Haig gave his cock another pull. It was easy to forget most
weres
weren’t in love when they mated. In Haig’s case, he’d loved Kern unconditionally before they’d mated, but Kern didn’t have that connection to
Audric
.
Yet.
That was the only part that still bothered Haig. Until Kern actually fell in love with
Audric
, Haig’s position in his mate’s life would be solid. It would be what came after that worried him.
As he watched,
Audric’s
cock erupted, spraying cum onto Kern’s stomach and chest. Haig had made love to Kern enough to know it would only take a few more strokes for Kern to lose his control. It was the smell of cum that seemed to set Kern off every time.
Just as Haig had predicted, Kern howled
Audric’s
name. Haig glanced over his shoulder, wondering who else had heard his mate’s climax. As close as they were to the full moon, he doubted the wolves who weren’t working were even around.
Shit.
That reminded him.
Haig strode to the front of the cottage and walked into the living room. Kern and
Audric
were cuddled together with Kern’s cock still buried in
Audric’s
ass. Haig tried not to draw attention to his own erection as he sat in the chair beside the couch. He waited several moments, but eventually Kern opened his eyes.
“We need to prepare
Audric
in case he shifts,” Haig informed his mate.
Audric’s
tongue began to explore the prominent vein of Kern’s neck. “I won’t,” he said between licks.
“How do you know that?
Neo’s
the one who told me to watch you for signs.” Haig didn’t like the way
Audric
began sucking on Kern’s neck. The thought of his mate being used as a blood donor pushed things too far. “Don’t you dare suck his blood,” he warned.
Audric
placed an open-mouth kiss on Kern’s neck before turning his head to look at Haig. “Were blood isn’t compatible with mine. It’s the reason your Alpha is having such a hard time since Richard changed him into a vampire. Gunnar’s entire genetic make-up is changing. Unfortunately, it’s killing his wolf.”
The news shocked Haig. From the expression on Kern’s face, he was equally surprised to hear the revelation. “Does Neo know?”
Audric
shrugged, drawing Haig’s attention to the man’s thin body. “I assume so. I told Ramiro the first week I was here.”
Haig scanned
Audric’s
back, sides, hips and ass. “You’re being too rough with him,” he told Kern. “He’s covered in bruises.”
Kern leant back as far as he could before helping
Audric
to his feet. “Turn around.”
Audric
bit his bottom lip and slowly turned around. The action put the smaller man’s cock on display for Haig. He tried to look away but the generous length and width of the flaccid cock impressed him enough that he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of it.
“I told you before. I’m having a hard time adapting to the bottled blood. My body will eventually get used to it, but I’ve lived a long time on the real thing,”
Audric
said, watching Haig watch him.
“If you’re going with us to Ireland, we’ll need you strong. I can’t worry about Kern trying to protect you instead of watching his own back.”
“I thought that’s what you were for,”
Audric
said, a trace of bitterness in his voice.
Haig had no intention of getting into a pissing contest with Kern’s new mate. “I’ll be busy saving my sister and disposing of Juniper Cavanaugh.”
“I’m sorry I questioned you,”
Audric
mumbled before breaking eye contact.
Kern pulled
Audric
back onto his lap. He petted
Audric’s
stomach and kissed the side of his head. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll still be able to protect you. I promised nothing would happen to you, and I meant it.” Kern narrowed his eyes at Haig.
Haig heard the unspoken reprimand loud and clear.
“Do you need human blood?” Kern asked. His hand continued to roam around
Audric’s
torso, thighs and groin.
“Yes, but it won’t be easy for you to allow me to do what I must to get it.”
Audric
directed Kern’s hand to
the cum
slowly dripping from his hole.
“Does this have something to do with that
Blood Donor
bar you told me about?” Haig asked.
Audric
nodded. “According to the list of rules Neo and Ramiro presented me with, I’m not allowed to take blood that is not offered. In order to do that, I have to come on to the donor and get him interested.”
Kern’s fingers plunged inside
Audric
, dispelling more of the leaking cum. “You will not fuck another man. I’ve already told you that.”
