by Stormy Glenn
“What about Kane?” Samuel asked.
“Kane and Camden are yours to protect.”
Samuel bit his lip and glanced away when he heard a high-pitched screech from beside him. He liked Fallon a lot. The man was helping him obtain his dream of living free and having Kane as his bondmate.
He did not want to watch as Fallon was handed his head on a platter.
Camden was furious.
He was like a spitting cat that had been dunked in a pool of water.
He hissed at Fallon, obviously shocking the man if the swift lifting of his eyebrows was anything to go by. Samuel groaned when Camden’s finger came out.
That was all he needed.
“What do you mean I’m Samuel’s to protect?” Camden snapped as he practically jumped to get into Fallon’s face. “I’m perfectly
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capable of protecting myself, thank you very much. I do not need a fucking babysitter.”
Samuel glanced down when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked at Kane, smirking when the man’s eyes widened and he backed away from the ensuing conflict.
“That’s your best friend?”
“Yeah.” Samuel frowned. “What of it?”
Camden might be a little…odd. But he had stood by Samuel through everything that had ever happened to him. Just because he was different didn’t mean that Samuel was going to turn his back on his best friend.
“He’s just as crazy as Fallon is.”
Okay, that wasn’t so bad. Mostly because Samuel knew that Camden was crazy. “He’s Camden.”
Kane’s eyebrows shot up as he turned to look at Samuel. “And that’s supposed to explain why he’s practically climbing Fallon?
Doesn’t he realize who Fallon is?”
Samuel had the strong urge to palm his face as he turned to see that Camden was indeed trying to climb Fallon. And Fallon, the poor man, didn’t know whether to swat Camden away or yell at him for being disrespectful.
“He knows,” Samuel said. “He just doesn’t care.”
Samuel started to head for the pair, mostly to keep Camden alive because it looked like Fallon was about to lose his temper, or his mind. Before he could reach them, Ranz walked over and plucked Camden right off of Fallon’s chest.
Samuel didn’t know what was discussed between the three men, but a moment later, Ranz had Camden draped over his shoulder as he walked away with the man. When Ranz snapped something out to Camden and then popped him on the ass, Samuel started to sputter with laughter. He had never seen anyone be able to shut Camden up quite so effectively, or so quickly.
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“That was—” Samuel shook his head. “I’m not sure exactly what that was.”
“I know exactly what that was.” Kane snickered. “It was Ranz dominating Camden and showing him who’s in charge.”
“But Camden isn’t—”
“—in charge,” Kane finished for him.
“No, I was going to say that Camden isn’t like me.”
“Baby, there’s no one like you. You’re special.”
Samuel felt his flush at Kane’s words. It didn’t help that Kane chuckled and rubbed his hand over the side of Samuel’s burning face.
Samuel ducked his head, embarrassed that he blushed so easily. Kane must think he was a goober.
“I think you’re adorable.”
Samuel’s head snapped, but his jaw dropped. “How did you—”
Kane simply tapped his temple with his finger.
Right…the bond.
Samuel just hadn’t known that it would give Kane the ability to know what he was thinking or feeling. Damn, that was going to be weird. Samuel could have the oddest thoughts at the most inappropriate times.
Pretty soon, Kane was going to think he was nuts.
“Heads up, baby.” Kane’s stiff body posture alerted Samuel to danger before his words did. “Company is here.”
Samuel squelched the soft cry of denial that tried to work its way out of his throat and stepped in front of Kane, putting himself between his bondmate and the upcoming danger. Even if his alpha hadn’t given him a direct order, he would have protected Kane.
That was his job, his duty, and one he took very seriously. Any other time, Kane could dominate him and make him beg for the slightest touch. Right now, he was the strong one, and Samuel knew it.
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If his father or brother thought they were going to hurt Kane or use him as a tool to get Samuel’s cooperation, they didn’t understand the mate bond. Samuel was fully prepared to die to protect Kane.
He just hoped it didn’t come to that.
“Stay behind me, Kane.”
“How about I stay beside you instead?” Kane suggested as he stepped up beside Samuel. “I know you are the stronger one when it comes to a fight between vampires, Samuel, but I am still your bondmate, human or not. I will not cower behind you.”
“I never—” Samuel saw Kane’s jaw clench and blew out a big breath. “Fine, beside me then, but if I tell you to get out of the way, please do so. I don’t want you to get caught in the middle of the fight.”
“I’ll consider it.”
Samuel heard Kane chuckle when he rolled his eyes, and he was glad that Kane wasn’t upset with him. The men glaring at him from across the parking lot, however, were pissed, and Samuel didn’t need to be related to them to know that.
Every single one of them was in partial shift, claws and fangs already out as if they eagerly awaited the coming battle. Samuel hated it that the men in his father’s coven, the men under the madman’s control, anticipated violence so much.
It was sick.
“I have no quarrel with you, Alpha,” Terrence Harden called out.
“I have only come for what is mine.”
“I, however, do have a quarrel with you, Alpha Harden,” Fallon replied. “Or should I say, with your son, Jared.” Fallon’s eyes cut to the man standing beside Terrence Harden. “I demand his life as is my right for his unprovoked attack upon me and my coven members.”
