From the Shadows (Hunters #1)

Chapter 13

“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Dr. Oliver said, sounding annoyed. “I haven’t spoken with Empatia, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Diego drew in a sharp breath. He’d been an ass to the man who helped to save his life, and now Shay was making him play nice. Wait. Making him? No one made Diego do anything. Then why the hell was he here? Why did he let Shay badger him this morning to do this?

Because it fucking made Shay smile, and Diego wanted to see so much more of that.

“I’m here to apologize to you. I should have been grateful to you for your help, but instead I snapped at you and that was wrong.”

Oliver squinted at him, like he was seeing something wearing Diego’s skin. “What brought this about?”

What had? The two of them freaking out over having the vein disappear? Yeah, definitely, but it wasn’t just that.

“Shay,” Diego said with a sigh. “This morning we had a… I guess you could say scare.”

“Since I’m not sure what’s going on, could you fill me in a little? ”

“It’s the vein. The one you saw when you were at the house.”

“What about it?” he asked suspiciously.

“Maybe it’s better if I show you.” He stripped off his shirt, placed it on the chair, then held out his arm for Oliver to see where the vein had been. “It’s gone. I mean, completely. I’m not trying to suppress it or anything. It’s just… not there anymore.”

“This is…. How is this possible? Is it okay if I examine the area?”

Diego nodded and Oliver leaned in. His eyes widened as he palpated the skin, his touch gentle, tentative. After several long moments, he hummed and admitted, “I don’t know what to say. I’ve only read papers about the vein. Until I saw yours, I’d never seen one up close. This should be impossible, but as I can see it with my own eyes, that’s obviously not a fact.” He pulled up a chair and sat close to Diego. “Tell me what happened.”

He didn’t want to admit to having fucked Shay. No, not fucked. That was what he’d done with the few others he’d been with. He never spent the night, never indulged his desire to cuddle a partner, never kissed, and most definitely never went four times.

“I….” How could he tell the doctor about Shay? “I’m not sure I can talk about it.”

“Anything you tell me is covered by doctor-patient confidentiality. It will never leave this office, unless it’s hurting someone.”

“So you won’t go running off to Empatia?” he asked, feeling like a dick as soon as the words left his mouth. “I’m sorry. I’m a little out of sorts.”

Oliver patted him on the knee. “No, this is the you I’m used to seeing.”

It was grudgingly, but Oliver went up a few notches with his refusal to let Diego be an ass.

“Last night, Shay and I…. We….”

“Had sex?” Oliver questioned, his expression neutral.

Diego nodded, too ashamed to say the words aloud.

“Okay, you’ve always been loud and in your face. Tell me why you have such a problem saying the two of you had sex.”

That answer was easy. “Because we didn’t talk about these things when I was younger. Sex between men was punishable by death. It happened, but only in darkened rooms and alleyways.”

Oliver patted Diego’s knee. “Yes, three hundred years ago. Times have changed since then. I am not saying it’s perfect, but it’s better. And you’re strong enough to protect Shay if necessary.”

Protect Shay? Hadn’t Diego had that thought not long after they met? Shay had said he was stronger, but last night Diego had a dream that Shay needed protection from something dark that Shay couldn’t fight. He pulled him in close, doing his best to give him the strength he needed. After he did that, the tension in Shay’s body melted away and he slept again. Until Diego’s cock got hard and he was desperate to be buried inside Shay again.

Just thinking about Shay—of plundering his willing, sweet, soft body—was making Diego hard. One thing he learned when the two of them got together was Diego definitely wasn’t shooting dust. Every round made his hunger for Shay even more intense. Each time Shay orgasmed, his load bursting over both of them, Diego was more impressed. He was unaware a human could come that many times in a row. But Shay did it, and even though his exhaustion was obvious, he pleaded for more. Only Diego realizing how much Shay needed to rest kept him in check. And that was a close thing. Shay was like catnip, and Diego was a big old tabby.

“Diego, where is your mind right now?” Oliver asked.

“On Shay,” he answered automatically.

“And may I ask an indelicate question?”

That caught Diego’s attention. “If I say no, would that stop you?”

“Not in the least,” he replied. “Tell me something. Did the two of you exchange bodily fluids during your….” He waggled his hand. “Tryst?”

“Multiple times,” Diego answered, suddenly inordinately proud of himself.