Audric
spread his legs wide and shook his head. “I won’t have to let him fuck me as long as I promise to mentally fuck them.”
“What?” Haig questioned as he continued to watch his mate finger-fuck another man.
Audric
shrugged. “It’s one of our many talents. It keeps donors coming back for more. Why do you think husbands and wives are getting into the kink of it? They can feel like they’re fucking or being fucked by a vampire without actually doing it.”
“I still don’t like it,” Kern objected.
“That’s why it would be better for you to stay here. I’ll take
Audric
into town and watch over him while he feeds,” Haig offered. “If you go, you’ll probably end up killing someone.”
Kern’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. “Will you really watch over him or are you just saying that?”
Although Haig understood Kern’s scepticism, it still bothered him. “In over four hundred years, have I ever once lied to you?”
Kern broke eye contact. “No.”
“We should go now while there’s still plenty of time before dawn. If it’s okay with you, we’ll take an early morning run instead,” Haig offered.
Kern removed his fingers and stuck them into his mouth. “How long will the two of you be gone?”
Audric
climbed off Kern’s lap before turning around to give him a deep kiss. Haig swallowed around the lump in his throat. Seeing the two men kiss hurt more than watching Kern fuck the little sex pot.
* * * *
Haig was glad to get out of the enclosed space of the car. He’d tried rolling the window down on the drive into town but the smell of Kern’s seed on
Audric
was too overpowering. “You smell like sex,” he growled as they got out.
“That’s Kern’s fault. He wouldn’t let me shower before I left.”
Audric
wore a pair of low-slung blue jeans and a forest green T-shirt that set off his dark red curls to perfection. Yeah, Haig couldn’t blame Kern for wanting a proprietary scent all over the man.
“Come on. Let’s get this over with.”
Haig opened the door and ushered
Audric
inside. He was surprised when he was asked to pay the cover as well as
Audric
. “I’m not here to feed,” he told the bouncer.
“Humans are the only ones who don’t have to pay a cover.”
“Why?”
“Because they buy a lot of drinks,” the bouncer continued to argue.
“Fine.
I’ll drink. But I’m not paying for blood.” Haig stood nose to nose with the bouncer. Although the bouncer was also a vampire, Haig had no doubt he could take him in a fight. The bouncer must’ve agreed because he eventually took
Audric’s
money and stepped back.
“I’ll be keeping an eye on you. Four-drink minimum.”
Audric
grabbed Haig’s hand and pulled him through the crowd. “I don’t see what the big deal is. Now you’ll end up paying even more than I did.”
Haig shook off
Audric’s
hold. “Whisky,” he told the bartender. With his back to the bar, Haig scanned the room. His gaze landed on Ramiro. Hidden half in the shadows, the head of security for the Vampire King looked as though he was bored to tears. His gaze continued until it settled on a man of around forty who was staring straight at
Audric
. “How about him?” he asked, pointing towards the tall man three tables away.
Audric
handed Haig his drink. “He’s with a woman.
Probably his wife.”
“So? Look at the bulge in the front of his jeans. That man wants you.”
Audric
sighed and rolled his eyes. “I don’t think I can bite a straight guy.”
Haig crooked his finger and invited the man over. “We’ll see.”
The man came over to stand in front of
Audric
instead of Haig. “Hi, I’m Juan.”
“Nice to meet you, Juan,”
Audric
greeted with a tentative smile.
“So, what’s that wedding band on your finger mean?
You straight, bi, what?”
Haig asked before taking a sip of his drink.
“That depends,” Juan said.
“On what?”
Audric
questioned.
“On whether or not I’m at work.”
Juan motioned towards his presumed wife who was currently giving a lap dance to a pock-faced vampire. “
Lina
and I enjoy a little variety in our marriage.” He reached down and cupped
Audric’s
cock. “Interested?”
Haig surprised himself by immediately knocking the man’s hand away. “Not in that he’s not. You want him to bite you or not?”
Audric
looked up at Haig and rolled his eyes.
“Real smooth.”
