The O'Hagan Way 3: A Zane Po' Boy

The O’Hagen Way 3

A Zane Po’ Boy

In a world where humans and paranormals coexist in secret and where

soulless demons roam, numerous vampires dream to be united with their
mates.

Brian and Banning O’Hagan are twins from Ireland who have been

waiting for their mate the longest out of all their brothers. When they finally
meet Zane, they learn that if they want their mate to love and accept them,
then they must first forgive each other.

Zane is a warrior in the United States who deeply desires to be with his

mates but is plagued by horrible memories from his past—memories that
make it hard for him to show the love he feels for the two men.

Will Brian, Banning, and Zane be able to resolve their separate issues,

open their hearts to one another, and become true mates, or will they all be
destined to a life of loneliness and pain?

Genre:

Alternative

(M/M

F/F),

Ménage

Trois/Quatre,

Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 35,864 words

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Ménage Amour ManLove
A ZANE PO’ BOY
Copyright © 2012 by Joyee Flynn
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-532-X
First E-book Publication: February 2012
Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

This literary work may not be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
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express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to

actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of A Zane Po’ Boy by Joyee Flynn

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

To all of us who have learned the hard way to let go of the mistakes of

the past…Life is just too short.

*On a side note, when I wrote the first Marius Brothers, I had no clue

how big the world would get. Then I had so much fun with the world, that
I thought, why not Irish twins? So the O’Hagans were born. Now there are
other  minor  characters  who  need  their  stories  told...And  that’s  how  one
world ended up with three different series. To keep everything straight, I’ve
added  a  few  pages  to  my  site,  including  a  brief  background  on  the  world
so  it’s  not  repeated  in  every  book,  the  chronological  order  of  the  books,
character charts, and a list of who’s who. I hope this helps make sense of
the madness that is my brain.

www.joyeeflynn.com/themariusworld.htm

A ZANE PO’ BOY

The O’Hagan Way 3

JOYEE FLYNN

Chapter 1

Eight Months Ago
Zane

“Holy shit,” I gasped as twin blurs raced toward me. They knocked me

back onto the couch and started rubbing themselves against me while doing
naughty things with their tongues while we were in public.

“We found our mate, Brian,” one of them said. Okay, Isaac had asked

about a Brian and Banning. I guessed this was them and I was meeting
them up close and very personal. Yeah, since the other was now groping
me. Very, very personal. Brian stopped long enough to gaze at me with this
funny look I couldn’t place. “Ya be wanting us, me mate?”

“Oh, yeah,” I moaned as they did their best to drive me wild. They were

hot and twins. Who wouldn’t want them? I mean, they were twins. Twins
good.  Especially  when  they  were  about  five  ten  with  bright  red  hair  that
was  cut  short  but  not  too  short  where  I  couldn’t  tell  that  their  hair  would
curl  if  they  grew  it  out.  They  had  silver  eyes  that  were  almost  iridescent
and were getting darker. Trippy.

I heard people talking around us, not really paying attention when hands

moved under my shirt. Then I froze. Did Brian say mate? I breathed in
deeply and took in their scents. Shit. Yes, they were my mates. They
smelled like fresh oranges and strawberries, a heavenly scent in my book.
I’d never smelled anyone better. That had to make them my mates, right?

I started to pull away, but Banning tightened his grip on my shirt. “Ya be

having a room in this house?” Banning asked me as they pulled me to my
feet, those strange, gorgeous eyes pulling me in. Damn, that accent made
me weak in the knees. “Because if not, I think we be biting ya with

everyone here.”

“I–I’m in one of the guest rooms,” I stuttered, glancing at Isaac. He

smiled widely at me and gestured for us to leave. Great, he wasn’t going to
be any help.

“Go, go claim your mates and be happy.” He chuckled. I knew that laugh

and sighed. It wasn’t the mean you’re so screwed laugh that comes when a
friend is knee-deep in crap and it’s just too funny not to laugh at. It was the
I’m so happy you’re happy kinda laugh. Except I wasn’t happy. I was
about to shit a brick and run.

“Lead the way, me mate,” Brian purred and rubbed himself suggestively

against me. Then they took off toward the main hallway by the front
entrance, and it was move with them or simply be dragged along by them.

Talk about coming on strong! Yeah, that wasn’t adding to the amount of

freaking out I was doing inside. But we needed to be alone to talk anyways.
I wouldn’t have this discussion around my best friend and the twins’
brothers.

I was trying to figure out how to explain that this was happening too fast

when we got to my room. And of course they started taking off their
clothes, unbuttoning their collared shirts, and beginning to pull off their
jeans.

“Stop, just stop!” I shouted as I covered my eyes. “There’s no way I can

think if you’re both naked.” They were identical twins of gorgeousness,
and just from the pale flesh exposed when they took off their shirts, I was
rock hard.

“Why do ya need to think?” one asked in that sexy brogue. “Ya not want

us?”

“I want you so much, but I don’t think in the way you mean,” I

admitted, feeling like a Grade A douche bag. I couldn’t just hop right into
mating, no matter how hot they were. I needed to think.

“Brian, he means he not planning to keep us, just have some fun with

us,” Banning said quietly. “That all your mates worth for to ya? A little fun,
some slap and tickle, and send us on our way?”

“That’s not what I said!” I snapped, removing my hands from my eyes

because I felt silly standing there like that. “You’re going too fast. I can’t

because I felt silly standing there like that. “You’re going too fast. I can’t
think. I didn’t even get your names before you threw yourselves at me. I
heard Isaac say them and—”

“Threw ourselves at ya!” Brian growled as he yanked on his shirt and

buttoned it back up. “Ya be our mate. We didn’t know we had certain rules
to follow or games to play. Ya want us to court ya like some bonny lass
before talking about a dowry?”

“That’s not what I meant—” I started to argue. I wasn’t implying they

were sluts, but they did, literally, launch themselves at me. And since I’m
not used to men jumping me, yeah, it was a shock.

“We wait six hundred and forty-three years to find our mate and this be

what we get?” Banning shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in
exasperation. “A mate who doesn’t want to mate and just wants to roll
around in the hay!”

“Would you just listen to me?” I begged, feeling as if the floor that was

already unstable was falling out from below me.

“We heard enough,” Brian sneered as he stormed to the door. “Have a

nice life.”

“No,” I whispered as a pit formed in my stomach. I watched as my mates

left without another word. What the fuck just happened? I just wanted to
talk. Was that so wrong?

* * * *

Now
Brian

“There’s a car coming,” me twin grumbled as we loaded up the wool

onto the truck. We’d spent the past week shearing all the sheep Dillon had
bought in the spring to diversify our farms. It was a dirty, crappy job that I
was glad we didn’t have to do too often. But it put us in a foul mood, not
that our normal mood had been great recently.

“Doesn’t look familiar,” I replied with a grunt. “Maybe Dillon bought

Shane and Sean a new car? That man does dote on them.”

I heard Banning mumble under his breath. I wasn’t sure, but it sounded

like, “Must be nice to have a mate like that.” Yeah, I couldn’t agree more.
Me heart hurt when I thought of our mate. Mostly because of longing.

“Oh fuck, it be Isaac and his cat mate,” Banning groaned. Our gazes met,

and we realized the only reason they’d be showing up here. Zane. We
dropped what we were doing and raced to the car.

“He be hurt?” I asked immediately as we got to them.
“Depends on your idea of hurt,” Rory scoffed as he stepped out of the

car and looked us over with contempt. His bright blue eyes were flashing
with anger.

“You fix my friend!” Isaac shouted as he slammed the car door. I

flinched at the sound. “I can’t fucking keep quiet anymore. He’s going to
end up getting himself killed, and then I’m going to kill you both, in-laws
or not.”

“What be the meaning of all of this?” our ma hollered as she came out

on  the  front  porch.  Her  hands  were  on  her  hips,  her  hair  and  long  dress
blowing  lightly  in  the  breeze  as  she  regarded  us  with  one  of  her  fiercer
expressions.  “Don’t  ya  go  threatening  me  sons,  lad.  Ya  won’t  like  the
outcome.”

“I’m sorry, Brighid, I truly am,” Isaac replied in a calmer tone, still

focused on us. “But they’ve destroyed my best friend, someone who’s like
a brother to me. If I have to take on the whole O’Hagan clan to get him
back and have your sons pull their heads out of their asses to do it, then so
be it.”

“We talking about Zane?” she asked in a cold tone. “The bastard who

wanted to use them for sex?”

“What?” Rory and Isaac gasped. It was Rory who continued. “Where did

you get a crazy idea like that?”

“From us,” I growled. “He wanted to romp and not keep us.”
“Yeah, he told us that’s what you thought,” Rory sneered. “But that’s not

what  he  meant,  and  he  certainly  never  said  he  wanted  to  use  you  just  for
sex. He asked you to slow down and talk. You freaked out on him and left.
You  never  even  gave  him  a  chance  to  explain.  Hester  said  you  left  before
the  Mariuses  did  and  that  meant  you  were  with  Zane  a  whole  ten  minutes
maybe.”

“He didn’t want us as mates,” Banning said, not sounding so sure this

time. I wanted to smack him. I knew we handled this wrong. I’d begged
Banning to go back to America and give it another go at talking with Zane.

Banning to go back to America and give it another go at talking with Zane.
He was too hurt from the rejection to even consider it.

“He wanted a minute to fucking think!” Isaac shouted, rubbing his hands

over his face and growling in agitation. “Did he ever say the words I don’t
want you as mates?”

I exchanged a look with me twin before we both shook our heads.
“Did he ever say that he only wanted you for sex? Or did he just say that

yes, he wanted you and found you both attractive?” Rory asked, his hands
fisted on his hips, looking just as pissed.

“The latter,” I admitted sheepishly.
“Oh, lads, I think ya fucked up good,” our ma whispered softly. “Ya

flew off the handle again, didn’t ya?”

“He said he didn’t want us in the way we meant,” Banning said

stubbornly, shaking his head as he ran his fingers through his hair. “We
wanted to mate and claim him. What else could he have meant? He wanted
our bodies.”

“Of course he did, but just because he didn’t want more than that right

that second when you just fucking met, didn’t mean he wanted you only
for sex!” Rory rambled, rolling his eyes.

“Wait, huh?” I asked. The shifter lost me on that one.
“You’re both hot,” he answered in a huff. Isaac growled and Rory shook

his head and turned slightly so he could talk to his mate. “They are. Stuff it.
You can get jealous I appreciated other men later.”

“I love you, baby.” Isaac chuckled.
“Me, too.” Rory gave his mate a wink before turning back to us. “Yes, he

didn’t deny that he wanted you. He knew you wanted to mate, and he said
he didn’t mean it in that way.”

“See, that’s—” I started to argue.
“For once, let someone finish their thought,” Rory growled. I shut me

trap before ma did. “He meant he didn’t want to mate right that second.
He’s got issues, just as you clearly do. And when you jumped him—”

“He said that, too!” Banning exclaimed. “He said we threw ourselves at

him.”

“You did,” Isaac growled. “Literally. You freaked him out, shocked him,

and he needed a minute to catch up. But you couldn’t give that to him,

and he needed a minute to catch up. But you couldn’t give that to him,
could you?”

“He—I—we,” Banning stuttered, looking to me for help. I didn’t have

any to give. They were right.

“We flew off the handle,” I whispered, months of longing swarming me.

It was so strong and full of regret it almost brought me to me knees. “We
screwed up.”

“You think?” Isaac sneered, shaking his head before turning back to

Rory. “This was a mistake. They don’t deserve Zane.”

“What’s the other option, Isaac?” Rory asked gently as he moved to his

mate. “We’ve tried everything else. If Zane keeps going the way he is, he’ll
be dead in a few months. We both know he doesn’t take any precautions
on missions. He almost died this last one and he’s wasting away to nothing.
”

“What do ya mean?” I was scared to know the answer, but part of me

had to.

“He used to be more built than I am,” Isaac answered, his eyes showing

a  deep  sadness.  “We’re  both  six  six,  but  he  used  to  have  at  least  a  good
twenty  pounds  of  muscle  more  than  me.  He  used  to  be  two  hundred  and
seventy-five  pounds.  The  clinic  weighed  him  when  he  got  back  and  was
injured.  He’s  one  hundred  and  eighty  pounds.  In  eight  months  he’s  lost
almost  a  hundred  pounds  of  muscle.  He  won’t  work  out,  he  barely  eats,
and I doubt he has been drinking enough blood to sustain himself.”

“Zane’s been volunteering for the most dangerous missions since you

both left,” Rory explained, getting choked up. “He always comes back hurt.
The moment he’s healed enough that they’ll send him back out, he goes.
One of these times he won’t come back. Gabriel was out with him on this
last mission and said Zane didn’t even fight back when the demons
attacked him, like he was trying to die.”

“It was either come talk to you or tell the Council that he has to take a

leave. And he won’t ever forgive me if I do that to him,” Isaac said sadly.
Rory went and hugged him, and Isaac buried his face in his mate’s hair. “I
can’t lose my best friend. Zane’s always been there for me. He’s a good
man. He’d never just have used his mates for sex. You misunderstood him
and bailed before he could explain.”

and bailed before he could explain.”

It only took me a split second to make me decision. “Give me five

minutes to shower and pack.”

“You fix this because if he dies because of you I’ll file a formal

grievance and kill you myself,” Isaac said evenly, his eyes flaring with hate.

“I can only promise to try.” That was the best I had. I turned and ran

toward the house, not even waiting to find out what Banning was willing to
do. I ran past me ma and into the house, me frantic footsteps echoing
through the house. Banning caught up with me at our room.

“Are ya even going to ask me what I think?” I could feel his anger as

strongly as me own.

“We fucked up, twin,” I answered, shaking me head as I peeled off me

dirty clothes. “We fucked up big-time. I be asking ya for months if we
could go back and try again, but ya said no. I’m done letting ya decide for
both of us. Our mate needs us, and if ya can’t swallow ya pride and go to
him, then that’s ya decision. Mine is to go.”

“Ya would pick him over me?” he whispered, and I could hear the pain

in his tone.

“Why does it have to be one or the other? I’m not picking him over ya!

I’m going to help our mate. Ya should be, too.” I left him standing there
and took the quickest shower ever. Hell, I didn’t even wait for the water to
warm up. I grabbed a towel and started drying off on the way back to our
room, not caring if anyone saw me naked. Time was of the essence, and I
wasn’t going to waste any more of it.

“Ya are right and I’m sorry,” Banning said softly, grabbing me arm as I

walked past him. “Don’t leave without me.”

“Never, me twin,” I whispered as I pulled him into me arms. “We can fix

this. We’ll get our mate. But we need to work as a team, okay? No more of
this him versus ya shit. It be the three of us against the world.”

“I’ll try.” That was the best I was going to get from him, and I would

take it.

“Hurry up now. I’ll pack for both of us.”
“Right.” He jogged off toward the bathroom, and I quickly threw on

some clothes. I just grabbed the first thing I saw, which ended up being an
old blue T-shirt and some faded jeans. Banning just walked back into the

old  blue  T-shirt  and  some  faded  jeans.  Banning  just  walked  back  into  the
bedroom, freshly showered, as I finished packing a couple of bags with the
basics.  I’m  sure  in  me  confused  daze  of  worry  and  apprehension  I  forgot
half  of  what  we’d  need.  But  it  wasn’t  like  we  couldn’t  buy  basics  in
America if we needed them.

Five minutes later we were both ready and running back out to the car.

Our das were in Greece helping Caleb and our brothers out. So I couldn’t
help but feel bad bailing on our ma when she needed us on the farm. But it
was like she guessed what I might say.

“Go to ya mate. I’ve been running a farm long before ya both came into

the world. Dillon and your brothers will come help, too,” she said firmly,
giving us both a kiss and a hug. “Ya only get one mate, lads. Don’t fuck up
this time and make this right.”

“Aye, we’ll fix what we broke,” Banning replied sheepishly. “Ya know

we didn’t mean to though, right?”

“It be hard when dealing with matters of the heart. But ya both be men

and dense, so I’m sure none of ya did the right thing and were too
stubborn to go to the other one. None of that should ever matter. Ya mate
need ya both and ya go. He be family and nothing would ever make ya
walk away from any of us no matter what we said. Ya remember that and
ya both be fine.”

“Love ya, ma,” I said, swallowing back the lump that had formed in me

throat. She was right. We walked away too easily no matter what we
thought Zane had said. I just hoped he would forgive us. I wouldn’t blame
him if he didn’t, but I really prayed he was a better man than we had been.
Otherwise, we were screwed.

We finished our good-byes and hopped in their rental car. The air was

thick with tension as we drove to the airport.

“Umm, I just realized something. Don’t we need to be booking flights?”

me twin asked after several miles. “Did ya think we would agree so fast
and you have seats on a flight soon? Or do we have to change your tickets,
too?”

Rory turned around and gave us a wink. “Isaac has his own jet. We took

it here. I can’t say I don’t want to spend more time in Ireland. It’s a
beautiful country. But we need to get home to Zane. We hoped you’d be

beautiful country. But we need to get home to Zane. We hoped you’d be
coming with, but if you wouldn’t, we still have to get back to him. I don’t
like leaving him alone.”

“He’s not alone,” Isaac replied, slipping his hand into his mate’s.

“Besides, it’s not like we can watch him at the warrior compound anyways.
When I was there the other day, all he did was grunt at me.”

“He no longer be living with ya both?” I asked, me eyes going wide.
“No, he moved out a few months after you both left,” Rory answered

with a weary sigh. “He said he was tired of us hovering and pushing him.
We were trying to get him to go to Ireland or at least take better care of
himself. It backfired and now he avoids us. The only time we get to see
him is when he’s injured and lying in the clinic.”

I felt me eyes burn at the pain our mate must have suffered. Isaac was

right. We didn’t deserve Zane. Why had we ever left?

“Don’t worry, we can fix this,” Banning said as he took me hand.
“I hope so,” Isaac mumbled from the front seat. “Zane’s had a hard

enough life. He deserves to be happy, and after what he did for me, god
knows I would do anything for him.”

“What did he do for ya?” I asked, wanting to learn as much about our

mate as I could.

“He saved my life. I did a lot of bad shit in the name of trying to keep

my family together, but it all ended up backfiring on me. I broke when I
had to kill my father and was trying to let myself die from an injury I got in
the fight. He saved me and made me see there was life beyond an old
promise I made.” He glanced at Rory before focusing back on the road. “I
owe him everything. He put me on the path to finding the love of my life.”

“He sounds like a good man,” Banning said quietly.
“He is. I hope that part of him hasn’t completely died after what you did.

If you can’t bring him back, I’m scared he’ll be lost forever. And the
person he is now isn’t good.”

“We can fix this,” I whispered, more trying to give myself a pep talk

than believing it. I wasn’t sure we could. But I knew we had to try. What
other choice did we have? He was our mate, and we wouldn’t be walking
away from him again.

Chapter 2

Zane

“Hey, buddy. We brought you something,” Isaac said hesitantly as he

showed  up  in  the  doorway  of  my  room.  I  watched  for  a  moment  as  his
eyes  darted  around  my  room,  taking  in  the  piles  of  dirty  clothes  and
uneaten  food  that  surrounded  my  bed  and  dresser.  Normally  I  kept  my
room immaculate, but I saw no point in keeping it clean now.

I know Isaac was probably thinking about how this room was very

different from the one I had been using at his house. It was small and
cramped since it was pretty much just a single’s dorm room. The furniture
was old and worn, having been used by who knows how many people
before. Yeah, there was no denying it was pitiful in comparison to the huge,
lavish suite I had been staying in at Isaac’s.

“You might as well return them and see if you can get your money

back,” I grumbled. I didn’t even bother glancing at him, Rory, or my mates,
my eyes never leaving the stupid Xbox game I was playing.

“Zane, just hear them out. Please?” Isaac begged.
“Nope.”
He sighed, and I heard him step into the room. “At least you’re out of

the clinic. You look good.”

I stared at him as if he’d grown a second head and then let out a bark of

laughter. “I look like shit and we all know it. Thanks for the lie though.”

“You look good compared to the state you were in when you got back

from your mission,” he growled. I winced. Yeah, that was true enough.
Since I had practically been on death’s door, anything would be better than
that.

“The demon said I was cute, so I figured I’d let him play.” I shrugged

nonchalantly as if I didn’t care. “It wasn’t my fault his idea of foreplay
involved my guts on the outside of my body.”

Isaac growled and Rory let out a soft gasp at my offhanded comment.

Good, be shocked. Just leave me the fuck alone.

“Can we talk to ya, Zane?” one of the twins asked me.
“No,” I replied in a deadpan tone even as I felt anger stirring inside of

“No,” I replied in a deadpan tone even as I felt anger stirring inside of

me.  Looking  at  the  twins,  I  noticed  they  were  even  more  beautiful  than  I
remembered.  Although  they  didn’t  seem  to  have  put  much  thought  into
what they were wearing, since their clothing looked all wrinkled. And I did
notice  that  they  both  had  dark  circles  under  their  eyes.  “I  tried  to  talk  to
you,  but  you  didn’t  want  to  hear  a  goddamn  word  I  had  to  say.  That  was
eight months ago. All I have to say now is go fuck yourselves.”

“Hey, is Zane in?” I heard Darcy ask from the hallway.
“Yeah, come on in. I didn’t invite these people over,” I called out,

wanting my guests to take the hint and leave.

“Excuse me,” Darcy purred as he slid past everyone. He moved closer,

stopping when he was in front of me, blocking the TV. “Heard you got
hurt. What’s up with that?”

“Nothing doing. I’m on the mend,” I answered with a wink. Yeah, I was

a being a douche, but my mates deserved it.

