2. Patrick

Chapter 2

Patrick

M y mother was determined to make my life miserable. My father left the only home I'd known almost a decade ago because it was what Mother wanted. I was twenty-six now and more than old enough to strike out on my own. Sadly, Father was much more powerful than I was, and he did as Mother asked.

"Patrick, you need to clean the tables," Mother said harshly. I nodded in acknowledgment. It was all I could do. I was stuck here and had nowhere to go. I could try to leave again, but Father always found me, and when he did, there was pain. So it was just easier to not try to escape. I'd tried to leave more than once, but magic hurt when it was forced into your body with the intent to inflict harm. With a task given, I grabbed a wet cloth from the washbasin. I was wringing it out when there was a voice I never thought to hear again behind me.

"Hello, Agnes. I can't say I'm happy to see you again," said the familiar voice. It couldn't be though. Master Edison wasn't here. He'd never found us, as far as I knew.

"Edison. You have no reason to be here. We've done nothing to warrant such a visit," Mother said. There was a true look of fear on her face. That was something I'd never seen, and I had to wonder why it was that she feared the created warlock. He and his family had never been anything but kind to me. And I knew that Father had learned a great deal from those in his coven.

"Oh, but I digress," Master Edison said. He gave Mother a smile that didn't reach his eyes before he looked directly at me. "Patrick, it is very good to see you again. Would you please go out front? Arthur and Wallace are there waiting, and they'll be most happy to see you." This time when he smiled, it reached his eyes, and they crinkled at the corners. Like always, Master Edison somehow put me at ease.

"Yes, Master Edison," I said. I didn't even think twice about the fact that he'd told me to do something and I simply followed instead of listening to what my mother had instructed me to do moments before. As I left the back room, my body started to feel funny, and I wasn't quite sure what was happening. I didn't really care though. I wanted away from Mother and Father. And Mary Elizabeth. I was not interested in marrying Mary Elizabeth. I felt nothing for her, and I did not like her family.

I quickly left the kitchen and headed out into the main room. As always, it stank, but there was nothing I could do about it. I did my best to wash myself every evening after I finally cleaned up the last of the filth in the tavern, but I was sure I wasn't doing much better than some of the patrons in the room. At least I had magic I could secretly use to help.

It wasn't too difficult to locate Wallace and Arthur. Wallace's red hair stood out, as well as his height. Even sitting, he was taller than most everyone else in the room—myself included, and I was tall. I was a warlock, after all.

My body tingled more and more as I approached the father-and-son pair, and when I reached their table, I made eye contact with the man of my teenage fantasies. Arthur Whitmore. He was out of my league, and there was no way I'd ever be blessed with someone as amazing as him. Fate wouldn't pair us as we were too unalike. He was from a created line, and I, well, wasn't. I was poor and always would be. He came from privilege, and that was something I would never know or understand.

"Patrick," Arthur whispered. I smiled, but I knew there was sadness in it. I'd spent years longing to hear my name on his lips and knew I'd never have what I wanted most. If he hadn't already, Arthur would someday find his forever person.

"Arthur. And Wallace. It's good to see you both. Mas—err, Edison said to come out here. That the two of you would be waiting." I glanced between them, wondering if they had more information than I did. I still wasn't quite sure what was going on, but I was more than happy to be away from my mother for the moment. One thing I did know: she wouldn't cause a scene in the tavern. She would instead take it out on me later tonight.

"Son, I believe you and Patrick have some things to discuss?" Wallace said. I looked to the tiger shifter before turning my attention to Arthur. I couldn't imagine what we had to discuss, but if he wanted to talk to me about something, I would listen.

"Yes. Very much so," Arthur said as he stood up, his eyes never leaving me. When he gestured for me to precede him, I started walking, sparing Wallace one last glance before I left with Arthur. I understood he would want to talk about whatever it was without an audience. We wouldn't be able to talk in private in a packed tavern.

I felt Arthur directly behind me all the way to the door. When we made it outside, I took in a deep breath of icy air that I knew would hurt my lungs. I didn't care though. I wanted to cleanse my nose of the stink from inside. But my thin tunic had me wishing for something much warmer.

"Do you have a coat?" Arthur asked. I felt his hand on my back, and that did funny things to me. Why was my body vibrating? Why did it become tingly in an arousing way when he touched me? Why was my cock thickening in my hose?

"I do not, no. We live above the tavern. I put on multiple layers when I need to go to the market." I had a coat at one point. I had been forced to watch it burn in the fireplace after being dragged back by my father the last time I'd tried to escape. Since then, I'd not been allowed more than a few changes of thin clothing that was better suited for summer.

