Pricolici (13 page)

They ordered pizza and watched an action movie that evening. Tucker didn’t eat too much, quietly nervous about what would happen when they went to bed. He’d been in college, living in one of the haitas’ houses for unmated males when he wasn’t staying at home with Shane, for two years before he’d first changed and his pheromones made everyone go crazy. He’d had lovers, but not many.

Standing in the kitchen, Tucker slid the last few slices of pizza onto a plate and then covered it before placing it in the fridge.

Tucker stood up and then jumped when he felt arms wrap around his waist.

“What’re you doing?” Stelian asked. His hands stroked Tucker’s stomach.

Enjoying the touch, Tucker rolled his head back and leaned into Stelian’s body. “Thought I’d put away the pizza. Ready for bed?” He shut the fridge door.

Stelian nuzzled his neck. “Yeah.” He let Tucker go. “I’m going to check everything is locked up. I’ll be right up.”

Tucker nodded. He covered his mouth as he yawned. “Okay.”

His blue eyes were bright in the bathroom mirror, yellow beginning to ring the iris as Tucker brushed his teeth. He’d taken a shower that afternoon after their fun in the garden so he didn’t bother with another one. When he stripped down, he hesitated then grabbed a pair of pajama pants. He’d really liked taking off Stelian’s pants earlier. There was something sensual about stripping a lover.

He was pulling the sheets back when Stelian came in. “Bathroom’s all yours.”

Stelian smiled at him. “Thanks.” He grabbed a pair of shorts and then went into the bathroom and shut the door. Tucker frowned as he climbed into bed.

Stelian came out a little while later with his hair wet and a pair of boxers on. Tucker stared at the lupe’s chest of soft-looking curls and toned stomach. A treasure trail led down into the shorts.

Tucker licked his lips.

His mate crawled into the other side of the bed and then clicked off the light. Tucker wasn’t surprised when the alpha’s strong arms pulled him close or at the nuzzling rub of his scratchy cheek against his shoulder.

“Good night,” Stelian whispered.

What?

Tucker lifted Stelian’s arm up and then slid to the edge of the bed to flick on his light. “What’s going on?”

Stelian tucked his arm under his head on the pillow. “What do you mean?”

Frowning, Tucker stood up and faced Stelian, who stayed in bed. If they weren’t going to mate, and he wasn’t hurt, did Stelian still want him in the bed? He looked down, feeling his face flush. He wasn’t sure how to bring it up, but he finally decided to come out and say it.

“I thought we were going to mate tonight,” he blurted. His face had to be crimson.

Stelian sat up in the bed, grabbing Tucker by the wrist and pulling him down. Tucker let him do it, kneeling on the bed in his pajama pants. “You said you were ready to mate me when you were heady with power. You were so adamant against mating me.” Tucker ducked his head, and Stelian chuckled. “So I want you to be sure.”

Tucker glanced up at him. “I may not be an alpha, or thousands of years old, Stelian, but I’m not a child—or even a virgin for that matter. I meant what I said. I want you. I want to be your mate.”

“Humor me. Give me until the night before the full moon, the night before the ceremony. I’ll mate you then.”

Tucker grimaced, but Stelian stroked his wrist, the most serious expression on his face. His hormones wouldn’t thank him, but he felt a little pleased that Stelian wasn’t only listening to his instincts. Besides, maybe they could still have… fun.

“All right.”

Chapter Twelve

Tucker pored over the book Stelian gave him. Part of it was a journal. Stelian’s friend, Diurapneus, had bonded with Dardanos, a hultan who’d lived for hundreds of years. His story was fascinating; he’d been culled from his family as a boy and sent to the Crugul Pamantului. The conditions at the school where he learned the history and served the hultans were barbaric. Lessons were academic until age twenty, where hultans gained access to their powers.

Their apprenticeship lasted anywhere from a few years to decades, after that. It all depended on the powers the hultan possessed and how strong they were. From reading, Tucker got the impression that Dardanos had been considered very powerful.

The things he mentioned being able to do—Tucker frowned. It didn’t sound all that impressive. Dardanos had an affinity for metals and scrying. He didn’t mention actually doing an astral projection, but it sounded similar to that, just not “in person”.

It hadn’t been that long since Tucker had been in school. It almost felt like a research project for Ancient Civ. Tucker took notes on the techniques Dardanos mentioned. There seemed to be a lot of ritual for everything. When Tucker had astral projected, all it took was thinking about Stelian. Dardanos had done special cleansing chants and lit candles and incense in a brazier before blessing the surface for his scrying attempt.

He rested his chin in his hand, tapping his eraser against his note pad. How much of that had been necessary, and how much had been trappings to impress laymen?

There was no way for Tucker to tell, unless he tried it himself.

A shaving mirror from the bathroom was a good surface to do the actual scrying. Tucker headed into the kitchen for candles and herbs. He rummaged around in the drawers, looking for Stelian’s candles and a lighter. They were white, not red, but they’d have to do. The spices were easier to find. He grabbed jars of rosemary and thyme.

