The Power Of The Bite (3 page)

Swigging his bottle, feeling the harsh punch of the whiskey slide down his throat, Zane closed his eyes and hoped for sleep. If the Fates were willing he would wake up to another day of torment, another day of desperate thirst and another day of working with men who were suspicious of him even though they didn’t know why.

Or not.

Taking another mouthful of his potential sleep potion, Zane realized he was starting to pray for the “or not” option. Death had to be preferable to eternal damnation on earth.

Chapter Three

“You pulled me away from a guaranteed blow job,” Cole teased as Dax let him into his apartment.

“Probably the fifth one you’ve been offered today. Won’t be the last,” Dax replied as he led his friend to the living room, plonking himself down on his recliner.

“Fuck. That meeting with the old man really threw you. You look like shit.” Cole splayed himself across the large couch that dominated the small room. Dax’s apartment above the club was not really big enough for visitors. Dax kept his space private and out of all of his so-called friends, Cole was the only one he trusted in his personal space.

Dax gave Cole the finger, but then sat silently trying to work out what he could actually say. He trusted Cole like a brother…the man was set to become his second when he took up the Alpha spot. But the news he had to share could severely test the bonds of their friendship.

“My father has given me three months to sort out my club, find a mate and be prepared to claim him at a pack meeting at the end of February. He’s retiring and he wants me to take over as Alpha,” he said finally. To his credit Cole took what he had to say seriously, if the huge sigh the man let out was any indication.

“Fuck man, that’s going to totally cramp your style. Still,” Cole added with his trademark smile that had many a man dropping to his knees, “It’s not as though you haven’t had your share of ass. You just gotta find one you can put up with for life and you’ve got three whole months to test drive as many as possible. Once the word gets out, you’ll have men dropping their pants like flies around you.”

“I can’t do it,” Dax said, watching how his fingers were twisting around each other. He couldn’t look at Cole. Normally it wouldn’t be a hardship. Cole was almost as big as he was, his handsome tanned face was open and friendly at the best of times, and Dax knew that his friend was the perfect man to have watching his back. They’d grown up together, and even shared partners a time or two. Cole was well aware of how he had been brought up. Unfortunately that knowledge didn’t stop any misunderstandings between them.

“It won’t be that bad,” Cole said, confirming Dax’s suspicion that his friend would get the wrong idea. “You’ve always known you were going to be Alpha someday. Just find a biddable mate who will suck your dick on command, and everything will be fine. It’s not as though you can’t come to the club sometimes. You’ll still own it.”

“I can’t claim a mate in front of the pack. I already have a mate.”  Dax couldn’t resist looking up at his friend then…yep, Cole’s mouth was wide open in shock. But to Cole’s credit, the man recovered quickly.

“You can’t have claimed him properly, or you wouldn’t let him out of your sight. You’re an Alpha wolf and being possessive comes with the territory. So no probs, your Dad did say he didn’t care who you mated so long as you claimed someone. I take it you don’t think this guy is Alpha Mate material, and so what? Tell them the truth, and tell them you have to find someone a bit more suitable for your new position. He’ll understand, whoever he is. I mean your bonded clearly isn’t suitable or you wouldn’t be sitting there looking like a piece of crap.”

“I didn’t bond with someone, I claimed my true mate.” Watching Cole’s face go from surprise, to shock, to furrowed brow as he tried to work out what Dax wasn’t saying would have been funny if the situation Dax was in wasn’t so serious.

“I…er…I don’t understand. If you’ve already claimed your true mate then where the hell is he, or she, and why the hell didn’t I know about it? And more importantly why the hell can’t you introduce your true mate to your old man? He’d be thrilled. True mates leading his pack – that’s his dream.”

“My true mate is a vampire.”

Cole shook his head vehemently at that. “No, he can’t be. The Fates wouldn’t do that to you. Fuck, tell me your mate is at least male?”

Dax nodded.

Cole got up and started pacing the floor, his taut body reflecting his agitation.

