Flawless Read online

  Kieran Delaney was pure. His heart was kind, warm, the place a person would want to take up residence and spend the rest of their days. Being with Lynk would change him, though. It would change him in ways that Lynk didn’t want to think about.

  “I can’t.” He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tarnish Kieran that way, wouldn’t cloud his soul with bone-numbing darkness. So he struggled, tried to get away. He pushed at Kieran’s chest, heaved his shoulders, twisted one way and then the other.

  Kieran held him tight as he thrashed about, not giving in to Lynk’s panic. Rough, callused fingers gripped his chin, pushing his head back on his shoulders. “Quiet,” Kieran commanded, his voice soft but firm, holding a velvet steel that made Lynk shiver from the base of his skull clear down to his toes.

  Did Kieran see his trembling muscles? Did he notice how Lynk had calmed at once? Was he disgusted with Lynk’s reaction to him?

  Whatever was going on inside his mind, his face gave nothing away.

  “When is the last time you slept?”

  “The night before last,” Lynk answered automatically.

  Kieran traced under Lynk’s eyes with his fingertips. “When is the last time you really slept? I don’t mean closed your eyes for a couple of hours, but really, really slept.”

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  Lynk bit the inside of his cheek and shook his head. He understood the question, but he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a decent night’s sleep. This close to Kieran, he couldn’t think of anything but the heat pouring off of the man’s body, the hard muscles beneath his soft shirt, and how incredible he smelled.

  “That’s what I thought.” Kieran’s voice was low, husky, and dripping with arousal. He shifted in his seat, and Lynk felt the evidence of that desire pressed against his ass.

  His own cock hardened in response, swelling to strain against his zipper. When Kieran’s hand landed on his upper thigh and squeezed, Lynk thought he’d come right there in his jeans. The breathless moan that puffed through his lips embarrassed him, but he couldn’t stop it.

  “Come on.” Kieran stood, still cradling Lynk in his arms as he stomped across the room and out into the hallway.

  “Where are we going?”

  “I’m going to put you in my bed, and you’re going to sleep.” Lynk started to struggle. As much as he’d love to be in Kieran’s bed, it was a terrible idea. “No. I’ll stay here. There has to be a spare room that I can use.”

  “I imagine there is, but I said you’re coming with me.” The authority in his voice went straight to Lynk’s cock. His erection jerked, leaking pre-cum from the slit until he could see the small stain spreading across the front of his pants. Riding on the tail end of that lust was an overwhelming anxiety, though. Did Kieran know his secret? Could he see just by looking at him?

  “Kieran, put me down.” He tried to be firm, to speak with conviction, but even to his own ears, he could hear the underlying plea. Maybe he should just haul off and punch his mate again. That had seemed to do the trick the last time—except that he’d felt sick about it from the moment it had happened.

  He’d been given a gift, and not only had he forsaken it, turned it away, but he’d gone as far as to abuse it. What the fuck was wrong with him?

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  * * * *

  Kieran could feel the way Lynk trembled in his arms, but he didn’t think it was from fear. There was some anxiety there. Kieran could feel it as well as scent a slight trace of it on the air. Still, he didn’t think Lynk was afraid of him, but more that the man was nervous around him. He’d never say it out loud, but he kind of liked knowing that Lynk wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended to be.

  Looking at Torren and Raith, anyone would expect Lynk to be just as big, just as brawny. They’d be sorely disappointed. While he wasn’t much larger than Aslan or any of the other mates in the house, Kieran could feel the hard muscles bunching under his palms, knew if he got his mate naked, those muscles would be sculpted and defined.

  None of that mattered to him, though. The fact that Lynk was gorgeous from the tips of his shiny black hair to his smaller than average feet was just icing on the cake. The beauty he sought lurked on the inside. Beneath the veneer of cool indifference, there was a kind, giving soul just searching for someone to nurture it and bring it to the surface.

  Kieran knew he was more than up for the job.

