Chapter Seven
Chapter Seven
“I’ll go murder them.” Zavian slipped from the bed, instantly dressing himself. Whoever was banging on the door had just seriously pissed him off. He still wasn’t sure how Hendrix was his mate, but he’d been enjoying a little cuddle time after some incredible sex.
Honestly, Zavian was surprised Hendrix had been willing to bottom. That took a lot of trust, and Zavian was deeply touched.
“ We’ll get it.” Hendrix stood then frowned. “What did you do with my clothes?”
Zavian raked his heated gaze over his mate’s gorgeous, well-honed body. Damn. The guy looked good in his dress shirts and slacks but even better with all those muscles on display. “Stay just like that. We’re nowhere near done,” he purred.
There were so many things Zavian wanted to do to Hendrix, some of which might be considered illegal.
He smirked at the exasperation on his mate’s face as he walked from the bedroom.
“Keep answering my door and people might start to think you live here,” Hendrix called out.
Those words caused Zavian’s steps to falter as an ache grew inside of him. A home. It was something he’d never had a need for, but now that Hendrix had planted the seed, the thought took root.
As he passed through the living room, a glint of silver on the bookshelf caught his eye. It was a picture frame, one he hadn’t noticed earlier. The photo inside showed Hendrix and another man, both in tuxedos, their smiles wide and genuine. They looked happy. In love.
Walking toward it, he brushed his fingers over the glass, his gaze focused on his mate.
Since Zavian couldn’t read Hendrix, he had no idea who the man was or what had happened to him. Divorced? Death?
A streak of jealousy shot through him. It wasn’t just because his mate had been married, but it was hard to miss the adoration in his chocolate-brown eyes as he gazed lovingly at the guy.
It was a look Zavian wanted directed at him. Secretly, he craved for someone to see him, to care deeply about him.
How many times had he heard someone cursing fate? He tried not to let it bother him, but it seriously pissed him off. It wasn’t his fault someone destroyed the path he’d put them on. Fuck you, too.
The banging grew louder, yanking him out of his thoughts. Zavian shook himself and strode to the door, his irritation flaring as he swung it open.
This could not be real.
“You son of a bitch! I felt your intense pleasure!” Melric shrieked, storming dramatically through the doorway like he’d been invited inside. He launched himself at Zavian, fists flying in an uncoordinated flurry before jerking back with a pained yelp. “How dare you! How could you do this to me, pookie?”
Zavian really hated that goddamn endearment.
Melric pounded weakly against Zavian’s chest, each blow followed by another exaggerated wince.
In an instant, Zavian’s hand was around Melric’s throat. “What in the fuck are you doing here?” His voice was a low growl, but the crushing pressure building in his own throat forced him to release the man almost immediately. “Aren’t you supposed to be in jail?”
“You think you can replace me like I’m some worn-out part?” Melric jabbed a finger at him, his eyes blazing. “I am going to make that bitch’s life hell!”
Snarling at the thought of anyone harming Hendrix, he grabbed Melric, remembering at the last second not to hurt him. “What I do or don’t do is none of your fucking business.”
The air shifted, heavy and electric, as Hendrix stepped into the room. His massive presence was like a physical force, making even Melric falter. Zavian released the guy, taking a step back.
“Since when do you screw men the size of a bear?” Melric flapped a hand toward Hendrix, clearly unimpressed by his towering frame. “Or have you started—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Zavian warned. He didn’t want what he and Hendrix just shared to be diminished by Melric’s foul mouth.
“You cheating asshole!” Melric slapped at him again, shouting in pain as he did. Zavian just stood there, refusing to strike back. Because if he did, he just might put himself into a coma.
“What the hell?” In one fluid motion, Hendrix shoved Melric against the wall with a force that made the man’s eyes widen in shock.
“Stop!” Zavian groaned as a sharp pain ripped through his chest, knocking him off balance. His knees hit the floor, the pressure making it impossible to breathe. “Don’t touch him!”
Melric smirked, clearly enjoying the chaos he’d caused. Zavian wanted to rip that smirk right off his face.
“One of your tarts shows up at my house, attacks you, and I’m just supposed to watch?” Hendrix ask incredulously, palming Melric’s face as he stared daggers at Zavian.
“He’s not one of my tarts,” he growled just as Melric bit down on Hendrix’s hand.
