Chapter One
Moe Jones stood on the wide wooden planks outside of his bar and watched as vampire after vampire streamed by carrying boxes that held his mate’s things up to the third-floor apartment.
His mate stood off to one side absently rubbing his hands up and down his arms in what Moe had come to identify as his nervous gesture.
He knew that his mate was still uneasy about moving in, but they had come a long way in the past month.
Rhys was the one who had told Moe that he was ready to move in and take his place beside him as his mate.
At first Moe had been ecstatic, but watching Rhys this morning gave him doubts.
Rhys was definitely pushing himself beyond his comfort zone in an effort to be a better mate.
Moe was worried that maybe they were moving things too quickly for him.
“He is doing much better,” a regal voice said to his left.
Moe quickly turned to where the vampire prince now stood. Moe was beginning to think that the prince liked scaring the hell out of him. “He’s still addicted to shifter blood,” Moe said quietly.
Gabriel stared at Rhys for a second longer, then turned his brilliant blue eyes to him. Moe could almost feel the weight of the ages pressing down on him when the prince looked at him like this.
“He may always be addicted. The Shifter Council has him on a probationary status. No other has ever fought their way back from madness after consuming Shifted Death. This may be something that you will have to live with for the rest of your lives. He may always experience mood swings and anxiety. It may always be a roller coaster with him. Are you prepared for that?”
“You don’t have to explain withdrawal symptoms to me.
All I’ve been doing for the past month has been reading about dealing with addiction, withdrawal and how to avoid relapses.
I will do whatever it takes, be whatever he needs to get him through this.
He is my miracle.” Moe couldn’t keep the emotion out of his voice.
Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe Fate knew what she was doing after all. I had my doubts at Christmas. But, he may need every ounce of your strength to overcome this.” Gabriel patted his shoulder lightly and let his hand drop.
“You know that Alpha Devon has been pressuring the Council to rule that Rhys is still a danger?”
Moe growled low under his breath. “Yes. Roman has been keeping me up to date.”
“Devon is saying that even though Rhys’s eyes have turned back to normal, his dependency on shifter blood makes him a liability.
So far, Fate’s direct intervention and the fact that he is now mated has been enough for the council to lean in our favor.
I just don’t trust that damn wolf or pathetic excuse for a lawyer. ” Gabriel’s voice got icy.
Moe could tell he was remembering the lawyer’s insistence that Rhys be “put down” on Christmas Eve.
“They will never get near him again,” Moe said firmly.
Gabriel looked to him and smiled faintly. “They would have to be suicidal to tangle with you, my large friend.”
Moe winked at the prince. Rhys’s raised voice caught Moe’s attention.
“Wait, Daniel, what’s in that box? That’s not mine,” Moe heard Rhys ask before he grabbed Daniel by the collar of his shirt.
“Nothing.”
“Daniel?” Rhys asked again.
“Okay, okay. I packed you some of my personal favorites from my ‘video’ collection. There is one in here that especially shows different positions when dealing with ‘big boys.’ I figure you may need all the help you can get.” Daniel smiled up at his friend.
Moe watched in fascination as Rhys’s eyes went from Daniel, to him, to the box, to Daniel, and back to him. Moe couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Put that box back in the truck.” Rhys grabbed at the box but Daniel nimbly danced out of the way.
“No way, they complement David’s moving-in present.”
Rhys stopped chasing Daniel. “What did he get me?”
“Triple XL butt plugs!” David yelled loudly from the third-story window, his voice carrying down the street, causing more than one midday shopper to turn and look at them.
Moe thought his poor mate would melt into a puddle on the worn, wooden planks.
“David! Daniel! What did I tell you about behaving yourselves?” Roman barked, raising his eyes from his clipboard.
“Bo-o-r-r-ring,” David sang, and disappeared from the window. Daniel took advantage of Rhys’s distraction and ran inside.
Rhys turned to Moe. “Are you sure you still want to mate with me? I’m all fucked up, and well, you can see how my family is.” Rhys pointed to where David was now spanking Daniel in the bar with a long double-ended dildo. There was a faintly amused expression on his mate’s face.
Moe was by his side in an instant. He pulled his mate into his arms and took advantage of his height to rub his chin over Rhys’s blond curls.
“You are not fucked up. You are recovering. I wouldn’t trade you for anyone.
Fate not only chose you just for me, she literally stepped in to make sure we could be together.
You are my miracle.” Moe tipped Rhys’s head back and slowly licked and nibbled his lips.