“What were the Fates thinking?” Cole yelled to the ceiling. “Shifters and bloodsuckers don’t get on. They never have. Everyone knows a true mate comes from the same species.”

He rounded on Dax, his face fierce. “It’s got to be a trick. This vamp is up to something. A way to undermine the pack maybe. There’s no way the Fates would pair you with a bloodsucker. Who is he? I’ll fucking get to him and sort him out. He’ll tell the freaking truth, or die for his lies and the trouble he’s trying to cause.”

“You won’t touch him,” Dax roared, jumping to his feet and standing over his friend. He knew his wolf was flashing in his eyes and his teeth had dropped. Fur was sprouting all over his arms and chest and he was in danger of attacking his best friend. To his credit, Cole immediately backed down, collapsing on the couch, his head down, his neck exposed and his whole pose submissive to the extreme. The change from belligerence to pure submission could almost be funny, but it was enough for Dax to feel guilty, and that guilt was enough for him to pull his wolf back in. He had never challenged Cole before.

Dax sat back down in his chair, pulling in deep breaths until he was confident his wolf was under control. When his mouth felt normal again he said quietly, “Now do you see my problem? My father is never going to agree to this. I can’t become Alpha, father has no one else in his family line to take on the pack. It’s just a huge fucking mess with me in the middle of it.”

“This guy really is your mate?” Cole threw Dax a worried look. “Stupid question, of course he is. Not as though you’d go all Alpha on my ass for a hook up.” At least Cole didn’t seem too upset which was a positive, but it didn’t help Dax with his problem.

“This situation is killing my wolf, and Zane as well, having to stay apart like we do,” Dax admitted quietly. “The guy says he only needs to feed once a week, but he’s gotten thinner, his skin is damn near see through and he’s looking haggard.”

“Vampires should feed every day,” Cole said. “I’ve bonked a few in my time, okay,” he added defensively when Dax looked at him wondering how his shifter friend could know something like that. “Sounds like your mate is at least trying to solve your problems for you. I’m guessing he does know who you are and has an inkling of what will be expected of you. How the hell did you end up claiming him anyway and why did he let you? You both had to know it was a suicide match.”

“He didn’t have any choice.” Dax sighed as he stood up, heading for the small bar area he had in the back of the room. Reaching under the bar for the small fridge, he pulled out a couple of beers, twisting off the tops with practiced ease and walked back, passing one to Cole before he sat down again.

“By the time I actually got to meet with him all I could think about was fucking him,” he said.

“Yeah, well fucking him is one thing, keeping your teeth to yourself is another,” Cole said. Then he added, “Hang on a minute, did you say Zane? You’ve claimed the blond ice king?”

Dax’s eyes narrowed as he glared at his friend over the top of his bottle. “Why would you call him that?” Okay, it really wasn’t his fault his voice sounded so menacing. Cole should know better.

“It’s what everyone calls him, man. Get over yourself. New guy in town, isn’t available to anyone for anything.” Cole laughed. “I can guess why, now. No one goes near him anymore except those friends of his that he hangs around with. You can get fucking freezer burn in your balls from his glare.” Cole shuddered for effect and Dax snorted out a quick laugh, pleased to hear his mate was faithful – not that he had any choice in that either.  Like Dax, Zane’s sex life had shut down completely as soon as they bonded.

“Fuck, I have been such an asshole,” Dax whispered, as it suddenly hit him how he’d never taken care of Zane sexually in their weekly get-togethers. He got his rocks off, let the man take a few mouthfuls of blood, because that was what a mate was supposed to do, right? Provide sustenance. And then walked away every single time. His mother would have been so proud - not.

“Hey, don’t be so hard on yourself,” Cole said, getting the wrong end of the stick again. “This Zane of yours had to know you could never acknowledge him. The pack rules this town. You can’t be seen with him. He’s lucky you give him a night a week.”