Oliver shook his head and chuckled. “Staying power seems to be a vampire’s stock in trade, if reports are to be believed. I am surprised about Shay, though. That doesn’t seem likely for a human. ”

The way he spoke, it seemed as though he found Shay a curiosity. Diego didn’t like that at all.

“Do you have something to say, Dr. Oliver?”

His mouth opened, then closed. Then, a beat later, said, “No, nothing. That wasn’t meant as a dig, I promise. I thought I’d read something….” He got up and went to his computer. “Will you give me a moment to look up some information?”

Diego wanted to say no, to tell the doctor he had too much to do, but he knew Shay would grill him as soon as he got back to the house. “Sure, no problem.”

It took twenty minutes before Oliver huffed out a breath. “Finally.” He turned sheepishly toward Diego and smacked the ancient PC monitor. “Sorry, the computer is old and slow as molasses in January.”

Diego had no idea what that meant, but it was okay. “No problem.”

Oliver printed off a page, then came back to where Diego sat. He held out the sheet of paper, which Diego took from him. He tried to read it, but the words were in a language he’d never seen before.

He flapped the paper, causing it to flutter like wings. “What is this?”

Oliver’s cheeks reddened. “Oh, sorry. I forget not everyone can read centaurian.” Diego handed it back to him. He held it in one hand, then grabbed his glasses off the desk and plopped them on his wide nose. “Okay, this was written about two hundred years ago by one of my ancestors. At the time, he was the head healer for the centaurs. That lasted until he championed this hypothesis. It was ridiculed and reviled at the time, because everyone said the claims were outlandish. In essence, my ancestor said that his research showed that even in small amounts, semen was more powerful than blood for a vampire, because it was the stuff for the creation of life. Blood-tying, at the time, was a phenomenon that no one understood, but he—Angus, my ancestor—said that blood-tying meant a vampire could only ever drink from that source, and that any other blood wouldn’t have enough of any nutrient to sustain a vampire. However, a blood-tied vampire could get everything he needed and more from the ingestion of semen from the one he was tied to. Of course, at the time, even in the shifter world, there was prejudice against any kind of relationship that wasn’t male and female, so that was off the table and never explored further. It seems that you and Shay give evidence to his hypothesis.”

Diego shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

“Okay, let me see if I can explain this better. Angus wrote that semen is one of the building blocks of life. Combined with an egg, it could create a child. But even without the ova, semen is still a power source of life in and of itself. Any vampire who ingests semen from a blood-tied person, at least from what Angus said, is getting pure life essence from their partner.”

Diego did feel stronger, not as unsteady. He actually felt like his old self, full of strength and vigor. And damn it, he was horny, and this time he wanted Shay to ride him. To feel that lithe body undulating on the end of Diego’s cock, watch his blissed-out expression as Diego pumped into him. And knowing that while this was going on, Diego was also being fed?

“Is it safe?”

Oliver nudged the glasses up, his eyes huge behind the lenses. “Hm? Oh, certainly. I mean, as far as we’re aware. As I said, we know next to nothing about blood-tying or the implications.” He cackled, a very weird sound coming from the normally staid man. “But as for orgasms being safe? Seriously, if it was dangerous, every teenage boy in America would be in trouble. Masturbation is normal and natural and fun as hell.”

A sigh. “I meant is it safe for Shay. I don’t want to hurt him or take too much.”

This time, Oliver laughed, and it was long, loud, and fucking obnoxious. “First off, the human body normally allows a man to potentially ejaculate four or five times in a row under optimal conditions, although very few hit that benchmark. If Shay was able to do it four times last night, I think it’s safe to say he’s fine. Perhaps being blood-tied to you means he can go more. His body might be producing extra to keep you fed, so to speak. ”

It had tasted delicious. Shay’s come was amazing, and Diego couldn’t imagine any blood being better. And now he was hungry too. Great. Man, he needed Shay. The same Shay that Diego couldn’t wait to see. To sit and eat with. To listen as he helped Jeremy learn his lessons and see his son’s eyes light up when he finally understood something.

“I’d like your permission to run some tests. If you and Shay are willing to talk with me, we could put this together and submit it. Admittedly, it’s mostly to clear Angus’s name, but it could also do many vampires a world of good.”

Diego didn’t give a damn about other vampires. He’d kill them all if he could. “No.”

“But—”

“I said no!” he snarled. “I won’t have Shay’s name attached to any of this.”

