Haven's Wolves Christmas Surprise

by Shelby Lynn

  From the looks of the line that wound around the building, the place was already packed. Braxton knew that he wouldn’t have to wait as he made his way to the front door. The bouncer at the front door motioned him in, and he made his way into the club.

  The music was blasting through the speakers and everywhere you looked there were bodies moving to the music. Braxton even recognized a few of them; he had passed Levi, one of the Vampire lawyer’s in his employ, on the way to the dance floor. Braxton’s body was already feeling the effects of several days of not feeding. He liked to make his partner feel amazing while taking his life-giving blood.

  Braxton’s body was soon moving to the music along with all the other people on the floor. He felt someone slide in behind him. They danced like that for some time before the man whispered in his ear, “My Prince, would you like to come to my apartment?”

  Braxton recognized the man at once. With an affirmative nod, they headed back out into the night. He had been a blood donor for him in the past. Though Braxton knew he could have any man in the room he wanted, he paused and thought before deciding his restless feeling was becoming more prominent, it was something he needed to deal with.

  Levi was his name, no, Leon. Leon, that’s right. His twin’s name is Levi, Braxton finally remembered—shit, that would have sucked calling him by his brother’s name . He had passed Levi when he first entered the club. Braxton knew he could be an asshole, but until he found his mate, he figured actually remembering the hundreds of Vampires' names that he led were not necessary. Leon was parked in the back corner of the parking lot. He needed the blood and attention just as badly as Braxton it seemed. They kissed all the way to the car in anticipation of what was to come. Leon’s hands found their way to Braxton’s pants before they even made it into the car. Braxton soon took over and unzipped his pants for Leon’s attentive hands.

  He pulled Leon close, sniffing the man’s neck, savoring the scent and pulse. It had been so long, the synthetic blood he had been drinking because of the meetings was really getting old. He wanted fresh, warm, and willing.

  Tonight would be the night he took more than just blood from this man.

  Out of nowhere, the Demon Dog, Ramos, tore into him for no apparent reason. Braxton had little chance to defend himself, feeling his side rip from the claws along his skin made him want to yell out, but he refused to give the fucking Dog the satisfaction.

  “Really Pet, I think you should think about this long and hard before you go any further. You do this, and we will retaliate. No question. And I will personally make sure you have a shock collar on you for the rest of your measly life for this.” Braxton knew he was insulting the dumbass—the only problem was the dog wouldn’t know what he was talking about.

  When Ramos attacked, his guards did the same to Leon. They fought with everything within them against the six Demon Dogs. Within a few minutes, the Vampires inside the club came out when they heard the fighting going on in the parking lot. In no time, the twelve Vampires overtook the Demon Dogs. The Dogs soon ran off rather than be killed.

  Ramos had gotten a good hit on his side while he was distracted, and he was bleeding out. Not something a strong Alpha was proud of happening. He was already low on blood, and that didn’t help.

  Just as the Prince was starting to pass out, he got a whiff of the most delicious smell imaginable. Fuck, could it be? His dazed and slow mind could’ve been playing tricks on him. The only thing that could smell this amazing to him would be his Serenity Mate.

  Where the hell was he? It wasn’t the man who had just left–Braxton would have noticed–so it was someone new. Finding your mate was something every Vampire dreamed of, and something not many found. Braxton was a powerful Vampire, to find his mate would make him even more so.

  Finding your mate was beyond a miracle for a Vampire. Some went for thousands of years before finding their Serenity Mate, the one person who you could turn safely, the one person who could spend forever in your arms.

  Serenity was so rare. They almost became a legend to the Vampire race. Their sweet smell would turn any other blood source repugnant to the Vampire who would be their mate.

  Braxton, at the age of one thousand, often wondered if he had missed his chance to find that special one. All he had to do was watch his father now because he had found Eliza just a few hundred years ago. He was happier than he had ever seen him.

