by Jo Penn
“Drakius,” Emile snapped out in that arrogant, snarly way. “When did you claim Xavier?”
“Oh, come on—”
“Days ago. And what do vampires do, Drake, when they claim their mates and they are bought to their coven the first time?”
Drake growled, claws extending. Then he shut his mouth and went wide-eyed.
“Damn.”
“Yes. It is tradition, an embedded part of their ways. I had my assistant e-mail you. Did you miss the e-mail, Drake?”
“What assistant?”
“Does it matter?” Emile’s tone was pure wrath. “You have offended Xavier on perhaps the highest level with regard to mates, aside from dishonoring them. Even your human showed such amazing courtesy, considering you did not.”
Damn, damn, damn! With everything that had been going on, this had not even crossed Drake’s mind, and that was shameful. Mates provided, they did what was right and needed, and Drake had dishonored his mateship and mate.
“I will arrange it immediately.”
“Too late, brother,” Emile gentled. “Oh, Drake, you are usually so very accurate and completely on top of everything. You know all the creature ways and respect them, always amazing me with how you manage, yet retain exactly who you are. I realize a lot has occurred, but how could you forget this one simple thing?”
Drake closed his eyes, claws digging into his hands, drawing blood. How could he explain to Emile? Most importantly, how could he explain to Xavier?
“I need your help to fix this.” He hissed.
“You require Dominic’s assistance. He has the soothing touch. I have seen the way you look at Xavier, you worship him. Why this, Drake?”
Drake sighed, dropping his hands. “I do worship Xavier. He is my everything, as is Keeley. He does not feel for me, Emile. He does as a mate should, but I got the aloof side of the vampire, the cool. He does not love me, will not. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I will take him anyway he deems to provide me. As I said to Keeley, I cannot fault Xavier…to have your mates is amazing, life-altering.”
Emile hugged Drake, a real hug with affection, love, and support. Not many saw this side of Emile. Drake was one of a privileged few.
“We will assist. Remember, Drake, this is the beginning. Xavier has shown he is not a reserved, cool vampire in how he tends to his family and covens, and especially Keeley. This can be yours, also. Time to plan and think of your mate and I shall tell you something.” Emile stepped back. “Xavier does not like to live in the palace.”
Drake blinked. “What? Why do you say that?”
“Did he live in either of his covens’? Most do. It is safer, and most of us like to live close to our kind, practically on top of one another. Xavier is very individual and very independent. He has moved here for his mate, accommodated, made allowances. What will you provide?”
Left by himself, Drake only had a few moments to absorb that before he was called back to the ballroom. Emile had obviously filled their family in, and now he was receiving appalled looks and sympathetic ones. It made him agitated.
Drake, though, wasn’t one to back away. He didn’t waiver and he didn’t give up what was his. He took care of and provided.
He returned to the ballroom with absolutely no idea what to do.
* * * *
Xavier wanted to leave. Keeley could feel it deep inside like an ache that was growing, a cold one, like ice beginning to form.
Not that Xavier said anything, not a word against Drake. Not even when Drake had apologized to Xavier the morning after the Council’s visit for not publicly acknowledging to his pride that Xavier and Keeley were his mates. Xavier had inclined his head elegantly and said nothing. Drake had tried, Keeley could see. Xavier gave not an inch of ground.
After that, they had dressed and attended a breakfast, and Drake had gone with the senators and others to meet pride members. After lunch, the senators left. Xavier spent a lot of time speaking to a few of them, one a vampire, another fae. Keeley had seen Drake practically trying to rein in his tiger from hauling Xavier away from the male and female senators.
Prickly vampires, Keeley thought as he sat in the large training grounds platform seats and watched both Xavier and Drake working out, far across from each other. Wow, both were so damn hot.
Keeley rested his chin in his hand, watching them a little dreamily. He was getting it now, understanding this thing between them—the bond, whatever. He really was. Xavier couldn’t leave, because Keeley was also Drake’s mate, and as Xavier would never leave Keeley, he was sort of stuck here.