“Fair enough. I’m being sent out in a few hours and I wanted to see if

you felt up to playing until then.” His brown eyes twinkled with mischief
and lust.

“Yeah, I’m in.” I shut off the TV and tossed my controller on the bed.

Darcy grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door. I made sure to
look at Brian and Banning as we walked by. “Hours of hot sex is just what
I need right now. You always know how to satisfy me, Darcy.”

I felt like a royal ass when I saw tears fill up their eyes, looking as if I’d

just kicked them in the nuts. I shouldn’t have cared after the way they
treated me, but I did.

“Don’t do this, Zane,” Isaac begged, glancing at my mates. “There are

some things you can’t undo no matter how sorry you are later.”

“I have no reason to be sorry later,” I growled, my hackles going up at

the accusation. “They rejected me, remember? They left without letting me
get two sentences in. As far as I’m concerned, I have no mates. And thanks
for being on my side, my friend.”

Isaac stared at me with that soul-searching look that had had my knees

melting once upon a time. “Where has my best friend gone? I want Zane
back.”

“I am Zane. The new and improved, fuck-everyone Zane.”

“I am Zane. The new and improved, fuck-everyone Zane.”
Darcy glanced at me with a funny look, and I nodded for him to go. We

left everyone in my room, not bothering to lock it up. I didn’t care. I didn’t
have anything worth taking anyways. It was just stuff.

We didn’t say a word on the walk to his room. It wasn’t far, just down

the hallway. The moment we were alone in his room, I went and collapsed
on the bed.

“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Darcy asked gently as he sat

down next to me and pulled my upper body onto his lap.

“Nothing, let’s just have sex,” I answered but didn’t even move.
“Yeah, I can so tell we’re going to get it on.” He snickered. “You might

have  fooled  them  that  you  were  going  to  get  laid,  but  I  know  you  better
than that, Zane. The only reason I went in there was because I was walking
by  and  heard  how  upset  your  tone  was.  We’ve  not  fucked  around  since
Isaac met his mate. I thought it was because you still had feelings for him
and  were  mourning  his  mating,  but  now  that  I  see  the  two  hot  redheads
staring at you like you are a god, I know there’s more to the story.”

“Those are my mates. They rejected me and left. I’ve not seen them in

eight months. End of the short story,” I whispered.

“Oh, buddy,” Darcy whispered as he lay back on the bed, pulling me up

onto his chest and holding me tightly. “Is that why you’ve been treating
yourself this way? Zane, love, you deserve so much better than this. Why
didn’t you let me help you?”

“Darcy, all we ever did was drink too much sometimes and fuck. If I

showed up here, sobbing my mates didn’t want me, you would have held
me as I cried?” The implied yeah, right in my tone couldn’t have been
missed.

“I’m doing it now, aren’t I?” he replied gently as he ran his fingers

through my hair. “We were friends long before we ever had sex, Zane. I’d
be here for you just as you would for me.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe that.” And I was because I should have. Darcy

was a great guy, always understanding, and the one person most warriors
could go talk to. He never judged or talked shit behind anyone’s back. He
was easy to be around, a great listener, and truly a nice person.

Why couldn’t fate have given me him as a mate? Things would have

been so much simpler then.

“They didn’t want me,” I whispered, my body starting to shake with

silent sobs.

“They’re here now though. Maybe they realized they missed the

opportunity of a lifetime,” he said gently. I shook my head, not willing to
jump back in the snake pit and see if they bit me again. I just couldn’t
handle that. I knew I wouldn’t survive it.

* * * *

Banning

“Fuck this,” I growled after a few minutes of us all standing in shock

and stormed after me mate. “There’s no way I be standing by while he
fucks another man.” I was tired and irritated. We had been traveling for a
long time and now we were in this huge warrior compound that was totally
foreign to me.

When we had driven up to it, both Brian and I had been amazed by the

enormity of the building. It was made entirely out of stone, and as soon as
we had entered, we were faced with a labyrinth of hallways and doors to
choose from. I was glad Isaac was with us. Otherwise it was a sure thing
we would have gotten lost.

“You lost the right to get upset about it when you left,” Rory pointed out.

He was right, and that just made me want to throttle him even more.

“Banning, ya going to make it worse,” Brian pleaded as he ran after me. I

shook my head, not thinking there was any way to make this worse. He
grabbed me hand seconds before I could knock on the door where our
mate’s scent ended. “Listen.”

“They didn’t want me,” Zane said so quietly that even with our advanced

hearing we could barely hear him through the door.

“They not be having sex,” I whispered, feeling even more like an ass that

we were all listening on what was obviously a private moment.

“Oh thank god,” Isaac sighed as he wiped his hands over his face in

relief. “Then some part of Zane is still in there. He might have lashed out
and wanted to make you hurt as much as he was hurting. But he couldn’t
be that big of an asshole and actually go through with it.”

“What do we do now?” Brian asked, his eyes so full of sadness that I

pulled me twin into a hug.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. We’d decided to come so quickly

that it wasn’t like we had time to formulate a plan or anything.

“I think we’re going to have to go to the desperate-measures plan,

Isaac,” Rory said with an exhausted sigh. “I can’t think of any other way to
get through to him. Can you?”

“No, but he may never forgive me.” Rory rubbed his hands over Isaac’s

chest in a comforting gesture. “But I’d rather him hate me and live a real
life than be the shell of a man he’s been.”

“I know, my love. Once he sees reason, he won’t stay mad at you.”
“What ya both be talking about?” I asked, all for some type of plan.
“Let’s get out of here before we get busted. We’ve got a lot to do if

we’re going to make this work.” Isaac glanced around, and sure enough,
there were several warriors in the halls casting glances our way.

None of us said a word as we headed to the front hall where we’d come

in. Isaac stopped by an office and left a letter on a desk. Now me curiosity
was eating me alive. We rushed out to his car, all climbing in quickly.

“We built a cell in the basement,” Isaac said once we were driving again.

“Zane could get out of a normal room simply by breaking down the door
or punching through the drywall. But I had a solid steel room built that he
can’t get out of, especially in his weakened state.”

“Ya want to kidnap our mate and lock him up?” Brian asked, his eyes

going wide with shock.

“I’m up for other suggestions,” Isaac growled. “He’s slowly dying, and

after this last mission, now people know something’s up and he will
become even more reckless. If we can’t get through to him in his grief and
anger, then I’m going to lock his ass up and force him to eat and get the
blood he needs until he sees reason. I’m not going to chain him to the wall
or anything. We would even give him a bathroom.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” I agreed, given how badly our mate looked.

Gone was the blond Adonis I remembered. Zane looked like a human
cancer patient that was riddled with the disease. His skin had almost sickly
gray tones and was practically hanging off his bones. His shiny hair was
dull, his dark green eyes sunken in his head, having also lost their sparkle

dull, his dark green eyes sunken in his head, having also lost their sparkle
and vitality. He did look like he was knocking at death’s door, begging to
be let inside.

It scared me enough to agree to any crazy plan that had half a chance of

working.

“He might hate us, too,” Brian replied, nibbling on his lower lip.
“Aye, but he’ll be alive. Even if he never forgives us, I can’t live with the

idea we destroyed him,” I whispered, me eyes burning in grief. “I’d rather
set him right and send him on his way to that Darcy man just so he leads a
happy life. If he can’t forgive us, then we have to let him go, but we can’t
just leave him be as he is.”

“I told you anyone related to Shane and Sean had to have good hearts,”

Rory said with a smile as he turned to look back at us from the front seat.
“You’re still assholes for walking away like that and not coming right back.
We shouldn’t have had to come to you out of desperation eight months
later.”

“Aye, ya be right, cat,” Brian agreed with a nod, shooting me a nasty

glance.

“Don’t ya dare be blaming me. I didn’t tie ya down in Ireland. Ya

wanted us to go, and I said no, I wasn’t going. Ya still could have come on
ya own.” I was tired of taking the blame for that one.

“Aye, ya right,” he sighed as he rubbed his hand over the back of his

neck in agitation. Then he glanced back at Rory. “In our defense, we
thought he not want us. If we had even the slightest idea that Zane be
suffering, we would have dropped everything and come back.”

“Which is the only reason I let you on my plane,” Isaac said, glancing at

us in the rearview mirror. “If you had been dicks in Ireland, we would
have told you where to shove it. But it only took us two minutes to get you
to come with us. All’s not forgiven, but that said something for your
character.”

“Fair enough,” Brian replied as he glanced out the window. “So where

we be going? We need help kidnapping Zane, right? And what was that
letter?”

“We’re going to the Marius compound to get a few of those knockout

darts Riley has,” Isaac explained as we sped along. I had a feeling he was

darts Riley has,” Isaac explained as we sped along. I had a feeling he was
breaking every American law on how fast the cars could go. “The letter is
from Desmond. I begged him to write orders that Zane was going to Greece
to help Caleb with something. Hopefully that way no one will know he’s
missing and his standing as a warrior won’t ever be questioned.”

“Why would that be a concern?” Brian asked, shooting me a confused

look.

“You’ve seen him, Brian,” Isaac answered gently. “He’s not fit to go out

on missions, but we’re so short on warriors nowadays that they can’t be
too picky. But the other warriors have started refusing to go out on
missions with him, stating that he’s a wild card and takes dangerous risks.
Much more of that and they would have benched him, maybe permanently.
”

“Being a warrior means that much to him?” I didn’t think any job was

that important, but Isaac was making it seem as if Zane would die inside if
he got fired.

“First thing you have to know about being mated to a warrior is that it’s

not just a job, but who they are. It’s a calling,” Rory explained.

“But Dillon gave it up so easily?” Brian was as confused as I was. I

didn’t get it either.

“Mostly because he was worried that our father would kill your brothers

if he came back. He didn’t fully give it up, but their safety was more
important to him.” That part we knew, but Dillon never made it seem like a
big deal. Maybe it was different for everyone? “Plus, Dillon had put in his
time. He spent centuries being a warrior. Zane is still pretty young. He’s not
even a hundred. So he still has, or had, I guess, that drive to save the
world.”

“Okay, we can handle him being a warrior if he’s not reckless,” I said

quickly. At this point, we didn’t have a leg to stand on to demand anything.
“So part of this plan consists of saving his ass with the warriors as well.”

“Exactly,” Isaac replied as he pulled up to huge iron gates. He pushed a

button on the call box and identified himself and who he had in the car.
There was a beeping noise and the gates started to part. We drove up to the
main house, parking in front before climbing out and heading to the main
doors.

doors.

“I’m surprised the Mariuses were on board with this plan,” I said quietly.

“It seems that it would go against their morals.”

“Please, they’re even more nuts than any of us most times,” Rory replied

with a snicker.

We were let inside and shown to what the butler called the sitting room. I

would never get used to these huge mansions. This one room was bigger
than several of our bedrooms back home combined.

The walls were painted a deep red that went well with the leather chairs

and  couch.  There  was  also  a  huge  fireplace  in  front  of  the  seating  area.
Logs  were  crackling  pleasantly  in  the  fireplace  that  was  surrounded  by  a
mantel  made  from  some  type  of  dark  wood.  Possibly  cherry.  Above  this
impressive mantel I noticed several massive paintings of mountain scenery.

They must have each been about four feet tall. I found myself getting

lost in the intricacy of the detail of the water, the sky, the trees. Eventually I
turned  me  head  and  saw  a  bar  on  the  other  side  of  the  room.  The  same
cherrywood  had  been  used,  and  the  top  was  comprised  of  this  beautiful
black  stone,  which  I  assumed  was  granite.  Several  partially  empty  bottles
and four crystal glasses decorated a corner of the bar’s surface.

A drink definitely sounded good right about now.
“So we’re putting the last-resort plan into effect?” Desmond Marius

asked as he walked into the room with his wife, Elena, his son, Micah, and
Micah’s mate, Dr. Riley. All of their faces wore expressions of concern.

“I can’t think of any other way to save him,” Isaac answered with

apparent weariness.

“We can’t either, Isaac. You’re doing all you can to help Zane. Don’t beat

yourself up,” Elena said gently, giving Isaac a hug. “Good to see you, too,
Rory.” Then she turned to us. “And I had a long talk with your mother. She
was very clear that if you screwed up in any way or moved a toe out of
line, I was to tan your hides and send you right home for her to beat.”

“Aye, that sounds like our ma,” I admitted, wincing. Upon Desmond’s

insistence, we all moved to take our various seats on the couch and chairs.
Once we were settled, Elena spoke again.

“You both look very different,” she gasped, eyeing us over intently with

her kelly-green eyes. “I remember you being much smaller.” She tucked a

her kelly-green eyes. “I remember you being much smaller.” She tucked a
piece of hair behind her ear and adjusted the folds of her silver dress a bit
before resting her hands in her lap and returning her gaze back to us.

“Everyone handles grief and rejection differently,” Brian mumbled with

a shrug. “Zane might have stopped eating and drinking blood, losing all
that weight. We went the other way, working out like crazy to try and
distract us from the pain.”

It was true. We both put on at least thirty pounds of muscle. We were

about five ten and had gone from slim one seventy to more meaty and
toned two hundred pounds.

“You really never got what he was trying to say,” she said in a softer,

more understanding tone.

“We thought he just wanted us for sex and we not be good enough to

keep,” I whispered, rubbing me eyes roughly when they started to burn. I
would not break down right now when me mate was suffering. “We might
have flown off the handle, but not all this can be deemed as our fault.”

“No, you’re right,” she sighed. “Zane could have run after you and made

you listen to what he was trying to say. I’ve learned a lot about him these
past few months, and I understand why he didn’t, but I just want to throttle
you all. This could all have been so much easier.”

“Ya understand what about him?” Brian asked, and I was curious, too.
“It’s not my story to tell.” She gave us an apologetic look filled with

sadness. “But your mate has had a hard life full of rejection. That’s all I can
say without betraying his confidence.”

“That’s fair. Thank ya for being there for our mate when we not be,” I

said quietly.

“It’s not been easy,” Desmond admitted, shaking his head. “We threw a

party a few months after you left, to celebrate Elena winning the Council
seat. Zane got drunker than I’ve ever seen anyone be while still being able
to stand. He didn’t behave very well.”

“More specifically, he asked if I would be okay if one of our remaining

single sons took him as a sex slave.” Elena winced when we gasped. “He
said his mates didn’t want him, but my son’s mates seemed so happy that
maybe one of the other single three could just keep him until they found
their mate.”

their mate.”

“Oh dear lord,” I groaned. The situation was even worse than I thought.

It never crossed me mind that our mate might need to mend fences with
other people than Isaac and Rory for the way he’d been treating them. Zane
didn’t have an easy road ahead of him. But we’d be there every step of the
way…if he’d let us. And that was a really big if .

* * * *

Brian

The whole situation was out of control, and I doubted Zane would ever

forgive us. From everything we’d heard about him, Zane was a good man.
For him to go so off the farm and act like we saw at the warrior
compound, and now what Elena told us. Well, me heart just hurt.

“So what be the plan?” I asked quietly, hoping I was man enough to

hold it together long enough to help Zane.

“I’m going to go in and check on him as the warrior doctor and inject

him with a sedative,” Riley explained as he held up a wicked-looking gun
with a needle on the end. “Micah’s going to help Isaac get Zane out of the
compound and to the Dragos estate while he’s unconscious.”

Desmond nodded and then took over the plan. “The letter I wrote told

the warrior coordinator who handles assignments that Isaac would be in
Greece for six weeks working on a security check. That’s all the time I
could get you without raising too many questions.”

“So we basically have six weeks to get through to him and get him back

on the path to mending and being his old self. Best-case scenario, forgiving
you guys as well and realizing he has something to live for. Hell, live
happily ever after, too.” Isaac hugged Rory, not sounding as if he had
much faith in that outcome. I didn’t blame him.

“You need to keep your tempers in check and be willing to make

sacrifices for this to work. You can’t just demand he come back to Ireland
and do what you want. That will never help.” Rory gave us a sharp look
that didn’t brook any argument.

“We already resigned ourselves to the fact that if he forgives us we’ll be

staying here permanently,” I agreed quickly. “We be fine with that as long
as he wants us here. If he doesn’t, we understand we’ll have to let him go.
We just want him happy.”

We just want him happy.”

“Okay, let’s do this,” Micah said with a firm nod. “I want to be back

before our daughter wakes up from her nap.”

“There were a lot of people around when we were there,” I replied, me

eyes going wide. “We’ll get caught.”

“We were there during the lunch break of training. Everyone will be

back to their tasks and the living quarters should be quiet and deserted.”
Isaac checked his watch just to be sure. “If we wait until the night,
everyone will be back in their bunks. One slight sound and we could have
a lot of people showing up. We need to move now.”

I glanced at me twin, both of us nodding in agreement. “Okay, we’re in.

Let’s move.”

We said our good-byes to Desmond and Elena, who wished us luck.

Then we hopped back in Isaac’s car, Micah and Riley taking their own so
we didn’t have to drop them off after kidnapping our mate.

In a million years I never thought I’d be saying that. But then again, I

never thought meeting our mate would go like this either.

Less than an hour later, we were back at the warrior compound. We

followed Riley, waiting in the hall, hiding while he knocked on Zane’s
door.

“Fuck off! I’ve had my fill of visitors today,” our mate shouted,

breaking me heart with the pain I heard in his voice.

“It’s Riley, Zane,” he said gently as he opened the door. “I know you

hate me showing up, but I have to fulfill my duties as doctor.”

“Fine, can we just get this over?”
“I’ll be quick, I promise.” Riley walked in, leaving the door open so we

could get in there quickly when we needed to. “Shirt off.”

“Yeah, I know the drill,” Zane grunted. There was a few moments’ pause

before our mate yelled, “What the fuck, Riley?”

That was our cue. We raced in the room, Isaac leading the way. Sadness

was written all over our mate’s face as he realized we set him up.

“Why?” he gasped as he swayed while sitting on the bed.
“Because I won’t let you die any more than you would let me,” Isaac

said gently as he knelt in down in between Zane’s legs, cupping his face.
“Please, buddy? I need you to fight. Things aren’t ever as bad as they seem.

“Please, buddy? I need you to fight. Things aren’t ever as bad as they seem.
”

“I trusted you,” Zane slurred. “I thought you loved me and were my

brother.”

“I am,” he whispered before planting a kiss right on his mouth. He kept

his lips there until Zane passed out. I glanced at Rory who had the same
expression I was sure Banning and me had. Mouths hanging open with
shock. Isaac laid Zane back on the bed, turning to us with wide, tear-filled
eyes. “I didn’t cheat.”

“Did you use tongue?” Rory asked with a calmness I wasn’t feeling.

Glancing over at Banning, I saw he wasn’t either.

“No, I swear, my love. It was like that kiss Elena gave me after she won

the Council seat,” Isaac sputtered.

“Kisses aren’t always sexual, Isaac,” Riley said gently. “They’re just a

sign of love and a kiss can come in various forms.”

“Our daughter kisses us on the lips all the time.” Micah chuckled,

nodding in agreement.

“I just didn’t want him to be scared,” Isaac whispered as he hung his

head, tears still running down his cheeks. “I know he felt betrayed, and I
needed him to know we were doing this for the right reasons because we
love him.”

“I know, my love,” Rory said gently as he wrapped his arms around his

mate. “I’m not mad. Just don’t get in the habit of kissing everyone often.”

“Deal.” Isaac chuckled, snuggling up against his mate. He shot us a look

as if trying to gauge if we were about to rip his balls off.

“Aye, ya love our mate, but ya not be in love with him. No, we not be

mad. I’m glad ya thought to comfort him and he’d let you near him. He
would have freaked if we tried.” Banning sighed, and I knew it to be true.

“Let’s get him out of here before anyone notices,” Micah said quickly.

We nodded and got to it. Banning, Riley, Rory, and I quickly packed some
essentials for our mate while Micah and Isaac lifted him up.

“Fuck, I can get him by myself,” Isaac whispered as he moved Zane over

his shoulder. “He’s deadweight, but there’s not enough meat on his bones
where it’s hard to carry him.”

“We’ll fix that,” Banning said with more conviction than I felt. “If we

Chapter 3

Zane

I groaned as I woke, bright lights blinding me, and suddenly I was

feeling like I had one hell of a major fucking hangover. I grabbed my head,
wondering what the license plate was on the car that hit me. Then,
suddenly, I remembered what happened and growled. I sat up in bed,
wishing I hadn’t moved so fast as dizziness swarmed me.

“You kissed me after Riley shot me,” I snarled. I could scent Isaac in the

room from the moment I woke up. “Care to fucking explain that one?”

“I didn’t want you to be scared,” he answered quietly. I blinked several

times,  trying  to  dispel  the  effects  of  whatever  drug  I  was  given.  “You
looked  so  hurt  and  betrayed.  I  was  trying  to  let  you  know  I  wasn’t
betraying  you,  but  I  couldn’t  think  of  any  other  way  to  save  you.  And  I
refuse to let you die.”

“I’m not dying,” I grumbled as I glanced around the room. The walls

seemed to be made of steel and the furnishings were sparse with only the
bed I was lying on, a nightstand, the metal chair Isaac was using, and a
table in one of the corners. It was depressing and prisonlike to say the least
even if there was an Xbox and a TV with a stand against the wall. “Where
the fuck are we?”

Isaac stared at me for a moment as he thought about his reply, his light

brown eyes conveying the pain he felt when he looked at me and at what I
had become.

“I had this built in the basement so you couldn’t escape it. Desmond

bought you six weeks with the Council. You stop this self-destructive path
and start taking care of yourself and I’ll let you out. But I will not stand by
and watch you kill yourself or try to get killed on missions!” His hands
were now balled into fists and his jaw clenched.

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing?” I asked, the anger dissipating

from me for the first time in months. “You think I’ve been trying to kill
myself?”

