Glenn, Stormy - Love Sexy [True Blood Mate 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (14 page)

Surprisingly, Logan chuckled and drew Love closer. “You smell of victory and life. You smell perfect.”

“Fine, I smell perfect.” Love rolled his eyes. “I’d still prefer a bath.”

“Ask and you shall receive, my sexy little pup.”

Love clutched the knife to his chest as Logan wrapped an arm around his shoulders then turned them both to face the two guardians. He was a little unnerved by the curiosity he could see in their faces as they looked at him. He wished he could growl and hiss like Logan.

“This is Love,” Logan began. “He is mine, and he wants a bath.”

“I’ll see to it personally,
beta
,
”
one of the men said. The man bowed slightly in Love’s direction.

“
Beta
?’ Love whispered, leaning close to Logan.

“It’s a title, Love, like alpha of my clan. Remember? I told you about it earlier.
Beta
means I am the leader of my clan under our alpha. I am his right-hand man, like the vice president.”

“Alpha?”

“A man named Asher Stone.”

“Are you related to him, too?”

“I am of his clan. That makes us related.” Logan smiled. “Asher and his mate are away at the moment, but you’ll meet them when they get back. You’ll like the alpha-mate, Darren. He’s human like you. Asher is a little scarier.”

Love blinked. “Seriously?” He couldn’t think of anyone Logan would be afraid of. The man was so damn intimidating that Love couldn’t figure out why everyone didn’t quake in their boots when he walked by.

Logan grinned. “Yep.”

“Okay, so now I understand clan politics.” Love gestured to the two guardians. “What do they do?”

“Keep you safe.”

“Me?”

Logan nodded. “Cáel and Garen’s sole responsibility in the clan is to keep you and me safe. They are guardians. They protect the inner circle, which includes you, me, the alpha, and the alpha-mate. As such, you are never to go anywhere without them or me.”

“A babysitter?” Love scoffed.

“A protector, Love, nothing more.”

“Well…” Love crossed his arms over his chest and turned to look at the two men. “If they are supposed to protect us, then how in the hell did Mick get his hands on us?”

Cáel and Garen fidgeted under Love’s fierce glare. Their eyes were downcast, their shoulders slumped as if they were getting a talking down. Love wanted to growl at them. If they were supposed to be protecting Logan, then they failed miserably.

“Uh, Love?”

“What?” Love snapped as he swung around to look at Logan.

“They were out looking for you.”

“Oh.” Love felt his face flush. He supposed that Cáel and Garen had a good excuse if they were out looking for him. Still...Love turned to look at the two men before turning toward Logan again. “Do I have any say in things since we’re mated?”

“Of course, Love. You are my
mate. That gives you almost as much power as me, almost. I still overrule you. Asher, as the alpha, and his mate overrule both of us, though.”

“Fine.” Love turned back to the two guardians and held out his knife. “In the future, if you fail to protect Logan, I will kill you just like I killed Mick Red, and don’t think I can’t.” Love waved the bloody knife at them. “This isn’t my blood on this knife, but it will be yours if Logan comes to danger again.”

“Love!”

Love refused to take his eyes off of Cáel or Garen as his words sank in, not even when Logan grabbed him by his shoulder. He waved his free hand at them. “They need to understand the danger you were in. If they are supposed to protect you, then they damn well better do it.”

“Love, look at me.”

Love huffed heavily. He lowered the knife as he turned to look at Logan. “What?”

“Their first priority will always be you.”

“Logan, that’s—”

“Love, I mean it. You mean more to me than anything, even my own life. Without you, I am nothing. If something were to happen to you, I think I’d throw myself off the nearest cliff. Keeping you safe is my number one priority.” Logan pointed past Love to Cáel and Garen. “It’s their number one priority.”

“Logan.”

Logan’s eyebrow arched. “No arguments, Love. On this, I will not bend.”

Love rolled his eyes. He knew he wasn’t going to change Logan’s mind anytime soon. He’d just have to make sure that he kept Logan safe from now on. “Fine, but after me is you, deal?”

“Deal.” Logan grinned then looked beyond Love once again. “Is that clear enough for you two? My
mate has spoken.”

“Yes,
beta,” both men replied. “Yes, beta-mate.”

Love frowned. “What is a beta-mate?”

“
It’s a formal thing, Love. It’s only acceptable for someone in the clan to address us by our birth names. Anyone else calling us by our names would be an insult and should be immediately dealt with. So, if anyone outside of the clan calls you anything but beta-mate, you let me know.”

Love nodded. He was still confused. “There’s a lot of rules with being mated to you, isn’t there?”

“There are, but I have no doubt you’ll learn them in time.”

Love leaned closer to Logan so he could whisper in his ear. “Will they take my ears from me?”

“No, Love, they won’t.”

Love smiled despite the worry growing in him. He didn’t know a thing about being the mate to a man of importance. He could barely take care of himself. Love wished he had a lollipop.

