A Prideful Mate Page 7

  Dennis took a careful step toward the doorway.

  “Don’t even think about it, coyote,” Tia said in a dangerous tone, “I’ve hunted down bigger game than you. We are going to have a little talk about your tendency for betrayal.”

  Before he could argue, Dennis was scrambling after Tia. He had to because she’d grabbed his shirt as she passed and wasn’t letting go.

  “I’d feel sorry for him if I wasn’t still mad,” Kevin said with a chuckle.

  “Do you think she’s going to fuck him or eat him?”

  Kevin shrugged. “Could go either way. We did find a few locations where we think his sister could be holed up. We sent out some groups to scout around. If they find anything, they’ll report back.”

  “Good. As much as I’m still mad at him, I don’t want his sister to suffer because of his mistakes.”

  Kevin nodded. “Adrian is tracing the homes of the other people from their driver’s licenses.”

  “You think someone has her stashed at their home.”

  “Yeah, they don’t look like they’ve got deep pockets, and they were too cocky about not gettin’ caught. I’m sure they’ve got her somewhere at one of their homes. If they didn’t already kill her. Dennis hasn’t talked to her in a few weeks.”

  Payce rested his head on Kevin’s chest. “Let’s hope for the best.”

  Kevin stroked through Payce’s hair. “I do have some good news for you.”

  Payce didn’t lift his head to face his lover. He was too comfy. “What’s that?”

  “I was just in touch with the vice president of my company. They agreed to hire you to do some mosaics.”

  Payce’s head snapped up. “What are you talking about?”

  “Have you ever heard of Lion’s Heart?”

  “Yeah, that group of homes for homeless cubs. They do great work.”

  Payce was surprised to see his confident mate blush. “I’m the one who started them. They agreed with me that some colorful mosaics outside each home would make them more welcoming. I’ve got fourteen homes that need mosaics. Would you like to do that for me?”

  “So you called and pressured someone to hire your mate?” Payce didn’t know how he felt about that. He knew he should be outraged, but seeing Kevin throw that kind of power around was kinda hot.

  “No. I made a reasonable suggestion, and they agreed.” Kevin’s eyes sparkled, telling Payce that his lover’s suggestion was more of a command.

  “Do I have to call you sir?” Payce teased.

  “Only when I have you tied to my bed.” Kevin paused. “My newly ordered, extra-reinforced bed. There’s a new shifter company that’s putting some out.”

  Payce leaned forward to speak into Kevin’s ear. “You might want to order a couple. I’m feeling very bad and might need to be taught my place.”

  “Screaming beneath me?” Kevin asked, raising a brow.

  “Exactly.” Payce purred. “I’ll take the job, even if my mate got it for me.”

  Although if he had any pride, he’d reject his boyfriend-acquired employment. However, it solved a lot of their problems, and Payce was all about settling into a long and happy mating with his beautiful Southern cat.

  “Let’s grab a bed in the guest wing,” Kevin said while wrapping his fingers around Payce’s wrist.

  “There’s a guest wing?”

  “Yep, and we’ve got more than a few beds to try out.”

  As he was dragged down the hall, Payce had a feeling that the lion bed budget was going to triple, but it would be worth every penny.

  Laughing, Payce let himself be dragged off by his amorous mate, knowing that his time on this earth with Kevin was going to be a hell of an adventure.

  My Man Declan (Sample)

  Please Note My Man Declan takes place chronologically before Marking Mikel.

  * * *

  Declan West tidied the den. Plumping pillows and verifying not a speck of dust graced any surface. After the third run through to check that everything sat in its proper place, he gave the room a pleased nod. With his obsessive-compulsive tendencies temporarily sated, Declan left his master’s office and headed for the front door.

  The clock struck midnight as he reached the wooden double doors. Without checking the peephole or peering through the front windows, he pulled the doors open just as his master, Phoenix Moorhaven, walked up the steps.

  “Good evening, Declan,” Moorhaven said in his rich, mellow voice.

  “It is technically morning, sir,” Declan corrected him automatically as he did every day at this time.