“Zane, you’ve lost over a hundred pounds. You don’t eat, you don’t

drink blood, you take huge risks on missions, you always come back

drink blood, you take huge risks on missions, you always come back
injured. You almost died this last one.” I could see the grief and misery on
him as much as I could almost feel it coming off of him in waves. “I love
you, man. Don’t leave me. You wouldn’t give up on me, and I’ll be
damned if I let you.”

I thought about it a few minutes. While he wasn’t correct that I was

trying to kill myself, he was right that my way of dealing with the grief
wasn’t working. I eyed Isaac over. He was my best friend, one of my only
friends really, and the only family I had.

“Are you going to make me spend time with my mates?” I asked

hesitantly. I was willing to give his way a try, like an intervention, or six-
week sabbatical, but I had conditions.

“I think you should, Zane,” he answered slowly, as if choosing his

words carefully. “They’re sorry. You could have run after them just as
much as they should have given you a chance to explain. They thought you
didn’t want them. You thought they didn’t care enough to give you time to
think. In the end, does it really matter how it went down when both parties
are hurting and want to be with the other?”

I shrugged. What he was saying made sense, but the pain I felt wasn’t

really listening to reason. “Can you just give me a bit to wrap my mind
around seeing them again first? I need to think about what I want. I never
got the chance last time.”

“That’s fair. I can do that.” There was a pause before he spoke, eyeing

me over suspiciously. “Why are you being so accepting of this? I thought
you’d throw a fit and hand me my ass for doing this.”

“Because you’re right,” I whispered, my eyes burning as I hung my head

in shame. “My way hasn’t been working, and I kinda hate who I’ve
become. I’m not trying to kill myself, but I’m so fucking depressed that the
idea of food, blood, or doing anything makes me just want to go back to
sleep. And taking risks on missions? I just jump right in because I’m afraid
I’ll get another dizzy spell or pass out in the middle of something.”

“You’ve been passing out?” He sounded horrified that I was in worse

shape than he had guessed.

“Yeah, not eating will do that.” I snickered, wiping my eyes. “It’s just

when I finally can make myself eat, the shit they serve at the warrior

when I finally can make myself eat, the shit they serve at the warrior
compound makes my stomach churn. And I don’t want the blood because
it reminds me that I can’t drink from my mates.”

“I know, Zane. We’re going to go slow and get you healthy. Maybe they

can just come in and play a game with you.” He gestured to the TV and
Xbox. “And I’ll have the cook make whatever you want, but you have to
start eating again. You’ll feel better if you have some strength.”

“Steak?” I asked with a smile. If I was being kidnapped, I should at least

get some good stuff.

“You can have surf and turf for every fucking meal if you want. I just

want you to eat something.”

“Okay, bring it on.” I chuckled. Maybe forced captivity wouldn’t be so

bad.

“There are pills that Riley wants you to take,” he said quietly, probably

thinking he was pushing his luck. “They’re low-dose antidepressants that
he said he altered to work with our system.”

“You want me to be one of those doped-out Prozac humans?” I asked,

my eyes going wide with shock. Fuck no!

“No, nothing like that. He said they’re gentle and you won’t even really

notice a difference. They will help take an edge off the depression and get
more  happy  hormones  firing  in  your  brain  or  something.  I  didn’t  really
understand  what  he  was  saying.”  His  eyebrows  were  wrinkled  in
confusion,  and  knowing  Riley,  he’d  rattled  off  a  bunch  of  medical  lingo
that would make anyone’s head spin.

I thought about that for a minute. “You really went to a lot of trouble to

plan all of this out, didn’t you?”

“You’re worth the effort to me,” he answered quietly. “Please just let me

help you.”

“Okay, I’ll give you two weeks without putting up a fight on one

condition,” I conceded, feeling bad my best friend was so upset.

“Anything,” he agreed immediately with a happy nod.
“I want time outside, too. You know I’d go insane if I was trapped in

here all the time.”

“Deal. Now get some rest while I get your food. Let me know when

you’re ready to see your mates. They’re chomping at the bit to talk to you.”

I sighed, realizing it might just be easier to get it over with than delay the

inevitable. “Just send in one as long as they promise not to jump me or try
and bite me.”

“No, they’re too upset to be horny,” he said sadly. I watched with

curiosity as he placed his thumb on a sensor by the door.

“You really went all out on this plan to keep me in here.”
“Yup. And don’t think you can bypass the system. If you even try to

remove the cover without my prints first, the door will go on lockdown.
And it rotates which print of mine is needed, so don’t try to lift my print or
something.”

“I said I’d behave as long as this works. But if they come running in

here demanding shit of me, then I’ll fight you to get out,” I said firmly. I
wasn’t going to be trapped and force-fed by the men who abandoned me or
some shit.

“No, you’ll see that they’re very sorry and willing to do whatever it takes

to make you better.” Isaac paused as if debating something before he spoke
again. “They want to help and said they’d let you go if you wouldn’t
forgive them. They said it would kill something inside of them, but if you
wanted to go back to Darcy that they’d let you go.”

“Oh, they sound kinda nice,” I admitted with a shrug. They were here to

help and didn’t really expect me to just forgive and forget. It gave me hope.

“They are good guys or we wouldn’t have brought them back with us.”
“I so want to hear how this all went down later, but right now I just need

to take a little of this information at a time,” I said wearily. But when I saw
the frown on my friend’s face, I tried to crack a joke. “It’s my first time
being kidnapped and all.”

“Well, technically I’d say it was kidnapping when we got our tattoos.” He

snickered, giving me a wink.

“Oh god,” I groaned. “How am I going to explain that one to them?”
“I will if you want, but don’t get upset. Rory loves mine. He thinks it’s

his own personal invitation to my ass.”

“TMI, dude. TMI.” I shook my head as he laughed, leaving through the

door. It closed with a thud and a loud click, signaling that I was locked in.
I almost started to panic at being held in the room. It took me a few deep

I almost started to panic at being held in the room. It took me a few deep
breaths and remembering that it was my best friend doing it, not some
crazed killer, to calm down.

I decided to check out my new home. I opened the closets, shocked to

find my clothes there. And then I went into the attached bathroom. Again
the walls were steel, but the shower and bathtub were actually really big.
The bathroom in general was sizeable to where the sink, toilet, and shower
were not all cramped together.

White tiles comprised the wall of the bathing area and the bathroom’s

floor. This seemed odd with the steel walls, but whatever. I moved to the
sink, which stood by itself against the wall. It had a cabinet built beneath it
that I imagined that towels were being stored in. There was a mirror above
it that I looked into briefly but turned sharply away from when I saw my
reflection—so different now from what it had been.

At least it wasn’t just a barred cell where everyone could watch me do

my business when I needed to. It wasn’t jail. It was like forced rehab,
though I wasn’t addicted to anything. I decided to call it my sabbatical and
leave it at that.

I smiled when I saw that Isaac had gotten me a new Kindle Fire. It was

on  the  nightstand  by  the  bed.  I  lay  down  and  grabbed  it,  wanting  to  see
what he’d put on it. I scrolled through for two minutes, my mouth hanging
open.  He  had  all  my  favorite  authors  on  here  and  a  bunch  of  gay  erotic
romance I was very excited to read. It wasn’t normally my thing, but I had
a  feeling  I’d  be  doing  a  lot  of  reading  I  never  got  to  when  working  so
much.

I glanced up when the door opened, trying to keep calm when one of

my  mates  stepped  inside,  letting  the  door  close.  I  couldn’t  help  but  notice
how  perfect  he  looked  as  he  stood  there  shyly,  his  toned  muscles  visible
beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. I sat up, not willing to be on my back
during  our  first  interaction  in  months.  There  was  an  awkward  couple  of
minutes when we just stared at each other, not sure what to say.

“You look bigger than I remember,” I finally said, wanting to roll my

eyes at how lame it sounded.

“Aye.” He chuckled, shaking his head as he moved to sit on the end of

the bed, not coming too close to me. “We keep getting that. Ya stopped

the bed, not coming too close to me. “We keep getting that. Ya stopped
eating and Banning and I went the other way. With the improvements
Dillon’s been making to both farms, there’s been more than enough work
to keep us somewhat distracted.

“Not really, but the only way we seem to be able to sleep is if we work

ourselves to exhaustion. So yeah, the side effect be we added thirty pounds
of muscle. Didn’t make us any taller unfortunately or anything. I’d like a
few more inches—” He paused, his eyes darting to his hands instead of
looking at the wall. “Sorry, I ramble when I’m nervous.”

It made me feel that letting one of them in here was the right move if he

cared enough to be nervous. “I didn’t sleep with Darcy,” I blurted out.
God, I sucked at this. “I haven’t slept with anyone since we met.”

“Then why did ya say that ya were going to?” he asked hesitantly,

glancing over to me.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged because I didn’t really have a good answer.

“I was angry. I wasn’t ready for you guys to show up and bring my feelings
and the rejection to the surface again. I wanted to hurt you the way you
hurt me.”

Brian nodded a few times, taking it in. “I understand that. We deserved

it, but ya need to know we were suffering, too. We thought—”

“I know what you thought,” I growled as I got up off the bed and

started to pace. “But that’s not what I said. You two were too busy talking
all over me and—this isn’t going work. I need to get out of here.”

“Wait, please don’t,” he said so quietly I barely heard him. I turned to

face  him  and  suddenly  he  was  there,  hugging  me.  I  wanted  to  push  him
away.  My  head  was  screaming  for  me  to  do  just  that,  but  my  heart…my
heart  wanted  to  hold  my  mate  until  all  the  pain  went  away.  “I’ll  leave,
okay? Ya need to get better. I didn’t mean to make things worse for ya.”

“Okay,” I whispered, taking a moment to rub my face against his soft red

hair.

“Okay, ya want me to leave?” He sounded confused and a bit hurt.
“No, okay, I’ll try and let go of what happened.” He shivered in my

arms, letting out a happy sigh.

“We be willing to do whatever it takes. Just tell us what you need, me

mate.”

“I don’t know what I need,” I admitted. I felt like a lost kid or right after

I went through my transition—no. I wasn’t going to think about that right
now either. That wouldn’t help me snap out of my funk.

“Want to shoot zombies?” he asked as he tilted his head to look up at me.

It was such a random topic change I found myself just staring at him as if
saying huh? “There be a game Banning and I like. Zombie Apocalypse on
the Xbox. Isaac said you like to play, and that’s the only one I know.”

“Okay, let’s kill some zombies.” I chuckled, hugging him back slightly.

He smiled up at me, and I felt some of the ice that had built around my
heart melt. A little, just a little bit, but it was a start.

We sat down, pulling two of the chairs from the table, and played for

about half an hour before Isaac brought us some food. I had to admit, I
was having fun. For the first time in a long time, I actually laughed some.

“Ugh, my stomach is not liking this idea,” I groaned as I eyed over the

best-looking steak ever. But just because it looked good didn’t mean my
stomach wanted me to eat it.

“Riley ran over some other pills when I called and told him why you

weren’t eating. He said they would help with the nausea and calm your
stomach,” Isaac said gently, glancing between us. “You okay? I don’t want
to push you—”

“Yeah, we were having fun,” I replied quickly, interrupting him so he

didn’t have to finish that thought. “I’m willing to try and start over, I
guess.” I hadn’t said that much to Brian, but as we hung out, I realized it
was what I wanted.

“Really?” Brian gasped, his eyes wide with hope. I nodded and instantly

had my arms filled with my mate. “Thank ya, thank ya, thank ya.” He
pulled me down and peppered my face with kisses. One landed on my
mouth, and we both froze for a split second. Then I growled and attacked
his lips. He gasped and opened up for me, and all the months of need and
longing swarmed me, almost enough to bring me to my knees.

“No,” I whimpered as I ripped my mouth off his and pulled away. “I–I–I

can’t th–that yet.” Was that even a complete thought or making any sense?

“Aye,” Brian said gently as he moved to sit in one of the chairs by the

small table. “I didn’t mean to do that either. I won’t deny it felt good, but

small table. “I didn’t mean to do that either. I won’t deny it felt good, but
ya be right that we not jump into anything.”

I sighed in relief. They really were trying to do things differently this

time. I was afraid he’d jump all over me for denying him or leading him
on. Isaac let out the breath he’d been holding as well.

“Well, if you’ll excuse me. I am going to do activities like that with my

mate,” he said with a wink. “I’ll see you tomorrow morning before
breakfast. We’ll take a walk around the property and ramp up our
workouts from there. It will help you feel better and clear your mind.”

I nodded and blurted out what I’d been thinking of saying. “I’m not sure

if I should kick your ass or thank you for this, but it means the world to
me that you cared enough to pull a stunt like this.”

“Try the thank-you. If you kick my ass, you’ll have to deal with Rory,

and it’s getting close to the full moon. You don’t want to tangle with my
cat.” He threw back his head and laughed before walking out the door.

Yeah, he was right. Rory was wicked fast and scary protective of my

friend. I was in no condition to take on a shifter.

“This be nice,” Brian said as he took the lids off the plates on the tray.
“Yeah, our first date is in my cell,” I grumbled as I sat down. I winced.

“Sorry. Seems I’m not as okay with all of this as I thought.”

“That be understandable.” He gave me a smile and a nod, letting me

know his feelings weren’t hurt. “It not be me first choice either, but it’s
better than no choice and still being separated.”

“Good point,” I conceded and reached for one of the pops. I read the

instructions Riley wrote out with the bottle of pills. Shaking one out, I
swallowed it with some liquid and set them aside.

“Mint tea always helps with an upset tummy as well. Ma always gives it

to us anytime we are sick. I’ll see if Isaac has some later or make sure he
gets some.” I watched Brian with an open mouth as he cut into his steak
and took a bite. “What?”

“Nothing,” I mumbled, snapping out of my shock. He was still staring at

me, and I realized I wasn’t going to get out of it quite that easily. “I’m just
not used to someone caring enough to worry for me.”

“Isaac does.” He swallowed loudly and glanced at his food. “That Darcy

character seemed to care a great deal for you.”

“Isaac’s like a brother,” I said slowly, trying to pick the right words so I

didn’t  stick  my  foot  in  my  mouth.  I  cut  up  my  meat,  taking  a  bite  before
deciding  how  to  phrase  what  I  wanted  to  say.  “You  have  nine  brothers,
right?  Is  there  one  of  the  bunch  that’s  easiest  to  talk  to?  Someone  who
never judges, always listens, and lets it be all about you sometimes?”

“Aye, that be Fergus.” His eyes went wide and he cursed under his

breath. “I’m not talking bad against Banning. He be me twin, but when you
share emotions and feel what the other one is, it’s hard just to talk
sometimes.”

“That makes sense. I didn’t take it as you slighting your twin. It’s just

there’s something in certain people that makes them so easy to talk to, to be
around.”

“I agree. Fergus is almost like talking to a father. Ya know it won’t go

anywhere, and he just lets ya get it off your chest without trying to be
involved or suggesting how ya should handle things.”

“Yeah, that’s Darcy. I’m not the only one who talks to him, and being a

warrior,  it’s  hard  to  talk  to  anyone.  Plus,  we  have  somewhat  similar
backgrounds,  so  we  were  kinda  friendly  and  drinking  buddies.  But  then
when Isaac was going through all kinds of shit with his family, he shut me
out.  For  so  long  we’d  been  best  friends  and  then  suddenly  it  was  like  I
didn’t matter anymore. Darcy and I became closer and we started sleeping
together.

“But that’s all it was. Just sex. We both knew it and there’s no hard

feelings or wanting more from each other. We were friends who scratched
each other’s itch sometimes or when we needed to not feel so alone.” It
was the best explanation I had, and I was trying to make Brian realize that
if things were going to work out between us, my heart didn’t belong to
another.

“I’m glad ya had someone to turn to when ya needed them.”
We ate in comfortable silence for a while. I’d read the instructions for

the other pills, and they were to be taken after meals, three times a day. I
got about halfway through my steak and baby potatoes before I was full. I
went over to the nightstand and popped one of those, the bed calling to me.

“Wait, before ya go to bed ya have to have some blood,” Brian said

gently.  He  stood  and  went  to  a  small  fridge  next  to  the  TV  stand  that  I
hadn’t  even  noticed  was  there.  It  was  about  three  feet  tall  and  stainless
steel, making it blend into the surroundings. I watched him pull out a bag
of  blood  with  apprehension.  “Banning  and  I  said  we’d  offer  to  give  ya  a
blow job each time ya drank blood if that’s what it would take to get you to
do it. It seems funny to suggest now. But I am willing to do anything to get
ya better.”

I just about swallowed my tongue. What sane man passed up that offer?

Oh right, me. “Thanks, but I couldn’t use you like that. And it would kind
of go against the whole taking this slow policy.”

“Aye, that be true,” he agreed and handed it to me. I sat down and let my

fangs come out before sinking them into the bag. I drank it down, doing
my best to ignore my rolling stomach. It would probably get worse before
it got better, but I had to start putting what I needed into my body. I tossed
it in the trash when I was done, groaning as I suddenly felt dizzy. “Do I
need to get the doc?”

“No, but I’d like it if you lie with me for a while. No funny stuff. I just

think it would be nice if we just lay here and got used to each other.” It
sounded stupid and sappy. I waited for him to laugh at me.

Instead I got a bright smile. “I’d like that.” He toed off his shoes as I did

the same and crawled into bed with me. We didn’t spoon, but Brian did lie
on his side next to me, our bodies not quite touching. I took his hand and
intertwined our fingers, laying them over my chest. He sighed contently and
I closed my eyes. It felt right, and I drifted right off to sleep.

Chapter 4

Brian

I heard a growl and started to wake up. Then I gasped in pain. I shot out

of bed, crying out and stumbling to the ground. Me body felt as if millions
of bugs were crawling under me skin. I tried to scratch, but me hands and
arms weren’t cooperating with me.

“Help,” I cried out, writhing on the floor in pain.
“Oh fuck,” Zane shouted and picked up the phone next to the bed. “Help

us. I used my gift on Brian.” His voice sounded panicked.

I wasn’t sure who he was talking to, and I didn’t really care, though I

would ask what me mate’s gift was later. All I cared about was if they
could make it stop.

“Just breathe, baby,” Zane cooed. Suddenly I was in his lap, his hands

rubbing all over me body. Wherever he touched, instantly the pain stopped
there. I took a few deep breaths, me heart slowing down. The door burst
open and I smelled Isaac, Rory, and me twin, hearing their frantic footsteps
as they all ran to help me.

“What did you do?” Banning growled as he knelt in front of us, pulling

me out of Zane’s lap.

“No,” I whimpered, trying to fight him. “His touch helps.” Me twin

instantly let me go but still looked pissed enough to chew nails.

“It was an accident,” Zane whispered, his tone pleading that we

understand. I saw him glance at Isaac. “I woke up with someone draped
over me and smelled my mate. I got scared and lashed out before I even
realized it. I’d forgotten that they’d come here or where I was. I thought I
was having a nightmare and wanted to wake up.”

“It’s okay, I know you’d never hurt them on purpose,” Isaac said gently

as he knelt next to us. I wasn’t in pain any longer and started to sit up
before collapsing right back in his lap. “Rory, get Brian some blood.”

“On it,” Rory said, his eyes as big as saucers, looking completely

confused and shocked. Yeah, I felt the same way.

“What does him being scared have to do with Brian being in pain?”

Banning barked out, his gaze darting between Isaac and Zane. Our mate

Banning barked out, his gaze darting between Isaac and Zane. Our mate
nodded, swallowing loudly.

“Zane’s gift is the ability to screw with people’s nerves. You know that

little creepy chick in Twilight?” Isaac asked. I thought it was a weird thing
to bring up, but I figured Isaac had a point so I nodded. “Well, she’s got
nothing on Zane. She says pain and people grab their heads. Zane can
control all the nerves in someone’s body and fry them out.”

“Holy fuck,” Banning gasped, his eyes going wide with fear. “Why in

god’s name would someone be given that gift? Gifts are supposed to be
good and, well, gifts.”

“But he’s a warrior,” Isaac explained, shaking his head. Rory came over

and handed me a bag of blood. “We’re given gifts that are useful in battle.
It’s extremely valuable when engaged in a life-or-death situation or fight.”

“It hasn’t been working,” he admitted with a wince. “I’ve been too weak

and drained to use it.”

“I wondered how the demons got the drop on you on that last mission.”

Isaac looked pained at the idea, and Banning and I exchanged a confused
look.

Rory must have seen it because he explained. “Zane was practically torn

to shreds from the demons’ claws. Isaac said he normally scrambles their
nerves when in a fight and they can’t function well.”

“Aye, I can attest to that. Me body wasn’t listening to me,” I agreed and

stuck me fangs in the bag. I felt much better the more I drank, the sickish
feeling leaving me.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Zane whispered as he hugged me closer to him.

Feeling me mate’s arms around me was very comforting.

“Demon claws also have a poison on them that acts like acid so any cuts

by them are incredibly painful.” Isaac finished off Rory’s explanation.

“And yet ya kept going out into the fight knowing ya not be fit?”

Banning asked, his eyes narrowing in accusation at our mate. “No wonder
Isaac be thinking ya were trying to kill yaself.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Zane sighed, shaking his head. “I couldn’t have

being a warrior taken away from me, too. It was all that I had to hold on to.
I wasn’t trying to kill myself, but I wasn’t willing to give it up even if it
killed me.”

killed me.”

I pulled me fangs out of the bag, having drunk it all, and tossed it in the

trash. “That all be in the past now.” I gave Banning a look that clearly said
back off . This was upsetting our mate, and the whole point was to help
him, not bring up painful memories.