“It wouldn’t be. I will not identify either of you in any way. I swear to you, I would do my research and publish it without names. I don’t want either of you hounded. In fact, I would want you to read it before I submit it, so we can both ensure it meets your approval.”

“I don’t think?—”

Diego!

He clutched his head. Her power was impressive and sometimes could be very painful. Go ahead, Em.

Trouble at Doubledown Hotel. A wedding party is under attack.

Diego jumped up and grabbed his shirt. He was putting it on as he headed for the door. “We can talk later, Doc. I gotta go.”

Please let us be in time.

“When’s he getting back?” Jeremy asked again. He’d been asking every twenty to thirty minutes since Ranna called to say they were on a case and it wasn’t looking pretty.

“I don’t have an answer, Jere. I wish I did.”

His nose wrinkled. “Diego calls me Jerm. ”

Shay smiled down at him, then slid his fingers through the dark hair. “Yeah, but that’s his special name for you, isn’t it?”

He nodded, then gave a shy smile. “But you could use it too, if you wanted.”

Why that simple sentence thrilled Shay so much, he didn’t know, but it did. Shay patted Jeremy’s head when he shifted into a garter snake and curled up in Shay’s lap a moment before falling asleep. Never in all his years had Shay expected to have a life, and this one? It suited him perfectly.

In the eight months since he’d come to work for—with, he reminded himself again—the group, he’d found a sense of family. They treated him like their brother, with Ranna being the big, annoying, sweet older sister. The other guys were always talking with him, telling him of their worlds, which were so vastly different in most ways, but still had a familiar vibe to them.

And they listened when Shay talked, even if he didn’t do it much. He unburdened himself of the story with Mick, and they either hugged him or, in Ranna’s case, threatened revenge for hurting someone she cared about. Shay had to talk her down, but inside he kinda sorta wanted to let her go after the bastard.

But today felt… wrong. Different. There was a tension in the air Shay had never felt before. It was like he was staked to a pile of gasoline-soaked kindling and someone was standing there with a match. He couldn’t take his mind off Diego and what he and the team were facing. They’d already been gone sixteen hours and hadn’t called to let anyone know they were okay.

Ms. Connelly?

Yes, Shay?

I’m sorry, but Jeremy and I are worried. Have you heard anything from the team yet?

There was a long pause. Shay had no idea how her powers worked. Could they get disconnected, like he often was on his cell?

Shay… there were… complications.

His blood went cold and a shiver ran the length of his spine. What do you mean?

Maybe it would be best to wait and hear it from ? —

What do you mean? he screamed in his mind . Tell me!

Another long pause. The team counted seventy-five or more vampires there. They swarmed our people the moment they set foot in the ballroom. Ranna led the charge and… and they gutted her.

No. Ranna was the fiercest warrior of them all. She was a nearly indestructible tank of a woman when she was in her wendigo form. Is she…. Please, tell me she’s not.

No, but it was a very close call. Diego did something he’s never done before, and that’s taken a toll on his body. He grabbed her and misted eight miles to the nearest hospital. Then he returned to the fight. The doctors and nurses worked on Ranna for twelve hours before her healing finally kicked in. She should be okay, but she’s likely to be out of commission for a long while. It was a lot of damage, even for one of her species.

And what about Diego? Is he all right? I didn’t know he could mist with a passenger.

He’s never done it before, and I haven’t heard of a vampire who could. I think it would be best to hear the rest from him when they get home. May I suggest putting together something for them to eat and drink? Also, if you could, maybe run hot baths in each of their rooms so they can get the viscera off them and sleep after? I wouldn’t expect them for breakfast or lunch. They probably won’t wake until dinnertime.

Of course. I’ll start right now. Thank you, Ms. Connelly.

Shay…. Please, call me Patrice or Empatia. You’re one of us, and you need to remember that always.

Yes, ma’am. Will I be running a bath for Ranna?

She’ll be staying at the hospital overnight. Her family is sending a shaman to treat her, as our medical facilities don’t have the magic theirs do.

Magic?

A wendigo is a magical melding of spirits. They’re probably the closest thing to a werewolf you’ll find in our world. Well, except for actual werewolves, but those are rare since the parvovirus ravaged their packs.

Parvo? Holy crap. I thought werewolves were immune to human diseases?

They are, but parvovirus affects dogs, coyotes, and wolves. After the initial infection, it spread rapidly. The wolves, being haughty and proud, told no one, assuming they would become immune to it eventually. They didn’t, and it spread so fast, it ravaged their population. When only a few thousand remained, they finally asked for help. Had they done so sooner, so many lives could have been spared.