“I don’t give him a night, fuck it all. I don’t give him anything. I hunt him out when my balls are so fucking hard they feel like they’re gonna burst. I shove my dick in him with so much force I know it has to hurt. I get my rocks off and then I leave hoping like hell no one has noticed my absence. What kind of an asshole does that make me?”

“Someone who’s looking out for himself.” Cole shrugged. “You let him feed I presume or the guy would be dead by now. That takes at least ten to twenty minutes, so he gets the whole holding experience then.  It’s not your fault if he doesn’t get off during that time. What more does he want?”

“Ten to twenty minutes?” Dax thought back to the last few times he’d seen Zane. The guy had only taken a couple of mouthfuls each time, if that, before saying he’d taken enough.  Dax had always been so concerned about getting caught, even though he had made sure to lock the bathroom or office door first, that he’d accepted it and then yep, fucking walked away. None of their encounters had lasted longer than ten minutes in total, if that.

“I’m killing my mate,” Dax whispered and then louder. “I’m killing my mate!”

“Hey, better you than your father, right? I mean if your vampire’s taking the easy way out and saving your ass at the same time, you should count yourself lucky. Come to think of it the last time I saw him he did look like death warmed over. But hey, if he’s dead before the full moon in February, you can still claim someone else as your mate and no one will be any the wiser.”

“He’s my mate, damn it. My true mate.”

Dax looked at his friend as though seeing him for the first time. Yes, Cole was a stunning looking man, who wouldn’t be with his long hair and muscles to die for? But could he honestly be that callous – that uncaring of another’s life? A mate – someone who was supposed to be the holy grail for all shifters?

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m thinking of the bigger picture here.” Cole defended himself when he saw Dax’s expression. “You know you shouldn’t have claimed a vampire, but you did it anyway. The best outcome for both of you would be for him to die, allowing you to take the Alpha position, just like your father wants, complete with some mate who won’t give you any grief. Zane just becomes some unfortunate memory.”

“What kind of person could do that to a mate blessed by the Fates?” Dax took another swig of his beer and set the half empty bottle down on the table.

“A man who wants to be Alpha of one of the largest packs around.” Cole honestly didn’t see anything wrong with what he was saying. He believed Zane’s death was the best thing for everyone. “A man who wants to save his own hide, and wants to keep from disappointing his father. A man who doesn’t want to be tarred with the disgust and anger that will come from others in the pack if they learn you have claimed a non-wolf. A man who will do anything, even give up his mate, if that’s what it takes to lead his pack.”

“Then I clearly don’t have what it takes to be an Alpha, because I am better than that,” Dax growled as he stood up and grabbed his keys out of his pocket.

“Hey, where the fuck do you think you’re going? We’re talking here. This problem isn’t going to sort itself out.”

“To do what I should have done in the first place.” Dax scowled back at his friend as he headed out the door. “Give my mate the common courtesy and allow him to claim me too. Something I should have done months ago.”

“You can’t do that. If you’re claimed too then it’ll kill you when he dies.” Cole’s face was almost white and his mouth flopped open like a fish.

“I don’t plan on letting my mate die, especially when it’s in my power to stop it. If being an Alpha means letting the one man given to me by the Fates kill himself to save me then I don’t want the position. Fuck you and the pack you belong to. I quit.”

Dax slammed open the door and hurried down the steps to his wagon, his wolf riding him hard. Yes, he’d been selfish and uncaring and basically a piece of shit as a mate.  But Zane was a living, breathing person probably with needs, dreams and wants of his own.  It was about time Dax started talking to the man instead of fucking him all the time. Difficult, but not impossible. Dax was determined to give this talking thing a damn good try. He just hoped he wasn’t too late.

Chapter Four

Zane groaned. There was an incessant pounding in his head, and for a moment he thought maybe he had drunk more than he intended. But as he shook his head, struggling to wake up, he realized, no, it was his front door that was shaking under somebody’s blows. A really big somebody who was going to knock the door off its hinges in another few minutes. Fuck it all. Why couldn’t his well-meaning friends just leave him alone for five minutes?

