CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

He reclined the passenger seat and got Eric as comfortable as possible before buckling him in and getting into the driver"s seat. His beloved was wet and cold and injured, and it was making him crazy. He wanted to kill those two wolves and heal his beloved, but all he could do was get him home and try to comfort him.

His happiness over finding his Fated love was overshadowed by the fact he did not recognize him in the bar when they were standing side by side. Those stupid fucking wolves had covered him in scent, masking who he really was to Kannan. He could have prevented every bit of this had he known.

The familiarity and ease he felt with this man made sense now. The universe was trying to tell him he was important, but he'd missed all the signs until, finally, the truth had to slap him in the face.

Kannan took several deep breaths and reached over and took Eric's hand. He was glad he knew his name, at least, although he didn't know his last name. He would get all that information once he had him back at the Imperial.

His phone rang, and he answered. "Did you need help? Are you coming back inside?" It was Gage.

"I followed those two shifters. They had their sights set on that small human."

"How did it turn out?" Gage laughed.

"I took care of the shifters, but they hurt the guy pretty badly. I'm taking him back to the Imperial."

"Why the Imperial? Just take him to the hospital and drop him off." Gage said rather dismissively but soon changed his tone.

"He's my beloved." That was all he had to say, and Gage was suddenly one hundred percent supportive of anything Kannan felt he had to do.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" He offered.

"He was sitting with a guy named Ron and another person besides the two wolf shifters. I think they were sitting a couple tables to your right." Kannan had some suspicions about Ron, but Gage was very skilled at getting information. "I"d appreciate it if you would find out what you can about him and their relationship. Try to do it without them knowing there was trouble. I think they might have set him up."

"Will do, and congratulations on finding your beloved."

"Thanks." They closed the call, and Kannan glanced over at his beloved laying there so small and vulnerable it broke his heart that he'd had to face those two brutes in the alley all by himself. He must have been so scared. He pushed the thick, wavy blonde hair out of Eric's face once again and ran his fingertips down his cheek and across his jaw. He was so beautiful.

He thought he was beautiful in the bar and had felt drawn to him from the moment he walked up and stood beside him. At the time, he figured it was simply an attraction, but now he knew it was Fate. The need to protect was strong, and when the shifters followed him out of the bar, Kannan had to follow as well, and he was damn glad that he had.

They pulled into the underground garage at the Imperial and parked. Master Hadden's driver, Ellis, ran up to the car and assisted him in getting Eric out of the seat and into his arms. It struck him then that Eric had not stirred, and he became increasingly worried.

"He'll be okay Kannan." Ellis told him in a tone that made him believe. "He's young and strong and he has you with him. He'll be okay." Kannan nodded appreciating his assurances but still feeling like he'd let his beloved down. "The doctor is waiting for you in your quarters."

"Thanks." He said and rushed for the elevators with his little love clutched in his arms. He stared at his sweet face and his heart skipped a beat realizing that his life was about to get larger and richer. He stood still and silent in the elevator and dropped a brief kiss to Eric's forehead as the doors of the elevator slid open and he stepped out onto his floor.

His quarters were just a few steps away, and he quickly entered, seeing that the doctor and several others were waiting at the door. He carried him to the main bedroom, laid him down on the bed, and stepped back as the medical personnel took over.

He was glad they accommodated him and did not insist he take Eric to the medical center in the basement. He could take better care of himself in his quarters, and he needed to keep the young human close, especially in his vulnerable condition. He stayed as close as possible but out of the way of those treating him.

"It's hard, I know." He was brought out of his concentration by the presence next to him. Master Hadden stood there with him and laid his hand on his shoulder for a few seconds giving him the strength and support he needed in this difficult moment. "Dr. Langley is highly regarded your beloved is in good hands."

"It was such a shock," Kannan stated, still feeling that he hadn't measured up as he should have during the crucial moments.

"It always is." The Master responded with a knowing smile. "Fate never makes it easy, but she always makes the work so worthwhile."

"His first name is Eric, but that is all I know about him." The doctor turned and spoke to him, drawing his attention.

