Haven 1: Caution: Contents Under Pressure (3 page)

Finding his way easily to Raven’s room, Stavion smiled. He was getting better at this. Lifting his hand, he rapped on the door, unconcerned if he was waking the big vampire. To his relief, and a little surprise, the door opened almost immediately, and Raven stepped out into the hallway. He looked like he hadn’t slept all day, and Stavion wondered what burdened the Enforcer’s mind.

“You okay, man?”

Raven nodded curtly. “Yeah. I’m good. I hope to hell you have a plan, because I don’t know what to do about this.” The largest of the Enforcers, a smart-ass, and just as often a troublemaker, Raven secretly held a tender heart. Stavion knew it had to be bleeding after finding those men beneath the cabin. Part of him regretted that it was Raven to find them. The rest of him was just glad that he could count on the man. No one was better suited for the task at hand.

“We need to get a doctor in here to look them over and treat them if necessary. We also need some instruction. I don’t know what to feed them or how to take care of them. Hell, I don’t even know if one doctor can treat all of them.” Stavion paused in his frustrated ramble and shoved a hand through his thick, black hair. “Fuck! I’m not even sure what most of them are.”

Raven didn’t look quite as concerned. “Well, if they won’t tell us, we can call Cole. He’s got all the information on his computer. Willow’s friends were the only ones not classified.”

“That’s another thing.” Stavion sighed, debating how much to tell his friend. In the end, he decided to just spill it all. He could trust Raven, even if he might have to take some playful ribbing for a while.

“Jory is my mate.”

Raven nodded somberly. “I’m happy for you.”

“Yeah, well, he’s scared to death of me. I tried to talk to him last night, and he ended up under the bed, crying like I was going to whip him bloody or something.”

Raven winced and shook his head. “They’re scared of their own shadows, man. What Cyrus did was beyond cruel. I can’t imagine ever having to live like that.”

Forcing away the unpleasant thoughts, Stavion tried to get them back on task. “Okay, I’m going to call Blaise. Hopefully, he’ll have some insight, and I can get that list from Cole.”

“Ask if they’ll bring Willow.”

Stavion cocked an eyebrow in question. “What does Willow have to do with this?”

“He’s friends with Jory, right? I’m sure Jory would like to see a familiar face.” Raven shrugged. “Willow likes you. Hell, he likes everyone,” he added around a chuckle. “Maybe he can put in a good word for you.”

Stavion hadn’t thought of that, but he liked the idea. “Okay, I can do that.” He went silent, staring down at the floor and fisting his hands on his hips as he continued to think. “Maybe we can move Jory’s friends to the adjoining rooms. That way they have their own space but are close to each other.”

Raven slapped him on the shoulder as they started down the hallway. “Now, you’re thinking. We’ll figure this out, Stavion.”

“I hate being in charge.”

A deep chuckle echoed around the hall. “Stavion, you have led us for years. Being a coven leader isn’t really much different. It’s just on a slightly larger scale.”

Stavion didn’t say anything, but his friend had certainly given him something to think about. Maybe he’d been looking at the situation all wrong. It was true that he’d been in charge of the Enforcers for longer than he could remember. They were more of a team, though. While he had final say, he looked to them for advice and valued their opinions.

“Stop it,” came a soft voice from ahead of them.

Stavion looked up to find Malakai glaring at him. He was so relieved to see a look other than desolation that he didn’t even mind that Malakai was angry with him. “Stop what?”

“I overheard part of it, and I know you well enough to see where your head is at right now. You’re a good leader, and you can do this. These people have all been hurt. I’m not just talking about the captives you found yesterday. Cyrus Redway has destroyed this clan. It needs a special kind of leader to bring it back. I don’t know of anyone more perfect for the job.”

“Hey, squirt!” Raven ignored Malakai’s monologue and rushed over to lift him off his feet and swing him around in the air. “You finally decide to join the land of the living?”

Malakai laughed, the first joyful sound Stavion had heard from him in weeks. “Put me down, you big idiot!”

Raven swung him a few more times before depositing Malakai on his feet and ruffling his hair. “Don’t be such a stick-in-the-mud.
You’re the only one Stavion listens to, and he’s starting to get on my nerves.”