“Broz? If that’s you, fuck off you bastard. I’m trying to sleep here.” Zane pushed himself up off the couch as he yelled. If it was Broz, and honestly who else could it be at bumfuck o’clock, the bastard wasn’t about to let him get any rest until Zane opened the door. The man could be pushy like that.

Flicking the lock, Zane opened the door just as the person on the other side pushed on it, almost falling in the room. Fuck. Double Fuck. Just…Fuck!

“Dax. What the hell are you doing here?” Instinct had Zane sticking his head out the door, making sure no one had noticed his mate’s arrival. The streets were clear except for some big assed SUV parked right outside his house. Had to be Dax’s – freaking show off. Grabbing Dax’s arm, Zane pulled him inside, shutting the door firmly and flicking on the light.

Dax was shaking, his huge muscles tense, his jaw tightly clenched and his hands were huge ham fists at his side. Whatever was bothering his mate had him in a rage like nothing Zane had ever seen before. He lowered his voice, even though he wasn’t feeling a box of fluffy ducks himself.

“Dax,” he said quietly. “We had an agreement. I saw you three days ago. What the fuck are you doing here in my space?”

“Who the hell is Broz, and how come he’s the first one you think off when you open your fucking door?” Dax could barely get his words out he was so incensed and for some reason Zane had a huge urge to laugh. His little puppy was being all possessive. How cute. Not.

“Broz is my best friend, another vampire, someone I served in the military with and someone who is likely to take your head off your shoulders if he finds you here. Now what the fuck is going on?”

The fight drained out of Dax as quickly as it appeared. Without it, the wolf shifter looked like he always did – a huge, studly model of male perfection, especially in his tight suit pants and a white shirt that barely resisted tearing, stretched as it was across drool worthy muscles. Damn his mate was fine. The long hair – yeah Zane could admit it suited his mate’s looks although it wasn’t something he got off on.  But that handsome face with the square jaw, fine nose and those brilliant green eyes surrounded by tanned skin so unlike his own. Dax was carved by the Fates in his eyes and while Zane wanted nothing more than to…Gods, his mind burst with possibilities, Dax was in danger every minute that they spent together and that just wasn’t acceptable.

“Dax, sit down if you must but speak quickly okay, because you know damn well you shouldn’t be here. If your pack catches wind of it, you’ll be in danger.”

Dax grabbed hold of Zane’s arm and Zane kept his moan to himself, barely. Dragging him to the couch where Zane had fallen asleep, Dax tugged him down beside him, holding onto his arm as though Zane would get away. As if Zane had the strength. As it was he used the only energy he had left to stop himself from plunging his teeth into Dax’s jugular.

“You care about me,” Dax said, and Zane couldn’t work out why the man sounded so surprised. Surely he didn’t come round to talk about feelings and shit? Dax hadn’t showed him anything remotely like affection in the brief times they were together. But when it was all said and done it wasn’t in Zane to lie to his mate. He was responsible for his feelings, and he would own them honestly.

“Of course I do. You’re my mate. It’s my job to keep you safe, which is why I’m angry at your coming here. It was a really silly thing to do. Anyone could have seen you.”

“I didn’t think I cared for you.” Dax sounded almost like a child, but Zane was having trouble worrying about that as a shaft of pain tore through his heart at his mate’s callous words. He made to get up, wanting some distance from the annoying man, but Dax’s grip on his arm tightened, even though the wolf shifter wouldn’t look at him as he kept on speaking.

“I thought I didn’t care, and then Dad called me to the pack house, told me it was time to find a mate because I’m due to become Alpha in three months. And then I talked to Cole about you and he said, hey it didn’t matter because you hadn’t been feeding properly and you’d be dead by then anyway, so then I could bond with another wolf the way Dad wanted…and I…I.” Dax’s voice broke and Zane turned to see tears streaming down his handsome mate’s face. Without thinking Zane pulled the wolf shifter into his arms, holding Dax’s face to his chest. He still wasn’t sure what his mate was trying to achieve, but he couldn’t stand by coldly while Dax was so upset. It just wasn’t in him.

