From the Shadows (Hunters #1)

Chapter 14

The moment the door opened, Diego could smell Shay. It was warm, comfortable, and a reminder that he was home. He looked up and found Shay staring, his lower lip wobbling and his eyes shiny. He spread his arms wide, and Shay flew to him and crushed him in a hug.

“Well, this is new,” Borne said, his voice weak and thready.

“I’m sorry,” Shay whispered. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted anyone to know.”

Diego kissed Shay behind the ear. “I don’t give a fuck who knows,” he said gently.

Shay stepped back, and Diego immediately missed his warmth. “I have some food set up in the kitchen, and I drew a bath for each of you in your suites.”

“Food?” Martin whimpered. “Yes, I need food.” He led the charge toward the kitchen, while Diego stayed back with Shay.

“Where’s Jerm?” he asked.

“Sleeping beneath his heat lamp. He wore himself out worrying.”

Diego brushed a thumb over the dark bags under Shay’s eyes. “He wasn’t the only one, apparently. ”

“I’m sorry.”

For what? Being one of the only people who’d cared for Diego since he was turned? Silly man. “Don’t be. I like it,” he promised.

Shay pulled the collar on his shirt. “Do you need to eat too?”

Diego’s stomach rumbled. He was starving, but he didn’t want Shay’s blood.

“I need you to stay here, okay? Give me five minutes to shower and grab some different clothes.” He glanced and saw remnants of the fight now clung to Shay. “Maybe we should both clean up.”

They went to their own rooms. Diego looked longingly at the tub. He’d love to soak for a few hours, work out the knots in his muscles, but he needed to get back to Shay. A quick and scalding shower, some sleep pants and a T-shirt, and he was back in the great room where he found Shay all fresh and rosy.

He lifted him from the floor and carried him up the stairs to his room. Once inside, he closed the door and dropped Shay on the bed. He was frantic for a taste, but held himself in check. He yanked Shay’s pants open, then tugged them down, along with his underwear, smiling when Shay’s long, slender cock snapped up.

“What are you?—?”

Instead of answering, he leaned forward and took Shay to the back of his throat. With each drop of sweetness, Diego felt stronger, more in control. He needed this now, more than he cared to admit. Tonight had rattled him, and he craved the connection, as well as the sustenance.

“Aw, fuck,” Shay purred, stroking his hands over Diego’s head and thrusting gently into his mouth. The pride Diego felt, knowing he was making Shay happy, could have burst his heart. Everyone always looked at Diego to be the leader, the one who they could lean on in tough times. Ranna had trusted in him tonight, and it had almost cost her life.

No, he had to stop thinking about Ranna. About the fucked-up mission. He had to have Shay now, and that hunger was greater, deeper than it had ever been before. Even starving himself for three hundred years didn’t hold a candle to what he felt now. He doubled his efforts, milking Shay’s cock with his throat, working him deep, then sucking up the shaft until he reached the head, where he swirled his tongue, before going down again.

“I’m gonna come, Diego,” Shay panted, sliding his fingers through Diego’s hair.

Yes, do that. Fill my mouth so that I can feel alive again.

The orgasm, when it hit, was fierce, but Shay’s moans were muffled. When Diego glanced up, he found Shay with his face covered by a pillow, screaming out his release into it. Diego swallowed Shay’s seed, and strength suffused him. Oliver had been right. Shay’s semen was more potent than blood. He hoped Shay would be okay with having a lot of orgasms in the future.

Shay pulled Diego up and held him tight. “What was that about? Do you want to talk fill me in on what happened?”

Did he? He’d always been stoic, not letting others see his pain, but tonight? Fuck, tonight had been even worse than what Diego had done at the hospital after he’d been turned.

“It was awful,” Diego said softly, clutching Shay, who was his tether. “When we arrived, there were bodies strewn everywhere. Men, women, kids. Each appeared to have been savaged by a wild animal, but we all knew better. We took another hunter pack with us. I told everyone to go in different directions with a partner. We split into pairs and took off.”

