“I will do everything in my power to achieve that end.”
Chapter Three
Draven followed Vail through the house, his gaze slipping to the wolf shifter’s ass repeatedly. Hmm, very nice. I can’t wait to tap that! Putting his desires on the back burner completely sucked, but after overhearing his beloved’s words, Draven knew he had to solve this problem first. And it could turn out to be a big problem.
Kontra and Tim were still sitting together, curled up together on an overstuffed chair in the entertainment room, right where Draven had left them. He’d been far too distracted by how heavily Vail’s scent hung in the room to concentrate, so he’d told the pair the truth, that he thought Vail was his beloved and went to track him down. Learning about a curse had definitely been a surprise.
Glancing around his surroundings, Draven focused on what would need to come next. A pool table, a foosball table, and a wet bar dominated one-half of the room. Leather couches, end tables, and a coffee table loosely clustered around a massive entertainment system took up the other half of the room. The TV was off.
Men were crowded around the room in clusters, talking quietly. Kontra cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. He waved a hand toward Vail and Draven. “I’d like to introduce everyone to Draven Mansetti. He’ll be joining us for a while, at least.” He lifted a brow in silent question at Vail.
Draven recognized the look. He’d seen it pointed at himself on a number of occasions by whatever local law enforcement chief he was under at the time. It meant…Start talking.
Vail did exactly that. He cleared his throat and said, “Not only will Draven be assisting our alpha-mate with developing and controlling his abilities, he is also my mate.”
A big blond, whom Draven didn’t know the name of, grinned largely. “Hey, congrats, man!” he exclaimed. He held out his fist, clearly expecting Vail to bump it. Vail’s jaw worked for a couple seconds, his tension clear, but finally, he leaned forward and gave the man what he wanted, tapping their fists together.
“Thanks, Adam,” Vail whispered.
Suddenly, Adam’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit,” he hissed. Oddly enough, Adam glanced from Vail to Draven and back again. “Did you…Does he know?”
For just a second, Draven thought maybe Adam was asking Vail if he knew the pair had a sexual relationship. Then, Vail grimaced and his words eradicated that idea. “Yeah, he knows I wasn’t looking for a mate,” Vail said. “That’s part of why I’ve asked you all here.”
As Vail started explaining why he’d never looked for a mate and about the curse the witch had placed on his family, Draven wondered why he’d never told his improvised pack about any of this. Then he wondered how he’d met them all.
A throat clearing caught his attention, making Draven start. He found just about every set of eyes staring at him. He lifted a brow and smirked. “Sorry. My beloved’s scent is quite distracting and, well…” He shrugged. “I haven’t eaten since scenting you over a week ago.” Draven stared meaningfully into Vail’s eyes. “Your smell drives me to distraction, beloved.”
To his pleasure, Vail snorted and rolled his eyes. “Exactly how vampiric are you, Draven?” he asked.
Grinning, he showed off his fangs. “Enough to give you plenty of pleasure, Vail,” he vowed.
“Mmm.” Vail grunted, arousal thick in the air around them.
“Maybe you should just tell us the part of the rhyme your grandfather remembered,” Kontra said.
The comment pulled Draven’s attention away from his aching dick and his beloved’s alluring scent. “If you know part of the curse, I may be able to tell you the rest,” he said, then shrugged. “Or, at least, be able to understand enough to know how to break it.”
“You know how to curse people, too?” Vail murmured, clearly stricken.
Trying to reassure him, Draven squeezed his shifter’s shoulder. “If you are a magick-wielder and know the words and are powerful enough, you can curse someone. Those who are honorable, do not do such things.”
Vail stared at him, his dark eyes intense as he seemed to try to search Draven’s soul. “Have you ever cursed someone?”
“Yes,” he admitted, unwilling to lie to Vail. “I was young and foolish and it wasn’t my finest moment.” He squeezed the shifter’s shoulder again, trying to redirect Vail’s attention. “I’ll tell you all about it another time, if you wish. Right now, why don’t you tell us what you can remember, hmm?”
Vail stared at him for a several seconds, his expression pensive. Finally, he seemed to shake himself out of his stupor and nodded. “Yeah,” he muttered. He paused again, his gaze on the floor, clearly searching his memory. “Uh…Two hearts forever torn asunder, For all those born by your chosen’s loins, Down the line continuing to wander, Keeps separate on pain of death any who’d join. Until such time where one will give, With no thought to his own safety, Aid to a stranger so he’ll live, With no recompense that he can see.”