“Yeah, but I’m glad we cleared the air on that though,” Zane said as he

stood with me in his arms. “It was bugging me that everyone thought I was
suicidal and I couldn’t figure out how to put what I was feeling into
words.” He laid me on the bed and bit his lip. “I understand if you don’t
want to stay the rest of the night with me.”

I knew this was an important moment. If I admitted Zane’s gift scared

me or denied him now, he could crawl right behind that wall he’d built that
we were trying to tear down. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Accidents happen,” I said, giving him a smile. “I not be going anywhere

tonight as long as ya want me here.”

He gave a relieved sigh and nodded. I gasped as I felt the despair coming

off me twin.

“Okay, well, have a good night,” Banning mumbled as he headed to the

door, his head hanging slightly.

“Wait,” Zane whispered, swallowing loudly. “I’m not picking one over

the other or saying I only want Brian. It’s just both of you together scare
me. I feel like I’m getting ganged up on.”

“That be the last thing we want,” Banning replied, giving him a sad

smile. “It be okay, me mate.”

“Could just you and I have breakfast tomorrow after I work out with

Isaac? Maybe play the zombie game and just hang out?” Zane was trying,
god love him, he was. It warmed me heart. I felt Banning’s excitement at
the idea.

“I’d like that a lot,” me twin answered, his whole face lighting up.

Everyone cleared back out, saying their good-nights before Zane climbed
into bed with me.

“I really am sorry,” he whispered as he pulled me back against his chest,

spooning me from behind. I tried to hide me shock. This was a lot more
intimate than before, and given the way his hard-on was rubbing me ass, I
knew he felt it, too.

knew he felt it, too.

“Ya didn’t do it on purpose and helped me when I needed it. Nothing to

forgive,” I said gently, rubbing me hands over the arm wrapped around
me.

“Are you afraid of me now? Because Banning looked at me as if I was a

monster.” Zane sounded so sad and lost I did the only thing I could think
of…I lied me ass off.

“It’s a shock and not a gift I’ve ever heard of before so yes, the gift is

scary. But ya? No, ya not be scaring either one of us. If Banning had been
feeling fear, I would have known it. I only felt his shock and confusion.” I
wanted to sing liar, liar, pants on fire in me head for that one. Banning had
been ready to shit a brick.

“Okay, good,” he sighed in relief. “I’d never use it on you guys

intentionally. Hell, I hate using it on the demons most times. It seems so
cruel, even if they are the bad guys.”

Right then, I knew what I’d said wasn’t a lie. I wasn’t afraid of him.

Anyone who cared about not torturing evil demons wasn’t someone I
should fear. And as soon as I told this to Banning, he’d agree.

“Ya be a good man, me mate.” And I meant it. A few moments later, I

heard Zane’s breathing even out, signaling he’d fallen asleep. Good, we
both needed it.

* * * *

Zane

“You guys okay after last night?” Isaac asked as we walked around the

Dragos  grounds.  The  grass  was  green  and  lush  and  the  trees  were  thick
with leaves. Which was really strange since it was December. How they hell
was  the  grass  green  in  Virginia  in  December?  And  I  didn’t  remember  it
being  like  that  around  the  warrior  compound.  Maybe  those  happy  pills
were making me a little loopy, too.

Weird.
The fresh air felt good as I breathed it in. Isaac kept slowing me down,

but I felt better than I had in months and wanted to really stretch my legs.

“Yeah, Brian said they weren’t scared of me and knew it was an

accident,” I answered, relieved that we’d overcome that hurdle, and I didn’t
just mean that I’d accidently hurt him. My gift tended to freak a lot of

just mean that I’d accidently hurt him. My gift tended to freak a lot of
people out. “I’m still really nervous around them though.”

“How so?”
“It’s like after all these months of having a part of me hate them for

walking away and another part wish they’d come back, my insides don’t
know what to do with them being here. Hell, I keep thinking I’m going to
blink and realize it was just a dream.”

“I think that’s normal given what you’ve all been through,” Isaac said

after a minute of thought. “I’m thrilled how much better your coloring is
today. And I don’t want to sound like an ass, but I’m proud of you that
you’re giving them another chance.”

“You are?” I was worried he thought I was letting them back in too

easily.

“Yeah, Zane, I am. They screwed up but they didn’t mean to hurt you.

They were acting rashly on their own emotions, but they hopped on a plane
the second they knew you weren’t doing well. That speaks a lot to their
character.” He went on to tell me exactly everything that happened in
Ireland and how my mates ended up back here.

“It felt really good to hold Brian,” I admitted sheepishly, my face heating

up with embarrassment. “I felt complete in a way and sad in others.”

“Because Banning wasn’t there?” he asked gently with no judgment at

all.

“I think so,” I whispered, feeling like a pussy.
“You need to tell them about your past, Zane. I know you don’t want to,

and I will if you can’t, but I think it should come from you. It will help.”

“How will them knowing I had a fucked-up family and life before

becoming a warrior help?” I growled, hating my past.

“Because they’ll understand why they need to ease you into both of them

being around you at the same time. Plus, it’s not something you should
hide from your mates. No matter how hard it was, I never regretted telling
Rory everything. Fate wouldn’t have given both of them to you if they
couldn’t handle it.”

“What if they get too freaked out and run again?” I asked, voicing my

biggest fear.

“Dude, not to rub in what happened last night, but you almost fried your

mate’s nerves and he climbed back into bed with you. They’re not going
anywhere.” He seemed so sure about it that I was willing to trust his
instincts.

“Okay, I’ll talk to them. I’m just not sure I can tell them both at once.”
“Then tell just one of them and let them tell the other. They can feel each

other’s emotions, so I doubt anything will be lost in translation,” Isaac
suggested, but I shook my head.

“No, I need to tell them together. They’re going to start thinking I only

want one of them if I keep dividing my time between them.”

“Just go slow. You’re doing better already, and I don’t want you to crawl

back in your hole.”

I was glad when we walked back up to the house, ready to be done with

this discussion. It was as if I’d fried my own nerves with everything that
had happened. I could only deal with issues a little at a time. Too much and
I felt like I was going to overload and burst.

“This feels kinda silly.” I chuckled as Isaac escorted me back to my

cell/room thing.

“Just humor me until I know you won’t snap again,” he said gently. I

winced but nodded. That was fair. “I’m not bringing it up to be a shit, but I
wanted you to understand why. The road to getting better isn’t straight and
narrow. Hell, mine had all types of twists and loop-de-loops to where, if I
didn’t have someone watching me, I would have jumped right off the path.
”

“But at some point in time you’re going to have to have to trust I can do

this,” I replied with a nod, not fighting, as we walked back into my room.
“Letting you go to the airport to run away was one of the hardest things
I’ve ever had to do. I was so scared you wouldn’t come back or would off
yourself. But I trusted you to tell me the truth.”

“Right, but you had a few days of keeping me in the hospital before we

got to that point. So I at least get a few days of you here,” he countered. I
shrugged and pulled off my sweatshirt. “I’ll see you after work.”

“Okay. Can you send both my mates in with breakfast? If proving to you

I can handle things gets me out of here and back into my normal life, then I
will.”

will.”

“Why are you so against this all of a sudden? I thought you were going

to take this time as a sabbatical.” He seemed confused and hurt. That
wasn’t what I wanted.

“Because it’s a cage, Isaac. It’s a nicely dressed-up, fully equipped cage,

but it’s still a cage. You had to know how hard that would be for me, and
everyone just keeps looking at me with pity.” His face paled so fast that I
realized he didn’t ever realize it.

“I’m so fucking sorry,” he whispered. “I wasn’t thinking. I just wanted

to help you.”

“I know, and I’m not mad, but it’s still hard.”
“How about we amend the rules,” he said quickly when I turned toward

the bathroom. “If you promise not to fight your mates and stay with both
of them, you can leave the room anytime you like. Deal?”

“Yeah, that’s cool,” I sighed with relief. Suddenly I didn’t feel so

trapped. “I can handle that.”

“Okay, good. Good. I didn’t think about when—”
“It’s okay. Go get your ass to work.” I chuckled, not wanting to delve

into the past when I was going to real soon when I talked to my mates.
When I saw Isaac still looked upset, I decided to try and throw him a bone.
“How about you and I just have dinner tonight? Get Hadley to make
lasagna and we’ll just hang out if Rory’s okay with it.”

“Yeah, he goes into heat tomorrow so he’ll be cool with it.” My friend’s

face looked equal parts relieved and happy at the idea. He gave me a wave
and  headed  out.  I  walked  into  the  bathroom  and  turned  on  the  shower.  It
amazed  me  how  sweaty  and  tired  I  was  after  simply  walking.  But  then
again,  after  months  and  months  of  not  taking  care  of  myself,  sometimes
just getting out of bed was exhausting.

I just finished showering, reaching for a towel to dry off, while still lost

in my thoughts. I wrapped it around my hips, grabbing another one for my
hair, thinking I needed a haircut as I stepped out into the room. Brian
gasped and almost dropped the tray of food he was holding. He put it
down on the table and raced over to me.

“Dear god,” he whispered as he traced the jagged marks on my chest

with his fingers. I realized what had him so freaked. I glanced down and

with his fingers. I realized what had him so freaked. I glanced down and
winced at all the claw marks still marring my body. “Why haven’t they
healed?”

“Injuries from demons normally take longer to heal, but since my body

wasn’t at full health, it’s taking longer.” I shrugged, not really trying to
make a big deal about it. I shivered when both his hands started tracing the
marks.

“Can’t the doc heal ya?” Banning asked from across the room, concern

in his tone.

“Riley’s got enough people who need to use his gift. Plus, he’s got a

baby and other responsibilities,” I answered as I moved away from Brian.
“They’ll heal in time. They’re not life threatening or anything. They’re just
ugly.”

“Nothing on ya be ugly,” Brian whispered as he stepped closer again. I

started to get nervous until I realized Banning was still in the same spot. He
was watching me intently with those gorgeous silver eyes, but his body was
still, indicating he had no intention of moving.

“What are you doing?” I asked in a higher pitch than my normal tone.
“I just wanted a good-morning kiss,” Brian admitted shyly, blushing a

pretty color that turned me on. “I thought it would be okay after last night. I
apologize—”

I didn’t even let him finish that sentence. I leaned over and brushed my

lips over his. He moaned and leaned against me. “I’m not good at this
stuff,” I said in a husky voice I barely recognized. “Always assume I don’t
understand and not that I’m trying to rebuff you.” I glanced up at Banning.
“Okay?”

“Aye, I understand. Do I get a morning kiss as well?” I saw his eyes flare

with lust, and I started moving toward him, drawn like a moth to a flame.
Suddenly I was across the room with my hand wrapped behind his head,
pulling him up to my mouth. I kept it simple, especially since I was in a
towel and Banning could feel exactly how much I liked the kiss.

“Wait,” I whimpered as I felt Brian at my back. “I can’t be surrounded

like that.” I quickly darted out from in between them, feeling like a
complete pussy. “I’m sorry.”

“Ya want to tell us why ya react like that?” Brian asked gently, worry and

slight confusion playing across his features.

“That’s why I asked if both of you could come down with breakfast,” I

said quickly.

And then I needed something to do with my hands. I moved over to the

closet with my clothes and grabbed some sweats and a shirt. I ducked into
the bathroom and quickly yanked them on. When I came back out, both
my mates were sitting at the table, having already uncovered breakfast, and
were looking uncomfortable.

I walked over and grabbed one of the plates of eggs and bacon, moving

to sit down on the edge of the bed. “This is going to be hard for me, I’ve
only ever told Isaac and the warrior coordinator when I finally found my
way to the compound. So if you guys could just bear with me and stay
over there.”

“We can do that,” Brian said slowly. We all took a few bites of breakfast.
“My parents weren’t good people,” I sighed, shaking my head. “They

had children so they could have workers in their sweatshops. They kept us
locked up in the back room of their small factory when we weren’t
working. My first memories are of working at a sewing machine making
designer suits.”

“How old were you?” Banning asked, his face paling.
“Probably five or six,” I answered with a shrug. “It’s hard to tell. We

didn’t  celebrate  birthdays  or  keep  track  of  how  old  we  were.  It’s  not  like
we  were  loved  or  taken  care  of.  Hell,  I  grew  up  sickly  and  underfed,
wearing  scraps  of  cloths.”  I  paused,  taking  a  deep  breath  before
continuing. “I couldn’t have been more than eight when my gift appeared.
We  were  beaten  sometimes  if  we  weren’t  behaving  according  to  my  sick
and twisted parents.

“And I’m guessing my age. Hell, I still do. But my dad came at me to hit

me for screwing something up and I screamed. He fell to the ground,
writhing around in pain, and I realized I was controlling it. I was so scared
I remember peeing myself and crying for forgiveness. He got up after the
pain passed and laughed. I mean it was a psycho, scary laugh. I thought he
might kill me.

“But he was excited. I could hurt people without leaving bruises. The

next time one of my siblings got out of line, he threatened to shoot my
baby sister if I didn’t use my gift on them. I was somewhere in the middle
of all the kids and the older ones had become just as abusive after the years
of beatings. So it was either hurt someone who had been mean to me or
watch my father kill my little sister.”

“Ya had no choice,” Banning said gently. “Ya were put in an impossible

situation, Zane.”

“I know, but I didn’t know how to control my gift and ended up

accidently killing my older brother. My parents freaked out and beat the
shit out of me,” I whispered, my eyes starting to burn.

“Which is why two of us surrounding ya freaks ya out,” Brian said,

nodding his head in understanding.

“No.” I laughed bitterly. “That was nothing compared to what my older

siblings did. They ganged up on me every night when we were locked back
up in the rooms. I barely survived my childhood and tried my best never to
be backed into a corner.”

“Can I ask how ya can be a warrior and go into battle when they might

surround ya?” Banning gave me a curious glance. It wasn’t filled with
contempt or condemnation, just wonder.

“Because then the goal is to kill,” I answered, hanging my head in shame

before stuffing my mouth full of more food and chewing furiously. It was
a stupid stall tactic, but I needed just a few moments before continuing. “I
never fought back against my family. I couldn’t. Yeah, they were horrid,
but they were still my family. It’s not the same with demons, but it would
be with you both. I don’t care if you were trying to kill me, I know I could
never retaliate or risk hurting you.”

“So it’s frightening to have people you care about surround ya or gang

up on ya,” Brian surmised with an understanding nod. “And fear not be
logical so ya not knowing we would never harm ya either.”

“I guess.” I shrugged again. What else could I say to try and defend my

fucked-up  mind?  “It’s  not  like  I  think  you  will  hurt  me  or  anything.  But
when  I  feel  surrounded  or  ganged  up  on,  I  wig  out.  When  I’m  fighting
demons,  I  have  weapons  and  I’ll  use  them.  With  you  guys,  it’s  more  an
instinct to run. That’s why I wouldn’t let you claim me when we met.”

instinct to run. That’s why I wouldn’t let you claim me when we met.”

“Ya thought we would hurt ya?” Banning asked, his eyes wide with

shock.

“No, but there was two against my one, and I freaked. I needed a

moment to think and you misinterpreted what I was trying to say. I just
meant I couldn’t jump right into mating. I needed time to process that I had
two mates. And I felt you needed to know the truth about my past before
claiming me as well.”

“We’re so sorry,” Brian whispered, his eyes overflowing with tears.

Eventually one spilled over and slid down his cheek. “We totally flew off
the handle and jumped to conclusions. We should have been better mates
and listened to you.”

“We all made mistakes on this one. I just needed you to understand when

you blew up why I couldn’t go after you then. I thought—”

“Ya might be walking right into the same situation like ya past with the

way we acted.” Banning looked as if he’d been kicked in the nuts he was in
so much pain, but I wasn’t going to lie. I nodded, glancing back down at
my plate.

“I couldn’t make my feet move. I couldn’t go after you. I was so

scared,” I whispered, feeling as if someone should take away my badass
warrior card. “And you both got so mad. Two of you to my one and I
froze.”

“We understand. We knew we misunderstood ya and walked away. Once

Isaac told us we didn’t hear ya right, we were never mad ya didn’t come
after us.” Brian shook his head in frustration. “Hell, I wouldn’t have come
after us either.”

“I just needed you to know why I didn’t run after you. I thought it was

important you understand.” It seemed they already did even without my
additional explanation. I started to feel foolish, like the guy who shares too
much when not asked or appropriate. And I didn’t know what to do.

“I be glad ya told us,” Brian said with a smile. “It’s important that we

know about each other so we don’t inadvertently hurt each other again.”

“I feel stupid telling you now. You weren’t mad at me anyways,” I

mumbled, stuffing the rest of my food in my mouth so I was occupied.

“No, we needed to know this, Zane,” Banning replied firmly. “And I

want to ask how ya ended up at the warrior compound. Ya made it sound
like there was more to the story.”

“Yeah, there is.” I glanced up at them and sighed in defeat. Both their

faces were serious, as if letting me know there was no way I was getting
out of this one. “I transitioned. How old I was, I don’t know. Maybe fifteen
or sixteen, the doctors guessed.”

“What age do ya say ya are?” Brian asked gently.
“Isaac deemed me to be sixteen when we met so he could teach me how

to drive. He was the first friend I made when I came to the compound. So
that makes me ninety-nine. I’ll be one hundred on New Year’s.”

“That be ya birthday?” Brian was trying so hard, but it was a sensitive

topic.

“I don’t know. Isaac gave me that one because he said it was the time for

new beginnings and was trying to make me leave my past behind me.”

“He be a good, smart friend.” Banning gave me a warm smile, and

suddenly I didn’t feel so stupid. “So, ya were saying about ya transition.”
He was trying not to be intrusive, which I appreciated, but he was still
curious.

“Most warriors are born of warrior family, like the Mariuses. I was an

anomaly. It was a rough transition, mostly because of the living conditions
my parents kept us in. But when I was done, I look a lot like I do now, too
tall for the weight on me, not filled out yet. My parents were pissed. They
beat me badly and kicked me out, screaming that I was nothing but a
shameful bastard.”

Brian gasped, his hand fluttering to his mouth. Banning was the one to

speak.

“It be an honor for a warrior to be born in a family.”
“Not to my fucked-up family.” I chuckled bitterly. “I wandered around

New York City, where I was from, until I smelled other vampires. I
followed the scent and they called the East Coast Council. They sent
someone for me, and I was taken back to the warrior compound. After they
helped me, giving me the blood and food I needed, I started training.”

“How long after your transition did you finally get blood?” Brian asked

quietly. I knew why he did. We needed it immediately after, our bodies

Chapter 5

Banning

Our mate was in such pain that I didn’t even realize what I was going to

do until I was already doing it. I stood and closed the space between us,
taking his plate and setting it back on the table. Then I moved back to the
bed. It wasn’t as soft as I would have liked, but the comforter and the
pillows were soft and inviting, a pretty shade of green, too. I pushed Zane
to lie down on one side of it before crawling on the other side.

“We stay on this side, no surrounding ya,” I said gently when he gazed

up at me with questioning eyes. “No biting or claiming. We’re just gonna
ease ya into getting comfortable with both of us near ya.”

“I don’t know how,” he whispered, his face filling with fear.
“Just like ya did earlier,” Brian replied as he joined me on the bed. “We

make ya feel uncomfortable in any way and ya tell us. We won’t judge ya
or get mad, me mate.”

“Okay.” Zane nodded and took a shaky breath, letting it out slowly as he

relaxed back against the pillows on the bed. I was lying horizontally across
the top of the bed as Brian sat toward the bottom, rubbing his hand up
Zane’s leg in comfort. I moved me hands up his chest, scooting a little
closer.

“We’d never hurt ya,” I said quietly as I lowered me face down to his. He

nodded before tilting his head ever so slightly so his lips met mine. Just as
it was earlier, the kiss was explosive for one so calm. I wanted to take
everything so much further and fuck our mate into the mattress, but he
needed gentle and slow. Neither were me strong points, but I was willing to
try for him.

I moved me hands to the bottom of his shirt, giving him ample time to

stop  me.  When  he  didn’t  I  slowly  tucked  me  fingers  beneath  the  cotton
fabric  and  peeled  it  off  of  him,  breaking  the  kiss  for  a  second  so  I  could
get it over his head. Then I whipped off me own shirt and moved for more
contact  with  him.  Zane  growled  and  deepened  the  kiss.  I  let  him  take
control, knowing he needed it more than anything right then.

When his hips lifted, I glanced down and saw Brian had lost his shirt as

well and was removing our mate’s pants. I felt a thrill of relief run through
me. This could work. Our mate wouldn’t shut us out always as long as we
were patient with him.

“Can I rim ya, me mate?” Brian asked in between kisses along Zane’s

now-naked thighs.

“Yes please,” he groaned, his whole body giving a shudder, anticipating

the pleasure.

“And I will blow ya,” I purred as I started licking me way along his

collarbone.

“Okay,” our mate almost squeaked. I smiled to myself. That was a high

pitch for such a big man, and we were the cause of it. That was a total ego
boost. And I also realized if he’d had problems with too many people
around him at once, then he’d never had two men please him at once. I
liked that we were giving our mate something he’d never had before.

I really fucking liked it.
Brian moved between Zane’s legs, pushing them back and to the side so

he could get at our mate’s hole. That was a sight I wanted to see very badly,
but it would have to wait. Our mate needed slow and a little tenderness.

I kissed me way down his chest, stopping to play with his nipples a bit. I

admired how they had become perky pink discs in his aroused state. Then I
kept  moving  down,  licking  along  every  muscle  and  healing  wound  I  saw.
Zane  was  panting  and  moaning,  his  dark  green  eyes  echoing  the  lust  in
mine  and  his  head  thrashing  from  side  to  side.  His  blond  hair  was  damp,
and  I  noticed  some  beads  of  sweat  dripping  down  his  temple.  I  knew  he
was getting close. Time to stop teasing him or I’d miss the whole show.

