Haven 4: Back Roads (8 page)

Yeah, it sounded wonderful when Bannon put it that way. He had to tell Galen everything, though. He wouldn’t trick the man into mating him without having all the facts—even the less pleasant parts of being mated to a shifter.

“You know Malakai, Flynn, and Boston are bonded.” He waited for Galen’s nod of understanding. “It’s more than just feelin’ each other’s emotions, though. Their very life threads are intertwined.” Galen pushed up on his elbows, forcing Bannon to retreat or have their foreheads smack together. “What does that mean?”

“Simply put, they can’t live without each other—literally.” From the expression on Galen’s face, he still wasn’t getting it. Abandoning the clichés, he decided to shoot straight from the hip. “If one dies, they all do.”

Galen’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes rounded almost comically. “So, if you claim me and then get yourself killed, I’m going to keel over, too?”

Bannon nodded solemnly.

“Why?”

He didn’t have a good answer for that. He didn’t make the rules.

Hell, he didn’t even understand most of them. “If our mate dies, we don’t get another one. I’m guessin’ fate is knowin’ something we don’t. Would ya want to live out the rest of ya days alone?”

“It sounds a hell of a lot better than dying! I’d still have friends. I could still get laid. Just because I’m not going to find some mythical piece of my soul that’s supposedly missing doesn’t mean I can’t lead a perfectly normal life.” Galen scrambled back until he was sitting in the corner of the sofa with his knees tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs. “Is it really worth that?” It was to Bannon, but he could see that Galen was having a lot of difficulty wrapping his mind around it. All shifters looked forward to the day they’d find their mate and claim him or her. The one person made just for them that would bring peace and joy to their heart and soul. The one person who would always be there for them, understand them like no one else, and share things that no other could. It was a goal shifters strived toward.

Galen might have some shifter blood, but he was mostly human and had lived that way for his entire life. How was Bannon supposed to explain a concept that was not only foreign, but must seem almost barbaric to the man?

“It’s worth it to me. I can’t answer for ya, though, Galen. That’s somethin’ ya have to decide on your own. If somethin’ was to happen to ya, I wouldn’t want to go on livin’. That’s how deep the bond runs.

So, knowin’ I’d never have to try is a bloody relief to be honest.”

“I respect that’s how you feel, but I’m not there yet. I have some strong feelings for you. I thought it was love, but now I’m not so sure.

If it was really love, wouldn’t I be willing to die for you?” Galen looked so lost, his eyes desperately pleading for Bannon to understand. “I’ve fought hard my entire life to survive. I don’t want to die.”

“It’s okay. I understand.” He did, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “I need to be packin’, and then I’ll have to call Torren.

Are ya still wantin’ to come along?”

Galen nodded, even as tears spilled over and streaked down his cheeks. “Are you mad?”

“No, Galen. I’m not angry.” He leaned over and kissed his mate’s forehead gently. “I’ll see ya later.” Pushing up from the sofa, Bannon hurried out of the room before his emotions could get the better of him and he did something foolish—like beg.

He’d promised not to pressure Galen, and he’d meant it. Still, he’d never been the type to sit around and wait. If he wanted something, he went out and got it. Placing his fate into someone else’s hands was a hard pill to swallow.

* * * *

The night had started off so perfect, and now it was just one big clusterfuck. He hadn’t meant to hurt Bannon with his words, but he knew he had. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with the man. He could handle all the other weirdness that came with being mated to a shifter, but all of this dying in the name of love was a little too
Romeo
and Juliet
for him. Only, Romeo had a choice in the matter.

“Galen?”

Snapping out of his depressing thoughts, Galen lifted his head to find Willow standing on the other side of the room, looking at him with concern. “What are you doing here?” Willow smiled and shrugged as he hurried over to flop down on the couch beside him. “Cole is in Georgia to visit his brother. Blaise had some business with Stavion, and he doesn’t like to leave me alone.” He rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh at this. “At least I have friends here. I have to tag along with him when he goes to The Council tomorrow. That is guaranteed to be wicked boring.” Willow wrinkled his nose and shuddered.

Galen laughed in spite of himself. Willow was always such a nut.

“I’m sure you’ll survive.”