“Martin and Borne were the first to find a group of vampires. Borne related what he was seeing to Empatia, who informed the groups. Martin was an unstoppable force, burning vampires to ash. Borne said that the vampires didn’t seem to be afraid of Martin, instead laughing as he immolated them. It was then I realized they were baiting us. I recalled the teams when I heard Ranna’s scream of rage.

Ranna? Ranna, what’s going on? Empatia?

Diego, she’s going crazy! I keep calling to her, but she won’t come back. She’s wading into a room filled with vamps, who are trying to drag her down. I’ve never seen them cooperate like this. I—no!

Then Diego heard a different kind of scream. It wasn’t Ranna’s normal ones of rage. Instead, they were filled with pain, as though she was being ripped apart .

“Ranna!” he shouted, diving into the room and trying to find her. He killed dozens of vampires on his way to her, but every one he slaughtered was replaced by two more. It was like there was an endless supply.

He squeezed his eyes shut, the memory of what happened next threatening to send him over the edge.

“What happened?” Shay insisted. “What’s wrong?”

“Four of them grabbed me, trying to hold me still. I was about to mist when one of them, a young man—kid, really—no more than eighteen or so, came up behind me and latched on to my shoulders. He jerked my head back, leaned in, and pressed our lips together. His were smeared with blood, and he jammed his tongue into my mouth. The taste made me sick to my stomach, but what he said was even worse.

“He smiled as he looked me in the eye and said, ‘Cristobal misses you, Alvaro. He can’t wait to see you again.”

“Who’s Alvaro? I thought your name was Diego.”

He chuckled, but there was no mirth to it. “I forgot what it was until he said it. That was the name my parents gave me, but after I was killed, I chose a different one. I wanted Alvaro to be dead and buried.”

“That makes sense. What happened next?”

“Ranna was screaming and I needed to get away from them. I was able to get my arms free and grabbed the kid’s head. I… I crushed his skull, splitting it in half. And through it all, he stared into my eyes and laughed.”

A violent shiver jolted Shay, making Diego hold on tighter. He never wanted this for Shay, but he couldn’t keep him out of their world, so he had to be honest. When Shay finally calmed down, he murmured into Diego’s chest, “And who is Cristobal?”

This was the part that would kill Diego. He hadn’t heard the name in over three hundred years, and would gladly have gone another three hundred never hearing it again. “He’s the one who turned me. He’s my sire. ”

Shay wanted to insist that Diego continue to talk with him, but he could see how badly he needed rest. He wrestled off his clothes, then helped him to the bathtub, where he held Diego’s hand as he sunk into the water scented with vanilla and musk.

“Smells nice,” he murmured, sinking up to his chin. “Can you get in with me?” The plea in Diego’s voice would break the hardest of hearts.

Shay made short work of what he had on, then slid into the water beside Diego. It was no longer scalding, but had cooled to an even temperature. He wasn’t surprised when Diego pulled him close and buried his face in Shay’s neck.

“Do you want to hear the rest?” he asked softly.

There was more? “Only if you want to tell me.”

“It took me several minutes to find Ranna. When I did, all I could see was she had shifted back to human. Her hair was matted with blood. From the smell, most of it was her own. I sliced through the vampires that were on her and hefted her into my arms. She was scarcely breathing, and I knew she wouldn’t be able to survive waiting for an ambulance. I visualized the hospital, a place I’d been many times, and shut my eyes. When I opened them, I found I was standing in the lobby with Ranna in my arms. I had no idea I could do that, but it allowed me to find her some help. Once I was certain she was in good hands, I misted back to the fight. By the time I returned, Martin and Borne had killed scores more, and their bodies littered the room. The two seemed to be in shock, because they said they’d never seen vampires fight the way these had.”

“What do you mean?”

“It was as if, to them, their lives didn’t matter. They weren’t fighting, they were sacrificing themselves, and they kept laughing as they were incinerated.”

