by Lynn Hagen
“I haven’t seen him like this in centuries,” Corbin whispered. “When Lucian gets this angry, we stay out of his way.”
Lucian didn’t utter a word. He simply stood there in that statue-like way—appearing as though he wasn’t even alive—as he gazed at Riley.
“I wasn’t going to kill him,” Riley whined as he struggled against his restraints. “He attacked me first, and I was just defending myself!”
Lucian blinked, as though coming out of a trance. He set the whip aside and gripped Riley’s wrist, biting down into his flesh.
“No!” Riley kept fighting against his restraints as terror entered his eyes.
“What’s he doing?” Colton whispered.
“Riley’s blood will tell Lucian what he needs to know,” Corbin said. “Only a Master has that ability, and there will be nothing Riley will be able to hide from him.”
Lucian snarled when he took a step back. He hadn’t bothered to close the wound. “All lies,” he snapped.
Just then Colton’s cell rang. No one looked his way as he pulled it out of his pocket and gave the room his back. “We got him,” Colton said when he answered. “Riley is in our custody.”
“That isn’t good enough,” Pierce snapped. “I want that bastard’s head on a platter!”
Colton knew how the brother felt. If Colton was this pissed and Victor wasn’t even his mate, he could just imagine the rage flowing through Pierce.
“He’s being dealt with even as we speak,” Colton whispered. “I have to go, Pierce. But for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I couldn’t have stopped Riley before he left the club. Mouse didn’t deserve this.”
He ended the call and stuffed his phone back into his pocket before he turned back around.
“For your crimes against your coven, you are sentenced to one hundred years in a cross-wrapped coffin,” Lucian said.
Riley made a loud, ear-piercing screeching noise as he flailed around.
“Be lucky that is your only punishment,” Lucian snarled. He strode to the door and opened it and then stepped aside.
Two coven members came into the office, unstrapped Riley, and pulled him down.
“Take him to his room and keep him locked up until I can deal with him,” Lucian ordered.
When they left, he closed the door and turned to his brothers and Colton. Lucian appeared troubled as he tucked his hands behind his back and paced the room.
Colton had never seen Lucian pace before.
“He has hidden heinous crimes from us, but he also holds a deep, dark secret.”
Colton had a feeling he wasn’t going to like whatever Lucian had to say.
“I know who has helped him,” Lucian went on. “I know the ones who plan an uprising, and we’ll get every last one of them. But Riley has been consorting with one of the men who escaped the veil.”
Antonio finally looked up as he studied Lucian. “And who is that?”
Lucian looked over at Colton before he swept his gaze over his brothers. “Zeeshan Maddox was one of the creatures to have escaped, and Riley has vowed his allegiance to the bastard.”
Colton staggered back. He recalled going after Zeeshan two decades ago. The vampire was as twisted and dark as they came, and if he was free, the bounty hunters would have a fight on their hands to stop him.
He hurried from the office as he dialed Matt. The alpha had to know what was going on. When Matt answered, Colton told him what Lucian had just said.
Matt let out a slew of curses. “I want everyone at the agency, now!”
“I’m on my way.”
* * * *
Victor wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep, but when he opened his eyes, he saw Pierce seated across the room, his fingers steepled and his chin resting on them. He sat there watching Victor with such an intense look that Victor pulled the covers to his chin.
“How are you feeling?” Pierce lowered his hands and placed them on his flat stomach. “Do you need anything?”
Remembering what had happened, Victor brushed his fingers over his shoulder and winced. He was no longer bleeding, but the wound felt rough, and it still hurt. If he’d had enough blood to replenish him, there would’ve been nothing but smooth skin under his fingers.
It wasn’t until Pierce pushed from the chair that Victor noticed he wasn’t wearing any clothes. And then Victor noticed that he wasn’t, either.
“I bathed you while you were asleep.” Pierce got up and crossed the room to sit on the side of the bed. “I had to get that blood off you, and I wanted to make sure that bite was healing.”