“Oh, I’m sure I will, too, but I want to talk about you. Galen, why are you crying? What happened?”

“Bannon says I’m his mate.”

“Oh! That’s awesome. He’s cute.” Willow beamed and wiggled his eyebrows. “He shifts into a horse, right? So, is he hung like one?” Galen’s mouth dropped open. “You are a naughty elf.”

“That’s what Cole says. So, spill. Is he?”

“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you,” Galen answered haughtily.

He was already feeling better. Willow had a way of just making people happy by doing nothing more than being himself.

“Don’t be a spoilsport. I’d tell you.” Willow pushed his long, dark hair back from his face and pouted.

“Okay, then tell me.”

“Blaise’s cock is—”

“Ahh!” Galen clamped his hands over his ears and shook his head rapidly. “I was joking. I don’t want to hear about Blaise’s dick.”

“Well, I do!” Jory rushed into the room, squealing like a dork as he dove onto the couch and tackled Willow to the cushions. “I missed you! We’re going to have to tie Blaise up by that magnificent cock of his so that you can come hang out with us more.”

“You idiot, get off of me!” Willow laughed so hard his face was flushed, and he was panting for breath.

Jory did as asked, grinning just as widely at Willow. Then his attention drifted to Galen, and his expression turned dark in the blink of an eye. “What happened?”

Crap! Was he really that easy to read? “Nothing.”

“Bullshit. Did you fight with Bannon?”

“Not exactly.” Galen didn’t want to bring up depressing shit while they should enjoy spending time with their friend. “Just drop it.”

“Nope.” Willow bounced around until he faced Galen with Jory leaning right over his shoulder to glare. “Spill it. What happened?”

“He wants to claim me.”

“So?” they both asked in unison.

“He’s a shifter!”

“And?” they asked again.

Galen huffed and threw his hands in the air. “I don’t want to die!”

“Huh?” Jory asked.

Willow, on the other hand, sighed and slumped back on the sofa.

“You know there’s so much more to it than that, right?”

“Well, he said that I’ll be able to feel his emotions. There was all the great stuff about him always loving me and taking care of me.

Then he drops the bomb that if he dies, so do I, and vice versa.”

“Whoa.” Jory looked like he’d been slapped upside the head. “Are you for real?”

Galen nodded sadly. “It’s a lot to ask. I mean, would you die for someone else?”

“For Cole or Blaise? Absolutely.”

“I’d do anything for Stavion,” Jory answered seriously, “even die.

That’s not saying it would be my first option, but I’d do it.” If nothing else, that answered one question. “Then I guess I don’t love Bannon, because I don’t want to die, not even for him. Fate must really hate him to give him someone like me.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s a scary concept. Shifters are pretty damn durable, though. We can heal ourselves, but with a little drop of our mate’s blood, it’s like super healing. We’re not prone to diseases, so you don’t have to worry about that. If he claims you, you’ll still be mostly human, but enhanced. So, it’s not all doom and gloom.”

Galen sat up a little straighter when Willow had finished speaking.

“I think that’s the problem. Jory’s a demon. He knew Stavion was his mate immediately. You’re an elf, so you knew Blaise and Cole were your mates. Plus, you’re part shifter. You can actually freakin’ shift.”

“Wait.” Jory waved a hand around and frowned. “I think I missed the problem.”

“I
am
human. If I have any shifter blood, it’s almost nonexistent. I have no idea if Bannon is telling the truth. I have no clue if I’m really his mate. I can’t
feel
it like you do. It wasn’t as if he walked into the room and I immediately knew he was the one.” His friends stared at him for a long time before Willow reached out and took his hands. “Don’t humans have soul mates?”

“I guess. It seems to be a popular theme at weddings.” Yes, Galen was being sarcastic, but he was tired of being confused, and tired of letting that confusion fuel his fear. He just wanted to be happy for once in his goddamn life. Was that really too much to ask?

“Then stop worrying about all of the other shit, and just do it the old-fashioned way,” Jory interjected. “Fall in love at your pace.”

“Even we mere humans like to say that when we meet the right one, we’ll just know. Maybe Bannon isn’t the right one.”

“I can’t answer that.”

