Chapter 5

Here was the last place he should be, but he had been unable to stay away. He didn't have long, but he'd asked Rand to cover him for an hour so he could deal with an issue. And that issue was his mate.

Alvin stared at him, then closed the front door in his face. Yeah, he supposed he deserved that. "Alvin, please open the door."

"Why? So you can remind me how we're not going to mate?"

"You deserve a reason why I said that."

Alvin opened the door, then walked away. Eli stepped inside and closed it, making sure it was locked. He walked into the living room and stopped. A three-seater sofa and chair took up the room, with a small TV set in one corner. Pictures hung on the wall, and one thing Eli noticed was there were no pictures of their parents. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but it wasn't his decision, so he remained silent.

Alvin sat on the chair and watched him as Eli sat on the sofa. "Explain to me why we can't mate."

"I had a mate."

"Had?" Alvin tilted his head, a small frown marring his features.

"I met her when I was young. She was a year younger than me. I knew the moment I saw her. I felt it." Elliot touched his chest. "Just like I knew when I saw you."

"Where is she?" Alvin asked quietly.

"She died. A car accident." Eli shrugged, remembering the day like it was yesterday. The panic, the fear, the terror. "She didn't survive. We buried her, and I thought that was it. I would never have a mate because mine had been taken from me."

"How old were you?"

"I was twelve when she died. I held her, watched her take her final breaths, feeling the warmth leave her body. It felt like part of me had died with her. I was expecting to live alone for the rest of my life, and then you appeared."

"We only have one mate. I don't understand."

"Neither do I, but here we are." Eli rubbed his hands together. "I'm not mate material. I left Morefield as soon as I was old enough, fought for our country, bled for her, too, and when I came home, I thought that would be it."

"But you're head of security here."

"I was asked to by Deacon." Eli shrugged. "I have the training and expertise. I was a SEAL."

Alvin's eyes widened. "You were? Wow! That's amazing."

"Not really. It is hard work, teamwork, putting your life at risk for your country. I wanted to do it. To be the best I could be. I had nothing else, you see."

"Because your mate had died." Alvin nodded and looked away, his finger rubbing his lips. "What about me?"

"I never expected you."

"But I'm here. I can feel who you are to me. I know you're my mate."

Eli stood. "I thought you deserved the right to know why we won't be seeing much of each other. There's no point when we won't be mates." Eli walked to the front door, then stopped when Alvin grabbed his arm. "Alvin…"

"Don't I get a say in this? You're denying me my mate, and I only get one. That's you. What about me? What about how I feel or what I want? Doesn't that matter?"

"Alvin. I can't give you what you want." He spoke softly, ensuring Alvin understood.

Alvin narrowed his eyes. "Don't speak to me like I'm a child. I stopped being one the day my parents left."

Eli gently removed Alvin's hand from his arm. "This isn't going to happen."

"Fine," he spat. "I guess that means I can find someone who does want me, right? You've got no rights to me, so you have no right to complain when you see me with someone else. Because I'm not going to live a lonely life like you. I'm young, and I'll find someone who makes me feel good." Eli hardened his jaw and grabbed Alvin when he turned away. Alvin pushed him off. "What? You don't like hearing that? Well, tough shit. You just told me we're not going to happen, so I'll find someone who does want me." Alvin pointed to the door. "Get out."

Eli ground his teeth together. The thought of another person touching his mate… No. It wasn't going to happen. No one had the right to put their hands on Alvin except him. "No."

"What did you just say? Did you tell me no to being mates and then no to me finding someone who actually wanted to fuck me? You know what? You can fuck off. I never want to see you again." Alvin pointed at the front door. "Get out."

Eli continued to glare at him, then muttered, "Fuck it." Grabbing Alvin by the shoulders, he yanked him close, then pressed their lips together in a hard, angry kiss. Alvin pushed at his shoulders, trying to turn his head away, but Eli wouldn't let him. His mate would know who he belonged to.

Slowly, Alvin's stiffness eased, and he moved into the kiss. His lips softened, and Eli licked across the seam, wanting in. Alvin opened up and Eli teased Alvin's tongue with his own, making Alvin moan softly. Eli moved them so Alvin's back was against the wall and pushed a leg between Alvin's. Hands on his mate's hips, Eli encouraged him to move, to rub against him. He could feel Alvin's erection, and his grip on Alvin's hips tightened.

The kiss deepened, then suddenly Alvin disappeared. "Get out." The words trembled in the silence of the room, and Eli stared at where Alvin stood, back hunched, arms wrapped around his waist.

"Alvin."

"I said get out."

Eli watched for another few seconds, then left. Before he shut the door, he ordered, "Lock the door."

