Two Mates for a Magistrate (5 page)

35

man meant him no harm, but something had changed, something awful that plagued Dietrich.

“Okay,” Dietrich said. “I’ll go… Just let me.”

The surreal quality of the situation strangely made Fritz a bit calmer. He got up and took a few steps back, watching Dietrich for any intentions of attack.

“I’m a shape-shifter,” Dietrich said after a brief pause. “I can turn into a wolf. Well, sort of. I have this power, but I hate it. I’ve been trying to control it for many years now, but it somehow broke free when you touched me.”

Fritz opened his mouth and closed it, aware that he must look like a fish. When his brain registered Dietrich’s words, he tried to focus on something real to cling on to. He chose the first thing he could come up with. “Because of sex? But surely, you’ve been with other people before.”

The thought bothered him, and he felt an odd satisfaction when Dietrich replied, “I’ve fucked others, yes, but it’s different with you.”

His tone became low and husky. “You have no idea how different it is.”

In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Fritz’s body responded once again and his arousal returned with a vengeance. His prick never really lost interest, since it would have been impossible around a naked Dietrich. It went from half-mast to rock-hard in just a moment.

Berating himself for his irrational wantonness, Fritz snatched a couch pillow and shielded his dick with it. It probably just made it even more obvious, but they needed to have this conversation, damn it, not fall back into fucking.

Everything was so strange. God, he had a werewolf in his living room for crying out loud. Fritz’s reason screamed that he call the cops or a mental institution, but his heart wouldn’t let him do so. For all he knew, Dietrich might be telling the truth. Those claws couldn’t have been a figment of Fritz’s imagination.

36

Scarlet Hyacinth

Dietrich grinned at him. “You can’t hide from me, lover,” he murmured. “I can smell arousal, you know.”

“That’s a bit freaky,” Fritz shot back.

He regretted the words almost instantly when he saw Dietrich’s face fall. “I know,” the other man said. “I can’t help it. I wish things were different.”

He caressed the side of Fritz’s face with a warm, gentle hand. “I think I should leave. Don’t worry about me. I won’t bother you again.”

Before Fritz could say anything else, Dietrich got up and pulled his clothes on. Fritz watched him move, taking in the predatory gait and the swift elegance of each motion. Not a werewolf, but a man, a gorgeous man Fritz ached to know, and touch, and love.

But Dietrich didn’t give him the chance. He turned and pressed a butterfly-light kiss on Fritz’s lips, then whispered, “Don’t worry, babe. This was all just a horrible nightmare and nothing more. Sleep.”

Fritz’s eyes began to close, a sense of profound exhaustion invading his every pore. “What? No… Don’t, Dietrich…”

His lover’s name was the last thing he managed to say before everything went black.

Two Mates for a Magistrate

37

Fritz opened his eyes to the familiar sight of his bedroom. At first, he was confused. He didn’t know exactly how he’d gotten here, since he couldn’t remember getting in bed and falling asleep. But then, the previous night’s events flashed through his mind. Dietrich, their shared passion, the odd discovery, and then the other man’s flight. It seemed Dietrich must have somehow forced him into slumber. Did werewolves have that sort of power? And God, why was he even considering such things? Maybe his brief recollection of Dietrich’s words spoke the truth. Just a nightmare, and nothing more.

No. How could something as beautiful as Fritz’s experience with Dietrich be a nightmare? He refused to accept it. There must be some other explanation, something that would clear the mist in Fritz’s mind. Then again, their instant chemistry had been spoiled by the weirdness of the appearing claws. Yes, it must have been just a dream.

Fritz realized he needed to return to the real world and go to work.

He desperately wished he wouldn’t have to do anything challenging today. He was distracted, and he didn’t want to make any stupid mistake that would cause an accident like the one the day before.

As he walked to the construction site, he wondered if he’d ever see Dietrich again. The realization that Dietrich might have already left Trier made Fritz’s heart heavy. But as much as he would have liked, he couldn’t exactly go looking for the other man in all of the hotels in the town. It didn’t work that way.

A cloud of confusion swallowed his memories, but he knew he had, indeed, met Dietrich, and they’d gotten together for a drink.

