Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Gabrielle Evans

  “So you met Keeton. That gorgeous hunk of Latin love over there is my mate, Xander. The one who looks like someone shot his puppy is Talon.”

  “Why do you always introduce me like that?” Talon groused, wrapping his arms around a younger man and nuzzling against the side of his neck. “See, I’m cuddly.”

  Braxton rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he did. “Fine, the cute, cuddly one is Talon, and the guy he’s slobbering on is Jackson.”

  “Hey, little dude.”

  Dude? Oscar had never heard anyone use the word outside of movies, but he took it as an affectionate term of friendship. Besides, it was really hard to dislike someone as happy-looking as Jackson. The smile on his face was so infectious that Oscar found himself grinning back as he gave a small wave. Maybe this was really going to be okay.

  “The blond Keeton is trying to climb is Logan.”

  Glancing in the direction where Braxton was pointing, Oscar slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the outburst of laughter. Keeton had literally climbed up on the desk and was attempting to attach himself to Logan’s back.

  “Slut,” Boston said in an ostentatious fake sneeze, which just had Oscar laughing even harder.

  Logan, however, barely reacted to the behavior. Reaching behind him, he pulled Keeton around to his chest and pecked him on the lips. “Behave, angel.”

  “So, this is us,” Braxton concluded, waving his hand around the group. “We’re going to move into the lower west wing of the mansion until the cabins are complete, so someone will always be around if you need something.”

  “There are like a million people here.” Zavion cocked his head to the side and frowned. “No offense, but why are you here?”

  “We’re like specialists,” Xander explained, speaking for the first time since the meeting had begun. “You’re all Moonlighters, right?”

  “No.” Zuriel looked over at Oscar and then back to Xander in obvious confusion. “We’re Desirables.”

  Xander opened his mouth to say something but stopped, furrowed his brow, and pressed his lips back together. His lips moved, silently forming the word several times before he finally said it aloud. “What exactly is a Desirable?”

  Now, Oscar was confused. “Well, what exactly is a Moonlighter?”

  “A white-pelted shifter.”

  “Oh.” Well, they were definitely that, but why would they need help for it? “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Is that a bad thing?” Every shifter in The Hive had a white pelt. Other than the fact that they were prisoners, the color of their coats seemed to be a very attractive trait.

  “Oscar.” Boston stepped in front of him, took his hand, and held it in both of his own. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but I think we need to know what you’re running from. We can’t help if you don’t tell us, and it could be putting everyone here in danger.”

  And there it was. Just by being in Haven, Oscar was endangering the lives of everyone who lived there. There was little doubt in his mind that the Drones would come for them, and they’d cut down anyone who stood in their way. “Maybe we should go.”

  “What?” Zuriel yelled. “No! I like it here!”

  “Please, Oscar,” Zavion pleaded.

  Even Cicero was in the corner, shaking his head rapidly.

  “Maybe,” Boston said quietly, “you need to trust us.”

  It was much easier said than done. When the coven learned exactly what they were facing, Oscar doubted they’d be so willing to offer their aide. It was only fair to warn them, though. Just because Oscar and his friends left, there was no guarantee that the remaining members of Haven would be safe. The Hive didn’t play by any rules but its own.

  “We escaped from a place in Missouri called The Hive. Desirables are engineered and then trained to become a person’s every fantasy. They will come for us.”

  Stavion and Xander exchanged a look before the alpha stepped forward and crossed his enormous arms over his chest. “Then we’ll be ready for them.”

  Chapter Two

  “Do you understand the situation?”

  Demitrius kept his hands behind his back with his wrists crossed and nodded curtly. “Yes, sir.”

  “Cut it out.” Leader Stavion Shogard huffed and rolled his eyes. “You know I hate that shit.”

  He did, which was exactly why Demitrius did it. Keeping his expression completely neutral, he stared straight ahead at a point somewhere above Stavion’s shoulder. “Yes, sir.”