Victor hissed when Pierce touched his wound. His mate quickly pulled his hand back as anger and worry filled his eyes. “You need to eat.”
“It’s too soon,” Victor said. “You haven’t recovered from the last feeding.”
Pierce winked. “I’m a big guy. I can handle a little blood loss.”
“Did that sound better in your head?” Victor asked.
Pierce laughed. “Yeah, it did, but I’m serious. I shifted an hour ago. I’m good to go.” He slipped into bed, making Victor scoot back. “But you’re gonna have to feed from my neck.”
“Is that a new rule?” Victor arched a brow.
“Most definitely.” Pierce grinned.
Victor rolled to his side, wishing he felt stronger, but he still wasn’t fully healed, so straddling Pierce wasn’t an option.
“Just take it easy, little mouse.” Pierce sat up and then pulled Victor onto his lap. He cupped the back of Victor’s head and held him as Victor licked at his neck. The saltiness of Pierce’s skin and his dark, masculine scent had Victor hard as he sank his fangs in.
Pierce hissed as the hand cradling Victor’s head tightened. Victor drank his fill before he eased his fangs free and licked the wound closed.
His mate lowered his head as he blinked. “Did you get enough?”
Victor felt his face heat while he licked his lips and nodded. Already he felt Pierce’s blood doing its job. The skin at his shoulder began to itch, and it felt as if tiny ants were crawling over the area. Even the fatigue he’d felt was lifting.
“Much better. Thank you.” Victor slid his leg over Pierce’s thigh until he was straddling him, his mate’s thick cock rubbing between his cheeks.
Pierce cupped Victor’s face and kissed him until his very breath was stolen from his lungs. He slid his hand down Victor’s back, cupping his ass, teasing Victor’s hole with his finger.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Victor nodded. “But I’ll be much better once you fuck me.”
One of Pierce’s brows arched as the tip of his finger rimmed Victor’s hole. “Still as impatient as ever.”
Pushing to his knees, Victor clung to Pierce’s shoulders as his mate pressed the head of his cock to Victor’s hole.
When he felt the spurt, Victor began to lower himself on the hard shaft. Pierce’s hand, gripped at Victor’s side, tightened as Victor bottomed out.
In one fluid motion, Pierce spun them and placed Victor on his back, thrusting into his ass with long, smooth strokes. With his palms pressed into Pierce’s chest, Victor arched his back and whined, writhing beneath his mate as the buildup tingled up his spine and wrapped around his groin.
“I’m close,” Victor panted.
“Me, too.” Pierce gazed at him as he punched his hips even faster. When he bit into Victor’s shoulder, Victor tumbled over the edge, crying out Pierce’s name.
Seconds later, his mate joined him, grunting his release as he pulled his canines free. His mate gave a deep growl when he eased out of Victor and his phone rang.
“This better be damn important,” Pierce said as he rolled to the side of the bed and grabbed his cell off the nightstand.
Victor curled on his side and yawned as Pierce spoke to whoever called him. His mate hung up and scrubbed a hand over his head.
“Is everything okay?”
“I have to head to the agency.”
“I’ll go
with you.” Victor started to sit up, but Pierce shook his head.
His mate jabbed a finger at the bed. “I want you to stay here and rest.”
Victor wasn’t sure what was going on, but he didn’t argue. After what happened earlier with Riley, he didn’t mind sitting this one out.
Chapter Seven
Pierce and the other bounty hunters were gathered in the Pit as Matt sat at the bar on one of the stools. He hadn’t wanted to leave Victor at the pack house, but Levi and Rhys had stayed behind to watch over the mates, and Pierce really wanted in on the hunt for the guy who had been responsible for turning Victor.
“I want every inch of Mercury searched,” Matt said after he explained to everyone what was going on.
Pierce glanced to where Colton stood by the back wall and headed toward him. He wanted to ask how Riley had been punished but kept the question to himself…for now. Matt had been right. This was coven business, and he didn’t want to talk in front of the other guys. He stood next to Colton as Matt spoke, and when the men started to filter from the room, he turned to the wolf and said, “We’ll be working together.”