He could feel the moment Rhys relaxed his muscles.
Moe simply wrapped his arms around him tighter.
When Rhys opened his mouth and began to suck on his tongue Moe could feel his control start to slip.
“Tear that face up. Woot! Woot!”
Moe opened one eye to see David and Daniel begin to gyrate and thrust their hips at imaginary dance partners. Moe reluctantly pulled away. Rhys’s cheeks were pink and his lips swollen. Damn if his mate didn’t look thoroughly dazed.
“I told you.” Rhys’s eyes danced with mirth.
Moe could feel his heart expand. This was his mate. In the past month between bouts of anxiety, outbursts of frustration and pain, this was the man that kept shining through, with his kind eyes and ready smile.
“You forget, I volunteer with kindergartners. I can handle those two.” Moe brought Rhys’s hand up and kissed it gently.
“Okay guys.” Roman walked up flipping pages on his ever-present clipboard.
“Kurt just finished installing the walk-in freezer for Rhys’s blood storage.
The unit needs to maintain a temperature between thirty-three point eight degrees and forty-two point eight degrees Fahrenheit.
With this temperature range the blood can stay fresh between thirty-five and forty-two days, though I don’t think that will be a problem with everyone donating.
” Roman’s eyes softened when he looked at Rhys.
At first Moe was leery of the relationship between Roman and Rhys, but he had come to realize that they loved each other like brothers. He couldn’t deny his mate any relationship that gave him strength, especially now.
“Moe, we’re heading to the diner for lunch. Would you care to join is?” Gabriel asked as the vampires waved at them and walked toward the diner.
“Rhys?” Moe asked, unsure if his mate would be okay surrounded by shifters.
Rhys nodded “Being around shifters doesn’t bother me anymore. As long as no one is gushing blood I should be okay. It’s past time for me to rejoin the land of the living.”
“Great! I’ll see if Peyton wants anything.
Then, after lunch I can show you around your new home.
” Moe dropped a kiss on Rhys’s cheek and stepped inside the doorway.
He looked over to the bar to see his tweaky and slightly inept bartender washing his already clean glassware.
Shaking his head, he called out, “Peyton, Rhys and I are heading to the diner, do you want anything?”
Peyton looked up and then frowned as he thought before nodding. “Pie and coffee.”
Here we go.
“Just pie and coffee?” Moe asked.
“Yes, umm maybe, maybe a sandwich too?”
“So pie, coffee and a sandwich. What kind of sandwich?”
Peyton’s face started to get a panicked expression. “Umm turkey. No wait, ham.”
“Pie, coffee and a ham sandwich. Fries or chips?”
Peyton’s eyes began to bug out and he shifted nervously from foot to foot.
Moe had been working everyday with Peyton to get the small man to think for himself and to ask for what he wanted. Ordering a lunch would have been beyond him months ago. He was proud of his little buddy.
“Fries. No. Chips. Wait. Do they have meatloaf today?”
Moe nodded patiently and slowly. “I imagine they might.”
“Okay, a meatloaf lunch with mashed potatoes and extra gravy. With pie and coffee.” Peyton heaved a huge breath and then looked up at Moe, beaming. He was so proud of himself.
“You got it, buddy.” Moe turned and walked over to Rhys who was gazing at him with a soft, yet gentle look on his face. He reached out and took Moe’s hand as they walked to the diner.
“You’re really good with him. He’s overcome so much. His abuse went on for years. Mine was just a couple months.” Rhys sighed.
“You are both different people with different circumstances. He can handle more physical pain than anyone I’ve ever known, but when he arrived in Arkadia his mind and spirit were broken.
He never spoke up, never made any decisions for himself.
He is still afraid to leave the bar. So, in that respect you are much stronger. ” Moe ran his thumb over Rhys’s hand.
A slow smiled formed in his mate’s lips. “I can’t wait to get to know him better.”
“I think having you at the bar will be good for him. Get him to open up more.”
“Did you see his face when David and Daniel were goofing off?”
Moe let out a booming laugh. “That was more excitement than he’s had in a while. I hope they visit more with you here. If anyone can bring that kid out of his shell it would be those two.”
“I’ll let them know.”
Moe swung their hands back and forth. He couldn’t keep the goofy grin off his face if he tried. He had waited weeks to be with his mate like this.
“You’re excited just to be holding hands aren’t you?” Rhys asked, looking up at him.
“I’ve been alone for so long now, that this simple pleasure means a lot to me.”