Moving his left leg back toward Brian and over me twin’s shoulder, I

swallowed down Zane’s cock. He cried out and came up off the bed. If that
didn’t make a man feel like a god, I didn’t know what did. I applied gentle
pressure on his swollen, throbbing flesh. I wanted to do a cartwheel and
the jig at the same time. I was finally getting to be intimate with our mate!

It didn’t take long for Zane to come. He tugged on me hair, which was

also slick with sweat from me exertions, giving me the warning. I shook
me head and sucked on him harder. He screamed our names and shot down
me throat. I swallowed every drop, moaning in pleasure. I couldn’t even

me throat. I swallowed every drop, moaning in pleasure. I couldn’t even
imagine how great his blood would taste if I enjoyed his cum this much.

When he was cleaned up, I pulled back off of him, his softening cock

leaving me mouth with a loud pop. Brian was smiling at a job well done as
he sat up, three of his fingers still inside of Zane. It seemed he ate our
mate’s ass while fingering it as well. No wonder Zane was so quick on the
draw.

Glancing up at him, I saw Zane’s eyes were wide, glazed over as he

gasped for air. “Brian, fuck me,” Zane panted as he took me head and
pulled me toward him. “I want to suck you off, too.”

“Won’t that be too much? Both of us at once already?” Brian asked

hesitantly.  I  shot  him  a  glance.  Why  did  he  have  to  always  be  so  damn
understanding?  I  cared  for  Zane,  too.  It  wasn’t  me  fault  I  didn’t  always
know  the  right  thing  to  say.  I  would  have  taken  Zane  at  his  word  and
trusted that he knew what he was ready for.

“You’re both on the same side of me,” Zane answered with a smile. His

breathing had returned to normal. “I can handle that, and I want to please
my mates as they did me.”

“Oh thank fuck,” Brian groaned, pulling his fingers out of Zane’s ass

and using the extra slick on his cock. I must have missed where he’d gotten
lube from, but it didn’t matter when I realized Zane was trying to bring me
closer to his mouth as his big hand pressed on the small of me back. I was
about to get me own fun.

Though, if I was willing to be petty and admit it…it bugged me that

Brian was getting to have sex with Zane first. And then suddenly I didn’t
care. Zane wrapped his lips around me cock and I couldn’t have cared if
the room was burning down around us.

I braced me hands against the wall when he slid one of me legs over his

chest to straddle him. Me hips and body were screaming to thrust. It took
every ounce of control not to. I couldn’t risk hurting me mate, most
importantly. Secondly, if he felt that I was pushing him too hard, he might
wig out and that would undo everything we’d been trying to do.

It was also incredibly difficult because Brian was pounding into his ass

at such a fast pace I had trouble keeping me balance. It wasn’t like I was
straddling a little guy. Oh no, me mate had a broad, sexy chest. I did the

straddling a little guy. Oh no, me mate had a broad, sexy chest. I did the
best I could while enjoying me blow job, deciding holding back was well
worth the pleasure I was getting.

And it was a lot of pleasure. Zane knew what he was doing. It made me

wonder how many men he’d been with. Pushing aside the disturbing
thought, I tried to focus on me mate, taking in all of the perfect features
that made up his face and the sweat glistening in his hair. It got easier the
closer to climaxing I got.

“Fuck! Ya mouth be heaven,” I groaned, me sac drawing up against me

body. I heard Brian cry out behind me and smelled our mate’s release. That
was all it took to throw me into me orgasm. “Zane!”

I came down his throat, moaning as he kept sucking as each wave hit

me. I didn’t realize how tightly wound I was until I finally felt sated,
relaxed. When I was spent, I quickly fell to the side of him, careful not to
fall on his face or hurt him.

“I came again,” Zane gasped in shock and from exertion. I glanced up at

him, laughing at how Brian had collapsed on our mate’s stomach. He
looked as happy and sated as I felt.

“Ya gave two orgasms and got two,” Brian mumbled as Zane wrapped

his arms around me twin. “That be how we roll.”

“Good to know.” Zane chuckled, kissing the top of Brian’s head. It was

incredibly intimate and tender. And I lay on the other side of the bed
…alone. Me heart sank as again I felt as if I was the outsider or third wheel
on their mating. Zane liked Brian better already. That was apparent. Just as
everyone always did.

The fun was ruined for me, and I just wanted to go back to the room

Isaac gave me and take a nap. Maybe after bawling me eyes out. But I had
to be strong for me mate. Stay and give him what he needed, no matter the
cost to me.

I had to prove I was just as good of a mate as Brian. Nothing was ever

easy. And didn’t that just suck?

* * * *

Zane

A few days later I was walking the grounds with my mates. I finally felt

like myself and knew soon I would be upgrading from walks into real

like myself and knew soon I would be upgrading from walks into real
workouts. Already I’d put some weight back on and my stomach no longer
rebelled at the idea of food or blood.

I was also out of my cage, staying in a room across the hall from my

mates’ rooms. We hadn’t worked up to all sleeping together yet or claiming
each other, but I was happy and hopeful with the progress. Yeah, not
everything was perfect, but we were working on it.

That was the important part. We all cared enough to try. I glanced over at

Brian, who was walking to my left. He smiled at me impishly.

“Maybe we should take a shower when we get back and ya can fuck me

into the wall,” Brian purred playfully. I was just going to readily agree to it,
excited for fun especially since we’d not had sex since the first time a few
days ago.

“Ya got to fuck him first and now he’s gonna fuck ya first, too?”

Banning snapped, his eyes narrowed in anger. Where the fuck had that
come from?

“I’m sorry, Banning,” Brian said, immediately backing away from me. “I

not be meaning it like that.”

“Ya never do,” he grumbled and went to storm away. I grabbed his arm

before he could, furious when I saw the destroyed look on Brian’s face.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I growled, giving him a little shake.

“This isn’t a competition, Banning. Why are you jumping all over Brian?”

“It’s not?” he asked, turning his anger on me. “It feels that way to me. Ya

both are falling in love, and I’m just the third wheel being dragged behind
as an afterthought.” His voice had changed from angry to sad.

“That’s not true,” I gasped, releasing him as if he’d burned me. “How

could you think that? I care about you both equally.”

“No, ya don’t,” Banning whispered, backing away slowly.
“Don’t run from this, Banning,” Brian pleaded. “Zane not be Cesar. None

of this be his fault. It’s mine.”

“What are you talking about?” Something major was going on, and I

couldn’t afford to be as lost as I felt.

“Nothing. Brian needs to shut his trap.” From his clenched jaws and

narrowed eyes, Banning looked as if he was going to beat the shit out of
his twin. Yeah, that was so not happening while I was around.

his twin. Yeah, that was so not happening while I was around.

“Look!” I shouted, stepping in between them, making Banning focus on

me. “I know something’s up between you two, so you might as well spit it
out. I saw how close Shane and Sean were. You don’t treat Brian like he’s
your twin. Hell, you barely act like you’re brothers. What is wrong with
you?”

“Aye, it be me fault like always,” Banning replied quietly, nodding his

head. “Brian be the good twin who everyone loves, and I’m just the other
one.”

“It’s me fault,” Brian whispered with such pain I turned to look at him.

He glanced up at me with tears in his eyes. “When I was young, I made a
huge mistake that Banning never be able to forgive me for.”

“This is not about Cesar!” Banning shouted. His voice sounded strangled

as  he  said  the  words.  Not  only  had  his  voice  changed,  but  his  entire  face
had  transformed  from  the  calm  man  I  was  familiar  with  to  someone  wild
and  unhinged.  It  seemed  almost  as  if  my  mate  was  on  the  verge  of  being
torn apart from the pain he was feeling.

“Both of you sit down,” I said firmly but as kindly as I could while I

pointed  to  one  of  the  gray  stone  benches  by  the  terrace  decorated  with
various  carefully  placed  potted  plants  and  rocks.  A  bronze  statue  of  a
woman  stood  at  the  terrace’s  center,  the  serene  expression  permanently
carved on her face contrasting sharply with our distress. They both nodded
and  moved  over  there.  I  rolled  my  eyes  when  Brian  sat  on  the  one  I’d
pointed  to  and  Banning  took  another  one  a  few  feet  away.  “Now  who’s
Cesar?”

“No one,” Banning said quickly. Riiiight. I turned to Brian, who bore an

expression of deep despair on his face. His silver eyes, which were
normally sparkling with happiness, had become almost dull. He took a
shaky breath before opening his mouth to speak.

“When I was a lad, I met a man in town, a vampire named Cesar. I felt a

pull to him, he smelled amazing, and I thought he be our mate. I brought
Banning out to meet him, and Banning said I was mistaken, that he felt no
draw to the man. I was crushed and felt stupid that I’d made a mistake.
Banning left, disappointed as I was. But I stayed to have dinner with Cesar
because I thought he was nice.”

because I thought he was nice.”

“I take it he wasn’t?” I had a sinking suspicion this was going to go

badly.

“No, no he wasn’t,” Brian whispered as he shook his head sadly, his eyes

full of shame. “Cesar told me that not all twins shared a mate and that was
just a myth. There are so few families with twins, and we didn’t know any,
so I didn’t know what to believe. Me das had both had me ma as a mate,
but that was all I knew. Cesar said he knew other twins and they didn’t
share mates and I didn’t think he had any reason to lie. We went to bed and
I was hooked. Probably because he be taking me virginity—”

I couldn’t help the growl that passed my lips. Okay, I hadn’t claimed

them yet, but I didn’t like hearing about them being with other men. They
were mine!

The side of Brian’s lips curved up in a smirk as he continued. “I didn’t

tell Banning I was still seeing Cesar.” I glanced over at Banning, whose lips
were drawn in to a thin line. He wasn’t looking at Brian, instead focusing
on something in the distance, but I knew he was listening. I turned my
attention back to Brian.

“After a month of being with him, he talked me into mating. I brought

him home to meet our parents and they freaked out. They knew the truth,
but I was too young and stupid to listen. I thought I was in love, and why
would they want to take that from me? Cesar asked me to leave me family.
Banning begged me not to do it, but I packed a bag and walked out the
door.”

“Oh,” I whispered, glancing at Banning. Things were starting to make a

lot more sense at why Banning was so closed off and a little snippy at
times.

“Aye, oh.” Brian chuckled bitterly as he looked away from me and

picked at a small hole in his jeans. “I was waiting for Cesar to pack outside
of  his  home.  His  neighbor  and  lover  came  over.  I  saw  them  embrace
through  the  window  and  start  kissing.  Then  the  man  asked  if  Cesar  had
been able to pull it off and get me to give up me family. It seems he’d had
a  thing  for  Banning,  but  since  they  weren’t  mates,  Banning  wouldn’t  hear
of dating someone.

“I guess they were both really into twins and figured if they both got one

of us, they’d eventually get us both to play with. I fell for it. Banning
didn’t.”

“What did you do?” I asked gently, squatting down in front of him, so I

could meet his gaze.

“I went home.” He shrugged as he made efforts to look anywhere but at

Banning or me. “I didn’t talk to anyone for a while, worked the farm, and
eventually apologized for not listening to me family like I should have. But
by then, the damage be done. Banning never forgave me.”

“That’s not true,” Banning said firmly, finally turning his head to look at

his brother, his tone filled with annoyance. “I forgave ya the moment ya
came home. Ya couldn’t have known Cesar was playing you. I didn’t even
remember the guy who wanted me. They were nuts, Brian. It not be ya
fault.”

“I know ya say that, but ya never were the same with me. I’ve been

trying for over six hundred years to make it up to you—”

“I never asked ya to!” Banning shouted, jumping to his feet. “I never

asked ya to act like the martyr, always doing whatever I want to try and
make up for Cesar.”

“Bullshit,” Brian growled as he shot to his feet as well, knocking me

back on my ass onto the hard stone. “Ya never looked at me the same after
that. Ya have to let it go, Banning. I’ve more than paid me dues for me
crimes! I was eighteen. I was young and stupid. I’m sorry I hurt ya, okay?
I’m so fucking sorry. I would do anything to undo what I did, but I can’t.
Ya have to forgive me!”

“Ya want to know why things were never the same?” Banning shouted as

he shoved Brian hard in the chest. “Because of ya! Ya stopped talking to
me like we used to. Ya were poor little Brian, who got hurt by the big bad
world. Poor, sweet Brian got misled. Everyone was so worried about how
it affected ya that I was just an afterthought. When I be the one ya walked
away from!

“Ya the sweet one, the one everyone loves. Hell, even when people call

us,  ya  be  first.  Brian  and  Banning.  Brian  and  Banning.  Aye,  Brian,  and
okay,  guess  we’ll  have  to  take  Banning.  Ya  left me  and  yet  I  wasn’t  the
good  one  everyone  loved. Ya  didn’t  trust  me! And  ya  never  acted  like  ya

good one everyone loved. Ya didn’t trust me! And ya never acted like ya
did after when I was right! Ya need advice or to talk, ya go to Fergus. Ya
spent six hundred years acting like the wounded party when ya the one
who caused it!

“Ya the one who never acted like things were before. Ya acted like I be

the mean, older, demanding brother, and ya poor baby Brian.” He glanced
over at me. “And now we meet our mate and ya still be the favorite.” His
eyes filled up with tears, immediately overflowing. He wiped them away
angrily with his balled-up fists. “I still just be an afterthought. Ya gonna
leave me all over again. I’m that easy to be tossed aside.”

“Banning, that’s not true,” I whispered as I stood and pulled him in my

arms,  ignoring  his  struggles.  “I  can’t  speak  for  Brian  or  how  he  feels,
which you should know since you share the bond, but I can’t lose you. You
both  mean  the  exact  same  to  me.  It’s  just  been  harder  to  fall  for  you
because  you’ve  been  behind  this  wall.  I  didn’t  know  if  it  was  me  or  why
you had such a hard shell. It makes sense now.”

“It does?” Banning asked, his eyes revealing the hope my words brought

him. Suddenly he stilled his movements and tilted his head so he could see
me better. I nodded, giving him a quick kiss, and ran my fingers through
his hair. “What now?”

“You have to let go what happened.” The hope in Banning’s eyes

disappeared and they filled with such rage I was surprised he didn’t
combust.

“Of course ya being on his side,” he snarled and shoved me hard

enough to move me away. Damn, my little mates were strong. He got about
three feet away before I dove and knocked him to the ground.

“I’m not taking sides,” I said as I straddled him and pinned his arms

down. He might be strong, but I was a well-trained warrior and was bigger.
He wouldn’t get away from me if I didn’t want him to. Banning had caught
me off guard before. I wouldn’t make that same mistake. “You both need
to work on this. But you haven’t let it go. I can see why Brian doesn’t go to
talk to you when he needs it. I have trouble talking with you because of
this wall, this shell.”

I turned to glance at Brian, still pinning Banning down. “And you need

to stop walking on eggshells around him. You fucked up. It was six

to  stop  walking  on  eggshells  around  him.  You  fucked  up.  It  was six
hundred  years  ago.  Move  the  fuck  on.  He’s  your  twin  and  you  guys  both
act  more  like  strangers.  Stop  apologizing  or  feeling  bad  for  what  you  did
and  learn  who  your  twin  is  as  a  man  now.  Neither  of  you  are  snot-nosed
teenagers  anymore. You’re  adults  who  are  twins  and  love  each  other. Act
like it.”

“Ya not be on his side,” Banning whispered in awe.
“No, I’m Switzerland here,” I said gently, looking back down at him.

“Well, not really because obviously I’m getting involved and have an
opinion. And I have a stake in the outcome. But I think you’re both equally
at fault.”

“No one’s ever said that,” he cried softly. “It always be Banning fix this,

or don’t be so hard on him, Banning . I’m so tired of everything being me
fault, me responsibility, me wrong.”

“It’s made you jaded and a little bitter,” I replied, finally getting it. He

nodded, tears still running out of his eyes. “Time to let it go. I’m just
getting to know you both, and I see this as equally each of your faults.” I
slowly got off of him, standing and helping him to his feet. “But you guys
need to fix this before we go any further.”

“What?” they both gasped, their eyes going wide with shock.
“Ya be punishing us?” Brian asked in sadness.
“No, far from it,” I answered, shaking my head. “I’m going to give you

some time to yourselves to work this out. I can’t keep being in the middle
of your issues. I won’t spend my life worrying that one of you thinks I
care more for the other or having to take sides. I don’t care if you two fight
it out, scream it out, or just sit down and talk. But it has to be hashed out
before you consider bringing me into the mix. I won’t be the Band-Aid to
try and fix a huge gash. It won’t work and will destroy us all.”

They both still looked shocked, but it was a different kind as if they

heard me and understood what I was saying.

“What now then?” Banning asked, glancing between me and his twin.
“I’m going to get back into working out and training at the warrior

compound,” I answered. I hadn’t realized I’d made that decision until now,
but it was the right one. It was what I needed to do. “I need to wrap my
head around a lot of things as well, decide what I want for the future, and

head around a lot of things as well, decide what I want for the future, and
get back on track for my job.”

They both looked scared, as if I would take off. I stepped closer to both

of them, running my hands down each of their cheeks. They both leaned
into my touch.

“I’m not running, I’m not leaving. We’re just taking a quick time-out

while you guys work this out and I process what’s happened. You know
where to find me when you’re ready, okay? This isn’t the end. It’s the best
way to get past this small speed bump.”

They nodded, and I leaned down to give Banning a passionate kiss.

Then I did the same for Brian. Before they could say anything, I turned and
walked away, praying I knew what the fuck I was doing. This would either
work or blow up in my face.

After the shitty childhood and crap in my life, I thought fate owed me

one and should have it be the first option. But that was just me.

Chapter 6

Brian

I stood there with me mouth hanging open in astonishment, watching

our mate walk away. I mean, he just walked away and left us like naughty
children who needed to clean up their own mess. Glancing over at
Banning, I winced, realizing that the analogy really wasn’t all that far off.

Zane was right. I understood the situation a whole lot better now and

wasn’t surprised to realize I was wrong in that Banning still wanted me to
keep begging for forgiveness. So it was good we got that settled. But then
came the main issue, the one I couldn’t get over. Zane leaving us to figure
out ourselves.

How did you bring up the elephant in the room without starting a major

fight? Especially when that elephant was over six hundred years old and
seemed to include more than just the two of us? Damn elephant.

I really just wanted to shoot the fucking thing.
“How—” I started to ask and grunted when I took a punch to the face. I

felt a sharp pain that started somewhere on me left cheekbone and radiated
out to the rest of me face. I gasped and took a few steps back. I leaned
forward for a moment, me hands on me knees, feeling a constant pounding
in me head.

Eventually it subsided slightly, and I looked up at me brother. He was

standing, unmoving, his head tilted slightly to the side and his arms crossed
over his chest. When he saw that I was watching him, he opened his mouth
to speak.

“That be for not believing in me or trusting me over someone ya just

met,” Banning growled, his fangs out.

“So we be fighting this out then?” I snorted, spitting out the blood that

was in me mouth now. I wiped me mouth with the back of me hand, and
then shook out me head to clear it.

“Sounds like a start to me,” Banning said with an evil smile. “Maybe I

wouldn’t have had to spend the last six hundred years toeing around ya if
we’d just done this in the beginning.”

“Fair enough,” I growled, letting me fangs come out as well. He wasn’t

the only one with anger that had built up. I jabbed left and he ducked right,
so I used me right foot to kick out, hitting him in the ribs. I heard his sharp
intake of breath as he stumbled away from me. “Ya think this has been fun
for  me  either?  I  couldn’t  get  ya  to  talk  to  me  about  it  and  it  just  festered.
And  the  arrival  of  more  brothers  in  the  family,  all  close  and  inseparable,
made  it  worse. Ya  think  they  love  me  better?  No,  they pitied  me  because,
no matter what I did, I couldn’t get us back to where we were.”

“See, that’s part of the problem,” he yelled, giving me a one-two combo

that I could only duck the first of. The cut in me mouth had just healed and
now I was bleeding again, lip split right back open. Fucker. “Ya kept trying
to force everything. Ya came back, still didn’t talk to me, making me think
ya  blamed  me  when  it  not  be  me  fault.  Then  all  of  a  sudden  ya  are  sorry
and  want  me  forgiveness  and  have  everything  go  back  to  normal.  Well,
forgive  the  fuck  out  of  me  for  not  being  able  to  switch  gears  that  easily!
Then I be the bad guy.”

“I never blamed ya for not switching gears,” I screamed, throwing me

hands in the air. “I didn’t know how to help ya switch them. I tried,
Banning. By god, I tried.”

“No, ya pestered me,” he said, lunging for me again. And that comment

pissed me off. I spun past him and jabbed hard in his side as I went by.
“Banning, I be sorry. Banning, can’t ya forgive me yet? Banning, I was
wrong.”

“What should I have said? That’s what people say when they apologize!”

I tackled him to the ground, but he was just as strong and flipped us over.
The side of me head cracked painfully against the ground, and I felt blood
dripping down. We rolled for several feet before he stopped and went limp.

“That ya believed in me,” he whispered, his eyes getting watery. “That ya

loved me and wouldn’t leave me again.” I froze with me fist in the air,
suddenly not wanting to hurt him any more than he obviously was. “Ya
never say ya love me. Cesar screwed ya over, ya were hurt. I would have
comforted ya in a second, pushing what I felt aside. But ya didn’t come to
me. Ya went to ma so ya still didn’t want me.”

“Oh, Banning,” I gasped, never having in a million years thought he felt

that way. I let me arm fall to me side. “That not be true. I just didn’t want to

that way. I let me arm fall to me side. “That not be true. I just didn’t want to
rub salt in the wound I caused by crying to ya that me heart be broken.
That wasn’t ya burden to carry. It was mine.”

