse. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that no matter how much he protested, Ben was taking him out of there.
* * * *
“Not good,” Ben said when he opened the door and let Rourke in. He told his beta what the vampire had said. “We need to beef up patrol. I want everyone on high alert. I have a feeling the next attack will happen soon.”
“How’s your mate?” Rourke looked around the tiny apartment. His gaze landed on the vampire lying in a pool of his own blood.
“Shaken,” Ben said, though he knew Trey was actually freaking out. “Have Lee and Samson clean up this mess. I don’t need the body discovered.”
Rourke cleared his throat and nodded to something behind Ben. “We have eyes and ears.”
“We’ll be ready to go in a second. Who else is with you?”
“Seth,” Rourke said. “He’s keeping an eye on things downstairs. A few other wolves are in strategic places, watching the apartment to make sure you and your mate make it home.”
Rosa was going to love this. She adored having Elijah around, and now she would have Trey to take care of. She’d made it her life’s mission to take care of their surly pack, but Ben knew she most enjoyed taking care of the smaller men.
He grabbed his boots from the bedroom, encouraging Trey to put his shoes on. He saw his mate hadn’t packed a bag, so Ben helped throw some things into a pillowcase since Trey didn’t own a duffel bag or backpack.
Rourke stood in front of the vampire’s body when they entered the living room, and Ben appreciated his beta trying to hide it from Trey.
As soon as they walked out, Rourke joined them, and they headed down the steps. If it had just been Ben, he’d have taken his chances with attackers. But he had Trey with him, and Ben would lay down his life in order to keep his human safe.
> When Trey was tucked away, Ben was going on the hunt. He would find the men Manny had sent to Fever’s Edge and eviscerate them. The town meant everything to him, and just like his mate, Ben would do whatever he had to in order to keep the residents and their way of life from being contaminated by Manny’s darkness.
Ben considered Fever’s Edge his responsibility, although he’d been there only five years. But in that time he’d organized bake sales and other events to raise money for the local rec center, for the high school sports programs, and was currently working with the new mayor, Pete Hamburg, to design better playgrounds for the kids. Ben truly believed that you got out of your community what you put into it, and he wasn’t going to let some deranged wolf shifter ruin any of that.
They’d even implemented a program to help combat the homeless problem in their small town.
Ben made sure Trey was behind him, and Rourke brought up the rear as they exited the building. He still had no idea why Manny had attacked them in the first place. It had come out of the blue, and in one night, most of the pack had been killed.
Manny had gotten away before Ben could get his hands on the bastard, had a chance to question him, and this time when Manny showed his face, Ben would get his answers. The vampire had said something about revenge, but for what?
He’d hoped to find out with Jimmy, but Rourke had yet to break him. Maybe it was time Ben stepped in. He’d given the assignment to Rourke since it had been the beta’s parents who had died by Jimmy’s hands, but they were running out of time, and Ben needed Jimmy to talk.
The hairs on Ben’s neck stood on end. He looked around, sniffing the air. Rourke must have sensed something as well, because he shoved Trey back inside the entrance of the building.
It was a good call. Moments later Ben spotted three strangers walking their way, and they smelled like vampires. Ben didn’t know much about Manny, but the guy must have deep pockets to pay the bloodsuckers to be his henchmen.
“Stay with Trey,” Ben said to Rourke. “Whatever you do, don’t let them get anywhere near him.”
Ben rolled his shoulders then walked down the sidewalk. The vampires stopped ten feet away. One smirked, and another appeared bored. Ben kept an eye on the third one, the one who looked as though he was there to kill every last wolf shifter he could get his hands on.
Ben still didn’t know Manny’s plan, but it was obvious he was trying to wipe out as many pack members as he could before doing whatever he planned on doing.
“You traipse into my town and think you’re going to do some damage?” Ben asked. “You gotta have a death wish.”
The hidden wolves slowly moved forward, coming out of their hiding spots. They formed a circle around the intruders, and then Ben attacked, ripping apart with his bare hands the one who he deemed most dangerous. The other two were killed, as well.
The three hadn’t stood a chance when they were up against six wolves. The fight had been fast and efficient, just the way Ben liked things.
“Things are getting hinky,” Rourke said when Ben joined him by the door. “Whatever Manny has planned, it seems he’s implementing it.”
Ben snarled. “Get Trey home. I have someone I need to have an up-close conversation with.”
Ben was done playing around. If Jimmy didn’t talk, the son of a bitch was going to feel the blades of Ben’s claws as he ripped the bastard’s heart out.
Chapter Eight
Sheriff Mitch Greeley walked into the apartment, and the smell hit him in the gut. Lying on the floor was a dead vampire, his own blood pooled around him.
“I want to know what the hell is going on.” He looked at Lee for answers. “I got a call from a neighbor about a fight, and I walk in here to find a dead body.”
Mitch was new to town. He hadn’t been there a full year, and he was fully aware that Ben ran things, but Mitch wanted to be kept in the loop. He didn’t like walking in on surprises. If he was to keep Fever’s Edge safe, then he needed to be informed, and not after the fact.
“You’ll have to talk to Ben,” Lee said. “We’re just following orders.”
