Warriors of the Light 1

Miles’s Awakening

A member of the Council of Paranormal Beings and leader of the

Warriors of the Light, Ben has for centuries kept order in his

world. Having been sent to destroy an evil vampire by the name of

Malcolm, his mission gets diverted when he discovers the man

Malcolm has been stalking is his destined mate.

Miles lived a quiet life, but all that changes when he gets caught

up in a tug-of-war between good and evil. Being the fated mate to

Ben and Malcolm has put his life in danger. Ben is the only one

who can save him if he can just surrender his heart and accept his

destiny.

In an attempt to protect Miles, Ben gives Malcolm the opportunity

to take what he holds dear. Time's running out. Can Ben save

Miles from a fate worse than death? Or is Ben forever destined to

be alone?

Note: This book contains forced seduction.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 43,121 words

MILES’S AWAKENING

Warriors of the Light 1

AJ Jarrett

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

MILES’S AWAKENING
Copyright © 2012 by AJ Jarrett
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-427-7

First E-book Publication: March 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Miles’s Awakening by AJ Jarrett
from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also,
thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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DEDICATION

For my mother-in-law, Judy, who gave Miles his name. Thank you.

MILES’S AWAKENING

Warriors of the Light 1

AJ JARRETT

Chapter One

Miles looked over his shoulder as he quickly walked down the

sidewalk. He could swear someone was following him. It didn’t help
that it was midnight, black as pitch, and no one else was out walking
the streets in the little college town of Columbia, Missouri this late at
night. He was all alone on Hilltop Street. Miles never thought his little
town a scary place to live, but over the last few days, he couldn’t
shake the feeling of being watched.

“Thank god.” Miles breathed a sigh of relief when his apartment

complex came into view. He got his key out on the ready, so he could
get in the outer door as fast as he possibly could.

More than likely he was just overreacting and freaking himself

out, but it was late and bad things always seemed to happen at night
on deserted streets. He had heard all the horror stories of how
unsuspecting people were taken by surprise, raped and murdered, and
never to be heard from again.

A shudder ran through Miles’s body. He really had to stop

watching scary movies if this was going to happen every time he got a
little spooked.

He was a block away when he felt someone walk up beside him. It

took everything he had not wet himself right on the spot. Maybe he

Miles’s Awakening

should have paid better attention to those movies because then his
dumb ass wouldn’t have been out here all alone in the middle of the
night. Miles finally understood the meaning of frozen in fear, because
he couldn’t do anything but focus on his steps. Why didn’t he take
that ride from Garrett?

“Just keep walking, kid. I’m not going to hurt you, but we need to

get to your apartment like five minutes ago.”

The man placed his arm around Miles’s shoulders, and oddly

enough, what fear he felt faded away. The sound and touch of this
stranger seemed to calm his frazzled nerves. But why?

Miles tried to shake the weird feeling away and focus on the

matter at hand. The man wanted to come back to his place, as if Miles
had a steady stream of unknown visitors to his home all the time. He
turned to look at the other man and tensed at the jolt of lust that ran
through his body. The calm feeling now mixed with an uncontrollable
attraction he couldn’t explain. The man was absolutely gorgeous, and
as crazy as it may sound, Miles felt drawn to him as if by an invisible
string tying him to the man. The same string must have been tied to
his dick, as well, since it started to lengthen and reach toward the
handsome stranger. The man stood at least a foot taller than him,
bulky with what Miles assumed was muscle under his leather jacket
and tight black jeans. His hair was a deep caramel blond with sun-
kissed highlights layered in, causing his tan skin to glow. With all
elements combined, it rounded out the package to make for one sexy-
as-hell man. What struck Miles the most was the pair of piercing blue
eyes the man had. They made him think of ice on a frozen lake. There
was a coldness there that made him want to wrap a blanket around
himself as to not be bitten by the bitter cold that swirled in the blue
depths.

Miles gave a sharp shake of his head, trying to clear his thoughts

of the sexy man herding him like a sheep to his apartment. “Excuse
me. I hate to be rude, but what makes you think I will let you into my
apartment?” It was a halfhearted attempt at anger because right now,

AJ Jarrett

his dick was standing at full salute, and he wouldn’t mind getting a
little dirty with the man if he could find out for sure he didn’t just
escape from a mental hospital.

“I think you will because you want to live, and I’m the one who is

going to be able to protect you.”

Wait a minute, did he just say, “Protect me?” Protect me from

what? Did I want to live? Fuck yes I wanted to live. His hard-on died
a quick death. “Dude, you’re freaking me out here. What do you mean
‘want to live’ and ‘protect’ me? Is all this a trick to get into my
apartment?” Miles’s eyes traveled the length of the man’s body then
he met the guy’s eyes. “Don’t get me wrong. You’re a really hot guy,
but, dude, I don’t even know you.”

“Listen, I will answer all your questions once we’re in your

apartment, but right now, sweet face, we need to get to your place
before they attack.” That was all Miles needed to hear. He walked
faster with his new friend to his front door, praying this guy wasn’t
some serial killer preying on young male college students. He so
didn’t want to die and have this guy chop him into little pieces and eat
him. Well, he wanted the guy to eat him, but not in that way.

Once at the outer door, Miles tried to make his shaking hands

work to get the key in the hole. He was so scared about this whole
crazy situation. While he worked the key in the hole, the other man
had his back to Miles, facing the street like he expected an attack of
some sort, which for all Miles knew, he did.

“Kid, get that damn door open now!”
Just then the key turned, freeing the lock, and the door swung

open. The other man pushed Miles through the entryway and
slammed the door shut behind them. He ushered Miles up the stairs as
if he knew exactly where he was going. That gave Miles pause. Did
this guy know where he lived? Had he been stalking him? Oh shit, did
I just let the enemy into my home?

Miles’s Awakening

“Kid, you’re thinking too hard. I’m not going to kill you. I

promise.” The man made the cross sign over his chest and put his
hand in the air like he was making an oath to god.

“How did you know what I was thinking?”
“It’s written all over your face.” The man chuckled softly. “I’m

not going to do anything to you.” The man gave Miles an assessing
once-over from head to toe. Miles could feel the man’s gaze on his
body as if it were his fingers trailing a sizzling line all over his skin.
“That you wouldn’t want me to.”

Miles gulped so loudly the sound was deafening in his ears. The

man stood there giving him a sexy grin. Faced with impending
danger, the guy wanted to flirt? Not that Miles wasn’t flattered, but he
had to get some things straight first, like who would want to hurt him?
He was a lonely college student with a part-time job as a waiter. He
was about as boring as a person could possibly be.

When they reached Miles’s apartment, he unlocked the door and

let the man inside. Miles walked in and turned on the lamp sitting on
the end table by the couch. The apartment was silent, so that meant
his roommate, Trevor, wasn’t home yet. Which, for right now, might
be the safest thing until Miles figured out what this guy wanted.

“I hate to sound rude, but who the hell are you, and why do I need

a protector?” Miles watched as the man walked over to the front bay
windows and pulled the blinds apart to look outside. He answered
without even looking at him.

“My name is Ben, and I’m here to keep you from becoming

vampire food, or worse, mated for an eternity to a Warrior of the
Dark.”

Miles’s jaw dropped to the floor. Did he just fall into an episode

of Buffy? He didn’t know where to begin with the questions. “So what
you’re saying is there are vampires and that they want me?” He
brought his hands up to his temples and began to massage the skin,
hoping to wake up from this crazy dream. “You know you sound
insane, right?”

AJ Jarrett

“Of course I do. You lived your whole life ignorant to the fact that

vampires and shifters do exist and that they lurk in the shadows.” Ben
motioned with his hand for Miles to come closer. “Come here and
take a look.”

As he got to the window, he couldn’t believe what he saw. A

group of five men stood outside his apartment building. Across the
street stood a man all by himself. It sounded crazy, but the man
looked like he was staring right at him. Miles’s fear kicked back in to
full-blown panic and his hands began to shake.

“What the hell is going on? I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m a

freaking college student who works a part-time job. I barely have a
social life, and now you’re telling me those guys”—Miles pointed
down toward the street—“want to eat me? And by eat me you’re not
meaning in the good, orgasmic kind of way?”

Ben nodded. He kept his attention focused out the window. Miles

started to pace the floor. What else could he possibly do right now?
He’d just gotten a shock of the worst kind. Supposedly mythical
creatures did exist. This was just too much for him to comprehend.

“Look, it’s okay, Miles. I’m here now, and I won’t let anything

happen to you.”

Ben stepped forward and put his large hands on Miles’s shoulders

and gave a comfortable squeeze. Miles felt a little better, but it still
didn’t answer who exactly Ben was and how exactly he knew the
other men were vampires.

“How do you know they’re vampires?”
“Because I hunt and kill them,” Ben said through gritted teeth. His

knuckles popped from squeezing his fist so tight.

It seemed all scripted from a TV show. Vampires preying on

innocent people and vampire hunters protecting them? Sounded
completely crazy in the life he lived. However, if what Ben was
saying was true about creatures of the night and shifters, what did that
make Ben?

Miles’s Awakening

He turned his eyes up to meet Ben’s. “So, Ben, are you a vampire,

too?” Miles asked, doing his best to swallow past the lump forming in
his throat.

Ben took a deep breath before he spoke. “I’m what we call a

Warrior of the Light.”

Miles shook his head. He wanted a straight answer. “You didn’t

answer my question, and what do you mean when you say we?”

“‘We’ as in my team of warriors. I’m a member of the Council of

Paranormal Beings that helps protect unsuspecting humans from scum
like that.” Ben nodded toward the window. “We also work to keep
our existence hidden. But to answer your question if I’m a vampire,
yes.”

Miles jumped back in terror. He did just let in the enemy. His

father was right. He was an idiot. When Ben moved to come closer,
he threw up his hands to stop him.

“Miles, I’m not that kind of vampire. Yes, I need to drink blood to

survive, but I’m not like them.” He pointed down toward the men
standing in the street. The man had the nerve to sound offended by his
reaction.

“You just admitted to being a vampire. How would you like me to

react? Ten minutes ago, I thought all that shit only existed in movies,
not real life, or at least not my life,” he snapped at Ben.

Ben ran a hand through is hair. The look on the man’s face was

one of annoyance and defeat. Miles wasn’t going to feel bad about his
reaction to all this vampire nonsense and taking out his frustration on
Ben.

How come when a sexy-as-sin man finally approaches me, he

turns out to be a lunatic or worse, a creature of the night? He just
wanted a nice and normal life, but if what Ben was saying was true,
normal left the building a long time ago.

“I know this is all new to you, but I promise I’m not here to hurt

you. My only mission is to protect you from them.”

AJ Jarrett

Okay, there he goes talking about protecting me again. Shouldn’t

he be protecting all mankind from the vampires? He had better ask the
obvious because Ben wasn’t too forthcoming with the information.

“Why do I need to be protected from those dudes out there?” He

said the words real slow, wanting to make sure Ben understood the
question.

“Well, it’s like this.” Ben walked across the room to sit on Miles’s

little couch. His large frame took up the majority of the available
seating area. When he didn’t move to sit down, Ben patted the
cushion beside him. Miles hated how his heartbeat sped up at the
thought of sitting so close to the man.

Miles felt awkward trying to arrange himself on the couch to

where he didn’t touch Ben. With a heavy sigh, Ben grabbed him
around the waist and sat him right next to him. He then dropped his
arm to rest on Miles’s shoulders. Miles hated how he instantly curled
into Ben’s side, seeking the warmth and comfort he had to offer.

“Let me start from the beginning.” Miles nodded. “Over a

thousand years ago during the medieval times, in a time long since
passed, there were these two feuding villages. The leaders of the
villages never seemed to agree on anything, which caused endless
fighting, be it over water or crops. You name it, they fought over it.”

Miles nodded. He wasn’t for sure where this history lesson was

going, but he hoped Ben got to the point soon.

“The Village of Ash was run by a man named Asher, and besides

being a complete asshole, he was extremely vain. He wanted to be
strong and youthful forever. Asher did the unthinkable to get what he
wanted. He sought out help from a witch.”

“A witch? How do witches have anything to do with vampires?”

Miles’s brow furrowed in confusion. He couldn’t comprehend how all
the things that were supposed to only roam the streets on Halloween
night were now everyday beings running loose around town.

“I’m getting to that.” Ben turned on the couch, bringing him

closer to Miles. “See, witches are tricksters by nature. They live for

Miles’s Awakening

creating chaos. She granted Asher his wish. But with that wish came
consequences.”

“What kind of consequences?” Miles whispered. He was a little

scared to know the terms of that agreement.

“The myth of vampires has been around a long time, and no doubt

there were others running around long before we got turned, but in the
case of Asher when he accepted her bargain, she not only turned him
but his whole village into vampires. He would live forever and be
youthful and strong, as would the whole village.”

“So are you part of that village or some shit? If he’s your leader,

why do you hunt your own people?”

“He was never my leader,” Ben spat out. Anger caused the man’s

skin to flush. “That other village I told you Asher fought with?” Miles
nodded. “I’m the son of the man who led that village, Benedict
Legrant.”

“I don’t follow. If you weren’t part of Asher’s village, why are

you a vampire? Were you bitten?”

Ben looked away from him. “You know how I said witches were

tricksters?” He looked back to Miles. “Well this witch thought it
would be funny to change our village into vampires as well. So we
could fight for all of eternity.”

Miles gasped in shock. For the first time in his life, he was at a

loss for words. What Ben was saying didn’t sound fair. To be living
your life then to be unexpectedly turned into a monster had to be
rough.

“I never wanted this for myself.” Ben reached out and grabbed

Miles’s hand. He dropped his head forward and kissed the top of
Miles’s hand. “But this is the life I lead now.” Ben spoke the words
against Miles’s knuckles.

As Ben held his head down, his hair fell to the side, exposing a

large tattoo on the side of his neck. Miles reached forward and pushed
the long strands aside to get a better look. It was a sun with wiggly
lines coming off it to represent rays. What looked like a thorn vine

AJ Jarrett

circled the outer edges. Miles lightly traced the black-lined tattoo. He
felt Ben’s tremble under his touch.

“Beautiful,” Miles whispered without thought. He continued to

trace the design. “What does it mean?”

Ben sat up but didn’t release Miles’s hand. “It represents that I’m

a Warrior of the Light. It’s my responsibility to keep order in our
world and yours. My job is to enforce the laws set forth by the CPB.
This signifies what side I fight for.”

“Huh?”
“Council of Paranormal Beings.”
Miles started to giggle. “It sounds like the name of a television

channel.”

“It’s not funny. I’m serious in all that I have told you.”
Miles just nodded and continued to laugh. In the entire span of an

hour, he learned there were witches, vampires, and some kind of
shifters that roamed his friendly little neighborhood. If he didn’t
laugh, he would probably fall to the floor, curl up in the fetal position,
and cry.

Ben reached out and placed his large hands on either side of

Miles’s face. Miles stopped laughing at once. The jolt of electricity
that shot through his body from that one touch had Miles’s feelings
going from dread to sensuality. He wanted Ben to do more than just
touch him, but why? He’d just met Ben, but he wanted to be held,
kissed, and fucked by the man.

Miles stared into the blue depths of Ben’s eyes. “What is this

power you have over me? I’m scared out of my mind, but all I want is
to be close to you. You make me feel safe.” Miles licked his dry lips.
“Why, Ben?”

Ben’s eyes traced the movement of Miles’s tongue, and that gave

Miles a little satisfaction knowing this feeling of attraction wasn’t
one-sided. The hands on his face dropped to knead the muscles at the
back of his neck. Miles relaxed into Ben’s strong, steady touch.

Miles’s Awakening

“You asked why I was here to protect you. Well, there is a reason

for that.” Ben pulled away from Miles, interlocked his own fingers,
and squeezed them so tight his fingers turned white.

Miles sat up and reached for Ben’s clasped hands. “What is it,

Ben? You’ve already told me some pretty fucked-up shit. I can’t
image it could get any weirder.”

He wanted to reassure Ben. No matter how crazy it seemed, he

felt a connection to the man. In the short time he had known Ben, he
could tell he was trustworthy. Miles just prayed his instincts were
correct.

“Miles, magic is a funny thing. There’s a balance of good and evil

when magic is involved. For the downside, there is also an upside.”

“Okay.”
“I’m not explaining this very well.” Ben swallowed hard. “See,

with vampires, we’re cursed to live forever and have to drink the
blood of others, but on the upside we can walk in daylight and eat
regular food if we choose to.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” Miles was a little relieved. If things

went the way he hoped, he wanted to see Ben beyond just at night.

“There’s more.” Ben took a deep breath. “Whenever someone is

touched by magic, be it for good or evil purposes, they are given a
gift, no matter the circumstances.”

“Gifts are good, right?”
“Yes. The gift magic gives you is a soul mate. The one person

who will love you forever no matter what. The bond is felt instantly.”
Ben darted his eyes to Miles then away.

Holy shit. Miles started to gasp for breath. Soul mate? He’d felt an

instant connection to Ben. He should have known this was too good to
be true. Not that it was a bad thing, but what did this mean for his life
now?

“Calm down, Miles. I guess you put two and two together and

know that I’m your soul mate.”

AJ Jarrett

Miles gave a jerky nod. He was flattered and a little bit excited,

but forever was a long time. He was only twenty-one, and he had
barely lived his life.

“Okay, since you’re already freaking out, I’m going to go ahead

and tell you this. Every now and again, fate has little hiccups in the
grand scheme of destinies, and two people are fated to the same
person.” Miles followed Ben’s gaze toward the window. “You’re also
the mate to the man standing outside.”

Miles couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Goose bumps ran across

his skin, and a nonexistent chill in the air made him shiver. This must
be what shock feels like. That was Miles’s last thought before
everything went dark.

Miles’s Awakening

Chapter Two

Ben hated having to be the one to break the news to Miles. Miles

was his mate, and he’d be damned if Malcolm got his hands on him.
Malcolm was pure evil. The sadistic bastard was cruel as a human
long before he ever got turned into a vampire. Rape, murder, and theft
were all crimes he had committed. The man had no conscience about
the immoral things he did, and becoming a vampire just gave him an
added bonus to be malicious. It was as if Malcolm felt like it was his
right to cause mayhem and destruction everywhere he went.

Ben and his men had been tracking Malcolm for months, and he’d

led them to the small town of Columbia, Missouri. The trail of dead or
missing people was like a neon spotlight guiding their way. He was
cocky and thought himself above their laws. The only thing that
mattered to Ben was putting an end to Malcolm, but little did he know
his plans would change when fate dealt him the hard blow of finding
his mate among Malcolm’s chaos.

Soul mates are rare to come by. Of course, paranormals can have

relationships with other people, be it another paranormal or human,
but there is always something missing. The need to find one’s mate
consumes a person, and Ben had given up hope five hundred years
ago of ever finding his mate. Then he felt the strings around his heart
pulling him toward Miles. When he realized Malcolm was stalking
him as well, it wasn’t hard to figure out why.

Fate and magic were sometimes unpredictable, and glitches

happened. But to know he shared a mate with Malcolm just turned his
stomach. Malcolm wouldn’t cherish his mate. No, he would keep
Miles alive just barely so he could gain the benefits a mate brings to a

AJ Jarrett

paranormal, without giving Miles the same gift in return by turning
him into one of their kind.

He just met Miles but he already knew he loved him. Without a

doubt, he would die for him. If given the chance, he would do
whatever it took to make Miles happy and to keep him safe.

Ben bent down and lifted an unconscious Miles into his arms. He

carried him down the hall and to the room on the left. After several
recon missions into this very apartment, he knew which room was
Miles’s.

He placed Miles in the middle of the queen-size bed and pulled

the covers up to tuck around his body. Miles looked so peaceful as he
slept. If someone were to walk in right now, they would never suspect
he had just been delivered the shock of his life.

Ben sat next to Miles and stared down at the sleeping man. He

couldn’t resist not touching him. Reaching out with his right hand, he
ran his knuckles down Miles’s cheek, the skin smooth and soft to the
touch. Miles was too young to have his life change so dramatically.
This wrinkle- and stress-free skin would come to be marked by worry
lines when Miles discovered what true fear was.

Ben shook off the thoughts of what needed to be done and what he

needed to still discuss with Miles. For now, he just wanted to admire
the man’s beauty without the fear of what was to come.

Miles was a good ten inches shorter than him. He wasn’t frail, but

he was thin. Ben didn’t like the way Miles’s bones stood out against
his skin. The man needed to eat more, but after watching Miles for the
past two weeks, Ben had come to see the workload Miles took on
every day, and it had to be a lot for one human. Between working late
hours at the restaurant he was employed at and attending school
during the daylight hours, it was a miracle Miles ever slept, let alone
ate.

Times were different from when Ben grew up, but he knew

enough to know college was an important part of a person’s
education, and it was expensive to attend as well. The background

Miles’s Awakening

work he’d done on Miles showed his parents owned a small farm up
in Clarinda, Iowa. They barely made enough to get through the
winters, let alone send their only child to school.

Ben also noticed in his background check that Miles didn’t keep

in touch with his family much, and he was curious to as why that was.
If things turned out the way he hoped, Miles would be a big part of
his life, the only important thing in his life, and he would need to
know the ins and outs of Miles’s life.

The sound of Miles breathing out a soft sigh brought Ben back to

the sleeping man. A smiled touched his lips as Miles turned to his side
and tucked his hands up under his chin. Miles’s dark-brown hair lay
loose around his face. Ben used his fingertips to brush the soft strands
away. He liked looking at the pale skin that glowed in the dark room.
He thought Miles look like a porcelain doll, very fragile and delicate.

The vibrating of his phone had him scooting to the edge of the

bed. With one more glance at Miles, he answered the call.

“Where the hell are you?” a male voice huffed into the phone.

“You didn’t call in like you said you would. If you didn’t answer, I
was going to assume you were fucking dead.”

“Ye of little faith.” Ben chuckled into the phone. His right-hand

man and best friend since childhood, Quinn, liked to be dramatic.

“I have faith, but you never break from protocol. And protocol is

to not engage the target but to keep him safe, and then get back to the
team ASAP.” Quinn’s voice began to rise.

“Don’t call him that. His name is Miles,” Ben barked into the

phone. He looked over his shoulder to make sure he didn’t wake
Miles.

“So it’s true? He is your mate.”
Ben scrubbed his hand down his face. “Yes, it’s true.”
“Fuck.” Ben heard some shuffling noises before Quinn spoke

again. “Man, I’m sorry. I kind of hoped you were mistaken. With
Malcolm being this guy’s mate as well, you need to move quick.”

AJ Jarrett

“It’s not that simple, Quinn.” He hated to snap at his friend, but

nothing about this situation would be simple or easy.

“Ben, what’s the alternative? Not mate with him, and let Malcolm

get his sleazy paws on him? You know what he will do to Miles if he
gets ahold of him, right? He will abuse him and never turn him. That
means he has no way of fighting back. Malcolm will hold him hostage
for eternity.” Quinn took a pause. “Ben, I’m sorry, but you have to
mate with Miles and turn him before it’s too late. If you wait until the
time is right, you might as well put a bullet between his eyes and
spare him the suffering.”

Ben’s eyes fell shut. What his friend said was true. He really

didn’t think Malcolm would turn Miles just drink his blood to gain the
strength the mating bond provided. If Malcolm mated Miles by their
laws, Ben couldn’t touch him. Only if Malcolm were to die could he
regain his mate in Miles. But how could he explain this to Miles? He
was so young to have to make a decision that would dictate the rest of
his life, and an eternity is a long fucking time.

“Are you there?”
“Yes. I just don’t know what to do.”
“Yes you do. It’s that nice-guy part of you who wants to do right

by your mate, but my friend, time is not on your side this go-around.
The mating bond is supposed to be all-powerful, so trust in that
because if Miles feels the pull, he’ll want to be claimed by you.”

Ben stood up and went to look out the window. There didn’t seem

to be any signs of Malcolm and his thugs hanging around. They must
have gotten bored and left.

“I know. I just wanted more time to explain everything to him.

Give him the choice to decide. I can’t take that away from him,
Quinn. I just can’t.”

“I know, but you need to talk to Miles and let him decide.”
“As soon as he wakes up, I will.”

Miles’s Awakening

“Great. I’m going to go grab a bite then I’ll make my way over to

Miles’s apartment so we can come up with a game plan on keeping
your boy safe until we get this all figured out.”

“Thanks, Quinn. I don’t know what I would do without you,” Ben

said into the phone. The sounding of the click let him know Quinn
had hung up. Quinn wasn’t one for getting all touchy-feely. The man
had lost his emotions a long time ago.

He turned around and caught the glimpse of two dark eyes looking

up at him. Miles had woken up, and he wondered how much of the
conversation the younger man had heard.

“What do you need to explain to me?” Miles’s voice was so soft

when he spoke. If it weren’t for his excellent hearing, Ben never
would have heard him.

“Eavesdropping is not an attractive character trait in a person, you

know,” Ben said as he sat back down on the bed and rested an arm
behind Miles’s back so he could hover over him.

“Keeping secrets isn’t a good trait either.”
“You’re right.” Ben dropped a kiss to the tip of Miles’s nose. “I

was talking to my friend, and he reminded me the importance of
explaining the issues at hand to you.” Ben arranged himself behind
Miles then wrapped an arm around Miles’s chest to pull him back into
his. “What do you remember before you passed out?”

He smiled when he felt Miles snuggle in closer to his chest. The

slight wiggle of Miles’s hips caused his dick to come to life. It wasn’t
a good time for him to let his mind wander to what it would feel like
to sink deep inside Miles’s hot, velvety heat, and to thrust into his
tight hole over and over again until they both came. Ben shook his
head hard. They needed to discuss the whole mating and Malcolm shit
first.

“I remember you saying I was your soul mate, but that I also was

the mate to the man standing outside.” He could hear the fear in
Miles’s voice. Ben pulled him tighter to his chest. He hated how his
boy sounded so frightened.

AJ Jarrett

“Yes, that it true but there is more.”
“Of course there is. There’s always more,” Miles said

sarcastically.

Ben grabbed Miles’s chin and brought his face around so he could

look into Miles’s golden-brown eyes. “I’m sorry, Miles, I really am,
but we have to talk about this before it’s too late.” His voice came out
more sternly than he would have liked, but he had to let Miles know
the score.