  “Kieran, put me down.”

  It was cute the way his mate argued with him, but it so wasn’t happening. “Have you ever just let someone take care of you?” Nope. He could see the confusion written all over Lynk’s face.

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “You’re adorable when you pout.” Kieran chuckled at the scowl on Lynk’s plump lips. “I have no doubt that you can do anything you put your mind to, but that’s not the point. Everyone needs to be pampered sometimes.”

  Finally settling Lynk on his feet, Kieran checked to make sure the foyer was clear of any sun-allergic vampires and punched in the access code so that the steel plates covering the door slid away.

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  Taking Lynk’s wrist, he pulled him out into the morning sun, closed the door behind them, and waited until he heard the door covering grind back into place.

  “Where do you live?”

  Smiling to himself, Kieran held his mate’s hand as he led him along the dirt path that would take them to the cabin he shared with his brothers. “It’s not far. Just around that curve in the road. Raina and Teegan used to share the cabin with us, but they moved up to the main house after the pups were kidnapped. Once things settle down, they’ll move to one of the cabins across the lake.” He just kept talking, keeping his voice low and soothing, offering idle chit-chat in hopes that it would calm some of Lynk’s nervousness. The grip on his hand remained steady, unflinching, so he took that as a good sign.

  “What do people think is going on here?” Lynk waved his hand around vaguely. “I mean, this place is huge. It’s not like you can hide it from the people in town, even if it is way out here in the sticks.”

  “Well, I’d guess the humans probably think we’re some kind of cult or commune. Most of the surrounding towns are occupied by paranormals, though, so it’s not really an issue. They know what we are, and for the most part, they just leave us to it.” He’d never really speculated on what the humans believed of their little community, but now, the thought made him chuckle. No doubt they had all sorts of gruesome ideas about what went on inside the iron gates of Haven.

  “I’m sorry that I hit you.” The words were said so quietly, Kieran almost thought he imagined them until Lynk spoke again. “I had no right to do that. My only excuse is that I panicked and reacted badly.” Kieran didn’t respond, but he squeezed the hand in his with reassurance. He hadn’t been angry about Lynk’s right hook to his jaw.

  A little dazed perhaps, a lot confused, but anger had never factored into the equation. Lynk’s apology was sincere, but something in the way he said it didn’t sit right with Kieran.

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  From the moment Kieran had lifted him out of that chair in the library, Lynk had said a number of things that didn’t make sense to him. He hadn’t said he didn’t want Kieran to hold him, he’d said he

  “shouldn’t” want it.

  It also didn’t escape his notice the way Lynk practically quivered when Kieran used his “alpha” voice. Nor did he miss how his mate had stilled at once when Kieran had ordered it. He’d only wanted to prevent Lynk from hurting himself, but he couldn’t deny the man’s reaction had sent a jolt straight to his aching cock. He just didn’t understand what any of it meant.

  “Did I say something wrong?”

  Studying Lynk’s bent head, his downcast eyes, and the way his shoulders rounded as though drawing in on himself, Kieran felt the first threads of uncertainty. There was obviously something he was missing, something that Lynk needed from him but
was afraid to ask for. Lynk wasn’t pack, shouldn’t respond the way he did to Kieran’s commands. Yet, he was more…obedient than any of Kieran’s siblings.

  Obedience. What an odd word for him to use for a human being, but it was the only thing he could think to describe Lynk’s behavior.

  Kieran was used to taking control and being in charge. While he knew from talking to Torren that Lynk had some wicked powerful magic, the man was so unassuming that no one would ever realize it.

  Lynk was beginning to shake again, his hand wobbling in Kieran’s grasp. He was obviously uncomfortable with Kieran’s lack of communication.

  Not knowing how else to comfort the man, Kieran scooped him up in his arms, nuzzled the side of his neck, and made a sound somewhere between a growl and purr. Lynk calmed at once, breathing out a contented sigh as he curled closer and fisted his hands in Kieran’s shirt.

