“Jory, there you are.” Stavion was always so careful with him. He never spoke loudly, never called Jory names or belittled him. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”
Jory swallowed hard, and his heart beat up inside his throat. This was it. This was where Stavion told him he was too much trouble and needed to leave.
“I have to go out of town for a few days at the end of the month. Some friends of mine are getting married, and they’ve asked me to attend the ceremony in Georgia.”
Jory’s brow wrinkled, but he didn’t take his eyes off his shoelaces.
Why was Stavion telling him this?
“I was wondering if you’d like to join me. You don’t have to, of course, but I wanted to ask.” Stavion sounded nervous, which was a strange emotion for such a big man. If Jory was that size, he’d never be afraid of anything. No one would ever mess with him.
He didn’t say anything. Was it a trick? Was Stavion going to take him to Georgia and leave him there? Maybe he’d just kick him right out of the airplane. Okay, now he was just being stupid, but really.
Why would Stavion ask him to go?
A deep sigh drifted to his ears. “I’ll let you think about it. Just tell me what you decide. Or you can tell Malakai if you’re more comfortable speaking with him.”
Jory liked Malakai. He was a lot less intimidating, and he also happened to
not
be Jory’s mate, which made it easier to talk to him.
Before he could figure out what answer Stavion wanted to hear, the man had left the room, closing the door behind him with a quiet
snick
.
“Way to go, spaz,” Jory mumbled to himself. He didn’t want to keep messing things up. Unfortunately, that seemed to be his permanent state of being.
* * * *
“I’m sorry,” Blaise said from his seat on the other side of the desk. “I didn’t think to warn Willow not to mention anything to Malakai. I never told him that Boston was Malakai’s mate. He didn’t know.”
Stavion sighed and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. “I know, Blaise. I’m not mad at Willow.” He didn’t know how anyone could be upset with the little elf. Willow was so full of life. All he wanted was for everyone around him to be happy. He would have never intentionally hurt Malakai, and he’d probably be devastated when he realized that he had. “I’ll talk to Malakai.”
“I’m sorry,” Blaise repeated. “I like the guy, and I know this is rough. I don’t know how to help him, though.”
“I appreciate it.” Malakai hadn’t seemed overly upset about Flynn being mated to Boston. He’d hidden it well. After the doctor came, checked over the new residents of the house, and left, Malakai had retreated to his room, and no one had seen him since. “I don’t think he’s been eating.” He stared down at the papers on his desk and sighed. “Now there’s this.”
Blaise sat up a little straighter. “What’s that?”
“A mating contract for Malakai from Nicholas McCarthy.” Stavion scrubbed at his face and groaned. “Malakai’s not mated, Blaise. By law, I have to honor this. He’s my best friend, though. I can’t do that to him. Some of the provisions in this contract are…” He trailed off, unable to finish.
One provision of the contract stated that Malakai had to wear a butt plug at all times, day and night, so that he would always be “available” to McCarthy. It made Stavion’s stomach churn, but he didn’t know how to fix it.
“Stavion, if you don’t honor that contract, you know what can happen. The least of it is them throwing your ass in a cell.”
“He’s my best friend,” Stavion repeated.
“Yes, but what about Jory?” Blaise gave him a sympathetic look, but Stavion didn’t think anyone could truly understand how he felt.
He’d have to choose between a man who’d been like a brother to him for over a hundred years or his new mate.
“Jory doesn’t even want me.” He’d known for a while, but it hurt so much more to say the words out loud.
“He’s just scared and doesn’t
know
he wants you. He’s been through hell, and he needs you, Stavion.”
“What about Malakai?” Stavion exploded. “I can’t just ship him off to Washington like a piece of fucking property!” Blaise was silent for a few minutes, and when he finally looked up to meet Stavion’s gaze, there was a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Are you going to the wedding?”
Stavion nodded slowly, though he didn’t understand what that had to do with Malakai situation. “Yeah, we’re all going.”
“Then make sure Malakai is there. From what Jackson tells Cole, Boston is miserable. When he’s not locked in his room, he’s being a complete ass to everyone, including Flynn.”
“I don’t know, Blaise. What if it does more damage than good?” The only way to get Malakai out of the contract was for his mates to claim him. He didn’t know if Boston had it in him, though.
