Zed's Dishonest Mate (8 page)

“Then we will take it slow. Is that what you want?” Zed asked.

Luka looked away from Zed. He didn’t know how to answer the question.

Zed sighed. “The doctor fixed most of the damage to your leg.” Zed pulled the sheet down. Luka blushed as his naked body was exposed. He tried to reach for the covering, but Zed held it away. “I removed your clothes to inspect the damage. Besides, you slept better naked. Right?”

“That wasn’t your decision. It’s an invasion of privacy.” Luka bent his leg. He looked at the knee. The swelling was almost gone, but it still hurt. “Did anyone else see me like this?” Being naked was one thing, but the hideous bruises that marred his skin made him cringe at the thought.

Zed growled and leaned over him. He rubbed a hand down Luka’s chest, stopping at his nipples, and then moved down past his cock to his sore knee. “No one will ever see you naked but me. This perfect body belongs to me. Do you understand?”

“My body is far from perfect,” Luka argued. He tried to think of something that would keep his cock from awakening, but Zed rubbed his fingers lightly up and down his leg, stirring his desire.

“How are you feeling?” Zed finally asked.

“Great,” Luka said. The lie slipped out before he could stop it. He felt confused and slightly overwhelmed, but he’d get over that in time.

“Mate, your body and health are important. I will take care of both. No more hiding and no more lies.” Zed’s eyes bore into him.

“I don’t understand. You’re so different from before. Don’t you hate me?”

“No, you’re my mate,” Zed said. His voice was a little sad. “I will protect you and keep you safe.” After a slight pause, “You were right. I never gave you a chance and automatically assumed things that turned out not to be true.”

Luka pushed Zed’s arm away. “I don’t want pity. I can take care of myself.” He moved to the end of the bed and started to sit up. Zed carefully helped him back down. He lay beside Luka in the large, oversized bed. Luka felt his cock stir again at the feel of the strong man behind him. No, he tried to push the desire away, but as Zed rubbed his hand up and down Luka’s naked hip, his body stiffened.

“What’s wrong?” Zed asked. He turned Luka to face him. Luka’s hands moved to cover his bulging desire. “Nothing.” He couldn’t stop the lie. After so many years lies were second nature.

Zed straddled his waist. The difference in power loomed between them. He felt helpless underneath the vampire prince, but also turned on. He reached up to touch Zed.

“Don’t lie. I can see your swollen cock. Do you want me to touch you?”

Did he want Zed to touch him? Yes, his mind screamed. He didn’t trust the truth. If he asked Zed to touch him and then Zed refused, it would hurt more than any fist or belt. He could take physical pain, but not rejection. “I’m fine,” he stuttered.

Zed touched the side of his face. “Do you always say the opposite of what you mean?” Zed’s hand moved down his stomach and wrapped around Luka’s hard shaft.

Luka groaned and tried to thrust his hips up, but Zed wanted no part of it. He held the elf’s hips down. “Careful, your knee. Just spread your legs and feel me.”

Zed lowered his mouth down and licked the tip of Luka’s cock. The heat pooled in his belly. Soon Zed’s mouth moved down and took in the entire shaft. This was all so new. He didn’t know what to do. Luka never dared to touch himself. He feared the consequences. The only time his cock exploded was in dreams he never remembered.

Zed didn’t stop. He pushed Luka leg’s apart and sat in between them. Zed’s hands rubbed both balls as his mouth sucked his hard cock. One hand moved underneath and rubbed at his sensitive opening.

Luka stiffened at the fast pace.

“Relax. No penetration,” Zed reassured.

He moaned half with desire and half with disappointment. He wanted Zed to claim him and show the world he belonged to the vampire prince. Zed rubbed his opening as he bit and sucked on his balls. It was all too much. His fingers grabbed at Zed’s dark hair. He held on as the climax approached. Zed moved back to his sensitive tip. He sucked on it, taking the entire length in his mouth. Then he moved down. Soon Zed’s head bobbed up and down. His brown eyes locked with his eyes. The dark gaze burned more than the blowjob. The finger stopped rubbing his hole and the tip pushed slightly in. Zed sucked him hard and fast. Luka groaned as his cock exploded in his mate’s mouth. The vampire prince licked his cock clean, sucking up every drop of cum.

Luka couldn’t move.

“I want to bite around your knee and hip. With my saliva inside your body, it will help heal the worst of your wounds and lessen the pain. But, you need to agree first.”

