Gerome silently watched Sam from the kitchen. Sam’s nerves looked stretched to the breaking point. He drummed a nervous beat on the couch while he sipped his coffee. They couldn’t do a thing, absolutely nothing, other than wait, and the helplessness drove them slowly nuts.
By now, noon had arrived, but there was no sight of the man he was supposed to mate. Why were the kidnappers waiting so long? Why hadn’t they sent the man long ago? They could be done with it already and have Alex back.
The butler Dirk, a serious expression on his face, opened the door to the living room. “Sir, there is someone here for you. I brought him into the guest wing, as you ordered.”
“Thank you.” Finally! Gerome ran out the door, barely registering that Sam and two of the trackers followed him. Now they’d get to the bottom of things. He couldn’t hide his malicious grin. They finally had the upper hand against the kidnappers, although his heart beat like mad. He didn’t want to meet the man he was supposed to mate. Why couldn’t everyone just leave him alone?
Gerome carefully schooled his expression before he entered the guestroom. He couldn’t let anyone see how nervous he was. He had to pull this off. He was the prince. Strong. Hard. Ruthless.
He swallowed and opened the door. A small man stood inside and fear weighed heavily in the air.
The man in front of him had light brown hair and a young face. Dark eyes peeked up at him. “I’m Josh.”
Gerome, sniffing the air, nodded at him. He didn’t sense anything except Josh’s fear.
“Nice to meet you, Josh,” Sam said in a much too friendly tone. What the fuck was wrong with him? His partner was missing, and he greeted someone who could be a part of the kidnapping? Sam truly was too good for this world.
Gerome watched Josh and tried to find a clue as to how he and the blackmailing fit together, but he came up blank. He’d never seen the man, and he didn’t see how he could learn anything about Alex from the guy.
Time for an attack then. “So, you want to mate me?” he growled. Josh crumbled, an expression of absolute terror on his face. Very good.
“I—I suppose. Yes. I was told... I had to,” he murmured, blushing.
“Who told you? And you know they can’t force you?” Gerome tried to soften his voice, but he doubted he succeeded much. The not forcing part wasn’t true, but Josh didn’t have to know that. For now, he should believe he could get out of this.
“Nobody. I got a letter. And I’m not being forced.” Josh bent his head. Yeah, sounded totally like no one was forcing him. Gerome, giving the guy some space, stepped back. He’d interrogate him later. For now, though, he needed another opinion. “Anthony, can you please sniff him?”
The tracker, taking a deep breath, came forward. “I get a faint scent of him. But nothing else that would help us.”
“Okay, then. Let’s have some privacy, and we can do the ritual bonding. Afterward, we’ll go to my apartment and complete the mating.”
Gerome turned back to Josh. “I need to talk to my men first, then I’ll be back to you. I shouldn’t be more than a couple of minutes. Wait here for me.”
Just like last night, a pounding behind his temple started again. What the fuck had he done to make everyone want to mate him? He still didn’t have an answer, even though he’d asked the question a few times already.
They met in a small kitchen nearby, where Anthony could finally tell them what he’d gotten: traces of Allen, the butler, lingered on Josh, which meant he was somehow involved in the kidnapping. One of the most trusted persons in this house had betrayed him.
Gerome stopped himself just in time before he punched the wall, but he couldn’t keep his fangs in. “I fucking knew it. These assholes! They want me to mate a young human and blackmail us into doing what they want to give them power over the coven. It’s all beginning to make sense. Finding out who the traitor among my father’s men is shouldn’t be too hard. I’ll tell him to call a meeting to inform them I’ve mated. And I have only two butlers, which means I need to find Allen, who is off today. I doubt he’s at home if he’s involved in the kidnapping. But he’s got a shift tomorrow if I’m not mistaken. Good thing he didn’t see me with Luis yesterday. Otherwise, things would be much more complicated.”
He took a few deep breaths to get his fangs to recede. The betrayal hurt. These men had been with the coven for decades. Especially Allen. What the fuck was wrong with him to carry out such a scheme? He didn’t understand it, but there’d be hell to pay if he got his hands on the man.
But first, he forced his mind back to the matter at hand—dealing with Josh. He’d have to have sex with the man, let him believe they were truly mated. Then they could catch the kidnappers.
Gerome swallowed against the nausea rising in his stomach. For the second time in as many days, he was supposed to have sex with someone he didn’t know. Fuck.
Could he merely go and hide somewhere? If not for Alex and the baby, he’d do just that. But the kidnappers had chosen well when they’d gotten the father of his child. He’d do anything for him or her. Even mate.