“You’re scaring me, Ben. This morning I woke up a normal

college student just getting by, and now you blow into my life
spouting off about vampires and witches. Forgive me if I’m a little
sensitive right now.”

Miles took a deep breath, and when the air rushed past his lips, it

fanned Ben’s face. The sweet smell of mint and apples flooded his
senses. He could get lost in Miles’s scent be it breath or body. Being a
vampire heightened his senses, so he was on overload with all of
Miles’s intoxicating scents.

“The only thing holding me together right now is being close to

you. When you’re near I’m not so afraid of what all this means.”

Ben’s gazed dropped from Miles’s eyes to his mouth when

Miles’s pink tongue came out to wet his dry lips. Ben had to suppress
the moan that threatened to escape his own mouth. He was desperate
to taste the supple, full lips that glistened in the moonlight.

“It’s because were mates,” he started to speak, but Miles placed a

finger over his lips.

“I know we need to talk about all this, but would it be weird if I

asked you to kiss me? I can’t think right now. All I want is to feel you
touching me.”

Ben watched as Miles slowly sucked his finger into his mouth.

Miles then pulled the warm moist digit free and traced over Ben’s
lips. What control and sense of rightness he had went out the window.
With a low growl, he climbed over Miles’s and pinned him to the bed.
He watched for any signs of hesitation or fear on Miles’s part as he

Miles’s Awakening

slowly descended down to his lips. Ben licked and teased at the seam
of Miles’s mouth until he opened wide with a gasp. He took the
opportunity to taste Miles properly like he had wanted to do for the
past two weeks.

Miles grabbed at Ben’s shirt, silently requesting for its removal.

Ben was helpless to deny his mate anything. He sat up enough to
remove the shirt then reached for the hem of Miles’s. Miles pulled the
shirt off and flung it to the floor.

The feel of smooth, warm skin brushing against him shot waves of

desire straight to his cock. His breathing became labored as he took
all Miles’s mouth had to offer, but it wasn’t enough. He shifted to sit
up and brought Miles with him. Miles wrapped his legs around Ben’s
hips. The younger man never broke the kiss.

Miles continued to suck on his tongue as Ben rocked their groins

together. It had been ages since Ben had felt this extreme amount of
lust and desire for another person. And it had everything to do with
the firecracker gyrating in his lap like he was riding a bull. It made
Ben wonder what it would feel like to sink his hard shaft into Miles’s
tight heat.

“God, I want you so bad,” Ben moaned into the kiss. All the

reasons on why they should wait left his mind. All that mattered was
getting off, the sooner the better.

“Then have me.” Miles pulled away from Ben’s hold. “If what

you say is true, then we shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to fuck.”

Ben pushed Miles down to lie flat on the bed. He gripped the

fastening on his pants and divested Miles of his jeans. His breath got
caught in his throat at the sight of seeing his mate completely naked
for the first time.

Miles might have been thin, but his body was cut with muscle

definition. His bones still stood out, but the flesh draped over his body
molded to tight, well-defined muscle. Ben traced a finger down
Miles’s bare chest, and Miles’s body trembled under his touch.

AJ Jarrett

As his finger trailed lower, it bumped the leaking head of Miles’s

cock. He smeared the pre-cum around the sensitive tip and worked his
hand down lower to jerk the impressive erection that lay within his
fist.

“More, I need more.” Miles squirmed on the bed.
Ben grabbed the upper part of Miles’s thighs and spread the man’s

legs further apart to make room for his shoulders. Once in place, he
licked a path up the underside of the heavy cock that rested against
Miles’s lower abdomen. He marked a path along the thick veins
running the length. When he reached the swollen head, he sucked the
soft tissue into his mouth. He hummed loudly around the head. The
delicious taste of Miles made his taste buds tingle.

He bobbed his head up and down and reached his hands upward to

tweak at the pebbled peaks of Miles’s nipples. He pinched and twisted
the hardened nipples and reveled in the heavy panting coming from
his mate’s mouth.

Ben swallowed around the swollen head one more time before

pulling off with a hard suck to the inflamed cock. He licked a path up
Miles’s torso, stopping to tease the hard nipples sticking out for him
to taste. When he reached Miles’s neck, he breathed in deeply, loving
the scent of turned-on man and sweat.

“Let me make you feel good, Miles.” Ben rose up to rest on his

elbows to stare down into Miles’s eyes. “Let me make love to you.”

Miles’s hard swallow was audible to his ears. “Will this make us

mated?”

Ben’s eyes shut. The uncertainty he heard in his mate’s voice hurt

his heart. He knew he shouldn’t expect Miles to agree to a mating
until he knew all the facts, but he wanted Miles to want him the way
he wanted Miles.

“No, baby. It won’t.” He rolled off Miles and sat up.
“Hey, Ben, don’t do that.” Miles’s thin fingers wrapped around

his biceps, holding him still. “It’s not that I don’t want to be your
mate, it’s just I need some time to process everything.” Miles grinned

Miles’s Awakening

up at him. “Is that okay? Because if it is, I would really like to have
sex with you.”

Ben watched as Miles reached between them and stroked his cock.

Miles was seducing him with his very presence. Ben stood up beside
the bed to shuck his pants. It was flattering to see Miles’s hand still as
he got his first view of Ben’s body. He loved the way his mate ate up
the sight of him.

“Lube and condoms are in the top drawer right there,” Miles said

as he kept his gaze locked on Ben’s dick.

He smiled as he knelt next to the bed to look Miles in the eye.

“We don’t need condoms. The immortal vampire thing kind of makes
them pointless since I can’t catch human diseases.”

Miles’s lips curled at the corners. “Not that I don’t believe you,

but I still haven’t had any proof you’re actually a vampire.”

True, Miles had a point. Praying he didn’t scare his little mate into

unconsciousness again, he smiled, lifting his upper lip. He
concentrated and let his fangs drop down. The fear he expected never
came. Miles raised up to get a better look. Even more impressive was
that Miles brought a finger up to touch the pointed tip. The slight
touch curled Ben’s toes. The link between his dick and fangs had
always been there even more when it was his mate stroking the
sharpened teeth.

“I can’t explain why I’m not freaking out right now, but seeing

your teeth is turning me on even more.” Miles’s eyes darted up to his.
“Is that normal?”

Ben reached in the drawer for the lube and sat back between

Miles’s legs. “It is for mates, Miles.” He popped the cap on the lube
and coated his fingers in the clear gel, holding Miles’s stare as he
pushed one large finger between Miles’s cheeks and tapped at his
back door. “So do I have permission to make love to my mate
properly without any barriers between us?” Miles nodded his head.

Ben took his time stretching his mate. The mewling sounds Miles

made were driving him insane with need. If he waited any longer, he

AJ Jarrett

would lose his mind, but he had to make sure Miles was prepared for
him. His cock wasn’t gigantic, but it was larger than the average
male’s. He would know. After living for over twelve hundred years,
he’d seen plenty of cocks to compare to.

When Miles started to beg, Ben removed the three fingers he had

inside Miles’s ass and drizzled more lube on his engorged shaft. The
simple task of rubbing the liquid on his cock nearly had him coming
like an untried youth.

Ever so slowly, he moved forward. Miles grabbed the back of his

legs to pull them up to his chest, giving Ben better access for entry
into his ass. The view was sublime to Ben’s eyes. Miles’s hole shined
from the lube and twitched as Ben brushed his cock against the tight
muscle. Using his hand, he guided his prick to the small opening and
pushed through the gripping muscle.

Ben clenched his jaw tight as the smoldering heat of Miles

surrounded him. He stopped halfway inside Miles and had to do all he
could not to come on the spot. Miles didn’t give him a choice on the
matter for long. His mate dropped the hold on his legs and brought his
hands up to push against the headboard. Before he knew what was
happening, Miles speared himself the rest of the way onto Ben’s cock.
They both gasped at the sensation.

“Fuck me,” Miles said breathlessly.
Ben wrapped his hands under Miles’s shoulders to use as leverage

to push and pull him down onto his dick. The fast-paced rhythm
satisfied both their wants. He could feel his orgasm pooling in his
balls, signaling release wasn’t far away. Reaching between them, he
grabbed Miles’s stiff cock.

He leant to the side, keeping up his thrusts into Miles as he jerked

the rigid cock in his hand. Pre-cum oozed from Miles’s slit, making
the strokes easier on the delicate flesh. Miles closed his eyes tight and
emitted a loud cry as his seed shot out his cock, covering his chest.
Ben didn’t let loose his hold. The sight of Miles coming undone gave
him the boost he needed to fall over the edge into oblivion.

Miles’s Awakening

Ben’s eyes fluttered shut as his head fell back, the tendons bulging

out against his neck. His hot cum filled Miles’s tight hole, coating his
inner walls the way no one would ever get the chance to do now.
Miles was his, and he wouldn’t let his mate get away from him.

He rocked his hips into Miles a few more times, enjoying how

Miles’s ass clamped down around his cock. Being inside his mate was
heaven. After all these years, he felt young and rejuvenated, able to
face another thousand years if Miles stood by his side.

When both their movements stopped and their breathing evened

out, Ben gently pulled out of Miles and lay on his side. He stared at
Miles and loved the smile that graced his mate’s lips. Miles was spent
and relaxed all from their lovemaking.

Miles turned to look at him. “That was amazing.” His brow

furrowed. “But you didn’t bite me. Why not?”

Ben started to laugh. “You watch too much TV. I’m not a creature

of the night, nor am I the living dead. Yes, I have to drink blood to
survive, but I don’t bite everything in sight.” He smiled
mischievously down at his mate. “But if you want me to bite you, I
can arrange that.”

Miles’s focus was on Ben’s mouth. “Is that how we become

mates?”

“No, it’s not.” Ben flopped down on his back. “To become mates

we have to perform the blood-sex-magic ritual.” He knew what
Miles’s next question would be, and he hated having to explain the
particulars in becoming mates.

“Blood-sex-magic?”
He turned to look at Miles. “Yes. We have to mix our blood then I

cover my dick in our joined blood then I fuck you and fill you with
my seed.”

“Eww. That sounds messy and not very hygienic.” Miles started

to giggle.

Ben sat up. He couldn’t tell if this was a good kind of laughter or

the beginnings of hysteria. “Miles, are you okay?”

AJ Jarrett

Miles gulped for breath and waved a hand in front of him. “I’m

fine. But seriously, it sounds disgusting. Blood and cum? Not a
combo I would have ever paired.”

He could see the humor in that. Ben joined Miles’s laughter. After

a few minutes Ben pulled Miles close to cuddle. Satisfaction filled
him as Miles burrowed in close. The silence carried on for a while.

“See, according to our witch in the CPB council, semen is the root

of love for both men and women. And blood is what gives life.” Ben
shrugged. “They are both powerful liquids and when combined, create
the mate bond.”

“So when do you bite me?”
Ben rubbed lazy circles on Miles’s back. “Baby, what is with the

fear of me biting you? I won’t if you don’t want me to.”

Miles ran his fingers through Ben’s chest hair, causing his skin to

pebble in goose bumps. “It’s not that I’m afraid to be bitten. I just
want to know when it’s coming.” Miles sat up to gaze down into his
eyes. “You know what I mean?”

Ben brushed his lips against Miles’s. “Of course I do. Just to let

you know, when done right and in the heat of the moment, you won’t
feel a thing.” Ben winked at him.

Miles’s Awakening

Chapter Three

“Who the fuck are you?”
Miles startled at the sound of his cousin screaming. He felt the

mattress shift as Ben jumped up and ran out the bedroom door. Miles
climbed from his bed and wrapped the sheet around his hips. If there
was an intruder, or worse, Malcolm in his home, he didn’t want to be
caught naked. On his way out of the room, he grabbed a towel for
Ben.

“What the hell are you doing in my home? And who the fuck are

you, and why are you naked? Sweet Jesus, where’s Miles? Miles!”

When he reached the kitchen, he saw Trevor ghostly pale and

holding a knife in front of him. He waved the blade from side to side
like a madman. If Trevor only knew that wouldn’t protect him against
Ben. The dark-haired man standing opposite Ben was someone Miles
had never seen before. Ben didn’t seem concerned with his presence
so he must be a friend not foe.

He walked between the two burly men, tossing the towel toward

Ben as he passed.

“Trevor, calm down. I’m fine.”
“I–I–I–came in, and this big dude was sitting on our couch.”

Trevor stuttered out.

“This is Ben, and this is”—Miles turned to look at the

newcomer—“I have no clue.”

“Sorry, Miles, this is my next in command and best friend,

Quinn.” Ben wrapped the towel around his hips and moved to stand
next to Quinn.

AJ Jarrett

He gripped his sheet tighter then stuck his hand out to Quinn.

“Nice to meet you. I wish it was under different circumstances.” The
man shook his hand and returned Miles’s smile.

“What the hell is going on here? You’re acting like it’s freaking

teatime or some shit. And why are you naked? Did I come home
during a late-night hookup?” Trevor rambled on. “We really should
have a code for this type of thing.”

Before he could speak, Ben’s voice echoed off the walls. “This is

no one-night stand. I’m his mate.” Ben pointed a finger into his own
chest with every word he spoke.

Trevor arched a brow as he looked between Miles and Ben. Miles

shrugged his shoulders. What could he say? It was the truth no matter
how crazy it sounded. It must be insanity to Trevor’s ears as well. He
watched as his cousin opened and shut his mouth like a fish gulping
for air. If the situation wasn’t so dire, it would have been funny to
watch his never-without-a-word cousin speechless.

“Here, Trevor, have a seat. We have some things to discuss.”

Miles pushed Trevor into the nearest chair. Before he could take a
seat, Ben grabbed him around the waist and positioned him on his lap.
He tensed at first then relaxed back into Ben’s strong arms.

* * * *

The scratching of the chair on the kitchen floor brought Ben’s

head around. Quinn had scooted closer to Trevor and was eyeballing
him like an exhibit at a museum. It was weird and out of character to
say the least.

“What’s going on with you?” Ben asked as he nodded with his

head toward his mate’s cousin.

Ben watched as his friend pulled his black hair into a ponytail.

had noticed this gesture over the years that indicated Quinn was
stalling. He tightened his grip around Miles then cleared his throat.

Miles’s Awakening

“I’m just being cautious that this one doesn’t brandish a knife on

us again. This little fucker is fast,” Quinn said as he scooted even
closer to Trevor.

“Me! You’re the one who tried to tackle me when I walked into

my own fucking apartment. If anyone needs to be watched, it’s you,
buddy.” Trevor scooted his chair further from Quinn and closer to
him and Miles.

“Enough, you guys. We get it, everyone was caught by surprise.”

Miles turned to grab his cousin’s hand. “Trevor, there are some things
I learned tonight, and in order to keep us safe, I need to tell you.”

Over the next hour, Ben listened while Miles explained to Trevor

all he had learned. The interesting part was that Trevor took it better
than Miles did. He didn’t interrupt or walk away. Trevor sat and
listened like a good little boy, which Ben found surprising since the
guy tried to knife him and Quinn when they first met.

“So what do you think?” Miles asked Trevor as he squeezed Ben’s

hand tight.

“Hum. What do I think? I think my ass is going to call it a night

and chalk all this up to you getting your hands on some really bad
weed.” Trevor stood up and pushed his chair under the table. “This
night has gone from bad to completely bizarre. First me and Tim
break up, and now you’ve lost your fucking mind. Hopefully in the
morning I’ll realize this was all a bad dream. Good night, gentlemen.”
Trevor waved a hand in good-bye to them all.

“You have a boyfriend?”
Ben and Miles both turned at the low growl coming from Quinn.

If Ben didn’t know better, he would have said his good friend was
jealous.

“Had. I had a boyfriend. We wanted different things. Oh, and I’m

not big on sharing, like that lying, cheating bastard.” Trevor turned to
look down at Quinn. “And why am I telling this to a man who thinks
he’s a vampire? I’ve got to get some sleep.”

AJ Jarrett

“Trevor, this is for real. These guys are vampires, and there is a

bad vampire after me and I’m going to guess after you, as well, by
association.” Ben nodded when Miles turned to him. “Please, Trev, I
wouldn’t make something like this up. You know me better than
that.”

Trevor crossed his arms over his chest and let out a deep sigh. “I

know, but this is already a shitty night and now vampires and
witches? It’s all a lot to take,” Trevor whined.

“Here, let me make this simple for you.”
Quinn stood up and went to stand in front of Trevor. Trevor took a

step back, but Quinn grabbed his arms. In a flash, Quinn lowered his
fangs. Ben watched as Trevor gazed up at Quinn with a look of utter
fascination. Miles had given him a similar look earlier that evening.
When Trevor raised a finger to touch the pointed peak, Quinn let him.
He watched as his friend’s eyes slowly closed, as if the slight touch
aroused him. He definitely needed to talk with Quinn about what was
going on between him and Trevor.

“Oh my god, they are real.” Trevor tried to wiggle Quinn’s cuspid

loose.

Quinn reached up and gently pulled Trevor’s hand away. “We

wouldn’t lie about something this important. Trust in what your
cousin has told you.”

Miles stood up, and Ben let him go to Trevor. “Everything is

going to be okay. Remember, always together.”

“Never apart.” Trevor finished Miles’s sentence with a smile.
Ben watched as his mate embraced his cousin. The love he felt for

the other man was similar to what he had for Quinn. Speaking of
Quinn, he turned to see what his reaction to all this was. Quinn looked
indifferent, but the gleam in his eyes gave him away. There was
something going on here, and he would need to discuss this in length
with his friend when they were alone. If Trevor was who he thought
he was to Quinn, this could become an issue.

Miles’s Awakening

“I hate to interrupt, but, Ben, I did have a message from Benedict

for you.”

“Oh really? What does my father want now?” Ben scoffed. His

father hated giving over control to his only son. Even after a thousand
years, he thought Ben couldn’t do anything right.

“He wants you to report back to him on what took place tonight. I

didn’t tell him about the new development with Miles here.” Quinn
waggled a finger in Miles’s direction. “I thought it best you break the
news to daddy dearest.”

“Thanks.” Ben stood up. “Let me get dressed, and I’ll meet you

out front.”

Quinn nodded his understanding and walked out of the kitchen.

Ben grabbed onto Miles’s hand and led him back to his bedroom.
Once inside, he gathered his clothes and proceeded to get dressed.

“Will you come back?”
Ben stopped in the middle of tying his boots at the sadness in his

mate’s voice. “Of course I’ll be coming back. You’re my mate, and
nothing will keep me from you, ever.” He stood and gathered Miles
close.

“Good. I know there are things we still need to work out, but I

don’t want this to end. I know we just met, but I care about you as if
I’ve known you all my life.”

He placed a soft kiss to Miles’s lips, and the low moan his mate

made was music to his ears. “Miles, there is one thing I need from
you.” Miles gave a jerky nod. “Don’t leave the apartment until I get
back, okay?”

“I have class tomorrow, and I need to hit the library before then.”
“What time? I’ll make it back to take you.”
“Like my own personal bodyguard. I like it.” Miles giggled.

“Eight o’clock. I’ve got this huge test at nine thirty, and I need that
extra time in the library to prepare. I might be the mate of a vampire,
but it won’t get me a passing grade.”

AJ Jarrett

“We’re not mates yet, my love.” Ben clamped down on his

tongue. He hoped Miles didn’t catch the “love” part. To his credit,
Miles let it slide and just reached up to pull him down for a final kiss.
It was going to be hard walking out the door away from Miles.

Ben walked out of the bedroom accompanied by a now-clothed

Miles to the living room. They said a quick good-bye. Before Ben
allowed the front door to shut, he gave Miles one more warning.

“Remember, don’t leave the apartment until I get back. Okay?”
“Okay.”
He made sure he heard the front door lock before he descended

the stairs to meet up with Quinn. A blast of cold autumn air hit him in
the face and caused his eyes to water. He might have been a vampire,
but he still felt heat, cold, and pain. All the misconceptions about
vampires were quite funny if he sat down and thought about it. Hell, a
vampire could be the minister at the local church for all people knew.

“You ready?” Quinn asked as he met Ben halfway on the

sidewalk.

“Yeah. Let’s get this over with so I can get back to Miles and

Trevor. I wouldn’t put it past Malcolm to use Trevor to get to Miles.”

“I’ll take care of Trevor. You just worry about your boy.”
Ben glanced over at his friend. He showed no signs of

enlightening him with any more information regarding his mate’s
cousin.

“Quinn, is there anything you want to talk about?”
“Nope.”
“Okay but if you want to talk about anything, I’m here to listen.”
“Ben, just drop it.” Quinn popped the lock on their black Escalade

and climbed into the driver’s seat. “Did you happen to discuss the
importance of the mating ritual with Miles and the urgency to get it
done?”

Ben got into the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt. “No. We

got distracted.”

“Fuck, Ben. That should have been your top priority.”

Miles’s Awakening

“I know, but I can’t put that fear and worry in him just yet. We

have some time to get the kinks worked out. Malcolm didn’t attack
tonight and hasn’t shown any signs of doing so. He’s just playing with
us and Miles.”

“I hope you’re right, for Miles’s sake.”
He hoped he was right, too. Fear ate away at his insides at the

thought of losing Miles or scaring him away by rushing things too
fast.

That was all the talking they did on the way back to their rental

house just outside of town. Having four large, black SUVs could be
thought a little odd in a more populated area, and they didn’t want to
raise suspicion among the locals and draw attention to themselves.

Once at the house, Quinn followed him into the main sitting room

where Liam and Cason sat around looking at maps and going through
police reports. They were trying to pinpoint exactly where Malcolm
and his crew where hiding out. That bit of info still eluded them.
There wasn’t a trail of dead bodies highlighting to just one area.
Vampires didn’t have to kill those they drank from, but the Warriors
of the Dark tended to drain their victims, leaving a trail of bodies in
their wake.

“Hey, Ben, how did it go with that kid?” Jensen asked as Ben

snatched up his laptop and sat it on the coffee table.

“Fabulous,” Ben said but didn’t look at his friend. He was logging

onto his Skype account to call his father. He hadn’t informed dear old
Dad that the stakes on this case had changed. To find his mate right
now wouldn’t be convenient for Benedict, and he would let Ben know
that business came first, even if Miles was his mate.

He typed in his password and rang to his father’s computer. His

father answered on the first ring.

“About time you called in. What took you so long? I sent Quinn

word to have you call me hours ago.”

AJ Jarrett

Quinn grunted and rolled his eyes. Ben had to bite back his

chuckle. Quinn and his father never got along, so any chance Benedict
got, he blamed Quinn for anything he could.

“He got the message to me right away. Some unexpected

complication arose that took some delicate handling.”

His father snorted. “Oh really, like what?”
Ben hesitated for a moment before he spoke. He knew his father

would suck all the happiness out of the joyous occasion. “I found my
mate. It happens to be the young man Malcolm has been tracking.”
He took a deep breath, waiting for what his father would say and how
he would belittle the joy of his son finding his one true love after
twelve hundred years.

“Well, Son, that’s great, but we still have work to do. Maybe you

can use that young man as bait to lure Malcolm out into the open.”

Ben’s head jerked up. Use Miles as bait? Was he fucking mad? “I

will not use my mate as a pawn in capturing Malcolm. He’s human,
for god’s sake.”

“Son, don’t you think you’re being a little overdramatic? If he’s

your mate, turn him. I trust your military training will prove sufficient
in keeping your mate safe. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy for you,
but we still have a job to be done, and you will use any means
necessary to complete the mission. Now call me when you have
Malcolm contained.”

His father disconnected the call. No “good-bye” or “I love you”

for his only child. No, his father was a cold bastard who let work
control his life and emotions.

After the curse was set forth onto their village, Ben’s parents

discovered that they weren’t true mates. With that knowledge, his
mother decided to leave his father. A year after her turning, she found
her mate. A human man she turned into a vampire. They had lived
happily ever since then. Now his father, on the other hand, hadn’t
found his mate, and Ben wasn’t even sure he ever would.

Miles’s Awakening

“Boy, your dad is such a romantic. I can’t understand why the

women aren’t falling over themselves to snatch him up,” Liam joked
as he looked at the papers in his hand.

“Maybe he’s into dudes,” Cason called out as he went into the

kitchen.

Ben tilted his head to the side in thought. Maybe his dad was gay.

That would explain his understanding when Ben broke the news to
him that it wasn’t just a passing fancy that he actually preferred men
to women. He shook it off, no time to worry about his father’s love
life or lack of. Miles was in danger, and he had to figure out how to
get to Malcolm before he got to Miles.

“You’re not going to do that are you?” Quinn asked as he took the

seat next to him.

“What?”
“Use Miles as bait.”
“Fuck no. I don’t care what my father’s wishes are. Miles is not

going to be used like that for any reason. Ever.” Ben’s voice was
stern. He wanted to make sure it was clear that in no fashion was
Miles to be put at risk for any reason.

“Okay, I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
Ben nodded his agreement. They got back to work while they

waited for word from the team members still out searching for
Malcolm. Time was in short supply now. The clock was ticking on
finding Malcolm and keeping Miles safe in the process.

AJ Jarrett

Chapter Four

“So you believe he will keep you safe?”
Miles glanced over his shoulder to look at his cousin. Trevor

stood in the open doorway, fidgeting from foot to foot. He didn’t want
his cousin to worry, but he couldn’t sugarcoat anything when their
very lives could be on the line.

“I do.” He pulled the shirt off the hanger and started to put it on.

“You weren’t there last night. This Malcolm guy followed me and
stood outside our apartment just waiting and watching. The look on
his face was pure evil. And I swear he was staring at me through the
window as if he could see through the fucking blinds.” He sat on his
bed then looked up to Trevor. “I’ve never been so scared before in my
entire life. If it weren’t for Ben, I probably wouldn’t be here right
now.”

Trevor crossed over the threshold into his room. He knelt in front

of Miles and grabbed his hands. “Don’t say that. If you believe in Ben
then so do I. I just want to make sure we’re together on this.”

“Always together…”
“Never apart.” Trevor smiled.
Miles looked at his watch. It was getting close to eight, and he

needed to get to the library. Where was Ben? If he failed this test, his
grade point average would drop, and he didn’t want that to happen.

“I wish Ben would get here. I’m going to be late.”
“Remember what he said? You are not to leave the apartment

without him.” Trevor stood up and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” Miles asked as his cousin started to walk

away.