  “Why are you such a dick?”

  “We could go into great detail, but maybe it would be better if I meet the guys I’m supposed to be guarding.” He did relax his stance and gave the vampire a half smile.

  Stavion had taken a big risk allowing Demitrius into the coven. No one in his life had ever given him a chance. One look and people literally ran in the opposite direction. Even the Enforcers and other members of the coven were reluctant to allow him refuge in Haven, but after a simple, twenty-minute conversation with Stavion, the leader had seen something that no one else had ever bothered to look for inside him.

  For that, he felt indebted. At the same time, he viewed Stavion as a friend—though he’d only known the vampire for a few weeks. It was a new experience for him, since he’d never had a friend before, and he was bound and determined to not screw it up. Whatever Stavion needed him to do, Demitrius would make it happen. He just had to convince the asshole that he didn’t need to be “fixed.”

  “Have you found out anything else from Jeremy?”

  Stavion sighed and shook his head. “He said he couldn’t remember what happened to him or how he ended up at your house. I don’t know if he was telling the truth, protecting someone, or just too embarrassed to admit what really happened.”

  “Why are you speaking in the past tense?”

  “He’s gone.” Dropping his head on his shoulders, Stavion rubbed at the back of his neck, looking tired and frustrated. “We give them shelter, food, and compassion when they come here. I can’t make them stay, though.”

  Demitrius hadn’t seen Jeremy since he’d brought the half-breed to Haven, so it wasn’t any skin off his nose if the guy wanted to move on. They weren’t friends, and he didn’t owe the man anything. He’d simply been the catalyst that had brought Demitrius to Haven. Still, he hoped Jeremy was safe, wherever he was.

  Right then, however, he had more important things to worry about. “Okay, tell me about these shifters.”

  “Nothing has happened yet, but we want to be prepared just in case. Xander, Logan, and Talon are big guys, and they’re doing a great job with the newbies. Here’s the problem, though. If shit goes down, they’re going to protect their mates first.” Stavion pushed a hand through his dark hair and sighed. “That’s the way it should be. I’d do the same with Jory, but who’s going to protect Oscar and the others?”

  Demitrius didn’t doubt Xander’s ability as a leader, and he didn’t feel that Stavion was saying anything negative against the man, either. If he had a mate of his own, he’d do everything in his power to keep him or her safe. Unfortunately, he didn’t have high hopes that he’d ever find a mate, especially one who would actually want to be with him.

  That was his lot in life, and he had made peace with it a long time ago. Now, he needed to focus on more realistic pursuits. Keeping the newest members of Haven safe was now that pursuit. There was one little hiccup in the plan, though. “Are you sure I’m the right guy for this?”

  From what he understood, the new guys had been through something traumatic and still feared that someone was coming for them. He was a little nervous about what they would think of having a seven-foot-two, three-hundred-pound shadow.

  “Seriously, I think they’re going to love you. Zavion and Zuriel will try to climb you like a jungle gym. Considering what they’ve been through, the twins are amazingly trusting, and they just want people to like them.”

  That didn’t seem so strange to Demitrius. In his experience, and he had a lot of it, m
ost people from bad situations were searching for acceptance. Still, he had his doubts that they would be that accepting of his particular condition. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

  “Just give them a chance, Dee.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means nothing.” Stavion opened the door of his office and exited without waiting to see if Demitrius would follow. “They’re meeting us in the kitchen. I think Talon is trying to teach them to cook eggs.”

  They reached the kitchen sooner than Demitrius expected, and he hung back in the entryway until Stavion introduced him. There were only four men in the kitchen, all seated at the center island, and not a one of them over five foot tall. He could definitely see why they’d need a bodyguard.

  “Hey, guys,” Stavion greeted. “Where’s Talon?”

  “In the shower,” one of the twins answered. “He had a little accident.”

  “You threw an egg at his face and poured flour on his head,” his brother added with a roll of his eyes.