That would end up driving his mate into being a bit of an icy vampire, and he was sure Drake would become very aggressive. What was Keeley supposed to do about it, though? He was just the little human stuck in the middle, and he was actually a bottom, not a middle. He wondered if Drake ever bottomed. Xavier may be both, but he was also a strong, independent creature, one of those alpha types Keeley guessed. He’d have the need to take Drake to feel they were equal and intimate.
Gah, so frigging confusing.
Ryder sat down beside Keeley and stretched out his long legs. Ryder had been training, also. He was impressive. They did hand-to-hand, tiger fighting, half-shifting, swords, guns, knives, everything! Keeley wasn’t so sure he could watch often, but he’d needed to today to see how both mates were interacting in public, away from him.
“Hi, Keeley. What do you think of the soldiers?”
“Hey, Ryder, umm…they can fight?”
Ryder laughed. “True, they can. Now, I have a few questions for you. May be offensive, you might feel. If so, let me know.”
“Okay.” Keeley wasn’t sure how to deal with this and may have inched along on the seat away from Ryder, who quirked a brow at him.
“I am so not propositioning you. You are mated to my brother. Aside from the fact he’d skin me alive and then gut me, you’re a brother to me now, also. Family. So all wrong, on lots of different levels.”
Keeley relaxed, smiling. Ryder wasn’t that aggressive, not from what he’d seen, more jovial. And by the looks thrown his way, wanted by a lot of the soldiers.
“So, you see how Drake is over there.” Ryder pointed to his brother who was fighting two tigers at once. “And Xavier is over there.” He pointed right across the training grounds to Xavier, who at present was stripping off his shirt. “Yeah, he shouldn’t do that.”
“Why? Nearly all of them down there have their shirt off.”
“That’s why.”
Drake let out a fierce roar and, walking along, knocked heads together until he got to Xavier, picked up the shirt, and held it out. Xav quirked a brow insolently.
There was a standoff.
“Ah, is that going to end well?”
“You tell me. Tigers don’t share. We’re a possessive bunch, and though we may shift and don’t have a problem with nudity, with mates it’s all highly territorial and different. Xavier is challenging Drake’s authority right now, not such a good thing. My brother is an alpha, born and bred.”
“You think Xavier’s not?” Keeley asked quietly, curiously.
“Oh, I know he is, so two clashing isn’t good. I still find it difficult to believe Xavier was working as a chef in Milson Valley, in a restaurant he didn’t even own. What was that about?”
Keeley smiled. “Xav was doing it as a favor. He said Pete, the owner, was going to lose his business if he kept serving such deplorable food. He helped out a few times and liked it, so he stayed doing a few shifts here and there. Xav likes to cook. He’s very good at it, trained and everything.”
Ryder nodded. “We have to fix this.” He waved a hand in the general direction of the two mates still in their standoff.
“I don’t know how,” he said a little forlornly, lost.
“Oh, Keels, you’re not alone. The family is planning things. Drake knows he screwed up badly, knows how important the pronouncement was, is, and he wants to make it up to Xavier.”
“Xavier wants to
leave. He’s only still here because of me, but, Ryder, I caught a stray thought before and…” Keeley worried his bottom lip.
“You can say it. Family. We can sort this out.”
“We–ll, Xavier doesn’t need permission to leave or anything, and I sort of know he’ll never leave me. Which means he’ll just take me with him.”
“Yeah, never going to happen. Security is on alert. Xavier is locked in tight.”
“Oh, no, you never do that to Xavier.”
Ryder winced. “Bad move?”
“Real bad.” Keeley sighed. “Okay, so, I’m not sure about any of this and I don’t know what I’m doing from one minute to the next. I tried to leave because this doesn’t make sense to me. Why are they with me? Because fate brought us together? If so, I feel bad for them, because look at them! They’re so amazing and I’m—”
“Pretty amazing, too.” Ryder grinned. “Look over there. All those cubs just want to be close to you and what you did the other night. Wearing both covens and the pride symbols showed so much strength and caring.”