  “So it is,” the vampire agreed, his gold eyes shining with amusement.

  “You let your servant talk to you like that!” The blonde lady on Moorhaven’s arm sneered at Declan.

  “Mind your manners, dear. I might be the leader of the vampires, but Declan is the master of my house,” Moorhaven scolded. His tone might have been mild, but his expression went colder than the Arctic Circle.

  Declan took Moorhaven’s coat without comment. The opinion of one blonde tramp meant nothing to him. His master would fuck her, suck her, and toss her out at sunrise. Moorhaven never kept his food around for long. As far as Declan could tell, his master had no interest in any human, male or female, beyond sustenance.

  “The den is prepared for you, sir,” Declan prodded, eager to have the vampires out of the way so he could finish his morning rituals.

  Moorhaven’s warm smile, the one he saved only for Declan, eased his irritation. He might merely be a servant, but Declan knew how much the vampire appreciated the smooth running of his household. Moorhaven’s pleasure in Declan’s job was shown in the many bonuses Declan found in his paycheck.

  “Good morning, Master Lorrie, I didn’t see you at first. Please accept my apologies,” Declan greeted Moorhaven’s vampire companion.

  Lorrie Bellows, the second in command of the vampire coven, gave Declan a friendly nod. “That’s all right. I know I don’t exist until you have Moor settled.”

  Declan granted Lorrie one of his rare smiles. Lorrie had a winning way without using over-the-top flattery. There were always a few who tried to get to Moorhaven through his prized servant, forcing Declan to waste his precious time returning their presents and bribes.

  Declan’s integrity wasn’t for sale.

  “May I take your coat, sir, and that of your companion?”

  They both handed over their expensive outerwear. Moorhaven’s bite for the evening hadn’t bothered wearing a jacket, probably worried about hiding her cleavage. Declan could’ve told her the vampire cared more about her blood than her breasts, however he stayed silent. He never interfered with donors as long as they didn’t mess up the house.

  Declan hung up the jackets with meticulous care, then closed the door only to turn and find the entire party staring at him.

  “There are drinks and snacks in the west parlor,” he prompted. He always put out food for the guests. They tended to be hungry after the vampires fed.

  Really, why were they still there watching him?

  Moorhaven nodded and wrapped an arm around his food for the evening to lead the girl away.

  “So when are you going to leave Moorhaven and come work for me?” Lorrie teased as he walked past.

  Moorhaven spun around, abandoning his date. “What?”

  Declan didn’t roll his eyes, but only because it would take away from his dignity. “Master Lorrie appears to think I’m underpaid and overworked,” he explained.

  As he spoke, Declan’s gaze zeroed in on a piece of lint sticking to Moorhaven’s suit. Annoyed that it had passed his previous inspection, he walked over and plucked it from the vampire’s jacket. He carefully brushed down the fabric to smooth over the slight mark he’d made with his nails.

  Declan almost jumped when a large hand tilted his chin up until he met his boss’ eyes. “Were you considering leaving me?”

  For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of hurt in Moorhaven’s eyes but abandoned the idea
as foolish. “Don’t be ridiculous, sir. Why would I leave here? You’re an excellent employer.”

  “Good.” Moorhaven stroked Declan’s head like a favored pet. “I’d be at loose ends without you.” He pointed a finger at Lorrie. “I forbid you to steal my butler. The entire coven would be in disarray if Declan weren’t here to keep me in line.”

  Lorrie laughed. “Surely you exaggerate.”

  Moorhaven shook his head. “Nope. Declan organizes my life to perfection, so don’t go messing with it.”

  Declan’s head got another stroke. “Take the rest of the evening off, Declan, and don’t go wandering in the woods. You nearly gave me a heart attack last time.”

  He didn’t bother to acknowledge Moorhaven’s grumbled order. “I’ll see you later, sir.” He gave Master Lorrie a reproachful look that was met by a playful wiggle of his eyebrows.

