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

“That’s it! That. Is. It! No more gun for you. That is the second time you have almost killed someone,

the first time was when you tried to show me your cowboy stance. I can’t do this! I can’t think knowing

you have a weapon!” Aleks roared and bellowed. Rebecca sat on his lap calmly petting his chest as he

ranted.

“Don’t worry, I’m getting better, see this time I wasn’t holding the gun when it went off, so technically I

didn’t shoot it,” she said as if that made all the difference in the world.

Ashby watched the interaction between the mated pair. He could see Aleks’s hands shaking, he didn’t

know if it was from fear or from the effort it took not to shake some sense into his tiny mate.

“Connor!” Aleks yelled.

“I’m here,” Connor said, walking over to the table and picking up the purse. He opened it up and pulled

out the gun, he slid open the chamber, checked the barrel, put the safety on and tucked it into the back of

his pants.

“Hey that’s my gun!” Rebecca protested.

“We’re going home!” Aleks said as he stood, and he swung his mate up in his arms.

“When we get home we’re going over gun safety, again. And this time the lesson will stick. You hear

me?” Aleks demanded. Rebecca got a dreamy look on her face.

“Yes, sir,” she said as Aleks carried her out of the diner.

“Oh my God did you see the look on his face?” Connor said, doubling over laughing. That set off the

entire diner. Kate wiped her eyes laughing.

“And to think he hesitated in mating her because he was scared at how delicate she was,” Kate said and

that brought a fresh round of laughter. Ashby smiled. Rebecca and then Kate had found true happiness with

their mates. He knew better than to ask for something like that, he only hoped his date with Gabriel would

go smoothly and that he wouldn’t embarrass himself.

Chapter 3

Four hours later Ashby stood shivering in line outside the club. He was wishing he had gone practical

over sexy. The line hadn’t moved at all since he had gotten there nearly an hour ago. He could feel the bass

of the music from inside the club reverberating through his body. He had chosen a simple light-blue tank

that matched his eyes and a pair of black jeans that, according to Nic, showed off his “bubble butt” to

perfection. Looking around he felt decidedly underdressed. The paranormals around him were dressed to

the nines. There was mesh and glitter and liberal amounts of latex, and if that didn’t have him nearly

heading to the car, the conversations around him did. As a fennec fox, his sense of hearing was so good he

could hear prey moving around underground. As a human he could hear nearly every conversation within a

few hundred feet. Normally he was able to phase it out and make it background noise, but one name kept

popping up, grabbing his attention.

“I wonder if Prince Gabriel will be in tonight.”

“Did you see Prince Gabriel’s outfit last week? I thought I was going to come in my pants the way it

showed off his body.”

“Prince Gabriel looked at me last week, I just know we could hook up tonight. We are destined to be

together.”

Prince
Gabriel. What had he been thinking? How could a prince be serious about him? In his fantasies

he was confident and suave. In real life he felt awkward and small. He stared down at his cell phone

debating on texting Gabriel that he couldn’t make it. He sighed.

He probably wouldn’t even me miss anyway, Ashby thought.

He sniffled and sighed again. Now that his nose was running, his picture as a pathetic loser was

complete. At least he didn’t have to smell the cologne of the raccoon in front of him anymore.

* * * *

“Where in the hell is he?” Gabriel paced his office checking the monitors constantly hoping to catch a

glimpse of the man whose blood caught his attention months ago. When the vans he had loaned the

Arkadions came back from the rescue operation, he had caught a faint whiff of blood from the one that had

held Rebecca and her missing friend Ashby Fairfax. He knew that it wasn’t Rebecca’s blood that had

affected him. That only left Ashby. And the man was late.

“What time did he say he would be here?” a calm voice asked and Gabriel swung his head around to

look at his acting second-in-command. He would have just called the man his second-in-command, but

Roman rejected the title outright saying that title belonged to Mikhail and Mikhail alone. Roman didn’t want

to be second-in-command to anything.