Haig shrugged and finished his drink, signalling for another. “
Audric
hasn’t eaten for a while so I’m sure he’ll give you a good mind-fuck or whatever you call it.”
“That’s it.”
Audric
turned and put his hands on Haig’s chest. “Just let me take it from here.”
“Just trying to help.”
Haig paid the bartender. “Better go ahead and get me another,” he told the man.
Audric
stood on his tiptoes and looked around the room. “We’ll be over there,” he said, pointing towards the dance floor.
“Don’t go any further than that,” Haig warned.
Audric
walked with Juan hot on his heels. Haig quickly downed his drink and reached for another.
Damn.
If he didn’t slow down,
Audric
would have to drive them home.
“Problem?”
Ramiro sat on the stool beside Haig.
“Not really.” Haig didn’t take his eyes off
Audric
as he began to slow dance with Juan. Haig’s wolf seemed to scratch at his insides, trying to push through the barrier of Haig’s human skin. If his wolf was so upset by
Audric’s
action, he couldn’t image Kern trying to control himself and his wolf. “It’s a damn good thing Kern isn’t here though.”
“Why?”
“Why? How can you ask that? Look at them.” Juan had one hand on
Audric’s
hip and the other on his ass. “Kern would rip the man’s arm off if he were here.”
Ramiro leant closer. “It’s feeding. Try to step back enough to see the beauty in the act itself. There are no feelings involved.” Ramiro bumped his shoulder against Haig’s. “How does it make you feel when you’re closing in on your prey? Does your dick go hard? Is it the next best feeling to fucking?”
Haig opened his mouth to deny it, but snapped it shut again. Yeah. He knew that feeling. “Is that really the way it is for vampires?”
Ramiro smiled. “I’ve already eaten, but I like to stick around and watch the beauty as my fellow vampires catch and devour their prey.” He motioned towards
Audric
. Juan was actively grinding against the smaller man. “The more a human gets turned on, the sweeter the blood. Think of it as
Audric
preparing his prey.”
When seen through Ramiro’s eyes, Haig had to admit there was a certain beauty in the way
Audric
lulled Juan into thinking there was a chance for something more physical between them. “I can see what you’re saying, but I still don’t think Kern would.”
Ramiro shrugged. “There might come a day when you’re not around. Do you think Kern would rather accompany
Audric
or have his new mate go out alone?”
Haig watched
Audric’s
fangs slip from their sheaths and sink into Juan’s neck. By the way Juan’s body bucked, Haig was pretty damn sure
Audric
was pulling straight sugar from the man’s veins.
When the hardening of his own cock drew his attention, Haig sat on the stool behind him and pressed the heel of his palm against his fly. Shaking his head to clear the lust threatening to overwhelm him, Haig turned his attention to Ramiro. “So how’s Gunnar?”
Ramiro sighed. “Not well.”
“
Audric
told me the vampire cooties will kill Gunnar’s wolf.”
Ramiro winced at the analogy.
“Sort of.
His new vampire side won’t kill his wolf, but it’ll trap it. Gunnar will no longer be able to shift.”
“Fuck me,” Haig groaned. “That’ll drive the wolf insane.”
Ramiro nodded.
“Yeah.
Which is why most vampires would never attempt to change
a were
. But Gunnar’s a lot stronger than he thinks. If he could just pull his head out of his ass and accept what he’s become it would go a long way in helping him and his wolf make the transition.”
Haig couldn’t imagine not being able to shift. He turned around and signalled for his fourth and final whisky. “If there’s anything we can do…”
“There’s not,” Ramiro cut him off. “Unfortunately, the only one who can get Gunnar through this is Gunnar. Believe me. I’ve been pounding my head against the wall for weeks trying to talk him through it. He doesn’t want to be around me or anyone right now.”
Being the head of security for the vineyard as well as pack Alpha, Haig knew Gunnar wasn’t used to asking or accepting help. “Just because he growls, doesn’t mean he’ll bite.”
“Who, me?”
Audric
asked, still cleaning the blood from his chin.