The Alpha King (6 page)

Frantic, Tal sat up swiftly, swaying a bit and pushing away the hands of the mysterious man who seemed determined to try to make him lay back down in the bed. "Let me go! I have to go and find my sister! Josie!" he screamed and got out of the bed and tried to race for the door, stumbling along the way.

The solid wood swung open in front of him and he barreled into a very wide, very firm chest.

"Whoa there, where are you running off to?" the man attached to the chest spoke.

Tal flushed with warmth. He wanted to wrap his arms around the body before him. He wanted to wrap his legs around the bigger man's waist and never let go. Tal raised his eyes up, past the thick, muscled, tanned neck to the square jaw, dusted faintly with a dark, stubbled shadow, to the aquiline nose that spoke of an aristocratic heritage, and finally to a pair of the most gorgeous, dark blue eyes Tal had ever seen. The man's long, black hair that hung to just below his shoulders and his large frame turned him into Tal's walking wet-dream come true.

Tal quickly reconsidered the crazy notion when the man in question growled low in his chest and clutched Tal fiercely to his chest before burying his face in his neck. Tal squeaked in surprise but amazingly did not pull away. He felt safe in the man's arms, even though he didn't know his name, and he never wanted him to let go.

Tal's world spun when the man in question quickly jerked him behind him, pressing Tal against the door.

He growled at the other man in the room, "Mine."

His voice sounded low and forceful, growly and full of authority and power. He would not be one to be messed with. He ruled in the room at that moment and Tal kind of felt happy the guy seemed to be on his side, even if he didn't exactly know why.

"Blaze? Are you saying that this… humanoid… is your mate?" the first man asked incredulously.

The man named Blaze turned to look at Tal, his eyes softening rapidly, a slow smile coming to his fac. He inhaled deeply, breathing in Tal's scent, his eyes closing in rapture before he turned back to answer the question.

"Yes Buck, he's mine… my mate."

Tal's eyes widened, another squeak escaping at the word mate. His mother's words about how he would feel upon meeting the person destined for him came rushing back. He stepped away from the man called Blaze and backed into the door behind him, his eyes wide and his body quivering in fear. Blaze met his gaze, his eyebrows raised in question

"Fucking shit balls," Tal breathed. "Hell no." He shook his head quite forcefully before he slipped back into unconsciousness.

CHAPTER FOUR

Hours later, Blaze looked down at the delicate features of the man lying next to him. He had never used the term 'beautiful' to describe a man before, but when it came to this man it seemed the only word that truly fit. He smiled when his mate sighed in his sleep and unconsciously moved closer to him, snuggling into the curve of his body. His mate. He'd been searching for years for the one created and destined by fate to belong to him, made just for him, and had begun to despair of ever meeting him. When his brother and Percy told him of the humanoid who had been rescued in the copse behind the castle, he'd only come to the palace's clinic to check on the man. He'd wanted to inquire of his home, his destination, his name, but instead he'd caught the marvelous scent of his mate.

Blaze had never been so thankful for a shuttle crash before in his life. He carded his fingers through the man's thick, soft brown hair streaked with gold strands, and his inner wolf settled down into a ball, at peace to have found its mate and to know him to be safe. Right there. With him.

Blaze had been shocked when his mate's body glowed with a bright red light that faded to a dim white shine then ebbed away, leaving the smaller man's body healed of his numerous injuries. He would have to talk to his other half about that soon, but not before he enjoyed the wonder of his body and bonded them forever.

When the smaller man's eyes fluttered open, Blaze smiled softly. He wanted to treasure the man, cherish, protect, provide, care for, and love him, and he planned to do that exactly. No one could stop him, no one. With this man, his mate, he didn't have to be the big bad Alpha, he didn't have to be the king. He could just be Blaze. He longed for the opportunity to be himself and that counted as one of the very reasons the man would now be the most important person in the world to Blaze. He would give Blaze the freedom to be himself. The man would become the other half of Blaze and once they had fully mated, he would feel whole… complete. He grinned when his mate began to squirm around on the bed and realized from the frown that appeared on the man's face he wasn't used to sleeping in the bed with someone.

