In a Stranger's Eyes Read online

  He was no stranger to stress-induced headaches, but this felt different. Gods, he felt like he was dying, and as an immortal being, that was saying a lot. With the added pressure of caring for a mate on top of his obligations as a leader, maybe he’d been spreading himself too thin. That still wouldn’t account for the blinding pain that made his head feel like it was on fire, though.

  “Hey,” Raith whispered as he brushed October’s hair back from his forehead. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” he answered honestly, “I don’t think I am.” He rolled toward his mate without thinking, instinctually seeking comfort like a small child. “This isn’t right.”

  “Is there a medic on staff? You’re sweating like crazy, and your skin is burning hot.”

  October tried to answer, but when he opened his mouth, all that came out was a pathetic, agonized moan. His stomach heaved, his throat constricted, and saliva flooded his mouth. Shoving himself up from the mattress, he almost tripped over his mate as he stumbled to the bathroom.

  The room wouldn’t stop spinning, his vision was blurred and dimmed at the edges, and every muscle in his body screamed in protest of his movements. Halfway to his destination, his legs began to wobble like Jell-O, and then just gave out completely.

  The floor came rushing up to meet him, but strong arms surrounded his midsection before he could do a face plant into the beige rug. “Please,” he groaned, unwilling to humiliate himself by hurling all over the floor.

  “Easy,” Raith answered soothingly as he wrapped one arm around October’s waist, and practically dragged him toward the bathroom. “Almost there, babe.”

  Once he finally made it to the restroom and was kneeling in front of the toilet, he batted a hand at Raith’s chest, but it was a weak attempt at best. “Go.” No way did he want anyone to see him like this, not even his mate.

  “Shut up.” One arm remained around his torso, and Raith crouched behind him, bracketing him with his massive thighs. He didn’t speak harshly, but it was clear that he wouldn’t be swayed. His next words only proved October’s suspicions. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Arguing wouldn’t do him any good, but it didn’t matter anyway. His stomach twisted violently, his vision went dark, and everything he’d ever eaten in his life came rushing back up his esophagus. Logically, he knew that wasn’t physically possible, but it sure as hell felt like much more than one meal.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the retching finally stopped, and he slumped back into Raith’s arms, too weak and miserable to even care about his pride. Amazingly, Raith took it all in stride, though. He silently helped October to his feet, prepared a toothbrush for him, and even offered to brush his teeth when the task proved to be more difficult than it should have been.

  Eventually, October got his fingers to work and gripped the handle of the brush, but he made only a couple of passes across his teeth before he began to gag again. Abandoning the attempt, he rinsed his mouth with water and sagged heavily against the counter.

  When Raith lifted him into his arms, he didn’t even protest. In fact, he passed out with his head on his lover’s shoulder before they ever made it to the bed.

  * * * * His eyes felt gritty and sore, his eyelids drooped heavily, and he might have dozed off for a few minutes here and there. Though his body was exhausted, his brain wouldn’t shut down to let him truly sleep.

  So, he stayed awake all through the day and watched his lover sleep while he worried about what could have caused such a reaction in a paranormal. They were a hardy bunch for the most part, immune to most diseases and illnesses that plagued humans. They didn’t catch colds, the flu, or any sexually transmitted diseases.

  They could be poisoned, though, and certain substances, like gold, were fatal to vampires. Since October was a hybrid, Raith wasn’t sure if gold would actually kill his mate, and he’d prefer to not find out the hard way.

  Yes, he’d been hesitant to start a relationship with October, but the guy was beginning to grow on him. The things that Raith found annoying in most people, he saw as endearing in his lover. October’s obsessive need for control worried more than irritated him. The worst part of it was that the guy didn’t even realize it. In his mind, he easily gave up power on a regular basis.

  Well, Raith had bad news for him. He doubted October could hand over the reins if someone pointed a gun at his head. While he was still on the giving end of their sexual exploits, October always ran the show. Be it verbally or physically, he controlled the position, the tempo, the angle, and every other aspect. Sometimes, Raith felt like he was in training camp rather than making love to his mate.

  With twelve brothers, Raith was used to people bossing him around. Even if he was the second oldest, that never stopped his pipsqueak brothers from issuing orders or making demands. Normally, he let it roll off his shoulders, doing what they asked only if it coincided with what he’d been planning to do in the first place.

  Again, everything was different with October. Raith couldn’t stop himself from wanting to please the man. Sadly, the one thing his lover desired above all else was going to end up killing him. There was no way one person—preternatural or not—could take that much stress upon himself and not suffer any consequences. The scene right before the sun rose seemed to lend credit to that theory, but Raith suspected it had been something more.

  “You look terrible,” October mumbled in a sleepy voice as he curled closer to Raith’s chest. “Did you sleep at all?”

  “How are you feeling? Do you still have a headache?”

