Fated for Forever [Kindred of Arkadia 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (15 page)

“Is this the only way?” Ashby repeated looking up at Mikhail.

“Time is of the essence. The longer he stays in that form the harder it will be to get him back,” Mikhail

answered coldly staring down Roman who looked up at him defiantly.

“Everyone, let’s head back upstairs and discuss our options. Mikhail, Connor if both of you could stay a

moment I’d like to talk to you,” Ashby said. Roman and Baptista walked up the stairs hesitantly, Lauri and

Kurt behind them. Connor and Emmett stood beside Mikhail.

“I thought I said Connor,” he said.

“You did, he would only tell me later anyway so this is quicker. Get on with it squirt,” Emmett replied

glibly. Ashby rolled his eyes and turned to Connor.

“If you were me, what would you do?” he asked. Connor looked into Ashby’s face a moment then

shrugged.

“We’re shifters, Ashby,” was all he said. Ashby nodded.

“You know what to do then,” Ashby said smiling up at his friend.

“I’ll call Aleks to give them a heads up.” Connor pointed to the top of the stairs.

“We’ll keep them away, but try to be quick. Baptista looks like one dangerous motherfucker,” Connor

said. Emmett chuckled and ruffled Ashby’s hair before he followed Connor up the stairs.

Ashby turned to Mikhail.

“OK, I’ll do it,” he said exhaling a deep breath.

“What did Connor mean?” Mikhail asked.

“In the shifter world mates come first, before everything else. Connor knew what I would decide.”

Ashby stepped up and placed a hand on the door.

“Gabriel is my everything. Gabriel said that I was his humanity, but he is my reason to breathe. If he

needs every last drop of my blood then so be it.” Ashby removed his hand and looked up and met

Mikhail’s gaze.

“He said you were his humanity?” Mikhail asked, his eyebrows rising slightly. Ashby nodded. Mikhail

exhaled loudly and rubbed his hands over his face in the first true show of emotion he had shown since

returning to Purgatory.

“He is going to fucking kill me,” Mikhail said, placing his heavy hands on Ashby’s shoulders.

“Roman is right. You don’t have to do this. We can find another way,” Mikhail began and Ashby shook

his head.

“I want to do this. Now,” Ashby said, his small frame shaking.

“Yup, I’m a fucking dead man,” Mikhail said. He lifted his hands and unbolted the heavy door.

“See if you can get him to recognize you, it should make things easier,” Mikhail said, opening the door.

A long low hiss was heard from inside the room.

“I won’t be able to help you. Once he latches on, I won’t be able to get him to dislodge without killing

you. Relax when he bites, don’t tense up. Are you sure about this?” Mikhail asked, his eyes softening for

just a moment.

“Yes.”

“Thank you. Thank you for saving my friend,” Mikhail said, stepping back. Ashby nodded and stepped

inside the dark cell. The door closed behind and Ashby felt the weight of Gabriel’s stare on him.

“Do you remember me? You liked me upstairs…remember?” Ashby said, moving slowly. Gabriel’s head

rose and Ashby could see a dull red glow in his eyes.

“I’m going to come over there OK?” Ashby eased forward.

He watched Gabriel sniff the air. Ashby looked at the face of his lover and couldn’t stop the tears. The

eyes were red and demon like, his canines were extended past his chin and his fingers were now tipped

with lethal-looking claws, but his mate was still in there. His eyes were the same shape and the hair that fell

around his face were his curls. He still had the pale skin that he had trailed kisses over just that morning.

Gabriel stared at the tears and his head tilted to one side as if confused.

“Come on, big guy, time for you to drink,” Ashby said, stepping in close and tilting his head. A low purr

sound filled the air. Gabriel leaned down and licked up the side of Ashby’s neck. Ashby tried to imagine it

as a sexy, erotic lick and not as an “I like how you taste” lick. Hesitating, he leaned back a fraction and

when Gabriel started growling, Ashby froze.

“Please Gabriel, please remember me,” Ashby pleaded.

Without warning Gabriel struck, sinking his long fangs deep into Ashby’s neck and shoulder. He

couldn’t help the scream that escaped as he felt his flesh rip and tear.

