by Stormy Glenn
“He wasn’t here that last time we came through the area.”
Kane stared at Fallon for a moment, confused out of his mind, and then he remembered where he was—and who he was. “I don’t answer to you, Fallon. This is my bar. I hire whoever I damn well please, and I do not have to explain it to you.”
Fallon arched one dark chestnut eyebrow. “Ranz,” he said, never looking away from Kane.
“On it.”
Kane’s jaw dropped as he watched Fallon’s men clear the bar of patrons and employees in under five minutes. He didn’t know if he was about to be held up or have the crap beat out of him. But he did know he didn’t like it. This was his bar.
“Fallon, you and your men need to leave, and don’t come back.”
Kane pointed toward the door. “You’re no longer welcome in my bar.”
“Is that right?” Fallon asked.
Kane suddenly felt like he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. He glanced around to find that every member of Fallon’s gang was surrounding him. Kane wasn’t a wimp by any means, and he had been in more than his fair share of fights, but even he wasn’t strong enough to fight off five massive, muscle-bound bikers.
Yeah, I’m fucked.
“I warned you not to meddle in things you have no knowledge of, Kane,” Fallon said as he started pacing back and forth in front of Kane, “but you just wouldn’t listen. Now, I am going to give you the knowledge you seem to want so very much.”
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Fallon snapped his fingers, and one of his men stepped forward.
The confusion that Kane had been feeling turned to apprehension. He held up his hands and backed up until he ran smack dab into another body. Kane jerked and spun. His heart started thundering in his chest when Ranz grinned down at him.
It wasn’t a pleasant grin.
“Now, look, this isn’t—”
“Silence!”
Kane’s eyes rounded at Fallon’s sharp words. He slowly turned to see Fallon standing behind him. The man that had been undressing stood right next to Fallon, stark naked. Kane was pretty sure that wasn’t a good thing.
Kane was positive it wasn’t a good thing when the man next to Fallon started to change just like Samuel had. Before Kane could ask what in the hell was going on, something crackled in the air. His jaw dropped when long razor sharp claws grew out of the man’s fingertips and two perfectly white fangs slid down over the man’s lower lip.
“This is the knowledge that was withheld from you, Kane,” Fallon said as he stepped up behind him. “Your brother knew of us, but not many do. I am sorry to say that he died for his knowledge, killed by someone attempting to take over my territory. That is why you were never told. I had hoped to keep you from the same fate.”
Kane heard Fallon’s words, but they didn’t make much sense in the face of what he was watching. Little by little, more of the man’s body changed and grew larger until something not quite human stood in the middle of Kane’s bar. There was an air of danger about the man as if he could reach over and rip out Kane’s throat without even expending a single ounce of energy.
“Now, you know why it is important that I know who is in my territory.”
Kane licked his lips and tore his eyes away from the man to look at Fallon. “Can you all change like that?”
“We can.”
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“And my brother knew about this?”
Fallon nodded. “He did.”
Kane was…something. He just wasn’t sure what. Stunned didn’t even begin to describe the feelings flooding him at the moment. He felt like he was standing in a room full of aliens or something.
“How?”
“Some believe it is a curse,” Fallon said. “Others believe it is a gift from the gods. No one is exactly sure what causes it. We just know that we are what we are. We were born this way, although we did not know of the ability to transform until we hit puberty and shifted for the very first time.”
“Are you like werewolves or something?” The man staring at him from the middle of the room didn’t exactly look like a werewolf, but he didn’t not look like a werewolf either. He was somewhere in between.
“No, we are not werewolves. Werewolves are a myth, a Hollywood legend,” Fallon said. “We are creatures of the night that need blood to survive. We are a unique species that has been around for centuries, since the Roman times. We can transform into another form, but it is just a larger and more lethal form of what we already are.”
Kane turned when he heard a noise and watched as the creature transformed back into a man. Watching the transformation was awe inspiring, and terrifying as all hell. Kane couldn’t figure out whether to be intrigued or scared shitless.
“I need a drink,” Kane said, “a big one.”
Kane blinked in surprise when a glass of amber liquid was shoved into his hand. He shrugged and tossed the whiskey down his throat.
The glass was refilled the second he lowered it from his lips.
After what he had just seen, it didn’t even faze Kane when he was led over to Fallon’s booth and sat down. He just chugged the whiskey down and then motioned for more. After two more glasses, he finally
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figured he had had enough to face whatever was going to happen next.
“So, now what?” Kane asked as he looked across the table at Fallon. “Do you have to kill me now that I know what you are?”
“I would hope not,” Fallon said. “But, if that’s what you desire, I can see that it’s done.”
“No.” Kane quickly shook his head. “I’m kind of partial to breathing.”
“And you’ll remain that way as long as you keep our secret.”
Kane’s eyebrows shot up. “Who would I tell?” His eyes widened.
“Hell, who would believe me?”
“I need to know how Terrence Harden’s son came to be here, Kane.”
“Why?”
