Slade's Feisty Mate (Saber Chronicles Book Two) (6 page)

“There isn’t a head of security right now.
Aubrey has been handling the schedule and issues with the guards.
She wants me to take over the guards, but she has to clear it with
her brother, which we can apparently do tonight at the club,”
Alaric said.

“The brother goes to the club a lot I take
it?” Galen asked from the second row.

“I guess he feeds there a few times a week.
It’s a big deal to human females to let the master vampire feed on
them, so, according to Gretchen, the females wear next to nothing
and wait around at the club every night, hoping he’ll show up and
pick them.”

Slade didn’t know much about vampires. He’d
met a few through the years, but hadn’t ever had a sit-down
conversation with any. “Maybe you’ll meet a girl at the club
tonight, and she’ll be wearing purple and gold,” Slade said, joking
with Galen.

“It’s
pink
and gold,” he said, “and I
don’t think it’s something she wears, I think it’s part of
her.”

“Like her hair?” Alaric asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. I’ve only had one
dream.”

“You’ll find her when the time is right,”
Alaric said.

Galen didn’t answer. Slade turned to look at
him, and he was staring out the window with his jaw clenched. He
was thankful that he’d found Gretchen so quickly. The wonder and
waiting of the mating dreams had been hell on Alaric, and if Galen
didn’t find his pink and gold mate soon, he’d be facing a future of
wondering when he’d meet her.

Slade pulled his cell from his pocket and
texted Gretchen.

I’m so glad I found you
.

After a minute, she texted back.

Not as glad as I am that I found YOU.

He chuckled, texted her a few hearts and
smiley faces, and slipped his phone back into his pocket. Being
mated was fucking awesome. Knowing she was waiting for him and that
she’d let him see her naked made his cat anxious to return to the
hotel.

Krel was waiting in the lobby of the
human-run hotel, and they followed him up to Jonathon’s room. “Why
didn’t you stay at the supernatural hotel?” Slade asked.

“If we stayed within Belle Terra, the vampire
master could enforce his rules on us. We weren’t sure if he’d want
us there, and we didn’t want to chance him making us leave.”

“What made you invite Aubrey?” Alaric
asked.

“I always send invitations to the family
members of important people in the towns we visit, as well as to
the important people themselves. For whatever reason, Master Night
didn’t accept our invitation but let his sister attend.”

“I don’t recall her saying that he was
invited, too,” Alaric said.

“Whoever handles his correspondence may have
ignored it,” Jonathon said, shrugging. “He probably gets invited to
a hundred events a month. At any rate, you found your truemate. I’m
happy for you, Alaric.”

“Thank you. Slade found his as well.”

Jonathon’s brows rose. “Did you? My, my.
Belle Terra is turning out to be a very fortuitous city. And you’re
still single, Galen?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, hopefully your dreams will lead you
where you need to go. We’re here for a few months.”

Galen glanced at his brothers. “If things
haven’t changed with my mating-dreams, I’ll continue to travel.
It’s the only way to ensure that the dreams will get better. I
think I’m not very close to my truemate, or I would have had a very
vivid dream right away.”

“It’s only been one night,” Slade pointed
out.

“I know,” Galen said. “I like fighting, and
we all took an oath to Jonathon and the NWFA until we found our
truemates. I’m still unmated.”

“And your sister?” Jonathon asked, one brow
rising slightly. Slade had known that Jonathon was interested in
their sister since the moment they met him, but she had always
politely turned him down.

“She was never part of the oath. She wants to
stay in Belle Terra,” Alaric said.

“Of course. I’m sure she’ll find her truemate
in good time, as will you, Galen. In the meantime, we’ll see you
Friday night.”

“I’ll be there.”

They shook hands with the alpha wolf and left
the hotel. As they got into the SUV, Alaric said, “That went better
than I expected. I thought he might beg us to fight once more for
him.”

“Me too,” Slade said.

Alaric said, “I want to pick up something to
wear to the club tonight. Aubrey said there was a men’s store in
town. Do you want me to drop you guys off at the hotel?”