“Mikhail!” Ashby cried out. He heard the door slam open.

“Gabriel release him, you’re going to kill him!” Mikhail yelled. Gabriel growled loudly and wrapped his

arms around Ashby pulling him into his body.

“He won’t take me from you, I’m not going anywhere,” Ashby said weakly, patting Gabriel’s chest. The

pain was fading now it was being replaced by a bone-numbing lethargy.

“Gabriel snap out of it! You. Are. Killing. Him!” Mikhail inched closer.

Just as the world started to edge in darkness he felt the fangs slip from his body. When his knees gave

out he felt strong hands holding him close.

“Mikhail?” Gabriel’s voice asked. His voice sounded faint and far away as Ashby struggled to keep his

eyes open.

“I’m here old friend, I’m here.”

Ashby felt himself being lowered to the floor then a body collapsed beside him.

“Guard us,” was the last thing Ashby heard before he allowed the darkness to swallow him.

Chapter 14

When Ashby opened his eyes later he wished he hadn’t. His neck and shoulder blazed with pain and his

head was pounding. He managed to open his eyes but his attempt to sit up left him moaning. He closed his

eyes and collapsed back. Immediately a straw was pushed between his lips.

“You are extremely dehydrated. You’ll feel better the more you drink. I imagine you have a splitting

headache,” a familiar and refined voice murmured from his bedside. He peeled one open and gave a

crooked smile.

“Doc, you keep making a lot of long distance house calls for me. How long was I out?” Even speaking

that much exhausted him.

“Six hours. You can make these roads trips up to me in the form of ice cream. Besides the headache,

how is the shoulder?” Doc asked.

“Hurts. Gabriel?” he asked.

“Still unconscious, but from what Mikhail has told me, back to his normal form. Whatever you did,

worked. Good job in taking care of your mate,” Doc said, sounding proud.

“Good job my ass, he almost died,” a cranky voice said from across the room. Ashby smiled, that was

Baptista.

“I’m feeling better already. I should be back to normal after I shift.” Ashby sighed and opened his eyes

and the Doc nodded.

Baptista, Emmett, Connor, and Mikhail were either sitting or standing in various parts of the room. He

turned his head and found Gabriel lying in the bed beside his. He gave a sigh of relief before turning his

head back to stare at the ceiling.

“I’m starting to hate this infirmary.” Ashby groaned.

“Hurry up and come home then.” Doc patted his hand.

“I’m heading back to Arkadia. Stop abusing your body Ashby,” Doc said and gave a wink.

“I’ll try, Doc. Thanks again for coming,” Ashby said, straining to scoot up. Gentle hands pulled him

until he was scooted up far enough in the hospital bed to sit up. Ashby smiled his thanks at Mikhail and

waved to Doc as he headed out the door.

Ashby took a deep breath and looked up at the dark vampire.

“Will he really be OK?” he asked and Mikhail nodded.

“When he wakes up the bond will be back in place and he should be back to his normal loveable self,”

Mikhail said without smiling.

“He is loveable,” Ashby argued. Mikhail grunted and walked back to his corner. He leaned back against

the wall and crossed his arms.

“You’re awake! If you weren’t hurt I’d put you over my knee. Are you trying to get us all killed!”

Roman said, walking in with David and Daniel.

“You have to stop dying, Ashby, our hearts can’t take it,” Daniel said, taking one hand as David took the

other.

“Trust me, I have no plans on dying anytime soon,” Ashby said.

“Good. You still need to explain what a Tardis is.” Roman wagged a finger at Ashby.

“Time and relative dimension in space,” Mikhail offered from the corner. Everyone turned and stared at

the large man.

“You’re a Whovian?” Ashby asked in a whisper. Mikhail grunted.

“Is that a martial art?” Roman asked.

Ashby looked around the room and everyone wore identical confused expressions.

Mikhail snorted and Ashby’s head swung around.

“You laughed!” Ashby exclaimed excitedly. Mikhail’s cold expression frowned back at him.

“You’re not so scary,” Ashby said, leaning back in the bed. Roman gulped.

“I feel like I’ve aged five hundred years since meeting you young man,” Roman said wearily, sitting on

the rolling chair at the foot of the bed.