  October looked up at him with a smallfrown. “I feel completely fine. I guess I just overtaxed myself last night.” He pushed up straighter in bed and whispered a small kiss over Raith’s cheek. “Thank you for taking care of me.”

  “I didn’t do much.” He hadn’t known what the hell to do. At one point, he’d thought about calling the medic, but after October had passed out, the fever had disappeared, and he’d seemed perfectly fine.

  “You did enough.” October kissed his cheek again and rolled away to scoot off the bed. “Did you remember to call Wren?”

  “Shit!” Flinging himself across the mattress, Raith scrambled for his cell phone on the night stand. His heart sank, and guilt washed over him when he realized it was well after Wren’s bedtime. “He is not going to be happy.”

  “Probably not,” October agreed, “but he’ll understand. You’re going to see him this weekend, right?”

  “It depends on what’s happening here with Nicholas and his brother. I had planned on it, but if it takes longer to get the information we need, then—”

  “Raith,” October interrupted. “Go see your family. Go see your nephew. Phillip McCarthy isn’t going anywhere.”

  “Yeah, okay. I’ll think about it.” Keeping the dark part of himself under control took some effort when he was calm. When he grew angry, or when he had reason to use his magic, it was far more difficult to keep the darkness at bay. Dealing with Phillip would require magic, and he seriously doubted he’d be able to remain calm while interrogating the asshole.

  “What about Kaito?”

  “Motherfucker,” Raith growled. Jumping out of bed, he snatched his dirty clothes off the floor and pulled them on in record time. “I suck.”

  October just laughed. “You don’t suck, draga. Everything is going to be fine. Wren will forgive you. There is an entire staff able to care for Kaito if he’s already awake. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “And Nicholas is probably waiting. I completely blew him off last night.” He wanted to be a good mate, but it was seriously getting in the way of his work ethic. “Damn it!”

  “Raith.” October grabbed him by the shoulders and gave him a little shake. “Stop it. I want you to crawl back into that bed and get some sleep. You can barely stand, and you look like a drunken hobo.” He gave Raith a little nudge toward the mattress. “I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I promise I can manage a few hours without you.”
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  He wanted to argue. He knew he should say no. The warm blankets and soft mattress looked so inviting, though. Perhaps a quick nap wouldn’t hurt. “Fine, but just for an hour or so.”

  “Rest,” October encouraged. The smile on his lips turned positively wicked, and he reached between Raith’s legs to grip his flaccid cock. “Sleep as long as you need to, draga. I promise to wake you up very, very nicely.”

  Hemight be stubborn, but he wasn’t an idiot. When a person as gorgeous as October implied all kinds of naughty intents in exchange for nothing more than sleep, a smart man put his ass to bed and stayed there.

  And Raith fancied himself a fairly smart man. Or he was just horny. Either way, the sky wouldn’t fall if he crawled back into bed for a little while. If he was woken up later to something hot and wet wrapped around his dick, well, that was just a bonus.

  Chapter Seven

  “This is going nowhere,” Jonas grumped as he slouched back against the wall of Phillip’s holding cell.

  October couldn’t agree more. They desperately needed Raith, or least another member of the Braddock family. Nicholas was okay with small enchantments and protection spells, but he wasn’t up to the task of breaking through the barriers his brother had built around his mind.

  The interrogation was stretching into the fourth hour, and so far, all they’d really gained from Phillip was some mocking replies and a few sneers. It was quite possible that he didn’t know where the hell Mikko Braddock was, and they were just wasting their time. As far as anyone knew, however, he’d been the last to see the witch alive.

  While it was confirmed that Mikko’s soul was trapped somewhere in Purgatory, it really wouldn’t do much good to rescue him from the place if they didn’t know where his physical body was located. Reconnecting his spirit and body could potentially create a different kind of perdition for the man, depending on where he found himself once the reattachment was complete.

  “Where the hell is Raith?” Jonas demanded. “Isn’t he supposed to be here? I mean, isn’t that the reason we flew all the way out here to Bum Fuck,Nowhere?”

  Biting the inside of his cheek was the only thing that stopped him from spewing obscenities at the slight against his mate and coven. When he felt he could answer calmly, October plastered a pleasant smile on his face and dipped his head in the Enforcer’s direction.

  “I apologize. Raith had a difficult day. I also assure you that things are not usually this unorganized in Snake River.”

  Jonas didn’t look appeased. Nicholas, on the other hand, began to laugh. “Don’t pay any attention to him. He didn’t have the most restful day, either, and it makes him cranky. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

  The guard grunted at his mate, but the corners of his lips twitched as though he was fighting a smile. The situation might be defused for the moment, but October inwardly groaned at yet another potential problem. “Is there something wrong with your room? I can move you to another location, if that wouldhelp.”

  His offer to relocate them was met with another bout of laughter from Nicholas. “Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary. Our room was perfect. It was the unexpected guest that kept Mr. Tracer awake during the day.”

