CHAPTER FOUR

M ichael contacted Saphir, a dragon knight he'd gotten to know during his time at the Mountain Lodge. Michael and his beloved Cole, an IT professional with the Coven, had served in both locations. The dragons had proven to be valuable allies in the fight against the infectious evil that had threatened the area.

"We have a couple people in the area east of the Lodge investigating an alarm that was tripped we haven't heard from them, and they should have reported by now." Josef explained their situation. "Are you aware of any issues in that location?"

"There's a wicked storm to the north that is probably interrupting service, but there are other matters as well." That caught Josef's attention, and he hoped it wasn't more magic.

"I hate to say it but there's a lingering essence of the evil that touched this area we have our mystics putting it down but it's a slow process." It was what he'd expected, but still it was disheartening. "We understand your Charmer did an excellent job in Pittsburgh and we thought perhaps he could visit the mountains."

"He and his beloved are out of town, but as soon as they return, he will come your way."

"Thanks, Josef, but in the meantime, we have a situation involving some shifters. We have encountered several mutants, disfigured shifters, and not just one species. Wolves, cougars, and foxes have been infected. We put them down, but there seems to be more, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of them tripped your alarm." Josef remembered the incident with the poisoning of shifters in DuCane's territory and recalled it being caused by poisoning. Those shifters were rendered mindless and vicious, stuck in a half shift and under the control of a madman.

"Were they poisoned or under a spell?"

"It all harkens back to the evil that took root in Pittsburgh I believe but I can't be sure. It presents as a disease, but the shifter is out of his mind with no way back putting them down is all we can do." Saphir said and then added. "Your guards have probably encountered one or more of these beasts. I'll send a man out to check the location of the Lodge and to the east."

"Thanks, that would be appreciated."

"Not a problem, and I look forward to meeting your Charmer."

Now it was time to speak with Master Hadden he'd put it off long enough. Josef loathed bringing him destressing news after the hell he'd been through. He picked up his phone and dialed. "Nik, can we meet it's important?"

Harley was at a loss for words, which was unusual, he tended to ramble and ramble especially when he was tense or nervous. Gage didn't seem to mind he was relaxed and laid back even in this mess he didn't look worried. Ashton was always telling him to shut up and Harley didn't take it personally it was just his way of joking. Gage wouldn't tell him to shut up he was certain of that although Dumas might.

"I work construction." That statement brought a look of surprise to both men and Harley assumed it was because he wasn't built like a construction worker. He was five foot seven, but he only weighed one-hundred and forty pounds, so he came off on the thin side. "I'm the tile man." He clarified. "Tile doesn't take a lot of muscle, but it takes a lot of skill."

He had plenty of muscle, though, and was able to mostly handle himself. He was nothing compared to Gage and Dumas, but he was pretty sure they didn't intend to beat him up. Gage was the embodiment of perfection, tall, dark, and handsome, with eyes that could see to his soul.

The things he would do to this man given the time and the opportunity. He dropped his head and took another sniff of Gage's amazing jacket, and it helped to calm his raging hormones for the moment. The sudden smile that graced Gage's lips took him by surprise, and he quickly looked away.

"How long are we going to stay here?" He needed to change the subject before he accidentally embarrassed himself.

"Come light Dumas will do a sweep of the immediate area. Depending upon what he finds we will decide our next move." Gage laid his hand on top of Harley's not asking for anything just comforting. It felt so good.

"We're a hell of a long way from anywhere with no vehicle." Harley voiced his fear and dropped his gaze to stare at their hands.

"We are very resourceful, Harley," Dumas spoke up. "I'm a hellhound, and there isn't much than come against me and survive. Gage is a very able-bodied vampire. To be a vampire guard with the Hadden Coven, your skills must be exemplary. I promise you we are more than up to the challenge, whatever it may entail."

"It's me, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" Gage asked, and his concern was evident.

"If you didn't have to take care of me, you would have fought your way out of here by now."

"I am glad that we were here for you Harley and we will do our level best to make sure you stay safe. We'll get out of here don't worry, like Dumas said, we're resourceful." He smiled and Harley felt the warmth of that gesture to his core. No one could smile like Gage. Harley could live on those smiles.

"I'm not worried." He lied and he knew everyone in the room knew it but still he doubled down. "Really I'm not worried. I trust you both I'm just sorry that I've made things harder."

"You're fine." Gage gave him a quick shoulder hug which ended much too quickly for Harley's liking. The man smelled like all of Harley's favorite things. There wasn't a description of it since it was more a feeling than a scent. As soon as the sun began to light the horizon Dumas left securing the doors behind him.

"Let's go up to the viewing platform on the third floor." Gage stood and extended his hand to Harley, who took it readily. Harley grabbed a couple protein bars and stuck them in his pocket.

"I'm glad you're here, Gage." He was sincere and had not yet released his hand. "I'd hate to be in this place all alone with those things out there."