Looking over at Stavion, Malakai crossed his arms over his chest and arched his eyebrow. “Well, we can’t have that, can we?” Stavion grinned like a fool, happy to see his best friend in good spirits for a change. It was great, but they had things to do. He quickly gave Malakai a rundown of his plan, hoping the little vampire would have some insight.

“Any preter doctor should be able to treat them all. If I remember correctly, there are seven vampires, twelve shifters, three weres, and an elf. I think Blaise said eight hybrids, and of course, the four unknowns.”

Stavion beamed with pride. He wanted to snatch Malakai up and kiss him silly. “I knew there was a reason we kept you around.”

Malakai snorted and rolled his eyes. “Don’t kid yourself, Stavion. We only let you pretend you’re in charge.”

“Hey!” Stavion crossed his arms in indignation. “I thought you just said I was a good leader.”

“I did.” Malakai smirked at him. “You’re an excellent leader…because you have me to tell you what to do.”

They continued down the corridor, Stavion chuckling under his breath and filled with relief. Malakai had a point. While Stavion might have the qualities of a good leader, he knew he would be nothing without his friends at his side. A leader was only as good as the council he kept, and he had a damn fine group of advisors.

As they strolled along, Malakai kept up a constant flow of conversation, outlining exactly what they should do and how they should go about it.

It didn’t escape Stavion’s notice that Raven hung on Malakai’s every word. He’d seen the flicker of interest in the Enforcer’s eyes for years, but he just couldn’t imagine the two as a pair. Besides, Malakai had a mate now. It didn’t matter that Boston was too stubborn to claim the vampire—the mating bond was sacred.

Malakai would never want another.

“Have you ever met the Enforcer that Blaise assigned to the pack in Georgia?” Malakai asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Stavion thought it over for a minute and shook his head. “I’ve heard of him. Flynn Murphy is one of the best.” He assumed Malakai was concerned for Boston’s safety. “Your mate will be protected.” Malakai nodded slowly, his eyes taking on a glazed appearance.

“He’s Boston’s mate.”

There was a sharp intake of breath, and Stavion whipped his head to the side to see Raven staring at Malakai as though he’d grown a second head. “I thought Boston was your mate?”

Malakai shrugged. “Cole has two.” Stavion was pleased that Malakai and Cole had become good friends over the past months. “I don’t see why Boston can’t.”

“You know that means—”

Stavion elbowed Raven in the ribs and shook his head fractionally. Yeah, he knew that meant Malakai also had two mates, but he didn’t think his friend would want to hear that just then. If Flynn refused their mating as well, Malakai would be crushed.

Stavion didn’t know if the little vampire would bounce back the next time.

“Call the doc, and get Aslan, Kendall, and Galen moved to the rooms around Jory’s.” Stavion spoke briskly, hoping to distract Malakai from Raven’s half-spoken sentence. “I’ll get Blaise on the phone and see about having them bring Willow here.”

Raven nodded, hurrying away as he dug his cell phone from his pocket. Malakai nodded as well, turning back the way they came. “I’ll wake the others and get them moving. Everything will be fine, Stavion. We’ll figure this out.”

With a heavy sigh, Stavion pulled his own phone from his pocket and dialed. It was answered on the second ring, and before Blaise could even say anything, Stavion spoke. “I need your help.”

Jory was ecstatic. He had his friends with him, and though they were in different rooms, they were close enough that he could visit them whenever he wanted. A small door served as access to Kendall’s room, and from there he could visit Aslan and Galen as well.

“Can you believe this?” Kendall asked, bouncing on his mattress and looking around the room with a wide grin. “It’s so nice here, and we don’t have to clean anything. No one comes to visit us at night.” He paused and shuddered at little at that before continuing. “Everyone has been so great. They don’t even hit us!”

“And we can go anywhere we want!” Galen piped up with a giddy smile. “They even said we could have whatever we wanted to eat!”

“And have you seen the muscles on those guys?” Aslan asked.

“Yum!”

Jory sat in silence, listening to his friends as they gushed over how improved their lives were. He had to agree, but he still couldn’t help but feel that it was only a short reprieve. Eventually, the Enforcers would realize that Jory and his friends weren’t worth the effort, and they’d either go back to being slaves, or they’d be kicked out.