Slade looked down at his worn jeans and tight
T-shirt. He hadn’t thought about dressing nicely, but it
was
his and his mate’s first official date. He’d like to do it right,
and that started with dressing the part.

“I’m in. What do people wear to vampire-owned
clubs, anyway?”

“Aubrey suggested dress slacks and a dress
shirt. She said that male patrons wear everything from expensive
suits to jeans, but because we would be on Caleb’s private floor,
we should dress nicely.”

“Sounds good,” Slade said.

“You can drop me off. I’ll go tonight, but
I’ve got a pair of khakis and a button down I can throw on. I’d
rather be training than shopping.”

After dropping off their youngest brother,
Slade and Alaric headed to the men’s store. While they looked
through the dress clothes, they discussed the hotel’s security and
how to ensure that both their mates and their sister were safe
while they worked.

Lifting a forest green shirt from the rack,
Slade said, “I don’t want Gretchen working once she’s carrying my
cub. I want to be the sole supporter of our family.”

“I feel the same way. Aubrey said she’d
consider working from our room when she’s pregnant but that she
didn’t want to quit entirely. Maybe once she actually is pregnant,
she’ll change her mind. She said I’m being a Neanderthal because I
want her barefoot and pregnant, chained to the stove in the
kitchen.”

Slade chuckled. “She’s a little dramatic, I
take it?”

“Just a bit.”

They spent an hour in the store, taking the
opportunity to expand their wardrobe for their new jobs as well as
for times when they took their mates out for a good time. The hotel
security guards wore plain black suits with white dress shirts and
black ties. After paying for their clothing, they returned to the
hotel. On the first floor of the hotel, next to the gift shop, was
a florist.

“Wait a sec. I want to get some flowers for
Gretchen,” Slade said, handing his packages to one of the bellhops
who hurried toward them when they walked in with their
purchases.

“Good idea.”

Slade found a human woman behind the counter.
She smiled and said, “The boss is out of town, so I only have
whatever is in the cases. I’m not very good at putting arrangements
together.”

“It’s okay. I just wanted a bouquet for my
mate.”

“Oh, that I can definitely do.” She moved
from her stool behind the counter and led them to one of three
refrigerated cases containing flower bouquets and arrangements.

“Are you Aubrey’s and Gretchen’s new mates? I
heard through the staff grapevine that we had some new people
moving in. I’m Jocelyn.” She extended her hand, and both shook it
after introducing themselves.

Slade chose pink roses for Gretchen, and
Alaric picked white lilies for Aubrey. They thanked Jocelyn for her
help and left, leading the bellhops to the elevator and up to their
new homes on the fourteenth floor.

“I like this hotel a hell of a lot better
than sharing that cramped camper with you three,” Slade said.

“Hell yes. I didn’t mind fighting for
Jonathon, but I’m glad to be done with it. Having a regular job and
starting a family has been a dream of mine for a long time.”

“Me too.”

Reaching the door to his and Gretchen’s room,
he nodded at his brother and used the thumbprint ID to unlock the
door. He instructed the bellhop to put the bags on the couch and
handed him a tip on his way out the door.

Then he texted his mate.

I’ve got a special present for you.

She texted back.

By special present, do you mean your
dick?

He laughed at his mate’s sassy comment.

I didn’t, but I do now. From now on, we’ll
call my dick your special present. It’ll be our code
.

I’ll be right there. For my special
present
.

She ended her text with a winking smiley
face.

Standing in the center of the living room
with the flowers, he waited for his sweetheart so he could give her
the flowers. And her special present.

Chapter 7

Gretchen took Slade’s hand and slid from the
second row of the SUV. Alaric and Aubrey were in the front seats,
and Galen and Lia were in the third row. Lia complained about
trying to climb out of the third row without flashing her panties
to everyone.

Caleb’s club, Heat, was packed. Gretchen had
been a few times since she started working for him at the hotel.
She and Aubrey had come together and danced and flirted with the
bartenders to get free drinks.

“Is it always this busy?” Lia asked as she
tugged on the hem of her short dress.

“Pretty much,” Aubrey said. “A lot of members
of the kiss live and work here. Underneath the club are daytime
resting chambers. Caleb likes to live in the penthouse, but he does
have a nice chamber here. Gretchen and I stayed in it one night
when we’d had too much to drink and couldn’t find a cab.”