Blaise actually chuckled. “You don’t know much about shifters, do you?”
“Not really,” Stavion admitted. “What are you trying to get at?”
“Shifters are possessive, territorial, and basically cavemen when it comes to our mates. Even if Boston doesn’t think he wants to be mated to Malakai, he doesn’t want anyone else with him, either.”
“That seems a little unfair.” Stavion linked his fingers on the top of his desk and frowned. “Where does that leave Malakai?”
Contracted to an asshole in Washington.
He didn’t like that thought, so he pushed it away quickly and twirled his wrist for Blaise to continue.
Blaise waved his hand. “Boston is young, and from what I understand, he’s had bad associations with vampires. Same goes for Flynn. It’s ingrained in him to want to be with his mates. He won’t be able to fight it forever. I’m just saying we give him a little nudge in the right direction.”
Stavion could vaguely see where this was going. He really should learn more about shifters. They seemed more animal than human.
“Just because Boston doesn’t want Malakai to be with someone else doesn’t mean he wants him. It sounds more like a spoiled child fighting over a toy then hiding it in the closet where no one can see it.”
“I’m not explaining it right, but just trust me. No amount of instinct can make Boston want Malakai. If he sees him with someone else, and really doesn’t want him, he won’t react at all. I don’t think that’s the case, however. I’d recommend someone big enough to stand up to a shifter.”
Stavion thought it over for several minutes before a slow smile worked its way across his lips. “A little nudge, right?” Boston wouldn’t claim Malakai right away. The man was much too stubborn for that. Plus, Flynn would have to claim Malakai as well, and the pair hadn’t even met. If Stavion could get the three together, though, he might be able to buy them a little time.
Blaise smiled wickedly and dipped his head. “Just a tiny push.”
“I know just the man for the job.” He stood from his desk, saw Blaise to the door, then went in search of his friend.
The conversation with Malakai didn’t take long. Stavion was surprised that Malakai had actually agreed to let Raven accompany him to the wedding. He just hoped it all worked out, and Boston got a good look at what he stood to lose if he kept denying his mate.
With one more thing off of his to-do list, Stavion went to talk to his own mate. He didn’t know what good it would do. It wasn’t like Jory every responded. Still, Stavion liked spending time with Jory, even if he did all the talking. Hopefully, if he kept up his nightly visits, Jory would eventually get used to him being there. Maybe he’d even start to relax a little instead of shaking in fear every time Stavion stepped into the room.
He gave a precursory knock, then pushed the door open. “Good evening, Jory. Did you eat tonight?”
“Yes,” came a whispered response.
Stavion was so shocked, he didn’t know what else to say for a minute. Except for a few words when they’d first met, Jory never said anything. Deciding to play it off as if it was a momentous breakthrough, Stavion cleared his throat and smiled. “I’m glad. You’re looking much better.”
“Thank you.” Jory sat in the middle of the bed, his legs drawn up under him, and he still wouldn’t look at Stavion. At least he was talking, though.
“Have you been sleeping well? Is there anything you need?”
“I’ve never had so much.” Jory peeked up from under his lashes as Stavion sat on the bed. “Thank you for helping us.”
It was on the tip of Stavion’s tongue to inform his mate that it was his job. While that may have been true, there was more to it than that.
He truly liked helping these young men and women. It gave him a sense of purpose to know that he’d done something to make their lives better.
“It’s my pleasure,” he decided on instead. “I’m glad that I could help you and your friends.” God, he wanted to touch Jory in the worst way. “Do you remember the talk we had last week?”
“About us being mates?”
“That’s the one. Do you know what that means, Jory?”
Jory nodded slowly. “That I belong to you.” He didn’t sound very happy about it either. If Stavion had lived through half of what Jory had, he figured he wouldn’t want to be someone’s property either.
“Sweetheart, it’s a lot more than that. Yes, if you’d like, you’ll belong to me. You’re not my slave or a pet, though. You’re my mate. The choice is completely yours. I just want you to be happy.” On one level, the words killed him to say. Stavion knew he meant them, though. Even if Jory didn’t want to be with him, he just wanted to see the little man smile—even once.