Oh shit. Zavian braced himself.
His mate backhanded Melric, sending him sliding across the floor, hitting the wall with a crash. Pain exploded in Zavian’s face, causing him to buckle.
“Hendrix, stop!” Zavian could barely get the words out. His face throbbed like it had just collided with a semi. “Anything you do to Melric I feel twice as hard.”
Which was why Zavian was constantly running from Melric instead of obliterating the pain in the ass.
His mate was reaching for Melric, but stilled, his eyes widening. “How is that possible?”
“Because…” Zavian groaned as he pushed to his feet, swaying slightly as the room spun. Hendrix’s backhand was no joke. “I made him immortal.” He closed his eyes, feeling like an idiot for a decision he would regret until the end of time.
“You what?”
“I didn’t realize it would tie us together. I thought I was in love… But I’ve spent centuries regretting it.” He opened his eyes.
“You bonded with him?” Hendrix appeared stunned, betrayal and hurt filling his eyes.
“What? No! Hell no.” Zavian felt nauseous at the thought. “I simply made him immortal. It was the first, and only , time I’ve ever done it.”
The silence stretched as Hendrix’s gaze flicked between them. Zavian didn’t need to read minds to know his mate was weighing his options. Glaring at Zavian, Hendrix shifted his grip from Melric’s face to his chest, his fingers twisting a nipple through the man’s shirt.
Zavian gasped as a sharp, stinging heat spread through his chest. “What are you—ugh! Stop that!”
Hendrix didn’t even flinch. “Good to know the connection works both ways,” he muttered, giving the nipple another firm twist.
“Seriously?” Zavian doubled over as a fresh wave of pain shot through him. “I’m going to kill you both,” he snarled.
Melric squawked indignantly, flailing against Hendrix’s grip. “This is abuse ! I’ll have you know my nipples are very sensitive!”
“You don’t say.” Hendrix’s tone was laced with fury as he gave the other nipple an experimental tweak.
“Stop!” Zavian roared, his chest burning as he stumbled forward. He shoved Hendrix’s hand away from Melric, glaring at them both. “I swear to the god, if either of you touches me again, I’m leaving you to deal with each other.”
His canines lengthening, Hendrix turned to Melric. “Get out of my house and don’t ever show your face around me again.”
The quiet menace in his tone was more chilling than any shout could ever be.
Melric backed away, but his eyes still held defiant. He glanced toward Zavian, opened his mouth to speak, then closed it before he walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Hendrix didn’t even look at Zavian as he walked out of the room.
He watched his mate go, the ache sharper than any pain Melric had caused. Zavian had expected fury, but the cold dismissal felt so much worse.
* * * *
The bedroom door slammed behind him with enough force to rattle the frame, but it didn’t dull the rage burning inside Hendrix. He paced the length of the bedroom, his thoughts a tangled mess of fury, jealousy, and the gut-wrenching ache of betrayal.
Immortal. Zavian had tied himself to Melric in a way that was supposed to be Hendrix’s alone. I didn’t realize it would tie us together. I thought I was in love… But I’ve spent centuries regretting it.
The words echoed in his mind, each one like a fresh punch to the gut. Hendrix shoved a hand through his hair, his fingers digging into his scalp as he fought to rein in his emotions.
How the hell was he supposed to deal with this?
His lion paced restlessly beneath his skin, a low growl rumbling in his throat. The possessiveness clawing at him was maddening, burning hotter with every second that passed. He wanted to storm back into the living room, grab Zavian, and demand answers until his mate had no choice but to explain. No choice but to make this right.
But what was there to fix?
The bond Zavian had with Melric wasn’t something he could undo by snapping his fingers. Hendrix knew that, but it didn’t make the hurt gnawing at him any easier to swallow. Zavian wasn’t just tied to Melric. He felt him. Every punch, every bite, every goddamn nipple twist. That thought alone made Hendrix’s blood boil. The connection—however unintentional—cut deeply.
That should’ve been mine.
He slammed a fist against the wall, the sharp pain grounding him. The rational part of him knew Zavian hadn’t done it on purpose. He’d said as much. But it didn’t matter. His mate shared a bond with someone else, and that knowledge twisted everything inside of him.
He raked a hand down his face, his steps slowing as he forced himself to breathe. The sound of footsteps in the hallway drew his attention. His gaze flicked toward the door, his jaw tightening as Zavian appeared in the entrance, his expression unreadable.