Miles’s Awakening

“I’ve got class, and Wendy and Gavin are on their way to pick me

up.”

“But Ben said we both needed to take precautions while this

Malcolm guy is on the loose.” Miles didn’t understand why his cousin
didn’t get the extreme importance of this issue.

“Well that hot, scary guy, Quinn told me there was safety in

numbers, and if I had to leave to call some friends.” Trevor shrugged.
“So I did. Gavin and Wendy are working on their sculptures as well,
so it will be perfect timing for me to get mine done.” Trevor smiled
and left his room. Miles’s cousin was an art major, and his art buddies
hung out all the time, so he was always in quick supply of friends.

That gave Miles an idea. If it was okay for Trevor to go out as

long as he had a friend around, he could do the same. If Ben wasn’t
there in the next fifteen minutes, he would call Zach, a member of his
study group, for a ride. Ben never said he couldn’t do that, and
Malcolm wouldn’t possibly attack in the middle of a public place.

A half hour later, he sat at a middle table on the second floor of

the campus library. Ben never showed, and he couldn’t wait any
longer. He had exactly one hour until his class began, and he needed
the time in the library to prepare. All the hours he had been working
didn’t give him much studying time. And he had the sneaking
suspicion that the University of Missouri Journalism Department
wouldn’t allow an extension due to a crazy vampire stalking him.
They would think him insane if he even suggested the notion.

He was worried about Ben, but knew the man could hold his own.

Ben’s body was composed of muscles upon muscles, so he took an
educated guess the man could take care of himself in a fight. Miles
did wish Ben would have at least called him. They’d just met, but he
felt that deep connection with him. It was too soon to say it was love,
but damn, it sure felt like the beginnings of love.

The sound of a book falling to the floor with a hard thud caused

him to jump in his seat. He was anxious and with good reason to be,
but he couldn’t help feeling like he was being watched. He just

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chalked it up to what had gone down over the past twenty-four hours
and blamed his frayed nerves for the uneasy feeling he already had.
He could always call Ben, but he didn’t want to come across as a
wimp or even worse, needy.

“So he let you out of his sight now, has he?”
Miles’s head snapped at the low drawl coming from the man who

had just sat at his table. He had to refrain from jumping up and
running away when he realized it was Malcolm. A chill ran down his
spine, causing the hair on his arms to stand up. He felt trapped. His
eyes darted from side to side, looking for the best escape route.

“Oh, my sweet, don’t look like that.” The man pouted. “I don’t

want to harm you. No, I just want to own you.”

The man’s voice was evil incarnate. He personified all of Miles’s

childhood monsters come to life. Malcolm meant to do Miles harm,
and the man’s bright smile did nothing to ease his fear. Miles ran his
eyes over the parts he could see of Malcolm and had to swallow down
his urge to throw up. The man looked powerful and in control, two
things Miles wasn’t.

By all appearances, Malcolm looked like any businessman who

worked in the city. He wore a tailored suit, and by the expanse of his
shoulders, he hid quite a few muscles under the jacket. And his hands,
dear god, they could engulf Miles’s entire face and crush him with
one quick squeeze if he reached out to grab him. But what made
Malcolm look out of the ordinary was his eyes. They were black as
coal. The iris held no color that Miles could see. The blackness stood
out in stark contrast to his pale skin.

Malcolm cleared his throat, and Miles looked up at him. He took

his massive hand and ran it over the top of his shaved head. Miles
could hear the scraping sounds of the new hair growth against
Malcolm’s hand, and the combined sounds brought him back to what
Malcolm had just said.

Miles’s Awakening

Own him? What had he meant by that? The man suffered from

some severe delusions if he thought that would ever happen. He
would rather die than become this man’s plaything.

“Think again, pal. You will never own me. Ben would never let

that happen,” Miles whispered. He gathered what courage he had. He
needed to stall Malcolm and get a hold of Ben somehow.

Dropping his hand to his side, he slid his cell out of the side

pocket of his cargo pants. He glanced down and pulled up Ben’s
number then hit send. Ben would hear what was going on and come to
him. That much he could count on.

“If that were true, he would be here now. Wouldn’t he, Miles?”
Malcolm tapped his fingers on the tabletop. The clicking sound

his nails made caused Miles’s pulse to race. He looked Malcolm in
the eye, doing his best not to show fear, but failed miserably. Miles
looked down at his phone. He couldn’t tell if Ben had picked up the
other end, but he could see the call was still connected. It gave him
hope Ben was listening and headed his way.

“Ben’s not my keeper. I can take care of myself. So why don’t

you go fuck yourself and die.” Miles’s courage came from the anger
he felt toward this Malcolm character. He wasn’t for sure what
Malcolm would do with him, but it couldn’t be good.

“You sure do have a mouth on you, don’t you? That is something

I will just have to beat out of you, now won’t I?”

Miles tried to swallow around the lump in his throat. The calm

tone Malcolm talked in scared him even more. Malcolm didn’t seem
to be afraid of Ben or of being caught. That didn’t bode well for
threatening the man. Either Malcolm knew things Miles wasn’t aware
of, or Malcolm was completely insane.

“You can’t have me,” Miles mumbled as Malcolm leaned

forward.

“You see, you don’t have a choice, Miles. You’re my mate, and

that means you belong to me.”

AJ Jarrett

Miles jerked back as Malcolm grabbed his wrist. The need to run

away bubbled up inside him until a strong hand touched his shoulder.
Calmness rained over his body, and he instantly knew his savior had
come to rescue him, Ben.

“Let go of my mate, or so help me god, I will end you right here,

Malcolm.”

“Your mate?” Malcolm laughed bitterly. “That just made this

more interesting now didn’t it? I guess I will have to mate the little
insect sooner than I planned to guarantee you can’t have him.”

“What?” Miles squeaked out. What did Malcolm mean when he

said “have to mate” with him? He couldn’t possibly mate Miles
against his will. Could he?

“Oh, Miles, Ben hasn’t told you anything, has he? So young and

human, makes a very stupid combination. You’re barely worth the air
you breathe.”

“Shut up, Malcolm,” Ben snapped.
“See, my sweet, your big protector failed to explain the ways of

our people. To become mates, I don’t have to make you a vampire,
and I don’t need your approval to mate you.”

“That’s not true, and you know it, Malcolm. You need him to say

he wants and accepts you as his own,” Ben gritted out between
clenched teeth.

“Oh, you fool. There are ways around that.” Malcolm looked to

Miles, causing him to squirm in his seat. “See, my dear boy, I have no
intentions of turning you ever. Making you vampire would make us
equals and make no mistake we are not. We may be fated mates but
you are beneath me.”

Miles just stared at Malcolm. Not that he wanted to be wanted by

Malcolm, but he made this mating between them sound so impersonal
and cold. Why bother if he felt Miles not worthy of his
companionship? He just didn’t understand what Malcolm got out of
being mated to him.

Ben cursed silently under his breath.

Miles’s Awakening

“Oh, look how cute he is when he’s confused.”
“Shut the fuck up, Malcolm.”
Malcolm turned his gaze on Ben, and Miles was thankful for the

reprieve of that evil stare.

“You haven’t told him of our ways. That makes you a fool,

warrior.” Malcolm made a tsking sound. “See, Miles, being a mated
paranormal comes with great power. I’ll become strong and harder to
kill. Plus, the added bonus of us being mated will infuriate Ben.
Because, my dear boy, when I mate with you, Ben can’t have you
unless I die. It’s our laws that you can’t interfere with another’s mate
unless the bond is severed by death. And let’s be honest here, Ben
hasn’t been able to capture me in the past five hundred years. I really
don’t think he will find you once I take you. But on the off chance he
does, you will be my mate, and there’s nothing he can do about it.”

Miles smacked his hand down on the table. He was so pissed at

the gall of this man. “I won’t allow it. I will never accept you as my
mate. Never.”

“Silly boy, I don’t need you to actually feel anything for me to

make you agree to the mating.” Malcolm leaned forward toward
Miles and whispered, “That’s the joy of being evil.”

“You Warriors of the Dark have no scruples. You all need to be

exterminated like cockroaches.”

“Oh, Ben, don’t categorize me into that ‘Warriors of the Dark’

nonsense. I fight for no cause but my own. Fuck the dark side. I don’t
need their backing to outwit you.”

Before Ben could come back with a retort, Malcolm stood up.

Miles watched as he straightened his jacket. The man looked out of
place in his Armani suit among the casually dressed occupants in the
library.

“I hate to have to run, but duty calls.” He turned toward Miles.

“Miles, my sweet, I will be seeing you soon.” He saluted Ben, and
then strode off to the exit.

“Why did you leave your apartment? I told you to wait for me.”

AJ Jarrett

Miles flinched at Ben’s harsh tone. “You weren’t there, and I

needed to leave, and Trevor said that Quinn told him if he had to
leave to take a friend with him. Safety in numbers.”

“You’re not Trevor, and I’m sure as shit not Quinn. I told you to

stay put.”

Okay, he fucked up, but he didn’t need to sit here and be belittled

by Ben. He snapped. “If you would have kept your word and been
back at eight, I wouldn’t have left with a friend. You weren’t there,
and I needed to study. I can’t fail this test.”

“What good is a college degree if you’re dead, or worse, held

against your will for all eternity?”

Miles had heard enough. He grabbed his books and stuffed them

into his backpack. “I’m sorry, Ben, but my world can’t stop just
because vampires fall out of the sky around me. I’ve worked too hard
to give up now.”

Ben stood up and grabbed his hand. “Miles, I’m sorry for

snapping at you and not being there when I said I would. I know how
hard you worked for this, but it drives me insane to think of Malcolm
snatching you away from me. I would die without you.”

The anger in his body deflated at Ben’s words. He was scared, but

so was Ben, and after meeting Malcolm there was good reason to be.
Miles reached out his hand and gently stroked Ben’s stubbled cheek.

“I feel the same way.” He let Ben pull him into a tight embrace.

Miles pulled back to look up at Ben. “What happened to you? Why
were you not back when you said you would be?”

* * * *

Ben gazed down into Miles’s brown eyes, debating whether to tell

him the truth of why he had been late. Maybe if Miles knew the
dangers, he would listen when Ben told him to stay put.

Miles’s Awakening

“One of my men has gone missing, and we can’t locate him.” Ben

watched as Miles’s skin paled. “See why I wanted you to wait for
me?”

Miles gave a shaky nod. Ben slipped his arm around Miles’s

shoulders and walked him toward the door.

“Did Malcolm take the man who’s missing?”
“I’m not for certain, but I don’t think so. Malcolm would have

bragged about the capture or killed Sayer and sent him to me piece by
piece.” Ben shook his head. “No, Sayer’s disappearance reeks of
another.” Ben started walking Miles toward the main entrance of the
library. “Do you just have the one class today, Miles?”

“Yes, just this one,” Miles whispered.
“Okay, I will take you to it, and then afterward I will discuss

everything with you.” Ben hated to have to explain to Miles there
were more evil jerks in the world just like Malcolm, but he had no
choice.

“Thank you, Ben.”

AJ Jarrett

Chapter Five

After Miles’s class, Ben took him back to his apartment to pack a

few items. He would be staying with Ben over the weekend. Ben even
got Miles to call in sick to work. It would be harder to protect Miles
in a crowded restaurant, and Ben didn’t need any extra dead bodies on
his conscience if Malcolm happened to attack at Miles’s work.

On the drive to his house, Ben thought of the best way to explain

things to Miles in a way that wouldn’t cause him to totally break
down. Being mated and becoming a vampire were two completely
different things entirely, and he didn’t make that 100 percent clear to
Miles before. Being mated was the love bond between two
individuals, and if the human chose not to become a vampire, they
would just need to have a monthly dose of their mate’s blood to stay
alive and youthful. Not a lot of people practiced this method. It was
just easier to become a vampire and become stronger and faster. But
some people had an aversion to drinking blood. Blood was an
acquired taste not everyone enjoyed.

Miles would be given a choice to be mated or to be mated and

become vampire like Ben. Ben knew what he wanted Miles’s decision
to be, but he couldn’t make that call for his mate. There were benefits
that came with being mated and even more so if you were a mated
paranormal.

For a paranormal, they became stronger and faster than before,

nearly indestructible. They could still die, but it would take a whole
lot of work to keep them dead. If the human chose against turning, it
wasn’t the end of the world, but they became a liability. If the enemy
knew of a human mate, all they had to do was off the human to

Miles’s Awakening

weaken the vampire or shifter the human had been mated to, and
killing the paranormal would be as easy as blowing out a candle.

Love and life are tied together in the paranormal world. Both

affect one another in positive and negative ways. The checks and
balances of good versus evil were always at play in their world.

Ben often wondered if the witches knew karma would grant their

victims a reprieve from their toxic magic. If they did, it must not
bother them too much since they still spread their havoc all over the
world on unsuspecting humans.

Without even realizing they had reached his home, Ben pulled his

vehicle into the driveway and turned the car off.

“This is where you live?”
Ben looked over to see Miles with his face plastered against the

window looking at the quiet, comfortable home he shared with his
fellow warriors while staying in this part of the country.

“Yep, this is home.” He parked and climbed out of his truck. The

need to get Miles inside and out of sight was his number-one priority.
After the encounter with Malcolm, all bets were off on letting Miles
have free rein to roam as he pleased. Until Malcolm was either
captured or killed, Miles was at risk.

“I just assumed when you said ‘house’ that it would be an actual

house, not a mansion in the country. This place is amazing.”

Ben took a moment to look at the house and tried to see it as Miles

did. With a shrug, he looked at Miles. “It’s just a house. Nothing
fancy.”

“Not fancy?” Miles scoffed. “This place is the nicest home I’ve

ever seen let alone gone inside. It beautiful, Ben.”

Grabbing Miles’s bag out of the car, Ben ushered him to the front

door. “If you think this place is nice you should see my father’s
house. He has at least thirty bedrooms in the place, not counting
kitchens, rec rooms, and offices. You name it he has it. Plus, he’s
always adding on to the thing.” He chuckled at Miles’s wide-eyed
expression.

AJ Jarrett

“How do you afford something like this?” The blush on Miles’s

face made him look like a little boy. “I’m sorry, that was rude to ask.
You don’t have to tell me your finances. I was just thinking out loud.”

He pulled Miles close and reached his hand out to tip Miles’s head

up to meet his eyes. “Let’s get one thing straight, Miles. Never feel
like you can’t ask me anything. My business is now your business,
and it’s our finances, not just mine anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Miles stuttered.
“Babe, you’re my mate. What’s mine is yours.” Ben laughed at

the stunned look on his mate’s young face. He couldn’t resist kissing
the breath out of Miles. His mate tasted so sweet, the most delicious
chocolate mixed with a tart-berry wine. Addictive to say the least.

Miles moaned loud enough it echoed off the foyer’s marble floor,

traveling up the staircase. Ben pulled back with a smile. The
youthfulness of his mate would bring him back to the land of the
living. Every touch he placed on Miles caused the younger man to
come alive with unabashed responses. Ben didn’t have to guess if
Miles enjoyed his touch. The answer was clear as day upon his face.

Miles licked his lips, and Ben’s eyes followed the wet path the

pink delight left in its wake. “I don’t have anything to share. It doesn’t
seem fair for you to share all this”—Miles gestured around the
room—“with me.”

“Miles, my love, all this is nothing without you in my life. This

house, the things in this house are just that, things. You are my heart
and soul. Life means nothing without you.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Miles’s head fell to his chest as he

spoke.

“Don’t say anything. Just try to accept you’re not alone anymore.

I will take care of you, and you, me.” Ben dropped a kiss to the top of
Miles’s head then led him up the staircase to his bedroom. Once there,
he placed Miles’s bag in the closet and led his mate to the chairs that
sat overlooking the balcony.

Miles’s Awakening

“Miles, we need to talk about what Malcolm said today. I need

you to understand the ways of my people.” He hated that he needed to
have this talk, especially now when he had his mate just a few feet
away from his bed. But right now wasn’t the time for sex. It was the
time to come clean and let Miles know his options regarding the rest
of his life.

Ben sat down in his chair and pulled Miles to sit on his lap. The

need to touch his mate was too great. Miles sat down and draped his
legs over the other side of the chair. After a little wiggling, he relaxed
his head onto Ben’s chest. A sigh passed his parted lips, and Ben felt
a twinge of guilt for having to put more stress on Miles’s shoulders.

“You remember me telling you last night how we become bonded

mates?” Ben asked as he combed his fingers through Miles’s hair,
enjoying the slight tickle to his palm as the soft locks caressed his
hand.

“Yes, I remember.”
“Well to become like me, a vampire, I would need to bite you then

have you drink from me. After that, you will fall asleep, and when
you awake you’ll be a vampire.”

Miles giggled. “Sounds pretty easy. I was thinking you would

have to feed me your blood then kill me to complete the process.”

“Babe, I’ll say it again. You watch too much television.” Ben

laughed as he hugged Miles close. “But seriously, back to our
discussion. You remember what Malcolm said to you?”

He felt Miles’s fingers tighten on his shirt and knew instantly that

he did. “He said he could mate me without my permission, that I was
beneath him, and he wouldn’t make me a vampire.” Miles tilted his
head up to look at him. “Don’t you need one to have the other?”

“No, you don’t.” Miles’s brow knitted together in confusion. “We

can become mates, and if you don’t wish to become a vampire you
don’t have to. All you would have to do is have a monthly sip of my
blood to keep you the way you are now.”

AJ Jarrett

The breath Miles had been holding came out in a sigh. “Well

that’s refreshing to hear. Not sure if I could live with drinking other
people’s blood to survive.” Miles gave an exaggerated shudder.

“Miles, this is important. Please take this seriously.” His mate had

an aversion to being bitten, but becoming a vampire was a better
alternative than not, especially with Ben’s line of work of hunting
down the Warriors of the Dark.

“I am.” Miles moved to straddle Ben’s lap. “I don’t mind the

mating, but to become a vampire, I’m just not okay with that just yet.
Maybe in time I will be, but right now I like just being little old
human me.”

That was understandable, and Ben nodded his understanding, but

would Miles one day want to be a vampire? Because in all honesty,
that was the safest choice for him.

Bringing his hands up, Miles kneaded the muscles on the back of

Ben’s neck. Ben let his head relax back into his mate’s touch, loving
the feel of Miles’s lithe fingers working his muscles into a state of
utter relaxation. Ben closed his eyes and enjoyed the massage Miles
gave him.

“What is the benefit to becoming like you?”
Ben blinked his eyes open and was greeted by Miles’s questioning

stare. “The benefit is that you would become stronger and more
resilient than an average human.” Miles nodded his head. “But most
importantly, you will be harder to kill.”

The hands on Ben’s neck stilled. “Why would someone want to

kill me?”

Ben reached up and brought Miles’s hands around to hold in front

of him. He caressed the tops of his hands in a soothing manner. “To
get at me. If my enemies kill you, they weaken me, making the task of
ending my life extremely easy for them to accomplish.” Ben
shrugged. “And let’s face it, if there is no you, I don’t want to live,
anyway.”

Miles’s Awakening

A single tear ran down Miles’s cheek. Ben leaned forward to kiss

the salty drop away, causing a low moan to seep out of Miles’s
mouth. It was time to stop all talk of life and death, vampire versus
human existence. He had gotten Miles to agree to the hard part of
becoming his mate. The vampire part they could work on later. But in
the meantime, he just needed to up security to keep his boy safe.

“Ben, kiss me,” Miles purred. He rubbed his nose up against

Ben’s.

The stiffness in his jeans had been there since Miles straddled his

lap, and now he had the permission he needed to resolve the ache.
Grabbing Miles by the back of his hair, he brought their lips together
in a hard kiss. He glided his tongue along Miles’s, causing the soft,
pink flesh to react and dance with his. The slurping of spit and needy
moans coming from Miles wound Ben so tight he needed his mate,
and he needed him now.

Ben wrapped his arms around Miles and stood up. He walked his

mate to the bed then laid him down on the soft mattress.

He didn’t

have to ask if this was what Miles wanted because the same burning
desire he felt reflected in Miles’s golden-brown eyes. Once settled,
Ben relaxed into the cradle of Miles’s thighs.

Miles was afraid of what would happen, and Ben didn’t want that

fear to consume Miles’s life. He would do whatever he had to to
protect his mate.

Miles straightened his arms above his head and arched up into

Ben’s chest. The solid length of Miles’s cock nudged against his own,
begging for release. Ben broke the kiss and sat back on his heels. He
pushed Miles’s shirt up his chest, exposing the creamy-white skin he
loved so much.

After a few seconds of admiring Miles’s torso, he went for the

snap on his jeans. Miles moaned and squirmed underneath him. With
every touch Ben made, Miles circled his hips and hiked them up,
seeking resistance against Ben. He had to smile at his boy’s complete
abandon and wanton behavior in needing his lover to satisfy him. And

AJ Jarrett

Ben couldn’t be more excited to know it was him Miles craved, not
some random guy off the street. He wanted to be all Miles ever
needed.

“Come on, Ben,” Miles moaned. “Make me feel.”
Ben looked up into his lover’s eyes and saw the love Miles felt for

him. Miles might not have said it yet, but the love was there. The eyes
were a window to the soul, and they didn’t lie.

Without being asked twice, he yanked Miles’s jeans down his

legs, splitting the material in two in the process. Looking up, he got
no signal from Miles that he was bothered by the torn pants. He
pulled the remainder of the material off his mate and sat mesmerized
by the leaking head reaching toward Miles’s navel.

The tip shined an angry red, and the veins that ran the length

pulsed with every beat of Miles’s heart. Very slowly, Ben leaned
down and licked from base to tip. His eyes shut of their own accord,
relishing in the intoxicating taste of his mate. Soap and a faint hint of
sweat, a combination made just for him.

Miles’s hands dropped to Ben’s shoulders, applying a slight

pressure. The action was a silent plea for what he needed. Without a
second thought, he engulfed the cherry-colored crown and took Miles
down his throat until his nose met Miles’s trimmed patch of hair
surrounding his magnificent cock.

Ben took a deep breath in, wanting to tag to memory the lovely

smells of his mate. One more deep sniff and he pulled back, scraping
his teeth lightly up the steel shaft in his mouth, marveling at the soft
skin pulled tight over the thick erection. As he reached the top, he
sucked at the tip, trying to collect as much pre-cum as he could. He
stuck his tongue in the small slit, trying to coax more of Miles’s sweet
elixir from his body.

“Oh god, Ben, please,” Miles panted. “Suck me.”
Never one to be given orders twice, Ben swallowed his mate’s

cock down one more time and set a fast-paced rhythm. The need to

Miles’s Awakening

taste Miles fully drove Ben wild. He wanted to hear Miles shout his
name and coat Ben’s throat with his seed.

Ben reached up and rolled Miles’s balls between his fingers,

adding to the already mind-numbing onslaught he gave Miles’s dick.
The slightly furred globes jumped and tightened with every teasing
touch, making Ben growl in his approval.

The clawing of the nails on his shoulders was the only warning

Ben got before Miles lost all control and filled his mouth with his
salty cum.

“Ben!” Miles arched his back and shouted at the ceiling.
The warm liquid shot down the back of his throat with every

pulse. He gulped it down, not wanting a single drop to go to waste.
Ben continued to suck and nibble on the spent cock, loving the jerking
motions he received from his lover.

“Ben, baby, stop.” Miles gulped for air. “You’re tickling me.”
Ben gave one more hard suck to make sure he collected all of the

semen and crawled up Miles’s body. The warm smile and
outstretched arms that greeted him were the only confirmation he
needed that he had found the one man he would love forever without
any second-guessing fate’s plan.

Ben covered Miles’s mouth with his own, sharing the taste of the

younger man’s seed with him. Miles sucked on Ben’s tongue in
return. The sucking had Ben’s mind going to other places and had him
grinding his appreciation for his mate into Miles’s stomach. The need
to release the cum filling his balls was becoming unbearable. He was
just about to request Miles to love on his body when a slamming door
broke the moment.

“What was that?” Miles asked as he gazed toward the bedroom

door.

“I don’t know, but I’m sure we will soon find out,” Ben huffed out

as he stood up, reaching for Miles’s hand to pull him to his feet.

“You get dressed, and then I’ll introduce you to the rest of the

warriors.”

AJ Jarrett

Chapter Six

“Let go of me, you pompous ass.”
The shouting rang out through the entryway of the house, and

even though he’d just met Trevor, he recognized the voice quite well.
Anger mixed with a tad bit of whine was the man’s signature calling
card when it came to his voice.

“That’s Trevor,” Miles said as he pulled his pants up, racing

toward the door.

Ben followed his mate, enjoying the bouncing of his firm ass as he

hustled down the hallway in search of his cousin.

“That sure is a big word for you. Didn’t know you could speak

beyond one-syllable words,” Quinn retorted back to Trevor as he
followed closely behind the younger man.

Any other time, Ben would have found the arguing duo quite

humorous, but with Malcolm on the loose and Sayer missing, this
pair’s weird interactions were becoming more of a distraction and a
nuisance.

Ben couldn’t wrap his brain around what was going on between

the pair. Back at Miles’s apartment, he could see the fire smoldering
in Quinn’s eyes for Trevor, but Trevor appeared to feel nothing
toward Quinn. Mates recognized each other instantly, and that didn’t
happen between the two. He must have been mistaken, but there was
definitely something going on between them. Ben just couldn’t put his
finger on what that was.

“Fuck you, you—you jerk,” Trevor shouted as he turned his back

on Quinn.

“See, what did I tell you? One-syllable words,” Quinn teased.

Miles’s Awakening

Laughter wanted to bubble up out of Ben’s throat at the show

going on between the two. There was a slight brush against his arm,
and he turned to see his mate rushing down the stairs.

“Trevor, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to

stay with Gavin tonight?” Miles asked as his cousin rushed into his
arms.

“I was, until this asshole.” Trevor turned to Quinn and held up

two fingers. “There was a two-syllable word for you, dumbass.”
Quinn rolled his eyes as he walked into the front seating room.

“He just walked up to me as Gavin and I were about to get into his

car, and said I was coming with him. When Gavin started to protest,
King Kong over there punched him in the nose.”

“You punched a human in the nose?” Ben asked as he trailed

behind Quinn to the bar in the corner of the room.

