For all the times and hell I’ve been through with Solomon, losing him would gut me. He’s a big part of my life. Someone who would lay his life on the line if it meant saving me or my mate. I’d do the same for him and his family. We’re more than brothers. More than two vampires who live next door to each other. We’re tight. We love each other with a fierceness and protectiveness like no other. Family is a huge part of our lives, whether it’s the one we’re born into or the one we create with those around us.
There are days when I want to strangle my brother. To cut off his air supply just to see him struggle. He gets under my skin that much. But I could never do permanent harm to him. For all his quirks, his need to be the center of attention and be unapologetically himself—which I do happen to love—he has a huge heart. He doesn’t always let on how much he cares, but I see it. I recognize that side of him.
Sienna and I make our way deeper into the center of the room. Paranormals are everywhere. Some are dancing. Some are in small groups talking. There are others who seem content to stand on the sidelines. Camden, one of the pack’s unmated males, appears like it’s his job to hold up the wall. He’s dressed in black tactical gear, with a sniper rifle over one shoulder. I wonder if it’s loaded. I do a quick scan of his mind and find out it’s not. He was worried one of the kids may try to grab it. Smart male.
There’s a lot to Camden I haven’t figured out. He keeps to himself a lot of times but doesn’t hesitate to jump in when things get out of hand. He’s a good male. He just needs to find his mate and let someone in.
A hand claps me on the back. I turn and find Keene standing beside me. He’s a bear shifter and alpha of the clan in the Avynwood Forest. His black hair is a ruffled mess. I glance down and see he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs. Keene isn’t a small male. Six and a half feet tall and a wall of muscle. Then I notice the small, dark brown, stuffed bear tucked under his arm.
I laugh. “That is so not what I’d expect you to wear.”
Keene smiles. He can be very serious, so I love seeing the lighter side of him. “I didn’t know what to wear. I figured I couldn’t go wrong with this.”
“It’s definitely something.”
Glancing over his shoulder, I find Dax, a member of Keene’s clan. He looks murderous and doesn’t appear to have dressed up. He’s wearing a pair of jeans that are ripped in one knee and a tight black T-shirt, which stretches across his chest to the point I can almost hear the fibers scream as they try to hold the shirt together. He’s as tall and muscular as Keene but has brown hair.
Instead of speaking out loud, I talk to Keene with my mind. No, he can’t respond that way since he doesn’t have the ability, but he can hear me. “Seems you have an angry bear shifter behind you.”
Keene nods.
“Are you going to do something about that? If I’m not mistaken, that male doesn’t like you walking around with such little clothing on.”
Keene smirks and his thoughts float to me.
“Oh, I get it.” I smile. “You did this on purpose. Have you finally realized who he is to you?”
He shrugs.
“You two are terrible. One touch and you’d know if you’re mates. I don’t understand why the hesitation.” I hold up my hand before he tries to say something he may not want Dax to hear. The room is filled with noise but paranormals have excellent hearing. It would be easy for Dax to pick up every word Keene says. “I don’t know his history, nor all of yours for that matter,” I state. “But I can tell you from experience, don’t wait. Don’t keep everything to yourself. I lost Sienna once. I made sure not to do it again. I also don’t need to give you the fate speech. You’ll end up where you’re meant to be. Since Dax came into your life, that’s been toward him. Work through your issues. For both of you.”
Keene nods again then does the last thing I expect and pulls me into a hug. I’m not a small male, but this bear shifter smothers me close to suffocation before he releases me.
“Thank you,” he mouths, then turns and walks in the opposite direction of Dax.
Dax doesn’t follow Keene, but if he could sever my head from my body in this moment, he would.
Then someone steps between us with their back to me. Someone who’s wearing a coat that looks just like my signature one.
“Knock it off,” I hear Sol say, low and deadly.
I walk to his side and glance over at my brother. He’s let his fangs descend with his eyes on Dax. Well, this is interesting.
Placing a hand on Sol’s arm, I say, “It’s fine, brother. He has just cause for the way he’s looking at me.”
Sol turns to me and searches my eyes. I let the block in my mind down so he can easily see everything that just happened with Keene and me. He faces Dax again and clucks his tongue. “While you may think this hatred of my brother is justified, remember he’s mated. And bear shifter or not, I’m stronger than you are. I heal faster. And I have way more life experience. You step wrongly toward Ford, and Avynwood Clan or not, I’ll end you.”
Dax narrows his eyes then nods before spinning and getting lost in the crowd.
4
Solomon
The nerve of this shifter thinking he can try something with my brother. Granted, he didn’t actually take a step toward him or anything, but I know a death glare when I see one. I’ve given them countless times over in my life.
I’m about to talk to Ford when a scream wrenches through the air. The entire room seems to turn toward the doorway where Fiona stands in a barely-there costume with blood covering her hands and tears streaming down her cheeks.
Aries pushes through the crowd to get to her. “Fi, what happened?”
“Eaton, he-he… Someone hurt him.”
I rub my hands together. Finally, the real entertainment has begun. I love a good staged mystery. It’s perfect for Halloween.
Ariane is the next one to get to Fiona. “You’re not lying,” she says with a cock of her head.
“No!” Fiona cries. “Why would I make something like this up?”
“It’s Halloween and scary stuff is fun to do.”
“My mate is out in the hall shifting to heal!” she yells. “I wouldn’t do this for entertainment!”
With a quick focus on Ari, I scan her mind then Fiona’s. There’s nothing there but stark fear and the vision of Fiona’s mate on the ground with a chunk torn out of his leg and abdomen. That’s not something you can pretend. Now I also realize they’re dressed as Tarzan and Jane.
Aries rushes from the room and goes in search of Eaton. I make my way through the crowd, most of who try to get to Fiona, while the others go in search of Eaton. He’s a wolf shifter and can heal from almost anything with a few shifts or more, depending on how quickly everything mends together.
Ford is hot on my heels as I enter the hallway and follow a few of the pack to the left. It’s there we find a massive, light grey wolf standing on all fours. He shakes his entire body then raises his lips in a snarl.
“Eaton,” Aries says in a low, commanding tone. “I can’t talk to you like this. Shift.”