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  It was a dirty trick, but it worked, and Kieran would take whatever advantage he could get until he figured out what the hell was going on with his very peculiar mate.

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  Chapter Two

  Stepping up on the front porch of the large cabin, Lynk had a momentary sense of panic when all three of Kieran’s brothers stepped outside and took up ranks, barricading the entrance to their home.

  Sweet hell, were they putting steroids in the water? Everyone he’d met apart from Aslan and his friends was big enough to double as the side of a barn. Even Torren and Raith seemed better suited to the wrestling ring than some backwoods town in Wyoming.

  A steady hand landed on his lower back and rubbed in soothing circles. “Guys, this is my mate, Lynk Braddock. Lynk, these idiots are my brothers, Parker, Jericho, and Elijah, but we call him Eli.”

  “They don’t look very happy to see me,” he commented, moving a little closer to Kieran’s side.

  “They’re not big fans of Torren’s, so you’re kind of getting the evil eye by association. They won’t hurt you, though.” Kieran pushed him forward a step, and surprisingly, the brothers parted to allow them entrance into the house.

  “Kieran, if they don’t want me here maybe I should just go back up to the main house.”

  “Nah, it’s cool,” one of the men answered. Lynk knew their names. He just didn’t know which one was which. “I’m Parker, and your brother is an egotistical fuckhead. You seem okay, but I’ll reserve judgment.”

  “Parker!” Kieran barked. “Go be stupid somewhere else.”

  “I’m Jericho.” He appeared to be the youngest of the group. “My sister would probably lop my balls off if I was rude to you, so if you 22 Gabrielle

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  talk to her, tell her that I was minding my manners.” He held his hand out, which Lynk took hesitantly.

  “Don’t mind these idiots.” The last one, who had to be Eli, nudged Jericho out of the way and snatched Lynk’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze before releasing it. “We’re happy to have you here. As for you being mated to Kieran, well, good luck with that. He’s a bigger asshole than your brother.”

  Lynk frowned down at the floor. He didn’t think the men were being fair at all. Kieran didn’t seem like an asshole. Granted, he didn’t know the man very well, though. Torren could be a bit arrogant and kind of uptight, but they were talking about him like he was Attila the Hun or something.

  “Torren is a good man with a big heart. I know he can come off as conceited, but that’s mostly to hide all of his insecurities. He would do anything in his power to help any of you.” Parker just grunted, seemingly unconvinced. Eli and Jericho stared at Lynk like he was speaking another language. Kieran, however, was grinning from ear to ear as he wrapped an arm around Lynk’s waist and bent to nuzzle the back of his neck. He did that a lot, but Lynk wasn’t going to complain since he loved it.

  “I’ve been trying to tell them the same thing for months. You explained so much better than I could, though. Don’t ever be scared to defend the people you care about, baby. I got your back.” Well, in that case…

  “And Kieran isn’t an asshole, either. He’s kind, warm, brave, and loyal. He’s also your alpha, and you should have more respect.” Lynk was trembling violently by the time he’d finished speaking, but Kieran said he should protect and defend the people he cared about.

  He might not know much about his mate yet, but he already cared too much to let someone slander the man he knew Kieran to be.

  “He’s also our brother,” Jericho said with a snort. “We’re just fucking around with him. Don’t you give your brothers shit? That’s Flawless 23

  all it is. We’re only trying to make sure that his head doesn’t swell so big that he can’t fit through the doorway.”

  “Okay, knock it off. Patrol duty starts in thirty minutes. You guys are going to have to go without me. Be sure to check on the new Moonlighters and see how they’re settling in. Also, ask the alpha, Xander, if there is anything he needs. Varik and Demos are headed to Snake River tonight along with Lynk…” He trailed off, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

  “And you want to go with them,” Eli surmised. “Don’t worry about it, man. We’ve got shit covered here. You’ll be a wreck wondering about Lynk and no use around here anyway.”