“Return Samuel to me and we’ll discuss it.”
Samuel gulped when Fallon’s dark eyes turned toward him. He didn’t think Fallon would go through with his father’s suggestion, but he didn’t know the man that well. Fallon was known far and wide as
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an alpha not to be messed with. Samuel was terrified that Fallon would get tired of the trouble Samuel’s family caused and just wipe his hands of the whole situation.
“No, I don’t think so.” Fallon slowly shook his head as he turned back to face Samuel’s father. “Samuel belongs to me now, and I’m not really in the mood to give him up.”
“He is mine!” Terrence’s face turning red and mottled as he shouted. “You will return him to me.”
“So I can breed the next heir to your little empire, Father?”
Samuel asked as he stepped forward. He grimaced when Kane stepped up right beside him, but he knew until the actual fighting started, Kane wouldn’t leave his side. And strangely enough, that made Samuel feel calmer and more in control.
Kane would never desert him.
“I don’t belong to you anymore, Alpha Harden. I am part of Fallon’s coven now, and there is nothing you can do to change that.”
Samuel turned his head just enough to see Kane standing fiercely beside him. “I’m bonded now, Alpha Harden. Even if I could produce an ounce of desire for one of your coven bitches, which I can’t, I would never dishonor my bondmate in that manner.”
Kane sent him a little grin before growling at the man across the cement from them.
“You need to leave, Alpha Harden,” Samuel said as he faced his father again. “You will receive no children from me. Find your sperm donor somewhere else.”
Samuel saw his father’s face darken and knew the man was about to threaten him again, but before he could, Jare
d stepped forward and pointed at Camden, who stood next to Ranz. “He belongs to us.”
Samuel snickered. “The hell he does. He’s part of Fallon’s coven now.”
“No!” Jared snapped. “He’s mine, and I will not release him.”
Samuel’s jaw unhinged as the anger in Jared’s word suddenly took on meaning. “You sanctimonious bastard!” he shouted as his
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eyes snapped between Jared and Camden. “No wonder Father can’t get you to knock up any of his bitches. You can only get it up for guys.”
Now, it all made sense—Jared’s inability to get any of the coven females pregnant, Camden’s deep loathing of Jared, and the anger Jared always felt toward Samuel. Jared was jealous of the friendship between Samuel and Camden. He wanted Camden for himself.
“No wonder Camden hates you so much,” Samuel said, watching his brother’s face turn red with rage. “He loathes you, and you can’t stand that, can you? You want him, and he wants nothing to do with you.”
Another thought suddenly smacked Samuel upside the head as Jared growled and looked at their father. This whole situation really had nothing to do with him. It was all about Camden. “He made you a deal, didn’t he?”
Jared’s lips thinned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“So, Father didn’t promise you Camden if you forced me to return?” Samuel knew he was right when his father suddenly stiffened as if his secret was out and he didn’t know how his coven would take the news.
“I did no such thing!” Terrence shouted.
“Didn’t you?” Samuel knew better. And he knew that Camden was the key to winning this battle. Jared wanted Camden more than he wanted to be next in line for alpha. Samuel could see it in Jared’s eyes.
He bumped shoulders with Kane and then walked over to stand next to Camden. His best friend was shaking, his eyes downcast as if he was ashamed that his dark secret had been revealed to the world.
Samuel couldn’t allow that. Camden had never done anything he needed to be ashamed of.
But there were a lot of people that needed to be ashamed of the way they had treated Camden, Samuel included. He had known that
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things were hard for Camden living in his father’s coven. Until now, though, he hadn’t known how hard.
“Camden is part of Fallon’s coven now, and if I am not mistaken”—Samuel’s eyes cut to the large man standing protectively beside Camden, partially shielding the smaller man with his body—
“someone has already laid claim to Camden.”
“No!” Jared roared as he raced across the parking lot, heading right for Camden and Samuel. But Samuel was expecting such a move, and he was prepared for it. He extended his claws and swung out at his brother as the man tried to run past him to get to Camden.
At the same time, he pushed Camden away. As his sharp claws sank into his brother’s side, Samuel heard Camden cry out. A loud growl filled the air, and Samuel didn’t think it came from his brother.
He turned just in time to see Ranz move out of striking distance, Camden slung over his shoulder.
Knowing that Camden was being protected by Ranz and that Kane was protected by Fallon, Samuel turned his attention back to his brother. Jared was holding his side, blood seeping from between his fingers. Samuel hadn’t delivered a death blow, but it would certainly slow his brother down.
“Camden is no longer yours to abuse, Jared. I am no longer yours to abuse. We do not belong to you or Father’s coven anymore. You can leave now and go home to heal, or I can kill you before you bleed to death. The choice is yours.”
“He’s mine,” Jared panted heavily as he whined. “Father promised him to me.”
“Camden belongs to Camden. Father had no right to promise you anything where Camden is concerned.”
“He is mine!”
Samuel could see the shock drain the blood from Jared’s face he grabbed the man around the throat and lifted him up until Jared had to stand on his tiptoes or choke to death. “He is not yours. He will never be yours.”