Shay couldn’t think of anything to say, so he grabbed the washcloth and added a daub of soap before he stroked it over Diego’s shoulders. Then he noticed the way the shoulders were quaking.

“Diego?”

He turned and buried his face in Shay’s neck. The warmth from his tears seeped into Shay’s skin, but still chilled him. “He was so young, and I killed him.”

There was too much pain in his voice. Shay recalled the story Diego told him, of the troops in the hospital that he killed in his hunger-induced pain. This had to be bringing back memories of that night.

“You had no choice,” Shay assured him, stroking a hand over Diego’s back. “He wouldn’t stand down, and Ranna was counting on you to save her.”

Diego said nothing, and Shay realized he’d fallen asleep. He was trying to figure out how to get them to the bed when the door opened, and in came Martin and Borne. They said nothing as they stepped over to the tub and lifted Diego out. He didn’t even make a sound. They carried him to the bed and laid him on it, before turning and nodding at Shay, who returned the gesture.

I apologize, Shay. I could feel his distress, so I’m trying to help him sleep. After soaking in the tub for a bit, he relaxed and his mind was easier to reach. I knew you couldn’t lift him yourself, so I asked Martin and Borne to come help.

Thank you, Patrice. I’ll make him comfortable, then go back to ? —

No. Please, as a favor to me, stay with him. He needs the connection you share with him to stabilize the anger that’s eating him up. He couldn’t protect Ranna, couldn’t stop the young man who forced him to ingest blood, and all he thought about was how angry you would be. Your touch will do him far more good than sleep, but in conjunction? They might pull off a miracle.

As a favor to her? And she knew about his connection to Diego? Whatever. Shay would never turn down the opportunity to spend the night in bed with Diego. He climbed in beside him before he covered them both. Then he turned and wrapped an arm around his waist. Diego whimpered and reached for Shay, pulling him close and clutching him tightly.

“Sleep, Diego. I’m here to protect you, and I won’t be going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry I betrayed you.”

“You didn’t. At all. You’re like me. You had your choices taken from you, and that’s not either of our faults.” He placed a gentle kiss on Diego’s lips. “Sleep now. ”

“I never thought I’d hear his name again,” he said softly, his voice cracking.

Shay knew who he meant. The bastard who’d torn his life apart. It wasn’t easy for Shay to separate himself from the knowledge that this Cristobal was back and seemed determined to ruin what Diego had built. He wanted to be the one to help Diego, to keep him tethered to the here and now, and not allow him to slip back into the past.

“Shay?”

So much for Patrice helping him sleep.

He stroked a hand over Diego’s chest, marveling in the dips and curves of his muscles. “What’s up?”

Diego gripped his hand tight. “Please, don’t leave me. I… I can’t do this without you.”

“Not going anywhere,” Shay promised. “Please sleep for me.”

A slight nod. “Okay, for you.”

It took a while, but eventually Diego’s breathing—or what passed for it—evened out and he grew quiet. Shay wrapped around him and held on, much like Diego had done for him when he’d been stuck in that damned nightmare about Mick. He hoped his warmth and closeness would allow Diego to get some rest.

He wasn’t sure how long they’d slept, but Shay had to get breakfast started. He sat up and turned to look at the bedside clock. Diego was gone, and that bothered Shay for some reason. He got out of bed and slipped into the clothes he’d worn last night, then made his way down to the kitchen.

“Good morning, Shay,” Borne said, as he whisked a bowl full of eggs.

“Hey, Shay,” Martin called out, as he held a pan on his hand, his elemental fire heating it.

“What are you doing?” Shay asked, confused as to why they were cooking. “I thought you guys were going to be sleeping until dinner.”

“Diego woke us up, told us to get our asses down to the kitchen and show our appreciation for you always taking care of us.”

“And where’s Diego? ”

“Getting Jeremy ready, and then they’ll come down and eat. And before you think he didn’t help, there is a platter of pancakes in the oven keeping warm. He actually had a jump on everything before we got down.” He smirked. “I don’t know what you did to him, but can you keep this Diego around? When he came into my room, he actually smiled at me, and that bastard hardly ever smiles.”