Quinn shrugged in response as he began to fill a glass with

whiskey. “Yeah, but not too hard. I’m sure I didn’t even break it. I
think.” Quinn downed his shot in one gulp. “If the princess over there
wasn’t so damn argumentative, it wouldn’t have come to that, but no,
he starts making a scene.”

“Quinn, why did you approach Trevor? I sent Cason to go and

pick him up. Why did you get involved?” Ben asked, trying to pick up
on his friend’s train of thought where the young Trevor was
concerned.

“Well I–I–” Quinn poured another drink and slammed it down.

“Fuck, I just did. What does it matter?” he shouted.

“Those two are going to drive me insane,” Cason said as he

entered the room.

Ben crossed his arms over his chest. “Cason, why did Quinn take

your assignment of picking up Trevor?” Ben asked but never took his
eyes off Quinn.

“Well, Kong over here, as that young man out there likes to refer

to Quinn”—Cason motioned with his chin toward the outer room
where Trevor stood—“was keeping tabs on him. So naturally I hung

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back waiting to see where all this was going to lead. When the kid
came out with his friend, they were laughing, and the other guy pulled
your mate’s cousin in for a kiss.” Cason shrugged his shoulders.
“Next thing I know, I’m pulling this dickhead off some poor human.”

Ben tilted his head back toward Quinn’s direction. The situation

between Quinn and Trevor just took another turn in the weird
category. “Well, Quinn? What do you have to say for yourself?”

“That guy had his hands all over Trevor, and by looks of it Trevor

didn’t look all that into it.”

“Bullshit,” Cason said.
“Whatever,” Quinn shot back.
“For your information I was completely into it.” Trevor stormed

into the room with Miles fast on his heel. “Gavin is a friend with
benefits.”

Ben looked between the two and could see steam smoldering off

both of the men. He stepped back and pulled Miles with him just in
case Quinn and Trevor got physical. He would let Cason pull the pair
apart, but Ben got the feeling there was a lot of sexual tension
brewing between the arguing pair.

“What exactly does that mean?” Quinn asked through clenched

teeth as he banged his glass down to the bar top, shattering the crystal
tumbler.

Trevor took a step toward Quinn. “It means we fuck on occasion.”
“Oh shit. I’m out of here. Call if you need me, boss,” Cason said

as he exited the front room.

“What is going on here?” Miles asked, and Ben wished he knew

himself.

“Quinn, I need you to head to the office and check with Liam and

Elias. See if they got any leads on Sayer.”

Quinn turned to look at Ben, and Ben raised an eyebrow at him,

letting him know there was no room for debate on the issue. “Yes,
sir.”

Miles’s Awakening

Once Quinn left the room, Trevor flopped down onto the couch

and started to sob. “Why is this happening to us? I’m not saying this
is your fault Miles, but god, I want our old lives back.”

Miles sat down next to his cousin and pulled him into a tight hug.

“I know, Trev. I’m so sorry you’re involved in this, but I couldn’t
stand it if anything ever happened to you.” Miles reached up and
wiped away Trevor’s tears. “Remember, always together.”

Trevor took a deep breath and gave Miles a watery smile. “Never

apart.”

Ben watched the two younger men and admired the love and

respect each had for one another. That was a special bond that could
never be broken. He wished he knew what the whole “always
together, never apart” saying meant, but that was something he could
ask Miles later.

“Trevor, I’m sorry if Quinn interfered with your plans for

a…a…you know, but he did it for a good reason. Malcolm made
contact with Miles, and one of my men went missing. So it’s best for
now to have you two stay here where we can protect you around the
clock.”

Trevor turned to Miles and started to pat down his body, looking

for any signs of damage. “Oh my god, are you okay? I should have
never left or let you leave the apartment.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Trev. You couldn’t have stopped me if

you tried.” He ran a hand over his cousin’s hair. “Remember I am six
months older than you, little man.”

“Yeah right, whatever.” Trevor giggled.
And just like that, things seemed to be settled, and all the tension

had left the room. He didn’t want Miles upset or stressed out about
things that could be avoided.

“Miles, you remember where our room is?” Miles’s brow

furrowed in confusion, but he nodded. “Good. Place Trevor in the
room across the hall from ours. I think that would be the best place for
him.”

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A smile lit up his mate’s face. “I think you’re right, Ben. Thank

you.”

Ben bent down to kiss his mate’s lips. “No problem, babe. I’m

going to head to the office and check in with the guys and see where
we’re at on locating Sayer. Dinner will be in a half an hour. I think
that will give you enough time to get Trevor settled.”

“Yes, it does.” Miles stood up and pulled Trevor up with him.
Ben watched Miles and Trevor walk out of the room, and he

turned to go out the other exit. The walk to his office seemed longer
than it usually did. The weight of everything started to weigh heavy
on his shoulders. The whole mating thing with Miles, Malcolm
engaging Miles, and then Sayer turning up missing was wearing his
nerves thin.

Ben had the strange suspicion Sayer going missing had nothing to

do with Malcolm or his men, and if he was right, he feared for his
young warrior.

Sayer had come into their family only fifty years ago. He was a

made vampire seeking sanctuary from his maker. If Sayer’s maker
had taken him, their journey on locating the young vamp had just
begun. Ben was many things and loyal was one of them. After he got
things squared away with this Malcolm business, finding Sayer was
his first priority.

“What do you got for me, boys?” Ben asked as he stepped into the

large office he and his warriors called the war room. Their location
may always change but the name never did.

“Well, by all accounts it would look like Malcolm did snag

Sayer.” Ben went to rebuttal the claim when Liam held up his hand. “I
said ‘looks like,’ not that it is what happened. I believe Sayer was
taken to create a distraction, but I can’t say for sure who would be
involved besides Malcolm.”

“I know who would want Sayer, but how he found him I have no

idea,” Elias, the youngest of Ben’s crew, said.

Miles’s Awakening

“You can’t be serious? You think William would still be seeking

out Sayer?” Liam asked.

William was a deranged vamp who thought Sayer was his mate.

He had tricked Sayer into believing he was a nice man and in love
with him, but it was all lies. Poor Sayer had barely made it out alive.
William liked to use his hands to show Sayer how much he loved
him.

“I hope for Sayer’s sake we’re wrong,” Ben said as he looked at

his men sitting around the large round table. “For now though, Liam
and Elias, I want the two of you to keep working every angle. If
William does have him, we need to find him immediately.” Ben
turned to look at Quinn. “I want to speak to you in the hallway now.”

Once they were out of earshot of the other guys, Ben pushed

Quinn up against the wall. “What the fuck has gotten into you lately?
At first I thought you and Trevor were mates, but he shows no interest
in you, but you on the other hand can’t keep from getting near him.
You act like a jealous lover. What gives, Quinn? I’m trying to protect
my mate and find a missing warrior. I don’t need any extra shit
getting in the way.”

Quinn’s cheeks flushed with heat, and he pushed at Ben’s arm

holding him. “Nothing is going on. I just don’t want to see your
mate’s cousin get hurt.”

“Bullshit and you know it,” Ben sneered in his friend’s face as he

pushed his arm back into Quinn’s chest.

The mask fell away from Quinn’s face, and Ben could see a wide

range of emotions playing across his features but none of them a
telling sign as to what was wrong with his longtime friend. Quinn’s
gaze fell to the floor, and he took several deep breaths.

“I’m sorry, Ben, but this is a private matter. I promise to not act in

this manner again or put either your mate or Trevor at risk. I’ve just
been on edge with this whole Malcolm thing.”

The things Quinn said were half-truths, but Ben would let it slide

for now. As long as Quinn could still function as a warrior, that was

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all that really mattered. The problems occurring between Quinn and
Trevor could be settled later.

“Just promise me you will stay focused. We can’t afford to have

anyone else go missing, and I will not stand for Miles or Trevor to be
harmed while under our protection. Do you understand me, Quinn?”

“Yes, sir.” Quinn gave a swift nod.
“Good.” Ben stepped away from his friend and granted him with a

rare smile. “Now let’s go have dinner. I’m starving.”

Quinn chuckled as he followed in step with Ben. “I bet you

worked up an appetite if the smell coming off of you is anything to go
by.”

Ben didn’t acknowledge his friend’s comment. Paranormals had

excellent senses, be it sight, taste, touch, hearing, or smell. He more
than likely reeked of sex and Miles.

“Don’t worry, boss man, I’ll not say a word.”
Ben looked at Quinn, who made the childish gesture of locking up

his mouth and throwing away the key. Either way, he was okay with
that as long as Quinn kept his mouth shut. Ben didn’t want Miles
being self-conscious around the other guys.

As they entered the dining room, he heard Miles’s and Trevor’s

voices carrying down the hall. The giggling echoing off the walls
made Ben smile. It had been years since the carefree noise of laughter
filled his life, and the sound of Miles’s happiness was like the sun
shining down on Ben’s soul.

“You found it,” Ben said as he stepped forward to kiss Miles full

on the mouth.

“Guys, come on. We want to eat, not watch you two cop a feel on

one another,” Jensen teased as he grabbed his usual seat on the right
side of the table.

Ben cleared his throat, silencing the laughter that started to carry

around the room. He led Miles to the chair next to his and pulled it
out for him to sit. Once he was certain Miles was settled, he took his
seat at the head of the table.

Miles’s Awakening

Trevor showed Quinn he thought he was number one as he passed

by. He sat on the other side of Miles. Ben watched as Quinn fisted his
hands but didn’t comment on the hand gesture.

“Okay, Miles and Trevor, these men are the CPB’s Warriors of

the Light. Across from you, Miles, is Jensen, Cason—you’ve already
met him. Then there’s Cabot, Jace, Finn, Abner and Lachlan. Lachlan
has a twin, so if you see two of them walking around that’s why, and
his name is Lawson. And Quinn you know.” Ben squinted one eye in
thought while he ran through the warriors that were in the house
currently. “Oh, I almost forgot, Liam. He’s working on some things in
the office right now and couldn’t join us for dinner.”

“Is that everyone?” Miles asked as he arranged his napkin in his

lap.

“No. There is more of my crew, but they’re out looking for leads

on Malcolm and Sayer.”

Miles nodded his head in understanding. “Well it’s nice to meet

you, gentlemen. I hope my cousin and I won’t be too bothersome for
you.”

“Oh, Miles, you won’t be a problem at all. Unlike someone else I

know,” Quinn said as he narrowed his eyes on Trevor.

“Yeah, well you’re a problem too, you wise ass,” Trevor mumbled

under his breath.

“Shall we eat?” Ben quickly changed the subject before Trevor

and Quinn got into it again.

Conversation was plentiful around the table. The warriors found

Miles as charming as Ben did. He had a unique personality that drew
people in like bees to honey. The man was very personable and
actually listened and remember the guys’ names.

Now where Trevor was concerned, the other guys thought he was

just hysterical. Quinn seemed a bit peeved the other men talked with
and acknowledged Trevor. Jealousy was clearly written all over his
face, but without Quinn admitting anything to him, there was nothing
he could do to help his longtime friend.

AJ Jarrett

Dessert was served, and as they finished up, they drank coffee and

sat around the table discussing the plans set in motion to rescue Sayer.
Miles really seemed to take the kidnapping of a man he didn’t even
know really hard. He offered suggestions and ideas the guys hadn’t
even thought of.

As the night came to a close, Ben and Miles were the only two left

at the table. A few of the guys went on patrol while a few went back
to the conference room to look over more police reports and maps in
search of Malcolm’s hideout.

Lachlan and Abner took Trevor on a tour of the house so he

wouldn’t get lost. Ben noticed that Quinn trailed not too far behind
wherever Trevor went.

Finishing his coffee, he gestured for Miles to come to him.

Without hesitation, Miles came to the command. He sat on Ben’s lap
and cuddled up close to his chest. Ben sighed his joy at having his
mate near to him and be so willing to be touched by him.

“You like it here so far, baby?” Ben asked as he stroked his

fingers through Miles’s hair.

Miles moaned at the lazy caress against his scalp. “I do.” He

pulled away to look into Ben’s eyes. “Just being with you makes
everything so worth it.”

Ben’s lips curled up at the corners, and he dipped his head down

to kiss Miles’s rose-colored lips. The kiss was sweetly affectionate to
emphasize to Miles just how much he loved him. When they parted,
Ben used his hand to rub at Miles’s back.

“Miles, can I ask you a question?”
“Sure, Ben, you can ask me anything.” Miles wiggled to get more

comfortable on his lap.

“What’s that little saying you and Trevor say to each other all the

time? If it’s private, you don’t have to tell me.”

Miles chuckled. “No, it’s not private. My and Trev’s mothers are

sisters. I was born six months before him, but we were still close
enough in age that we became best friends. We lived in a small

Miles’s Awakening

farming town in Iowa, so we didn’t have a lot of options to meet a lot
of people.”

“Long story short, being gay and living in a small town doesn’t go

together. When I realized I was gay, I of course talked to Trevor.”
Miles laughed. “I remember so vividly telling him and worrying that
he wouldn’t love me anymore because of it. But in true Trevor
fashion, he was relieved because he was gay, too.”

Ben continued to rub at Miles’s arms. “And your family wasn’t

accepting of this?”

Miles tilted his head up to look at Ben. “Are you guessing, or do

you already know, Ben?”

He could hear the touch of weariness in Miles’s tone. “To be

completely honest with you, we did do a full background check trying
to see if Malcolm had any other motives to want you. We needed to
be prepared for all possibilities. All I saw in the papers were where
you were from and the lack of contact with your family.” Ben ran his
knuckles down Miles’s face. “Please don’t be upset with me.”

“I’m not. I kind of was thinking you guys would probably do that

if you hadn’t already. But your assumption is right. They didn’t take
our coming out as good news. So we made sure to attend a college
that we both got accepted to so we could stay together. Trev got a full
scholarship in art to attend the University of Missouri, and I got a
partial for my academic accomplishments.”

“So after our parents continued preaching about how we had to

change our evil diversions, we decided to quit our family. We knew
we needed to live for ourselves, not our folks. So from the day we left
Clarinda, Iowa, we decided no matter what, we would be always
together, never apart. We were each other’s only family. We haven’t
spoken to our parents since.”

Ben noticed Miles’s eyes got misty as he told his story, and he

wanted to erase all the bad memories from his mate’s mind. It was an
unrealistic expectation, but he would work damn hard to make sure
Miles never felt that kind of sorrow and pain again.

AJ Jarrett

“If you let me, baby, I would love to be a part of your and

Trevor’s family.”

Miles turned in the chair to face Ben. “You already are,” Miles

whispered low.

The love he felt for Miles once again bubbled to the surface, and

he stood up. He nearly knocked Miles to the floor in the process but
was able to catch his mate. In a quick-as-lightening move, he picked
Miles up and sat him on the table then leaned in to kiss his mate.

When Miles’s lips parted in a whimper, Ben used the opportunity

to thrust his tongue into his boy’s warm, moist mouth. He played with
Miles’s tongue, sucking and licking until both men were left panting.

Ben pulled back and braced his hands on either side of Miles’s

face. “God, I want you again. I need to be inside you.” He rubbed his
thumbs along Miles’s cheekbones, and Miles blinked his eyes open.
“Can I claim you, my love?”

Miles breathed in a shaking breath. “Yes.”
A smile broke across Ben’s lips at Miles’s acceptance to

becoming his mate. Just as he dove in for another kiss, Quinn came
rushing into the dining room.

“Sorry to interrupt, boss, but we just got a call from Lawson and

Abner. They got a lead on Malcolm. They followed him back to a
location not too far from here. I got the coordinates, and we’re ready
to head out.”

Cursing silently under his breath, Ben pulled away from Miles.

“I’m sorry, baby.”

Miles shook his head. “Don’t be. Go take care of that asshole, and

come back to me. I’ll being waiting for you.”

One more kiss to his mate’s lips then he stepped back. He walked

around the table to where Quinn stood. “I want Elias and Liam to stay
behind to watch over Miles and Trevor.”

“They’re en route. We need the computer tech team to help

disable any type of security Malcolm may have set up. I’ve got Cabot

Miles’s Awakening

and Jensen circling the perimeter of the house. They’ll keep our boys
safe.”

Ben cocked his head at the “our boys” remark. It wasn’t the time

to question his friend yet again on his protectiveness over Trevor.

Quinn cleared his throat and excused himself, and Ben let him go.

He turned toward his mate. The thought of leaving Miles even just for
a little bit didn’t sit well with him. He had an odd feeling in his gut
that never led him astray before, but duty called, and Miles would be
perfectly safe here.

“Miles, promise me you’ll stay in the house?”
Miles rolled his eyes. “Where would I go? It’s ten o’clock at

night.

Ben placed his hands on either side of Miles’s face. “Promise

me.”

A twinkle lit up his mate’s eyes. “I promise. Now go so you can

get back and we can explore this mating thing together.”

Miles dropped his gaze and chewed on his lower lip. Ben’s breath

got stuck in his chest. Could Miles be ready to make that
commitment? He remembered how to breathe again and pulled his
mate into a hard, forceful kiss. This was only the beginning for him
and Miles.

The rumbling from Miles’s moan brought him back to his senses,

and he pulled back from Miles. “I’ll be back.” Ben dropped one more
kiss to his mate’s forehead. “Stay in the inside. Jensen and Cabot will
keep look out around the house.”

“Yes sir.” Miles saluted him.
“Wise ass.” Ben chuckled as he turned to leave. He still had an

odd feeling inside him that something didn’t seem right, but it had to
be nerves for finally putting an end to Malcolm once and for all.

AJ Jarrett

Chapter Seven

“So, cuz, what are we going to do now?”
Miles looked up at his cousin as he walked into the dining room.

He still sat on top of the table, absently tracing his fingertip across his
lips and remembering Ben’s mouth upon his. The man had just left,
and he already missed him.

Pushing his needy thoughts away, he could function without Ben

around. He had survived twenty-one years without him. He could go a
few hours without the man he was beginning to love being around.

Miles shrugged. “We could pop some popcorn and watch a movie.

What do ya say, little man?”

Trevor started to walk toward the kitchen. “You keep calling me

little, and I’m going to show you little.” He spun on his heel and
punched at the air. “I got moves that will make you cry like a bitch.”

He looked at his cousin dancing around like a crazed boxer,

getting ready to go three rounds. Laughter slowly bubbled up from his
chest as he watched the show in front of him. The ringing of the
doorbell ceased his laughter.

“Who could that be?”
Miles shook his head. “I’m not sure.”
He started to head for the door, but Trevor’s hand on his shoulder

stopped him. Miles turned to look at his cousin.

“Are you sure it’s safe? I mean, the guys just left. Doesn’t it seem

odd someone would be coming over now?”

Miles took a minute to think about it but thought it a silly notion.

They had two shifters outside watching the house. If danger came a
calling, the guys outside would have sent some sort of warning.

Miles’s Awakening

“Trevor, relax. Ben said he had Jensen and Cabot outside keeping

watch. They wouldn’t let anything happen to us.” At his cousin’s
furrowed brow, he reached out and squeezed his shoulder. “Stop
worrying. Go to the kitchen and start the popcorn, and I’ll get the
door.”

Trevor’s eyes darted to the door when the doorbell rang again.

“Okay. I guess I am a little jumpy. Sure you don’t want me to go with
you?”

Miles shook his head. “I think I can handle opening up a door all

by myself.” He chuckled when Trevor flipped him the finger.

Trevor turned and headed to the kitchen. Miles waited until he

was out of sight then walked toward the front door. He looked out the
peephole and saw a man with his back to the door wearing a ball cap
turned around backward. Miles recognized the hat as Jensen’s from
dinner, a Red Sox cap.

Feeling more at ease, Miles punched in the alarm code to the front

door. He pulled it open and froze in fear at the steely-black stare that
met his eyes when the man turned around.

“Hello again, Miles. Miss me?”
Miles’s brain started to work again, but he wasn’t fast enough to

get the door shut. He spun around to run away but got held up short.
Malcolm had grabbed him around the waist with an iron grip.

“Did you really think you could get away from me?”
Miles’s skin crawled as the light breath of Malcolm’s laughter

fanned his skin. He was caught. Malcolm had outsmarted Ben and his
men, and he was now at the mercy of this deranged killer.

He jerked his head to the side when he heard a bowl fall to the

floor. Trevor. Miles had almost forgot he wasn’t alone in this giant
house. Going on complete instinct, he did the only thing he could
think of.

“Trevor, run!” Miles shouted as loud as he could and doubled his

efforts to fight Malcolm’s hold. He had to get away. God only knew

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what would happen to him let alone his cousin, if Malcolm took them
from this house.

“Miles, Miles, Miles.” Malcolm made a tsking sound. “My sweet,

do you really think I would come here alone without knowing you
and your cousin were both here?” Malcolm asked as he held Miles’s
hands down with one arm and used his free hand to caress through
Miles’s hair. He closed his eyes at the utter disgust he felt at having
this man’s hands on his body.

The sound of Trevor crying out had him opening his eyes. A man

walked his cousin into the entryway. Trevor’s arms were being held
behind his back, and a large man escorted him into the room. Miles
could see the fear on Trevor’s face and realized he had to do whatever
it took to keep his cousin safe.

“Ah, look at who we have here. This must be Trevor.” At Miles’s

lack of response, Malcolm nudged him in the shoulder. “Answer me,
my sweet.”

“Yes,” Miles whispered.
“What should we do with him? Take him with us or kill him?”
“I say you let me have him as my plaything. He looks like a

screamer,” the man holding Trevor hostage said. His psychotic smile
had Miles shivering in fear. Tears ran down Trevor’s face as the man
licked the side of his neck.

“No!” Miles shouted. “Take me, but please leave him.” He looked

over his shoulder at Malcolm and begged for his cousin’s life and
freedom. “Please, Malcolm. I’ll go without a fight. Just leave my
cousin alone.”

“No, Miles. I can’t let you do that,” Trevor cried.
“What makes you think I care what you want or if you come

peacefully?” Malcolm asked as he nuzzled his nose against Miles’s
neck.

He suppressed the shudder that wanted to rake though his body.

“You don’t, but I will do whatever you want. Please let him go.” His
eyes filled with tears. As his life had started to come together and

Miles’s Awakening

happiness was on the horizon, crazy vampires had to come in and ruin
everything. But for the sake of his cousin, he would give it all away.

Malcolm placed a kiss to his neck and pulled Miles against his

chest. “Very well. The boy stays.” He turned toward the door,
dragging Miles with him. He paused to look over his shoulder. “Turn
the boy then leave. It will be a nice kick in the balls for the Warriors
of the Light to have a newly changed vampire on their hands, and
especially one turned by a dark warrior.”

“No. I said I would go with you!” Miles screamed and fought to

break free to get to Trevor.

The sound of Trevor screaming faded out as a sharp sting pinched

his upper right bicep. He looked down to see a syringe with clear
liquid being injected into his arm.

“Calm down, my sweet. Your cousin will be fine.” Malcolm’s

smiled faded. “Well, he will be if your friends don’t kill him on sight
for being turned my one of my men.”

Miles faintly heard Malcolm speak and wanted to argue with the

man but he couldn’t. A warm, tingling sensation spread throughout
his body, lulling him to sleep. He gave up the fight and let the
blackness of consciousness pull him under.

* * * *

When Miles woke, he was lying facedown on a bed. Ropes held

him in place. His arms were stretched out in front of him tied to the
headboard, and his legs were spread wide apart with each ankle tied to
a bedpost. A chill ran over him as he realized he was completely
naked.

Miles pulled against his restraints to no avail. He couldn’t even

move an inch. This couldn’t be happening. He had seen plenty of
movies where shit like this happened, and nothing ever good came
from being naked and tied down to a bed.

AJ Jarrett

Panic and fear swirled in his gut, and he doubled his efforts to get

loose. The rough rope tore at his skin, causing blood to trickle down
his arms. There was no escape from this hell. Miles let his head fall
forward and silently sobbed into the pillow beneath his head. Not only
was he probably going to be raped and forced to mate Malcolm, but
he was worried about Trevor. Malcolm said Ben and his men would
kill him for being turned by the enemy. He had to hope Ben wouldn’t
do that, or his sacrifice would have been for nothing, and he would
have lost the only family he had.

“I will not do this.”
Miles turned his head to the side as voices carried through the

room.

“Like you have a choice, my pet. I own you, and you will do as I

say when I say it. Are we clear?” Malcolm’s voice paused as he
waited for an answer. “Very well, if you want to be difficult I can just
have Lucian make you see things my way.”

Miles heard a gasp.
“No, sir. I will do as you ordered.”
“I thought you would see things my way.”
The sound of chains clinging together drew near the bed he laid

upon. Miles turned to see who was coming, but the dark room offered
no help in seeing who walked toward the bed. Once again, tears
clouded his vision. The bed dipped down beside him and caused his
body to tense.

“Who are you?” His words came out broken from the unshed tears

clogging his throat. Miles could make out a young man who looked
younger than his twenty-one years. He had long blond hair that hung
down in clumps around his face. His lithe body looked malnourished.
The man brought his hands up to rest in his lap, and the jingling of
chains sounded again, and that was when Miles saw the chains
binding the man’s hands together.

“I’m Astrid.”

Miles’s Awakening

Miles craned his neck to get a better look at this person. He

thought it was a man, but with a name like Astrid, it had to be a
woman. A soft chuckle floated to his ears from the person sitting next
to him.

“I know that look. I know my name is girlish, but I am a man.”

All humor left his posture as he turned to look at Miles. “I’m real
sorry about all this, but if I don’t do what my master asks of me, he’ll
have Lucian do bad things to me.” A shudder ran through the young
man’s body. “I would refuse and take my punishment, but I haven’t
fully healed from my last session with him.”

Miles gasped. Punishment? This Astrid appeared to work with

Malcolm why would they harm one of their own? And if they harmed
Astrid, there was no telling all the cruel things they would do to him.

Miles took a deep breath. He had to focus and get his wits about

him. He needed to know what he was up against. “Astrid, where are
we?”

The young man looked at Miles. “I’m not sure. We move so

much, and they never let me leave my room.”

His heart broke for the man. To be held prisoner by these cruel

bastards had to be hard on him. “How long have they held you
prisoner, Astrid?” Miles asked. He had to know what was in store for
him if he couldn’t get free.

Astrid looked up from his hands and gazed in front of him. “Over

a hundred years.” He cocked his head to the side. “I think.”