“Terrence Harden is the alpha of his coven. He has territory near here.”
“He’s the what?”
“Alpha of his coven.”
“Coven?”
“Terrence Hardin is a vampire. He is the alpha of his coven, the leader, just as I am the alpha of my coven. And since I am the alpha of this territory, anyone not of my coven that enters my territory is seen as an enemy. Samuel’s presence here could be seen as an act of aggression against my coven.”
Kane groaned as he slumped back against the bench seat he sat in.
“Samuel is one of these creatures?”
“Yes, he is.” Fallon smirked. “And we are called vampires, Kane, or at least vampires as you would know us. We drink blood to survive, although we also need human food to sustain us. We cannot go out into daylight, although we can eat garlic. And holy water just gets us wet. It doesn’t make us melt. We are faster, stronger, and a whole hell of a lot meaner than any human you have ever encountered.”
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“Fuck!” Kane rubbed his hand over his face. He had fucked a vampire? A sudden cold dread filled him. Since he had fucked Samuel, was he going to turn into a vampire? His eyes snapped up to Fallon. “Is this thing contagious?”
“Contagious?”
“Yeah, you know, can I catch it?” Kane asked. “Will I turn into a vampire or something?”
“I do not believe so.” Fallon’s eyes flickered to one of the men standing beside the table for a moment before coming back to Kane.
“I have never heard of a case of someone catching it. You’re either born with it or you’re not.”
Kane blew out a deep breath of relief. He didn’t want to turn into a blood-sucking vampire. He wasn’t ready for something like that. He wasn’t sure he ever would be. Hell, he didn’t even like needles. The whole blood thing was definitely out.
“Of course, that does not mean that someone cannot bond with one of us. And while he w
Kane gulped. “What do you mean bond?”
“I suppose you could call it the human equivalent of marriage, only it’s for life. Once a vampire bonds with someone, vampire or human, it is forever. We take things like that very seriously. I have only known a few vampires that have given in to the need to bond because once they bond, they will never desire another and the death of one means the death of the other.”
“Shit.” Kane reached for his glass of whiskey again. He had just brought it to his lips when Fallon dropped a bomb in his lap.
“Of course, that is nothing for you to be worried about. It’s practically impossible to bond with a vampire.”
Kane choked on the whiskey in his mouth, swallowing hard as he tried to clear his throat. He just knew it wasn’t that simple. It couldn’t be. His luck didn’t seem to be running that way lately.
“Ho–How do you bond with a vampire?”
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The smirk that crossed Fallon’s lips was one that Kane never wanted to see again in his life. It was like looking at an oncoming train and knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop from being hit.
“You have to have sex with them.”
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Chapter 4
Samuel shivered, feeling cold right down to his bones. He felt like he had been cold for so long that he barely remembered what warmth felt like. He cuddled his knees closer to his chest and tried to curl himself into the smallest ball possible.
There wasn’t much cover under the small bridge he hid under. If the rain didn’t get him, the frozen ground did. His clothes were soaked clean through and had been for days. Every time he tried to find a place to dry out, he spotted one of Fallon’s men and ran for his life.
Samuel knew he couldn’t keep running. He hadn’t fed in days, and his strength was slowly seeping away. He was already so exhausted that he could barely see two feet in front of him. He just wanted to rest for a little while.
He had no place to go.
He had tried going back to his father’s territory only to be run off by his brother and a bunch of his buddies. He hadn’t walked away from that confrontation without a few aches and pains either. Jared seemed to enjoy beating him up and taunting him with what would happen if he ever came back into their father’s territory.
Samuel hadn’t even been able to gather his stuff from Camden’s house before running for his life. Unfortunately, his feet had led him right back into Fallon’s territory. He had just wanted to get a glimpse of Kane, just one small look.
When Samuel saw one of Fallon’s men come out of the bar and lift his nose into the air, he had dropped down behind the bushes he was hiding behind. He should have known better. Fallon’s coven was
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known for being one of the fiercest and deadliest in the area. The man had looked right at him and then started toward him.
Samuel wasn’t stupid. He had run as fast as his feet would carry him. And he had been running ever since. Samuel wasn’t even sure how long he had been running. It could have been days. It could have been weeks. He had lost track of time somewhere along the way.
Now, he just wanted one last look at Kane, and then Fallon’s coven could do whatever they wanted to him. Samuel no longer cared.
His heart didn’t beat in his chest anymore. It had shattered at his feet when he heard Fallon’s words of love toward Kane. He was positive that Kane was going to return the words even if he had interrupted the two men.
Why would Kane want him when he could have the alpha of a coven?
Hell, no one wanted him.
His father had banished him from the coven he was born into. His brother took great delight in torturing him. Kane had rejected him, after stealing Samuel’s heart and soul. And now, Fallon had ordered Samuel out of his territory, so obviously he wasn’t fit to join Fallon’s coven.