"His name is Eric Bruce. He's twenty-two years old and lives in an apartment downtown." He handed Kannan Eric's wallet along with his watch and his phone. It bothered him to have so many touching his beloved, but he knew he had to deal with it.

"It will be over soon, and you will have your beloved to yourself. It's important that he be examined, and his injuries be treated." Master Hadden was holding him together and he seemed to know what he was feeling at every turn. He never knew a leader quite like Nikolas Hadden.

He was a good and caring man connected to his people as a Master should be. He found that every day he spent in this Coven made him glad that he'd answered the call. Not all masters and covens were like his birth coven in Boston.

"Take a week off to be with him and to bond. I wish I could give you more, but our situation makes it impossible, I'm sorry." The Master told him, and he sounded sincere in his regret.

"I appreciate any time that you can give me, sir," Kannan responded and kept his eyes on Eric. If only he'd known sooner, he could have prevented this.

"What ifs will get you nowhere." Master Hadden stated having read Kannan's thoughts. "You saved his life, and he is here with you now and that is all that is important. Keep him close and keep him safe."

"Yes, sir, I will." Kannan would protect him for the rest of his life.

Cal was angry. He was an old wolf, and he wasn't used to uppity vampires knocking him around and telling him what to do. That young human belonged to him. He made a deal with the friend, and that young man was to be his for the night. The vampire had no right to interfere. He'd agreed with Ron not to do permanent damage, but Eric was refusing to play along, so any injuries were his own fault.

"I’ll find Eric, and that young man will pay up," Cal told Rule, spatting on the ground and indicating his disdain for the man. "Instead of entertaining just you and me, he will entertain the pack." He laughed at the scene that came to mind.

"No human would survive that, especially not the way Decker deals with his lovers." Rule pointed out, but Cal didn't care. He wanted that human to pay for humiliating him with the vampire. Decker was their leader. He called himself Alpha, although they were simply a loose-knit group of wolves, barely a pack. But if he wanted to be called Alpha, no one challenged him.

Decker was brutal, and a human would never live through a night with him. Most paranormals avoided him unless they enjoyed getting messed up, and he definitely messed them up. He loved blood and pain. It got him off, and he didn't care how it affected anyone else.

"He won't kill him." Cal tried to assure us, but he knew it was likely. "He’ll just make him suffer a bit."

"That vampire is a Hadden soldier. Do you really want to piss off Master Hadden?" Rule was not on board for the revenge and was not interested in antagonizing the Coven.

"Hadden has bigger problems than us. He isn't going to worry about some human."

"So, what is your plan?"

"Let's talk to Ron."

Kannan stayed close to the bedside of his beloved throughout his examination making sure he was safe. The doctor posed no threat it was just an unbelievable level of protectiveness he was feeling toward this young man. When he was finished, the doctor had his assistant leave and he gave Kannan the rundown on his beloved's condition.

"He suffered a contusion to the left side of his head, but it doesn't appear to be too serious. Although he is unconscious, I believe a large part of that is due to panic and fear. His brain shut down rather than deal with the attack." The doctor was very sympathetic toward Eric rather than academic in his explanation, which Kannan appreciated.

"Will he wake soon?" Kannan didn't understand the effect of panic on the human psyche and wondered as to the time frame he could expect.

"Oh, yes most definitely but he will probably still be suffering from the fear he felt at the time he passed out so be prepared." He explained the situation a little further and Kannan felt he had a handle on what to expect.

"He has scrapes and bruises, but overall, he is in good shape and will recover fully."

"Thank you doctor." Kannan was so relieved he took a deep breath and let it out slowly allowing himself to calm down.

"You got to him in time, Kannan." The doctor said as if he knew that was Kannan's guilt. "They didn't have time to do him serious harm. You saved him." Kannan nodded, accepting the doctor"s words but not completely letting himself off the hook for not acting sooner.

"Let him rest, and he should be fine when he wakes." The doctor left, and Kannan sat down on the edge of the bed and simply stared at his beloved for nearly half an hour. The night had turned into more than he could have ever imagined, and his life was now forever changed. He felt a growing excitement for the life that lay ahead of them.