I might have been mistaken, but I could have sworn that Arthur growled. He wrapped a hand around my upper arm and pulled me away from the front of the tavern. When we were halfway down the walkway, I was suddenly enveloped in warmth that I'd not felt while outside since my coat and warmer clothing had been taken from me.

"There. That should suffice until we get you home. We'll need to outfit you, but that's not exactly a hardship. Tell me, is there anything you need from your place? You said you lived upstairs."

I stared in Arthur's direction, but it was so dark I couldn't make out his features. "I have nothing I need, no. Am I not returning? I don't understand what's going on." There were a few mementos I had hidden under a floorboard, but with a thought, I'd be able to have them in my possession.

"Patrick. My beautiful Patrick. Do you not feel that? What's between us?"

Beautiful? His Patrick? His? Was he saying what I thought he was? No, it couldn't be. He was too good for me.

"Arthur?" I said hesitantly.

"Yes, Patrick. Come. We have much to discuss."

We had just left the walkway that connected the main road to our tavern when we were suddenly facing my father.

"Patrick. Your mother is quite upset. Back to the tavern with you. None of this nonsense now. Your union to Mary Elizabeth will be moved up to tomorrow."

I flinched beside Arthur, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that I moved a slight step closer to him, hoping to avoid the pain I knew my father was going to cause.

"Henry. I wish I could say it's good to see you, but I'd be lying if I did. If you will excuse us. Patrick will be returning to England with me," Arthur said as he placed an arm around my shoulders.

My father sneered, and I wondered at the cause. Why would he act in such a way toward Arthur? Master Edison had been nothing but welcoming when we lived there.

"Patrick will be marrying Mary Elizabeth. She will be able to give us many grandchildren, and it will finally give us the union we need for the tavern."

So that was it. Mary Elizabeth's parents owned the building, and my parents were using me as a bartering tool for what? Receive reduced rent? Free?

"Father, I don't want—" I flinched when I suddenly felt a slap. Even though Father was several feet away, I knew he'd used magic to inflict the blow.

"You'll regret that," Arthur said between clenched teeth as he pulled me behind him. "Patrick is mine, my One, and you cannot come between us. You of all people know you cannot come between fated mates."

I heard footsteps running down the narrow passage and was about to alert Arthur when I saw that it was Master Edison, followed closely by Wallace. A quick peek over Arthur's shoulder told me that my father saw who had joined us.

"Arthur, take Patrick home. Get him settled, and we'll see the two of you in about a week's time. If you need anything, let us know," Master Edison said.

Arthur reached his arm back and wrapped it around me, and then we were gone. We were…I wasn't quite sure.

"Where are we?" I asked. We were inside somewhere, but it was dark, and I couldn't see a thing.

"We're at my home," Arthur said.

Oh. "We're at the inn? In England?"

"On the grounds, yes. I no longer have a room in the main building though. I reside some distance back. Several of us have chosen to live in small homes around the property. The coven has grown since your family left us."

The room was suddenly illumined by several candles, and I got my first good look at the place. When we had lived here, we were all in the main building, and I shared two rooms with my parents. Arthur's place wasn't large, but it was just him, so how much room did he possibly need?

"Would you like a bath?" Arthur asked. I flinched. I knew I needed to bathe, but that was something that my parents only allowed monthly, unfortunately. I ducked my head, shame filling me. Of course he'd want me to wash away the stench from the day.

"Yes, please. The inn—which direction is it?"

"Forgive me, Patrick. That…I'm trying my best to do things properly. I only meant to ask if you'd wish to bathe. I myself would love to, as I've actually just come back from Spain earlier this evening before heading to Switzerland in search of you."

"Oh." How did one respond to that? "The answer is still yes. I'd love to get clean. Mother didn't allow for use of powers, and Father went along with her wishes. I've done my best to clean up as often as possible. And I did use my magic when I could." I decided it was probably best to stop talking while I was ahead. A glance at Arthur showed him smiling fondly at me.

"Well, here, magic is very welcome and encouraged. As are baths. We can bathe nightly if you wish. I have a large tub in the other room. Shall we?" Arthur asked while holding out his arm. Surely he didn't mean for us to bathe together. Did he? But…wait. He'd said I was his. I was his One. Did that mean…

"Arthur?"

"We'll discuss everything as we get clean. Then we'll see where things go from there, all right?"