“Hey,” he said softly when Dax’s sobs finally subsided. “You’ll do what you have to do. I always knew we didn’t have a future together and I want you to have a happy life when I’m gone.” Every word Zane uttered was true. Dax was young and the claiming bite was unintentional – nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction to powerful hormones and the urge to mate. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible for a vampire to commit suicide, otherwise Zane would have done it before now and saved Dax the grief of having a mate he couldn’t be with.

“That’s why you’re starving yourself, isn’t it? Cole told me you’re supposed to feed every day.” Dax’s pout was an unusual look on the big man’s face. Zane didn’t see the point in lying because he knew his mate would smell it without smells from a bathroom to disguise it.

“Even though I never claimed you, my feeding is tied to you – I told you that at the start. You’re my fated mate – one sip of your life force and I was bound as though I had claimed you properly. Once a week feeding keeps me alive enough for the death to appear natural. I didn’t want anyone coming after you when I was gone.”

“Your friends? The ones you come to the club with?”

Zane nodded. Maybe Dax had been watching him more than he thought, and that idea filled him with a warmth he couldn’t describe. “Broz and I served together, we’ve been friends probably 50-60 years or more. The other four I don’t know as well – they were originally friends of his mate, Van. But they’re all good guys.” Zane laughed. “Broz broke in earlier and left blood bags in the fridge. He’s been doing it a lot lately. I hate having to pour it down the sink, but it’s no use to me and if I give it back…”

“It invites more questions than you want to answer, especially when it’s obvious from your face that you’re starving and need sustenance.” Dax’s voice was still quiet but at least the overwhelming sorrow was gone. The sexual tension between them was growing – it was automatic with a mated pair, but Zane didn’t want to cave into it this time. Not because he didn’t want Dax. He
always
wanted Dax. But this was his space, his home and Zane knew when Dax left, especially if he allowed for sex to happen, that he would be haunted by memories that would add yet another layer of hell to his typical day. Besides which they had never taken the time to talk to each other before. It was nice, even if the topic was a bit depressing.

“I’m glad you told me about your Dad and being Alpha. You’re going to make a great leader of the pack, I just know it. In light of what you’ve told me though, I think it would be best if I didn’t come to the club any more. You need to be looking for an Alpha Mate, and I’m…I just can’t watch that happen. I hope you understand.”

Zane didn’t mention that going to the club at all in the past three months had been hell enough as it was. He always looked out for Dax and the way his pack members fawned all over him, stroking him, flirting and trying to get his attention – it took a strong dose of self-control not to storm over and claim the man for himself in front of everyone.

“I already have a mate.” Oh darn. Now Dax was just being stubborn and while it was sweet and all, it wasn’t helping matters. Zane grabbed Dax firmly by both arms, forcing him to sit up properly. He stared at his mate intently, willing him to understand, knowing his eyes were bright red, but helpless to do anything about it.

“We can’t be together, you already told me that yourself. We’ve been freaking lucky that no one has cottoned onto the sex side of things as it is. Those wolves around you must have blocked noses or something if they couldn’t smell me on you every time we’ve hooked up.”

“I spill booze down me, or wear cologne.”

“Exactly my point. You hide our mating and for good reason.” Zane refused to give into the hurt he felt, knowing his wolf went to so much trouble to ensure that no one knew of their five minute hookups. He looked deeply into Dax’s brilliant eyes, seeing nothing but lust and a strong dose of determination.

“I want you to claim me, properly. I’m not giving you up.” Well fuck me with a feather, those were the last words Zane expected to hear out of Dax’s mouth.

“I can’t! You can’t!” This time Zane pushed Dax back and scrambled off the couch as fast as his aching limbs would take him. He lurched across the room and sank to the floor, leaning against the wall facing his mate. Damn, he wished his Dax’s blood didn’t sing to him the way it did. He was so hungry.