38

Scarlet Hyacinth

Beyond that, everything must have been Fritz’s overactive imagination. Still, Fritz wasn’t quite over it, yet, and he didn’t feel ready to attempt a second date.

He was so lost in his thoughts he ran straight into a warm, solid body. “Hold on there,” a familiar voice said.

Fritz blinked and shock coursed through him. “What are you doing here?” he blurted out, glaring at the handsome of face of Joseph Garou.

Joseph grinned at him. “Now, what kind of welcome is that?”

Fritz bristled. It was just like Joseph to have the gall of saying something presumptuous in spite of the way they’d parted. Joseph represented Fritz’s only attempt at a relationship and the biggest mistake in his life. Why in the world had he returned, and now all of times?

“Welcome back,” he said, putting as much sarcasm in his tone as he could. “Now, get out of my way. I have somewhere to be.”

Joseph arched a perfectly groomed brow. “Oh? And where is that?”

Fritz couldn’t very well force Joseph to move aside. The other man looked lean, but he was impossibly strong, as Fritz learned all too well in the past. In fact, the last time they’d seen each other, Fritz had earned a couple of broken ribs in an argument with Joseph. He could remember it now, Joseph’s heavy fists cracking bone, his dark eyes staring down at him in amusement. “You’re quite funny, my dear Fritz,” he’d said back then. “But I’m bored with your ridiculousness.

Farewell.”

Fritz had counted his blessings for being left alone. His defeat humbled him, and for a while, he’d been plagued by insecurities and irrational fears. Now, those feelings finally dwindled, but Joseph came back.

“Don’t start with me, Joseph,” Fritz told his ex. He glared, furious at the memories assaulting him. More than anything, he hated to be
Two Mates for a Magistrate

39

weak, and he loathed the feeling of inferiority that came whenever he recalled his inability to fight Joseph. “I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh? Your little meeting last night didn’t work out the way you expected, did it?”

Fritz’s entire body froze. How could Joseph know about Dietrich?

And what exactly had Joseph seen? Fritz himself didn’t know what happened the day before. “Are you stalking me?” he asked, fuming. It made absolutely no sense. The other man had been perfectly clear upon their separation that Fritz was nothing more but a fun toy, and one he’d almost broken. Why would he want to enter Fritz’s life again, especially now when he was trying to make sure he hadn’t lost his mind?

Joseph just smirked in that irritating way of his. “I don’t have to answer your question.”

All of a sudden, his expression changed and he tensed visibly. “I must bid you farewell now, my dear Fritz. I’ll see you soon.”

Without further explanation, Joseph took off, disappearing in the crowd. Completely confused, Fritz decided to take advantage of his lucky break and rushed in the direction of his home. As he passed an alley, however, he found himself dragged in the darkness by an unseen force.

Fritz fought against his attacker. He found in dismay he encountered trouble breaking free, an unusual fact in and by itself. It only ever happened with Joseph. The thought made renewed anger course through him. He snapped his head back and was rewarded with a male grunt and a loosening of the hold on him.

He used the opportunity to move away and turned to face his assailant. He caught a brief glimpse of dark blond hair before a dark flash pushed him down and he went falling down on the pavement.

Much to Fritz’s dismay, the man on top of him held him with no real effort. “Please, don’t make me hurt you,” he said. The words sounded serious, not mocking, as if the stranger uttering them really meant
40

Scarlet Hyacinth

them. But there were many crazy people who seemed very nice, and the sudden attack didn’t speak well of the truth behind the situation.

“I haven’t done anything,” he answered. “You’re the one jumping me and holding me down in the dirt.”

For a few moments, the blond remained silent. “I’m sorry about this,” he said again. “I’m afraid it’s necessary.”

As he spoke, the blond released Fritz from his hold. Fritz looked around for a way out of his predicament, but he soon realized the real reason why his attacker released him. Another man entered the alley, his expression glum and his eyes instantly zeroing in on Fritz. Unlike his companion, he looked hostile, and his dark blue gaze seemed to spear through Fritz.

“I lost him,” he told the other man.

The blond cursed under his breath, while the new arrival turned his attention to Fritz. “Who was that with you?” he asked. “Where did he go?”