So, it seemed as though Diego was feeling better.

Patrice?

Good morning, Shay. I hope you slept well.

Like a baby. What the hell is going on here?

Her soft laugh was reminiscent of the tiny silver bell she’d worn on her ankle when Shay had first met her.

Diego contacted me this morning and said thank you for helping him sleep. I told him most of the credit went to you. If only I could explain the impact you have on this household.

But he didn’t. He only did his job.

You do so much more. You brought everyone here closer together, making them a family instead of a group of people. As I told you, your former bosses said you could excel if you found something you were passionate about. And now, it seems, you finally have.

He had. Being in this house? Living with these people? Working side by side with them? Shay could only imagine a life like this when he was younger. How he’d dreamed of a family like this, and now? He had it and never wanted to give it up.

“Good morning, Shay,” Diego chirped as he entered the room, Jeremy in his arms. As soon as Jeremy saw Shay, he wriggled to get down, then rushed over and hugged Shay’s waist. It actually kind of hurt, because as a shifter, he was pretty damn strong.

“Morning, Jeremy. Are you hungry?”

“Yes! What did you make?”

He smiled and patted Jeremy’s head. “I didn’t. Borne and Martin made some, and Diego made the rest.”

Jeremy’s head swiveled around. “ You cooked?” Then back to Shay. “Be careful. He doesn’t make very good food. You might be better off eating rocks. ”

“Hey!” Diego barked. “Maybe wood chips, but not rocks. Easier to digest and the fiber content is through the roof. And don’t worry, Patrice helped me, so they’re guaranteed to be edible. Well, mostly guaranteed.”

Shay extricated himself from Jeremy’s grip and went to Diego. “Can we talk?” he whispered.

“Of course.” He headed for the great room, then turned and leveled a gaze at everyone. “Shay needs a word, so hurry up and get breakfast ready so he can eat.”

“Yes, sir,” Martin and Borne muttered, but didn’t stop working.

As soon as they were in the great room, Diego tugged Shay to him and gave him a deep kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled. “Good morning.”

“Why are you so weird?”

“It’s a great day. The sun is high in the sky, there are only a few clouds, the temperature is in the low seventies, and I talked with the hospital. Ranna’s family’s shaman made it in last night and cast his healing mojo on her, and this morning she was sitting up and eating enough for three people. She’ll still be on the disabled list for a while, but she’s okay.”

Shay bit his lip to keep from crying. He knew that on any mission, one or more of them might not make it home, but this was the closest he’d come to losing a friend since his arrival.

“Hey, she’s okay,” Diego muttered, pulling Shay in again and stroking the back of his head. “She’ll be home later today, so it’ll be up to you to ensure she doesn’t strain too much.”

Shay sniffled, but then did his best to laugh. “How am I supposed to keep a wendigo occupied?”

“She does love Monopoly. You, Ranna, and Jerm can play.”

“Did you know Jeremy told me I could call him Jerm too?”

A brilliant smile lit Diego’s face. “And you should. He loves it.”

“Okay, you’re kinda freaking me out. This can’t all be about Ranna.”

“I went to see Dr. Oliver, as you requested. Before I forget, he wants us to sit and talk with him. He thinks we might provide valuable insights into the truth about being blood-tied. Anyway, it seems the esteemed quack has an ancestor who had theories about blood-tied parties. You and your miracle come are credited with saving my life, ridding me of that awful vein, and restoring my vitality. There is a downside to it, though. In order for me to remain healthy, you’ll have to put out on a pretty regular basis.”

“Put out? Oh, no. Such a hardship,” Shay teased. “Anytime, anywhere.”

“Excellent. I had the guys make the food so you could help me eat before you had your breakfast.” He smirked. “I’ll give you a blow job to sweeten the deal.”

That sounded spectacular. Shay grabbed Diego’s hand and led him to the bedroom, where he was looking forward to seeing Diego bobbing up and down on his cock.

Yeah, he could totally get used to this.