“Of course it was mine!” he snapped and shoved me off of him.

Banning jumped to his feet, pissed off again. “Ya be me twin. I felt ya pain,
ya idiot! And yet, I couldn’t help ya because ya wouldn’t let me. Ya still
didn’t want me.”

“Ya want to know what I went crying to ma about?” I asked, trying to

keep calm because one of us had to obviously. I didn’t wait for him to
answer. “That I broke us and didn’t know if I could fix it. Fuck Cesar! I
hated the bastard, but I loved ya. I didn’t know how to make it better.”

“Ya were?” His eyes were wide in shock. “Ya weren’t crying over the

love you lost?”

“A few times, sure. But after a few months, it wasn’t about that,” I

answered gently. I brushed me hand over the side of me head that had hit
the ground, feeling the blood that had dried there. The cut had healed
already though. “It wasn’t real love, Banning. It was a cruel joke and it
hurt, but nothing compared to losing ya.”

“Ya didn’t lose me! Ya just never came back to me.”
“I tried, dammit. Ya shut me out.” We were starting to talk in circles. We

needed ma here to kick both of our arses.

“Because ya always wanted me to forgive ya. I did. I forgave ya the

moment ya asked and probably before. But then ya turned to ma always,
and I still felt as if ya didn’t want me around.” He slumped down to his
knees, looking so forlorn and lost. I couldn’t help what I did next. Maybe
he’d slug me again, but I had to take the risk.

“We be idiots,” I whispered as I wrapped me arms around him. “I never

meant it to be this way or hurt ya. I thought ya didn’t want me anymore
either after I broke us.”

“All I wanted was me twin,” he mumbled as he hugged me back. “I just

wanted ya to love me and have faith in me again, need me.”

“I’ll always need ya, Banning. And I do love ya. Ya be me twin. Zane

might be our mate, but ya come first to me. And I do trust ya and have
faith in ya. Why do ya think I did everything you did or wanted ever since?
”

”

“To try and get me to forgive ya,” he grumbled, starting to pull away

from me embrace.

“No,” I said firmly, shaking him. “Because I trusted ya judgment. If I

had listened to you before, none of this would have happened, ya idiot!”

“Oh.”
“Aye, oh.” I snickered. God, were we both stupid. All these years of

issues and hard feelings, and really, we created them by ignoring that damn
elephant instead of talking and beating the bastard together.

He slumped against me, probably feeling as exhausted as I did from

finally getting this all out in the open. “Should we go get our mate then?”

“No, give him some time. He needs to think about all of this, too, and

honestly, I’d like a few days just to hang out now that we’ve beaten the
elephant.”

“What elephant?” he asked as he sat back on his feet, eyebrows drawn

together in confusion.

“This elephant that’s always been in the room.” I chuckled as I gestured

between us. It took him a second before I saw realization dawn on his face
and he smiled. Yeah, we’d be okay now. I knew it.

“Zombies?” Banning shrugged, and I wanted to laugh. When in doubt,

shoot shit on the Xbox.

“Zombies sound great, me twin.” I smiled at him and stood, holding out

me hand to help him to his feet. He mirrored me grin and let me. Then
slung an arm over me shoulder, and that’s how we walked back to the
house…together.

* * * *

Banning and I spent the week catching up. It sounded odd since we had

lived together for centuries…Hell, we shared a room. But it was something
we needed and we were closer than ever now.

We also talked about plans for the future. We liked America, and while

we would miss home, we both agreed that we needed to stay here to make
Zane happy. But where did that leave us?

We bounced around some ideas that we would need to discuss with our

mate. That was the only stress we felt. Zane. We missed him something
fierce, and it was a constant struggle between rushing off and dragging him

fierce, and it was a constant struggle between rushing off and dragging him
back to Isaac’s house and giving him the space he asked for.

After a week, we went for a compromise. Visiting him at the warrior

compound for lunch. At least that way we could talk face-to-face with him.
We’d been texting, but it wasn’t the same. It was time to show our mate that
things were going to be okay and pray he’d sorted out what was in his
head.

Rory gave us a ride, neither of us being legally allowed to drive in this

country. He was going to drop in on Isaac as well, so it worked out for all
of us. Our new friend, who we liked a lot, had called his mate, and Isaac
said Zane would be training in the weight room.

We followed Rory’s directions after we got there, and I for one was in

for the shock of me life. I stood there, struck stupid as I’m sure Banning
was.

Water, water everywhere, but now we were mated! There were dozens

of hot, shirtless, sweaty warriors, or warriors-to-be, still in training, all
over the place. I mean, me god, it was just a sea of yummy muscled flesh.

“Fuck me,” I gasped quietly, drinking it all in. I might have found me

mate, but I wasn’t dead. I could appreciate the view.

“I’d love to, baby,” a man purred as he moved up to me side. I stepped

back in surprise. He was tall and tan and I could see sweat dripping off his
bulging muscles. He was hot…so hot, and he was saying something else
now. I shook me head and tried to focus. “But I have a feeling you’re here
to see someone already.”

“Zane, we need Zane,” Banning whimpered. Good to know he was just

as affected by this as I was. Fuck, I was instantly horny.

The guy glanced around and pointed to a one of the large weight

machines in the center of the gym. There were a bunch of huge, bulky
contraptions and weights distributed throughout the space along with a few
gray mats strewn here and there. It looked like the machines were
organized based on what they exercised.

Our mate appeared to be in the area focused on getting an upper-body

workout. The man who had come over to talk to us was nothing compared
to Zane, who looked absolutely mouthwatering as he sat there shirtless, his
muscles working.

muscles working.

We nodded our thanks and practically ran to our mate, skidding to a halt

when we saw he was focused on what he was doing. Lifting tons of weight
was not the time to distract him.

“Holy hell! He be lifting over six hundred pounds,” Banning groaned. I

felt like Rory in heat. Zane was pulling down a bar attached to dozens of
black weights. He’d pull it down behind his head until it was level with his
shoulders and then extend his arms again.

The result? Every firm, sweaty muscle in his chest, arms, sides, and

stomach was on display, showing how well worked they were.

“He’s put back on weight,” I said happily. It looked like a good twenty

pounds of pure muscle. Damn, he looked hot! I didn’t realize warriors
could bulk up that quickly, but I planned on launching me own
investigation. Starting with licking every inch of his body.

Zane released the bar, his chest heaving with exertion. He still didn’t

even see us as we launched ourselves at him, each straddling one of his
thighs.

“Whoa, you need to cut that out.” He chuckled, catching us before we all

fell off the bench. “I have two hot, jealous mates at home, and they won’t
take kindly to men attacking me.”

“Fuck them,” I purred as I licked a bead of sweat off his collarbone.

“We be here now, and now we’re horny. Fuck me, Zane.”

“Me, too,” Banning whimpered again, mirroring me movements. “We

need ya cock, our big, strong, sweaty, hot man.” Our knees kept bumping,
and I realized it was because both of us were grinding our cocks into
Zane’s thighs. Yeah, we were like a couple of cats in heat or something.

“Aye, throw us to the floor and have ya way with us,” I begged

shamelessly.

“You want me to fuck you in front of a room full of half-naked men?” I

didn’t know if he sounded pissed or just surprised. I was too overcome
with lust to focus on the minor details of his tone.

“Aye!” we said together. Banning grabbed Zane’s face and shut him up

with a deep, passionate kiss as I groped our mate between the legs. We
were lost in the moment, all of us forgetting there were others around.

“Zane, are you sharing?” someone called out, breaking through our fog.

“Can I get them next?”

“Fuck off, Travis!” Zane snarled, ripping his mouth away from Banning.

“These are my mates.”

“Oh, sorry man, I was just playing,” Travis said. I saw him back away

slowly  from  the  corner  of  me  eye.  “I  didn’t  mean  any  disrespect.”  He,
Travis,  apparently,  was  a  big  guy.  He  looked  like  he  was  possibly  a  little
taller  than  Zane  and  his  shoulders  were  slightly  broader.  Certainly  he  was
attractive with his amber eyes and light brown hair, but I wasn’t attracted to
him.

The only person I wanted was me mate.
“He’s going all caveman on us,” Banning purred, moving his hips faster.

“Fuck, I’m gonna come.”

“Not in front of everyone, you’re not,” Zane snapped and stood. He

threw one of us over each shoulder and took off. I felt Banning’s lust shoot
through the roof as did me own. We were each two hundred pounds, and
he was lifting us like a ten-pound sack of potatoes. Holy fuck, that be hot!

When he stopped moving and lowered us down, we slithered down his

body. I glanced around, realizing he’d brought us into the locker room. Oh
sweet ma of mercy, this was getting better and better. I heard Banning
groan and nodded me agreement. Zane laughed as he shook his head at our
antics, pushing us back into an empty shower stall.

“Let us show ya that we think ya be a god of a man,” I begged, finding

me tongue again.

“And for interrupting ya workout when we just meant to say hi and see

if ya be wanting lunch with us,” Banning added, not looking the least bit
remorseful.

“And how would you show me that?” Zane asked, his voice getting deep

with lust. I would say it was husky even.

We didn’t need more of an invitation than that. I yanked down the front

of his gym shorts and dropped to me knees, Banning following suit. I took
the right side, he took the left, and we licked our mate’s cock like it was the
best treat in the world. Then I sucked him down me throat as Banning did
the same with his sac.

It was one of the most erotic but yet dirtiest moments of me life. We

were hiding in the shower stall blowing our mate. Hell, I could hear people
in the locker room. I glanced up at Zane, making sure he was enjoying it.

Oh, was he ever. He had his fist practically in his mouth to keep himself

quiet. His head was tilted back, leaning against the tiles of the shower wall,
his eyes wide from the pleasure we were giving him. Nice.

I quickly got me own jeans unzipped and started jacking off before I

blew a gasket with need. Zane came first, shooting down me throat. It sent
me right over the edge as well. I heard Banning grunt and knew I wasn’t
the only one who couldn’t hold out.

When we were all spent, Zane leaned against the wall as I sat back on me

feet, Banning mirroring me action. We all glanced from one to the other,
big smiles breaking out on our faces.

“Sooo, will you have this reaction anytime I work out in front of you?”

Zane asked with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.

“Aye, probably,” I admitted with a shrug. “Ya look great, me mate. Ya

put on more weight.”

“Warriors can bulk up faster than humans on steroids.” He chuckled,

shaking his head. “Remind me wherever we live that we need to get a
home gym.”

“Or we could visit the one here after hours,” Banning purred, wiggling

his eyebrows suggestively as we got to our feet.

“There is always that, too,” Zane agreed with a wink. “Now you said

something about lunch? I can’t today. I have a meeting with the
coordinator.”

“Oh? That doesn’t sound good,” I said, fear racing through me body.
“Well, there were a few issues about me not really being in Greece when

I waltzed back in. Desmond told everyone that he delayed the trip when I
went  to  talk  to  him  about  the  problems  I’m  having.  The  coordinator  gave
me  a  week  to  get  my  shit  together  and  get  back  on  the  right  path  or  he’s
going  to  bench  me.”  He  opened  the  curtain,  and  we  stepped  out  into  the
locker  room.  “I’m  not  worried.  I’m  not  the  first  warrior  to  get  burnt  and
need some time.” His expression was calm and he didn’t seem nervous, so
that eased some of me worries.

“Okay, well, good luck with the meeting,” Banning said, standing on his

toes to give Zane a soft kiss. “We just wanted to see ya and tell ya we miss
ya.”

“Yeah, we really do,” I admitted quietly, giving Zane a small smile,

kissing him next. “We worked our shit out. Will ya be coming home soon?
We have a lot to talk about.”

“I agree,” he replied, looking a little tired but happily sated. “This

meeting will decide a lot, but I’ll be over for dinner tonight. Isaac wants to
talk to me, and I plan on staying the night and hanging out with you guys. I
just need to get some of my ducks in a row and we can go from there.”

It sounded a little ominous, but I figured he didn’t have time to explain it

all right then. We said our good-byes, after giving him a few more good-
luck kisses, and headed home. I knew I’d be a nervous wreck while he was
in the meeting despite Zane’s chilled-out demeanor.

He’d been a good warrior according to Isaac, never had any problems or

started issues. The Mariuses were on his side along with Isaac. The
coordinator, or whoever, had to take that into account. Right?

Fuck. When all else failed and me nerves be shot…it was time to kill

zombies.

Chapter 7

Zane

A promotion. That was the only thought that ran through my head the

entire way home. I got a promotion. Wow, I so hadn’t seen that one
coming. And I had a feeling it had something to do with Isaac. Probably
Desmond and Elena as well. But why? Why me?

It wasn’t until I pulled into the Dragos estate that another thought hit me.

Fuck, my mates. What was I going to tell them? We hadn’t discussed
anything yet. Would they be willing to stay here? What about Ireland?

I knew the European Council had asked Dillon to start up a small, very

small, training facility and outpost for some warriors in Ireland. But I really
didn’t think I could work day in and day out with him. Isaac was able to
forgive him, but Dillon wasn’t my family, so I wasn’t so nice about the
whole thing.

Yeah, mating got him to pull his head out of his ass, and he seemed truly

sorry for being blind all those years. But that didn’t mean we were ever
going to be bestest friends, holds hands while we skipped, and braid each
other’s hair at night. It just meant I could be civil when we saw each other.

God, could I leave Isaac? He was really the only family I had. But then

Brian and Banning would have to leave Ireland…And why the hell did the
trees on the Dragos estate have leaves on them when it was snowing? I
swear either those drugs didn’t like me or something was going on.

Silly thought? Yes, but much easier to focus on instead of everything

else swirling in my head. That was one small question instead of the huge
ones I had on my mind as well. I glanced at the dashboard and realized I
really couldn’t stall anymore. It was quarter after six, and I guessed they’d
be holding dinner for me.

With a resigned sigh that the discussions I needed to have tonight

wouldn’t be easy, I got out of the car. I glanced at the grounds. Everything
was green that was poking out under the snow. None of my other colors
were screwed up. Something else had to be going on besides the happy
pills Riley gave me screwing with me.

I jogged into the house, took off my jacket, hung it in the coat closet by

the front door, and headed to the dining room. Sure enough, my mates
were waiting for me, sitting together on one side of the long, wooden table
that was covered with a dark green tablecloth. They were looking so
nervous that tension crackled in the air.

“Did ya get fired?” Banning blurted out, his eyes wide. As if realizing

how blunt he had been, Banning’s hand flew to his mouth. He started to
apologize, but I shook my head to let him know that it wasn’t a big deal.

“No.” I chuckled, realizing they were nervous for me. I walked over and

gave each of them a kiss before sitting down. Rory and Isaac were glancing
at each other like the cats that ate the canary. “You knew.”

“Yeah, I found out yesterday. Since we’d be working together, I got the

heads-up. It’s been fucking hard to keep it a secret,” Isaac said with a big
smile.

“Wait, before we get into what happened, I have one question. Why is

everything green in December on your estate? I’m not the only one seeing
it, right?” Now it was more just my curiosity bugging me. Isaac gave me a
wink and pointed to my mates.

“I asked them last week already.”
“It be our gift,” Brian said as one of the staff served us our garden

salads. I poured some Italian dressing on mine before picking up my fork
and taking a bite. I chewed my food for a few moments before speaking
again.

“You can make leaves green in winter?” I asked, not sure I’d ever heard

of that gift.

“No.” Banning chuckled, shaking his head as he dug into his food.

“Plant life responds to us. It’s not like most gifts where ya have to focus to
use it. It’s just something in us. Anywhere we are, the plant life around us
responds and grows like crazy.”

“Then you can’t leave Ireland,” I whispered, my heart sinking at the

realization. “Your family needs you for their farm, don’t they?”

“Aye, but we would only need to visit a few times a year for a week or

so,” Brian said slowly, eyeing me over. “We already decided to stay in
America if that’s what ya want.” He shifted his gaze back to his salad as if
nervous about what I might say.

nervous about what I might say.

“Really?” I was shocked they would make such a big sacrifice for me.
“Aye, me mate,” Banning answered with a smile.
“Tell them,” Rory said excitedly, seeming to almost be bouncing up and

down in his seat. “They’re going to be thrilled.” I had to smile at his
enthusiasm.

“About?” Brian raised an eyebrow as he glanced between us.
“I got a promotion. I’m not in trouble at all. It seems the Council thought

my coming forward and admitting what was going on with me, putting my
safety and others’ before everything else, was admirable. There was an
opening on the teaching staff, and I was asked to fill it.”

“Ya not be in danger anymore?” Banning looked like he was going to

bust open with joy.

“Sometimes,” I hedged, trying to figure out how to get this all out.

“When warriors go through training, there are many levels.”

“I handle more the tactical and fighting training,” Isaac explained,

helping me out. “Sparring and getting the newly transitioned warriors into
the way we do things.”

“Makes sense. What would they have ya do?” Brian asked. I appreciated

their interest, caring about something so important to me.

“When they reach a certain level, someone needs to teach them how to

go out in the field—”

“No!” Banning shouted, slamming his hands down on the table as he

stood. All of our plates and silverware rattled from the force of his contact.
I was shocked at the coldness in his tone. “Ya not be the guinea pig sent
out with pup warriors to see if they can hack it. Ya get killed if someone ill
trained had ya back.”

“No, baby, not like that,” I said gently with a smile, understanding now

why he blew up and interrupted me.

“Oh. Okay, sorry then.” He cleared his throat as his face flushed with

embarrassment  and  sat  back  down,  grabbing  his  napkin  off  the  table  and
busying  himself  by  adjusting  it  on  his  lap.  “I  just  saw  ya  life  flash  before
me  eyes  because  someone  didn’t  know  what  they  were  doing  and  got  ya
hurt.”

“Nothing like that, I swear,” I replied quickly. “My job would be to help

them blend in with humans when they need to. Sometimes demons don’t
stay on the outskirts of society and we can’t just go charging in and
drawing attention to ourselves.”

“What Zane means is he’d take a few pup warriors, as you called them,

into the city on something like a field trip. Show them how to rent a car, or
deal with the airport just like humans would. Which hotels to use to blend
in. How to interact and learn to navigate the metropolitan areas, so when
they do start going out on missions, they don’t have to try and figure that
all out and fight demons.”

I wanted to kiss Isaac for putting it that way. I hadn’t been doing such a

good job of explaining it. But that wasn’t all of it.

“How to transport weapons to other covens,” I said cautiously. “I would

be taking them out on real missions but not going after demons. Maybe a
few scouting jobs and how to run a convoy. The main goal would be to
teach them how not to be seen by blending in with the real world.”

“And if there’s ever an attack close to home or all hands on deck,

instructors  or  not,  they  will  be  called  in,”  Rory  said  sympathetically.  He
should  know.  He  had  to  go  through  all  of  this  several  months  ago.  “They
might  mostly  train,  but  they are  warriors,  so  you  need  to  deal  with  the
danger.”

“We can handle that,” Brian replied, placing his hand on Banning’s arm

as if to say I got this one. “We knew that when we came back. We can’t
handle recklessness or him being surrounded by others’ imprudence that
could get him killed. We spent time with Stefan when he visited. We know
the risks, but we also know how well trained ya are and the improvements
being made in weapons. We can handle ya being a warrior.”

“And we be ready to move here if that be what ya want, Zane,” Banning

added hesitantly, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “But we have questions. Like
where would we live? What are we to do now if we can’t farm? Can we
visit and help our family with the crops given our gifts?”

“I can answer those,” Isaac said with a wide smile.
“What did you do?” I groaned, wanting to bang my head on the table.
“We got you a promotion and mating gift.” Rory giggled, giving my

mates a wink. I shook my head as the main course was served, salmon on

mates a wink. I shook my head as the main course was served, salmon on
a bed of rice, and the salad plates were taken away. I was grateful that they
brought a pitcher of blood as well. I’d been going through it like water,
trying to get better and bulk back up. I poured some for Isaac, then myself,
drinking it right down and refilling.

I waved Isaac on now that I had a little more fuel in my system. “Okay,

hit me. What did you get us?” Wow. I swooned a bit when the blood hit
me. What was in that stuff?

Isaac was grinning from ear to ear as he began to explain. “You know

that vineyard that abuts the warrior compound?” he asked, and I had a
sinking suspicion I knew what he got us.

“Yeah, the one that has all the greenhouses and went out of business,” I

replied, shooting a look at my mates.

“Well, it went out of business because the old human couple died about

a decade ago and had no heirs. And a few people tried to buy it and keep
going with it, but I guess all the people who used to buy the wine did it
because the couple was so good at it. They didn’t after it was sold.”

“Ya bought us a vineyard?” Brian gasped, filling in the pieces. Yeah,

that’s what I’d guessed, too.

“Yup!” Rory exclaimed, giddy as all get-out. “You’ll be like twenty

minutes away from us. The compound is right there. The Mariuses are less
than an hour away. You’ll be surrounded by people who care about you!”
His blue eyes were shining with delight as he beamed at the three of us.

“Did ya say greenhouses?” Banning’s eyes were wide with joy.
“Yes, and I talked to the compound kitchens and—”
“Wait,” I said quietly, shaking my head. “That place is huge. How are the

two of them going to be able to handle that much land and not collapse
after twenty-hour days?” Both my mates’ faces fell. “I’m sorry. I have to
know that doing this won’t end up being too much of a strain on you both.
”

Suddenly I felt very hot…and very hard. What the hell? Produce didn’t

normally turn me on.

“Aye, that’s fair since we were worried about ya new job, too,” Banning

conceded with a nod. Wow, things really had gotten better between them
and with them now that they had let the past go. I was worried he’d jump

and with them now that they had let the past go. I was worried he’d jump
all over me. I had another glass of blood, feeling worse instead of better.
By the third one, I felt like clawing off my skin. I used my napkin to dab
the sweat that I could feel forming on my forehead.