What he got was an unconvinced snort. “Just like that?”
Stavion bit back his sigh and stood from the bed. “Just like that, Jory. I’m not going to force you to do anything. If you want to talk, you know where to find me. I won’t bother you anymore.” He’d give Jory the space he needed. Perhaps if he stuck to his promise, Jory would begin to trust him. At least he’d know that Stavion meant what he said.
He didn’t expect a response, so it was no surprise when he didn’t receive one. With one final look at his mate, Stavion stepped through the door and closed it quietly behind him.
The soft knock on his office door had Stavion looking up from his computer. Figuring it was Malakai coming to complain about attending the wedding again, he groaned quietly before calling for his friend to enter. He understood Malakai’s plight. Really, he did. He just had so much shit to deal with, though. Some days the pressure to live up to everyone’s expectations made him feel like he should come with a warning label. How many more things could go wrong before he completely lost it and exploded?
The worst was when it was just the same shit over and over. There were only so many times you could beat a dead dog.
“Um, can I talk to you?”
Stavion almost fell out of his chair when Jory walked into his office. It had been four days since he’d last seen his mate. He’d made good on his promise and hadn’t gone to Jory’s room again. It had been one of the hardest, most painful things he’d ever had to do, but hopefully it was about to pay off.
“Please, come in,” he answered as casually as his racing heart would let him. “Is there something wrong?”
Jory shuffled closer to the desk, his head bowed, and his hands twisting together nervously in front of him. “Nothing is really wrong. I just, well, I guess I wanted to say that I’m sorry for the other night.” He took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and finally looked up to meet Stavion’s eyes. “You kept your word. No one has ever done that.”
Rising slowly, Stavion walked around the desk and stood in front of Jory. Then he reached out tentatively, took Jory’s hand in both of his, and caressed the knuckles with his thumb. Jory trembled, but he didn’t pull away, so Stavion took that as a good sign.
“If this is all you ever want to give me, I’ll be happy with that. I just want a chance to get to know you.”
“There’s not much to know. I don’t think you’d like me very much.”
“How about you let me be the judge of that?” Stavion brought the hand he held to his lips and kissed it gingerly. “There are already a lot of things I like about you. Maybe we can start by just talking.”
Jory stared at his hand as though he’d never seen it before. “I think I can do that.”
And so they talked. Jory didn’t offer much unless he was asked a direct question, but at least he was trying. And he was looking at Stavion. By the time Stavion walked him back to his room and kissed his hand goodnight, he’d even stopped shaking.
“Thank you for being so understanding,” Jory whispered. “Can we talk more tonight?”
“I’d love nothing more.” Stavion gave a little bow and an ostentatious twirl of his hand, and there it was. The first smile he’d seen on Jory’s face since meeting the man. It was a small one, barely tugging at the corners of his lips, but it warmed Stavion’s heart.
“Sleep well, Jory.”
Jory dipped his head and closed the door.
* * * *
That was their routine over the next couple of weeks. Stavion would go to his mate’s room, or Jory would come to his office.
They’d stay up all night, talking about nothing of importance. Jory was beyond intelligent, and Stavion found himself captivated.
They never spoke of the bad things Jory had experienced. Stavion knew they’d have to eventually, but they’d work up to it. Jory was becoming more relaxed with him, smiling often, and he’d actually giggled when Stavion told him the story about how Blaise’s mate, Willow, had shifted into a big cat and pinned Raven to the floor.
Life was good. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good. Stavion still had to beat back his desire for Jory. It was worth it, but some nights he felt like he would burst with wanting Jory so much. He still had the threat of Nicholas McCarthy hanging over his head—or more to the point, Malakai’s head. They were bringing in beaten and battered survivors at an alarming rate, and Stavion was beginning to wonder where he was going to put all of them.
“Maybe you could build more houses,” Jory suggested when Stavion voiced his concerns one night. “You could make this kind of like a community for paranormals with nowhere else to go.”
“That’s a great idea, Jory.” Stavion immediately started making plans in his head to speak with The Council and acquire the needed funds for such a venture. It would be unlike any other coven in the world. Anyone seeking refuge would be welcome there. No one would be turned away because of what they were.