"I'm glad to be here." He said and turned to look down at Harley with a look that was warm and tender. There was something intimate going on here Harley was sure of it. "Finding you was the highlight of my day sweetheart." The stare went on for a few seconds before Gage broke it off and they were on their way once again.

The viewing platform was huge jutted out from the building giving a one hundred eighty degree view of the forest below. Gage walked to the windows that were floor to ceiling and started scanning the area.

"Too bad you don't have a pair of binoculars," Harley commented as he stood beside him and tried to see anything but treetops and stone ridges.

"I can see well enough."

"Is it a vampire thing?"

Gage looked down at Harley and winked. "It's a vampire thing, baby." Harley thought he'd melt on the spot. Damn, he wished their circumstances weren't life or death, and they had a chance to actually relax and talk. Who was he kidding? If it weren't a life-or-death circumstance, Gage wouldn't be giving him a second look. He wouldn't have given him a first look.

He tried hard to shut down his appreciation for all things Gage, but it was near impossible. All he had to do was move and Harley felt a stirring in his soul. This was either a severe case of savior worship or he was having a mental breakdown neither being something he wanted to deal with.

"I'm attracted to you too, Harley," Gage stated, and Harley froze. The man had just read his mind. Gage never took his eyes off the forest but continued to speak to Harley. "Come here." He raised his hand, and Harley went without hesitation, and Gage put his arm around him, tucking him close to his side. Harley wasn't sure what was going on, but it felt like the right thing to do, so he went with it. If Gage wanted to hold him he wasn't going to deny himself.

"Can you see Dumas?" Harley needed to say something.

"No, he's on the other side of the building." Gage's arm tightened just a little, and Harley had never felt safer in his life. "Tell me about yourself, Harley." He was trying to get Harley's mind off the obvious situation, but he also seemed genuinely interested. "Tell me what it was that sent you into the woods all alone." Harley paused for a few minutes, deciding how best to explain himself.

"My friend Ashton that I told you about is getting married tomorrow or rather today." He corrected himself.

"The fox shifter."

"Yes, he's marrying a woman who is also a fox shifter, and he said that they're mates. Mates are something that is fated, and their destinies are written in the stars. It was very romantic." Harley paused when the memory of his hurt and humiliation came back to him briefly.

"You didn't wish to attend?"

"I was supposed to be his best man, but yesterday, he suddenly uninvited me from the event. He said his bride was uncomfortable having me there and that I was an outsider, a human that didn't belong there."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Gage was sympathetic. "That must have been difficult."

"It was, and it was such a shock because Ashton had never treated me like that, and neither had Ally, but as soon as the wedding shit started, she started changing. For some reason, she didn't like the relationship between Ashton and me. I don't know why Ashton is completely straight, and I was never interested in my best friend in that way." He stopped to take a breath, but he knew he was rambling again.

"Ashton and I are roommates, and Ally was there all the time. I didn't have a clue she saw me as an outsider. Ashton ended our friendship because Ally told him to, and I have to accept that." Damn, it was still too fresh, and he felt a few tears stinging his eyes. "I left the apartment and decided to go camping. I just needed to get away from them and be by myself. I figured I'd camp for the weekend and then head home on Monday. They would have moved out by then."

"Sounds like a reasonable idea." Gage was just humoring him, but it was nice all the same.

"No, a reasonable idea would have been to go to a nice hotel and have a pleasant and comfortable weekend. Instead of that, I ended up in a fucking race for my life." Harley shivered as memory of that beast came back to him.

"But you met me, and I think we have something here." Was he jesting or trying to make him feel better? Harley wanted something, but this was too good to be true.

"Yes, I met you and I agree I think we have something here." Harley decided to play along, and he was amply rewarded for his bravery. Harley was abruptly wrapped in up in strong arms pressed close to Gage's chest and his lips were taken in a kiss that sent his mind and emotions reeling.

The attraction and the magnetism were strong, and the kiss was much more than expected. The feelings rushing through him were charged like an electric current, and Harley could feel this fascination throughout his entire being. He'd been kissed before, but they all paled in the face of this perfect emotional onslaught.

Between the pressure and delicious massage of Gage's fingers and the amazing touch and taste of his lips, Harley was swooning and begging for it not to stop. He held onto Gage's waist, digging his fingers into the fabric of his shirt, intent on never letting go. This was unbelievable and over much too soon.

Gage did not release him but rather pulled him flush up against him and pressed his face into the curve of Harley's neck. He was feeling the need and desire to be as close as possible.

Harley felt the heat of Gage's breath fanning his flesh, and it was lovely. The overwhelming scent of lavender and orange caused him to close his eyes and just breathe, savoring the moment. "You smell so damn good." He voiced, his eyes still closed while taking deep breaths of the enticing aroma.

"I've never really noticed smells before unless they were awful. I just didn't pay attention to scents until I met you. You smell like lavender and orange, and it just soothes everything in me, and this jacket, my God, I love the smell of this jacket." He was rambling, so he took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I don't understand it, but I'm not complaining. Whatever it is that you're wearing is absolutely worth what you paid for it, no matter the price."