But they’ll rebound, right?

That remains to be seen. Many adult males were rendered sterile, so fathering new children will fall to the very young or very old. And the young will need several years to see if they’re capable of it. A sigh. This is why secrets can be deadly, Shay. We need to be upfront with each other if we’re going to survive in this world.

What was she talking about? Shay had always been honest. Hadn’t he? Well, no. He’d told the others, but not Ms. Con—Patrice.

He placed Jeremy on the chair, then put a blanket over him. Once he was certain his young charge was comfortable, he went into the kitchen and threw together a charcuterie board with slices of meat, cheese, and a few different spreads, then put out some of the bread he’d baked earlier in the day. Once he was satisfied with the light meal, he hurried to the rooms and drew baths, ensuring each of them had fresh towels and washcloths. He also scented the waters to their specifications. Once that was done, he went back to the living room, bundled Jeremy up, and carried him to his room, where he placed him under the heat lamp.

Finally, when the house was quiet, he made his way back to the great room, where he took a seat, then drew in a deep breath.

Empatia? When you have time, I’d like to tell you a story about a stupid young man who let himself fall under the sway of an older man who turned on him and nearly killed him.

Shay could somehow feel she was smiling. I’m multitalented. I can deal with many conversations at the same time. I’ll be continuing to monitor the team who just left the hospital and are on their way home. They’re exhausted and starving, so I’m sure they’ll make short work of your repast. In the meantime, I’d like to hear your story. Ah, and Hal just brought tea. He says he’ll bring some for you shortly.

Shay realized he’d not really given Empatia the due she was deserved. She had really been there for the team. She took care of their mental health, by sitting and talking with them. Telling them that there was nothing wrong with how they felt and that they could always confide in her.

Ask you a question?

Anything you’d like.

Why do you do this job?

She was quiet for a few moments.

I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be nosey.

No, it’s not that at all. Just trying to figure out how to say what I want to. Mr. Biggs approached me after he suffered a great loss. His family was killed by a paranormal, and he needed someone who could understand. A human psychologist couldn’t know the depths some paranormal beings could sink to. Being a paranormal myself, I could. At first, I’m ashamed to say, I thought he wanted revenge. What he actually wanted was justice. Not just for himself, but for anyone who needed it. He put his money where his mouth was and created this group. He understood what he was asking and knew the toll it could take, both physically and emotionally, and asked Dr. Oliver and I if we could help. Of course, we said yes.

Is it hard? Working with so many different types of people?

Not as hard as you might think. Everyone may be different, but they all have the same type of problems. They all need to be heard. Well, except for Diego. He was always butting heads with me, and that made me have to push back harder because I couldn’t—wouldn’t—let him slide through the cracks. But since you came, he’s been far more approachable and open to talking with me. Thank you for that. It means a lot.

I didn’t do anything.

Oh, Shay. You do far more than your job entails. The team is coming to you to listen to them for things that they think are too petty to talk to me about, but it helps them open up about the larger issues. So we owe you a lot. Ah, and here’s Hal with your tea.

It wasn’t but a moment later that Hal literally materialized in the room, holding a tray with a teapot and cup on it.

Shay jerked back, stunned. “What the—how?”

Hal smiled. “They told you there was a ghost who lived within the house, did they not?”

He narrowed his eyes, but nothing he saw would have led Shay to believe Hal wasn’t as alive as he was. “You’re… really? That is so aw esome.” Then he realized what he’d said. “I don’t mean because you’re dead!” He winced. “I’m sorry.”

Hal chuckled and patted Shay on the shoulder. “It’s all right, Master Shay. I understand.” He leaned in close, and Shay could swear he felt Hal’s warm breath on his ear. “Thank you for taking care of everyone here. Your presence gives new life to this old house.”

“Thank you , Hal. From the moment I stepped through the door, you’ve made me feel welcome.”

“That’s because you are, sir. You’re one of us, and we’re all the better for it. Now, drink your tea. I’ve also put some lemon cookies on the side, as I assume you’ll need sugar to keep you alert once Master Diego returns home.”

Whatever Shay had done to deserve this, he hoped never to lose it.

Are you ready, Patrice?

Always. Unburden yourself, Shay.

And he did. He let her into his mind, allowing her to see what had happened in his life. As he did, he felt marginally better.

At least until the door opened and the team practically fell into the house.