As exhaustion ate away at Samuel’s senses, his mind wandered to thoughts of Kane. He hadn’t meant to bond with the man. Hell, he didn’t even know it was possible for two men to bond to each other.
He had been raised to believe that bonding only happened between men and women. He had thought he was safe in being with Kane.
He should have at least been safe being with a human. According to his father, vampires could not bond with humans. Samuel felt the bond on his side but he didn’t know if Kane did, and after the man’s reaction to his return, he seriously doubted Kane felt a thing. Maybe the bond was one sided because Samuel was a vampire. Kane probably wouldn’t even be affected if Samuel died as other bondmates were. He should have stayed away from Kane and never given in to his desire for the man. It had been a colossal mistake.
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Now, he was stuck with no way out of his predicament. Kane didn’t want him, and Samuel would never want anyone else. He was doomed to a life lived alone.
Just once, Samuel wished that someone would want him for more than a little while. Was that too much to ask? He snorted at the direction his thoughts had taken. What did it matter? Now that he was bonded to Kane, it wouldn’t matter if he did find someone that wanted him forever. He wouldn’t want them back.
He only wanted Kane.
Samuel shivered again and then pulled his thin jacket closer around him. It might be soaked through, but it felt almost warm. He knew that he was reaching the end of his endurance if the wet material clinging to his skin was bringing him comfort.
Samuel didn’t want to go out huddled under a bridge, frozen for all time. He might not be much of a fighter, but he wanted his life to end differently. And he knew just how to accomplish that.
Samuel struggled to his feet and shuffled out from under the bridge. He figured his plan was basically suicidal, but he could take care of two goals at the very same time. He could see Kane one last time and end things before he died a cold and lonely death under a bridge.
He had an ounce of pride left, but just an ounce. He didn’t want to go out shivering from the cold or starve to death because feeding from anyone except Kane made his stomach clench in rebellion. And he didn’t want to go out alone. He wanted his death to mean something, even if it was as idiotic as challenging the alpha of another coven.
Maybe he’d become a legend…for losers.
As tired as he was, it took Samuel awhile to make it to Kane’s bar.
By the time he reached the mostly empty parking lot, he was shivering so much that his teeth chattered together. He stood up as straight as he could and smoothed his clothes, and then pushed a hand through his dirty hair.
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He looked like shit, and he knew it. If he didn’t present some sort of challenge, Fallon’s coven wouldn’t fight him, and he needed them to fight him. Hell, maybe his father would finally be proud of him when he heard of his death.
Samuel drew in several deep breaths, almost choking on the cold air, and then slowly walked toward the door. His mind narrowed to a single-minded purpose—to see Kane one last time. That’s all that mattered. Not even his impending death was more important.
Samuel could hear the voices and laughter inside the bar go silent as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. His vision was a little blurry as he stood in the doorway and scanned the interior of the room, but he had no trouble spotting the tall, muscular men inside.
None of them were Kane.
Samuel’s heart sank as the men in the bar started toward him and he realized that he wasn’t going to get his wish. He was never going to see Kane again. He was going to die before then.
So be it.
Samuel tried to transform into his vampiric form before the first man reached him, but he was just too damn tired. He struck out at the man with his fist instead. He heard a grunt when his fist connected with the man’s face, but all he felt was a numbness that seemed to fill every fiber of his body.
When more men approached him, Samuel swung out with his fists again and again. He knew some of his punches landed but not as many as he would have liked. More than once he missed and stumbled forward only to catch himself and start swinging again.
When he was suddenly grabbed and pushed down to the floor, his arms pinned behind him, Samuel knew in some distant part of his mind that he should be feeling pain. He just didn’t. He just felt an overwhelming relief that it was all finally going to be over.
He closed his eyes and waited for death to come.
“Samuel?”
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Samuel squeezed his eyes tighter when he heard Kane’s deep voice. Maybe this was what he had been looking for all of the time.
He just hadn’t expected death to bring him his fondest wish. If he had known, he would have walked into the sun days ago.
“Samuel, baby, open your eyes.”
Samuel didn’t want to. He wanted to stay in the dream haze in his mind, the one where there was concern and affection in Kane’s voice.
Samuel ignored the voice ordering him to open his eyes and concentrated on the one in his head, the one he knew was a figment of his imagination.
After awhile, the bothersome voice faded away. The constant cold that seemed to have surrounded Samuel for so long that he forgot what warmth was faded away as well. Samuel opened his eyes, positive that he was dead.
When he saw Kane leaning over the top of him, Samuel knew he was dead. A small burst of laughter burst past his lips as he gazed up at Kane. That was the only explanation he could come up with to justify the tears he could see in Kane’s hazel eyes.
He had died.
“Hey, baby,” Kane whispered as he stroked the wet hair back from Samuel’s face. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
Samuel frowned. “Why?”
A smile curved the corners of Kane’s mouth. “You ran before we could talk.”
Samuel’s frown deepened as his confusion did. If he was dead, why was Kane talking like this? “What does it matter?” he asked.
“I’m dead.”
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