“Not my fault. Unless I’m wrong it’s crazy vampires causing havoc this time,” Ashby argued. As he

turned he pulled his shoulder, which caused him to wince.

“I need to shift, will that bother anyone?” he asked, suddenly feeling unsure of himself. He didn’t know

if is heart could take it if they laughed at him.

“You’re going to shift? Cool!” Daniel said as he and David released his hands and sat down together on

the other bed.

“Go ahead and shift, we don’t mind,” Roman said. Ashby took a deep breath and let the change flow

over him. He felt himself shrink and suddenly he was looking out at the world from underneath his clothes

and blankets.

“Oh…oh…oh. Can we keep him?” Daniel said, popping up from the bed and scooping Ashby up.

“He is so freaking adorable!” David added. Running his hand between Ashby’s oversized ears. Ashby

yipped and rubbed his head against David’s hand.

“He’s not a pet Daniel, he’s our prince,” Roman said, a soft smile on his face as well.

“No wonder Rebecca loves your shifted form. You are the cutest thing ever, Ashby,” Emmett said.

“He brought out every single one of Ma’s protective instincts when we found him. She was ready to

hunt down Ashby’s ex and maul him. You can see why she was smitten with his fox form,” Connor added.

Ashby listened to the compliments in wonder. He gave another yip and jumped down back on to his

bed and ducked under the covers before shifting back. He quickly pulled his pajama pants on and popped

back out of the blankets his shirt in hand.

“I wish we could shift. All we got was stupid fangs,” Daniel pouted.

“Yeah, stupid fangs,” David agreed.

“OK, today is what, Tuesday?” Ashby asked, shaking his head as if to clear it.

“Yes, surprisingly enough it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since Prince Gabriel was affected,”

Roman confirmed.

“Right. Let’s get Gabriel transferred up to his apartments. I think he’ll be more comfortable up there,”

Ashby said, sliding off the bed and pulling his shirt on. When he turned back Roman was frowning at him.

“What?” he asked. Roman shook his head.

“Nothing. Mikhail, Connor, if you could move Gabriel. David, Daniel, run ahead and make sure the

doors are open and pull the covers down on their bed,” Roman said. Ashby hovered next to Gabriel the

entire time it took to carry Gabriel’s tall frame up the stairs to the point where Connor flat-out told him to

get out of the way. Only when Gabriel was safely tucked into bed did he relax.

“We’ll be downstairs if you need us,” Connor said. Then he and Emmett left the apartment.

“Do they have a place to sleep?” Ashby asked and Daniel nodded.

“They are crashing in the VIP suites.”

“Roman, why did you frown at me? Should Gabriel have stayed in the infirmary?” Ashby asked

nervously.

“No, it’s just that you said ‘his apartments’. I had hoped we made you feel at home here with us.”

Roman stared down at his clipboard.

“You have! You really have. It’s just, I have my own shop and my own apartment, none of my things

are here. It isn’t something Gabriel and I have discussed yet,” Ashby said, sitting down on the side of the

bed taking Gabriel’s inert hand.

“Don’t worry about it. Gabriel would say you have plenty of time to figure that out,” Mikhail said,

stepping forward.

“Mikhail is right, don’t mind me,” Roman said, sounding contrite.

“All right everyone, Ashby still needs to rest and take it easy today, let’s let him get back to sleep,”

Baptista said, stepping forward. Daniel and David waved and left, Roman and Mikhail following.

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything, Prince Ashby,” Baptista said respectfully.

“Why so formal all of a sudden?” Ashby asked, climbing into bed with Gabriel.

“Ashby, everyone heard your screams and knows exactly what you went through to heal Gabriel.”

Baptista walked up and stood at the foot of the bed.

“Great, now everyone knows I’m a big baby.” Ashby frowned.

“No, they know your strength. You’re a shifter and heal quickly, yet you still bear the marks on your

neck and shoulder from where Gabriel reclaimed you, which means that the original wound was life

threatening. Not many people would have gone into that cell, mate or not. You are one amazing person

Ashby Fairfax, and that is why any of us would die for you.” Baptista bowed and quietly left the room.