Dagon's Ride [Brac Pack 19] (7 page)

His heart clenched at the thought of not having Josh around. The world wouldn’t be the same without him. Conflicting emotions whirled through him. He hated his mom for all of this but still loved her. He hated her for his brother almost dying, but still loved her.

“Not really. If I hadn’t taken you home, you probably would have been attacked also,” Josh pointed out as he leaned forward to stare at
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Taylor. His brother’s eyes were kind, compassionate, something he wasn’t at the moment.

“No, we would have been safe here,” he countered bitterly. That demon woman was causing nothing but trouble, and at that moment Taylor didn’t care what Panahasi or any of those demon men did to her.

He knew he was thinking with his emotions, but Josh was a part of his life, and Taylor never wanted that to change.

“Chill, little bro.” Josh leaned in closer. “Makes sex with Law a lot more interesting.” He wiggled his brows.

“Ew.” Taylor didn’t want to think of Josh having sex with Law.

Thinking of family in that way was…yuck.

Taylor noticed the other mates staring at him. Did he look any different now that he was gay? Could they tell he did the tango with Dagon? He shifted in his seat, feeling uncomfortable that they probably knew.

Even though each and every one of them was gay, he still felt embarrassed. Excusing himself, Taylor headed for the foyer, Dagon appearing right before he could make a hasty exit. He brushed past him and ran down one of the hallways, looking back to make sure he was alone.

Why couldn’t he accept how he felt about Dagon? He was really starting to fall for the guy, and that scared the hell out of him. Dagon had said it was okay for two men to love each other, but it still didn’t sit right with Taylor. He wasn’t Josh, so he wasn’t going to parade around in extremely short cutoffs and halter tops.

He was a
man.

Taylor shoved his hands into his front pockets, trying desperately to figure things out. He never thought about man or woman, although his first experience was with a girl.

He hated the fact that his mom drilled anti- gay into him. If she hadn’t, maybe he wouldn’t be taking this so hard.

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Taylor felt bad for brushing past Dagon just now without a single word. The guy was trying his best, and Taylor wasn’t being fair to him.

He wanted to tell his mate how he felt, but talking about feelings was so girly. It was as if he was going through hot and cold spells when it came to his feelings about the warrior.

“You shouldn’t be wandering around here alone right now.” Taylor looked up to see the warrior, Ludo, walking toward him.

The guy was intimidating as hell, although he sported a cool goatee.

“I needed to be alone.”

“Then I will escort you at a distance. How does that sound?” Taylor nodded. It wasn’t as though the man was next to him. Ludo fell in behind him and gave him the space he needed to clear the clutter from his head. He glanced back, thinking to himself that Ludo was gay and he didn’t hide the fact when Murphy was near him. In fact, his hands stayed glued to his mate.

Why couldn’t he have that confidence, that “I don’t care what you think of me” attitude? Maybe he was overanalyzing his new identity.

It was a new identity, right? Taylor was even more confused now.

Who was he?

He became agitated and angry when he couldn’t figure it out.

Why did he have to be a mate? Why couldn’t he have his own identity instead of being Dagon’s mate? He was working himself up and he knew it, but couldn’t stop it.

“I’m not Dagon’s bitch,” he shouted to the pictures hanging on the walls as if they were staring at him accusingly. “I’m Taylor Tate!” Whoever that was.

Oh no, he could feel it coming at him full speed ahead, but couldn’t jump off of the tracks. A nervous breakdown, anxiety attack, whatever it was called, was coming at him full force with everything that had happened in the past few days.

His brain couldn’t process it. It was dumping the maelstrom of emotions into his gut, and Taylor was about to vomit all of it out.

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“I’m a man, not a girl!” he shouted once again at the picture of two wolves howling together, using them as his target of aggression.

“I’ve never liked men before, and don’t know
why
I do now. This is crazy. My life was boring, but it was a human life before all of this. I want it back!”

He stepped toward the picture and pointed at it. “I don’t want to be Dagon’s bitch. I want to be my own man. What’s so hard to understand about that? And why the fuck do I have to be part demon?