  Braxton’s own mother had died in childbirth, so he grew up in this place without a mom. There were plenty of willing people to help watch over the little Prince, so he never wanted for anything, except the special bond between a mother and son.

  Watching his best friend, Shell with his mom had shown him what he was missing. One day, Shell made them blood brothers in a sacred ritual they’d come up with as boys. From that day on, he considered Shell’s mother, Eve, his ‘honorary mom’. Both boys had lost one of their much-loved parents. So it was only fitting they would become a family in their own way. This reminded Braxton he was alone, and in great need.

  Right before he closed his eyes, Braxton heard the voice of his best friend and Captain of the Prince Guard. It seemed that he had found him just in time.

  “Damn it, Braxton. How am I supposed to keep you alive when you keep doing dumb shit like this?" In order to save the Prince’s life, Shell started pouring the synthetic blood down his throat. Shell continued right before Braxton passed out, “We are going to have to put a tracking device on your ass. This is becoming a fucking habit and from the looks of it, those damn Demon Dogs are at it once again.”

  That was the last thing the Prince remembered.

  Shell looked down at the Prince of the Vampires and the man he was going to now refer to as his ‘stupid best friend’. He had to wonder why he ever took this job.

  True, there were evil Vampire bastards out there who cared nothing for human life. They were the Vampire Berserkers, slaves to their blood lust. They have no conscience in their killing. However, most did live under the Royal Family’s guidance, and the rules written by the Vampire Circle of Elders, they were the oldest of the Vampires.

  The most important law was never to take blood without consent of the donor. The Circle of Elders maintained all of these laws for the last four thousand years, under King Knightly’s rule.

  Shell fed the Prince the synthetic bags of blood they kept in their vehicles in case of an emergency. The guards took the empty bags to dispose of them back at the compound. The guards then carried their Prince to the waiting car, while Shell walked behind them to help guard his back, as always.

  On the drive back to the compound, Shell thought back to the first day that he met the Prince of the Vampires as a young boy. His mother had just taken on the very prestigious job of working for the King as Braxton’s Nanny. Shell was four years old, barely old enough himself to be away from the nursery. When his mom first came to the castle, he could remember getting out of the car thinking, Wow. It looked like something straight out of those books that his mom was always reading him at night, when she could get away from her charges.

  The huge lions that stood on either side of the front entrance seemed to stare you in the face as if to see if you were worthy of entering into its hallowed halls. He guessed he passed the test because they didn’t roar at him. He still laughed at the thought. Man, it was great to be a kid. He made his way to the huge front door holding his mom’s hand, and she rang the doorbell that chimed in all its glory.

  This huge man opened the door, and he had such a frown upon his face as he looked down at Shell. His mom just ignored the look, and asked to talk to the King’s secretary, giving her name and appointment time. What seemed like hours later, a lady finally came and talked to his mom. Shell’s mom told him to sit quietly while she was gone. He had done that several times before, so that wasn’t a problem as he gazed around the amazing place.

  In the sitting room where the man had taken them, Shell sat waiting on his mom. He remembered almost jumping straight up i
n the air when he felt the tap on his shoulder. The little boy had laughed, and then he showed him the secret door in the room where the little boy had come through. The little boy liked to use the secret doors when he wanted to go on an adventure in his big house.

  Shell could still remember their conversation. It felt like just yesterday.

  “What is your name?” asked the small boy.

  “My name is Sheldon,” he answered.

  “Do you want to play?” asked the small boy.

  “Oh yes, but my mom might get mad. She is here for an interview,” said Sheldon.

  “I will bring you back. I promise. We will have so much fun, Shell. I promise you won’t even want to leave,” said the little boy.

  The little boy had seemed hopeful to Sheldon. Sheldon really did want to play with him. He imagined the little boy was lonely because the place was huge and there only seemed to be adults around. At least, that’s how it seemed to Sheldon.

  “What is your name?” asked Sheldon to his new friend. He liked the nickname he had given him, too. He liked people calling him Shell. Sheldon was his father’s name, and his father had passed away. He liked the name Shell. He would have to tell his mom.