“What?” Hendrix barked.
Zavian crossed his arms, leaning casually against the frame, but there was tension in his shoulders, a crack in his otherwise flawless composure. “You’re clearly angry.”
He did not just say that.
Hendrix laughed bitterly. “Angry? That’s one word for it. Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”
Zavian’s brow furrowed, his gaze narrowing. “Tell you what?”
“Don’t you dare play dumb,” Hendrix snapped, taking a step forward. “You bonded with him.” The words tasted bitter as he spat them out like venom. “With Melric, and you didn’t think that was worth mentioning?”
Zavian stiffened, the faintest flicker of defensiveness crossing his features before his mask fell back into place. “I didn’t bond with him.” His tone was clipped. “It’s not like that.”
“Not like that?” Hendrix barked out a laugh. “Then what is it like, Zavian? Because from where I’m standing, it sure as hell looks like you’re connected to him in a way that should’ve been mine. Mine. ”
“I didn’t know that would happen.” Zavian dragged a hand through his hair, his usual confidence crumbling. “I told you. I was lonely. Thought I loved him. I didn’t know—”
“And that makes it okay?” Hendrix cut him off, his voice low and dangerous. “You tied yourself to that lunatic, and now I’m supposed to just… what? Accept it? Move on?”
“What was I supposed to do?” Zavian shot back, his own anger sparking to life. “I can’t kill him. I can’t undo what I did. Do you think I want to be tied to him? I’ve spent centuries trying to shake the psycho, but nothing’s worked.”
“Centuries,” Hendrix repeated. “Centuries of you and him, tied together. And now you expect me to just deal with it? To share you?”
“It’s not sharing,” Zavian growled, stepping closer. “ You’re my mate, Hendrix. He’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Hendrix scoffed. “He’s in your head. He’s in your life. And every time he gets hurt, I get to watch you fall apart because of it. Don’t tell me he’s nothing, Zavian. Not when he’s tied to you in ways I’ll never be.”
The silence that followed was deafening, the tension between them crackling like a live wire. Zavian’s fists clenched at his sides, his eyes blazing with anger and something else, something Hendrix couldn’t name.
“We only feel each other when we’re in close proximity,” he ground out. “Though, his proximity wouldn’t matter if he was killed because I would die too.”
“Seriously?” Hendrix kept telling himself to calm down, that this really wasn’t Zavian’s fault, but he couldn’t. Not when this involved their mating. Regardless of what Zavian said, it still felt like he was sharing the guy with someone else. Hendrix wanted to kill something, to wrap his hands around someone’s neck and choke the life out of them.
Namely Melric. The audacity of that tart, waltzing in like he had every right and privilege set Hendrix’s teeth on edge.
“I screwed up, okay?” Zavian shouted. “I thread people’s lives together, give them happy lives, but where in the fuck was mine? All I wanted was what everyone else was blissfully enjoying! My own slice of fucking happiness!”
“Instead you ended up with a pint-sized nut job who you can’t get rid of,” Hendrix snarled.
“ You got to experience happiness!” Zavian jabbed a finger toward the bedroom door. “I saw the photo.”
Hendrix went still, his eyes narrowing. “Choose your words carefully, Zavian. You’re about to cross a line you might not come back from.”
They stared at each other, both breathing heavily, the tension so thick it was oppressive. Hendrix would be damn if he allowed his dead husband to get dragged into this. Michael hadn’t been perfect, but Hendrix had loved him deeply. He wanted to love Zavian even more fiercely, wanted their mating more than anything, but this situation was a train wreck he didn’t know how to navigate.
“What do you want me to do?” Zavian said through clenched teeth. “I’m open to any ideas that don’t cause me unimaginable pain.”
Hendrix had no clue how to reverse Zavian and Melric’s bond. Anything they tried would only bring his mate pain, or even death. He wanted to give Zavian the bliss his mate had been searching for, wanted to share a life with him, but his pride wouldn’t allow him.
Not when Melric had an unintentional part of his mate. It hurt. Fuck, it hurt deeply to know… Hendrix ran a hand over his beard. “I don’t have an answer.”