"You smell good, too." Gage pressed his face to Harley's hair and took a deep breath. "You smell of strawberries and roses, which are two of my favorite scents."

"I'm not wearing any cologne." Harley offered.

"It's your natural scent and only your beloved can smell it." He was about to tell him something important Harley could feel it in the air. He didn't understand the scent comment, but Gage was going to explain and then the outside world decided to intrude upon their sweet alone time.

"Fuck." Gage growled and released Harley, and moved closer to the window. He focused on the area just below them; it was the door they had entered last night. Several of the mutants, three to be exact, were pounding upon the door. It was solid, but their racket would draw others, and he needed to end it.

"I'm going downstairs, but I want you to stay here with the door locked and barricaded." Gage didn't want his beloved anywhere near those things. He stepped away from Harley, but Harley wasn't letting go.

"I saw them, and you can't go down there alone." Harley was upset, but Gage was not going to put him in danger.

"I can handle this sweetheart honestly I've battle much worse." Gage again tried to pull away, but Harley stopped him. "Please I have to do this, and you need to stay here. I can't focus if I'm worried about you." That seemed to get through and Harley released him.

"I'm so scared, Gage."

"I know you are, honey, but I promise you I'll be fine." Harley didn't respond, but he nodded and stepped back. Gage kissed him quickly on the lips and took off. He heard the door lock behind him and felt confident that Harley would do as he was asked. He should have known better.

He made it to the first floor in record time and headed for the door. It was still holding strong, but the noise was deafening. He checked the camera, and it was still just the three. Two were large like the one they'd killed, and the third was smaller but just as hideous and just as violent.

Gage went to the far end of the hall and exited by that door, intent on coming up on them from behind. He was armed and ready and easily took out the smaller beast with a quick headshot and then one to the heart. The other two turned on him and tried to rush him, not because they were working together but more like they both had the same idea independently.

There didn't appear to be any coordination to their actions but more of a monkey see monkey do response. He shot the next one catching him in the heart, but he kept coming although staggered as he moved. The other was on him quickly and Gage took a couple hits before taking him to ground and ending him with a single shot. He then sat up and turned to finish the last.

Before he could finish him, the door swung open, and Harley was standing there. "Get inside!" Gage shouted, and the one who was shot but still functioning lunged toward Harley. Gage thought his heart was going to stop as that thing grabbed hold of Harley's arm and dragged him outside and onto the ground. It raised his claws, and he took a razor-sharp swing at Harley as he lay, cowering and covering his face.

"Stay down!" Gage shouted again and shot the thing before its claws made contact with Harley's tender flesh. It dropped lifeless next to his beloved, who moved quickly out of the way. "Don't move." He told him, and for once, he complied. Harley looked freaked out, but he didn't faint, so that's progress.

Gage got up and put his gun away before walking over to Harley. "Now, go inside, lock the door, and stay there. Do not step outside. Do you understand me?" He got a vigorous nod, and he was satisfied with that. "Okay." He kissed him on the forehead and returned to the job at hand.

Gage took the bodies of the beasts and dragged them into the woods, and threw them into a ravine. He didn't want their remains to be too close to the Lodge for fear it would draw others. When he returned to the Lodge Harley was inside with the door locked. Gage entered and found his beloved standing there looking fearful and relieved.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen." He began. "I was watching through the camera, and I thought you needed help. I couldn't just stand here and watch you get hurt." He looked off to the side and took a deep breath. "I know it was a mistake and that my action simply made your job harder and for that I am sorry."

Gage walked over to him and, with a finger under his chin, lifted Harley's face up to his. "I know you only meant to help, and I appreciate your concern, but understand that we are in my world right now, the paranormal world, and you are not prepared to do battle here." Harley gave a barely perceptible nod, but his understanding was clear.

"Until you are out of here safely, you must promise me that you will do everything I tell you to do." He wasn't trying to disparage. He just wanted a firm agreement going forward.

"I promise to follow your every order." He said and then added with a sly grin. "While we're here in the forest. We'll have to renegotiate that later once we're safe." Gage grabbed him and pulled him in for a breathtaking squeeze and a hard kiss that left nothing to wonder about. Harley reciprocated with passion. The passion was energized by the adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

Gage wanted this man now and in every way. "How soon is Dumas going to be returning?" That little innocent question was laden with so many erotic expectations. Gage was loving his man for being everything he'd hoped for. Not a man to deny himself or his sweet beloved, he abruptly picked Harley up into his arms and headed into the back hall off the living area they'd been inhabiting.

The arousal coming off Harley was filling his heart and mind, and his vampire was surging to the surface to mark and claim his beloved. The power of the drive and the instinct to bond was overriding all of his attempts to calm the situation. There was no need to wait Harley was his and he was Harley's and that was all that really mattered in this moment. Details were for later.