Luka looked into Zed’s eyes. He nodded. Zed didn’t have to ask. He was powerful enough to do whatever he wanted.

“Yes, please take care of it.” He sounded so needy. Quickly, he added, “If you want. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Zed moved down his leg and bit into the flesh just above the knee. Luka felt his cock stir to life again. He wanted to beg Zed for more, but he didn’t want to seem greedy or demanding. Zed already had a low opinion of him.

Zed licked the wound with his tongue and then slowly moved up Luka’s naked leg.

Luka bent his knee. The pain was gone. “Thank you.”

Zed placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. “You’re still not allowed to leave the bed.” The vampire moved to stand.

“Wait,” Luka called out. He didn’t want to be selfish. Someone that took pleasure without returning the favor, but he didn’t know how to ask. “What about you?” he finally asked.

“What about me?” Zed arched an eyebrow up. The smirk on his face revealed the vampire was enjoying Luka’s uncertainty.

“Don’t you need release?” Luka asked, looking away.

“If you want to suck my cock, then ask,” Zed said with an amused tone.

Luka’s face flushed. He quickly looked away from the large bulge in Zed’s pants. “Who wants to do something like that?” The lie flowed easily from his mouth. “I mean you helped me. It’s only right that I help you.” Luka licked his lips. He wanted to take Zed’s stiff shaft into his mouth.

Zed moved closer and whispered into Luka’s ear. “Liar, but when you work up the courage, I’ll let you suck my cock. Then I’ll fuck your mouth.”

Luka hissed.

Zed rubbed his cheek. “Oh, and I won’t fuck your tight ass until you admit you want it. No matter how much your body begs for my fat cock.”

Luka shook his head. “I will never ask for sex.” His body shivered with desire. He was so close to begging Zed to stuff his ass and fill him.

Zed leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Rest, your body needs sleep to finish repairing the damage.”

“I just woke up.” As Luka said the words, he felt the energy drain out of him.

“My saliva makes you sleepy as it repairs the damage. While you sleep, I have to go out and then I’ll prepare lunch. Do you have any requests?”

“You’re leaving.”

“I have something to do. Bishop will be here if you need him, but you’ll be sleeping.”

Luka nodded. He didn’t want Zed to go, but that would have been selfish. Instead, he changed the subject. “You can cook?”

“No, I’m going to order out. Other than meat are there other foods you won’t eat?”

“I don’t think so,” Luka said. He yawned as he tried to stay awake.

“You don’t think so?” Zed asked.

Luka didn’t like the confusion on Zed’s face. He needed to be clearer. “Um, I’ll eat anything you provide. I won’t be picky.”

“Mate, don’t second guess yourself. A lot of things revolve around your wants and needs.”

“Zed, I never pick my own meals. Everything I ate arrived at set meal times. I’m not sure what to eat or what to ask for.” There, he was finally honest.

“I see. I’ll help you until you can decide what you like or hate. Now get some sleep. After lunch is prepared, I’ll wake you up.”

Luka nodded. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.

Zed waited in the room until Luka fell asleep. He wanted to ask more questions, but he wouldn’t get truthful answers. His mate used lies to hide his fear. After years of abuse, Luka didn’t know how to be honest. Maybe Luka couldn’t be honest. Zed would help him work through that. Honesty was too important in a relationship. His mate hid a lot of things and someday they needed to talk about those things.

His tiny mate lived a life full of lies. Zed wasn’t sure he’d be able to change that, but he refused to fall to Luka’s level. Understanding and accepting were two different things.

Had he already fallen to Luka’s level? No one had ever lied to him as often. If they had, Zed would have shown them the door. He thought about that. Lies destroyed people. His brother was hurt by the lies told by his former lover. He growled. Kane had used Ned and his little brother never got over it. Ned, Nathanial Ellington Darth, trusted everyone. Zed raised Ned to believe in others. Then Kane hurt him and now Ned trusted no one. His brother believed everyone had an agenda. That’s not what Zed wanted for his brother. Ned lived alone, a recluse up in a mountain or deep in the woods in a cabin. His little brother never stayed in one place long enough to make it a home.

He shook the thoughts away. Priorities changed and his top priority was keeping Luka safe. That meant keeping Kane away. Kane was like a bad itch that never went away. He’d be back and as demanding as ever. The challenge of protecting Luka loomed over him, but one thing was certain, Kane wouldn’t hurt another member of his family.