“Cáel, give me your phone.” The man instantly handed over his cell phone. Love watched with curiosity when a grin began to spread over Logan’s lips as he dialed a number then put the phone up to his ear.

“Who are you calling?” Love whispered.

Logan held up his hand. “Reed, it’s me. Yes, Love and I are safe. Cáel and Garen are here with us now. We’ll be home soon, but I need you to do something for me.”

Love started to feel anxious but not in a bad way. He held his breath.

“I need you to find me a set of fuzzy wolf ears and a handful of lollipops for Love.” Logan paused for a moment and glanced over at Love. “What flavor, Love?”

Love licked his lips, already anticipating the lollipops. “Cherry?”

Logan smiled. “Cherry, as many as you can find. No, Matt will know what to look for.” Logan nodded a couple of times. “Okay, then we’ll see you back at the house.” He snapped the phone closed and handed it back to Cáel.

“Your ears and lollipops are on the way, Love.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Love cried out in relief and jumped into Logan’s arms. He was thrilled down to his toes. It almost made the day he was having worth it.

Love felt the tension between his shoulder blades start to ease when Logan started purring. A feeling of calm came over him like the sound of Logan’s chest rumbling made everything better. It meant he was safe.

“You can keep the ears and lollipops,” Love whispered against Logan’s chest. “Just keep purring”

Logan chuckled. Love felt the man’s large hand brush the back of his head in a gentle caress. “You don’t have to choose, baby. You can have both.”

“
Beta
,” one of the men behind Love said, “I hesitate to interrupt, but we are too exposed out here. We must get you and
your
mate
to safety.”

Love felt Logan tense, and he knew the man was worried for him. He would have preferred to stay exactly where he was, but he wasn’t dumb. After what happened today, Love knew they needed to get to safety.

Love leaned his head back and looked up into Logan’s worried face. “He’s right. I only killed Mick. He had others working with him. We need to get to safety before they find us.”

Logan’s thumb stroked down the side of Love’s face. “Are you sure, baby?”

“Are you serious?” Love laughed harshly. “I’m pretty damn sure I’ve lost what little of my mind that I had. I’m not sure about anything else except that we’re still in danger. If going back to your place means we stay safe, so be it.”

“Our place, Love.”

Love rolled his eyes. “We’ll discuss it.”

Chapter 10

Logan worried when Love’s head rolled against his arm. The man was out cold, which was weird considering how worked up he had been an hour ago. They had climbed into the car Cáel and Garen brought, and Love crawled right into his arms, curling close and closing his eyes.

Logan didn’t want him anywhere else. He didn’t even complain about Love not wearing a seatbelt. Holding Love in his arms seemed more important at the moment. Logan just needed to have his mate close, to breathe in his sweet scent and know Love was alive. He needed to feel Love’s heart beat next to his.

“We’re almost there,” Cáel said from the driver’s seat.

“Good,” Logan replied, forcing himself to look away from Love’s bruised face. “I want the compound locked down and double the guards. I also want the entire place searched, every building, every home. If anyone protests, they can talk to me.”

“Yes,
beta.”

“We were taken from inside the compound, Cáel, right outside my front door. And Mick Red was here before at the moon festival. He knew the layout, and he knew where I lived. He knew about Love.”

“Is his name really Love?” Garen asked.

“Yes, it is.” Logan arched an eyebrow. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, no, just asking. I wasn’t sure if it was proper to call him that without losing my head.”

Logan chuckled, suddenly seeing the amusement in the situation. “Yes, his name is Love Star, so named by his mother, Moon Star.” Logan clutched Love tightly when the car suddenly swerved. “Watch what you’re doing!”

“Did you say Moon Star?”

Logan met Cáel’s wide eyes in the rearview mirror. “Yes, why?”

Cáel shook his head, his eyes going back to the road.

“Cáel, if you know something that concerns Love, I need to hear it.”

“I’m probably wrong, Logan.”

Love whimpered and pressed his face closer to Logan’s chest when his heart began to beat faster. Logan stroked the silky black hair back from Love’s face and tried to calm himself enough to purr for his mate. Once he did, Love calmed down and went back to sleep.

Logan looked up and caught Cáel’s eyes in the rearview mirror again. “Tell me,” he said softly. He breathed in and out slowly, keeping control of his temper.

“Several years ago, before I joined this clan, I met a woman at another gathering. Her name was Moon Star. We spent the weekend together and then I got called home. I never saw her again.”

Logan mulled Cáel’s words around in his head, trying to see a possible connection to his mate. Granted, Moon Star was an odd name and probably not very common. That didn’t mean they were the same person. She could have been anyone.

“It was a clan gathering?” Logan asked.

Cáel nodded.

“Did she know about us?”

“She knew,” Cáel replied.

Logan drew in a relieved sigh. “Then it couldn’t be the same woman. Love knew nothing about us before I told him. If this woman was his mother, then it would stand to reason she would have said something to him.”