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“He’s my bondmate.”
“The hell I am!” someone behind Samuel shouted.
Samuel swung around to see Camden struggling in Ranz’s arms. It was all the larger vampire could do to hold onto Camden. Samuel almost laughed at the exasperated grimace on Ranz’s face. The man had no idea what he was in for as he tried to contain Camden.
No one contained Camden.
Ranz finally rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Camden’s waist and then carried him within feet of Jared and Samuel. He didn’t look like he had any intention of letting Camden go any further, but he seemed to understand the need Camden had to state his case.
Camden glared up at Ranz and then turned his attention back toward Jared, wagging a finger at him. “I am not your bondmate, and even if I was, I’d kill myself before I willingly let you touch me.”
“You are my bondmate, and I claim you in front of all of these witnesses.”
“If I was your bondmate, jackass, the bond would have formed between us the first time you forced yourself on me. But it didn’t and you know it. It didn’t form when you attacked me the first time or the last time or the hundreds of times in between. There is no bond.”
“There is a bond!” Jared shouted right back.
Samuel could see where this argument was going, and it was headed there fast. He reached over and yanked Camden out of Ranz’s arms. Before the larger vampire could even curl a lip at him, Samuel shoved Camden into Fallon’s arms.
“Kill him.”
A dark chestnut eyebrow arched. “Excuse me?”
Samuel saw Camden’s eyes nearly bug out of his head. He turned his body just enough that he couldn’t be seen by anyone except Camden and Fallon, and then slowly winked at the two men.
“Kill him,” Samuel said. “If what Jared said about the bond between them is true then by killing Camden, you’ll get rid of Jared
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and the issues with my father’s coven. It would solve all of our problems.”
“I thought Camden was your friend,” Fallon replied.
“He is, but the vampire world is a cold and violent one. If I have any chance of living free with my bondmate, every obstacle must be removed.” Samuel shrugged carelessly. “I’d rather not see anything happen to Camden, but getting rid of Jared is more important.”
Samuel had to wonder if Camden had seen him wink when tears sprang to Camden’s eyes and the man began to struggle in Fallon’s arms. “You can’t do this to me!”
“Fallon is your alpha,” Samuel said. “He can do anything he wants to you.”
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Chapter 13
Kane couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Samuel was not only in support of killing his best friend just to get rid of his brother, he was suggesting it. For a moment, Kane wondered if he had ever really known Samuel.
And it was then that he knew this was all an elaborate scene being played out for Jared and Terrence Harden. Samuel would rather die than betray his friend. Kane stepped over to stand next to Samuel and nudged his chin toward Camden.
“If you’re too squeamish, Alpha, I’ll do it. I have no connection to Camden.”
Fallon’s lips twitched. “Too squeamish?” His hand moved faster than Kane could blink and wrapped around Camden’s throat. One long razor sharp nail edged along the soft skin of Camden’s throat. “I have never been squeamish about anything in my life.”
Kane nodded his head slightly forward. “Then kill him.”
“You can’t kill him,” Jared shouted as he hurried forward. Before he could take more than a few steps, he was surrounded by Fallon’s coven members. “He’s my bondmate.”
Fallon’s grin was evil and sent chills down Kane’s back. He hoped that look was neve
r aimed in his direction. “Then by killing Camden, I will be ridding myself of you as well.”
Kane gulped when a thin line of blood appeared on Camden’s throat. Was Fallon really going to kill Camden? Kane darted a quick look at Samuel, but when his lover didn’t seem concerned, Kane tried not to be as well.
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He winced when Fallon cut another thin red line across Camden’s throat. If this was all for pretend, Camden was going to be pissed.
“No!” Jared shouted as he struggled to get past Fallon’s coven members. “You can’t.”
“Don’t want to die, Jared?” Fallon laughed menacingly. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you attacked me and tried to take over my coven. It’s my right to take justice.”
“Fine, then take your justice. Just don’t kill Camden.”
Kane blinked in confusion. Was he missing something here? If Jared was saying that he and Camden were bonded, then killing Jared would kill Camden just as much as killing Camden would kill Jared.
Right?
“Give me one good reason I shouldn’t get rid of both of you,”
Fallon demanded. “It would solve my problems a lot easier than letting either of you live.”
Jared’s shoulders dropped. “He’s not my bondmate. If you kill him, I will not die.”
“Ah,” Fallon said. “Then maybe I should just kill him to get rid of him. Someone who wears so much pink shouldn’t be allowed to live.”
“Hey!” Camden snapped.
“Shut up, Camden.” Jared growled. “You’re going to get both of us killed.”
Kane bit his lip to keep from laughing when Camden stuck his tongue out at Jared. Even with his life hanging in the balance, the little guy wouldn’t take shit off of everyone. Kane was pretty sure he was going to like Camden…if he could just get him to tone down the pink.
Jared ignored Camden and looked at Fallon. “Don’t kill him.
Please. I’ll willingly submit to whatever you want to do to me if you just let Camden go.”
Even Kane was shocked by that statement. He thought Jared was as cold-blooded as his father, but maybe he was wrong, at least where
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