Had he not been tied to the bed, he would have done a double take

of the young man. He looked no older than sixteen. How could he be
over a hundred?

Ben had told him shifters and vampires didn’t age. That must

mean Astrid was some sort of paranormal. Swallowing past the lump
in his throat, he looked up at Astrid. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but
what are you, Astrid, and why are they holding you here?”

“I’m a witch.” Miles blinked at Astrid’s confession. “My mother

sold me to Malcolm when I was thirteen years old. She wanted a

AJ Jarrett

daughter and had me instead. Hence the name.” A light giggle came
from the man.

Miles’s heart went out to Astrid. Yes, he was worried about

himself, but Astrid had been sold into slavery, he would call it, at the
age of thirteen by his own mother. His only crime was being born a
boy.

“I’m sorry, Astrid. I can’t imagine a parent doing that.” Miles felt

bad for Astrid but also thought if he could just convince the skittish
man to help him, they both could get free. “Astrid, do you know any
way out of here? If you set me free, you can run away with me.”

Miles watched as Astrid nibbled on his lower lip frantically as he

looked back at the door. “Don’t say things like that. If he hears you,
the punishment will be so much worst.”

The young man shook so bad the bed vibrated. The punishments

around here must be worse than Miles could even begin to
comprehend. He needed to get out of here.

“Astrid, get to it. Malcolm said if you aren’t finished in the next

five minutes, I get to have you for the night.”

The sounds of Astrid’s chains jingling uncontrollably let Miles

know it must be Lucian at the door. He started to shake with fear. If a
witch, who, according to Ben was a powerful being, feared Lucian,
Miles thought it wise to fear him, too.

Astrid looked down at him. “I’m really sorry about this,” he

whispered lightly.

Miles watched as Astrid took a small bottle from his pocket. He

mumbled a few words Miles couldn’t understand to the clear jar.
Miles watched as Astrid got off the bed. He felt the bed dip down
between his legs. Cool fingers touched his bare ass and the hairs on
his body stood to attention.

“What are you doing?” Miles struggled against his binds.
“I’m so sorry.”
Astrid’s whispered words were followed by his hands spreading

apart his ass cheeks. Cool liquid ran down his crack. The feeling of a

Miles’s Awakening

blunt tip smeared the moisture around his hole. Miles jerked when the
object was pushed forward, filling his tight channel. He cried out
when the object sat fully seated in his ass.

“I’m so sorry.”
Those were the last words Astrid spoke to him as his mind started

to go foggy. A warm sensation started at the base of his spine and ran
up to tingle his scalp. His toes curled as the need to come fought with
his rising panic. He was becoming extremely aroused and couldn’t
understand how that was even possible considering his current
predicament.

A cold sweat broke out along his heated body. Miles had no clue

what was happening to him. He felt his cock fill with blood and
harden against the mattress. His body moved of its own accord,
grinding into the soft surface. Pre-cum wet the bed underneath him as
he pushed his hips harder into the bed.

“Absolutely beautiful.”
Miles’s body jerked as Malcolm pulled out then pushed back in

whatever toy Miles had in his ass. The groan that passed his lips was
deafening to his own ears. He knew he should be screaming for
Malcolm to stop, but the need for release outweighed his panic and
fear.

“You like that don’t you?” Malcolm chuckled as he fondled the

toy again. “I was concerned this plug would be too big for you, but I
guess Ben stretched you out quite nicely.”

Miles didn’t respond. He couldn’t hear the words the asshole

spoke over his own heart pounding in his ears. The need to be fucked
had him becoming desperate for touch. Anyone’s touch at this point.
All Miles knew was he needed to free the semen from his balls before
they exploded.

Malcolm pulled the plug from Miles’s body completely, and he

begged to have it back. He complied and shoved the thick plug back
into Miles. A silent cry left Miles’s mouth. He needed to be filled and
fucked hard. The toy wasn’t doing the job. He needed Ben’s hard

AJ Jarrett

cock fucking him fast then slow, teasing him until Miles was ready to
lose his mind.

“I have to admit, Miles, you look gorgeous.” Malcolm pushed the

toy in harder and deeper.

“Oh god, yes. Fuck me.” He felt the heat of another body cover

his back. Miles was so lost in his crazed desire, and he tried to arch up
into the warm body. “Ben, please fuck me.”

Miles whimpered when his head was jerked back. Strong fingers

pulled his hair yanking his head back.

“Don’t call me by his name,” Malcolm growled.
Even knowing Ben wasn’t in the room didn’t dampen his need to

be fucked. He begged, knowing it was wrong, but his body felt like it
would catch fire if a hard dick didn’t ram into his body. His hole
quivered in anticipation of being drilled.

“Please,” Miles panted.
“Much better.”
Miles felt Malcolm lick and suck up the side of his neck. He

should have felt disgusted, but all he could do was keen his pleasure.
His own body and its desire controlled his mind and better judgment.

The thick, blunt tip of Malcolm’s cock pushed into his body hard

and fast. Miles gasped at the exquisite pleasure.

Malcolm’s thrusts

were controlled and unrelenting, carrying him closer to the edge.
Malcolm continued to talk to him, but Miles never heard a word. He
imagined it was Ben fucking him, taking him higher than he ever had
been before.

Miles cried out his excitement with every thrust. Sweat dripped on

his back, adding to the hard, dirty fucking Malcolm gave him. He felt
Malcolm sit up, and his two large hands pushed at Miles’s shoulder
blades as Malcolm pounded into his hole without mercy.

“Do you accept me as your own, Miles?”
What? Miles didn’t know what was going on. Malcolm’s

movements slowed, causing his brain to short circuit. Miles thought

Miles’s Awakening

he would die if he didn’t come, and panic stabbed through him like a
hot poker.

“I–I–” Miles stuttered.
“Say it!” Malcolm shouted as he pushed down on Miles’s

shoulder blades. The action caused his cock to rub against the soft
comforter under him.

Miles groaned loud from the teasing caress against his hard shaft.

“Yes,” Miles grunted. “Now finish me. Please god, finish me.”

“As you wish.”
Miles could hear the smile in Malcolm’s voice, but he didn’t care.

If he didn’t come, he knew he would die, no question about it.

The cock in his body pulled out. Miles started to protest but cried

out as something sharp pierced his skin. Then he felt something wet
drip over his hole then Malcolm pushed back into his stretched
entrance. Malcolm moaned loud and curled his fingernails into
Miles’s back. Malcolm’s movements picked up, and the hard thrust
drove Miles’s cock harder into the mattress.

Miles gasped for air as his release sped through him. His cum

jetted out of his body only to be trapped between him and the bed.
The wetness glided along his cock, allowing easier motions and
causing his orgasm to linger.

“I accept you, Miles, as my mate.” He heard Malcolm shout right

before warm cum painted his inner walls. Malcolm continued to grind
into him as his cock twitched with aftershocks. Miles moaned with
every unsteady push forward from Malcolm.

After a few moments of lying still, Miles came back to his senses.

A strange feeling seeped into Miles’s body, almost like a rubber band
snapping into place and connecting him to Malcolm. He could feel
Malcolm’s presence in his mind. Miles felt what Malcolm was
feeling. It was true. They were mated. He yanked on his ropes again,
but nothing happened. A hand combing through his hair had him
cringing against the bed. What had he just done?

AJ Jarrett

“You’re my mate now, Miles,” Malcolm said then leaned forward

and kissed Miles behind the ear. “And to think I thought you wouldn’t
be any fun.”

Miles’s eyes started to water, and he dropped his head forward

onto the pillow under his head. Disgust filled every pore of his body.
He just let Malcolm fuck him. What hurt the most was that he begged
for it. He wanted Malcolm. How was that possible? Malcolm had to
have drugged him or something.

Miles turned to look at Malcolm as the man climbed off the bed.

“How did you make me want you? I hate you! There’s no way I
would beg you to fuck me, none.”

Malcolm’s harsh laughter caused Miles to shrink back against the

bed. “I have my ways. Having a witch at your disposal can be”—
Malcolm looked up toward the ceiling, released a heavy sigh, and
then looked back to Miles—“very useful. I have to say, after tonight,
acquiring Astrid was the best deal I’ve ever made. Fucking you was
eye-opening, Miles. I’ve never felt such want and desire before. It’s
like your ass was made just for me.”

Miles tensed as Malcolm smacked at his backside. He hated

himself because he couldn’t say what had just happened was forced
upon him. He hadn’t been raped. He’d begged and all but sat on
Malcolm’s cock himself. But still, what caused his reaction? He
despised the man. Malcolm might be his mate, but he didn’t feel
drawn to him like he was to Ben. No way would he want to have sex
with the man.

“How did you do it? How did you make me want you?” Miles

asked as he looked aimlessly in front of him. Hurt and guilt ate at his
insides. Miles wasn’t one hundred percent for sure he was in love
with Ben, but after tonight, realizing he would never see the man
again put everything into perspective. He loved Ben more than life
itself, and he’d just cheated on him with the enemy.

“Well, my sweet Astrid, being a witch, can cast any spell he

wants. He also can brew potions.”

Miles’s Awakening

Malcolm sat down on the bed beside Miles and ran his fingers up

and down Miles’s arm. Miles hated the touch, but he was still tied to
the bed and unable to get away.

“I had my little witch put together an aphrodisiac that would make

you want me no matter what. Even hating me wouldn’t help you. The
need to be fucked overrode all your wants and desires.”

Miles processed all he heard, but it still didn’t change anything.

He was still mated to the crazy bastard. All he wanted was to go home
to Ben. He would beg and plead for a second chance and for
forgiveness. The spell Malcolm had Astrid cast took all Miles’s free
will away and he couldn’t control his actions or his body’s yearnings.

“Don’t worry, my sweet. After we leave this godforsaken town

I’m sure you will warm up to me.” Malcolm stood up and pulled on a
pair of pants. He started to walk toward the door then turned to look
back at Miles. “You’re my mate now. The sooner you get used to that
fact the better. Say what you will, but you enjoyed me fucking you.”

Miles’s blood boiled. “You kidnapped me and then drugged me.

We might be mated, but I do not and will not surrender to your every
need. I hate you,” Miles shouted.

“Miles, you will do as I say, or I will kill your precious Ben.”

Miles’s pulsed stopped. “I thought that would get your attention. So
be a good boy, and we will get along beautifully.”

He watched as Malcolm exited the room. Once he was alone in

the dark, there was nothing to occupy his mind but regret, but what
could he do? What was done was done. And to keep Ben safe he
would do whatever Malcolm asked of him. When a person loved
someone the way Miles did Ben, sacrificing his wants and needs was
the lesser of two evils. Miles couldn’t imagine living in a world where
Ben didn’t exist.

AJ Jarrett

Chapter Eight

“Is everyone in position?” Ben asked. He stood among the trees

surrounding the property. Lachlan and Lawson stood ten feet on either
side of him. The twin lions were famous for their silent attacks, and
he barely noticed them as they took up position next to him. They
attacked with the likeness of their shifter forms. The twins stalked
until there was no time for their prey to react. The men were deadly,
and he felt fortunate they fought alongside him.

“Copy that, boss. On your word, we’ll move forward,” Quinn

called back through the headset around Ben’s ear.

Ben gazed upon the moderately sized house. Something just

didn’t seem right. The house just didn’t look like some place Malcolm
would hold up. A simple two-story house that sat in the middle of
nowhere, too far from town and lacked the luxuries Malcolm
preferred. The house was ordinary, and that didn’t match Malcolm’s
personality. He liked to live large, and this house was in strong
contrast to that lifestyle.

As he looked over the house one more time, he spoke into the

headset. “Quinn?” He waited for his friend to respond.

“Yeah?”
“Something just doesn’t feel right. This house doesn’t look like a

place Malcolm would inhabit.” The odd feeling Ben felt before he left
the house still danced around his gut. This house, the quiet setting,
just seemed an oddity to what they had to come to expect from this
particular dark warrior.

“I agree, but this is where our boys followed him to. If he’s not

living here, he’s at least hanging out here for some reason.” There

Miles’s Awakening

was a pause before Quinn spoke again. “Let’s storm the fort and see
what’s inside. The sooner this is over the sooner we can get home to
Trevor and Miles.”

Ben nodded his agreement even though Quinn couldn’t see him.

His concern for Miles was wreaking havoc on his nerves. Being in
love and his concern for Miles had to be the reason he felt so out of
sorts. Miles was safe back at the house. He had to focus on the
mission so he could get back to his lover.

“On three let’s move forward and take a look inside.”
Ben slowly counted off to three, and he and his men approached

the house. He had trained with this group of men for years and had
gone on countless missions with them. They moved as a team, quietly
and quickly.

As he neared the front door, he paused and looked around him but

still no signs of Malcolm or his men. Ben took the steps one at a time
leading to the large double doors. Very gently, he turned the knob and
thought it odd that the door wasn’t locked. Shrugging that thought
away, he stepped into the house with Lachlan and Lawson silently on
his heels.

The house was empty of all furniture. The moonlight allowed

enough light through the windows to indicate that this house hadn’t
been lived in a very long time. The sound of clapping had him turning
toward the steps off to the side leading up to the second floor.

“Malcolm was right. You fell for his plan so easily.” The man

laughed harshly as he descended the steps.

Ben put his arms up to hold the twins back. His gut told him to

keep his distance from the strange man smiling wildly at them. His
instincts told him they needed to get out of this house. This whole
situation had a weird vibe to it. Where was Malcolm? And why did
only one man stand within this abandoned home?

“What plan would that be?” Ben asked. He needed to get as much

information from this man and try to capture him so he could question
him on Malcolm’s whereabouts.

AJ Jarrett

“You fools.” The man took the last step down on the hardwood

floor, standing fifteen feet in front of Ben. “So quick to believe what
you wanted to be true and to follow the trail of bread crumbs laid out
before you.” He looked down at his watch. “And in a timely manner. I
guess Malcolm has already followed through on his part.” The man
stared at Ben from across the room. “It’s Miles, right? I hope you said
your good-byes before you left.”

Ben’s head snapped back as if he had been slapped. What was this

man saying? Before he could ask, the man brought his hand up, and in
his grasp he held a remote.

“See you on the other side, my friend.”
The man laughed, and Ben knew in that instant it was a detonator.

He turned to Lachlan and Lawson and screamed out a warning. The
sound of footfalls and doors flinging open let him know the men who
entered through the back heard the warning.

He barely was out the front door when the house exploded,

sending him flying through the air. Ben landed hard on his side. The
wind had been knocked out of him, but he was alive. More than he
could say for the poor bastard inside.

“Ben?” Crackling came across his radio. “Ben, can you hear me?”
Ben looked to his left and saw the little device laying in the grass.

He crawled over and hit the talk button. “Yes.” He took a deep breath
and regretted it when tightness in his ribs shot pain through his body.
Being a vampire allowed him to heal quickly but not instantaneously.
“Did everyone make it out?”

“Yes, the men that were with me got out. What about you? Did

the twins get out in time?”

Ben looked around him. Off to the side he saw Lachlan helping

his brother to his feet. He sighed in relief at their luck. Of the six men
who entered the building, they all miraculously made it out alive.

“They’re okay. A little banged up but no worse for wear.”

Miles’s Awakening

With the knowledge all his men were all right, the man’s last

words played back through his head. He said that Malcolm had fooled
them and had asked if he’d said good-bye to Miles.

Shit! Not good. Ben took off running through the trees to his

vehicle. They were set up and Malcolm had plotted to use this
diversion to kidnap Miles.

Oh god, how could he have been so stupid? The sounds of heavy

panting and footfalls followed him. As he neared the cars, he saw
Quinn coming through the trees across from him. The minute he met
his friend’s eyes, he saw the same realization had hit Quinn as well.

“Load up. This was all a setup. We need to get home,” Ben

shouted as he climbed into his car and started the engine. He peeled
out, throwing rock and dirt in his wake. The fear of what he would
discover upon arrival back at the mansion had his blood frozen in his
veins. Never in his life had Ben been so afraid.

Ben and Quinn drove back to the house in silence. Quinn hadn’t

admitted anything, but Ben had the distinct impression Trevor meant
more to Quinn than just someone he found attractive. If his suspicions
were correct, Quinn was worried just as much as he was about what
would greet them when they arrived home. The worse of those fears
was death, but Malcolm wanted Miles alive, which meant he more
than likely abducted Miles and took him to god only knew where. As
they neared their estate, nothing looked out of ordinary. The lights
were on like they had left them and nothing to raise suspicion such as
a broken window or open doors. The only thing Ben found odd was
Jensen and Cabot were nowhere in sight.

When out on patrol it was a given to check out any approaching

vehicles nearing the property. Anyone could be a threat, and right
now they were on high alert.

“Where are Cabot and Jensen? They should have shown

themselves by now,” Quinn said, panic making his voice rise. “What
is going on?”

AJ Jarrett

With the car parked, Ben flung the door open and jumped out.

Taking the steps two at a time, he pushed open the front door. What
he saw had him gasping for breath. On the floor, in a puddle of blood,
lay Trevor. Miles was nowhere in sight.

Ben was pushed aside as Quinn ran into the room. His shout of

pain rang throughout the house. Quinn fell to his knees next to
Trevor. He mumbled words into Trevor’s hair, but Ben couldn’t make
out the words. His heart beating out of control put a mute on all other
sounds around him.

As the room filled with the warriors, Ben came back to his senses.

“Abner and Finn, go look out front for Jensen and Cabot. Lawson and
Lachlan, check upstairs for any signs of Miles.”

His men nodded their understanding and headed to their assigned

destinations. Ben knew it was all for nothing. Miles wasn’t in the
house. He could feel it in his bones. Malcolm had snatched his mate
away and had plotted so easily to do so. Ben was a pawn in
Malcolm’s game, and he got played hard. His need to keep Miles safe
had him rushing into action without a thought in the world.
Distractions got men killed, and this distraction cost him his mate.

Ben dropped down next to Quinn, who cradled Trevor close to his

chest. “Is he alive?” he whispered as he reached out a hand to touch
Trevor’s neck.

“Don’t touch my mate,” Quinn growled.
Ben brought his hands up in a surrender-type gesture. Now wasn’t

the time to get into a pissing match over trying to help out his friend.
The news of Trevor being his mate wasn’t that much of a shock, and
later he would question his friend on how that was possible when
Trevor seemed oblivious to the mating bond.

“Quinn, is he alive?” Ben asked again.
He watched as his friend caressed his hand down the side of his

mate’s face. Tears ran freely from Quinn’s eyes. Quinn lifted his hand
to Trevor’s face and pulled up on the man’s lip. Two small fangs

Miles’s Awakening

protruded from where the upper cuspids hung down. “Yes, but he’s
been turned.”

“Motherfucker,” Ben yelled as he stood up to pace the entryway.

Malcolm turned poor Trevor against his will. Old laws stated that any
human turned by an evil paranormal had to be killed on sight. The
thought was if a human was turned by evil, they would be evil. From
years of working with good and bad paranormals, Ben knew that
statement to be untrue and had convinced the council of such. It was
what lived in a person’s soul that made them good or bad, not who
turned them. But nevertheless, he would have to get a pardon of sorts
for Trevor, and he would have to be magically marked by one of the
witches at headquarters to show other paranormals that he wasn’t evil.

Ben watched as Quinn rocked Trevor back in forth in his arms.

His dear friend looked so lost. “Quinn, it’s going to be okay.”

“Really? You can stand there and say that to me. Your mate is

missing, and mine had been turned into a vampire.” Quinn looked up
at him with cold eyes. “Tell me how any of this is going to be okay.”
Quinn stood up and carried his mate up the stairs.

Ben ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. He didn’t have

an answer for Quinn. His mate was missing, and he didn’t even know
where to begin looking for him. His heart skipped a beat just thinking
about what could be happening to his mate. He needed to get Miles
back.

“Oh god, what will I do without him?” Ben whispered to himself

as he continued to pace the marble floor.

“Ben, no sign of Miles upstairs.”
“Or down here or the lower level,” Cason said as he entered the

room.

Ben opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Finn carrying

Jensen through the front door.

“They’ve been shot. Looks like silver buckshot,” Finn said as he

laid Jensen on the floor.

AJ Jarrett

Abner walked in a little slower, carrying Cabot like a small child

in his arms. “Cabot didn’t make it, boss.”

Ben ran to his men. Things just kept getting worse. He had known

Cabot for over two hundred years, and now he was dead. Lost to a
never-ending battle of good versus evil. There was no rhyme or
reason why this happened. It just did. Dark and light warriors fought,
and when they battled, people died. Sometimes he lost one of his own,
but knowing that didn’t make the situation any easier.

“We need to dig it out before it infects Jensen’s bloodstream.”
With all the urban legends surrounding paranormals, silver was

the only one Hollywood got right. If silver lingered in the blood for
too long, it would poison its victim and kill them slowly and very
painfully.

“I got it. Move aside, will you,” Liam said as he came into the

room carrying a first aid kit. Before Liam became a shifter, he was a
med student. Granted that was forty years ago, but the same principles
still applied when removing bullets, or silver in their case.

The sound of someone screaming from upstairs had Ben running

up the steps. He threw open Trevor’s bedroom door to see the man
clawing at Quinn’s face and arms. This was normal behavior for a
newly turned vampire. The changes in their body had them
hypersensitive to light, sound, and touch. And the traumatic way
Trevor became a vamp had to be swirling around his mind, scaring
the hell out of him.

“Don’t touch me,” Trevor shrieked as he moved to the far end of

the bed, trying to get away from Quinn.

“Please, baby, it’s me, Quinn. Don’t you remember me?”
Trevor stopped fighting Quinn and stared at him. Recognition

flooded his eyes, and Ben stepped further into the room. Trevor jerked
when he saw Ben coming closer to the bed.

“Miles.” Trevor’s head turned from side to side and he gasped for

breath. “Oh my god, Miles. They took him.” His voice cracked as he
started to sob into his hands.

Miles’s Awakening

“Baby, stop crying. We’re going to find him,” Quinn crooned as

he pulled Trevor into his lap. “But we need to know what happened.”

Trevor nodded as he cried. After a few deep breaths, he started to

talk. “You guys had just left. Miles said, ‘Let’s watch a movie.’ We
were going to go to the kitchen to pop popcorn when the doorbell
rang.” The pained expression on Trevor’s face broke Ben’s heart.
“The next thing I knew, Miles was screaming for me to run, but it was
too late. This man grabbed me and dragged me to the living room.”

Trevor started to cry again, and Quinn quietly stroked the younger

man’s hair as he sobbed into his shirt. “Miles said he would do
whatever Malcolm wanted if they just left me alone.”

Ben dropped down in to the side chair next to the window. Miles

sacrificed himself to save Trevor. He admired that about his mate, but
also thought it foolish. In the end, Malcolm still did as he chose. He
turned Trevor and took Miles. There was never any winning when it
came to pure evil.

Quinn held Trevor as he cried. After a few deep breaths, he pulled

out of Quinn’s embrace. “This man, he was strong, and I couldn’t
fight him.” Trevor’s eyes dropped to look at the floor. “He bit me.”
He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt then looked up to meet Ben’s
gaze. “He said to enjoy it while it lasted because you would kill me
since I was turned by evil.”

Ben shook his head. “No, Trevor, those are old laws. I just need to

call the council and inform them of the situation. There are
procedures that need to be followed but, no, I will not have to kill
you.”

The relief on Trevor’s face made Ben feel a little better, but the

pain still burned deep inside him. Miles was missing, and he didn’t
even know where to begin to search for his mate. Tears stung at the
back of his eyes at the thought of never seeing Miles again.

“Boss.” Ben looked up to see Lachlan standing in the doorway.

“Jensen woke up.” Ben nodded for the man to continue. “He got a

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license plate number.” The man shrugged. “It could lead us to
Malcolm.”

Ben nodded. “Have Liam and Elias get on it. It’s not much, but

it’s all we have to go on.” He stood and walked toward the door. “I
want all the warriors out looking for any leads that might point us in
the direction of Malcolm’s whereabouts.”

“Ben?”
He turned at the sound of Trevor’s soft voice. “Yes.”
“I’m so sorry.” Tears overcame Trevor, and his words came out

broken.

“It’s going to be okay, Trevor. We’re going to find him.” Ben

gave him a small smile. “Promise.”

Ben walked out of the room hoping he just didn’t lie to Miles’s

cousin. In the end no matter what, he would never stop looking for
Miles. One way or another he would find his mate.

Miles’s Awakening

Chapter Nine

“How do you play this game again?”
Miles held back a sigh as he once again tried to explain a simple

child’s game to Astrid. The man had no knowledge of the outside
world and in all rights mentally came off as a child. But Miles knew it
wasn’t Astrid’s fault. No, it was Malcolm’s for holding the poor man
prisoner for over a hundred years without feeding him knowledge of
the outside world.

It saddened Miles to know all the things Astrid had never seen,

experienced, or even eaten. When he told Astrid he was dying for a
hamburger and chocolate shake, the man asked him what those things
were. Astrid had only ever eaten the slop Malcolm allowed him to
have.

Miles laid on the floor next to the air vent on the wall. He had

discovered a few days back that his room was next door to Astrid’s,
and he and the gentle man could talk back and forth to one another
without being caught by Malcolm or his goons. Every couple of hours
the guards would come to check on him or bring him food. Miles
never spoke to them and just gave the men dirty looks. Begging for
their help in escape would be a waste of time. The mean bastards
were loyal to Malcolm and would never betray him. Even poor Astrid
did as he was told, but out of fear not loyalty.

He believed a week had passed since he was brought to this prison

but wasn’t quite sure. The only comfort he had was his talks with
Astrid. Explaining and describing things to the man kept his mind off
Ben.

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The ache in his chest still felt fresh from his betrayal to the man

he loved. He had been under a spell and couldn’t control his wants
and desires. In the end, he had given in to his body’s arousal and
begged Malcolm to fuck him. He clenched his fist in memory of that
fateful night. Miles had been tricked, but it still didn’t lighten the guilt
he felt deep inside.

“You say ‘I spy with my little eye,’ and then describe something

to me,” Miles said as he shifted to lie on his belly and rested his head
on his arms.

“What?” Miles could hear the rustle of Astrid’s clothes as he

looked around him. “All that’s in my room is a bed, pillow, and my
blanket.”