“How is Victor?” Colton pushed from the wall and headed toward the front of the agency, Pierce at his side.
“Healing.” Pierce held the door, and the two spilled into the parking lot. He waved to his car. “Get in.”
Colton grunted, as though he knew why Pierce wanted to work with him. When they were enclosed in the car, Colton said, “He’s being buried in a cross-wrapped coffin for a hundred years.”
As badly as Pierce wanted to argue that Riley needed to be killed, he kept his mouth shut. Like Matt had said, there wasn’t a damn thing they could do unless they wanted to start a war, and as much as he wanted to give Riley his own brand of justice, the last thing Mercury needed was the wolves and vampires tearing the town, and each other, apart.
“I know it’s bullshit,” Colton said as Pierce drove from the parking lot, “but it’s the best solution since vampires don’t kill each other.”
“So you’re telling me Riley wasn’t trying to kill Victor?” He gripped the steering wheel tightly as they drove around the park and headed toward Waterloo Road. “He was going for the jugular, not Victor’s shoulder. He just missed. Still, that fucker was intent on killing Victor.”
Colton looked out the passenger window, deep in thought, and Pierce let the subject drop, even if his wolf wanted to steer the car to Black Dragon and remove Riley’s head.
“Pull over,” Colton said.
Pierce didn’t question him. He did as Colton asked. “What’s going on?”
Colton pointed to the newly built restaurant. It took Pierce a minute to see what Colton was talking about, but when he did, he spotted someone lingering on the side of the building. Burntwood Bistro was already closed for the night, and the security lighting was only out front, giving whoever was on the side the privacy they needed.
A snarl rumbled in Colton’s chest. “That’s one of the bastards who attacked me.”
The guy wasn’t alone. Pierce saw another man emerge from the shadows, only this guy had horns protruding from his head, and even in the darkness, his flaming red hair that fell in waves down his back stood out.
The first guy had so many muscles that Pierce wondered if it would take the entire pack to bring him down. “Do we call for backup?”
“Fuck yeah,” Colton said. “I won’t have them trying to kill me again.”
“Don’t you have like, super speed like the vampires do?” Pierce said. “I’m just asking because I have no idea the extent of a half-breed’s powers.”
Colton narrowed his eyes at Pierce. “You calling me a mutt?”
“Do we really have time for you to sit there pouting at an imagined insult?” Pierce understood the subject was sensitive to Colton, but he wasn’t poking fun at him. It was the honest truth.
Colton pulled his phone out. “Since the pack is busy looking for Zeeshan, I’m calling my mates. I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t mind a little payback for what those bastards did to me.”
“But I can’t get payback with Riley?” Pierce asked. “That’s bullshit.”
“Stop fucking whining,” Colton said as he dialed. “You sound like a five-year-old.”
“And you didn’t?” Pierce slugged Colton in his arm as he began to talk into his phone. When Colton hung up, Pierce glared at him. “I’m not five.”
“Then why’d you hit me like a toddler having a fit?” Colton looked through the windshield.
Pierce wasn’t sure why those creatures were hanging out or who they were waiting for, but he wasn’t going to let them out of his sight. Colton might not be a part of their pack any more, but he’d known the brother for too damn long not to want revenge for what they’d done to him.
They opened their car doors and got out when three shadows appeared behind the two creatures. So far, the idiots hadn’t noticed the vampires standing behind them. Their focus had shifted to Pierce and Colton as they approached.
“So it’s true,” the demon said as he looked Colton over. “You lived.”
“But you’re not going to,” Colton said. He shifted midstride, but Pierce stayed in his human form, watching the streets to make sure no humans happened upon them as the vampires and the wolf took the two down.
Bones crunched and claws flew, and Colton’s dumb ass even howled as they tore the two apart. Pierce cursed under his breath when he spotted a cop car heading their way.
