Mating Games (6 page)

“Are you okay leaving your coven to be my mate?” Sebastian asked softly, and Alastar could see him fidgeting with his hands.

“Yes, I wasn’t exactly happy at my coven,” he replied, taking one of Sebastian’s hands in his and giving it a small squeeze. “I have a few friends that can send my things to wherever we end up.”

“Good,” Sebastian said, letting out a breath he seemed to have been holding in. “Well, my new pack is outside Atlanta, so we have quite a drive ahead of us. But for now, if I could use your cell?”

“Yes, of course!” Alastar exclaimed. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.”

He handed the cell phone to his mate.
His mate!
Just thinking about Sebastian being his mate made him smile and feel warm inside.

“Hey, Zac,” Sebastian said to someone on the phone. “Did Matt tell you where I was?” Pause. “Yeah, something of my story they didn’t buy, knocked me over the head, and I woke up in a shed. I found out they were keeping a human. I have him with me.” Pause again. “Yep, we’re heading home. Could you inform the council?

Thanks, man. Oh, I found my mates.”

Sebastian glanced over at Alastar and saw a slight smile on the vampire's handsome face. “One was the human, Dobry, and the other one is a vampire, Alastar. He helped us escape.” Sebastian shook his head and chuckled at whatever the other man told him. “Okay, this is Alastar’s phone. They took mine and my keys. I still have my wallet, though, thankfully. Let me know when you hear from the council.

Thanks, Zac.”

Sebastian rubbed a hand over his face as he handed the phone back to Alastar. Sebastian and Dobry both looked wiped. Alastar wanted to do something to make it better for them, but he didn’t know how.

“Is everything okay, Sebastian?” Alastar asked.

“Yeah, another Delta I know, Zac, is calling the council and reporting in for me. Zac is mated to my best friend, Aiden, and another man named Matt. They’re going to get things set up for us when we get there. Thanks for letting me use your phone.”

“No problem, but you reminded me I have to call my coven leader as well,” he replied with a grimace. This wouldn’t be fun. He dialed the number and waited for someone to answer.

“Hello?” a man answered.

“It’s Alastar O’Conner for the leader.”

“Hang on. I know he’s been waiting to speak to you,” the voice replied, laughing. Oh, that can’t be good. Alastar really didn’t want to have this conversation now, but his leader needed to know.

“Alastar?”

“Yes, Damian, it’s Alastar. I’m calling to let you know what happened with the Alpha,” he started.

“Yeah, I just got a fucking call from the Alpha. He says you insulted him, stole from him, and ran. What the fuck did you do?”

“I showed up there like you instructed. He was pissed you didn’t show up yourself, Damian. I explained politely that you were busy, and would the Alpha come running if we said we had a proposal for him to look at. He told me of course not, but we're just vampires.

Alpha Rodrick was a dick and rude to me, not even able to hide his contempt for vampires.”

“Well, I have to say, I’ve never known you to be rude,” Damian said, calming down. “But what is this shit about you stealing from him?”

“When I was leaving, I realized I smelled my mate. Not wanting to stick around, though, because I think the Alpha called you there for some type of trap, I left. When I started to leave, he was yelling all sorts of things and then ordered his Betas after me.”

“That son of a bitch. He thought he could set me up?”

“I’m not sure, but I did find my mate. It seems Alpha Rodrick was being investigated for holding a human against his will. The Delta sent to investigate was assaulted and thrown in the shed with the human. I discovered all of this when I followed the smell of my mate, broke into the shed, and found them both in there,” Alastar explained.

“Is the human okay?”

“He’s alive,” Alastar replied. He glanced in the rearview mirror at the little man huddled in the backseat, his blue blanket still clutched tightly in his hands. “I’m not exactly sure okay is a word I would use.

They had him for six weeks, Damian. The Delta they threw in there earlier today.”

“You’re mated to a Delta?” Damian asked, his disdain clear. “A wolf?”

“It would appear so, Damian.” Alastar felt a strong urge to roll his eyes and tell his coven leader what a dick he was being. There was nothing wrong with being mated to a wolf. It was actually somewhat of an honor for Alastar. His wolf was a Delta.

“Well, I guess that’s good enough for you, but you can’t bring them back here to the coven.”