Keeley just shrugged, not accepting it, really. “What I’m trying to say is, they should be together. I think Drake really loves Xavier, and Xavier is just like…well, when he loves and cares it’s like you’re suddenly bought to life and everything has meaning. He makes everything bright and worthwhile, gives you strength and confidence. And Drake, he makes things just alright, no matter what’s happened. He cuddles! That’s weird, a big tiger purring and cuddling, and he listens and doesn’t judge…gives everything.” Keeley had no idea what he was saying and waved a hand about. “Gee, they can stare each other down for a long time. Anyway, I think they both deserve some happiness and they seemed so close, but now they’re so torn apart.”
“We can try and help with that. You’re good at playing people, a little misdirecting, correcting, who knows?”
Keeley flushed. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be, it’s fine. So how do you think we should do this?”
“Drake has to stop challenging Xavier, for a start,” he said quietly as Xavier gave a last cool look and walked out of the training grounds, back stiff. “I can only go off what Xavier has given to me over the years, because I didn’t have any experience with any type of relationship and caring about others before him. So maybe if Drake tries to stop being the top cat he could just be himself without that? Xavier doesn’t respond to challenges…he responds to attention.” Keeley’s cheeks flushed. “You know?”
“Like talking? Taking him out to dinner? Finding out what his favorite color is?”
“Huh, I don’t even know that. Is that bad? I guess it is. I should find out. And no, more, err, like affection. What are you guys always saying? Providing for what their mate needs. Yes, Xavier is very good at affection and seeing what a mate needs.”
Ryder smiled slowly. “I see. Yes, I saw you calm him down at the function. He completely lost the frostiness and warmed right up, for you anyway. Right now he’s just polite and icy to everyone else.”
Keeley snapped. “Well, you were all looking at him like he’d done something wrong, and he hadn’t.” Pissed now, Keeley stood up, waving his hands around in the air and stomping his foot. “All of you turned on him! Gods, now that I think about it, poor Xavier! He’s done everything and you lot just snapped and ignored him, shooting daggers. What happens if I do something wrong? Which I will, constantly. Will you beat me? Toss me around a bit and—”
“My light, it’s okay, no one is going to hurt you.” Drake’s arms wrapped around him, holding him tight, hands stroking him.
Keeley crumbled. They were all fighting, plotting, and turning on each other. It hurt. He was alone here. What would happen next?
“X–Xavier! They turned on him, you’re f–family, that’s what f–family does, they beat and ridicule, laugh and hit and tell you you’re stupid and useless and sell you—”
“Never, baby, never. You’re safe, my family adores you. We’ll protect you.” Drake was carrying him out of the grounds, Keeley sobbing. “Ryder, what happened?”
Keeley heard part of the conversation. He was too upset, shaking, not knowing where the next hit emotionally or physically would come from. Xavier would never harm him. He kept Keeley safe. Keeley was happy. Why hadn’t he ever seen that before, known it, felt it, and understood it? Gods, he must have hurt his mate so many times by not even saying he cared!
Keeley didn’t just care, he loved Xavier, couldn’t be without his vampire. It felt like he’d die, just wither away. There was no use without Xavier.
But now, he felt safe in Drake’s arms. Yes, Drake had hurt Xavier with that custom thing of vampires, but he was sorry. Keeley could feel that through the link. Could Xavier?
“Where’s Xavier? Doesn’t he feel me?” he cried to Drake.
“He is blocked. Ryder has gone to find our mate.”
“Y–you love him, right?” Keeley asked anxiously.
Drake smiled as he placed Keeley on their bed and leaned back against the headboard, pulling Keeley back in his lap.
“With all of me. Like I love you.”
“Don’t let him leave.”
“I won’t. How can I be without the two I love?” Drake rested his head on Keeley’s. “I’m sorry, my angel. You are upset because of me and my thoughtlessness with Xavier. I will do all I can to fix this. If all I ever receive is cool regard from a mate, I will gladly accept it, as long as we are all together. But, Keeley, my family did not turn on Xavier. They never would. They adore him also. He is family and to our family that means protecting and loving, taking care of. They were scolding Xavier for the slight they felt he was doing to me. I was wrong and they have apologized. Xavier accepted. They would not have harmed him. They would have chopped off their own arms instead, and would lay down their lives for him if needed.”