"J-Josie? Are you in the bed with me? Are you trying to braid my hair again? Why are you in the bed with me? Get out," the man grumbled sleepily, pushing weakly at Blaze's chest.

The knowledge his mate didn't usually have someone in bed with him filled Blaze with possessive joy.

Blaze chuckled softly and grinned when the other man's eyes widened and truly focused on him. "Who is this Josie that you speak of?" he asked carefully, trying to keep the amusement out of his voice.

"M-m-my sister…" his mate answered, swallowing nervously.

Blaze struggled not to growl at the fear he could smell coming off his mate. Why would the man fear him? They were destined to be together. This man could be considered the safest man in the world with him and yet he almost quaked with fright?

But perhaps he feared for his sister? In which case, he'd be justified and Blaze couldn't blame him.

"And what is your name?" Blaze resisted the urge to stroke his fingers through the man's extremely long hair again, especially now that he'd fully awakened.

"Talon Versuthion, but most people call me Tal. What's yours?" Tal asked.

Blaze stopped breathing and his heartbeat locked up inside of his chest. Talon Versuthion? His mate? The oldest son of the Versuthions? The man his father implored him to find and protect and the man the fates had created for Blaze to protect and love were one and the same. What were the odds of that?

Had Blaze fallen into some sappy romance novel? He looked down and realized his mate awaited his response. Shaking out of his inner musings, determined now, more than ever to protect the Versuthions and to find the younger two brothers, he focused back on his mate's face.

"My name is Blazell Roughshire, but everyone calls me Blaze… or rather, my close friends, my inner circle, call me Blaze," Blaze explained, his voice hesitant when he struggled to explain his identity.

"What do the people call you who are not your close friends or a part of your inner circle? Like me, what shall I call you?" Tal's gaze focused directly on Blaze's.

Blaze found he admired the smaller man's direct stare. "Others call me King Blazell or King Roughshire or if they're really feeling brave King Blaze, but you…"

Tal's eyes widened when he realized a king stood before him.

Blaze held back a chuckle. "You may call me Blaze. Baby. Sweetheart. Honey. Love. Darling. Sweetie. Or mate. Any of those would suffice." Blaze smiled.

Tal's eyes narrowed. "Mate? Who said I was your mate? How do you know?" His voice had gone tight with emotion and confusion.

Blaze felt pretty sure Tal knew they were fated to be together, but he would indulge his mate and answer the question. "One such as I always knows his mate," Blaze explained, his head tilting slightly to the side. He sniffed the air, detecting fear, resignation, and… yes… arousal, on his mate's skin. "As do you. You know I am your mate, do you not, Talon?"

"What the fuck? How the hell do you know what I know? I know no such thing!" Tal protested loudly, pushing against Blaze's chest when he sat up quickly and noticed his completely nude state.

"Where the hell are my clothes?" he yelled, pulling the bedcovers up to his chin.

Blaze laughed heartily not deterred at all by his mate's little freak out. "Your clothes were destroyed in the crash, my love, and I took the liberty of removing the hospital gown you wore when I brought you here to our bedroom," he stated.

"Our bedroom?" Tal questioned, a small quiver of fear and suspicion in his voice.

"Yes, love, our bedroom. Where we will sleep and make love, more so the latter than the former."

Tal shook his head, bewildered. "But you don't even know me and I certainly don't know you!" he argued.

"My soul knows yours, my heart embraces yours. My life and I were made for you as yours was made for me. I know you in the deepest parts of me, even though my mind may not." Blaze placed his hands on either side of Tal's face, his thumbs delicately caressing his cheeks, "We were made for each other."

* * * *

Tal blinked in confusion and the large wolf shifter smiled softly. "I understand this may be a little… new and unexpected for you, but I assure you, after we are mated you will become much more at ease with our bonding."