Gretchen looked at her mate as his arm slid
around her waist and drew her close. He looked so handsome. She’d
already undressed him once after seeing him in his black slacks and
dark green dress shirt. He lowered his head slowly, his eyes
flashing to the gold of his beast for a moment, and kissed her.

“Can I have my special present again?” she
whispered against his mouth.

He chuckled lasciviously. “I’m sure I can
find a way to give it to you. Again and again.”

“It’s a good thing I’m not wearing panties or
they’d be soaked,” she whispered.

“Gross,” Lia said, laughing. “You’re in the
presence of shifters with good hearing.”

Gretchen’s cheeks flushed, and Slade snapped
his teeth at his sister. “Don’t discourage her. I like my mate’s
sexy talk.”

Galen said, “Let’s get inside so they can
grope each other in privacy.”

“Now that’s my kind of good idea,” Slade
said.

Following Alaric and Aubrey as they bypassed
the long line of people waiting to get into Heat, Aubrey introduced
the group to the bouncers. The big males, who weren’t nearly as big
as her mate, were vampires. One unlocked the velvet rope and the
other held open one of the huge carved wooden doors.

Slade held her close as they walked inside.
Music and lights assaulted her senses, and her wolf’s hackles rose
as she scented females all around them.

“I’m yours entirely,” Slade said into her
ear. “No one will ever touch me – or you – again.”

“Good.”

He grinned. “You being possessive is sexy as
fuck.”

Her wolf preened at the praise. A pretty
brunette wearing what could only be described as a bikini top with
a handkerchief as a skirt, smiled and greeted them. “Master Night
is upstairs. He asked me to bring you up.”

Aubrey snorted delicately. “It always cracks
me up to hear them call him Master.”

“Why?” Slade asked.

“Because he was such a shit when he was
younger, and now he’s a powerful master vampire. When we look at
him, we see the guy who used to throw us into the pool and jump out
from closets to scare us when we were kids,” Gretchen said.

The brunette smiled politely and turned, the
tiny skirt fluffing up and showing half her butt. Gretchen glanced
at Slade, but he was scanning the area, and she knew he was making
sure that they were safe. She loved how protective he was of
her.

They walked behind the brunette, even though
Gretchen and Aubrey knew their way, and entered the dance floor.
Bodies writhed and moved to the music that was so loud Gretchen
could feel it in her bones. Strobe lights and lasers painted the
people – vampires, humans, shifters, and other supernatural
creatures – as they danced to the beat.

Slade moved her between himself and the wall,
his arm a tight band around her. A human woman Gretchen had seen
with Caleb from time to time, strode toward them, her hips swaying
exaggeratedly as she moved on sky-high heels. There was blood on
her neck, and although she wore no marks, Gretchen knew that Caleb
had fed from her recently. Being a regular snack for the master
vampire was a badge of honor for the people who liked that sort of
thing. Gretchen never wanted anyone’s teeth in her neck but her
mate’s.

Lia snarled angrily, and Slade pushed
Gretchen behind him, pressing her against the wall. Gretchen peeked
around him and saw that Lia had grabbed the woman by the throat and
was sniffing her.

“Where is he?” Lia growled the words.

The woman shrieked, clawing at Lia. “Get off
me, you crazy bitch!”

Lia roared, making the woman’s eyes roll back
in her head. Lia released her hold on the woman and let her drop to
the floor. Grabbing her head, Lia screamed in anguish and went to
her knees. Galen knelt next to her, but Lia pushed him away. She
shifted more quickly than Gretchen had ever seen anyone shift. One
moment she was a woman, and the next she was a huge tigress with
long, curved fangs. With a warning growl, Lia raced toward the
circular staircase that led up to Caleb’s private floor.

“Well, shit.” Alaric said from where he had
pressed Aubrey against the wall to protect her, too.

“Tell me that didn’t just fucking happen,”
Galen said as he roused the brunette and helped her to her
feet.

“What happened?” Gretchen asked. Slade
relaxed and let her away from the wall.