“Astrid.” Miles laughed. “You goof. You just told me the

answers, so now you have to pick something else.” Miles sobered.
“Think of anything. It doesn’t have to be something in your room.
Use your imagination.”

There was a pause. Astrid didn’t say anything. Miles heard a small

sniffle.

“Astrid, buddy, are you okay?”
The quiet sobs went on for a few more minutes, and Miles didn’t

pressure Astrid to explain. The man had been held in one cold,
uncaring room after another since he was a child, and if anyone had
the right to have moments of emotional distress, it was him.

“I’m fine. I just don’t have anything I can describe. All I ever see

is this stuff in my room.” Astrid whispered the words to where Miles
had to struggle to hear them.

“Listen to me, Astrid, when Ben comes to rescue me, I’m taking

you with me. I won’t leave you behind. No one deserves to live this
way.” Anger fueled Miles’s words. Yes, he was upset about his
situation but even more so for his new friend.

“How do you know he will come looking for you?” Astrid asked.
“Because…” Miles’s voice cracked. “Because he loves me. And

when you love someone, you will do anything to keep them safe.” A

Miles’s Awakening

tear ran down Miles’s cheek. He missed Ben’s kisses, his touch, even
the sound of his low, gravelly voice.

“I hope someone loves me that much someday.”
Miles wiped his eyes. “There will be, Astrid. You just need to

keep the faith.” Miles shifted to sit up on his knees. “Hey, Astrid?”

“Yes, Miles.”
“Why don’t you use you magic to free yourself? From what Ben

said, your kind is very powerful. You could probably kick some
serious ass if you tried.” This had been driving Miles nuts for the last
few days. If witches were as powerful as Ben claimed, how come
Astrid never tried to free himself? “I don’t know how.”

Miles could hear the shame in Astrid’s voice and could just kick

himself for making the man feel worse. “Hey, buddy, don’t get down
on yourself. I imagine that is part of Malcolm’s plan, to keep you
blind to your powers and the things you can do.”

“You think?”
“Yes, I do. I mean think about it, Astrid. If you were powerful, he

couldn’t control you. Ben’s told me witches are the all-powerful in
the paranormal world, and Malcolm knows that. Malcolm couldn’t
keep you under his thumb if he allowed you to get stronger.” The
wheels in his brain were turning, and he could see the plus side for
Malcolm in keeping Astrid as powerless as he could. If Astrid had
proper control and use of his magic, no one would be able to control
the witch. “You just have to try, Astrid.”

“But I don’t know how.”
The sounds of footsteps cut their conversation short. He didn’t

have a watch, so he didn’t know if it was feeding time again or not.

Miles scrambled off the floor and jumped on the bed. The last

thing he wanted was to get caught talking with Astrid. He didn’t know
what Malcolm would do in protest to them becoming friends.

The door creaked open, and Miles looked up to see who his visitor

was.

“Oh, my sweet. Look at you on the bed just waiting for me.”

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The sound of Malcolm’s voice made Miles’s skin crawl. The man

hadn’t tried to sleep with him since they mated. Miles was grateful for
that but didn’t know why Malcolm hadn’t tried to bed him again.
Malcolm was supposed to gain strength from their mating, and Miles
didn’t know if sex was a factor in that equation or not.

“You wish, asshole,” Miles snapped at Malcolm, and Malcolm

just laughed.

“I love the spark you have.” Malcolm came around the bed to sit

on the edge closer to Miles, and he shifted away from his vampire
mate. Malcolm reached out and grabbed his arm. Miles fought him
but was no match for Malcolm’s strength. He held Miles down and
grabbed his chin and tugged Miles to face him.

“At first I thought I wouldn’t care if you had any feelings for me

at all, but the more I see of you, I want you to want me like a mate
should.”

Miles’s jaws clenched together. “That will never happen. The only

way you will ever have me is if you drug me again.” Miles struggled
to free himself from the hold on his face. “I will never want you.”

Malcolm chuckled. “You say that now, but you will become

lonely and crave the need for touch. And it will be me to provide that
touch to you.”

“Never,” Miles spat out. “Ben will find me, and then put an end to

you, you asshole.”

“You still think your little Warrior of the Light is going to find

you? Silly boy.” Malcolm’s harsh laugh echoed off the walls. “It has
been over a week. If your warrior was going to find you, he would
have done so by now.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.” Miles started to sweat. It was true

it had been a week since he’d gone missing. If they were going to find
him, he would have thought they would have done so by now. “He’ll
come for me, and when he does he will kill you for what you’ve
done.”

Miles’s Awakening

Malcolm leaned down close to Miles’s face, just a breath away

from his lips. “You forget, my sweet, we’re mated, so that makes me
harder to kill. Thanks to you, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been.”

With a chaste kiss to Miles’s lips, Malcolm stood up. He

straightened his jacket and strolled to the door. “You’ll come around,
Miles.”

Once Malcolm was gone, Miles gave into the tears that ripped

from his chest. He’d never come around, but Malcolm sounded so
confident. And the truth was Malcolm didn’t need his consent. He
could either force Miles to have sex with him or have Astrid whip up
his special brew of instant horniness.

“Please, Ben, find me,” Miles cried into his pillow as he looked

toward where the window should have been. It had been filled in with
bricks so Miles couldn’t see outside. His world had become the four
walls that held him within its confines.

The tears kept flowing, and Miles continued to pray that his lover

would find him. He had faith in Ben. A love as strong as theirs
couldn’t just fizzle and die. Hope was all he had, and he refused to
believe this was all his life had to offer, being a caged pet to a mate he
did not love.

Miles jerked in surprise when a light touch grazed his shoulder.

He looked up to see Astrid standing beside his bed.

“How did you get in here?” Miles asked as he looked toward the

door. He never heard it open or close, and there was no way the
guards would allow Astrid to come visit him.

“I’m not sure,” Astrid whispered as he climbed up onto the bed.

He tucked his knees up close to his chest and wrapped his arms
around them, squeezing tight. “One minute I was in my room, the
next I was standing in here.”

Miles pulled himself up into a sitting position. How did Astrid do

it? “What were you thinking when you just popped into here? Think,
Astrid, it’s important.”

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Astrid twisted a lock of his hair around his finger. “I heard you

crying and it made me sad.” He looked to Miles and he gave him an
encouraging smile to continue. “And I wanted to come to you. You’re
my only friend, and I wanted to comfort you.”

The smile on Miles’s face grew. That was it. Astrid’s magic was

tied to his emotions.

Astrid picked up on his shock and started to rock back and forth

frantically. Miles crawled up on his knees then moved to Astrid’s side
and wrapped his arms around the witch’s shoulders. He just figured
out how they were going to escape this hellhole.

“Astrid, buddy, calm down. I’m not mad. I’m actually freaking

excited.” He rubbed at Astrid’s back in attempt to calm his nerves.

“What do you mean?” Astrid asked as he looked up through his

thick lashes at Miles.

“You said you heard me crying and that made you sad.” Astrid

nodded. “Then you said you wanted to come to me.” Another nod.
“Astrid, I think when you get upset, sad, or probably even happy you
can make things happen.”

“I don’t understand.” Astrid’s dropped his head forward to rest on

his knees.

“I think your magic is linked to your feelings. Don’t you see? If

we work on getting you to try and make small things happen, it might
be enough to get us out of here.” Miles knew he was asking a lot from
his frightened friend, but it was their only chance for escape.

“What if you’re wrong and me popping in here was just luck?”

Astrid jumped to his knees. “What if I can’t get back into my room?”

Astrid’s face flushed and the pulse in his neck beat rapidly. Miles

didn’t want to upset him, but Astrid could be their only hope. He
pulled Astrid into his embrace.

“Don’t worry. I think once you hear the lock turn on the door,

you’ll be worked up enough to visualize yourself back into your own
room.”

“You think so?”

Miles’s Awakening

Miles smiled at the excitement in his friend’s voice. “Yes.” Miles

shifted them so that he and Astrid sat with their backs against the
headboard. “Astrid, we’re going to start small. Whenever we’re alone,
I want you to think about me and getting to me. I think with practice
you may be able to get yourself out of here, and if you do, you can get
help. I can give you Ben’s cell phone number so you can call him and
he can come rescue us.”

Astrid looked up at him. “What’s a cell phone?” His forehead

crinkled up in confusion.

“Astrid, my friend, the things I’m going to have to teach and show

you once were out of this mess.” Miles chuckled.

Over the next hour, Miles explained the purpose of a cellular

phone. And as he had suspected, once they heard the footsteps out in
the hallway draw near, Astrid disappeared. One minute he was there
and the next, he was gone. He had successfully teleported himself
back to his room.

After the dinner meal, Malcolm didn’t make his nightly visit.

Miles was left alone with his thoughts. He knew nothing of magic and
how to control it, but he had to try and help Astrid. Astrid was their
ace in the hole to get them to freedom. He just had to hope Astrid was
a fast learner.

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Chapter Ten

Nine days. It had been nine days of agonizing torture. Guilt ate up

every inch of Ben’s insides. He should have been there to protect
Miles. He should have seen through Malcolm’s trap. But he hadn’t.
His callous behavior cost him his mate.

Ben plopped down into a chair and stared out the window, looking

at the leaves blow across the ground. Fall had set in, and the weather
had turned cooler. The leaves had turned to an array of reds and
yellows.

The leaves were a lot like life growing and thriving, shining a

vibrant green of vitality. Then as time wore on, they fell from their
limbs to wither and die on the cold ground. Everywhere he turned,
Ben saw death and despair. Tragedy seemed to be coming at him in
spades as of late.

His failure to protect his mate, to protect Trevor, and even to

protect his own men sent him in a tailspin. The job of leader had
fallen on Quinn’s shoulders because Ben had fallen so deep into
depression he couldn’t focus. He wanted to become the strong leader
he used to be, the leader his men needed, but he couldn’t find it in
himself to be that man again.

“Ben?”
He turned his head and saw Quinn leaning against the door. His

friend had taken on the job of being his babysitter, and it infuriated
Ben that his friend thought he needed a caretaker.

“What,” he snapped as he turned his gaze back toward the

window, wishing for nothing more than for Quinn to leave him to his

Miles’s Awakening

misery. “Well aren’t we chipper today.” Quinn moved further into the
room. He stopped once he reached Ben’s side.

“Leave me the fuck alone.”
“I can’t do that, Ben. You’re my oldest and dearest friend.” Quinn

moved to stand in front of him. “What did your father have to say?”

Ben slowly closed his eyes, replaying the phone call over in his

mind. His father’s callous words pained him. To think his own father
couldn’t grant his only son a little sympathy for his loss. “He said I
needed to complete the mission and capture Malcolm by any means
necessary. I can’t let foolish things like love distract me from what’s
important.”

A low whistle passed Quinn’s lips. “I always thought your father

was a heartless bastard, and he keeps proving me right.” Quinn knelt
before him. “Don’t listen to him. You need to have faith that we will
find Miles.”

Ben snapped his head to the side as he glared at Quinn. “Keep the

faith? You’re asking me to keep the faith?” He laughed harshly as he
sat up farther in his chair. “My faith has given me nothing in return.
All I have left is a lifetime of loneliness. That, my friend, is the only
thing I have faith in because without Miles there is no reason to live.”

“I can’t believe you’re just going to sit in here and not even try to

help find your mate. Sounds like to me you’ve already given up.”

“It has been nine days of nothing. No clues, no leads, nothing.”

Ben ran his hands roughly through his hair. “Like in the human world,
if there isn’t any word within the first forty-eight hours, chances of
finding the missing person dwindle by the day.”

He heard Quinn let out a heavy sigh. “You’re a coward if you give

up now, Ben, plain and simple.”

Ben inhaled sharply. Quinn’s words were like a blow to the chest.

He wasn’t giving up. He was just being realistic. “Don’t you have a
mate out there that needs to be claimed?” Ben tried to put the
attention back on his friend in an attempt to push Quinn away.

“No, not really,” Quinn mumbled.

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“Not really? I heard you call him your mate the other ni—” Ben’s

words died in his throat. He hated talking about the dreadful night
Miles had been taken. His mind wandered to that night quite
frequently, and he didn’t need to keep discussing it.

“It’s tricky.” Quinn pulled a chair over and sat next to Ben. “I’m

going to tell you something, and please don’t judge me.”

How could he judge Quinn? At least Quinn kept his mate safe.

Granted he was a newly turned vampire, but Trevor was still in
Quinn’s protective hands.

“Yes, Trevor is my mate, but he doesn’t know it.” Ben nodded.

He knew that much. “I had one of the witches at the council cast a
spell so if and when my mate finds me, he wouldn’t feel the pull. To
them I would just be like any other person on the street they would
meet.”

Ben couldn’t believe his ears. Who in their right mind would not

want to find the other half of their soul? Yes, he’d lost his mate, but
he wouldn’t give up a minute he spent with Miles for anything.

Ben cleared his throat. “Why would you do something like that?”
“Because I didn’t want to go through what you’re going through

now.” Quinn leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees then
rested his head in his palms. “I’m not strong like you. I would die if
anything ever happened to my mate.”

“But you know Trevor is your mate. Did the spell not work on

you?” Ben couldn’t wrap his mind around this absurdity.

“You know how magic works.” A painful grin touched Quinn’s

lips. “With this spell, it only allowed it to go one way. I figured if my
mate never made any advances or showed any interest in me, I could
handle knowing who they were. But now I’m not so sure.”

Ben reached out a hand to pat Quinn on the shoulder. It must be

hard for his friend having to deal with a mate that didn’t even know
they were mates. To stand aside and watch the person you love date
and possibly fall in love with someone else was a risky thing to put
oneself through.

Miles’s Awakening

“Quinn, I understand why you did what you did, but don’t you see

it doesn’t matter. As long as you feel the bond, you will be forever
tied to Trevor. Do you really want to see him fall in love with
someone else? And he’s a vampire now, so it would be many, many
years of torture for you to suffer through, an eternity.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Quinn pushed to his feet and

started to pace the floor. “I would rather let him live his life separate
from me than have him with me and stand the possibility that our
enemies would capture him and take him from me.” All the fight left
Quinn. His shoulders slumped, and his head fell forward. “Or worse,
kill him. He’s safer this way, Ben. Don’t you see that?”

Ben stood up and wrapped his arms around his friend. Quinn

resisted at first but finally gave into the embrace. He began to silently
cry. This must be wearing on Quinn quite a bit if he was showing
emotion like this. In all the time Ben knew Quinn, he’d never seen
him cry.

“My dear friend, don’t you see? Even with all that has happened I

wouldn’t trade a minute of time I spent with Miles.”

Quinn pulled back to look Ben straight in the eyes. “Even to avoid

this pain you feel now?”

“Even then I wouldn’t change a thing. Having felt Miles’s love is

enough to last me a lifetime.” He spoke the truth. The love he had for
Miles was timeless. If all he was left with were his memories, so be it.
At least he knew true love even for a brief moment in time.

Quinn opened his mouth to speak, when Lachlan came barreling

through the door.

“We got a lead.”
The air in Ben’s chest froze in his lungs. Could it be the heavens

had smiled down on him to give him one more chance?

“Just don’t stand there. What is it?” Quinn asked.
Ben was grateful for his friend in that moment. He couldn’t speak.

The thought of being reunited with Miles left him speechless.

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“You’re not going to believe this, but the Missouri Ozarks. A

town called Branson.”

“Huh?” Quinn and Ben said in unison.
“It’s in the southern part of Missouri, big tourist attraction. Lots of

innocent blood donors walking around if you catch my drift.” Lachlan
laughed without humor.

Ben had a feeling Malcolm had upped and moved to a different

location, but he was ecstatic to hear he was still in the same state.
Malcolm hadn’t moved across the country or worse to another
continent. But how could Lachlan be certain?

“Lachlan, what’s this lead you have?” Ben asked. He nervously

chewed on the inside of his cheek as he waited for the man’s
response. It wouldn’t be wise to get his hopes up for a false lead.

“A friend of mine from the wolf pack that bordered our pride from

when I was kid lives in Branson. He caught sight of Malcolm’s right-
hand man, Lucian.”

“Is he sure, Lachlan?” Quinn asked. He darted his eyes to Ben

every few seconds.

“Oh yeah, he’s sure. The sick bastard tried to pick up on his little

brother.” Lachlan shook his head in disgust. “The kid is barely
seventeen years old.”

“But is he certain?” Ben shouted.
“Yes, Ben. When my buddy, Aaron, got into it with the jerk, he

flaunted around how Malcolm would come after his pack for showing
such lack of respect to such superior beings.” Lachlan laughed
harshly. “No offense guys, but superior my ass.”

“None taken.” Quinn looked over at Ben waiting for him to give

the order.

“I guess we’re going to the Ozarks.” A smiled crossed Ben’s lips.

“And once I find my mate, I’m going to kill that prick for taking what
didn’t belong to him.”

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101

“Now that’s the Ben I know.” Quinn clapped him on the shoulder.

Quinn looked back to Lachlan. “You heard the man. Round up the
troops. We have a mission to go on.”

Lachlan gave them a salute and rushed out of the room. All the

warriors knew how important it was to Ben to find Miles. Not just for
Ben but for them all. In the short time they’d spent with his mate, they
all had developed a friendship with him. It was easy to like Miles. He
had an openness that invited others in.

Ben headed for the door then turned to look over his shoulder at

Quinn. Tears clouded his vision as he grinned at his old friend.
“Thanks for the pep talk.”

“No thanks needed. You would have done the same for me.”
Ben nodded then rushed out of the room and down the stairs.

Quinn followed close behind. They needed to get everything together
so they could get to Miles before Malcolm decided to move again.

“And where do you two think you’re going in such a rush?”
Ben and Quinn both skidded to a stop at the sight of Trevor

standing before them with his hands on his hips. An upset Trevor
frightened Ben just a tad bit. The man was like a ticking time bomb
that no one knew when he would explode.

Ever since Miles had been abducted, Trevor’s mood swings had

been a force to be reckoned with. His emotions were all over the
charts. Having just become a vampire didn’t help matters either. With
all new vamps, their emotions ran a little higher. They could be
unpredictable, and that was exactly how Trevor had been lately.

would fly off the handle at the drop of a hat at the slightest thing. Ben
couldn’t fault him that since he had been acting the same way.

“We got a lead on Miles?”
Ben’s brow wrinkled in confusion when he looked at Quinn. He

answered in the form of a question rather than making a statement.
Ben found that odd.

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Trevor snapped as he moved

toward them.

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Ben didn’t have time for this. “He’s telling you. So if you excuse

us, we need to be going.”

Ben was brought up short when Trevor shoved him up against the

nearby wall. “You’re not going anywhere without me.”

Quinn gasped and both Ben and Trevor looked at him with wide

eyes.

“Fuck that. You’re not going, Trev. Your sweet little ass is staying

right here where it’s safe.” Quinn proceeded to walk down the
hallway.

Trevor’s hold on him went lax, and he was able to detangle the

fist in his shirt. He followed behind Trevor who in return followed
Quinn.

“Excuse me, you’re not my boss. That is my family that sick freak

has. And let’s not forget the last time you guys left us here.” Trevor
stopped walking, abruptly sending Ben tripping over his feet not to
trample the smaller man. “I’m going to regret saying this later, but
I’m not safe unless I’m with you.”

Quinn stumbled to a stop. He slowly turned on his heel to look at

his mate. “You really think that?”

Ben wanted to get a move on it, but he was curious about the

man’s answer. After all Quinn had said about having a witch cast a
spell so his mate wouldn’t feel the bond, he had to wonder if fate was
stronger than magic.

“Yes I do.” Trevor looked offended that Quinn even asked.

“Granted, since I met you people my life has turned upside down, but,
Quinn, you’ve been teaching me how to fight, and how to be a
vampire. And after spending so much time with you, I know you’re a
man of honor. So I know when I say I need to help save my cousin,
you will understand.”

Trevor shrugged his shoulders. “What wouldn’t you do for

someone you love?”

Ben watched as his friend stood there stunned. What poor Trevor

didn’t know was that Quinn didn’t want him to go because of the love

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103

he had for his young mate, but Quinn couldn’t tell him that. It would
give his secret away.

“Please, Trevor, you don’t have to do this. You’re still training,

and you’re not ready for this type of battle.”

This discussion was all for nothing. Ben didn’t have time for this,

and in the end, knowing Trevor the way he did, there was no way they
could leave without the man.

“Trevor, you can go.” Trevor clapped his hands together in

excitement as Quinn starred daggers at him. “On the condition you
stay with Quinn at all times. If anything happens to you, Miles would
never forgive me.” Neither would Quinn.

“I will, I swear it.”
Quinn’s jaw clenched, and his face flushed a bright crimson. He

laughed bitterly. “You have to do everything I say. You got that,
Trevor?” His mate nodded. “Just remember that because I will not
hesitate to tie you down and paddle your ass in the process.”

“I got it.” Trevor got silent as he dropped his eyes to stare at the

floor. After a moment, he looked up at Quinn through his thick
eyelashes. “I trust you, Quinn. I’ll do whatever you say. Just please
understand why I need to come.”

As the silence carried on, Ben spoke up. “He knows why you

want to come. Just remember to listen and pay attention.”

Trevor gave a quick nod, and all three men started walking down

the hallway where the other warriors gathered in the garage, filling
the SUV’s with weapons for the fight ahead.

Ben smiled as he watched his men prepare. They would follow

him through the gates of hell, no questions asked. Speaking his
gratitude would fall on deaf ears. They would shuck off any words of
thanks. They were warriors, and they stuck together when push came
to shove.

Once on the highway, Ben was able to relax. He rode with Quinn

and Trevor. Quinn drove while Trev rode shotgun while he rested in

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the back. For the first time in several days, he felt the rays of hope
blossom in his soul.

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105

Chapter Eleven

The sun had set by the time they reach the outskirts of Branson,

Missouri. Heavy wooded area surrounded them. This was the type of
environment wolves inhabited. It gave them plenty of room to run and
hunt.

Lachlan had called ahead to his friend Aaron to get directions to

the alpha’s home. This pack’s current alpha was still new to his rank.
Lachlan hadn’t met the man, but according to Aaron, he could be
trusted and would help in any way necessary. And that was good
enough for Ben.

“Holy cow, look at that house.” Trevor leaned forward and

pressed his face to the window. “It’s the biggest log cabin I have ever
seen,” Trevor exclaimed as his eyes widened at the sight of the large
home.

Ben shifted to look at his window. Yep, typical alpha wolf

housing. He had no ill feelings toward wolves, but they liked to rough
it in style. The majority of wolves Ben had met liked to live in
supreme comfort in the middle of nowhere. The secluded location
helped hide who and what they were from human society.

“It is a beauty, isn’t it?” Quinn said as he pulled into the gravel

drive and parked their vehicle.

Ben climbed out of the car and stretched his legs as his fellow

warriors parked alongside them. He nodded to each man as they filed
in beside him waiting for the order to proceed to the house.

Once everyone was accounted for, Ben started for the front door.

He was surprised the alpha or hell, even another wolf, didn’t come out
to greet them. At the door, he knocked twice and waited. Wolves had

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excellent hearing, and knocking any more than that would have been
an insult. Only seconds passed before the door swung open.

“Good evening, gentlemen. You must be Ben? I’m Garrett

Carrington, alpha of this pack.”

Ben shook the offered hand and stepped inside when Garrett

gestured for his entrance. A fire burned in the fireplace. It helped take
the bite of chill out of the air.

“Yes, I’m Ben, and these are my fellow Warriors of the Light.”
“Sorry, boss, had to grab my laptop. I got the coordinates for

Malcolm’s location in it.” Lachlan looked up and stumbled to a stop.
He nearly dropped his bag as he stared in shock at Garrett.

Ben looked to Garrett then back to Lachlan. “Lachlan, are you

okay?” Ben could feel a steady rise in tension coming from both men.
The warriors closed rank on Lachlan, keeping him safe from whatever
potential threat that had him stunned.

“I’ve found you,” Garrett whispered as he stepped forward.
Ben reacted on pure instincts and blocked the alpha’s path to

Lachlan. “Garrett, what’s going on?”

Garrett bumped chests with Ben. The man’s teeth started to

lengthen, and he howled so loud the walls shook. Ben grabbed his
ears at the deafening sound.

“Get out of my way, vampire,” Garrett growled.
“Make me,” Ben seethed at the wolf.
Ben raised his fist just as Garrett drew back his arm to land his

own punch. It wasn’t the time, but Ben had already lost his mate,
Sayer had been abducted, and he’d lost Cabot to death. He wasn’t
taking any chances with this alpha approaching him or any of his
fellow warriors.

“Stop it, please.”
With his arm stopped in midswing, he and Garrett both turned to a

scared Lachlan.

“Ben, he’s my mate.”

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107

Well that explained Garrett’s quick shift in temperament toward

him. When one found their mate, the possessiveness was felt
instantaneously. The need to protect and claim could cloud one’s
better judgment, especially for young paranormals. As paranormals
got older, the easier it became to control their possessive nature.

“Please forgive me, alpha Garrett. I didn’t mean to insult you in

your own home. It’s just I have suffered quite a few losses. I wasn’t
willing to chance anymore,” Ben said as he stepped aside to let
Garrett move toward Lachlan.

“No, please accept my apologies, Ben.” Garrett looked at him then

back to Lachlan. “Seeing my mate just took me by surprise. I meant
no disrespect.”

Ben smiled. “None taken. I know the joy in finding your mate.

Never apologize for that.” His heart felt heavy remembering when he
first laid eyes on Miles. He wanted to run to him and claim him
instantly, but it wasn’t feasible. But when he did, it felt like the
heavens opened up and sang their praise for his and Miles’s union,
truly a happy day. A tear leaked out of his eye, and he quickly wiped
it away.

“Guys, I know this whole mating thing is a big deal to you

vamps”—Trevor cocked his head to the side to look at the alpha—
“and werewolves?” He looked to Quinn, who nodded his head. “But
my cousin is still missing, and I would like to find him before
Malcolm runs off with him again.”

At Trevor’s words, Ben shook off his grief. He had to focus.

Finding Miles was the most important thing at the moment.

“He’s right.” Garrett looked at Lachlan when he spoke. “Finding

Miles outweighs us right now.” Lachlan waved his hand between him
and Garrett.

Ben was beyond grateful when Garrett nodded his agreement.

Tonight was the night they rescued his mate and put an end to
Malcolm’s reign of terror.