He’d never been on his own. His entire life—even before his parents had sold him—he’d had someone to tell him what to do, when to do it, and how it should be accomplished. He never made decisions for himself, and the prospect made him break out in hives. If he was sent away from the house, he wasn’t sure he knew what to do to take care of himself. His friends were in no better position.

“What if they don’t want us to stay here?” he asked, voicing his fear. “What if they’re just being nice until we’re better?”

“Raven said we could stay here as long as we want,” Kendall said defensively.

“But Raven isn’t in charge,” Jory argued. “Stavion is. What if he decides that we’re too much trouble?” He knew Stavion was his mate.

He just didn’t know what he wanted to do about it yet. If he continued to push Stavion away, the big vampire would eventually get tired of trying and move on. That was how it worked, right? Either put out or get out?

“I don’t think Stavion is like that,” Galen said, his voice soft and dreamy. “He’s not like Mistress Glenna. He’s really nice.” Jory bit down on his tongue to keep from growling. He had no right to his jealousy, but he couldn’t stop it. Stavion was his mate. He belonged to Jory. He didn’t like the way Galen’s eyes went all gooey when he talked about the man.

“Well, we’ve been here for a week.” Aslan stood and started pacing the carpet near the door. “They brought a doctor to look at us.

They bought us clothes. No one has said anything about us leaving.”

“Willow said we could trust them,” Kendall said softly, almost pleadingly. “I don’t want to leave, Jory. I like it here.” Jory held his hands up in surrender. “I never said we had to leave.

I just wanted you to be prepared in case it happens.” It had been nice to see his old friend, Willow. The elf looked happier than Jory had ever seen him. Willow told him again and again how great the Enforcers were. Told him he could trust Stavion. Jory wanted to believe it, but so many times he’d believed in something that just ended up getting him hurt.

He’d believed in his parents’ love and look where that had gotten him. He believed Mistress Glenna when she said he’d only have to do some of the household chores and nothing more. Then he’d been made one of the personal play toys of her two evil sons. He knew he wasn’t the only one. Willow had been through his fair share of abuse, mostly from Azeal. He wondered if Willow had the same scars as him. Or if Azeal and Remy had forced Willow to attend one of their full-moon parties. Though it would be nice to know he wasn’t alone, he prayed not. No one should have to go through something like that.

Therein was the problem with being mated to Stavion. If he was to accept it, he’d eventually have to tell his mate the truth. Stavion would see the scars littering his body. He’d probably be disgusted by them—especially when he found out how they came to be there.

God, it wasn’t fair! He hadn’t asked for any of those things to happen to him. Now, he had a real shot at a future with a gorgeous man that fate had picked just for him. It would never come to fruition if Stavion found out the truth, though. He’d kick Jory out on his ass so fast it would make his head spin. The best part? Jory wouldn’t blame him one bit for it. No one wanted a mate who was tainted as used goods.

“Jory?”

Kendall’s quiet voice penetrated the fog of self-loathing, and Jory blinked his eyes, focusing on his friend. “Sorry, honey. I was just thinking.” It was selfish to let his fears and weakness overflow onto the others. “You’re right. We’ll be safe here.” He had to believe it, because it was the only thing left to believe in.

“Jory? Jory where are you?” Stavion’s voice filtered through the door connecting Jory’s and Kendall’s rooms. He spoke quietly, but he sounded concerned.

Kendall, Galen, and Aslan all circled him, grinning like loons.

“Go get him, Jory,” Galen whispered. “He’s really hot.”

Jory growled at his friend. “He’s mine!”

Galen batted his lashes playfully and made kissy faces. “Well, you haven’t done anything about it. If you don’t want him, I’ll take him.”

Jory rolled his eyes and stomped toward the door. He would not be baited. Yeah, he wanted Stavion, but he wanted to protect himself as well. Stavion still scared the hell out of him. Not only because he was enormous, and Jory didn’t know him from Santa Claus, but because he made Jory feel things that he wasn’t sure he was supposed to feel. Stavion made him want things he couldn’t have.

And just who the hell said he couldn’t have them? His parents?

Mistress Glenna? Master Redway or his idiot sons?

Straightening his spine and squaring his shoulders, Jory marched through the door and into his room. The minute Stavion turned to look at him, his courage died a painful death. His shoulders sagged, his eyes turned down to look at his feet, and he curled in on himself.