Outside, he stopped and breathed hard, running a hand over his short hair. He'd lost control. For a brief second, he'd lost control and done something he swore he wouldn't. To make it worse, he wanted to again but knew he couldn't. Alvin was much better off without him, but the thought of someone else putting their hands or any other body part…

Jogging, Eli ran back to the nearest security building. The run did nothing to clear his mind. He could still taste Alvin on his tongue, still feel his firm body beneath his hands, and he wanted it again. But he wasn't mate material. Not now. Not after everything he'd been through, and he still had Beth to think about. His first mate. The one who should have been his only mate. Looked like fate had something else in mind for Eli, and he didn't want it.

He'd become used to living alone, used to being able to do what he wanted when he wanted, and Alvin came with extras. Even thinking that, Eli winced. It wasn't like Alvin had a choice, and if Eli had been in the same position, he would have done the exact same thing.

Reaching the security building, he slowed to a walk and went inside. Deac sat in front of the monitors, mug in hand. "Eli."

"Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"We're short, so here I am. I saw Rand earlier. Said you needed him to cover you for an hour or so. Get everything sorted?"

Instead of answering, Eli pulled his phone and told Rand he could leave and thanked him for covering. "I had to deal with something."

Deac watched him, his eyes intense. "Anything that will interfere here?"

"No. It's finished now."

Nodding, Deac went back to the monitors. "We've had nothing for a couple of days. I'm actually growing concerned." He chuckled softly. "Never thought I'd be concerned about not seeing one of those things."

"Interesting."

"What do you think?"

"I think they've pulled back because they're planning something." He watched the monitors, seeing nothing but the normal wildlife that lived around Morefield. "They're smart. They're waiting for the right moment."

"I thought the same thing but wanted your opinion." Deac sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "When will this be over?" he murmured.

"Soon."

Deac shot Eli a hard look. "What makes you say that?"

"They're bringing the big guns out." He stared at the monitor. "If everything was going their way, why would they have those creatures watching us? To test them?" He shook his head. "They've already tested them, and we both know how they've done that." Deac hissed in a breath. "Yeah. How many of us died to make sure they could kill? Too many and now they're here."

Deac looked at Eli sharply. "You think we're causing them damage?"

"We have a list of their locations. Possibly all their locations. We know about the hybrids, that they're creating their army. I don't think these creatures are the hybrids, but something else. Grunts that go in first."

"If these are grunts, then what the fuck will we be going up against? Speed like a cheetah, bite power of a Jaguar. Wolves work best in a pack, work and hunt in a pack. Take all that and put it together? Sprinkle in a little extra from other shifter species and you get a formidable army. An army that can take a hell of a lot of damage and keep going."

"So why these creatures now?"

"Maybe to watch us. Maybe to take us out. Why endanger your army over us when you can send them in? You can even risk them to kill us. They're expendable."

Eli straightened and headed to the door. "I have a few more hours left, then I'll get some sleep. Meet you later?"

"Yeah. I'm in until two. We can meet at lunch and go over everything. I still need to finish going through everything Indy sent over from their raid of that lab, the one where they found that scientist."

"And find a way to rescue our people. All seventeen thousand of them."

"Fuck. I can't even think about that, and we have that senator to deal with as well."

"I believe the vampire king is going to go after him."

Deac grinned viciously. "And he has the resources to do it."

"And the access. He is the king, after all." Eli headed to the door. "You're not doing a bad job."

"Wow! Just… wow. Elliot Young giving me praise. I'll have to tell Costas about this."

Eli left the building and followed the path that led to the woods. He would need to change forms soon, but he needed to think first. His mind went back to their kiss, a kiss that he'd initiated but had lost control of. Alvin. His mate had Eli hard in seconds, and Eli wasn't sure what to do about it. Under any other circumstance, he'd fuck and walk, but he couldn't do that with Alvin. He knew if he were to be with Alvin that way, he would bite and tie them together.

No, he would avoid Alvin from now on. He'd had his chance and lost it when Beth had died. He wasn't prepared for Alvin. Wasn't prepared for kids, so back to avoiding Alvin. He'd done it well for three years since his return, so he could do it again. He could ignore the pain that caused too. Alvin deserved someone who didn't need space, didn't need to feel the dirt beneath his paws when the memories, the dreams, became too much. How would Alvin feel to wake up to a cold, empty bed? That would happen more often than not. No, it was better this way.

Finding a hidey hole, Eli stripped and changed forms, shaking his fur free when the shift was complete. Lifting his head, he scented the air. The air was full of the sounds of life, a hare here, an owl there, and the wind flowing through the trees, the leaves rustling.

This was what he needed, and Eli ran.