Tucker saw a small crystal bowl on a side table. Since it was full of change, it couldn’t be that important. He dumped the coins on the table and headed back to the library with his tools. Setting up his supplies on the desk took a few minutes. He eyeballed the measurements for the spacing of the candles around the mirror, then measured a small handful of rosemary to promote focus and concentration. He added a pinch of thyme—to purify the ritual—and dumped both into the crystal bowl placed just above the mirror.

“Okay. Here goes nothing.”

Tucker did a quick read through of his notes. He could understand the prayer, but wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say it in English or not. Tucker shrugged. Since he didn’t know any other language….

The candles flickered in the breeze from the central air, but stayed lit. “Balaur, I call upon you to witness this ritual.” Tucker lit the herbs with the lighter, grimacing at the scent. He wasn’t fond of incense, much less scorched dried herbs. “By green, by God, by faith and power, I summon the image I desire. Show me my charm.”

He wanted to scry his neck chain. He’d lost it somewhere in the house and couldn’t find it.

“Show me my charm.”

Nothing.

Tucker waved the smoke around and stared into the mirror. “Show me my charm.”

“You can charm me.”

Shit. Tucker jumped and knocked over one of the candles. It stuck to the desk. Tucker smacked his hand down to make sure it was out. “Damn it, Stelian. Do you have to sneak up on me like that?”

Stelian was standing in the doorway of the library, laughing. Tucker glared at him and then shook his head. He licked his fingers, the wick sizzling on the other three candles as he put them out. The smoke was giving him a headache, so Tucker stood up and opened a window.

He carried the bowl passed Stelian, resisting the urge to elbow the smirking lupe. He dumped it in the kitchen sink and poured cold water on it. The herbs hissed and stank even more.

“What were you trying to do?” Stelian asked.

“Something from the book.” Tucker turned around and leaned against the counter. “It didn’t work.” He frowned. “Maybe too much was different. I don’t know.” He stared at his blurry reflection in the stainless steel fridge.

“What were you looking for?”

“My chain. It’s missing.” He really liked it. It was chunky, creating a solid weight around his neck. He’d spent a lot of money on it—considering Tucker avoided getting it in silver.

“You called it a charm.”

“I did. It was part of the spell.” There was something about it that called to him. He’d known it was meant for him, the second he saw it, even though it took him months of working and saving to afford it. He scowled, his reflection distorting. It was his, and he wanted it,
damn it
.

His face swirled in the fridge, the pale oval darkening to a soft gold, like he actually had a tan. The lines wavered and then solidified into a round shape—not his face, but something else. Tucker frowned and shook his head. That wasn’t his necklace.

It was a head… a wolf’s head. Two of them. “What the hell?” Tucker muttered.

“What do you see?” Stelian murmured. “What charm did you find?”

“The bracelet in the library.” Tucker blinked, and the image disappeared. “Holy crap, that was weird.”

Stelian turned and left the kitchen. Tucker was still staring at his blurry reflection when he came back. “Here.” Stelian held out the clear box that housed the bracelet from the display. “Just slide the back panel up to open it.”

“What…?”

“If your magic saw this, when you were looking for your charm, then this should be yours.”

Tucker shook his head. “I don’t understand this at all. I wasn’t looking for the bracelet. I wanted my necklace. Besides, the ritual didn’t work. I couldn’t scry anything in the mirror.”

“I told you, your magic is instinctual,” Stelian said. He offered the box to Tucker again. “Your will controls your power, and that’s far more important than candles and offerings.”

Tucker took the box. “Still, I was thinking about my necklace. I was focused on it.”

Stelian raised an eyebrow. “On the actual necklace, or what was
yours
?”

Huh. He had a point. Tucker wiggled the back off the box and reached inside. The gold bracelet had a patina etching the metal dark in the coils that looked like scales and the wolf heads on either finial. It was warm to the touch, not cool like he expected.

“Put it on,” Stelian urged.

Tucker wasn’t sure what would happen, but he slipped it over his hand and up his arm to the middle of his forearm, where it fit snugly against his skin. He stared at the bracelet, holding his breath.

“It looks good.”

It did, the gold warm against the pale skin of Tucker’s arm. One of the wolf heads faced up on the top of his arm, and the other head was underneath. He waited. Still nothing happened.

“Huh. Guess that’s it.” Tucker looked up at Stelian. “Sure you don’t mind me having this? It’s yours.”

Stelian shrugged. “I’ve collected a lot of old pieces over the years. I always liked the wolves on this, but that’s all. I don’t feel any sentimental attachment to it, and I know better than to argue against magic.” He approached Tucker. “After all, your magic is what brought you to me, and I know that’s exactly where you should be. If you saw this, you’re meant to have it. The bracelet is yours.”