Alastar did roll his eyes this time. He knew that would be his coven leader’s response. “I know. We’re heading back to the Delta’s pack, but I wanted to tell you that I think Alpha Rodrick was setting a trap for you.”

“Well, I appreciate the warning,” Damian replied. “I’ll handle Rodrick, and let me know when you get settled. I’ll have your things sent to you.”

“Thank you, Damian, be well,” Alastar finished, hanging up the phone and putting it away. “Asshole.”

“What?” Sebastian asked, laughing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Alastar felt his face heat up. “It’s just more of the same shit with my coven. I guess my leader doesn’t have a problem with wolves. He just looks down on me for being mated to one. According to him, it’s good enough for me.

For him I’m sure it wouldn’t be. He’d be mated to some noble family or something.”

“Are you embarrassed to be mated to a wolf?”

“Fuck no!” Alastar snapped, then immediately regretted it when Dobry shrank back into his seat and Sebastian glared at him. He lowered his voice and spoke again. “A mate is a mate. Human, vampire, wolf, alien, it doesn’t matter. I never got into that superiority shit. We’re all equal in my mind. Yeah, just because some of us are stronger or bigger or whatever doesn’t make us any better.”

“Glad you feel that way,” Dobry piped up from the backseat.

“Although I might have to draw the line at aliens. Not sure I could get past that.”

“It only matters to me what kind of person someone is, not what they are. I’ve been looked down on all my life for being an orphan or not having the right last name.” Alastar waved his hand in the air dismissively. “I could give a shit about all the rest of it.”

“Good,” Dobry said, yawning. “I’m going to get some sleep. I’m exhausted.”

“Here, use my coat as a pillow,” Alastar replied, slipping it off as carefully as he could while driving and handing it back to Dobry.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Dobry,” he said. “And by the way, I think your accent is sexy as hell.”

“That seems to be the consensus today.” Dobry chuckled, a sound that went straight to Alastar’s heart. He promised himself that he’d do whatever he needed to make sure that sound came out of Dobry’s mouth on a regular basis.

“So fill me in, Sebastian, what happened today? What’s this new pack you were talking about?” Alastar asked a few moments later as Dobry’s soft snores filled the back of the car. He wanted to know more about his mate besides the fact that the man was a walking wet dream. Alastar couldn’t wait to see him naked. Dobry, either.

He listened intently as Sebastian told him about the Delta pack and the house he was having built. Sebastian explained to him why they decided to form a Delta pack and about the land the wolf council gave to them.

While Alastar was interested in hearing all about the new home he would share with Sebastian and Dobry, he loved the sound of his mate’s voice. It sounded rough, deep, and sexy as hell. And it made Alastar’s cock hard as marble.

Sebastian filled Alastar in about Dobry’s past and what he knew about the man. It saddened Alastar that someone who seemed as gentle as Dobry had such a bad life. He was only twenty-two, for god’s sake. Life wasn’t supposed to get that hard until he got older and had to make lifelong decisions.

Well, at least now that Dobry found them, no one would ever hurt him again. Alastar was sure Sebastian wouldn’t allow it, and neither would he. Dobry and Sebastian were his to protect now, and he’d do it until the last breath left his body.

“Sebastian, wake up, baby. I think we’re there.”

Sebastian roused himself and glanced out the window. He was confused for a moment, not immediately recognizing where they were. As they started driving past several dilapidated buildings and a few in different stages of repair, he realized they were in Delta Valley.

“Yeah, guess we are,” he replied. Sebastian wiped the sleep from his eyes, then glanced into the backseat. Dobry was still curled up with his blanket, his head lying on Alastar’s jacket. Sebastian chuckled. The man was just too cute. Not even the bruises on his face or the sunken eyes due to lack of food could draw away the natural good looks of the man.

“What?” Alastar asked.

Sebastian gestured to the backseat. “He’s just so damn cute.”

Alastar smiled. Sebastian could see him sit up a little and glance into the rearview mirror. The man nodded. “He is. I imagine when he gets some food in him and the bruises fade that we’re going to have a hard time keeping our hands off of him.”

Sebastian’s jaw dropped. He suddenly realized that he was mated to both Alastar and Dobry, and they were mated to each other as well.