“An hour ago,” Gabriel grumbled, staring at the monitors again.

“Did you check outside in the line to get in?” Roman asked. Gabriel snorted.

“Why would he be in line? He knew he was expected as my guest,” he said, his eyes moving from one

monitor to the next. Roman rolled his eyes heavenward and sighed.

“From everything you have told me about him, in detail, repeatedly, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

He sounds like the type of man who wouldn’t assume he was entitled to anything. I bet he is freezing his ass

off outside,” Roman said, watching his words start to penetrate his Prince’s thinking.

“Damn. You may be right. Could you…no. Never mind, I’ll go look for him myself,” Gabriel said,

ignoring Roman’s astonished expression. He made his way downstairs. He passed the dance floor and

walked to the front doors. The two vampires he trusted to monitor admittance practically snapped to

attention. Around him people hushed their conversations, trying to hear what would bring Prince Gabriel to

the front door. Bryn stepped forward, his blond hair pulled back from his face.

“Sir? Was there something we could do for you?” he began. Radek stepped up beside Bryn.

“I’m waiting on a young man. The name is Ashby Fairfax, has he been by?” Gabriel asked. Bryn didn’t

even have to look at his clipboard.

“No sir. We have been waiting for him to arrive so that we could show him in and bring him directly to

you,” Bryn said. Gabriel took a few steps outside and immediately the front of the line grew silent before

quiet whispers spoke of his presence at the door.

“Sir, he wouldn’t be in line, not if he was expected,” Bryn said. Gabriel nodded, thinking back at

Roman’s words about Ashby. The man was right, Ashby would never assume anything was due to him. He

stepped outside and started walking down the line. People stared and stopped their conversations as he

walked by, Bryn walking behind him. Radek stayed behind to watch the door. Gabriel scanned the faces as

he walked. He had memorized Ashby’s features from the only picture Ashby had sent him on his cell

phone. Gabriel had almost reached the end of the line when he spotted a familiar head of soft blond curls.

He stopped in front of the smaller man who gazed up at him with one of the most beautiful faces he had

ever seen. His aura was nearly as pure as the Alpha Mother’s whom he had met months ago. He watched as

the man opened his mouth then closed it, then sniffed, obviously cold. The beautiful man blushed and

ducked his head.

“I have been waiting for you,
mon ange.
I wish you had let me know you were waiting, I could have

come to get you before you got so cold.” He wrapped an arm around the smaller man’s shoulders and

guided him to the door.

Gabriel heard the astonished whispers that he had come out to personally get someone. There were a

few low growls of anger, but what concerned him the most was the wave of intense hatred mixed with lust

and jealousy. Most vampires were empathetic to some degree. It was nature’s way of helping them keep

their prey calm while they fed.

When he got Ashby to the doors he leaned in and whispered to Bryn.

“There is someone in line...” Bryn nodded.

“I felt it as well, we’ll take care of it my prince, enjoy your evening,” Bryn said winking. Gabriel gifted

him with a rare half smile and they felt the line surge forward.

“Sir, not to be disrespectful, but can you go be stunning in your rooms, where you won’t cause a riot?”

Bryn said, trying to hold back a smile. Gabriel nodded and steered the angelic man toward the stairs that led

to his personal rooms.

* * * *

Ashby heard the astonished comments as they walked past the line. In all honesty, he couldn’t blame

them. He couldn’t believe that Gabriel had come looking for him, to personally escort him into the club. He

felt completely out of place at the man’s side. Before he knew it he was led up the stairs and into Gabriel’s

opulent living quarters.

Everything in the apartment looked new. The color scheme was very monochromatic. Black leather and

chrome accents dominated the large space. It didn’t feel homey or lived in at all. He took a deep breath and

was relieved that his sense of smell had returned from being outside in the cold. He could smell cleaning

agents and leather. When he turned his head to look at the man staring at him with a smile on his face he

caught the scent of something else. He shook his head.