I was a normal human, and I don’t want to be anything else but that!” Taylor knocked the picture from the wall, screaming out his frustration as it fell to the ground. He kicked it, watching it fly down the hall. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, damn it. No, no, no!” Two large arms circled around him, pulling him close to a broad chest. Dagon shushed him as he held onto him. Taylor pummeled Dagon’s chest and his mate took it, not saying a word. “Why? Why did fate choose me?”

Dagon shook his head. “I don’t know,
cachorro
.” Taylor leaned into the warrior, his energy leaving him after using so much of it in his outburst.

He wanted to go back to the way it used to be. Yet, he didn’t want Dagon to leave his life. Taylor didn’t know what to think or do so he let his brain shut down and thought of nothing. “I’m Taylor Tate,” he whispered as he closed his eyes.

* * * *

Dagon had followed behind Taylor, staying back and allowing his mate the time he needed while still keeping him safe from being alone. He saw Ludo fall behind and jerked his head to the side to tell Ludo to leave because he was going to be the one to catch Taylor when he fell.

And his mate had crashed hard.

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He had noticed a few heads peek around the corner and then disappear. Who wouldn’t be curious at all the noise Taylor was making? But at least they had enough respect for his man to give him his privacy while he melted.

“Who am I, Dagon? Because I don’t know, and I feel so lost,” Taylor mumbled into Dagon’s chest.

“I can’t answer that for you,
cachorro
. You have to find out who you are and come to terms with that knowledge.” As badly as Dagon wanted to tell Taylor that he was a mate now and a half demon, it wouldn’t help the man accept it until his mind did.

“I want to go back to my apartment and pretend none of this ever happened.”

Dagon felt his heart being ripped out. If Taylor wished that, then he wished to never have met Dagon. He kept the pain in check, knowing that his mate was just working things out in his head, but it hurt like a bitch.

He picked Taylor up and carried him to their bedroom, laying him on the bed and tucking him in. Dagon crawled in behind him, pulling his mate close. “Do you regret mating with me?” He knew it was a selfish question considering what Taylor was going through, but he needed to know.

“No.”

Okay, if Taylor didn’t regret the claiming, then they could work past anything else. As long as they had the foundation of his mate wanting to be with him, they should be okay. “So why is it so hard for you to accept what we have?” he asked in the shell of his mate’s ear.

“That’s one of the things I’m trying to figure out.” Taylor reached his hand up and wiped at his eyes. “I don’t want you to leave me, but I’m scared to embrace any of this.”

“Give me time. Let me show you that it’s okay to be whoever you are struggling to hide.” Dagon brushed his mate’s hair back, kissing his temple then resting his cheek on Taylor’s head.

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“I don’t want to want you, but I want to want you. Does that make sense?”

“Yes. Would you like to take a walk in the forest? Some fresh air may help your mind clear.”

“Can we go for a ride instead?”

“I’d rather you use me for my body than my bike.”

“But your bike is so sweet- looking.” Taylor chuckled and wiped at his eyes again.

“Thanks, brat.” Dagon tickled Taylor, and his mate squirmed around to run from Dagon’s fingers.

“Uncle,” he cried out.

“Uncle it is. Let’s go.”

* * * *

Tamera watched her son leave the house with the shifter. If it was the last thing she did, she would kill that wolf for claiming her son. It was an abomination for two men to be together, and he would pay for turning her offspring gay.

She didn’t care about Josh or Brad. They weren’t hers. But Taylor was. If he fought her on this, she would kill him, too.

Damn this maternal drive to be mommy dearest.
It wasn’t in her nature and maybe offing the brat would rid her of it.

Hmm, not a bad idea.

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Chapter Five

“I think Taylor needs intervention.” Cecil rubbed his hand over his chin. “He won’t accept that he’s gay, and it’s tearing him apart.”

“O h, no. I’m not popping you brats anywhere. Maverick would skin my pointy ears from my head.” Carter held his hands up, palms out, as he waved them. “Get someone else to do your dirty work.”

“Chicken?” Cecil challenged him.

“Every bone in my body,” the elf stated proudly.

“Fine.” Cecil looked across the den. “George, we have another mate hiding in the closet, need your help.”