  Demitrius knew their names, but he had no idea who was who. Hell, the only way he could tell the little blonds apart was by scent. One of the other guys sat with his head down, his dark hair falling around his face while he pushed the food on his plate around with his fork. He didn’t say anything, but Demitrius could tell he was taking in everything going on around him.

  “Yeah, well, he deserved it.”

  “Zuriel,” Stavion said in an exasperated sigh. “Never mind. Look, there’s someone here I want you to meet.”

  “You mean the giant standing over there?” Zuriel leaned to the side to see around Stavion and waved enthusiastically. “Hey! Come eat!”

  Demitrius gave a little wave in return, but most of his attention was focused on the last guy in the room. He hadn’t said anything, either, but he was smiling indulgently as he watched his friends babbling excitedly to Stavion. “What’s your name?”

  The man turned slowly in his direction and looked him up and down with a curious expression. “Oscar. Who are you?”

  “Guys, this is Demitrius Accola. He’s going to be hanging out once the cabins are finished and making sure nothing bad happens.”

  “You got us a bodyguard?” Zavion asked in awe. “So cool! Is that why he’s wearing sunglasses?”

  He was glad the runt approved, but Demitrius still couldn’t take his eyes away from Oscar. The man was the most breathtaking thing he’d ever seen with auburn hair that fell in a halo of curls around his delicate cheekbones. Oscar’s lime-green eyes watched him with guarded interest while his full, pouty lips quirked upward fractionally on one side.

  “Demitrius!”

  “Huh?” Had Stavion been speaking to him? Shaking his head several times, Demitrius tried to focus his attention on the coven leader, but he couldn’t stop sneaking looks at Oscar out of the corner of his eye. Maybe he wasn’t the right man for this job after all.

  “I asked if you’d like to move into the lower west wing until the cabins are finished.” Stavion arched one of his dark eyebrows, giving him a look that was just a little too knowing for Demitrius’s tastes. “I’m sure you’d be very, uh, comfortable there.”

  “Why did you say it like that?” Zavion climbed to his knees on his stool and leaned forward over the counter. “What’s going on? What did I miss?”

  “Why is he looking at Oscar like that?” Zuriel adopted a pose similar to his brother’s and turned his head back and forth between Oscar and Demitrius. “Oscar, do you feel okay? Your face is really red.”

  Oscar’s cheeks were a little pink, but it didn’t make him look sick. If anything, he looked even more stunning than he had seconds earlier. “If you think it would be best for me to stay in the main house, I guess I can do that.” He was going for nonchalant, but he wasn’t sure he pulled it off judging by the smirk on Stavion’s lips.

  “No,” Oscar said firmly. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” His gaze flickered briefly to Demitrius before he addressed his friends. “I think we should probably clean up this mess before Talon gets back.”

  “I think he should clean,” Zuriel grumped. “He started it.”

  Curious against his will, Demitrius walked around the island, keeping his gait slow so as not to frighten anyone. The tiled floor was a complete mess, covered in flour, water, strips of uncooked bacon, and what appeared to be at least a dozen broken eggs. The countertop near the stove hadn’t fared much better, and he found himself chuckling at the chaos.

  “I take it cooking lessons didn’t go so well.”

  “Not true.” Oscar swirled around in his seat and folded his arms across his chest. “Ro made the scrambled eggs we’re eating.”

  “There’s more in the pan if you’re hungry,” Zavion added, pointing to the stove behind Demitrius.

  “I’m sure Mr. Accola has other things to do.”

  The spark between them grew bigger and brighter the longer they were together, and Oscar’s stubborn attitude wasn’t going to drive him away until he understood what that meant. “Actually, my only job is to stick to you guys like glue, so I’d love to have breakfast with you.”

  “It’s technically dinner,” Oscar retorted. “We’re on vampire time here.”

  “Speaking of which,” Stavion said a bit louder than was necessary, “I need to find Jory and get his cute little butt into bed. Goodnight, everyone.”