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“I have maps and blueprints of the home he’s being held at,”

Garrett said as he led the way to the dining room. “As soon as I heard
what was going on, I had my own men do a reconnaissance mission
of the property.”

The alpha looked at Lachlan when he spoke. Ben wasn’t offended.

He could relate to the all-consuming need to be near one’s mate.

“I appreciate all this. You have no idea, Garrett.” Ben’s words

came out hoarse. He was touched by the kind nature of this wolf. His
thinking ahead saved them time from having to do all the legwork
before they attacked.

Garrett smiled at Ben. “No thanks needed.” He looked back to

Lachlan. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do to find my mate had he been
taken.”

Three hours later, they stood outside a large stone house. By all

appearances, the house looked like any other home one would come
upon in the country. However, the one thing other houses in the area
didn’t have were guards patrolling the property.

“What do you think?”
Ben blew out a hard breath as he turned to look at Quinn. “I think

we need to be prepared for anything and everything. Miles is
Malcolm’s mate as well. He won’t give up without one hell of a
fight.” Ben could attest to this because it was the way he felt.

“Neither will we, my friend. Neither will we.”
“Thank you, Quinn.” Ben’s voice was thick with emotion. “I

couldn’t have done this without you. You helped me regain my faith.”

Quinn pulled him into an embrace. Ben held tight. In battle,

anything could happen, and he wanted his best friend to know how
appreciative he was for all his years of loyalty and hard work.

“Are you ladies done getting all Hallmark on us?”
Ben and Quinn turned to look at Trevor. The man’s sarcastic

tongue didn’t falter even when faced with possible death. Ben
admired the young man’s strength.

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109

Trevor looked at them both with steady eyes. “Okay then, let’s

storm this castle and get medieval on their asses.”

Quinn chuckled. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
“I agree.” Ben mouthed a silent thank-you to Trevor who winked

in return. “Men, get into position. Leave no survivors. On three, we
move forward. One, two, three.”

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Chapter Twelve

Miles paced his room. Astrid had not been to visit in the past two

days. At first, Miles assumed with the recent move Astrid wasn’t sure
how to find him. They had figured out if the witch could visualize
where he wanted to go, within a short distance, he could teleport into
that room.

Astrid had become quite good at using and developing his magical

skills. Miles was impressed with Astrid’s thirst for knowledge and
eagerness to discover new things. His not being trained properly did
frighten Miles just a little. But they had become such good friends,
and even though Astrid was a witch, he wouldn’t dare leave this
house of horrors without him.

“Astrid, where are you?” Miles whispered under his breath as he

paced his room. “I need to know you’re okay.”

Late at night when he should have been sleeping, he would lie

awake and listen to the guards talk, in hopes of hearing where they
had moved to. And what he’d heard that first night set his blood
boiling with rage.

The word around the corridor was that Lucian had worked Astrid

over good. The guards said something about some wolf shifter giving
Lucian a hard time and that he needed to work out his aggression and
had used Astrid as his punching bag.

Miles picked the pillow up off his bed and threw it across the

room. Silly really, but it made him feel better. Since the move, all he
had in his room was a bed frame, mattress, and bed linens. So unless
he wanted to punch a wall, throwing his pillows around was his only
option to let off some steam.

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111

The fear he felt for Astrid ate at him. The man was tiny and

malnourished, by no means able to protect himself. Miles wasn’t
much bigger or a fighter by any means, but he wanted to protect
Astrid. The man was so innocent and fragile, and he couldn’t
understand how someone could hurt him.

Miles flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. His

breaths came out in a rush. It had been close to two weeks since he
had seen Ben last. Each passing day, piece by piece, his hope started
to dwindle. If Ben hadn’t found him yet, what were the odds he would
find him at all?

Every night, Malcolm would come into his room. He never forced

him, and for that Miles was grateful, but he did make his intentions
clear. Miles had one year to grow to love him, or he would have a
witch stronger than Astrid cast a love spell taking the choice out of
Miles’s hands.

Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Where did he go wrong

in his life to deserve all this?

The sound of gunshots had him sitting up on his bed. The

vibrations of the guard’s footsteps as they ran down the hall let him
know something was definitely not right.

“Miles.”
Miles jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder. He spun

around with his fist raised in the air ready to defend himself.

“Please don’t hurt me.” Astrid dropped to the floor with his hands

covering his head.

“No, I would never hurt you, buddy.” Miles fell to his knees and

gathered a scared Astrid in his arms. The man was trembling so
violently Miles feared the man would go into shock. “Astrid, you just
scared me, that’s all. I could never hurt you.”

Astrid pulled his hands back and looked up into Miles’s eyes.

Miles gasped at the condition his friend was in. Both eyes were
blackened, lips scabbed over from being busted open, and bruises
marred his pale skin. He had never seen someone who had suffered a

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beating like this before. How Astrid survived, he hadn’t a clue. By the
appearance of his face, Miles could just image how the rest of
Astrid’s body looked.

“I think I know that, but I’m just so scared.” Tears ran down

Astrid’s swollen cheeks. “Did you hear the gunshots?”

Miles nodded his head. “I did. Do you know what’s going on?”
“No, but I’m so afraid.” Miles pulled Astrid close as he cried.
The sounds of shouting and more gunfire caused Miles to panic.

Was this something that happened often with Malcolm, or had the
cavalry come to rescue him? Hope chased his panic away.

Miles grabbed Astrid by the shoulders so the man faced him head

on. “Astrid, has this happened before? Do Malcolm’s homes come
under fire like this usually?”

“No.” Astrid shook his head.
A smiled spread across his face. “I think Ben has come to rescue

us.” His heart felt a little lighter at the possibility of being saved. Even
if it wasn’t Ben out there causing the fighting, it may just be enough
of a distraction to get him and Astrid out of the house unseen.

Miles got up and pulled Astrid along behind him. The tugging on

his hand had him stopping to stare at Astrid. “What is wrong with
you? We need to get out of here. Even if that’s not Ben outside, this
could be our only chance for escape.”

“But I’m a witch. You said your friend hated witches. Why would

he help me at all?”

“Yes, witches aren’t very popular in the paranormal world, but

you’re my friend. I will not leave without you.” Miles stepped closer
and gently cupped Astrid’s bruised face in his hands. “I’m your
family now, Astrid. Where I go, you go.”

“Family?” Astrid’s lips started to tremble again.
Miles smiled. “Yes. Family.” Astrid returned his smile. “Now are

you ready to break the hell out of here?”

Astrid nodded, and that was all Miles needed to proceed to the

door. When he tried the knob, it was locked. He cursed under his

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113

breath. Astrid pushed him aside and ran his hand over the knob and
the door clicked open.

“You’ve been practicing.”
Astrid shrugged. “You said to always practice. Practice makes

perfect.”

“Yes, I did. I’m glad even with everything that has happened to

you, you kept working on your magic. I can’t wait for you to show me
all you’ve learned.”

Miles could see the pride in Astrid’s eyes. He took hold of his

hand again and eased open the door. The hallway was clear, but he
could hear fighting coming from down the hall. The sounds of yelling,
snarling, and bodies being tossed around caused Miles’s heart to beat
a little faster as he edged his way down the hallway. He cringed when
he saw one of the guards that was stationed to watch him dead on the
ground. The man’s throat had been ripped out. He would like to have
said he felt bad, but he didn’t. Miles wrapped his arm around Astrid
and stepped over the dead carcass.

“Where is he?”
Miles froze at those words. It was Ben’s voice. He raced down the

hall with Astrid in tow. The need to see the man he loved overrode his
better judgment to stay out of sight.

As they neared the railing, what he saw damn near stopped his

heart. His lover was in battle against Malcolm. Quinn was up against
Lucian. All the men he met were in some sort of battle to the death
with the enemy.

Blood covered the foyer, along with debris from broken furniture.

It looked like a bomb had gone off in the house.

“Silly warrior. He’s no longer your mate. I claimed him two

weeks ago.”

“Liar.”
Miles could see the hurt in his lover’s eyes. He hated knowing he

caused such pain to Ben.

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“You know it’s the truth. You can’t best me in this battle. You’re

getting tired, and I’ve just begun to fight. The mating bond has made
me stronger than you can imagine. Tell me, warrior, would you like to
die before or after you watch me fuck my mate?”

Miles watched as Ben charged Malcolm. Malcolm had a knife in

his hand ready to impale Ben on its length. Not knowing what else to
do, Miles ran down the stairs and skidded to a stop. A piece of broken
glass lay on the floor at his feet, and he snatched up the shard.

“Stop!”
Everyone seemed to be frozen. No one moved or spoke a word.

All eyes were on him, and he only had one chance to fix this problem.
Miles just hoped one day Ben would understand.

“Sweetheart, what are you doing out of our room?”
Miles turned to face Malcolm and raised the piece of glass in his

hand. “Shut up, you sick freak.” Miles darted his eyes to Ben. “He
forced me. He had a spell cast on me that took away my free will.”
Tears welled in his eyes. “Please, Ben, say that you believe me.”

Ben took a step toward him, and Miles raised the piece of glass at

him.

“Baby, what are you doing?”
Miles shook his head. His body felt heavy. Knowing what needed

to be done would only be harder if Ben got too close.

“Ben, stay right where you’re at.”
“See, you fool, he doesn’t want you either.” Malcolm’s harsh

laughter echoed off the marble floors.

“Miles.”
Standing next to Quinn was Trevor. Miles’s hands started to

shake. He didn’t want Trevor to witness this, but what choice did he
have? To save them all, he had to sacrifice himself to weaken
Malcolm.

Tears blurred his vision as he looked at Ben. “It’s the only way.”
With strength he didn’t know he possessed, he raised the glass to

his throat and swiped the sharp edge against his skin. The tissue

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115

separated easily, and blood fell freely from the wound. Miles gasped
for breath, but it was pointless. He fell to the floor.

The sounds of screaming and fighting ricocheted all around the

room as his blood puddled around him. His body became cold, and he
could no longer feel any pain.

Ben had said if one mate died, the other became weakened. He

hoped he gave Ben the opportunity he needed to end Malcolm. If
Miles’s plan worked, it would be for the best, sacrifice one to save
many.

His vision began to fade. Miles wasn’t sure if it was his mind

playing tricks on him or not, but he mouthed the words “I love you”
to the image of Ben standing over him. Then his eyes fell shut, and an
all-consuming numbness engulfed him.

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Chapter Thirteen

“No!” Ben screamed as he watched Miles slit his own throat.
“What have you done?” Malcolm shouted as he fell to his knees,

grabbing at his chest.

Ben started toward Miles but then stopped. His mate had given

him this one chance, and he wouldn’t let Miles’s sacrifice be for
nothing. Picking up a machete one of the dark warriors had dropped,
he turned toward Malcolm.

“You will die for this,” Ben said through clenched teeth. His heart

had just been ripped out, and someone had to be held accountable for
the rage inside him.

“You can’t kill me.” Malcolm tried to laugh, but it only came out

as a wheeze. “I have information daddy dearest is going to want. You
can’t kill me, stupid boy.”

“You want to bet.”
With that, Ben swung his arm around and brought the blade down

to Malcolm’s neck. The fear he saw in the man’s eyes before the
deathblow came gave him little satisfaction. To know his mate had to
die to give him the chance to stop Malcolm made killing him
meaningless.

Malcolm’s head fell to the floor with a wet thud. Blood coated the

hard floor. No sense of peace came with this kill. He didn’t know
what Malcolm meant by saying he had information for his father. If it
were true, his father would have told him.

“Get away from him.”

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117

Ben spun on his heel at Trevor’s frantic shouting. He saw a small

man kneeling beside Miles chanting words he couldn’t make out. The
only paranormals who chanted like that were witches.

Fear for his mate had him running at full speed to Miles’s side. He

had to get the witch away from his Miles. He neared the small group
surrounding Miles.

“Knock it off, Trevor.” Quinn pulled a squirming Trevor away

from Miles. “He’s trying to save him.”

The small man continued to chant. Ben kneeled on the opposite

side of Miles and caressed the cold skin that use to be so vibrant. His
hands shook as he combed his hands through Miles’s soft brown hair.

“Are you Ben?”
Ben looked up to meet the small man’s eyes. “Yes.”
“My name is Astrid. Miles is my friend.” Ben nodded. “I’m

keeping him alive, but I need your help.”

“What? I’ll do anything.” Ben wiped the tears from his eyes.
“Miles said you were a vampire.” Astrid hesitantly reached a

shaky hand out to Ben’s shoulder. “You have to turn him to save him.
I’m not good at magic and can only keep the wound closed for so
long.” Astrid’s voice shook. “Please save him. He’s all I have.”

Skepticism lingered in Ben in dealing with any witch, but if he

could help save his mate, he would do anything. Ben looked down at
a lifeless Miles, and he hated knowing he was taking the decision of
whether or not he became a vampire out of his hands, but he had no
choice in the matter. To save Miles he had to turn him.

He gathered Miles in his arms and held the man close to his chest.

“Please forgive me, my love.”

Ben struck fast. There was no time to spare. His fangs pierced the

ice-cold flesh of his mate’s neck. He sucked as much blood as he
could into his mouth then licked the small wound closed. Glancing to
his side, Ben picked up the piece of glass that Miles had used to end
his life. It seemed only fitting to use the same instrument to bring him
back.

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Ben gritted his teeth as he sliced a mark across his wrist. Blood

dripped like rain and splattered to the floor. With as much care as he
could, Ben pulled open Miles’s mouth and covered it with his
bleeding wrist, letting his blood bring life back into Miles.

The wound closed, and Ben brought the glass back up to cut

another mark.

“Ben, stop!” Quinn shouted as he came to kneel by him. “It only

takes one sip for the change to occur. Giving him more will not
change the inevitable.”

Ben looked up at his friend. The words Quinn spoke sounded so

far away, like Ben was trapped in a tunnel, only able to hear echoes
from the world outside. A shudder racked through his body, and a sob
was wrenched from his throat.

“Miles is strong, my friend.” Quinn wrapped an arm around Ben’s

shoulders and hugged him tight. “Have faith.”

“Is he going to live? Why isn’t he moving? If you turned him,

shouldn’t he be awake or at least breathing or some shit?” Trevor’s
words were coming out fast and breathless. “Why is nothing
happening?”

“It all depends on the person how soon they awake,” Ben

whispered. He continued to comb his fingers through Miles’s blood-
matted hair.

Please wake up. Please, for me. I can’t live without you.
“Miles spoke of you often.”
Ben shifted his eyes to look at the sprite of a man sitting next to

his mate. He had almost forgotten about the witch.

“He said he loved you more than anything.” Astrid giggled. “Even

after you brought all the crazy into his life.” He shrugged. “I’m not
sure what that means, but it made Miles laugh.”

A laugh escaped his own lips. Yep, that sounded like his mate.

Taking a deep breath, Ben held a hand out to the smaller man. “My
name is Ben, as you already know. What is yours?”

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119

The man looked frightened as he reached out his hand to shake

Ben’s. “Astrid.”

Ben’s heart broke at how timid Astrid was. If Miles had

befriended the witch, he must be worthy.

“Astrid, I’m very grateful for you trying to save Miles.”
“But we don’t know if it worked.” Tears streaked Astrid’s face.

“He was the only friend I had. If he leaves me, I’m all alone again.”

Quinn walked over and sat next to Astrid. “You’re not alone, my

young witch. If you’re a friend of Miles’s, then you’re a friend of
ours.” Ben nodded when Quinn looked at him. “I want to invite you
back to our home with us.”

“Will I be able to stay with Miles?” Fear and panic laced his

words.

Ben looked up. “Yes, Astrid.” He lifted Miles up into his arms. “I

want this house burned to the ground. Leave no survivors.”

“That fucker got away.”
Ben swung around. “Who?” The one person he wanted dead was

dead, so he couldn’t possible think who Cason was referring to.

“Lucian.” Cason stood with his hands on hips. “Once you dropped

Malcolm over there”—he nodded his chin toward the headless
corpse—“He took off. The twins and I couldn’t catch him.”

“Oh god, no.”
Astrid ran and huddled in the corner. The witch’s skin paled to an

ash white. His fear was evident in his uncontrollable shaking, and Ben
took a guess on who gave the poor man all those marks.

Still carrying Miles, he walked over and held a hand out to Astrid.

“Come now, Astrid. I will not let him hurt you again.”

The witch’s hand shook as he clasped onto Ben’s. Ben tugged

gently, pulling Astrid to his feet. He gave the small man a reassuring
smile.

Once everyone was safely out of the house, Abner and Jace lit the

matches and let them fall to the floor. Ben cradled Miles close as he
watched the house start to burn. So much sadness and death lingered

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in the air it made his stomach turn. All he had gained and all he stood
to lose was due to one evil man who knew no limits on the pain he
caused. Ben turned away from the fire and started back toward the
SUVs.

“Has anyone seen Finn?”
“Didn’t he shift when we stormed the house?” Quinn asked as he

kept walking.

“Yeah, but no one’s seen him since.”
As they came around the corner to the clearing in the woods, Ben

saw Finn. His heart hurt a little less at seeing the rattlesnake shifter.

“Where the fuck have you been?” Quinn shouted to the man.
“Had a bit of an issue come up,” Finn said as he brought his hand

up to scratch at the back of his head.

Ben opened the passenger door for Astrid to climb in then laid

Miles across the seat. Filled with concern for Miles, he let his second-
in-command handle the problem.

“What kind of issue?” Quinn asked.
Finn stepped over to the passenger door of the car he stood next to

and opened the door. “This kind of issue.”

“Holy fuck, is that a human?”
Ben turned around. “Astrid, I’ll be right back. Keep an eye on

Miles.” Astrid smiled at him, and he gave a quick nod.

“What the hell is going on here?” Ben asked as he moved to the

front of the crowd surrounding the other car.

What he saw was a young man, who, by all appearances was

asleep. But it didn’t answer why he was in the car and why he was
with Finn.

“Explain,” Ben snapped at the shifter.
“Well.” Finn ran a hand through his hair. “I kind of bit him.”
Could the night get any worse? Ben looked heavenward, begging

for a break. Taking a deep breath, he looked back to Finn. “Why?”

“He’s my mate.”

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Well, fuck it all. What could Ben say to that? He of all people

knew the importance of finding a mate and keeping them safe. But
with everything going on, Finn’s story would have to wait.

“Okay then.” Ben looked at the awestruck crowd behind him.

“Let’s move out.”

When no one moved, Ben clapped his hands together. That

seemed to wake the shocked group of men. They all filed into the
vehicles. He climbed into the car and picked Miles up and set the man
in his lap. Astrid scooted closer, and Ben didn’t mind. He knew what
it felt like to be alone and afraid of the unknown.

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Chapter Fourteen

Back at the house, Ben took Miles to their room. The need to

wash the blood and filth off his mate seemed the most important thing
for him to do.

Trevor took it upon himself to help with Astrid. After hearing the

heart-wrenching story of the life Astrid had lived for the past hundred
years under Malcolm’s care, there was no way anyone could hate the
frightened witch.

Ben laid Miles on the bed and very carefully removed his clothes.

The blood had dried to an ugly brown and covered the upper part of
Miles’s body. Every time Ben saw the crusted, rust-colored skin, his
heart broke a little more with every beat. To know his mate was
willing to end his own life to save him and his men spoke volumes at
what kind of man Miles was. He gave so much of himself no matter
the cost to his own well-being.

Ben filled the tub with warm water. Once it was half-full he took

off his own clothes and cradled Miles in his arms as he sank into the
water. Using the washcloth, he slowly washed Miles’s skin, trying his
best to wash away the memories one swipe at a time. After he
shampooed and rinsed Miles’s hair, he just sat there and held him
close, doing his best to comfort his mate the best he could. He wanted
to beg for forgiveness for not being there to protect him from that
terrible fate.

He hated thinking of what Miles had gone through. To know

Malcolm had mated Miles tore at his soul and piqued his anger to
unimaginable lengths. No one should ever be forced to mate, and
casting a spell to make a person think they wanted it didn’t count.

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Magic took a person’s free will away from them. All Malcolm did
was rape Miles, raped him with the help of magic.

The anger he felt was in no way toward Astrid. The poor man had

been held prisoner, beaten, and raped by that bastard, Lucian. Astrid
was untrained and only knew how to do the spells Malcolm showed
him. Astrid was just as much a victim as Miles was.

It inflamed him to know Lucian got away. But karma had a way

of giving back tenfold, and Ben couldn’t wait for Lucian to get his.
The man deserved to die for what he did to Astrid and to Trevor.

The water began to cool and Miles’s skin pebbled with goose

bumps. Ben lifted Miles from the tub and carried him to the bed. He
had a towel laid out and placed Miles on top of it. Ben gently dried
his mate off then tucked him under the comforter.

“Come back to me, my love.” Ben traced the side of Miles’s face

with a fingertip. “Please.”

Ben jerked in surprise when Miles nuzzled into his touch. He kept

his hand still as his mate rubbed his cheek against it.

“Miles?” He waited. Nothing happened. He said a little louder,

“Miles.”

Miles slept on. He should be happy knowing Miles was breathing

freely and he was showing signs of life. The hard part would be
waiting for him to wake up. He would give anything to see Miles’s
deep-brown eyes gazing up at him. With a heavy sigh, Ben stood up.
He had to contact his father in regards to all that had happened and
about Malcolm’s death.

The stress was taking its toll on Ben. His body ached, and his

bones creaked with every movement he made. He needed to feed, but
he couldn’t think of doing that until Miles woke up. The only blood
he craved was that of his handsome mate. One last look to Miles and
he slipped out the door.

“How is he?”
Ben finished shutting the door and turned to look at Quinn. “His

color is back but still not awake.”

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Quinn placed his hand on Ben’s shoulder, giving the only comfort

he could. “He’ll wake up. I just know he will.”

“Me, too, my friend. Me, too.” Ben squeezed Quinn’s hand then

started down the hall. “So what’s been going on while I’ve been
attending to my mate?” When Quinn frowned, he was almost afraid
he asked.

“Your father called. I didn’t tell him anything, and that really

seemed to piss him off, but I thought it was your place to tell him
what happened.”

Ben nodded. “You did the right thing. It’s for the best I explained

what took place.” His steps faltered. “Where is Astrid?” The last thing
Malcolm said still lingered in his head. Maybe the young witch knew
what that madman was talking about.

“Yeah, he’s with Trevor in the kitchen. That poor kid has never

had ice cream.” Quinn’s face mirrored his own shock. “So Trevor is
down there getting Astrid familiar with all kinds of junk food.”

“I want to speak to him before I call my father,” Ben said as he

took the steps down to the kitchen.

He walked into the large kitchen to see Trevor and a freshly

showered Astrid sitting at the table. Cookies, soda, chips, and five
different flavors of ice cream covered the table. A smile spread across
his face at seeing Astrid having fun and laughing with Trevor.
Hopefully Malcolm didn’t kill the poor guy’s spirit completely.

“Astrid, can I ask you a question?” Astrid looked up as he took

the seat next to him.

“Sure, Ben. If I can help with anything, I want to.”
After all he’d learned, it would be a long shot if Astrid knew

anything valuable.

“Before I killed Malcolm, he said that he had information my

father would want. Do you happen to know what that information
would be?”

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125

Astrid’s brow creased in thought as he nibbled on his lower lip.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know. Malcolm never told me anything. I really
don’t think he liked me too much.”

It was sad to listen to Astrid talk. He sounded so dejected.

Malcolm had really done a number on this witch. If Astrid only knew
how powerful he could one day become, he wouldn’t be so
downtrodden.

“It’s okay, Astrid. I was just curious to know if you had overheard

anything.” Ben patted Astrid on the shoulder and stood to leave.

“Wait a minute.” Ben turned to look back at Astrid. “Malcolm

never told me anything, but Lucian said some stuff.” Astrid’s voice
lowered to just above a whisper, and Ben wanted to find that sick
bastard and kill him for causing so much fear in Astrid.

Kneeling down to eye level with Astrid, Ben grabbed his hands

and held them softly. “You don’t have to be afraid anymore, Astrid. I
will not allow Lucian to hurt you anymore. I promise you that.”

Astrid gave a quick nod and took a deep breath. “One night when

he came to my room, he was upset, ranting about how much he hated
Malcolm.” Ben found that interesting. “He said that Malcolm should
team up with this head vampire guy who had loads of power and take
the Warriors of the Light out all at once.” Astrid’s eyes went wide as
he talked.

“Did Lucian say who this vampire was?” Ben had a sneaking

suspicion who this unnamed vamp might be.

Astrid shook his head. “No, just said he was one of the originals.”
This bit of info was extremely interesting. He needed to contact

his father immediately.

“Thank you, Astrid. You did good.” Ben mussed Astrid’s hair

with his hand as he stood up. Astrid smiled wide as he shoved a
spoonful of ice cream in his mouth.

Ben got to the hallway and turned to face Quinn. “I need to speak

to my father, now.” He rushed down to the new war room they had set
up. “Something isn’t adding up. Why would my father care where this

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original vamp is? He told us the mission from day one was finding
witches who use their magic for evil purposes and other paranormals
causing trouble in the world.”

“What do you think Benedict is up to?” Quinn followed fast on

his heels.

“I don’t know, but let’s find out.” Ben walked into the office,

pulled out a chair, and took a seat. He flipped open his laptop and
connected to his father’s Skype account.

“It’s about time you called to give an update, Son. I thought I was

going to have to send out the cavalry to find you.”

“If you were so worried, why didn’t you call me?”
“Well, Son, there are other missions going on besides this one

involving Malcolm.” His father cleared his throat. “So I’m assuming
you captured him?”

“Well, Father, quite a bit has happened since we spoke last.”
“Oh really? Do tell.”
“When we found Malcolm, we discovered he had a witch in his

company who has been held prisoner there for over a hundred years,
and he forced Astrid to cast a spell on Miles so he would mate with
Malcolm.” Ben watched very closely for any reaction from his father.
The old man seemed like this was of little of importance to him.

“Son, that is terrible. I’m sure we can ask our witches here at the

council to see if they can break the bond between your Miles and
Malcolm. But in the meantime, I want to speak to Malcolm. I’ll
charter a flight to pick him up, and we will put him into custody here
at council headquarters.”