“Now you see my problem.” Zavian sounded defeated. “I…” He glanced away. “I’m the second most powerful being in the universe, but even I’m prone to screwups. Only, my mistakes are on a cosmic scale.” Zavian’s gaze flicked back to him. There was so much pain in those blue depths. “I never meant to hurt you, Hendrix.”
“I know.” He swallowed roughly.
He had to get past his hurt. Losing his husband had nearly destroyed him. He didn’t want to lose Zavian too. “His…” Hendrix swallowed again, his throat burning. “His name was Michael. I met him when he was drunk, trying to fight someone twice his size. He was a mess, but he was my mess. Our marriage wasn’t perfect, Zavian. We fought a lot, but when I give my heart to someone, my loyalty and love are set in stone.”
Zavian’s gaze softened. “What happened?”
Sniffing back the hot tears that threatened to spill, Hendrix rested his hands on his hips, chewing his bottom lip. Then he cleared his throat. “He started feeling this pain in his sternum.” He circled his hand at his chest. “Michael confessed it had been going on for a while. Bone marrow cancer. He didn’t say anything to me about the pain until it became unbearable. By then…”
Hendrix’s breath came out in quiet, short bursts. He stared up at the ceiling, the raw pain just as fresh as it had been two years ago. “He wasn’t my mate, so he didn’t have my healing properties. I had to watch him slowly die, and there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do about it. So please, don’t say anything about that photo in the living room, Zavian. Don’t cross that line.”
When his mate didn’t say anything, Hendrix looked at him. Zavian brushed a single tear away as he lowered his gaze.
“Forgive me for even nearing that line.” The side of his mouth curled slightly. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Hendrix. That kind of loyalty and love set in stone. I was so desperate for it, I ignored all the red flags Melric was waving right in front of me.” He shook his head. “I don’t think I ever truly loved him.”
“You were just lonely.” Hendrix knew that hollow, suffocating feeling that sat in the center of your chest, eating away at you with every passing day. He was over three hundred years old, and countless decades had passed without having someone special in his life.
Human or preternatural, they all wanted the same. To be loved and share their lives with someone who erased the emptiness.
“You have me.” Zavian’s gaze was hesitant, as if he was afraid of being rejected. “You have all of me, Hendrix, though I’m not sure you’ll want it. As you can see, I’m not very good with emotions, and when I fuck up, it’s epic.”
Setting aside his pride, hurt, and jealousy, Hendrix crossed the room and pulled Zavian into his arms. “No one is perfect.” He arched a brow. “Is there anything else I need to know? Another scorned lover that might pop up and act like a lunatic or the fact you drink out of the juice container or clip your toenails in bed? The last one is a definite deal breaker.”
Zavian looked deep in thought, his lips pursed. Hendrix’s heart raced, wondering if his mate had something hidden he was afraid to reveal.
“I’ve never had a home, so I’ve never done either of those things, but—”
Hendrix braced himself, at the same time wondering how someone could live as long as “Fate” had, yet never call a single place home. “Yeah?” His voice came out softer this time, though his pulse still thundered.
“But I can be a royal bitch when I’m craving coffee and can’t get one.” He circled his finger in front of his gorgeous face. “My features get all demonic and I’m ready to hang someone upside down.”
A deep chuckle rumbled in Hendrix’s chest. “I can’t promise my coffee will be as good as the one you stole for me, but I’ll keep the pantry stocked just for you.”
“I didn’t steal the damn coffee,” Zavian huffed. “I paid for it.”
The man was irresistible when he threw a snit. His mate was the embodiment of alpha male, his features chiseled and strong, his personality fierce. But when he pouted, Hendrix wanted to fuck that look right off his face.
“Stay the night?”
Zavian’s pout slid into uncertainty. “You really want me to stick around after what happened? I thought maybe you would want time to yourself.”
It amazed him how someone so lethal could be so unsure of himself. The vulnerability in Zavian’s eyes touched him. “As long as you don’t drink from the carton or clip your nails in bed.
Honestly, he was jealous of how sexy the man’s feet were. No guy should have feet that looked that damn good. There was no way he didn’t secretly pamper himself with pedicures.
“I shall force myself to leave my grotesque habits at the door.” Zavian smiled.
“Then let’s go cook dinner. You almost fucked me into a coma, and now I’m starving.” He saw the sparkle in his mate’s eyes as he grabbed Zavian’s hand and led him to the kitchen.