“That is always nice to know, but unnecessary.” Xavier strode into the bedroom.
For the first time in Keeley’s life, he was going to fight for something. Not with his fists or a gun and not with well-thought-out strategies, but with his heart. Opening his mind, he let both mates see everything in his past, see his fears, what scared him, hurt him, how he could deal with some things but not with others, and what he’d like to do in the future.
That he loved them both, and what he needed from them.
Right now he needed them to love on him. He wanted intimacy, a connection for once in his life, and to hold onto it.
“Come here, my star, our mate needs us.” Drake held out his hand to Xavier.
Keeley held his breath, hoping Xavier would take the offering, open to them. When Xavier didn’t and actually turned away, Keeley was quickly put aside, and Drake lurched at Xavier with a speed Keeley gaped over. Xavier was tumbled to the bed, his fangs sliding out, and that was when Keeley noticed his vampire had lost a little weight, his cheeks more hollow, his stomach concave.
“No, no, no!” Keeley shoved at Drake’s arm as the big tiger was growling and holding their mate down. “That’s not how to do it!”
Frowning, Drake let Xavier go, who was watching with cool detachment. Keeley climbed onto his mate and lay across him.
“Need you, my savior.”
For a moment, Keeley was overcome with such fear that he thought he would shatter into pieces when Xavier did nothing but stare at the ceiling. Drake lay beside them and gently stroked their vampire’s cheek.
“When I get scared or overwhelmed, I run.” Keeley pressed his lips to Xavier’s cheek. “Not you, though, Xavier. You are the White Knight. You race in—bringing down the cruel and barbaric, defending and helping those weaker—and give them something to live for. Mostly, though, you’re my savior. You gave my miserable, dark world love and laughter, and you’ve made me feel like I can do anything, be anything. I can’t be without you, and I’m not letting you become like Valiant, all cool and distant.”
Xavier finally looked at Keeley and smiled. “Well that was a bit harsh. Like Valiant?�
�� He winked. “You bring joy and light to my world, Keeley Tate, thank you.”
Grinning, Keeley leant down and attacked Xavier’s lips with passion. He liked to take the lead just as much as he liked to be led. He’d never be one to submit and be told what to do, never saw the fun in that.
Kissing Xavier was a sensual, sexual experience, one Keeley could never get enough of. His lips where like silk and he took Keeley to sensation-filled heights he’d never known could actually exist.
When they parted, he looked at Drake and smiled. The big tiger’s dark eyes were hooded, cheeks flushed. Ha! The big tiger liked to watch. That was very obvious.
“This time Xavier is going to have me, then you.”
Drake blinked then a slow, very sexy smile covered his hot, handsome face. “As my mate wishes.” Drake moved closer and kissed his way along Xavier’s cheek to his lips, nibbling there. “You need. I want you to have what you need. Keeley is in front of you. He’s your mate. He offered himself up…that’s it, my star.”
Keeley sighed with relief as Xavier moved across him, warmth back in his chilly eyes. He had missed his mate.
* * * *
Drake remained where he was at the end of their bed, back a little from his mates. Xavier, his gorgeous vampire, was vibrating with desperate need to take Keeley and claim his mate once more, reaffirm the link between them, his hands quivering as he caressed their human with elegant, sensual strokes.
“Open to me, my mate, let me feel all of you,” Xavier whispered, trailing kisses along Keeley’s face. One hand unbuttoned his pale green silk shirt and stroked his tanned flesh. “I love to cherish you.”
Xavier, growling low and using his talons, tore Keeley’s clothes off, covering their human with his long, lean, muscular body that Drake was fighting not to climb all over and lick.
“Xavier! I need you!”
“I will give you all, my light. Lube, Drake.”
Drake fetched the lube and moved closer, backing away when Xavier hissed at him. But holy Gods, he got a good look at his vampire and human naked together and began panting, his cat clawing to get out and take his mates.