  Shaking his head, Declan headed for his room. He didn’t want to be around while the vampires fed. Sometimes their partners moaned really loud. It only underscored to Declan that he needed to find a lover, but who was going to get together with a slightly neurotic butler who had to be on twenty-four hour call for his boss. Few men would put up with being second place to any job, much less one involving vampires.

  Back in his room, Declan pulled up his profile on the online dating site he recently joined. He spent the next few hours going through the improbable bios and dirty emails he’d received while he had been working.

  * * *

  “You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

  Phoenix watched his best friend pour himself another scotch. The girls were already gone, having been bundled into their limo previously arranged by the ever-efficient Declan.

  “Stay away from my butler. I don’t like to see Declan disturbed,” Phoenix said.

  “It would take a natural disaster or a herd of dust bunnies to bother that man. He’s unflappable. Are you sure he’s not a robot?”

  Phoenix gave a bark of laughter. “Yes, I’m positive.”

  “Have you ever tasted his blood?” Lorrie asked curiously.

  “No! He’s my servant, not my food source.” He scowled at his friend.

  Lorrie flashed him a cheerful smile. “Good, then you won’t mind if I try a sip as long as I don’t steal him away.” Lorrie’s chatter ended when Phoenix flashed across the room and wrapped his fingers around Lorrie’s throat. He leaned in close so there was no way his warning couldn’t be heard.

  “If you ever touch a fang to my butler, I will rip out all your teeth and you’ll have to figure out how to suck blood through a straw.” Phoenix shook his best friend, slamming him repeatedly against the wall as anger burned through him like an out of control brush fire. “No one touches Declan.”

  “Whoa,” Declan’s smooth voice broke through Phoenix’s rage. Soft hands pulled ineffectively at his wrist. “Master Phoenix, let go of Master Lorrie.”

  He released his friend, pleased when he crumpled with a thump to the floor.

  “I beg your pardon, Declan, I lost my temper,” he apologized to his butler. He hated for Declan to see him at less than his best.

  The butler stared at him for a long moment. Declan’s eyes were the barometer of his soul. Light green when happy, dark green when sad, and an uncertain hazel when upset. Phoenix hated the hazel, the color facing him right then.

  “I think Master Lorrie might be the one you owe the apology to,” Declan reproved.

  “It’s all right, Declan. I was baiting him.” Lorrie climbed to his feet with a rueful grin.

  Declan raked a hand through his sunshine gold hair. He kept it cut in neat, even layers that always made Phoenix long to ruffle it. Declan debauched would be quite the sight. Not for the first time he wondered what his butler would look like naked and in his bed, but he refused to upset his household by making a pass at the only person keeping his world together.

  “Please refrain from getting yourself killed,” Declan scolded Lorrie before turning on the heel of one highly polished shoe and walking back out the door.

  Phoenix glared at his friend. “You got me into trouble. My coffee will probably be cold when I wake up.” He hated it when Declan was upset with him. Instead of the smooth operation of a happy Declan, the entire household suffered.

  Lorrie laughed. “I can’t believe you let that human rule your house with an iron fist.”

  Phoenix shrugged. “Declan keeps things in perfect order. That’s an irreplaceable skill. I won’t have him worried about whether a visiting vampire is going to bite him. He’s off limits and that’s final.”

  Lorrie picked himself up off the floor. “Does he ever leave the house?”

  “Of course.” Phoenix searched his mind. “Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, he has off.”

  “Where does he go?” Lorrie asked, his eyes lit with curiosity.

  “Why the hell do you care? Stop speculating about my butler. In fact, go home. We’ll work tomorrow.” Phoenix didn’t like Lorrie’s new interest in Declan. No one should be thinking of his servant—at all. Maybe he should stop inviting people to his house, it only encouraged them to think Declan would be available. Other vampires became jealous when they saw how efficient Phoenix’s butler ran his household.

  For the first time in centuries, his good friend rubbed Phoenix’s nerves completely raw. Not to mention the next day was Wednesday, the worst day of the week. He didn’t care if Frank, the under butler, did a decent job. He wasn’t Declan. Declan added a certain panache to everything. He didn’t only bring Phoenix’s coffee but positioned it at the perfect angle with the exact amount of blood he liked.