Dax made to come after him, but Zane put his hand up, shaking his head, thankful when Dax sat back down again.

“No Dax. If you let me claim you, your dreams of being Alpha will be dead. You’ll never be able to go near your family or pack again because they’ll smell me on you – no amount of cologne or booze will hide the change in your scent. My need to feed from you will increase tenfold…I won’t be able to control myself. I’ll be compelled to see you every day – I’d hunt you down if I had to, and nothing and nobody would be able to stop me. There’s no way we would be able to hide our relationship.”

“Do you honestly think I would let you die, just so I could be Alpha of my pack?”

Shit. Now that was a double edged question. If Zane said yes, then it would be an insult to his mate, and Zane didn’t want to do that. But if he said no, then he would be helping Dax make the point for being claimed.

“I think this whole situation has been really hard on you,” he said instead. “I know you never intended to claim me and now we’re both living with the consequences. But your wolf will get over me when I’m gone. One little mistake shouldn’t cost you something you’ve been preparing for your whole life.”

“I didn’t make a mistake.” Dax’s voice held threads of power that told Zane what an awesome Alpha he would be one day. But wait, what? Dax had told him, right at the start…Zane thought back to the night he was claimed.

Zane had been sitting with his friends, Broz and Van, Royce and Seb. They had been ribbing him about how he should try some wolf shifter ass, after he had sent off a couple of humans who had been trying to get his attention. He let their jokes and teasing wash over his head. He already knew who his true mate was and although they would never be together, he wasn’t going to insult Dax by hooking up with another at the man’s club. Not that Dax seemed to have the same set of morals, or a sense of what they were too each other.

When the bartender had come over, Zane was prepared to rebuff him too. The slim little cutie had been more than attentive during his visits and while Zane had been tempted, he was also aware that Nico was a wolf shifter, and therefore part of Dax’s pack. In other words, off limits. But the words whispered in his ear weren’t a coy proposition or an invite for something more than a drink.

“Mr. Portrain wants to see you in his office, Detective Macintosh.”

“His office?” Then Zane had kicked himself because now his friends were looking at him like he’d grown a second head.

“If you’ll follow me.” Nico didn’t look happy, Zane definitely wasn’t happy, and Broz and Royce looked like they wanted to kill someone. Zane shook his head when Broz went to get up.

“Probably police business,” he said quietly, not wanting any of them to draw attention to themselves. What was his addled brain of a mate thinking?

Zane followed Nico’s shapely little ass through the club and down a long hallway, passing a smirking Cole on the way. What did that idiot have to look so happy about? Yes, Zane had done his research when he learned the owner of the club was his mate, and he knew that Cole was Dax’s best friend and likely to become pack second when Dax took the Alpha position.

Fortunately Nico left him at the door, scurrying back to his duties throwing reproachful looks over his shoulder. Zane waited until the hallway was completely clear and then knocked loudly on the door, pulling on his professional persona. A facade that crumbled the moment he heard his mate’s voice for the first time. Who knew a growly “Enter” could translate down to his previously dormant cock as a command to sit up and take notice?

Flinging open the door, Zane made a point of keeping it open as he strode in glaring at his gorgeous mate. And damn the man was perfect in every way. From his tousled hair to the heat in his eyes.

“I’m Zane Macintosh, but you already know that,” he said quietly. “You do realize that our meeting like this is a really dumb idea, don’t you?”

“I don’t care. Close and lock the door.” Dax sounded like he couldn’t breathe and Zane felt a twinge of concern. Something was wrong with his mate, and he couldn’t help but want to fix it. He slowly turned and closed the door, hitting the lock so no one could enter. He didn’t get a chance to turn back towards the desk before the wolf was on him, teeth breaking the skin on his neck, his pants torn around his ankles and a cock the size of a ginormous eggplant pushing at his ass.