Why in the hell would Ben pull strings to make Mitch sheriff if he didn’t trust him? Mitch knew that Pa Lakeland had called in a favor, but Mitch’s reception in town had been less than friendly. The deputies acted as if they didn’t trust him, and maybe that was because of Mitch’s age or the fact that he was a newcomer, taking over a job someone else on the force had probably worked hard for.
Even the old-time residents gave him the cold shoulder. Mitch wondered if he’d made the right decision by agreeing to become sheriff. His job wasn’t easy, not in a town where the nonhuman population was on the rise, but it would have been nice to at least have the humans’ support.
Mitch would talk to Ben, all right. Something needed to give, or Mitch was going to leave his gun and badge behind as he walked away from a job he truly cared about. That would be a shame considering how skilled he was and what an asset he could be. But he wasn’t going to force others to like him, let alone trust him.
One more month, and if things didn’t give, Mitch was out of there.
* * * *
“I remember you,” Trey said when he entered the enormous home. Jesus. He never imagined Ben lived in such a luxurious place. It made Trey’s home feel like a worn-out shoebox.
“And I remember you,” Elijah said with a grin before lowering his voice. “Sorry about intruding on you and Ben. Had I known, I would have knocked. Next time hang a sock on the doorknob.”
Trey’s face caught fire. He’d just been kissing Ben, not having sex, but he wasn’t one who talked about such things.
“Anyway, let me show you around.” Elijah took the pillowcase from Trey and tossed it by the front door. He then grabbed Trey’s hand and pulled him through the house that seemed to have endless rooms.
“Who all lives here?” Trey spotted a few guys in the living room watching the television. Why on earth were they up at this hour? The last Trey checked, it was four in the morning.
“The pack.” Elijah pulled Trey into a state-of-the-art kitchen with shiny appliances, gorgeous cabinetry, and a table big enough to fit at least twenty people. He had never seen a kitchen this size before.
“And how many is that?”
“Rosa cooks breakfast around six,” Elijah informed him, though Trey had no idea who Rosa was. “Don’t be late because these Neanderthals will eat everything in sight in two seconds flat. So unless you want a bagel or toast, be here on time.” Elijah chuckled. “Just kidding. She’ll set a plate aside for you, but I wasn’t joking about the guys acting like their mouths are vacuums.”
What a strange little man. Trey wasn’t sure how to take Elijah as he was pulled to another part of the house.
“And this is where Ben’s office is. A lot of meetings and arguments go on in there.”
Trey poked his head into the room. It was all dark furniture, a manly room that smelled like sweet cigars and bourbon. Did Ben smoke?
The carpet was a blood-red color with flecks of black and green. The chairs in front of the desk were deep and comfortable-looking, made of what looked like leather and probably cost more than Trey made in half a year.
There were a few paintings on the walls, along with photos in picture frames. Trey walked up to one, studying the man and woman who looked at each other with pure love in their eyes.
“That was Ben’s parents,” Elijah said from behind Trey. “They died a long time ago, and Rosa raised Ben. Some believe Ben’s dad wasn’t as sweet as he seemed, but a person, even with an evil parent, will display pictures of them. You couldn’t ask for a nicer mother, though.” Elijah laid his hand on Trey’s upper arm. “I know all this seems scary to you, but I promise no one in this house will let anything happen to you.”
“But why?” Trey turned to face the short man. “I don’t even know these people. Why would they do anything for me?”
“Duh.” Elijah gave him a big, goofy smile. He really was
a good-looking guy. “You’re the alpha’s mate. His pack would kill or die for you. Heck, my scrawny ass would try to fight whoever threatened you, because that’s what packs do. We look out for each other, though I hope I don’t ever have to fight. I suck at it. Some of the guys have tried to teach me some moves, but I’m highly allergic to pain.”
Trey felt dizzy, though he was glad his migraine had dulled. He took a seat on the comfortable couch and looked around. “Um, I think something is moving behind the bookcase.”
Elijah squealed, nearly piercing Trey’s ear as he hurried across the room and picked up a fat raccoon. Trey jumped from the couch, dead certain the critter would attack.
“You know better, Buster. Ben will have your balls if he catches you in his office.” Elijah turned and smiled. “This is my baby, Buster. He’s my entire world.”
All right then. Trey wasn’t going to say a word about having a raccoon as a pet. “Just keep him away from me.”
Elijah frowned. “But Buster is the sweetest thing. He’s housebroken and can even do some tricks.”
Trey arched a brow. “Like what?”
Now Trey was interested, but he still wasn’t going anywhere near the critter. The thing had sharp teeth and claws. Just like Ben. Trey inwardly rolled his eyes. That was different. He wasn’t sure how, but it was. He had to keep telling himself that, or he might wig out about sleeping with someone who could change into an animal.
“We’ll save the tricks for later.” Elijah hugged the fat raccoon before setting him down. “Let me show you to your room. You must be exhausted. No one told me what was going on, but you showing up at this hour tells me there’s trouble.”
“Are you a wolf shifter?” Their footsteps echoed in the empty halls. Even the floors were gorgeous. They were made of light brown wood and shined. Trey imagined sliding along them in his socks.
“I sure am. Everyone in the house, except you, is a wolf.” They climbed a set of stairs at the end of the hallway, and Trey was now on the second floor. To his surprise, there was a den. It was sunken in, and there was a massive television mounted on one wall, along with two couches, three recliners, a coffee table, and enough plants to start their own forest inside.