He wasn't one to sit around and think about the future or his beloved he took each day as it came. He thought about his own beloved when someone he knew found theirs, but he never considered that he would be human and would be so beautiful.

His blonde hair and smooth pale skin called to be touched, and he could not resist. He remembered from the bar that Eric's eyes were a deep, vibrant blue, and he wished his love would wake up so he could see them again. He ran his hand down Eric's arm and then across his chest.

There was warmth and strength beneath his touch his beloved was recovering. The doctor had removed his clothing down to his t-shirt and briefs. It was necessary to complete the examination, but Kannan wondered how he was going to explain that to Eric when he woke.

If he was still frightened, there may be little time to explain. He pulled the covers up to his neck and tucked them in. He laid his hand on his chest and kept it there, needing contact for his own sense of peace.

It was nearing morning when there came a knock at his door and since his door was not locked he waited for whoever it was to come in. A few seconds later, Gage came walking into the bedroom. He looked at Kannan and then at Eric and smiled.

"You lucky bastard." He said and smiled.

"Yes," Kannan responded with a grin. "He's gorgeous, isn't he?"

"He is gorgeous, and he was damn lucky that you were close by last night." His tone turned serious, and he took a seat on a chair by the window across from Kannan.

"What did you find out?"

"You were right about him being set up with the shifters." He began, and Kannan felt his anger tighten. "The one named Ron, the smaller of the two, arranged for the wolves to show your beloved Eric a good time. Apparently, he believed that Eric was too uptight and cautious and needed to let his hair down, so to speak."

"They fed him to those two beasts?" Kannan spat out the words, and Gage nodded.

"Michael told me that Ron has been a regular at the Ruby Light for several years and is friendly with a lot of the shifters."

"Does he know they’re shifters?" Kannan was surprised, and if he did, it put a much darker shadow on the entire situation.

"I don't know, but it is possible."

"What about the other one?"

"His name is Chester, and he's Eric's roommate and friend. They"ve known each other since high school. Ron is a new addition, and he started dating Chester a few months ago." Kannan's anger was growing with each new discovery. "I don't believe, based on the conversation I overheard, that Chester was a party to the setup. He seemed very uncomfortable with what Ron was doing."

"He didn't bother to help him." Kannan snapped.

"No, but he may not have known the level of danger that Cal and Rule presented." Gage tried to cut Chester some slack, but Kannan was not so inclined. Friends should look out for one another and not be a party to a setup.

"Did he bother to go look for him?"

"No, but he did make several calls trying to reach Eric." Just then, Eric's phone went off, and they both glanced over to the bedside table where it lay. Kannan picked it up and saw that it was Chester. He laid it back down.

"He deserves no peace." He said flatly. He turned his attention back to Gage.

"The wolves also frequent the Ruby Light for hookups. They don't usually choose humans, but they prefer the strength and resiliency of paranormals." Gage didn't elaborate further on that point, not wanting to upset Kannan any more than he already was, but it was too late for that. Kannan had plans for the wolves.

"I’ll speak with Kristof and see what he knows about those two and their affiliations," Kannan stated, but Gage was shaking his head.

"You stay with your beloved, and I’ll talk to Kristof. Eric needs you close, and I think you need to have him close. Don't let your anger over Ron and those two wolves overshadow the beauty of what is happening right before you." Gage indicated the sleeping man on the bed. "He is worth it all, Kannan. Make him comfortable and make your mark. He is yours . . . forever your Fated bond."

"Yes, thank you." Kannan knew he was right and that leaving his beloved now would be impossible and painful beyond measure. "Let me know what he has to say."

"I will, and I’ll also follow up on that Ron character with Cole. He does some creative work in the research and backgrounds department, so maybe he can tell us more." Gage stood and squeezed Kannan's shoulder before making his way toward the door.

"Keep your focus on Eric, he needs you more than anyone." He said as he left the apartment. It was good and sound advice, but Kannan would not forget those that harmed and betrayed his innocent beloved. Their time would come.