It’s not possible. He’s a prince and I scoop ice cream.
He looked up to see Gabriel watching him from

across the apartment with a soft smile on his lips. Ashby took another deep breath and the scent expanded

in his lungs and seemed to fill his body. He looked up and stared at Gabriel as Gabriel silently watched him.

He was still staring when his cell phone started to ring. Without breaking eye contact he reached into his

pocket and answered his phone.

“Hello?” Even to himself his voice sounded strained.

“Ashby, is everything OK? I’m getting overwhelming feelings from you.” Rebecca sounded worried.

“I’m fine,” he said, his eyes never leaving Gabriel.

“Where are you? Nic said you’re not at your apartment,” Rebecca said.

“I’m at Purgatory,” he said sounding lost in thought.

“Is everything OK? How are things going with Gabriel? Do you need us to come get you?” Rebecca

started spitting questions at him. When she took a breath he said softly, “He’s my mate.” Silence seemed to

pour from the cell phone.

“Oh my Gosh, that’s amazing, Ashers!” he heard from Rebecca.

“Bow chica wow wow. Tap that ass!” he heard Rian yell, then a slap and yelp.

“Rian hush! This isn’t some booty call, he just found his mate!” he heard Kate say.

“Maybe we should come up there anyway,” Rebecca started. Ashby was staring at his phone in horror

then glanced back up to see if Gabriel had heard anything from his friends. The wide smile on the man’s

face told him he had.

“Hey! That’s my phone!” he heard Rebecca exclaim.

“Ashby?” Ashby quickly brought the phone back to his ear, it was Aleks.

“Yes, Alpha?” he asked.

“Everything OK?” Aleks asked, his voice sounding concerned.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Ashby said as he watched Gabriel smile and nod.

“Good, we’ll let people know the parlor is closed for the weekend. Be safe.” Then Ashby heard a click

and the call ended. He would find a way to thank Aleks later. He turned off his phone and looked back up

to Gabriel.

“So you, umm, heard?” he asked and wanted to slap his forehead. Of course he had heard.

“You seem more nervous knowing I am your mate than when we were strangers getting to know one

another over the phone,” Gabriel said, walking around the perimeter of the room circling Ashby.

“But I didn’t know you were my mate then. After our rescue my nose was broken. When we came back

here to drop off the vans I couldn’t smell you,” Ashby said, turning his body to watch Gabriel walk around

the room.

“Maybe vampires and shifters have different ideas of what mates are. For vampires, finding your mate

is the ultimate gift. It’s the knowledge that you’ll never be alone again, that Fate has provided you with a

friend and partner,” Gabriel said, coming to a stop watching Ashby intently who was nodding his agreement

emphatically.

“It’s the same for shifters. For shifters mates come first.” He saw that nearly every muscle in Gabriel’s

body was drawn tight. He could see the tension surrounding the man.

“Then treat me as the friend that I’ve become in talking to you every day. I don’t want to be the prince

to my mate. Just Gabriel,” he said with a silent plea in his eyes.

Ashby’s eyes softened. He had been so wrapped up in his own insecurities, feeling like he wasn’t good

enough, that he never thought how his hesitation could be perceived by his mate.

“Maybe if we talked as if we were on the phone?” Ashby suggested. Gabriel nodded.

“We could do that. Would you like something to eat? I could fix dessert.” Gabriel motioned to the small

kitchen.

“Sure, that sounds great.” Ashby smiled brightly and he could see Gabriel relax a fraction.

“I had Roman go out and buy green apples” Gabriel said, walking into the kitchen and heading to the

refrigerator. Ashby smiled.

“You remembered. They are my favorite,” Ashby said, following him into the kitchen and taking a seat

on the barstool across the counter from where Gabriel stood with two apples, a knife and a cutting board.

Very slowly and deliberately Gabriel began to peel each apple as if each movement was an effort in keeping