  Lorrie scowled. “Tomorrow is Wednesday, isn’t it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Maybe we should start having Wednesdays off. Frank never gets my drink right,” Lorrie mused.

  Phoenix laughed. “We don’t get days off. You can’t oversee the behavior of a coven if you’re not available when they need you.”

  Lorrie gave a long sigh. “Fine. But I think giving the butler a day off is highly overrated.”

  “Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  As Phoenix sat there watching the fire, Declan arrived with a familiar tray. Phoenix watched as the butler set down the serving platter. A silver coffee pot and a plate of his favorite cookies rested on top.

  “I thought you were off for the evening. By the way, how did you know I was strangling Lorrie?”

  Declan smiled. Phoenix paused in reaching for his cup to admire the unusual sight. Sometimes he forgot his stiff and precise butler was still in his early twenties. He ruthlessly pushed that information to the back of his brain where it belonged.

  “You were making so much noise I figured I’d best save Master Lorrie,” Declan explained.

  Phoenix laughed. “And how did you know it wasn’t me being injured.”

  Beneath his fascinated gaze, Declan lifted one eyebrow. “I don’t think so. Master Lorrie might be irreverent and not give you the proper respect your position deserves, but he’d never physically attack you, and if he did, I’d take care of him.”

  Phoenix propped his chin on his hand, fascinated. “And how would you stop a vampire?”

  Declan held up his hand, showing off the wide antique ring he always wore. “This is a poison ring. I keep hemlock powder inside for protection.”

  “Really!” Concentrated hemlock powder could easily knock a vampire unconscious, if not kill him. Pleasure filled Phoenix as he regarded his employee in a new light. Meticulous, shy Declan had titanium balls to show his vampire boss he carried around enough poison to take out a vamp. “I never knew. Aren’t you a man of surprises? Wait, you’ve always worn that ring.”

  Declan gave him a mischievous smile. “My mother gave it to me when I told her I was going to work for a vampire. I know you won’t attack me, but you often have guests.”

  Phoenix nodded. “Excellent idea. You might want to consider a dart gun also.”

  Declan turned around and lifted the back of his
perfectly tailored jacket to expose both a small dart pistol tucked in the back of his waistband and an extremely fine ass.

  “Um, good job,” Phoenix managed to choke out over his surge of lust.

  Shit!

  Declan put down his jacket and turned back around. “Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?”

  Lay naked across my knees. Let me fuck you unconscious.

  Phoenix shook his head to both answer his employee and try to knock the naughty images from his head. “No, thank you.”

  Declan took a few steps toward the door before stopping. “I have to confess that I fiddled with your coffee.”

  “What do you mean fiddled?” Had his trusted servant poisoned him? And if so why would he tell Phoenix about it?

  His servant’s fidgeting drew Phoenix’s attention. Declan’s usual calm demeanor rarely showed fraying like it did now. “The new order of synthetic blood hasn’t arrived yet. I used some of my own blood for your brew. I don’t know the health of your other employees so I didn’t want to chance polluting your system.”

  A sick or diseased person’s blood could mess up a vampire for months. Phoenix appreciated his butler’s care even as his dick hardened over how his coffee would taste like Declan.

  “Thank you. Next time, don’t feel you have to sacrifice your own body for my coffee.”

  Declan blushed a pretty pink color as he nodded. He turned and headed out the door without another word.

  Anticipation had Phoenix pausing as he held the cup to his lips. The aroma sent his gums tingling. Tilting the cup, he sipped at the bitter liquid. The acidic taste of the coffee hit his tongue a second before another flavor exploded across his senses with the power of a tsunami.

  Declan’s blood had a more complex signature than any Phoenix had ever consumed before. It only took a moment to realize why. His butler wasn’t entirely human, definitely part human, but human and something else, something with an ancient bloodline.

  Humming contently, Phoenix polished off his cup of coffee and poured another from the small pot provided. Enough energy buzzed through him as he finished the rest of his work that he wondered how Declan’s amazing blood tasted directly from the source.