  That was the first of many afternoons that the boys played in the secret passageways of the castle.

  Later that day, Shell learned that the young boy he was playing with was the Prince of his people. To Shell he was Braxton, his first friend…

  Chapter One

  Sheridan was down to his last few dollars after breaking down in New Orleans, the City of Mystery. He had fifty bucks to his name, along with the few clothes he owned. One would’ve thought there would be plenty of jobs in a place like this, but hell no.

  If he didn’t find a job soon he would be eating out of the garbage cans, and sleeping in his broken-down car.

  Forced to leave his home, fuck, that made him so mad to think of his stepdad’s abuse. He was a grown man who should have been able to take care of his mom, Sheridan thought to himself. He was going to be twenty-five at the end of the month.

  Ronny, his stepdad, had just gone too far this time. He’d been drunker than ever before, and he’d hit Sheridan’s mom. Sheridan had gotten in between them trying to save her from another blow, but instead, he was the one knocked out in the process.

  Sheridan’s body, although muscular and physically fit, was no match for a huge bodybuilder type like his stepdad. Sheridan’s mom had begged him to leave before Ronny killed him the next time he came to visit.

  He pleaded with his mom to come with him and leave that asshole. His mom turned him down and Sheridan left alone, traveling as far as he could have that day, only to break down in New Orleans.

  He planned to find a job and a place to stay as soon as possible.

  Sheridan had already put his application in several places. So far, he hadn’t had any luck because of his lack of address. This was the last place that was close enough to walk to work. It looked to be a very popular restaurant and there was a sign in the door reading: Dishwasher NeededApply Within.

  Please, please let this work out for me, he thought as he approached the front register. A handsome man stepped out of the backroom and came to stand behind the counter.

  “How may I help you, sir?” asked the man.

  “I am checking on the job you have posted in the window, is it still available?” Sheridan said with his fingers crossed behind his back.

  “Yes, we are desperate! We need help immediately here in the restaurant. Can you tell me about yourself and your work experience? My name is Gavan, and my brother Taman and I own the restaurant.”

  “My name is Sheridan Remus. I’m relocating to the area and looking for work. I’ve worked on a factory line for the last five years. In high school, I did work in a restaurant washing dishes.”

  “Sheridan, normally I wouldn’t do this, but I need the help desperately. Could you start right now at eight dollars and fifty cents an hour?” he asked Sheridan with a friendly laugh. “Our dishwasher quit last week, and the family is trying to keep up. ”

  “I guess I could start right this minute if you hire me,” Sheridan said not wanting to lose the job but also not wanting the guy to take advantage of him. He would rather live on the streets than to have someone be an asshole to him again. He was done with that.

  “Well then, Sheridan, you are hired. Follow me, and I’ll show you where you will be working. It will be long shifts; will that be okay with you? This is one of the busiest restaurants in town, and until I have the chance to hire another dishwasher, you are it, I’m afraid.”

  “Yeah, I kind of wanted to make this clear, although I need the job, I am not exactly a push over. I’m used to hard work, and I don’t mind working alone, but I will need a schedule,” Sheridan said.

  Sheridan was happy to have a job. He just jumped right in, as if he was used to helping around the house. There were dishes stacked everywhere, and another man was washing away. Even though he looked like he would rather be anywhere else on the planet.

  He glanced over at his new boss, and thought it was as if the two men were communicating without even saying a word. Wow, how weird would that be if it were really happening?

  “Thank you, you are my gallant savior, you handsome man,” the other man teased. “It’s all yours. I’m so glad to turn it over to your very capable hands.”

  “That young man flirting is my youngest brother, Taman. He is eternally grateful for your needing a job. He, I’m sure, is off to find his next flame,” Gavan teased his brother.

  Sheridan laughed and smiled. Maybe this would work out.

  “Taman, no flirting with our new employee,” Gavan told his brother in a stern voice.