“The police are about to roll by,” Pierce said to the men behind him.
The vampires moved inhumanly fast, taking the bodies with them.
“Don’t shift,” Pierce said to Colton. He’d rather have a wolf at his side than a naked man. That would be harder to explain if Sheriff Braxton wasn’t behind the wheel. MPD was mostly comprised of humans, which made bounty hunting harder in Mercury since the deputies hadn’t a clue what was really going on in their town. But the sheriff had insisted their world remain hidden, and the preternatural residents had abided by that.
Colton sank back into the shadows as Pierce grabbed his phone from his pocket and pretended to make a call as he started down the street.
The cop car moved past him, the deputy behind the wheel giving him a quick glance before moving on. When the coast was clear, he and Colton headed back to the car.
Colton shifted before he got in. There was blood on his chest and jaw, which he wiped away.
“Feel better?” Pierce asked.
Colton glared at him. “For killing them?” He shook his head. “No, because I could kill them a thousand times and that won’t change the fact I had to be converted to be saved.”
Pierce pulled away and headed toward the agency where Colton had left his car and his go-bag. If he was gonna work with Pierce, Colton needed some clothes. Pierce would be damned if he rode around all night while the guy was naked.
This time when they left the agency, they went on foot. They would be able to check the shadows better than if they simply drove by.
“I can’t believe we’re hunting Zeeshan down again,” Colton said as they headed toward Grizzly’s. “He was a nightmare to catch back then, and you know the perverted bastard won’t go down without a fight.”
“I’d love to get my hands on Kingsley,” Pierce said. “What the fuck was he thinking letting all those violent offenders go?”
Colton snorted. “He doesn’t give a rat’s ass about us. The guy ain’t right in the head. All he wants is to have fun and pay us back for that bounty on his head.”
It was a million-dollar bounty that Pierce wouldn’t mind cashing in on. Who wouldn’t? Since he was mated to a vampire, Pierce would live even longer than his already unnaturally long life. That money would set him and Victor up for as long as they lived.
Not that Pierce was hurting for money. He’d been bounty hunting for as long as Matt had operated the agency and had a cushy bank account, but in truth, Pierce was tired of chasing down the bad guys. He woul
dn’t mind taking a very long break somewhere far from Mercury.
They walked a few blocks in silence as Pierce checked his phone. He wanted to call Victor and see how he felt, but he knew if he heard his mate’s voice, he’d want to go home. Oh god. Pierce had turned into a love-struck fool.
“I know that look,” Colton said.
“What look?” Pierce asked, pulled from his thoughts.
“This business is wearing you down.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Pierce looked into the alcove as they passed by the barbershop. Nothing was there except emptiness.
“I get that same feeling once in a while, like I want to take a break from the world.”
Pierce wasn’t sure he wanted to have such a personal conversation with Colton. He’d never been the type to talk about what was going on in his head and didn’t want to start now. Colton was a cool friend, but in truth, Pierce didn’t know the guy well enough. Sure, they’d worked together for years, lived together, as well, but that didn’t mean the pack knew each other on that deep a level.
Most kept their personal thoughts and lives closed off from everyone else, and Pierce was no exception.
“So why don’t you?” Pierce asked.
Colton shrugged. “I feel like a stranger at the club and at the agency. I need something to do to occupy my time, and hunting is what I do best.”
Pierce could see how Colton felt suspended between two worlds. As much as Pierce wanted Victor to live at the pack house, lately, he’d started thinking of buying a house in town, someplace where Victor felt at home without being surrounded by a wolf pack. Sure, Stephen had adjusted after being turned, but Victor had been a vampire for over two decades and hadn’t felt welcome in his own coven.
“The triplets and I, together, we’re trying to make a difference, to undo what Magnus did to those vampires, but I’m pretty sure most are beyond redemption.” Colton scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “I feel like it’s an uphill battle that we’re losing.” He gave Pierce a sideways glance. “It’s good you got Victor out of the coven. Maybe now he’ll really shine.”