“I handled that, too.” Isaac chuckled. “You know how bad the food has

gotten at the compound. I found out why. We used to get all our produce
from  a  human  organic  farmer,  but  I  guess  he  started  asking  lots  of
questions,  curious  where  all  the  food  was  going,  and  we  stopped  using
him.  I  got  the  coordinator  to  agree  that  each  warrior  give  one  morning  or
afternoon  a  week  to  help  Brian  and  Banning  and  they  won’t  have  to  buy
meal cards anymore. It’s win-win.”

“You’ve just thought of everything.” I snickered, shaking my head.
“You’re my family,” he said quietly, glancing at my mates. “I’m sorry if

this is stepping in on you guys’ business, but for a long, long time Zane
was all I had. I couldn’t lose him.”

Brian and Banning exchanged a glance, smiling before focusing back on

Isaac. “Ya did it for the right reason and we appreciate the help. It not be
like ya kidnapped us here or something. Ya giving us other options and not
forcing our hand.”

“Thanks for understanding,” Isaac replied with a smile. He drank his

blood, his eyes going wide as he set down his glass. “Zane, are you okay?”

“No, not really,” I admitted, uncrossing and re-crossing my legs. “I feel

like I’m going to jump out of my skin and hump the table.” I was trying to
hide my discomfort, but now that he brought it up, desire swarmed me.

“Rory,” Isaac groaned and gestured to his glass. “How are we drinking

your blood?”

“Oh shit,” Rory gasped, his eyes going even wider than his mate’s had.
I was only half paying attention, focused on how gorgeous my mates

were. Brian swallowed some of his food, and I was practically panting with
lust just watching his throat muscles working. It didn’t hurt that I
remembered how his mouth was doing other things to me earlier that day.

“Zane? Ya be okay?” Banning asked, reaching over to touch my hand. In

a flash I was up out of my chair, grabbing him from his, and pushing
plates away as I threw him on the table.

“Shit,” Rory moaned. “It’s starting.”

“Shit,” Rory moaned. “It’s starting.”
“What? What’s starting?” I asked in almost a panic, my hands stopping

their frantic movements to undo the button on Banning’s pants. Banning
looked just as worried at my sudden actions. “Why can’t I think about
anything but fucking my mates?”

“Welcome to drinking shifter blood,” Isaac purred as he pulled Rory into

his lap. “It’s like liquid speed and Viagra all in one.”

“Rory’s blood was in one of the bags?” I asked, focused on them until I

heard Banning whimper. I glanced down at him and realized I’d shredded
his clothes. He was now lying naked on the table for all to see. I knew I
should be jealous anyone else was seeing him, but all I could think of was
his glorious pale flesh. I leaned over and licked one of his nipples, which
hardened when my tongue made contact.

“I had Riley take some,” Rory moaned. I looked over and saw he was

yanking off his clothes. “I figured it was a last resort if we couldn’t get you
guys to make up. I put it at the back of the fridge, I swear I did. I wasn’t
going to use it until I talked to Isaac. How did we go through so much
blood already?”

“Lube,” I growled as I used one hand to undo my jeans and the other to

spread Banning’s legs wide.

“Ya gonna fuck me right here?” he asked, panting with desire as his eyes

glazed over.

“You wanted me to fuck you both in the gym earlier. You’re just getting

other witnesses instead.” My fangs came out I was so turned on, and
Banning simply nodded his head, looking as if he was too overcome with
lust to speak. “It’s going to be down and dirty, baby.” He nodded again and
something hit me in the chest.

“I keep lube with me always. Isaac’s a horndog.” Rory giggled. Sure

enough, there was a small tube of slick on the table where it landed after
bouncing off of me. I gave Banning a feral smile as I picked it up.
“Besides, I already have a plug in.”

“Not for long,” Isaac growled, and I heard the pop of the toy being

pulled out. “Ride me, baby.”

I glanced over at Brian after getting my fingers lubed up. “Get yourself

ready because you’re next.”

“Aye,” Brian whispered as he took the lube from me, desire in his eyes

before turning to Rory. “How did they get your blood?”

“More vampires here drinking,” Isaac grunted, fucking his mate. I was

barely listening, already having one finger inside of Banning.

“I like the burn,” he whispered gently. I smiled at him and pushed in a

second one. Good, because the way I was feeling I didn’t think I could go
slow. This was not how I had envisioned taking them for the first time, but
in a way this was better. No time to get nervous, and it’s not like any of us
were virgins either.

“And Zane’s been drinking a lot more than most, getting his strength

back,” Isaac added to his explanation.

“Less talky, more fucky your mate,” Rory begged with a whimper. I saw

him bouncing around out of the corner of my eye, and normally it might
have been interesting to watch. But I only wanted to focus on Banning right
then.

I pushed in a third finger as I tortured his nipples with my mouth. He

cried out and spread his legs wider, placing his feet on the edge of the
table.

“Fuck me. I’m ready. Take ya mate,” he moaned, his head thrashing on

the table.

“Thank you, baby,” I whispered as I pulled my fingers out of him. He

was being so understanding and giving me what I needed that I fell the rest
of the way in love with him. Granted, I knew I was in love with both of
them, even before they agreed to stay in America, but my brain had just
caught up with my heart.

I yanked his hips to the end of the table as I slammed my cock inside of

him. Banning screamed, his back arching off the table.

“Turn me around,” Rory whimpered, “I want to watch them, too.”
“Kinky kitty,” Isaac purred. I’m assuming he did it, but my eyes never

left Banning. I knew what I wanted. I just didn’t know how to ask for it. I
decided just to go with what I was feeling.

“Still want to bite me?” I didn’t wait for his answer, fucking him hard

and fast so he couldn’t form the words. Talk about chickening out. I
wanted to mate them, but I was scared that they weren’t ready.

wanted to mate them, but I was scared that they weren’t ready.

But he found a way to tell me his answer without words. Banning pulled

on my arms, bringing me on top of him, and tilted his neck, pushing my
head there. I’d take that as a yes.

“Harder, fuck me harder as ya bite me,” he said in between gasps for air.
“I love you,” I whispered in his ear as I increased my thrusts until it was

a punishing pace. If the noises he was making were any indication of his
enjoyment, I’d guess my mate liked it a little rough sometimes.

“Aye, I know,” he said before shouting my name to the heavens. I bit

into him as he was climaxing, moaning at the sweet taste of his blood. He
came again, more hot seed filling the space between us.

I humped him like a man possessed, shoving my cock into his tight hole

over and over again. When I’d drunk enough to properly claim him, I lifted
my head and roared out my release. My heart soared. He was mine.
Banning was mine forever now.

“I love ya, too,” he whispered as I licked the bite closed, having already

collapsed on top of him when I was spent. But my dick was still hard as
nails.

“I know.” I chuckled as I pulled out of him. “And I’ll be back for

more.” I tenderly brushed a damp lock of his red hair back from his
forehead.

“Mmm, sounds like fun,” he purred. Rory yelled Isaac’s name, and I

guessed they were done, too. But I wasn’t. I gave Banning a quick kiss and
covered him with part of the tablecloth so he wasn’t just lying there naked
and debauched. Then I turned to Brian.

“Ready?” I growled as I moved toward him. He nodded his head and

pulled his fingers out of his ass. While Banning ended up completely
naked, Brian just pulled down his pants down a bit and bent over the part
of the table that I had folded the tablecloth away from. Hell, his cock was
hidden under the table. Fine by me. I just wanted him. I didn’t care how he
wanted to do it, whatever was easier on him.

Fuck, this blood was amazing. I could totally see myself fucking my

mates all night and never tiring. I knew Isaac said Rory’s blood was like
liquid fire, but I thought he was exaggerating because Rory was his mate or
something. But shifter blood really was something on a level of its own.

something. But shifter blood really was something on a level of its own.

“I want it harder this time,” Rory demanded. Holy shit! Was this

normally how their sex life was? I was almost jealous. Almost.

“Are you going to let me bite you, too?” I asked seductively as I molded

my body against Brian’s back.

“Aye,” he moaned, pushing his firm ass against my cock. “I be yours, me

mate.”

“Right answer.” I leaned up only enough to tear off my shirt before

gripping his and ripping it off his body with one swift tug.

“Oh god,” he whimpered, squirming under me. “Shove that big cock in

me arse!”

Like I was going to say no? Yeah right! I wrapped one arm around him,

protecting him from the wood of the tabletop, lined up my dick, and
slammed home into his willing body. Brian cried out, and I moved my
other arm under him as well before going all caveman on him.

“Mine,” I snarled, raking my fangs over his neck. “You’re all mine!” I

felt him shiver with pleasure beneath me.

“Aye! Aye, I am,” he screamed. I liked his screams. Fuck, I loved his

screams of bliss and wanted more. My hips moved of their own accord,
taking him faster and harder than I thought possible.

“Ya gonna break the table.” Banning giggled as he got off of it. I caught

sight of his naked ass, and it just spurred me on more.

“Don’t go anywhere,” I growled before focusing back on Brian. “Like

my cock, baby?”

“Oh god, aye. Talk dirty to me,” he begged. Nice! I had kinky mates.
“Such a tight ass.” I licked along his neck, a thrill going through me as

he trembled. “And that blow job today was out of this world. You can visit
me at work anytime.”

“Ya gonna fuck me in front of all of your friends?” he asked quietly.
“Is my baby an exhibitionist?” I purred, slamming into him even harder.
“Aye!” he screamed, coming all over my hand. I didn’t hold back any

longer, sinking my fangs into his neck. Brian went wild, shouting loud
enough to rattle the windows as he climaxed again. I grunted around his
flesh, filling his ass with my seed. It was done. Both of them were mine.

I heard a loud crack and had just enough time to lift Brian up before the

corner of the table we’d been on broke. I was gasping for air, still having
aftershocks from my orgasm. It was then I realized that I’d been taking him
so hard we pushed the table about ten feet across the room.

Whoops!
“You broke my table,” Isaac growled as he moved Rory against the wall

and kept pounding into his mate.

“Blame Rory,” Brian mumbled. I licked the bite closed, loving the taste

of him. He tasted almost like Banning but with just a hint of tartness.

“I love you,” I whispered in his ear as I knelt down on the hardwood

floor and laid him down.

“Aye. I love ya, too, mate,” he said with a happy sigh, reaching up to

stroke my cheek. “Now go attack Banning again. I know ya still be hard.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” I replied, kissing his shoulder

as I pulled out of him.

“Yeah, it was a real burden for me.” He giggled, his silver eyes shining

with joy as he lay there like a limp noodle. He didn’t even bother pulling
back up his pants. “I’ll suffer like that again anytime.”

“Good to know.” I snickered. I glanced over to Banning as I stalked him

like a predator on my hands and knees. His gaze was thick with lust as he
shivered. I gave him an evil smile. “Run.”

He nodded and jumped to his feet, his pale, naked ass streaking across

the dining room. The chase was on, but I knew we’d both enjoy it when I
caught him.

Chapter 8

Banning

Zane caught up with me at the top of the stairs and tackled me to the

ground. Fuck, he was fast! And quiet. I hadn’t even heard him behind me
until it was too late.

“Love you,” he whispered before pinning me on the floor on me

stomach and slamming that huge pole of a cock into me. I shouted his
name, hoping I could talk Rory into sharing his blood with our mate again.
Just maybe when we planned it.

Zane fucked me within an inch of me life, carefully covering me privates

so I didn’t get rug burn on them. When it was time, he bit me again and I
came all over his hand. I felt his release pumping into me ass, feeling
thoroughly fucked.

When it was over, he lifted me up, never pulling out of me body, and

carried me to his room. I was too wiped to ask what was going on, but I
hoped maybe the days of separate rooms were gone.

“I’ll be back. I have to make sure Brian’s okay,” he said tenderly as he

laid me down on the bed gently, pulling out of me.

“Aye, let me know when ya be ready for more.” I chuckled, pursing me

lips for a kiss.

“Always, you sexy, sexy man,” he growled before kissing me. Then he

was gone. I wiggled around, adjusting myself so I was in a comfortable
position.

I must have dozed off because I woke to what I thought was an

earthquake. Then I realized Brian was screaming his head off. Nope, wasn’t
an earthquake, just our mate fucking him.

Then it was me turn again. Zane took me against the wall, having said he

was going to clean me up.

We obviously didn’t make it.
I slept for a while, I thought, before I was woken up for more sex. Part

of me wanted to ask how his pecker hadn’t fallen off yet. Can a man, even
a vampire warrior, go ten times in a night? Oh, me arse was gonna be raw
tomorrow.

tomorrow.

I would love every minute of it.
The next morning I woke up first. I noticed we hadn’t even made it

under the covers. We had all just collapsed on the bed in utter exhaustion. I
opened me eyes to see that Zane had passed out face-first on the bed, an
arm over each of us. I gasped in surprise. He was in the middle of us.
Would he freak out when he woke up?

I wasn’t sure, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I slowly moved out from

under his arm, careful not to wake him, and hopped in the shower. Once I
was done, I quickly raced across the hall to me room in me towel and got
dressed.

Since they were both asleep, I decided to bring up some food and blood.

All of us would need to replenish our systems. Just not with shifter blood.

I padded down the stairs, barely aware of where I was going in me

exhaustion. I found me way back to the dining room, laughing when I saw
the broken table. Everything else had been cleaned up of course. Must be
nice to have servants.

“How was last night?” Rory asked in a teasing tone from across the

room. I glanced up and saw him fixing a tray of food, blood, and coffee.
He was wearing a red robe, and his hair was sticking up at an odd angle on
one side. If I wasn’t already taken, I’d have told him how cute he looked.

“Me arse smarts, but I won’t be complaining anytime soon,” I answered

honestly. “Ya think ya can donate blood again sometime? Just maybe not as
much for me mate next time.”

He gave me a funny look as I approached him. “You don’t want to try it?

”

“I didn’t think about it.” I shrugged. What was the big deal? “I just like

how Zane went all caveman and fucked us into the floor, and bed, and
wall, and—”

“I get it.” He giggled, shaking his head. “Just be careful. My pack warned

me never to let a vampire drink from me because we can be addictive.”

“Oh.” Yeah, I wasn’t ready for that one. “Isaac be okay?”
“Yes, thank you,” Rory answered, a friendly smile tugging on his lips. “I

don’t think it works with mates, but I just wanted to warn you.”

“I wouldn’t want him having it a lot.” I snickered, rubbing me already-

healing but still-sore, rug-burned forearms. “But once in a while to spice
things up.”

“I think there’s no worries on that. Riley tested my blood and said there’s

nothing addictive about it, but I thought it was fair to share the warnings.”
He leaned in and lowered his voice, taking a moment to glance from side to
side to check that no one else was coming into the room. “Between you and
me, Riley says if it wasn’t for the horny side effects, he’d want to get
shifter blood into the warriors’ diets. We are actually faster than vampires.”

“Really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, not sure if I was buying that. I’d

seen Rory move and he wasn’t all that fast but—“Holy shit!” Rory was on
the other side of the room in a blink of an eye. Yeah, that was fast.

“I wasn’t trying to be a jerk, but I can see why you wouldn’t believe it if

you haven’t grown up around shifters,” he said modestly as he walked
back over toward me. “I wanted to ask you something on the side. Well,
you or Brian.”

“It be amazing to me that ya never get us wrong.” I chuckled, shaking

me head. Most had to look at the birthmark only I had to tell us apart.

“You guys smell differently to me.”
“So ya sense of smell is better, too.” I snickered.
“I’m part cat,” he replied, rolling his eyes.
“Fair enough. What ya want to be asking me?” I thanked him when he

brought out another tray from the sideboard cabinet and helped me set it up
for me twin and mate.

“Well, about the vineyard, there’s a bunkhouse on the edge of the

property that needs some work done,” Rory explained, twisting his hands
as if needing to burn off some nervous energy. “I still have some ties to the
shifter community, and they know of a few people who’ve been exiled like
I was. And I’d ask Isaac but he’s important—” His eyes went wide, his face
reddened, and he sputtered helplessly as he tried to fix that one. I gave him
a smirk.

“Ya mean he be one of the founding families in the area and under

everyone’s watchful eye,” I said, deciding to help him out.

“Yes, thank you,” he sighed, his face still bright red. “You know I’m not

an elitist or anything. Hell, I’m a poor orphan.” Rory gestured around the

an elitist or anything. Hell, I’m a poor orphan.” Rory gestured around the
grand-looking dining room. “I mated into all of this. So I don’t want you
to—”

“Rory, I get it.” I chuckled as I held up a hand to cut him off. “The

O’Hagans be a founding family in Ireland, too. It comes with a certain level
of scrutiny like being in the government or something.” I glanced around at
all the fancy decorations. The ornate, gold chandelier glittering down at us
from the ceiling was beautiful, and there was an intricate tapestry depicting
some scene with a tree, a man, and a horse. “Though not all of us get the
perks of being filthy rich.”

“Yeah, I’m still adjusting to it,” Rory said with a sigh, running his hands

through his disheveled white hair. Then he flinched as if realizing
something. “If you’re part of a founding family, then you’d be under the
same scrutiny. Damn, this won’t work then.”

“What won’t work?” I asked in frustration, ready to throttle the cat. “Spit

out the problem and I’ll try to help find a solution!”

“Okay, fair enough,” he replied with a nod.
We ended up sitting by the table and grabbing a cup of coffee. The food

would keep a little while longer. I had a feeling whatever was going on
with Rory had been bothering him for a while and he needed to get it off
his chest before he blew.

“When a shifter is exiled, either for being gay or whatever other crime he

committed in the eyes of the pack, they’re left with nothing. I barely had
five minutes to stuff what I could into my backpack before they literally
tossed me out of the house where I was staying.”

“That’s horrible,” I whispered. Maybe me newfound intrigue in shifters

wasn’t so interesting if this was how they treated their kin.

“And it doesn’t always take much to get thrown out. I was gay,” he

fumed, shaking his head. “I knew someone who got tossed because he was
getting too big and the Alpha basically realized the guy might challenge him
one day. So he was exiled.” Rory looked at me with pleading, tear-filled
eyes. “It wasn’t so bad for me because my parents were dead, but when a
shifter is exiled, that’s it. There’s no going back, no talking to your family
unless they want the same fate, and no hope.”

“Ya want to help in some way?” I surmised, not against the idea but not

sure what to do either. “How?”

“You’re going to be growing a huge vineyard, and just from what I’ve

seen you guys can do on the estate, you’re going to need all the help you
can get. I can contract some help to fix the bunkhouse and—”

“No, I get the logistics of how we can help them once they’re here,” I

said quickly, stopping him again. “How do we get them here? We can’t just
put out an ad in the paper. And how do we know the ones who were exiled
for bullshit reasons versus ones who aren’t good people? I won’t bring
risks or harm to me family by trying to help shifters.” Me words came out
in a firm tone.

“No, no, I get that. That’s totally fair,” Rory rambled, nodding in

agreement like an obedient puppy. Or cat, I guess. “I’m not saying we open
a halfway house or make it public knowledge. The shifter community is
like high school, all gossip. When one of us gets exiled, it’s huge news we
all talk about. And we all know why. The pack is told the reasons.”

“Okay, but ya were exiled, right?” I asked, pinching the bridge of me

nose. Something was missing in this picture. Rory gave a quick nod,
looking like even talking about it still felt like a kick in the nuts. “Then how
do ya know about any exiled shifter? Shouldn’t they all not be talking to
ya?”

“Oh yeah. They’re totally not supposed to, but rules are made to be

broken,” he answered with a giggle. “My pack wouldn’t want to since that’s
where I was exiled from. But I know people from different packs or
species of shifter, and it’s hard to keep track sometimes of who’s been
exiled or not. I get e-mails from the few friends I had, but it’s not like I can
just walk onto pack land and say hi.”

There we go, I sighed mentally, finally understanding. “Okay, how many

are you talking about rescuing to start with?”

“I know two who have nowhere to go and are living on the streets.

Granted, they might not be in that area long, but I was just told about them.
Oh, and I found a wolf a few months ago.”

“Come again?” I asked, me eyes going wide in response to his

nonchalant statement.

“I found a wolf when I had to go into the city to meet with an art dealer

to look at some painting for the house and others we wanted to sell off.
He’s a wolf shifter. I think he’s stuck and can’t change back to human
form.”

“That can happen?” Okay, at this point, I felt like me eyes were going to

bug out of me head.

Rory nodded sadly, looking so forlorn. “In cases of extreme trauma.

He’s tame. He knows what’s what, so he’s not feral like he lost a mate or
anything. I think someone’s hurt him bad.”

“Will he ever shift back?” This was fascinating and creepy to me. Being

stuck in an animal form for the rest of me life sounded like hell.

“No one can tell. I’d take him to see Riley, but I don’t think he knows

enough about shifters to help. And Riley’s important, being the Council’s
appointed doctor for the warriors. He’d have to report the wolf. What if the
guy was abused and got away only so we would hand him right back?”

“Aye, that would be bad,” I agreed, rubbing the back of me neck as the

gravity of the situation sank in. “Okay, let’s go check out the vineyard
while Isaac and Zane be at work. We’ll look everything over, start making
lists of what needs to be done, hopefully start getting the greenhouse
together.” I paused, realizing something. “Did ya say you already bought it
or were going to buy it for us if we wanted it?”

“Oh, no, we bought it and put it in your names last week.” Rory

chuckled, his light mood returning.

“How did ya know we’d—” I started to ask, but then realized I didn’t

want to know. There’s no way they really could have known for sure, and
Rory might take the next hour explaining his lucky guess to me. “Ya both
took a big chance that we’d stay.”