  “Thanks, pup.” Kieran clapped his brother on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you guys.” Then he took Lynk’s hand and gave it a small tug. “Time to get you settled. Would you like a shower first?”

  A hot shower sounded like heaven. “Please,” he practically moaned.

  Everyone chuckled, and Kieran bent and kissed him on the forehead. “None of our clothes will fit, but I’ll see if I can find something that won’t completely swallow you.” He led Lynk through what he assumed was Kieran’s bedroom and pointed into the bathroom. “Everything you need is in there. I’ll leave some clothes on the bed and give you some privacy.”

  After nodding his understanding, Lynk closed the bathroom door quietly but left it unlocked. Part of him hoped that Kieran would join him in the shower. That part was likely connected to his dick, which had been hard and throbbing since Kieran had first lifted him into his arms back at the mansion.

  The bigger, rational part of his brain was demanding to know what the hell he was doing there in the first place. Nothing good could come from his pairing with Kieran.

  Torren hadn’t remembered any of his previous lives with Aslan until after he’d claimed his mate. Lynk didn’t have that luxury. He 24 Gabrielle

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  remembered every minute of each of his three lives in vivid detail.

  Though Kieran wouldn’t understand, the kindest thing he could do for his new mate was run in the opposite direction and never look back.

  Even as he contemplated it, Kieran’s beautiful blue eyes invaded his mind, staring straight into him as though he could see his soul.

  Sighing in defeat, and knowing he’d regret it later, Lynk shook his head and stepped into the shower.

  * * * *

  “You sure about this guy, Kieran?”

  “Yes,” Kieran answered shortly as he dug through his dresser, searching for something Lynk could wear. He came up with a pair of sweats that at least had a drawstring and a faded blue T-shirt. Not great, but it would have to do.

  “Look, I know he’s your mate and all, but he’s also a Braddock.” Parker was like a dog with a fucking bone. He wasn’t going to let this thing go until either Lynk proved himself or Kieran put him in his place.

  Not wanting to drag Lynk into the middle of it when he already seemed so on edge, Kieran figured he was going to have to nip this one in the bud himself. Dropping the clothes on the bed, he spun Parker around by his shoulder and shoved him toward the door, not wanting Lynk to overhear their conversation. Besides, he only wanted to say it once.

  Gathering everyone in the living room, he motioned for them all to sit while he stood in the center of the room and crossed his arms over his chest. “Lynk is my mate. I�
��ve already claimed him. He is not—and I repeat not—Torren, so whatever beef you have with his brother, you do not take it out on Lynk. If anyone has a problem with him being here, then spit it out now.”

  “We don’t know anything about this guy. How do we know he didn’t bewitch you or something?”

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  Kieran stared at Parker in disbelief. “What is your issue with witches? I really can’t believe you just fucking said that to me. If anything, he doesn’t want to be here. Hell, he decked me in the jaw after I claimed him. Does that sound like someone who would spell me into wanting him?”

  Parker had the good sense to look ashamed of himself as he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and averted his eyes. “No, I guess not.” Then his eyes lit up and a slow smile spread across his face. “He really punched you?”

  “The little shit has a mean right hook.” Kieran rubbed at his jaw and laughed. “So, I would suggest not pissing him off.”

  “He doesn’t seem like he’d have it in him,” Jericho commented. “I mean, he’s, well, he acts kind of shy and guarded. I thought he was going to vibrate right out of his skin when he was telling us all off for talking shit about his brother, like he was afraid to stand up to us.” Yeah, Kieran didn’t get it, either. There would be plenty of time for him to learn the inner workings of his mate, though. Probably.

  Hopefully. “So, we’re all cool? I don’t want to do it, but if your bullshit is going to be an ongoing thing, then I’ll take Lynk and go back to The Council house in Casper. Are we clear?”

  “I got no problem with the guy.” Eli shrugged, offered him a lopsided smile, and sauntered off into the kitchen.