CHAPTER TWO
There were three people standing around the bed, two of them were taking the man's clothes off. They were torn and dirty, and it made complete sense to change them out, but it felt wrong to Roman. They shouldn't be touching him so intimately; they had no right to be touching him.
"Get away from him," Roman shouted and quickly moved toward them. The two men instantly stopped and took a hurried step away from the bed. The unconscious man lay there bare-chested, and his pants hanging half off his body, and Roman was incensed.
"Back away." He told them and then added.
"Get out." He finally could not stand having them there, looking at this man.
Roman took the blanket and threw it over him and again started demanding that the men leave the room.
"Just get out of here." They looked confused by his aggressive behavior, but they left without comment, all except for Samuel.
He stood at the door observing Roman and obviously trying to figure out what had come over him.
"They were just dressing him in some nice linen loungewear, what was the problem?" He asked casually and stepped into the room, closing the door. If there were a real issue, he wanted to contain it to the one room.
“They shouldn’t have been touching him without his consent.” Roman knew it sounded insane, considering the guy was out cold, but it was all he could come up with quickly. He walked over to the side of the bed and tucked the blanket in around him so that nothing was visible apart from his face.
“Okay.” Samuel raised his hands. “You’re acting a little crazy here. What’s going on with you?” Roman stared at him for a second, trying to explain what he was feeling, but couldn't.
"I don't know Samuel. I just get the feeling that I should watch out for this guy, and having people around him was making me edgy and tense.” He watched as a smile spread over Samuel's lips in slow motion, like something had suddenly dawned on him.
Roman waited for an explanation but glanced down at the man in the bed to make sure he was still well and covered before returning his attention to Samuel.
“Take his hand and raise it to your face. Breath in his scent and tell me how it makes you feel.” Samuel moved to the other side of the bed and watched Roman slip the man’s hand out from under the blanket and raise it to his nose.
"Take a deep breath, Roman." He prompted, and Roman did as he asked.
The sudden flood of emotion that swamped him was unexpected and massive.
It filled his mind with a primal sense of possession and defense.
This man, Alex, was someone special to him.
Roman laughed and kissed the hand that he held before tucking it back under the blanket.
He then crouched down beside the bed and stared at the sleeping man, studying his features and marveling at what lay before him.
He then cocked his head to the side and looked over at Samuel.
“You knew?” He asked and barked another laugh. “I thought he was just a bum who got himself robbed. I didn’t think he deserved either my time or my attention. Turns out he owns both." Roman smiled.
“I’ll leave you and let you get acquainted with your beloved," Samuel said and shook his head. "There was a reason you decided to accompany me, and there it is." He gestured to the man on the bed. "I'll let them know you won't be returning and I'll cash you out."
“Thanks.” Roman continued to stare at the young stranger on the bed, still coming to terms with what he was looking at and just how this was going to change his life. Samuel left the room, and Roman pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and made himself comfortable.
After a few minutes, he pulled the blankets back and finished changing Alex into the comfortable linen pajamas.
His clothing was torn and dirty from lying in the alley.
A flash of something like shame washed over him at the memory of his not wanting to help the man.
Until Samuel had made the decision, Roman had been fine with leaving him to fend for himself.
He apologized to the sleeping man and sat back down.
His eyes would not leave him; he was obsessed with the need to notice and memorize everything about him.
His scent would always be with him as it filled the room and filled Roman’s consciousness.
It was a soft scent of roses and rain. It was strange that something so light would hit him so hard and mark him so deeply.
It was a scent he would recognize and respond to for the remainder of his existence.
There was a quick knock on the door, and then it swung open, and Drakon walked in, giving the man on the bed a steady gaze before training his eyes on Roman. "I'm told he is your beloved." He stated, and Roman gave an abrupt nod.
"Yes, sir, he is."
“Master Rose would like to extend to you the use of his penthouse at the Lakeside Hotel.” He reached into the pocket of his suit and handed him a key on a silver ring.
“Your man will find it more familiar and perhaps more comfortable waking up there. The Coven house can be strange and confining for humans in the beginning.”
“Thank you.” Roman took the key and held it for a moment before dropping it into his pants pocket.
"I'm happy for you, Roman, as is the Master. Good luck to you." It was his final word, and then he was gone, no advice apart from using the penthouse and no warnings, just good luck.
Roman was unsure of his ability to court a human or anyone, for that matter.
His life had been career-focused, and in the Rose Coven, that meant primarily violence and control.
It was an atmosphere he thrived in, and that said a lot about a man.
Would this human see him as a partner, or would he be scared off?
He needed to know more about his injured beloved. Nolan had dealt with the friends, so he gave him a call and asked him to come to the back bedroom. He arrived within minutes. It was a soft knock, not like Drakon’s commanding knock. Roman called to him to enter.
Nolan walked in and closed the door behind him softly, very softly.
He looked at the man on the bed and then up at Roman, who was now standing and regarding Nolan with a stare that burned.
"You dealt with the friends that came with him.
" He stated, and Nolan nodded. "Was there anything useful on the cameras?
" He added as an afterthought, and Nolan shook his head
“The cameras only got this man smoking by the wall and the backs of three men jumping him.
There were no discernible features." He took a deep breath and continued.
“I cleared the minds of his friends except for the man in the leather jacket. When I scanned his memories, I found that he had orchestrated the attack on this man.” He gestured toward Alex.
“He and two others jumped him in the alley. I didn’t clear his memories because I thought you may want to investigate further.”
“Do they work together?” Roman asked.
“They are all employees of the First National Bank on Lancaster Ave. Your man is a recent hire, a teller; the others have been there much longer." Nolan paused and then added. "The man who set him up is Jackson Freed; he's a loan officer at the same bank."
“Why?” The one word came out sharp and firm.
"Jealousy is all I picked up on. Your man is well-liked, a hard worker, and apparently Jackson saw him as competition." Nolan looked down at Alex once again. “Just petty bullshit.”
Roman felt his blood pressure rising at the information presented and knew what needed to be done. “Is he still here?”
"Yes, dark hair, black leather jacket, and western boots standing at the bar. The others have already left.”
“Stay with Alex until I return.”
“Yes, sir.” Nolan walked over to stand by the side of the bed.
Roman reached out and placed his palm on Alex’s forehead. The feel of his flesh, the warmth and life, moved and invigorated. “Watch him closely.” Nolan nodded.
Roman moved out into the main room searching for the one. The club was full of people together enjoying the evening, everyone looked pleased and satisfied, especially the man in the leather jacket standing at the bar.
He smiled and made conversation with the man next to him and with the bartender. He didn’t have a care in the world until Roman came up behind him and grabbed him by the back of his neck.
"What the fuck!" He yelled and tried to get away. "Let me go. What are you doing?" He looked around frantically, but no one cared, just as no one cared about Alex. He fought all the way out to the alley.
“Let me go.” He shouted and tried grabbing at Roman. “Why are you doing this? I don’t know you.”
Roman pulled him up onto his toes and faced him, letting his anger and rage bleed into his eyes and features.
The fear was instant. "Do you know Alex Stewart?
" The fear consumed him as understanding hit.
Roman slammed his face into the side of the dumpster, rendering him unconscious, and then tossed him to the ground.
He could wallow in the mud and the filth.
Roman went back inside feeling better that he’d dealt with one of his beloved’s attackers, but he still had others to deal with. He would find everyone responsible.
****
Alex lay in bed, taking deep breaths and trying to figure out where he was and how he'd gotten there.
He had little memory of the prior evening apart from going to the Blood Rose with Amy, Kate, Tristan, and Jackson.
He remembered entering the club and having a drink, but that was all he could recall.