Ben laughed harshly. “After all I’ve told you, all you care about is

getting Malcolm? We lost one of our warriors, my mate was
kidnapped, and there was all the abuse and suffering that followed in
Malcolm’s path, and all you care about is talking to him. Why?” Ben
could tell his father was holding something back from him.

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“Son, people die, and bad things happen. We can’t control

everything around us. Now get Malcolm ready. I want to question him
as soon as we have him in custody here.”

“Well, Father, that’s going to be a little hard.”
“Why’s that, Son?”
“Because he’s dead,” Ben said through clenched teeth.
“What?” his father screamed. “I told you to capture him, not kill

him. I never gave you permission to kill him. No kill order was
given.”

Ben’s fist balled up tight, turning his knuckles bone white. He

wanted to reach through the monitor and punch his father. “I gave the
order. Taking one’s mate is against our laws. Malcolm broke the
law.”

“So you killed him? From what you told me, he was Miles’s mate

as well. He was within his right to claim Miles since you had not.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Ben shouted and banged his fist

on the desktop. “That man was a monster, and you’re lecturing me for
killing him? I did the world a favor. Tell me why it was so important
for you to talk to Malcolm?”

Ben waited for what seemed like forever. His father turned his

head away from the webcam, and Ben could barely see his face. His
father, like himself, was immortal, which meant he didn’t age, and by
all appearances they looked more like brothers rather than father and
son. But as of lately, stress creased the area around his eyes and
mouth, making the once youthful skin appear withered. Keeping
secrets could do that to a person it seemed. “He had information on
Asher I wanted.”

Ben flinched at his father’s words. Why did he want to find

Asher? “Father, why are you wanting to find him after all this time?”

“I have my reasons, Son.” The mask fell back into place on his

father’s face. The calm and collected Benedict was back in control.
“I’ll send a CPB member out your way so we can get this Trevor

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marked as Warriors of the Light, and I’ll have him bring this Astrid
back to headquarters.”

“No.” Ben couldn’t let Astrid be sent away. The man never had a

family, and he’d just started to build that with Miles. He’d be damned
if he took that from him.

“No?”
“No, Father. Astrid is an innocent, and he has formed a bond with

my mate. I will not send him away,” Ben said in defiance.

“Son, witches are unpredictable. He could flip on you like that.”

His father snapped his fingers.

“I don’t care. He stays. I take full responsibility for him.”
“Fine, you can keep the witch.”
He was just getting ready to disconnect the call when he

remembered to inform his father of Lucian’s escape. “Father, I almost
forgot to tell you, Lucian got away.”

Benedict’s face lit up, and Ben knew what the next orders out of

his father’s mouth would be. “Capture him alive at all costs. I need
him alive.”

“Yes, sir.” Ben disconnected the call. He was done talking to his

father.

He wasn’t sure why the man needed to find Asher. What could be

so important after all these years? Ben shrugged. Sooner or later, the
truth would come out if his father liked it or not.

“Is it just me or was the old man being more cryptic than usual?”
“It’s not just you. My father is keeping something from us. I just

don’t know what.”

Ben followed Quinn out of the room. He tried his best not to think

about his father and his coldhearted ways. The only thing important
now was getting Miles better. All the other bullshit could just wait.
Until his mate was one hundred percent healed, he wasn’t going or
doing anything. His father would just have to live with that.

“Ben!”

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Fear grabbed at his chest at the sound of one of his men shouting

his name. What else could go wrong?

“Ben, he’s awake.” At his lack of words, Lawson went on. “Miles.

He’s awake.”

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Chapter Fifteen

A painful grumbling in his gut caused Miles to stir. It felt like he

hadn’t eaten in ages. He stretched his arms over his head and
snuggled deeper into the warm, soft comforter tucked around his
body.

Miles’s eyes popped open, and he jerked upright into a sitting

position. He gasped for breath and grabbed at his neck. The last thing
he remembered was slitting his own throat. But when he pulled his
hands away, there was no blood.

Jumping out of the bed, Miles ran to the bathroom. He tilted his

head from side to side, seeing no signs of damage to the delicate skin
covering his neck. His hands trembled as the last moments of his life
ran through his mind. The distraught look on Ben’s face had almost
stopped him from doing what he knew he had to do.

Miles leaned forward and rested his palms on the cold marble

countertop. He took deep breaths and tried his best to slow down his
rapid-beating heart. Looking up, he studied his reflection more
closely. Two small points jetting out from under his upper lip had him
screaming at the top of his lungs.

Footsteps pounded through the room and came to a sliding stop at

the entrance to the bathroom. Miles turned to see his cousin out of
breath, staring at him as if he had never seen him before. Miles threw
his hand up to cover his teeth. He didn’t want to frighten Trevor.

“You’re awake.” Miles nodded. Trevor squinted his eyes at him.

“What’s wrong with you? You’re acting funny.”

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131

He’s acting funny? Did they not just go through a big battle with

the bad guys, and didn’t Trevor remember Miles killing himself?
Becoming a vampire must have short-circuited his cousin’s brain.

“Miles?”
Miles stepped forward at the soft-spoken words. Astrid peeked

around Trevor’s shoulder, eyes big as saucers as he chewed on his
lower lip, while he stared at him.

Someone had cleaned Astrid up. If Miles didn’t know better, he

would never ever have thought the man had been held prisoner by
abusive evil men for the past hundred years.

Without any thought, Miles held his arms out to Astrid. Astrid

walked toward him with a smile on his face.

“You’re okay. I’ve missed you so much.” Astrid sobbed into

Miles’s bare chest.

“Oh my god, it’s only been a couple of hours, Astrid.” Trevor

rolled his eyes.

Miles hugged Astrid close, letting what warmth he had cover

Astrid. He dropped his head forward to kiss the top of Astrid’s head.
Miles felt like a big brother to the witch even though Astrid was way
older than Miles.

“I’ve missed you, too.” Miles hugged Astrid tighter. He was glad

Ben and the other warriors took Astrid in. Like it or not, Astrid was a
part of Miles’s family now, and if anyone had a problem with that
they would have to go through him.

“What am I? Chopped liver?” Trevor pouted.
“I missed you, too, little man.” Miles held his right arm out and

Trevor ran into the embrace. “Always together.”

“Never apart,” Trevor mumbled against Miles’s neck.
They stood there for Miles didn’t know how long, just holding

one another. The three of them were like the toys from misfit island.
In one form or another, they didn’t fit in. Miles would have liked to
stay there hugging for longer, but the need to eat and see his mate had
him pulling away from his family.

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“Where’s Ben?” Miles’s words came out slurred. His fangs had

dropped further down from his gums, causing him to talk with a slight
lisp.

“Takes some getting used to, doesn’t it?” Trevor chuckled.
Miles brought his hand up to cover his mouth before he spoke.

“Yes. And what happened? I should be dead, but I’m not. And
another thing, what happened to Malcolm?”

There were a ton of questions Miles needed answered. He

assumed Ben had turned him into a vampire, but what he didn’t
understand was how? He’d cut his own throat, deep. He had seen his
blood gush to the floor and felt all the warmth leave his body. How
had he survived long enough to be turned into anything but a dead
person?

“Let me get Ben.” Trevor took his arm and guided him back to the

bed. “Astrid and I will stay with you until Ben gets up here. I know he
is dying to see you.” Trevor smiled and went into the hallway and
barked an order for one of the guards to get Ben.

Miles relaxed back onto the bed. Astrid cuddled close and held

onto Miles like he thought he would disappear if he didn’t.

“Astrid, buddy, I’m okay. There’s no need to worry anymore.”
Astrid rubbed his head against Miles’s shoulder. “I know, but you

almost died, and I would have been left all alone.” Astrid turned sad
eyes up to Miles. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.”

“Oh god, Astrid, you will never be alone again. Where I go, you

go.” Miles grinned down at Astrid. “We’re a family, and family sticks
together.”

“Family?” Astrid looked off into space as if thinking about the

notion. “I like that.”

“Just so you two know, I’m the cute one in this trio of a family.”

Trevor laughed as he jumped out of the way to dodge the pillow Miles
threw at him.

“Always a smart-ass.” Miles patted the bed on his other side for

Trevor to come sit beside him. “How’s the whole vampire thing

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going? The council isn’t going to punish you just because you were
turned by a dark warrior?”

“No, but I have to be marked like the warriors here. You know

that neat-looking tattoo they have on their necks?” Miles nodded. “I
get one of them.”

Miles stared at his cousin silently for a few seconds. “How is it?

Being a vampire?”

Trevor shrugged. “Not bad. Quinn has been helping me, and we

get bagged blood so I don’t have to go all Dracula on anyone.”

Thank god. Miles couldn’t go through life sucking blood from

innocent people. Even if he didn’t kill them, just the thought of biting
strangers made him uneasy.

Voices in the hall had Miles looking up. It was as if just thinking

of Ben made him appear. Miles smiled at the man he loved more than
the air he breathed. The pained look on his Ben’s face worried Miles,
but he kept his smile in place. Ben needed him to be strong.

As Ben slowly walked toward him, Trevor and Astrid made a

hasty exit out of the room. For that, he was grateful. He missed his
mate so very much. It felt like years, not days, since he’d seen him
last.

Ben fell to his knees as he hugged Miles around his waist. Tears

damped his skin as Ben’s tears ran like a stream down his cheeks.
Miles combed his fingers through Ben’s thick golden hair. His heart
skipped a beat at the sight of his big strong warrior crying for him.
What they shared was real, and to call it anything less than love
would be an insult to what they felt for one another.

“You’re alive,” Ben spoke into Miles’s stomach.
Miles giggled. Ben’s stubbled chin tickled his stomach when he

spoke. “Yes, and I have you to thank for that.”

Ben pulled back to search Miles’s eyes. “You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” Miles slapped at Ben’s arm. “I’m alive,

and we get to be together. Me, be mad?” Miles pointed at his chest.
“Please, I’m so happy right now nothing could get me down.”

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Ben smiled. “That’s good to know.” He stood up and moved

Miles over then sat on the bed. “It wasn’t just me who saved you, but
Astrid.”

“What?” Miles’s eyes opened wide in surprise at that. He wasn’t

aware Astrid knew a spell for something like that.

“Yeah. I think that little guy can make things happen just by

wanting it to happen. You know? It was weird. He knelt over you,
chanting. Then he told me he couldn’t keep you alive forever that way
and that I had to turn you to keep you alive. So I did.”

“I’m glad you did.” Miles intertwined his fingers with Ben’s. He

didn’t want to, but he had to ask what happened to Malcolm and his
cronies. “Where is Malcolm?”

Ben’s fingers squeezed tightly around Miles’s. “You don’t

remember?” Miles shook his head. “He’s dead. After you did what
you did, I took the chance you gave me to kill him.”

The pain of mating and having had sex with Malcolm was like an

open wound, painful and oozing every time he moved. The
remembrance of what he had done dampened his happiness at being
here with Ben. Miles turned tear-filled eyes up to Ben. “I’m sorry for
what I did, but I’m even more sorry for sleeping with him.” Miles’s
body started to shake from the sheer emotion and disgust he felt in
himself.

“Baby, no, don’t do this to yourself.” Ben picked Miles up and

cradled him in his lap. “I don’t blame you for any of that. When
magic is involved, there is nothing you can do. Miles, baby, you had
no choice.”

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Miles hugged Ben closed to him.

Even with everything he knew and knowing that what had happened
between him and Malcolm had been broadcasted to all the warriors,
Ben still forgave and wanted him. Their love was stronger than
anything imaginable.

The stirrings of arousal wormed their way into Miles’s

bloodstream. The unconditional love Ben had for him had his body

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135

craving the man’s touch. He wanted to be kissed and fucked by the
only man who would ever have that pleasure for the rest of Miles’s
life.

Miles turned to straddle Ben’s hips. “I want you,” Miles purred.

He then kissed and nipped at Ben’s soft earlobe.

Ben’s head fell back against the headboard. His moan rang out

through the silent room. Miles continued to kiss and suck his way
down to Ben’s neck. Once there, he lapped at the skin where Ben’s
pulse beat a rapid tempo. Miles growled lightly, and Ben jerked when
the two sharp fangs pierced his skin.

“I’m so sorry.” Miles jumped off Ben’s lap and crawled backward

on the bed to get away. He was embarrassed and felt ashamed that he
would bite Ben without his permission.

“Miles, stop. I’m not mad.” Ben motioned with his hand for Miles

to come back to him. “You just caught me off guard.” Ben ran his
fingers through Miles’s short hair, causing him to tremble with need.
“I want you to take blood from me and only me. Like I said before,
everything I have is yours.”

Miles hugged Ben. “I’m sure when you said that before, you

didn’t mean your blood.”

“Actually, I had hoped for one day that it would include my

blood.”

Miles looked at him with raised eyebrows. He didn’t understand.
“From the day I met you, I wanted to claim you and turn you.”

Ben’s eyes closed tight. “You’re my soul mate, and if I have to live an
eternity I want it to be with you.” Ben’s eyes blinked open.

Miles didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t angry at being a

vampire because it granted him one thing life as a mere mortal
couldn’t give him, time. Lots and lots of time. Miles crushed his lips
to Ben’s and let the love he felt for his mate seep in through the kiss.
Without any doubt Ben was the love of Miles’s life, and now thanks
to Ben, with the help of Astrid, it would be a very long life.

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Miles gently pulled away from Ben’s seeking lips. His breathing

was heavy, but so was Ben’s. Emotions like never before consumed
him, and he knew the one thing they needed to do to make this union
complete.

“Make me your mate.”

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Chapter Sixteen

Ben couldn’t believe his ears. He had waited centuries to hear

those words from his destined mate, and now he just had.

He smiled up at Miles. “Are you sure? There’s no going back.

Once I mate you, you’re mine, and I play for keeps.”

“Like you could ever get rid of me.” Miles crossed his arms over

his chest. “And let’s not forget it goes both ways, mister. You will be
mine as well.” Miles wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck. “And I
will never let you go.”

“Good to know.” Ben nipped at Miles’s full bottom lip. He loved

the way his mate moaned from the teasing bite.

He laid Miles out on the bed and very slowly kissed his way down

his mate’s body. Goose bumps broke out across Miles’s skin from his
touch. Ben sucked at Miles’s tightly pebbled nipples. It felt like ages
since he had the pleasure of tasting his lover’s flesh.

Ben kept working his way lower toward the bulging erection

caught behind Miles’s cotton pajama bottoms. He sat back and
reached out with his hands to work the material down Miles’s legs.
His mouth watered at the sight of his mate’s straining cock laying
against his abdomen.

Miles’s body jerked as Ben fell forward and engulfed the heavy

erection into his mouth. The sweet taste of Miles’s seed exploded
across his tongue, and he hummed his pleasure. No one had ever
tasted as good as his mate did. Ben could get drunk on Miles’s sweet
flavor.

Ben slowed down his efforts and bobbed his head up and down

slowly on Miles’s cock. He wanted to take things slow. Less than two

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weeks ago, Miles had gone through the mating process with Malcolm,
and that experience had to have left a bad taste in his young mate’s
mouth. Ben wanted Miles to enjoy every single second of their mating
so when he looked back five hundred years from now, he would have
no regrets.

“Oh god, Ben. Stop teasing. Make love to me already,” Miles

panted.

He grazed his teeth lightly up the length of Miles’s cock and

nibbled at the flared head. Miles’s cum leaked from the tip, and Ben
lapped up every last drop. Ben released Miles from his mouth and
reached for the bedside table drawer. He pulled out a bottle of lube
that had been placed there. The need to get his mate ready was the
most important thing to do. He would never hurt Miles no matter how
turned on he was.

The sound of the cap popping open sounded loud in the quiet

room. Ben covered two fingers with the clear liquid. He used his free
hand to push Miles’s legs up and out. Ben’s breath caught in his
throat at the sight of Miles’s pretty pink pucker staring at him silently,
begging to be filled.

Ben reached forward and circled the small opening. Miles

trembled beneath him. Very slowly, he breached the tight muscle. He
gasped when Miles’s inner muscles clamped down on the invading
fingers. Hot, tight heat sucked his fingers in. Miles started to pump his
hips downward on Ben’s fingers.

“Easy, my love.” Ben ran his hand up Miles’s side to rest at his

hip. “There is no rush. We have all the time in the world.”

“Yeah we do, but I’m ready to come.” Miles gulped.
A fine sheen of sweat broke out over Miles’s body, and Ben could

see the urgency in his mate’s eyes. The need to feed and to come was
controlling Miles’s every action. Ben could relate. He wanted to taste
his mate’s blood and fill his body with his seed.

Not wanting to wait any longer either, Ben added a third then a

fourth finger into Miles’s hole. He stretched and caressed the silken

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139

walls of his lover’s tight channel. He made sure to curl his fingers
forward to rub up against Miles’s prostate. The action caused him to
jerk and shout out his pleasure.

“Now!” Miles cried out.
Ben removed his fingers from Miles’s ass and quickly stood up.

He tore his clothes off his body. The need to claim Miles had come.

Ben crawled up between Miles’s spread legs and smoothed his

fingers down Miles’s lightly furred thighs. The skin prickled at his
touch. Miles’s moans were growing louder, and his eyelids hung
heavy with desire. Ben grabbed the lube and covered his pulsing shaft
then scooted up close to the glistening entrance that was welcoming
him inside.

Their combined sighs filled the room as Ben’s cock pushed

through Miles’s hole. Ben wanted to go fast but needed to take his
time. There were things to make this mating complete and binding
that had to be done.

The blood-sex-magic spell had to be followed properly for the

mating to take effect. They had to mix each other’s blood together.
With Miles being a vampire now, they could just bite one another’s
necks without accidently turning him. Before, the plan was simple,
cut a mark on Miles’s hand, but now Miles could drink from him.
Excitement boiled at the base of Ben’s spine at the mere thought of
Miles’s pearly-white fangs piercing his skin.

They would then take their combined blood and Ben would have

to cover his penis in the mixture and fuck Miles until he came,
causing the blood and cum to mix deep within Miles’s body as well as
seeping into Ben’s. Blood signified life, the semen their love, and
when combined a very powerful combination for paranormal mates.
Ben’s thrusts sped up, and he jolted Miles with every movement. His
mate sang his approval through parted lips. The pulse in Miles’s neck
beckoned him to take a taste. He needed to drink from Miles and
Miles from him.

“Bite me.”

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“What?” Miles’s eyes opened wide.
“I need you to bite me. I will bite you in return.” At Miles’s

nervous stare, he explained. “It won’t hurt, I promise you, but I’m
dying to taste you from here.” Ben ran a finger down Miles’s neck.
Miles shivered at the feather-light touch.

“Me, too. But what if I can’t stop?”
“My love, we’re vampires, not monsters. Your hunger will not

control you.” Ben fell forward to cover Miles’s body with his own.
“Trust me.”

“I do.” Miles grabbed Ben by the hair and placed a bruising kiss

to his lips.

Ben moaned as Miles’s sharp little fangs nipped at his lips.

Without warning, Miles pulled back then struck. His sharp teeth sank
into Ben’s skin like a knife through butter.

As Miles drank from him, Ben continued to rock his hips forward.

He loved the erotic sensation the sting of the bite created. Ben pushed
closer to Miles to drown himself in the pleasure of his mate’s
comforting body. Ben’s movement became frantic as his orgasm built
deep inside him. When Miles released his neck, Ben took hold of his
and bit down. Miles screamed, and Ben quickly reached down to
squeeze at the base of Miles’s cock. He couldn’t come yet. They
needed to finish the bonding first.

Letting go of Miles’s neck, Ben sat up. He used his hand to swipe

across the bite mark on his neck, and then across the one on Miles’s.
Miles watched in amazement as Ben took his hand down to where
they were joined. Ben carefully pulled his cock from Miles’s tight
hold.

“Do you accept me as yours?” Ben asked as he covered his

throbbing length with their blood. His body trembled from his own
touch.

“Yes,” Miles said breathlessly.
“And I accept you, my love.” Ben pushed forward back into the

smoldering heat of Miles’s body.

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Ben leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Miles as he

pounded into his body without mercy. Miles was his, and no one
would take him away from Ben again.

Miles wrapped his body tightly around Ben’s and screamed out

his enjoyment with every inward thrust. The sounds Miles made spun
him higher and higher.

“I love you,” Miles screamed as his cum filled the space between

their bodies.

The warm semen coating and smearing against Ben’s torso set off

his own orgasm. Ben growled against Miles’s neck and bit down
again, sending Miles into another release.

It was done. Ben could feel the bond between him and Miles snap

into place, connecting them like a bridge. Nothing ever felt more
perfect and right. They were mated for life, and Ben wouldn’t change
a thing.

When his body stopped shaking, Ben fell to Miles’s side. He

pulled Miles against him and hugged him close. A warm, cozy feeling
seeped into his body and sleep called to him. Ben stroked Miles’s hair
until his mate’s breathing evened out, indicating he had fallen asleep.
Only then did Ben allow himself the much-needed rest his body
craved.

* * * *

A few hours later, he and Miles decided they’d stayed in their

room long enough, and ventured out to see the others. Ben knew the
other warriors, Astrid and Trevor, would want to see Miles. He didn’t
mind sharing his mate with them because in the end, it was only
Ben’s kiss and touch Miles wanted.

A smile plastered on his face, Ben descended the stairs with Miles

by his side. Everyone gathered at the foot of the steps to greet Miles.

“So, you ladies decided to grace us with your presence I see,”

Trevor said as he stepped forward. “I thought you two would never

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AJ Jarrett

come out of there. And by the way, the walls are super thin. I heard
everything,” Trevor whispered then winked at Miles.

“Well maybe if you weren’t listening at the door, you wouldn’t

have heard shit.” Quinn pushed Trevor out of the way as he gave
Miles then Ben a hug. “Your cousin is a complete ass, you know
that?”

Miles started to laugh. “More than you know. But he’s my cousin,

and I love him in spite of it.”

“I know what you mean,” Quinn mumbled under his breath and

walked away.

Ben watched his friend leave the room and wondered if anyone

else had heard his little confession. He still didn’t understand Quinn’s
fear of being mated, but he wouldn’t push his friend right now on the
subject. Maybe in time Quinn would come around and see what a
blessing having a mate was, even if his mate was Trevor. Ben
chuckled softly as he thanked the heavens Trevor wasn’t his.

“What so funny, mister?” Miles asked as he gently elbowed Ben

in the side.

“Nothing, my love. Just thinking about everything we’ve been

through.” Ben pulled Miles close and kissed the top of his head. “And
I must say, I wouldn’t change a thing if it meant not getting you in the
end.”

Miles rubbed his hand over Ben’s chest. “That’s sweet in a weird

way, I guess.” He looked around. “Where’s Astrid?”

“Oh, he went to bed. We put Abner at his door in case he needs

anything.” Trevor chuckled. “Who’s a better protector than a bear
shifter?” Miles’s eyes bulged. “I know, right? I knew the guy was a
mountain of a man, but I had no clue that he was a bear.”

“Damn.” Miles looked at the men standing around the room. “I

got to say, I’m curious to find out what the rest of you are.”

“Ben.” He looked up as Quinn came rushing back into the room.

“The council just called. They have a senior advisor coming out this
way. He should be here sometime tomorrow. He has the authority to

Miles’s Awakening

143

mark Trevor as a Warrior of the Light.” Quinn turned to look at
Miles. “He also has your father’s permission to debrief Astrid.”

“Why?” Miles’s face flushed with panic.
“Ben’s father isn’t one hundred percent sure Astrid is telling us

the truth. This advisor coming is a man named Klaus. He’s an
extremely powerful witch.” Quinn shoved his fists into his pockets. “I
personally don’t want Astrid left alone with that prick. He uses magic
when he has to, and that makes him dangerous.”

“I agree.” Ben grabbed his mate’s shaking hands. He turned to

look down at Miles. “Miles, I promise you the same thing I promised
Astrid. He isn’t going anywhere without us. We are his family, and no
one is breaking us apart.”

“That’s right. No one is taking our witch,” Trevor said as he

punched his fist in the air. All eyes turned to his exuberant response.
“What? It’s true. That little guy just worms his way right under your
skin.” Trevor shrugged. “He’s the kid brother I never had.”

“That’s extremely funny since that witch is older than you,”

Quinn said as he leaned against the railing.

“I know what you mean, Trevor,” Ben said as he looked upon the

men standing around the room. “I think we’re all in agreement that
Astrid stays with us, and no harm is to come his way.”

The warriors all nodded their agreement. Some even said so

aloud. Pride in his men warmed Ben’s heart. Together they would
keep each other safe and wouldn’t let some senior advisor from the
council tear apart their growing family.

As the warriors and Trevor headed to the kitchen for a late dinner,

Miles held Ben back.

“What is it, my love?” Ben asked.
“I just wanted to thank you for everything. For rescuing me and

taking in Trevor and Astrid. You truly are a wonderful man.”

Ben wrapped his arms around Miles’s waist and lifted him up to

rest against his chest. “Remember that when more bad guys break into

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AJ Jarrett

our home or we have to fight another battle.” Ben laughed at Miles’s
shocked expression.

“I know being my mate will have its ups and downs, but know I

will never leave you.” Ben dipped down to kiss Miles’s lips. “And
that I will love you for all eternity.”

Miles smiled up at Ben. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love

you, Ben, through good times and the bad. You’re mine, and I’m not
going anywhere, so get used to it.”

“I already am.”
Ben walked to the kitchen where the others were gathering. He

could hear the conversation and laughter as he neared the door. Ben
knew times like these were few and far between. With Lucian on the
loose, the council getting involved in his team’s business, and the
endless search for evil paranormals, Ben wanted to just enjoy this
happy moment with his mate and his men.

They walked through the archway to the peals of laughter. Miles

smiled up at him and mouthed “I love you” Ben grinned down at his
mate. With Miles by his side, together they could tackle any obstacle.

THE END

AJJARRETT29.BLOGSPOT.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AJ Jarrett currently lives in the Midwest with her husband and

four children. A lover of M/M romances she has started writing her
own stories for others to enjoy. She loves her characters to be
antagonistic toward one another but ultimately find their happy ever
after. She believes love can be found in the craziest of places and a
little humor along the way never hurt, plus to her there’s nothing
sexier than two men finding their soul mate and falling in love. When
she isn’t chasing around her kids she can be found sitting on the
couch with her trusted laptop giving life to the voices in her head.

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Document Outline

MILES’S AWAKENING
THE END

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