Sebastian learned that from watching Aiden, Zac, and Matt mate.

They were all mated to each other. And the idea interested Sebastian.

“You think so, huh?” he drawled as he turned to lean partially against the door. He wanted to get a good look at his mate, his vampire mate. Looking at him, Sebastian never would have guessed that Alastar was a vampire. He didn’t have the typical vamp looks.

Alastar’s skin was golden tan, his dark brown hair curling nicely down to his collar. Thick muscles bulged under the tight material of his dress shirt and slacks, which he filled out rather nicely. Sebastian imagined that Alastar could give him quite the ride if the swelling in his slacks was anything to go by.

Suddenly, the space in the car felt claustrophobic. Sebastian needed air. The palms of his hands started to sweat. He rubbed them on the thighs of his jeans, then quickly rolled the window all of the way down. Even the cool air blowing across his face did nothing to ease his discomfort.

“Alastar, can you pull over for a few minutes?” Sebastian asked.

“I need to stretch my legs and get a little air.”

“Yeah, sure,” Alastar said. “Any place specific, or will the side of the road do?”

Sebastian released a heavy breath. “There’s a little place just on the other side of town, a road to the right that leads down to the edge of the water. You can pull in there.”

Alastar nodded. Sebastian could feel the man’s intense gaze on him. He knew he wasn’t acting normal, well, as normal as he could be. He was wigging out a little, and Sebastian knew Alastar could feel it.

Sebastian couldn’t explain it. He knew due to their mating that he was supposed to be attracted to Alastar despite his being a vampire.

Still, the attraction seemed to go beyond that. Even if they weren’t mated, Sebastian felt pretty sure he’d still want Alastar. The man was hot, plain and simple…sexy, drool-worthy, hot.

Sebastian was doomed.

The moment the car came to a stop, Sebastian jumped from it and walked quickly down to the edge of the river. He took several deep breaths and pushed both hands through his hair, grimacing when his fingers got caught in the long tangles.

He hadn’t had time to comb out his long hair in nearly twenty-four hours. Sebastian chuckled. His world was going tits over ass, and he was worried about combing out his hair. Yeah, that made a lot of sense.

“Sebastian, are you okay?”

Sebastian shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and shuffled his feet on the sandy shore. He looked out over the water and wondered how exactly to answer his mate. The truth seemed too personal, and a lie made his stomach roll.

“You remember how I told you that my father died when I was young?”

“Yes.”

“Before he died, I used to watch my parents together. I’d hide behind my mother’s rosebushes and watch them together in the backyard. I’m pretty sure that they knew I was there because nothing risqué ever went on, but I could still see how much they loved each other. It was almost a tangible thing between them.”

Sebastian heard Alastar walk up to stand slightly behind him. He still didn’t turn to look at the man. He couldn’t. He was too uncomfortable saying what he needed to say to look Alastar directly in the face.

“I learned everything I know about love from watching the two of them together—how I wanted to be with my mate and what I wanted in a mate. Even after my father died, my mother loved him. His name was the last word she ever spoke. I can only hope that they are together now.”

“They are,” Alastar said softly. “Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to put two people together like that and not let them spend eternity together.”

Sebastian chuckled lightly. “I pray that you’re right.”

“Why are you telling me this, Sebastian?” Alastar asked softly.

Sebastian could hear the slight tremble in the man’s voice. “I can’t go back in time and stop your father from being killed. I can only promise that I would never do anything like that.”

“I’m a virgin, Alastar.”

“Well, of cour—” He gave a slight gasp. “You’re what?”

“I wanted what my parents had,” Sebastian said. “I waited. I wanted only to be with my mate, or mates. One-night stands didn’t seem worth it, you know? Why would I want to be with someone who I wouldn’t spend the rest of my life with?”

Sebastian turned around to face Alastar, chuckling softly when he found the man standing there stunned. Alastar’s face was pale, his jaw hanging open. Sebastian reached over and placed his finger under Alastar’s chin, closing his mouth.

“I said, I’m a virgin. I’ve never been fucked or fucked anyone else. I wanted to wait until I met my mates. I’ve never even fooled around. Beyond a lot of fantasies and a strong relationship with my hand, I’ve never been touched by another person, man or woman.”

“Holy shit!”