Read Necessary Passion [Alchemy Mates 3] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Online
Authors: Jana Downs
Tags: #Romance
Alchemy Mates 3
Necessary Passion
Aidan MacGregor is a vampire hunter who owes his life to a vampire. Despite his reluctance to interact with the vampire who saved his life, it is time to pay his debt. He must travel to Prussia in order to train for the upcoming challenge between Sky and his rival Jessup. Little does he know, the vampire he’s made a deal with will pose a greater temptation to his lust than to his anger as the true extent of his role in the conflict is revealed.
Sky Engleman is a vampire prince down to his last resort. He didn’t expect the child he’d saved would grow up to be the man fate made his alchemy mate, but he will stop at nothing to show Aidan that being with him is the greatest adventure the vampire hunter could ever desire. Aidan wants his freedom, but he also wants Sky. Can they come to a compromise in order to find happiness?
Genre:
Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves
Length:
35,286 words
Alchemy Mates 3
Jana Downs
EVERLASTING CLASSIC
MANLOVE
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove
NECESSARY PASSION
E-book ISBN:
978-1-62242-280-7
First E-book Publication: February 2013
Cover design by Harris Channing
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
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Necessary Passion
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NECESSARY PASSION
Alchemy Mates 3
JANA DOWNS
Copyright © 2013
Prussia, 1816
He had arrived. Sky watched the travel carriage pull up to the front of the house from the second floor of his estate home with a combination of anticipation and dread. Aidan MacGregor was the second-oldest son of a branch of vampire hunters that had been around for centuries. He was often described as possessing little humor, a lot of drive, and a stronger sense of duty than any other vampire hunter in existence. He also was a vampire’s human servant. The Prince of the German state of Prussia had saved the hunter’s life when he was a mere child. In doing so, Sky had bound the hunter’s destiny inexplicably with his own. It wasn’t until this exact moment that he wondered about the intelligence of the decision.
He had been careful to keep his distance while Aidan was growing up, but in his adulthood Sky had had no choice but to bring him into his world. He’d traveled to London last year to seek out the hunter to do just that, but had had difficulty in getting into contact with him. Then in a turn of luck, Aidan and his family had busted into his room at the inn he was staying at and Sky had been given his chance. Aidan, of course, had wanted no further contact, but again fate had been in Sky’s favor. At a confrontation between his younger brother turned vampire, Andren, and the vampire Prince of Britain, Jason Romanoff, over Andren’s vampire lover, Aidan had called out for Sky’s interference to save them both.
In exchange for Sky’s help, he’d demanded that Aidan come to Prussia the following spring to hear him out and possibly come to some sort of an agreement. The price for Sky’s assistance was an unexpected passionate sexual exchange to prove to the Prince of Britain the legitimacy of their bond. In the months since, the German vampire severely doubted that Aidan had forgiven him for it.
The soft voice of his butler, Mahogany, interrupted his thoughts from the doorway. “My lord, your guest the honorable Aidan MacGregor has arrived and is awaiting your lordship’s presence in the foyer.” Sky turned and gave the young man of one and twenty a brief smile. He was as soft-spoken as his father before him and four times as jumpy. If Sky didn’t use those reassuring motions, he’d bolt like a skittish foal. His father had had to stop serving as Sky’s main butler around six months previously due to a bad back and a severe case of the gout. His son had stepped into the main position at his father’s behest and had been terrified of the man he’d served ever since.
“Thank you, Mahogany. I’ll be right down. Please have Everest take Aidan’s things to his rooms and have Lucy bring some tea in the drawing room. Oh, and if you can remember, please ask MacGregor if he has a preference of entrées. I hired a cook, and he asked if I preferred lamb or duck for dinner this evening, and I have no clue what Aidan likes.”
Mahogany blinked rapidly in confusion. “So…Everest gets the luggage, Lucy gets the tea, and Aidan gets duck or lamb?”
Sky nodded encouragingly. The boy was truly not that bright. Or perhaps his fear made him have a less-than-average remembrance level.
Mahogany smiled brightly. “Very well, my lord. I’m on it.”
Sky made his way to the first landing of the staircase that overlooked the first floor and foyer. Aidan stood by the door in a traveling suit that was grossly out of fashion. Sky was struck by the difference between the two of them. Sky was the well-dressed nobleman, hosting his guest with all the stilted formality that he knew of. Aidan, on the other hand, was distinctly common. He was dressed in practical clothing with very few pieces of luggage and was probably extremely uncomfortable with the huge mansion he was to be staying at and the formality with which he was being treated. Sky wanted to smack himself in the head for his stupidity. He should’ve realized that before now. He should’ve at least made this an informal process.
“I’m not going to be happy here no matter how homey you make it,” Aidan promised, reading his mind. Sky was shocked at the ease with which he did so. “The blood we exchanged last year.” Aidan crossed his arms over his chest. Sky supposed that was a good enough explanation. “I’ve been getting your emotions for months. Anything beyond your normal range of feelings hits me like a roller coaster. Over holiday I was having dinner with my family, and I felt a spike of anger so sharp I started acting like a loon, pissed beyond belief for no bloody reason whatsoever. It’s rather disconcerting, you know.”
“I can imagine so. I do apologize for that. I was unaware that such an intense exchange was occurring. I’ll teach you to shield if you like, while you’re here,” Sky offered nervously. He came down the stairs a bit faster than was humanly possible and saw Aidan’s jaw tic in anger.
“Let’s not pretend this is a pleasant visit between friends, shall we? I am here to fulfill your condition for saving my brother and his lover. What occurred between the two of us that night will
not
be discussed, and under no circumstances are you to talk to me in my mind, touch my person, or interfere with my life. Got it?”
Anger spiked with each clipped tone of Aidan’s voice. “This isn’t any easier for me than it is for you, Aidan MacGregor. I wouldn’t have imagined that saving your life when you were ten would have such far-reaching consequences. If I didn’t absolutely have to ask you here, believe me, I would not have sought you out. Your reputation of blind prejudice concerning vampires is well noted. I’m attempting to make this as painless of an experience as possible for the both of us, and I would appreciate a little courtesy.” He paused as Aidan’s eyes bulged almost comically. He couldn’t resist the last jab. “And by the way, when I fed off you in London, it
did
happen, and I
know
you enjoyed it, and I
will
talk about it if I damn well feel like, jäger.”
Aidan dropped the bag he was carrying and tossed off his jacket with a bellow like a bull before leaping at the vampire in pure unadulterated rage. Sky squared his shoulder in preparation for the impact. Very well then, he thought with answering anger.
We’ll have fisticuffs.
* * * *
Aidan drew back his fist and tried to drill it through the smirking face of the vampire.
“Son
of a bitch!”
he screamed in the vampire’s mind. How dare he bring up his moment of weakness in such a flippant fashion? The frustrations of the past eight months couldn’t be described. Every time Sky found something that amused him, every time Sky got pissed about something, every time Sky had gotten melancholy, every time the bastard had had a bloody hard-on, Aidan had felt it. He’d spent more time in the vampire’s head than his own, and worse, he found himself liking the bastard a little more every day. By the time he’d arrived in Prussia, admiring the towering pine forests that surrounded Sky’s estate and seeing all the features of Sky’s homeland that gave the vampire joy, he’d been fighting mad. How dare he make Aidan like him against his will?