  Cicero stood, took both twins by the elbow, and ushered them out of the kitchen without a word, leaving Demitrius alone with Oscar. Since he really was hungry, that gave Demitrius the perfect excuse to stick around and try to engage the little shifter in conversation. The cold eggs in the pan didn’t look very appetizing, though.

  “What are you doing?”

  Rummaging around in the galley refrigerator, he pulled out another carton of eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and cheese. “Making a couple of omelets.”

  “You know how to do that?” Oscar sat up a little straighter, craning his neck to watch Demitrius assemble the ingredients on the counter. “Is it hard?”

  “It can be tricky at first, but it gets easier with practice.”

  “Can I watch or would that make you uncomfortable?” It was obvious that Oscar was intrigued and eager to learn.

  If it kept him in the room and talking, Demitrius would make breakfast—or dinner—for everyone in the coven. “I don’t mind. You’ll learn faster if you try it for yourself, though.”

  “Oh, uh, well, I’m not a very good student. Maybe I should just clean up and go to bed.”

  “Why do you keep doing that?” Demitrius didn’t understand it. Oscar didn’t act afraid of him like other people, but he was obviously anxious about something. “If you really want to leave, I’ll clean. No need to make a production of it.”

  “I’m not making a production of anything. You’re being rude.”

  “You don’t want my help. You don’t want me anywhere near your friends. You want to watch me cook, but then in the same breath, you can’t wait to get out of the room. How exactly am I the one being rude?”

  “Well…” Oscar trailed off and huffed, fanning the hair away from his forehead with his breath. “Can you teach me how to make an omelet?”

  Turning back to the counter to hide his smile, Demitrius nodded carefully. “Sure, but maybe we really should clean up a little first.”

  “I’m really not a good cook. You make your dinner, and I’ll clean. Then we can commence with the lesson. Otherwise, it could be sunup before you get to eat.”

  They both went about their tasks in silence, and Demitrius found that it wasn’t uncomfortable in the least. While Oscar swept and mopped the floor, Demitrius prepared his omelet, concentrating on each step and thinking of ways to explain them to the shifter. He’d never deliberately set out to teach anything to anyone, but it shouldn’t be a big deal.

  Food devoured and kitchen tidied, Demitrius washed, rinsed, and dried his plate before setting it aside. “Okay, so what do you
like with your eggs?”

  “I’m not sure.” Oscar worried his bottom lip between his teeth as he surveyed the items on the counter. “They let us have ketchup sometimes.”

  Demitrius didn’t know who “they” were, and he didn’t think the guy would appreciate him prying. Maybe one day Oscar would trust him enough to share his secrets, and when that day came, Demitrius would be ready to listen. “Do you like onions, mushrooms, and sweet peppers?”

  “I don’t know.” Sucking his lip back between his teeth, Oscar shrugged and rubbed at the nape of his neck. “I’ve never had any of those things.”

  “Good.” Removing three eggs from the carton and setting them beside the cutting board, he placed the rest back into the fridge and nudged Oscar forward to the counter. “We’ll fix it up with everything then. If you don’t like something, you’ll know next time. That’s the great thing about choices.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, Oscar held it for a minute and then let it out in a whoosh. “Okay. What do I do first?”

  Settling onto one of the stools, Demitrius leaned back against the island and watched, occasionally answering questions or giving instructions. He didn’t know what Oscar had been so worried about, though. It was clear that he didn’t have much experience in the kitchen, but he followed directions well and was meticulous about every detail right down to the direction he cut the onions.

  “How do I know when these are done?” He pushed the vegetables around in the pan with the spatula and frowned.

  “You want them soft, but not mushy.”

  Oscar nodded resolutely, but still continued to poke at the contents of the pan. His bottom lip went between his teeth again, a sure sign he was getting upset, and he started bouncing from foot to foot. Worry lines marred his brow and his eyebrows drew together in an expression of clear agitation.