“We know, but it was worth it. Besides, the Council wanted one of the

vampire families to buy it since it abuts the warrior compound. Isaac saw it
as win-win.” He paused, hope filling his face. “And if we can get more
shifters here, maybe Riley can test their blood, too, and it can help the
warriors. Help keep our mates safe and strong.”

“Good deal.” I chuckled. It was hard to keep up with Rory and how

vampires did things around here. But we would. “So we figure out what
needs to be done and I’ll talk to me mates. Also, if ya hear of any shifters

needs to be done and I’ll talk to me mates. Also, if ya hear of any shifters
overseas that be needing help, me ma would welcome them with open
arms, and the farm can always use more help.”

“I don’t know of any, but I’ll keep my ears open.” His smile was so

bright it made me glad I was giving our new friend hope. We both stood
and grabbed our loaded trays. “And I’ll fess up to Isaac what’s going on. I
don’t want to have Zane keeping secrets from his best friend. Hell, it’s been
killing me to hide the wolf. I just didn’t want to get him tangled up in
anything because I wanted to help.”

“Good luck with that.” I laughed, not envying him. But then again, I

wouldn’t have kept something like hiding a wolf shifter from me mate for
months.

“Yeah, maybe I should give him a blow job first and relax him some,”

Rory muttered as he walked away with his tray. That was one idea. I threw
back me head and laughed as I followed him out of the dining room. We
parted ways at the top of the stairs and agreed to meet by his SUV after the
warriors went to work.

When I got to Zane’s room, I had a little trouble opening the door, but

then suddenly it was yanked open.

“I woke to a missing mate,” Zane grumbled, narrowing his eyes at me. I

raised an eyebrow and lifted the tray a little higher as if to show him what I
had been doing. “Oh.”

“Did ya think I changed me mind and ran away?” I teased, walking into

the room and setting the tray down. When I turned around, I saw Zane
looking at his feet. Oh fuck! “No, Zane.”

“Okay.” He shrugged and adjusted the towel wrapped around his hips as

he sat down on the bed. I could still tell he was worried, so without another
thought in me head besides making him feel better, I moved to him and
plopped onto his lap. “It’s just you were gone a long time for only grabbing
breakfast.”

“Oh, Zane,” I sighed, pulling his head down for a kiss. Mmm, minty

fresh! “Rory had something he needed to talk to me about.”

“Why did you leave our bed without waking me?” he asked hesitantly,

seeming lost as he absentmindedly rubbed me back.

“Honestly? Because I woke up and you were in the middle of us and I

was worried ya would freak out. Also, because ya needed as much sleep as
you could get after last night. I went to get food and started talking to Rory.
That’s all, Zane. We not be going anywhere without ya ever again.”

“Really?” His eyes lit up with hope.
“Aye, really.” I chuckled. “Ya claimed us, boy-o. Ya be stuck with us

now.”

“Good.” Zane gave me another kiss as Brian walked out of the

bathroom, freshly showered. “And I knew I was in the middle of you.” He
shrugged, acting like it was no big deal when I knew it was. “It just felt
right. I’m not saying I’m cured and being surrounded won’t still freak me
out sometimes, but last night, it was all I wanted. I wanted to be
sandwiched in between my mates.”

“A Zane sandwich,” I purred, wiggling me eyebrows at him.
“No.” Brian burst out laughing. “Shane and Sean told me they called

sandwich already with Dillon. We not be allowed to take it. Liam and
Lorcan make Caleb footlongs. I think we be running out of innuendos.”

“A Zane Po’ Boy,” our mate whispered so quietly that I barely heard him

when I was sitting right on his lap.

“That not be nice,” I chastised gently.
“But I was a poor boy,” he replied with a soft smile. “And while I’m not

that boy anymore, it’s who I was. Money doesn’t matter or my shitty
childhood as long as I have you both. I can be in an Irish Po’ Boy
sandwich.”

I wasn’t sure I understood that, but it seemed important to Zane in some

attempt to overcome his past. I glanced at Brian, who I could feel wasn’t
comfortable with it either. We both nodded and turned back to Zane.

“Whatever ya want, me love,” I said with a smile. “We’ll make our first

Zane Po’ Boy tonight.”

“I’d like that.” His eyes flared with lust for a moment and then he

frowned. “Are you guys okay after last night? I wasn’t exactly gentle.”

“Don’t ya dare apologize for that,” Brian growled as he sat down on the

bed as well. “We loved every minute of it. I can’t wait to do it again in our
own house.” He smiled at Zane wickedly.

“Agreed,” I said firmly. Zane smiled and nodded, not asking anything

else about it. Good. We had other things to deal with instead of guilt that
shouldn’t be felt. “Speaking of our own house, I need to talk to ya both
about a few things.”

They both looked at me apprehensively but nodded. We ate, and I

explained everything Rory had told me. I couldn’t hold in me laugh when
Zane’s jaw fell open and he dropped his fork after I told him about the
wolf.

“I’m not against helping,” Zane said when I was done. “And I like the

idea of you guys having extra help when I might be taking short trips a lot.
But we need to swear that we won’t ever keep things from each other like
Rory did. I’m not judging him, I understand why he did it, but I won’t
have secrets in our mating.”

“Right answer,” I purred, giving him a heated kiss.
“Aye, we be agreed in that.” Brian chuckled. And for the first time since

we’d met our mate, I didn’t doubt that things would work out anymore. We
were so on the same page, as mates should be.

Chapter 9

Zane

“He was trying to protect you, Isaac,” I said again with a sigh. I was

sitting in Isaac’s office in a chair across from the desk where Isaac was,
waiting to hear from my mates that they liked the vineyard before officially
agreeing to my promotion.

“I know,” he replied in a distant monotone. Part of me just wished he’d

start bawling and get it all out. This slow, eating-away-at-him distress was
way worse than just crying. The theory that men, warriors especially, didn’t
cry be damned. A heartbreak was a heartbreak whether you had a pussy or
a dick. “My head understands it.”

“Buddy, I hate to say you’re overreacting,” I said gently, raising a hand

to hold him off when he snarled and his eyes flashed with anger. “I’m not
saying you are. I’ve not been mated to someone for almost a year, so I
can’t know what you’re going through. But Rory loves you. He didn’t keep
the wolf from you because he was boinking it on the side. He made a
judgment call, thinking it was the best thing for you. He was wrong, but he
didn’t have any ill intent.”

“But he lied to me. I can’t help but wonder what else he’s been lying

about.” His voice was still that awful monotone.

“Enough,” I growled, not willing to listen to my best friend question the

loyalty of his mate and my new friend. “Rory’s not a cheat. He’s completely
loyal to you. I’ve never seen someone so in love with their mate, almost to
the point of it being sickening.”

“I know, I do, but that fucking voice is in the back of my head.” He

sighed, looking like a lost puppy.

“Well, if that wasn’t an invitation to beat you upside the head, I don’t

know what is,” I replied with a chuckle, trying desperately to lighten the
mood. I saw his lips twitch, and knew I was finally getting somewhere after
an hour of comforting him. “Rory is new to our world. Shifters don’t have
warriors and founding families or the same rules as we do. He did the best
he could in a tough situation, trying to protect his mate.”

“True,” he hedged before groaning again and letting his forehead drop to

the desk. “He’s going to kill me for the way I blew up and accused him of
cheating.”

“With who?” My eyes went wide, not thinking Isaac had said the evil

thoughts aloud to his mate.

“The wolf.”
I just gaped at him for a few moments. “Isaac, the wolf is stuck in

animal form.” Ewww.

“I know that, but I said if he’d been keeping the wolf from me, how did

I know the wolf really can’t turn into a man and they were having an
affair?”

“You. Idiot,” I gasped as I burst out laughing.
“Shut up,” he growled as he lifted his head, but I couldn’t stop. It took

me a few minutes to calm back down.

“Did you smell a random man on your mate?” I asked, deciding to deal

with this logically.

“No.”
“Did Rory seem less interested in sex or not as affectionate?”
“No.” He winced, realizing where I was going with my line of

questioning.

“He ever slip out when it was an odd time or you ever realize you didn’t

know where he was?”

“No! Okay? I suck. My mate is great and always lets me know where he

is, what’s going on, and never treats me like anything other than the best
thing that’s ever happened to him.” He was breathing heavily after his
outburst.

“Want me to look up the number for a local florist?” I asked with a

smirk. Might be good information to have myself since I had two mates.

“No, I have them on speed dial,” he mumbled as he pulled out his cell

phone. I threw back my head and roared with laughter. At least I wasn’t
worried about Isaac and Rory anymore. They were going to be just fine
…as soon as Isaac was done groveling.

* * * *

Brian

“Rory, honey, ya have to calm down,” I whispered as our friend started

hyperventilating again. He’d long since cried out every tear in his body,
probably dehydrating himself in the process.

“Isaac’s going to leave me,” he whimpered, pulling his knees tighter to

his chest. “He’s going to throw me out and tell me to hit the road. He
already thinks I was cheating on him. I just lied about finding a wolf. Well,
technically I didn’t lie. He never asked me if I had found a wolf lately.”

“Lying by omission still be lying,” Banning said gently. I wanted to

smack him. We all knew that. Why rub it in?

Rory’s facial expression didn’t change. He still had that look of complete

loss and sadness. “I know, but I was trying to protect him.” I think he
would have said more, but Hester, one of the house staff, came into the
study with a smile on her face.

“You need to come see this, Rory.” She gave him a wink and left the

room.

“I don’t wanna,” Rory whined. Banning rolled his eyes as we dragged

him off the couch and out of the room. When we got to the main entrance,
our friend bitching the entire way, I gasped. “I didn’t order flowers.”

“They’re for you.” Hester chuckled and handed him a card. “Isaac mess

up again?”

“I did, but I guess he thinks he overreacted,” he said, finally smiling. We

glanced over the dozens and dozens of white roses in vases littering the
foyer. “I love him so much.”

“Then call him.” Banning snickered, bumping his shoulder into Rory’s.
“Right!” His eyes were as wide as his smile as he stared at his haul. He

pulled out his cell and pushed a few buttons.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I love you. Will you forgive me?” Isaac rambled the

moment he picked up the line. We could all hear the conversation given our
enhanced vampire hearing.

“Of course I forgive you,” Rory blubbered. “You have every right to be

angry with me. Just promise you won’t leave me or divorce me!”

“Never, Rory. You’re my other half, the reason I get up in the morning.

Nothing’s more important than you, baby.”

“Me, too,” he whispered, wiping his eyes and smiling slightly. “Fight

over?”

“Yes, but you have to promise not to ever keep anything from me again.

I don’t care if you think you’re protecting me, okay?”

“I swear. I’ll tell you everything. Even when I jack off when I’m going

into heat because I’m horny and you’re at work.”

“That sounds promising,” Isaac purred seductively. Then he cleared his

throat, probably remembering he was at work. “Did you guys go see the
vineyard?”

“No, the twins were comforting me while I sobbed and freaked out,”

Rory admitted with a chuckle. “We can go now. I know Zane’s waiting to
accept his promotion until they say they like it.”

“We’ll like it. Tell the damn man to accept the job already,” Banning

grumbled. I agreed, but Zane wouldn’t hear of it. He didn’t want us
agreeing to more than we could handle and wanted us to check it out first.
It wasn’t hard to understand why we’d fallen so hard and so fast for the
man.

“Okay, we’re going now. I love you,” Rory said before hanging up. I

realized I’d missed part of the call while I was lost in me musings. That
was okay, I felt a little intrusive as it was. “He forgives me.” Rory’s smile
was jubilant.

“Aye, we got that when we saw the flowers.” I snickered. Banning had

already grabbed our jackets and Rory’s car keys. We teased Rory
relentlessly as we headed out, wondering if Isaac cleaned out all the florists
in just Virginia or the whole East Coast.

Half an hour later, we were pulling off the main road onto a dirt drive. I

glanced around, noticing there were posts for a sign, letting people know
what the name of the vineyard was, but it was gone. It seemed so sad to
me. The couple that died had probably put their hearts and souls into this
place and wouldn’t be happy to know this was how it ended up.

We would fix that, I realized with a smile. We would make this place

great again.

Banning hopped out to open the gate and the damn thing practically

broke off in his hands. I pulled out me notebook, ready to start making
lists. That would be first on the needs fixing now list. As if agreeing with
me, Banning ripped the thing off the hinges with one good tug and tossed it

me, Banning ripped the thing off the hinges with one good tug and tossed it
to the side of the drive.

“Interesting approach.” I snickered when he got back into the SUV.
“What?” He shrugged at me as Rory pulled forward. “There be no point

in having a broken gate. We’re gonna need to replace it anyways.”

“We haven’t accepted the gift yet,” I sighed, rolling me eyes. “Until we

do, this not be our place.”

Now it was me twin’s turn to roll his eyes. He gestured out the window.

“Right, like we be saying no to this.” I followed his hand, getting me first
good look at the place as Rory steered toward the main house.

It was breathtaking. Mostly because I knew it was ours without a doubt.

Because the vineyard itself would need a ton of work. It was overgrown,
dying, warped, run-down, and in desperate need of some tender care. But
it had history, character, and we would just be fixing things instead of
having to start completely from scratch.

I surveyed the vineyard, taking in the beautiful fields with their delicate

fencing. The fields seemed to roll out before me, a thin layer of snow
covering them as well as the big barn and numerous greenhouses, which
were charming even in their dilapidated state. “Me answer be yes already,” I
said quietly, swallowing around the lump in me throat. “But there’s no way
we have enough in our savings to fix all of this, Banning.”

“Aye,” he whispered sadly. “Unless we started out small and just kept

improving as we go.”

I nodded, not thinking that would work. We climbed out when Rory

pulled up in front of the main house. Now I just wanted to cry. It was an
enormous ranch-style house. Although it only had two stories, the house
stretched across a large portion of the property. As we got closer, I noticed
the light brown paint was chipping off the siding and a number of the rails
were missing in the wraparound porch.

Many of the shutters on the windows were also in need of repair as they

hung precariously from their location, the breeze blowing them gently back
and forth.

“We’re farmers, not carpenters,” I said more to myself than everyone

else, me heart filling with despair. “We can’t fix this.”

“Aye,” Banning agreed, looking as if someone just ran over his puppy.

We both turned to head back to the SUV, totally heartbroken, when Rory
cleared his throat. We turned to face him and I had no idea how to thank
him for a generous gift we couldn’t accept.

“You didn’t think we were going to give it to you in this condition, did

you?” he asked with a raised brow.

“Ya bought us the land. That be the most generous mating gift ever,” I

answered, not sure what he was getting at. There was no way Zane would
let Isaac pay to fix this place up.

“But we’re not the only ones giving you presents.” He giggled, handing

us a few cards. Banning glanced at me as I reached for them. I opened the
first one and gasped, quickly handing it to me twin.

“Dillon, Shane, and Sean contracted a crew to fix the house and update it

as we want!” Banning exclaimed, reading what I just had.

“Holy fuck me,” I yelled as I read the next one. I passed it along as well.

“The Marius family be replacing the glass and broken items in the
greenhouses!”

“We can’t accept all this, ma would kill us,” Banning whined but still

took the third card. He broke out laughing as he read it, handing it back to
me.

Lads,
Ya be gracious and accept the gifts given to ya by people who be loving

ya both and ya mate. Make them proud as ya have always made me and
ya das. We love ya more than we can ever put into words and will miss ya
dearly. So ya better all plan on visiting a lot, or we’ll be coming there to
kick ya arses for neglecting ya family.

Love always and with all me heart,
Ma
“I fucking love that woman!” I whooped with joy. If the house and

greenhouses were fixed, that was a huge start, and the rest we could do as
we went along. We would have warriors to help, and with the deal Isaac
got us, we would still be making money by handling all their produce.

“So I take it the answer is yes?” Rory asked, his eyes twinkling with

laughter.

“Aye!” we both shouted as we attacked him, hugging him with

everything we had. “Thank ya, Rory.”

“I’ll be honest because I like you both now, but don’t think I did this all

for you,” he said gently as we let him go.

“Aye, we know,” I said with a smile. “Ya done it for Isaac so Zane

wouldn’t go, but ya also did it for Zane to keep us happy and wanting to
stay. So, we’d still be thanking ya.”

“But ya don’t hate us anymore for hurting Zane, right?” Banning asked

hesitantly, and I knew it was hard for him to talk about this kind of stuff. It
was a new leaf me twin was turning over, going back to the loving brother
I remembered before too much shit went down in our lives.

“Aye, I be liking ya lots,” Rory said in his best imitation brogue.
“Bratty kitty,” Banning grumbled and hugged him again. “Now what?”
“Now we call our mate and tell him to take the damn job,” I answered,

doing a quick jig. “Then we call ma before Dillon, Shane, and Sean. Then
we get to work and start our lives here with our mate.”

“And I’m going to call the Mariuses and the contractors everyone hired.”

Rory chuckled.

For the next ten minutes, all the three of us did was talk on our phones.

We paced around, carrying out our own conversations, excited, flustered,
and a little scared.

Then, as if like magic, all three of us hung up our phones at the same

time. We were done. It was done. This was our new home.

“Let’s start the lists,” Rory said with a wide grin, rubbing his hands

together in glee.

We each ended up grabbing a notebook and pen, figuring with all of us

taking notes there were less things that would be missed. Rory told us, as
we moved into the house and started looking around, how he felt bad
because the contractor and crew had been waiting. He didn’t know that
everyone had been on hold during his meltdown.

We swore we’d never tell a soul what had happened and told him to

blame  us  and  that  he  didn’t  want  to  give  away  the  surprise  and  raise
suspicions  by  rushing  us.  I  think  Rory  liked  us  even  better  after  that.  We
understood.  Not  everyone  needed  to  know  about  every  fight  between
mates. Hell, everyone knew about our issues when we met. It didn’t make

mates. Hell, everyone knew about our issues when we met. It didn’t make
it any easier when people stuck their noses in whether they had the right
intentions or not.

People started showing up at the house. First it was Elena Marius, with

Damian, Gabriel, Stefan, and Patrick. They were all ready to work and help
out in any way they could. Then a few trucks showed up and dropped off
Dumpsters for us to toss what we couldn’t salvage.

More warriors showed up with Desmond, who also brought lunch. I

kept glancing over at Banning, wondering if he was as shocked as I was.
This was better than the barn-raising scene in that old Harrison Ford
movie!

A little while later, the contractor showed up with his crew. They started

helping with the demolitions while we walked the house and talked to him
about what needed to be done first. Elena helped us with that part, and I
wanted to kiss her.

“I raised seven sons and have handled countless renovations of rooms

and  the  house  over  the  centuries,”  she  said  with  a  smirk,  waving  off  our
thanks.  “Besides,  I  promised  your  ma  I’d  help  you  get  settled  since  she’s
far  away. Your  family  was  there  for  Caleb  when  he  needed  you  most  and
that makes us all family in our eyes.”

“Aye, ya be a great second ma.” I chuckled, giving her a quick kiss on

the cheek.

By the time the workers and help were ready to call it quits for the day,

we had a good chunk of the demolitions and removal out of the way.
Elena guided us over to one of the greenhouses where she showed us that
they’d already ordered windows last week and Remus was installing them
with Stefan’s help.

“I heard you guys have a green thumb,” Stefan teased. “Just remember

I’m partial to fresh tomatoes.”

I glanced over at Banning and smiled. We raced off to find a few pots of

soil and whatever seeds we could find leftover in the greenhouse. Sure
enough, there was a cabinet full of seeds left behind. We grabbed what we
could and went back to everyone, getting curious glances from all of them.

“Normally plant life responds to us being around and flourishes,” I

explained as we planted some seeds in the pots we found.

“But we can channel it and make it work faster, but it’s tiring like when

any of ya use ya gifts,” Banning finished for me. When we were done, we
both focused on the seeds we’d just planted. A few seconds later a tiny
sprout appeared in each pot. They kept growing until they started budding.
Minutes later, we had full plants with fresh tomatoes, fully grown and
ready to eat.

“I knew my mates were amazing,” Zane said from behind us. I gasped

and threw myself into his arms, Banning joining me.

“Love ya, me mate,” I whispered as I nuzzled his neck.
“Me, too,” Banning added.
“I love you both so much,” he said tenderly. “Are you happy? Is this

what you really want?”

“Aye. We want ya and nothing else matters, but this vineyard be the icing

on the cake,” Banning answered. I couldn’t have agreed more. “Ya did
promise us a Zane Po’ Boy as well though.”

“That I did,” he purred. “Let’s go christen our new house.” He threw one

of us over each shoulder, both of us laughing like loons. I couldn’t think
of a better idea right then.

THE END

WWW.JOYEEFLYNN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Joyee Flynn grew up in Chicago, living in the same house all her life

until she left for college. Though she has a great life, she loves to get lost in
fantasy  that  only  books  could  bring.  Her  wide  interest  in  reading  was
reflected in her writings. Currently Joyee lives with her dog, Marius, named
after  a  vampire  from  Anne  Rice’s Interview  with  the  Vampire  series.  She
dreams  of  one  day  living  out  in  Montana,  enough  land  to  have  a  few
horses, and find a couple of cowboys of her own.

A lover of men, Joyee’s all about them in any form in her books.

Vampire, werewolf, military, doesn’t matter at all as long as they are hot,
hard, and sex fiends!

Also by Joyee Flynn

Siren Classic ManLove: Marius Brothers 1: Micah

Siren Classic ManLove: Marius Brothers 2: Remus

Siren Classic ManLove: Marius Brothers 3: Stefan

Siren Classic ManLove: Marius Brothers 4: Victor

Siren Classic ManLove: Beyond the Marius Brothers 1: Isaac Dragos

Ménage Amour ManLove: The O’Hagan Way 1: A Dillon Sandwich

Ménage Amour ManLove: The O’Hagan Way 2: A Caleb Footlong

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