He walked to the outer room. Bishop finished putting away more groceries. “Well?” Zed asked.

“It’s been a while since I needed to shop for food. After Jacob and Sage moved out, there’s been no need. Now the refrigerator is stuffed full. I don’t know if the little guy is going to eat it all.” Bishop laughed. “How’s your mate?”

Zed looked at the older vampire. The man served his family even before Zed was born. Bishop was not only a trusted confidant, but family. “He’s been abused most of his life.”

Bishop nodded to show his understanding. “Well, he’s going to need time to adjust and a gentle, loving touch.”

Zed pushed his hair back. Luka needed love, but it might not be enough. “He lies. A lot.”

“I see,” Bishop said. “Does he do it for personal gain?”

“Yes and no. He tells me what I want to hear. He’s afraid that the wrong words will make me so angry that I’ll beat him up.” He paused, trying to make sense of the situation. “Then he tries to push me to hit him.”

Bishop nodded. “He’s trying to trust you. That’s why he’s pushing so hard. If you hit him, then it’s all over.”

“I would never touch him like that.”

“Of course not, but Luka doesn’t know that. Until he trusts you, he can’t be completely honest. It’s going to take time. A lot of it.”

Zed needed time to think. He’d given Luka no reason not to trust him, but the small elf might not know how to trust. “I need to meet with Roman. Mason is pushing me to tell Roman what happened twenty-five years ago.”

“It’s time. Now that Theodore and Kane revealed their hands, the others need to know.”

“There’s more going on.” Zed rubbed a hand through his dark hair. “Also, if I tell them, then Jacob and Sage might find out the truth about their parents.”

“Zed, we did everything in our power to protect them. We were too late, but you raised those two. They were happy here and they are happy in Roman’s territory. It’s time to let go.”

Zed nodded. “Call me if anything changes or if Luka wakes up. I’ll bring dinner back.”

He teleported directly outside of Roman’s building. He wouldn’t enter into another man’s home without permission. That was just poor taste. Besides, knowing Roman, he probably set up wards to prevent anyone except a demon from transporting directly inside. It was possible. He had wards set up at his place.

Zed walked through the door and up to the desk.

“Hello, Griffin. Is Roman available?”

Griffin growled. The wolf shifter headed Roman’s security and was mated to Jacob, his oldest son. “Let me call up.”

Griffin picked up the phone. After a minute, he lowered it. “Roman said you can go up.”

“On my way down, I’m going to stop in and see Sage and Jacob. Can you let them know I’m coming?”

“They’ll like that,” Griffin reluctantly admitted.

“How are they doing?” He talked with Sage every day and Jacob every other day. Both sounded happy.

“Sage keeps getting into trouble. He’s curious and does things that he shouldn’t. Jacob chases after him. Micah only adds to the trouble.” Griffin sighed. He looked at Zed. “Jacob’s started to take online college classes.”

“Jacob told me. He wants to study history.”

Griffin nodded. “I’m just making sure you’ll support him. Human universities aren’t respected among our kind.”

Zed laughed. “Jacob’s my son. I’m not going to disown him because he wants to study human history.”

“He’s called Mason to ask for books on supernatural history as well.”

Zed sighed. He was never sure how much Jacob remembered about his parents. It wasn’t only that. Jacob’s power was meant to contain other powers. He hoped his son’s desire to study was his own and not the power that lived inside of him.

During the elevator ride up to Roman’s penthouse, he thought about his two sons. They weren’t biologically related to him or even the same race. Zed was a vampire and Sage and Jacob were mostly human with a little fairy blood mixed in. It didn’t matter. They were a family.

The elevator stopped. He walked off and knocked on Roman’s door. The door opened.

Roman’s smile bordered on something between amused and happy. “I hear someone’s mated.”

Zed shook his head. Maybe this was revenge. “Not yet. After his body heals.”

“Avery told me about your mate’s injuries. Has he added anything?”

“I haven’t asked. Luka woke up a little over an hour ago. He needs to calm down and feel safe before sharing the secrets that he’s hiding.”

“Calm down? Hiding?” Roman asked, not understanding the dynamics of Zed’s relationship with his mate.

“Luka’s dishonest. He hides things. He’s standoffish and cautious. Also, he’s angry and verbally attacks one minute and then the next minute he flinches away.”