He slid one arm around Tucker’s waist and pulled him in close. “If you want to repay me somehow, though, I wouldn’t say no.” He slid one hand into Tucker’s hair and pulled his head back gently, angling his head as Stelian claimed Tucker’s mouth in a heated kiss.

Damn. The ages Stelian had been alive had definitely given the ancient lupe more than enough time to learn to kiss. Tucker was gasping for breath by the time Stelian was done plundering his mouth.

“You could take me dancing,” Tucker offered. He slid his hands along Stelian’s shoulders, rubbing his thumbs up and down his neck. “At your club.”

“And what’s in it for me?”

Tucker smirked. “You didn’t get to see me dance the last time we were there.”

Stelian tightened his grip, palming one cheek of Tucker’s ass. “No, I didn’t.”

“You’ll enjoy it.” Tucker reached up and nipped at Stelian’s lower lip. “Trust me.”

“You’ll wear your leather pants?” Stelian’s fingers kneaded his ass, bumping their hips together. Oh yeah, he liked that idea—Tucker could feel the iron bar of Stelian’s erection grinding against his.

Tucker pulled away. “What else would I wear to a club?” He had a great shirt to go with it. He hadn’t worn it in forever, but since his pheromones were masked by Stelian’s scent, he’d be safe to cover up a bit. Not that his shirt covered much. “I’ll go get ready. Are you going to change?”

Stelian was dressed in black jeans and a deep blue button up over a white tank top. “No. Can’t shock the staff too much. Besides, I’m just going to watch you, remember?” Tucker decided to make it his mission to get Stelian out of his shirt and out on the floor before they left the club that night.

He was upstairs rummaging around in the closet for his pants when the front gate intercom went off. Tucker ignored it; Stelian would answer their summons. Usually it was just an alert for the guards changing. The Hunters didn’t keep a regular rotation—too predictable. The guards, both in human and lupe form, checked the property at random, and the shifts could be anywhere from two hours to seven in length.

Tucker found his pants and pulled them on, struggling with the tight leather. He tucked his dick to one side and laced the front together, then readjusted so everything was comfortable. Getting out of his pants at the end of the night after he’d gotten all sweaty on the dance floor was a nightmare, but the way they cupped his ass and package made the effort worth it. It took a bit longer to find the right bag with his club clothes, but Tucker finally found the top he was looking for.

He pulled on the sleeveless t-shirt. It ended just above his pants, showing a glimpse of his lower abs and the muscles at his hips dipping toward the laced front. There were random slashes in the sky blue fabric that gaped where it stretched like a second skin, the edges curled, showing off his lean stomach and pecs. The edge of one pink areola just showed in one jagged corner.

Perfect.

His black boots completed the outfit, and Tucker was ready to go. Except, when Tucker got downstairs, there were three lupes standing in the living room with Stelian, and by the looks on their faces, Tucker would not be showing off his dancing skills that night.

“Stelian? What’s going on?” Tucker paused at the end of the couch, holding on to the back. “What happened?”

“Tucker, meet my betas. You know Marevin, Grecia’s mate. This is Calos, Demetrio, and Gunther.”

“Gunther?” The lupe was beefy and blond, where the other two were built like Stelian with dark skin and hair. “Really?”

“I was born back when invading was still a matter of axe and shield. I liked Stelian’s haitas better than my brethren who didn’t care for my wolf. So I stayed when they went off to sack easier prey than his castle and village proved.” His voice still carried a faint hint of accent, stronger than Stelian’s, but I probably wouldn’t have noticed it without knowing he wasn’t an American.

The seasonal invasions of the mainland by the so-called Viking hordes was fascinating. Stelian’s haitas was full of lupes Tucker couldn’t wait to pump for more information. Tucker would have to dig out his journals and begin taking notes. There was so much to learn.

“I’m sorry, Tucker, but we can’t go out tonight.” Stelian’s eyes shined yellow as he licked his lips. “It’s a damn shame to waste that outfit, but they just got back from scouting Phell’s haitas.”

That didn’t sound good, at all. “Are they going to come here? Get revenge because I killed their alpha?” Tucker leaned against the couch, needing the support. “I didn’t have a choice.”

Stelian hurried over to him. “No, no. That’s not it. Phell’s haitas has scattered. Most of his men weren’t mated, and his inner circle guards were decimated in their attack against us. Phell had a few different places he liked to den, but he had a house in Lincoln that he stayed at most of the time. They found….” He hesitated.

“What? What did they find?”

Calos held something in his hands. Stelian led Tucker around to the front of the couch and urged him to sit down. Stelian crouched down between his knees. “I need you to stay calm, okay?”

Tucker’s heart was pounding, and he knew they’d all be able to smell the bitter tang of his fear. What the hell did they find? “Tell me.”

Stelian held his hand out and Calos passed him the papers. But they weren’t papers, they were pictures. Stelian set them gently in Tucker’s lap.

What. The. Fuck.