There was another thing Galen was tired of hearing. He had questions, but apparently no one had the answers. He had to search within himself or some crap like that, because that was
so
helpful. If he had the answers inside, he wouldn’t need to ask the damn questions in the first place.

“You like Bannon, right? More than just a friend?” Willow asked.

Galen nodded. “Yes.” He wouldn’t deny that he was insanely attracted to the man and loved spending time with him.

“So, forget all the paranormal bullshit, and just let it happen. At least give yourself a chance to find out if he’s the one. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Stop trying to force it and contain it all inside a box of logic. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that love is not in any way logical.”

And wasn’t that the fucking truth.

“Aye, he’s comin’. We’ll be ready tomorrow night.”

“I need you to leave now. There’s a plane waiting at the airstrip.”

“Well, that’s all fine, Torren, except that we don’t know where we’re goin’.” Bannon squeezed the phone tighter and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand. “It’s gonna take time.”

“We don’t have time, Bannon. It’s less than four weeks until Halloween.” There was a significant pause before Torren spoke again.

“Have you claimed Galen yet?”

Bannon hung up the phone. Then he went a step further and turned it off completely. Torren Braddock could go fuck himself.

There was very little that Bannon wouldn’t do for his own brothers, but he’d never force anyone to mate against their will—no matter how much it would help.

There was a good chance that Galen would be able to help him without bonding them. Torren had to know that. At the very least, it seemed like he should have suggested they try it. So, why did he want them mated so badly?

Whatever.
Bannon quit. He just quit it all. Galen didn’t want him.

The Council just wanted to use him. His brothers were busy with their own jobs and lives, and he barely saw them anymore. He was a shifter living in a house full of vampires. Very rarely was he not surrounded by people, and yet he’d never felt more alone in his life.

And though he felt alone, he also felt suffocated. “Fuck it.” With a loud growl, he launched his phone across the room where it smashed into the wall with a satisfying crunch. Jumping up from his mattress, he stomped to his bedroom door and jerked it open, only to stumble to a halt when he found Galen standing there with his hand poised to knock. “What?”

It wasn’t fair, and he knew it. He really wasn’t angry at Galen.

The man had every right to refuse him. There were a number of other things that were pissing him off, though, and right or wrong, Galen was an available target for his frustrations.

“Can we talk?”

“No.” He’d talked until he was blue in the face. Nothing he’d said would change Galen’s mind, and he’d run out of things to say. He was fed up with the back and forth, hot and cold. Galen wanted them to be together, but only under his terms. He wasn’t even willing to meet Bannon halfway.

“Please?”

“No. Now move.” Bannon wasn’t asking for the world. He wasn’t asking for Galen to gift wrap the moon for him. He was just asking for a fucking chance! It wasn’t as though he expected his mate to just roll over, expose his belly, and pant to be petted. He knew he’d have to work for it, earn Galen’s trust. How the hell was he supposed to do that if Galen wouldn’t let him?

“Bannon, stop being a dick and let me in.” He’d bent over backward to meet every one of Galen’s demands and now he was a dick? Priceless. “Ya wanted me to leave ya alone. It’s the least ya can do for me.”

“I never said I wanted you to leave me alone. You’re the one who jumped up and ran out of the room like it was on fire. I’m sorry that I hurt you, and don’t tell me that I didn’t. I know you, whether you want to admit it or not.” He stepped closer so that his chest bumped against Bannon. “Why can’t I be with you without you claiming me?”
Yes, why Bannon
, his dick seemed to scream at him as it took notice of his mate’s nearness and swelled inside his jeans. “I’m not strong enough,” he admitted. Just being this close to Galen, thoughts ran rampant through his mind of him sinking his teeth into that creamy skin and claiming the man as his forever.

“That’s because we’ve both been thinking too much.” Galen came closer, forcing Bannon a step back into the room. “I got some really good advice tonight.” His hands began roaming Bannon’s chest, his thumbs brushing over the nipples and causing them to harden. “Why does it have to be all or nothing? Why can’t we just go with it and see where it takes us?”

Bannon bit the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning when Galen’s hands traveled over his abs and skimmed along his waistband. Could he do it? It would mean smothering his basic instincts and fighting against his nature. Was Galen worth that?