"We can never ever be bonded!" Tal declared furiously, leaping out of bed, ignoring his state of undress and marching towards the bedroom door.

He'd spent most of the last five years trying to not find his mate, only to discover him because of a stupid accident. He had to get out of there. He had to get away from Alpha King Blazell Roughshire and find his sister so they could get the hell off of this planet full of arrogant wolf shifters. A stupid shifter, who would try and mate with him even when he would end up leaving Tal in the end, just like his parents had left him. Tal wanted to get back home to Edifice. He also desperately wanted to throw himself into the man's arms and ask him to protect him, to hold him… to fuck him and then never let him go. Tal ignored the pull he felt to turn around and return to his… no, no, he refused to even think of the man as his mate. Dammit! He growled internally.

Exasperation flowed off Blaze in waves when the other man rose from the bed and quickly snatched Tal up into his massively huge, sculpted arms.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" he growled low in his throat.

"Don't you dare growl at me!" Tal huffed. "I'm getting out of here and going to find my sister! She may not be important to you, but she is damned important to me! She's the only person I have on this godsforsaken planet and I have to go and find her right now! She could be dead or really hurt." His voice caught on a sob. "Or she could be looking for me. I have to go and find her." Tal smacked Blaze on the shoulder.

* * * *

Blaze blinked in fascination. No one had ever dared to strike him or speak to him as his mate did at that very moment. Even his parents had ceased to discipline him once he'd shifted for the first time and his wolf had outsized his father's. His mate seemed to not be afraid and the idea made Blaze happy. Talon would be his equal in all things, and it seemed as if his man would also prove fearless as well.

"Did you just hit me?" Blaze asked.

Amazement and amusement vied for dominance. His mind locked on the fact Tal had struck him more than the reasoning behind it.

"Yes! I'm not afraid of you, you know. I'm not one of your puppy servants and you will not growl at me!" Tal exclaimed, his voice trembling.

Blaze sniffed the air and growled at the acrid scent of his mate's unease. He wasn't sure if his sister's still missing status caused the trepidation, or if Tal feared Blaze. He didn't think he frightened Tal though. Perhaps the whole mate thing bothered Tal. Blaze decided to not comment on the scent and to respond only to what Tal had said.

"We're wolves, not dogs. And I am glad you aren't afraid of me, love, but you can't ever hit me in front of my, our, people. It's the height of disrespect and would be seen as a challenge for the position of Alpha King," Blaze explained.

He tried not to think of the ramifications of anyone in the pack ever seeing Tal strike him. The kingdom would be in an uproar. The more stringent Elders, namely Elder Bryce and his cronies, would demand Blaze fight his own mate for the throne. For the first time ever in his life Blaze felt genuine fear about his mating. He had to make sure Tal understood. His mate meant no disrespect, hadn't meant for the slap to his arm to be anything but a way of making Blaze stop growling. But Tal couldn't do it in front of anyone else. Blaze opened his mouth to hammer the knowledge into Tal but got cut off when the other man spoke first.

"There's no one here except us, Blaze, and as long as you don't growl at me in public, I won't hit you in public," Tal rationalized. "I mean you determine my actions in that area. You don't get to snarl at me like I'm your servant or something. I mean, I'm your ma—your guest for the time being and you should really treat me as such."

Blaze smiled at Tal's slip of the tongue. How delightful. One moment the gorgeous man yelled and attempted to run off on a fool's mission and the next he reprimanded his Alpha mate. He didn't fear Blaze, which as his mate, he shouldn't.

Unable to control his wolf, which desperately wanted to claim their mate, any longer Blaze lowered his nose to Tal's neck, sniffing and rubbing his face in the crease and shoulder; spreading his scent all over the smaller man, nuzzling him. He grinned wolfishly when Tal squirmed to get away then frantically clutched Blaze closer. Blaze's wolf howled within when Tal's hands began moving rapidly over the back of his head and shoulders.