“You talkin’ about Taylor?” George sauntered over, removing his Stetson and scratching his head. “How do you want to handle it?”

“Another strip club should help him out.” George shook his head, his eyes narrowing at Cecil. “Have you forgotten about his little problem? His mama wants to reattach the umbilical cord…around his neck.”

Cecil snapped his fingers together. The greatest idea yet came to mind. “Panahasi.”

“Let me get this straight. You want to take a demon with us to stop a demon from taking her kid?” George asked in astonishment.

“Something wrong with that idea?”

George grinned widely at him. “Not a thing.”

“How do we call him?” Nero asked as he walked over to the secretive group of mates.

“Yell for him?” Tangee suggested.

“Nah, I think I know.” Cecil led the group of mates into the library and shut the doors, closing the heavy drapes, and then turned
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to them. “It has to be dark, according to Maverick. They come out of the shadows.”

“Sounds like scary story,” Keata whimpered.

“No, just weird as hell. Ready?” He looked around at the fearful faces. “Oh, come on. I’m the one who is afraid of the dark.”

“What do we do?” Kyoshi asked.

“Panahasi,” Cecil said the name and waited. Calling him like they did when they wanted Carter should work as Tangee suggested. They just needed some darkness.

They all jumped when blazing eyes appeared from the side of the bookshelf, and then a massive body appeared. Cecil looked behind the demon, trying to spot some sort of doorway to another world, but his eyes only saw what they should have seen, a darkened alcove, nothing more.

Cecil had heard Maverick telling the warriors about the demon, but he never said how unearthly the guy was. He stood about six seven, but his body mass was something to be reckoned with. He was more enormous than the Alpha of the Eastern pack.

“I take it you require an audience?” The man’s voice was laced with sarcasm and a touch of irritation.

Cecil squared his shoulders. “Yeah, you Taylor’s babysitter?” The reflection of flames in the demon’s eyes rose higher. “I am no one’s babysitter.”

“Whatever, we want to cut loose with Taylor and thought maybe you would come along to keep an eye on things. Got a problem with that?”

“Depends, where are you going to cut loose at?” The leader leaned against the desk and crossed his ankles. Cecil thought for sure the desk was going to give under the tremendous pressure.

“A strip club.”

Panahasi’s booming laughter scared the shit out of everyone. It sounded more maniacal than hilarious.

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“Child’s play, I have someplace better in mind,” he said after the psychotic laughter died.

Cecil didn’t like the sound of that, and judging by the looks he was getting from the mates, neither did they. “How do I know you aren’t tricking us in an effort to kidnap the group?”

“What the hell do I want with a bunch of sniveling humans? I’m doing you a favor, not the other way around.” Panahasi stood and stared down his nose at them.

“Fine, then we have an arrangement. I’ll call you when Taylor returns from his ride with Dagon.”

The demon’s face pulled back in rage. “He has left the Den?”

“Duh, that’s what I just said.” Cecil’s lip twitched, as he fought back the urge to laugh.

The man turned on his heel and stormed back into the shadows, not another word spoken.

“Does that mean yes?” Blair asked.

“Who the hell knows,” Cecil stated flatly. It hadn’t gone the way he thought it would. Now all they could do was wait for Taylor’s return.

* * * *

Taylor leaned his head back, opening his visor as Dagon drove the motorcycle, enjoying the sun on his face and feeling bad that Josh would never experience this again. His brother had loved being out in the sun.

“Close it.” Dagon’s voice came over the headset. How did the guy know?

“I have exceptional hearing,” he answered Taylor’s thought.

Taylor knocked it back into place, souring his face up in protest.

He wanted to cross his arms over his chest but feared letting go at this speed. When Dagon gave him his first ride weeks ago, the man had gone ten miles an hour. Now that he knew Taylor loved to ride, he
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rode the speed limit. Taylor had a feeling the man preferred to ride faster.

They pulled up to a small bakery about thirty miles from home.

The smells coming from the shop had Taylor’s mouth watering.

Fresh-baked bread and cinnamon filled the air. His stomach growled at the aroma.