Fritz blinked in confusion. “What?” Did they mean Joseph? Fritz had known Joseph was involved with some pretty bad stuff, but he’d never expected to be swept in, especially not now that they were no longer an item. “The guy I ran into?” When his interrogator nodded, Fritz continued, “Just my ex. Joseph Garou. And no, I don’t know where he’s gone. I thought he left town a year ago.”

His first attacker looked thoughtful. “So you don’t know anything special about him? Anything at all?”

Fritz shook his head. Joseph had always been secretive, and Fritz allowed it, since he himself liked his privacy.

The second man sighed. “Well, it can’t be helped now. We were instructed to watch over you, but it seems you’ve attracted some unwanted attention.”

“Watch over me?” Fritz repeated. “Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but I can take care of myself just fine, thank you.”

“I don’t think so,” the irritating stranger replied. “You’ll have to come with us.”

Two Mates for a Magistrate

41

* * * *

Dietrich fully intended to leave Trier. He’d meant to keep his distance from Fritz and allow his mate to live a fulfilling life and find a human to love. But for all his good intentions, he hadn’t been unable to go through with it. How could he just abandon the other half of his soul? All day, the doubt lingered within him, until at last, he decided to watch over Fritz from afar.

He’d left his rented room and headed toward the construction site, hoping to catch at least a brief glimpse of his mate. Fritz would be leaving for his workplace at this hour. A weird melancholic excitement filled him, the desire to look into Fritz’s beautiful eyes so strong it almost made him keel over.

He quickened his pace, for once thankful Trier was the size of a handkerchief, especially when compared to all the other cities Dietrich had seen. He wished he could show Fritz the world, or rather, see it together with him. Dietrich had never found peace, no matter where he’d gone. But he knew it would have been so different with Fritz.

He was deep in his dream when the surprise and hostility hit him.

He couldn’t sense fear, not exactly, but rather anger, apprehension, and confusion. Someone had attacked his mate.

Terror coursed through Dietrich. Even if they didn’t have a bond, he could already feel Fritz so clear in his mind. And there was something else, something skirting the recesses of his mind. It felt familiar, but Dietrich couldn’t quite identify it. He pushed aside the unknown sensation and rushed in the direction of the construction site.

Halfway there, he found his mate in an alley, surrounded by two suspicious individuals. The wolf inside him emerged, controlled only by the fact that Fritz seemed unharmed. Its instincts identified its
42

Scarlet Hyacinth

enemies as other beasts, and possessiveness mixed with anger in Fritz’s chest.

“Dietrich?” his mate asked. He sounded lost, completely confused, but otherwise unhurt.

“Are you okay?” Dietrich asked.

His voice came out as a low growl that, in any other circumstances, would have concerned him. He became a bit more in control when Fritz nodded, but the beast within still wanted to tear apart its enemies. Dietrich directed a glare at the two men. “Get away from him, if you want to live.”

One of the strange wolves, a handsome blond, took a step forward. “We don’t mean any harm to you or your mate. Calm down.”

Calm down? Dietrich wanted to laugh. How could he calm down when they’d attacked Fritz? He had no intentions to negotiate, or anything along that line. They’d committed a serious mistake in messing with him.

The blond was close to him, and the wolf inside Dietrich grasped the occasion. Dietrich found himself turning, until his vision became monochrome and he fell on four paws on the ground. The sudden change between forms should have startled him. In the back of his mind, he felt odd, unfamiliar with his own body. So many new things assaulted his senses, but it was all background noise. He lunged forward, and before his enemies could do anything, he took the blond down. At the last moment, the man shifted and this time, the ripple of energy really did take Dietrich by surprise. On instinct, he’d gone for the man’s throat, but with the shift, the other wolf’s gray fur hindered his approach.

For a few instants, Dietrich managed to hold him down, but somehow, the gray wolf pushed him away. Dietrich growled angrily, circling around his opponent. Every time he tried to attack, the gray wolf danced away at the last moment. In spite of his own superior
Two Mates for a Magistrate

43

strength, the other wolf had the advantage of a better control on his beast and more experience in such battles.