“Okay, then, let’s go. And Lindsay, you and Sam stick close to each other. I will be occupied, and I don’t want anyone getting ideas about Sam. Until we know who else is involved in the kidnapping, I don’t trust anyone in my household.” It hurt to say this, but he had to be careful. Now more than ever. He didn’t trust anyone right now, and all of his staff remained under suspicion until proven innocent. The trackers were okay, they’d shown their loyalty plenty of times, and Gerome considered them friends. He didn’t have as much trust much where his father’s warriors were concerned. Maybe once he found the foul apple.
Before he could do anything else, though, he needed to “fake-mate” the man in the next room. Nausea rolled up in his gut, and Gerome swallowed hard—again. Would this ever lessen? He’d been sick over this for the past twenty-four hours, if not longer. Carefully, he schooled his features once more, putting on the mask of the cold, hard prince. He’d need it a bit longer until Josh believed they were mated.
They finished mapping out their plan. Sam would stick close to Lindsay while Anthony would inform the king of everything.
The trackers and Sam filed out of the room. Gerome followed a bit slower. Even these few seconds helped him to catch his breath and clear his mind. The pounding behind his left temple didn’t leave, though.
Okay, showtime. He opened the door and found Josh in the same position as before. “Let’s start.” Gerome smiled at the man.
Josh only nodded.
“I’ll speak the words of the binding, then we’ll go to my room. Give me your hand.”
Josh held up a shaking hand with long, slender fingers, and Gerome took it, clasping it loosely in his. “Ready?”
Again, Josh only nodded.
“With the magic of the old ones, I bind you to me for all time. In return, I pledge to bind myself to you,” Gerome murmured. He’d just come up with the words. If he had any luck, Josh wouldn’t realize that the spell wasn’t a real one.
He squeezed Josh’s hand and looked at him. “It’s done. Let’s go to my apartment.” He still didn’t know how to get out of having sex with Josh, but he’d find a way. Bottoming again wasn’t an option. He’d only done that for Luis so he wouldn’t have to fuck him. Maybe he and Josh could get each other off or something.
Josh followed him like a beaten dog to Gerome’s apartment. Even though his newest mate flinched every time Gerome touched him, there was no sign of fight or resistance in Josh. Whatever was used to pressure him into this mating, it was a very solid threat. Sam and Lindsay sat, talking quietly, at the table. Sam looked like shit, just the same as Gerome. This situation needed to be over soon. Right now, Sam kept it together fairly well, but he’d break at one point. They needed to find Alex before that.
Gerome led Josh into the guestroom and closed the door, throwing them into silence. Damn, he’d managed to fake enough lust to get it on with Luis so that they could complete the mating. He’d been sick to his stomach the whole time, but he managed to suppress it until Luis finished.
With Josh, everything in him resisted even getting close to the man. He couldn’t kiss him and let him believe he wanted it. Fucking was out of the question. But maybe... “Come over here. I want you to sit on my lap. I’m going to bite you and bind us together.”
“But don’t you have to have sex for that?”
Crap. “Um... no. In fact, because I’m a member of the royal family, a bite or sex will bind us. We can complete the mating with just a bite. Or would you rather have sex with me?”
Josh paled even more, even though he was as white as a sheet already. Did he even have a drop of blood in him?
“Bite is okay,” he squeaked.
Score. Just what Gerome had hoped he’d say. He settled back on the bed, and Josh followed him slowly. “Come here, sit down. I won’t bite... much.”
“Bad time for jokes,” Josh said, but eyes still downcast, he sat down on Gerome’s lap. Gerome wrapped him in his arms and breathed in his scent. He wasn’t seriously hungry, but he could drink, and Josh smelled good.
“It won’t hurt, and I’ve been told it’s a pleasurable feeling. Just close your eyes,” he whispered against Josh’s neck as he allowed his fangs to drop. He bit down, and the moment his fangs broke through the skin, Josh, moaning quietly, pressed against his lips.
Gerome drank slowly, careful not to take too much. He always stayed on the safe side. A single vampire couldn’t kill a human with their bite. They had too much blood, but if he didn’t stop in time, then Josh would feel dizzy for the next few days.
He finally ended, and Josh went limp in his arms. Sleep after a feeding was normal and had something to do with the hormones a vampire released into the bloodstream of the supplier. Maybe he should have asked him about his motives and his background before he bit him, but it was too late now. Gerome, while studying his youthful features, carefully lowered him to the mattress. At least, he could go on with his life when this was over. At this point, Gerome was pretty sure Josh had nothing to do with the kidnapping, and he would make sure the man was protected and safe after Alex was free.
He checked his phone. Nothing new. His eyes closing, he lay down next to Josh. The lack of sleep from last night caught up with him, and he would rest a bit as well. Maybe they would have news once he woke up again.