  “Sheridan, you will also be given meals while you are working, and breaks too, depending on the hours,” Gavan said and slapped him on the shoulder.

  “Thank you, Gavan, I should get started. The dishes are really piling up.” It was with a sigh of relief that he started to work. He knew it would be many hours before he felt like he had made any headway.

  Sheridan always loved to sing when he was working. If there was no one around, it helped pass the time. It had always relaxed him on those stressful days at home.

  In a mansion across town, the Prince was sleeping after consuming the blood his friend had brought, saving his ass once again. His body was repairing itself as he slept from drinking the life-giving fluid the Vampires take into their bodies.

  Although he was unconscious, his mind was remembering the incredible scent that took over his senses to the point that he could taste it on his tongue right before he lost consciousness. There was something unique about that smell, but in his unconscious state, he didn’t know what it was. That was when the dreams began of soapy water and dishes, hundreds of dishes. In the background, there was a voice singing, and it was so beautiful it kept Braxton enthralled. He heard each note, and it touched a place inside of him. He began to awaken and remember.

  Braxton sprung out of bed so fast he almost fell off the side in his hurry. He was trying to wrap his mind around what had happened over the last few hours. Shit, his mind was fuzzy from all the blood loss. He couldn’t get a clear picture of where he had been. It wasn’t a dream, damn it. He had smelled his mate right before he passed out. He was sure of it.

  “Shell, were the hell are you, man?” Braxton yelled out the door of his suite of rooms. He made his way down the hall to the stairs looking for his friend and resident pain in the ass Guard. He was really starting to get pissed at his friend. He saw Shell come out of the kitchen carrying a tray of synthetic blood bags. Shell was smiling as he walked towards him from the end of the hallway.

  “Hey, you’re looking much better,” Shell said when he got within talking distance of Braxton. He looked over his friend with a critical eye. Those damn Demon Dogs were a threat it seemed once again. Shell was the Captain of the Guard, and it was his duty to see to the safety of his Prince. “No more sneaking out is all
owed.” Braxton had come close to dying today.

  “Shell, it’s really important that you tell me exactly where you found me. I smelled my mate just minutes before I passed out from the blood loss. Damn it, I can’t believe it, Shell! I was so close to him last night, and I screwed up. If I can’t find him now, I’m going to tear the town apart! Especially with those Demon Dogs on the loose to cause problems.”

  “Braxton, you were in a very busy section of town actually, at the corner of Fellowship Boulevard when we found you passing out. There were people everywhere, and I’m assuming that is why you picked that area. You were trying to keep us from finding you so quickly, I imagine. I can take you in the car to the exact spot once you’ve gotten some more blood in you. You’re too pale; you couldn’t pass for a human!”

  “Damn it! We need to move now! The more time that has gone by, Shell, the less chances of finding him.” Taking one of the blood bags from his friend’s hand, he felt almost sick to his stomach just from the smell. Braxton hadn’t even met his mate yet, and his reactions were already very strong. He forced himself to take a drink and swallow it as quickly as possible. It was the first time in his life that he found the taste of blood repulsive.

  The myth that Vampires couldn’t drink anything but blood was laughable, thank the gods the myths were wrong. Braxton needed a drink to wash away the taste of the blood, so he headed towards his office and his stash of good stuff. He pulled out his favorite one hundred-year-old scotch, pouring them both a double shot. It went down smooth as he emptied the glass. “Let’s go, Shell. I have a mate to find.” He would sit down for a full meal when he’d found his mate.

  Shell already radioed for the car to have it ready for them as the Prince was pouring their drinks. Since liquor didn’t affect them as it did the humans, he felt no qualms in taking a drink on the job. He led the way out to the limo and opened the door for his friend, all the time fully alert to everything going on around him. Shell was the best at his job, when he could keep the damn man in his sights. He focused on the surroundings as they headed out in the limo in search of his friend’s mate. Shell was happy for his best friend, but he felt envy too. It did give him hope that he would find his mate soon, for his friend had waited just as long.