I could only nod because teenage me seemed to be in control—the teenage me that had first found self-pleasure after seeing Arthur shirtless in the barn tending to the horses that were kept there. I followed Arthur to the other room and saw it was a bedroom. There was a comfortable-looking bed in one corner and a tall wardrobe against one wall, and on the other side of the room was a large tub that was filled with steaming, fragrant water.

I took a deeper whiff and smiled. "Lavender."

"Yes. It is quite calming, and I figured the more relaxed the both of us were, the better."

I couldn't take my eyes off Arthur as he started to undress. His warm outer coat came off first, leaving him in his doublet and hose.

"Not that I mind you watching, but the bath works better if we're both naked."

I stood there staring but nodded and got to work undressing. I unfastened the warm outer coat I'd been given and placed it on the chair with Arthur's. I had just removed my shoes and was working on my shirt when I happened to look up. I lost my breath.

Arthur was naked, and fates be, he was more stunning than I had imagined. And I'd imagined a lot.

"I'm pleased you like what you see, as we're going to be together for all of eternity."

Together? He'd mentioned that before.

"Do you understand what's happening, Patrick?" Arthur asked as he closed the distance between us. When he was standing next to me, my body went crazy.

"What is that?" I whispered.

"By that, you mean the vibrations?"

I nodded.

"That's your aura. It recognizes us as fated to be together. You're my One, Patrick, as I'm yours. That means you and I belong together, and if you so choose, we'll claim one another and then start our lives together."

Surely it wasn't that easy. This was Arthur. The coven master's son. The coven master who was the very first created warlock. The only created one, as far as any of us knew.

"Patrick?" Arthur reached out and placed a hand on my cheek. It worked because I was able to focus, and I saw something I never thought I would in Arthur's eyes: desire.

"I want that," I said quietly.

Arthur closed his eyes briefly before he opened them and focused on me. The intensity of his gaze was enough to have me shivering in anticipation.

I was given no warning before Arthur cupped my face with both of his hands, and then he lowered his lips the scant couple of inches that separated us. I gasped when the connection zapped us. I suddenly found myself pulled tight to Arthur's very naked and incredibly hard body. His arms wrapped tightly around me while his tongue sought out mine. I hesitantly returned the movement and was rewarded with a moan from the man in front of me.

His lips were softer than I imagined they would be, but when they pulled away from mine, I wanted to protest until they started moving down my cheek toward my neck. I closed my eyes and let my head fall backward, giving Arthur all of the room I could. He didn't disappoint.

My sexual experiences were very limited, and I'd never been with a man, but I was quickly realizing that Arthur was quite skilled when it came to lovemaking. The sudden surge of jealousy was something new, something I didn't quite know how to control.

"What just happened? You're buzzing with energy and not in a good way," Arthur said. He looked at me with concern, and I could only shake my head. There was no way I wanted to admit that I was feeling jealous about his past lovers. The man was over two hundred years old. I was twenty-six. He'd had a long time to live before I was even born.

"Nothing. I'll…I'll calm down," I said instead.

"I don't believe you. What's bothering you? The energy is dissipating, which tells me that you're calming down. Are you nervous about making love? We don't have to claim one another yet. We can wait until you're more comfortable with me. I apologize for pushing. I've been looking for you for quite some time though."

I shook my head. "That's not it. It's silly and therefore nothing. I want this. Us. I know a little about mates and Ones and how it works. Obviously, I know it's possible that one of us will get pregnant. Master Edison had you, I'm told. And George. And I remember Oliver being pregnant before we left. I think that might be one of the reasons why my parents wanted to leave."

"They've had yet another son since then. That makes eight for them," Arthur said and smiled fondly.

"That's a lot of children. I'd love some, but maybe not quite that many," I said absently. In reality, I'd take as many as I could get. And if Arthur was the person I would be raising them with, I couldn't wait.

"We'll have as many as we're blessed with. And if at any time you're finished having children, we'll stop. I won't push, Patrick."

"Do you know which of us will be…you know."

Arthur shook his head. "I figured we were headed in that direction just a few moments ago, but something changed your aura, and I wanted to find out what."

"It truly is nothing. You must be cold. How about that bath?" I said, hoping to redirect Arthur's attention to the steaming tub.

"All right. I'll let it slide for now. But I want no secrets between us. Understood?"

I nodded. Arthur seemed to accept that and took a step back. He continued to back up, and when he reached the tub, he sat on the side. My mouth went dry when he wrapped a hand around his cock and started slowly stroking it.

"Undress, Patrick. Show me what's been gifted to me."

I couldn't do anything but obey. I was already enchanted by my One.