  “Guest?” Was his staff bothering them? October didn’t think that was likely. He’d never known any of his employees to treat a guest so rudely.

  “Yes,” Nicholas answered as he led the way out of the holding cell. “The tiniest little vampire I’ve ever seen, with big brown eyes and the sweetest smile,came knocking just after sunrise.”

  October really did groan that time. “I’m sorry. He just arrived last night, and he’s not used to the house. I’ll have someone stay with him today so he won’t bother you.” Nodding to one of the guards, he silently affirmed that they were finished and would be heading back to the house.

  “He’s no bother,” Nicholas assured him as he slid into the backseat of the SUV. “He was completely charming.”

  “I tried to put him back to bed, but he said he was afraid of the dark,” Jonas added. “So we stayed up and colored and watched cartoons. I guess he passed out right before sunset.”

  “Why didn’t you get me or one of the staff?” October asked from the front passenger seat. “Gideon would have been happy to help.”

  “No, I would not,” Gideon argued from behind the wheel. “I don’t know a damn thing about kids, and you know it. Kaito is cute as a button, and I’m all about being Uncle Gideon. The whole bath-storybed thing is not happening, though.”

  October rolled his eyes at his second in command before turning back to the conversation with his guests. “Someone will stay with him tonight. Again, I’m sorry your sleep was interrupted.”

  “Are you always so uptight?” Stretching his arms across the seat back, Jonas fiddled with Nicholas’s long hair as he studied October. “Look, I get that you’re trying to be a good and proper ruler or whatnot. There’s really no need with the formalities, however. If I didn’t want to babysit the kid, I wouldn’t have done it, end of story. He’s cute. He’s fun. And I was more than happy to keep him company.”

  “He’s right,” Nicholas agreed. “If something’s wrong, we’ll let you know. Otherwise, don’t worry so much.” He glanced toward his mate briefly before continuing. “However, I am curious about why Kaito is here. Where are his parents?”

  “It’s a long story, but the short version is that his father died recently. He has no other family that we can find. So, he’s staying in the main house until we can find him a foster home.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that it won’t be an easy placement?” Jonas lifted his right leg to rest his ankle on his left knee. “What’s the problem?”

  “It’s…complicated.” He wasn’t sure how much he should tell the couple, didn’t know how sympathetic they would be to Katio’s situation.

  “Is it because he’s a hybrid?” Nicholas asked with a sly grin.

  “How did you know?”

  “You mean besides the fact that he was awake during the day?” A soft chuckle rumbled through Jonas’s chest, and he opened his passenger door when the car rolled to a stop in front of October’s two- story home. “If it’s a big secret, you might want to work on his sleep schedule.”

  Yes,Kaito’s lack of sleep during the day would be a pretty good indicator that he wasn’t a pureblood. It was years before a vampire learned how to control his body’s natural reaction to shut down for sleep during the day. The young ones, especially before they reached puberty, couldn’t stay awake after the sun rose if they tried. Obviously, that wasn’t the case for Kaito.

  “Don’t worry,” Nicholas assured him. “The secret is safe with us. I know what it’s like, and not everyone is accepting.”

  “I’m going to have to tell people eventually if we’re going to find him a home, but I would appreciate if you kept it a secret for now.” He supposed he knew that Nicholas was also a hybrid, but he hadn’t thought much about it. However, it was nice to know that there were two more people in his corner should he ever need allies for Kaito.

  Hopefully, it wouldn’t come to that. Things had changed in the past few centuries, and hybrids were more readily accepted in the modern world. Unfortunately, since vampires were immortal, those who held disdain for the half-breeds were still alive and well. They weren’t easily distinguishable from the more tolerant of their kind, either.

  Yes, it was best to proceed with caution until he knew for sure that Kaito would be in good hands with kind, loving, and supportive parents who could care for his particular needs.

  * * * *

  “You’re doing it wrong.” Raith looked down at the picture he was painting and tilted his head to the side. “How am I doing it wrong?”

  “The moon isn’t yellow,” Kaito informed him so matter-of-factly that Raith had to bite his bottom lip so he wouldn’t laugh. “The sky is too blue. It needs to be darker.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Yep.” His tongue poked out of the
corner of his mouth as he added the finishing touches to his own painting. “See? Like mine.”

  It was a gorgeous depiction of a night sky, especially for someone so young. “Wow. That’s the best painting I’ve ever seen. I think that’s even refrigerator quality.”

  Kaito’s head tilted to the side, and his long, ebony locks covered one side of his face. “Pictures don’t go in the fridginator.” The cutest giggle bubbled from his lips, and his eyes lit up with merriment. “You’re silly, Raith.”

  He loved the way the kid laughed, but it was so very sad that Kaito had never had anyone to hang one of his masterpieces on the fridge for all to see and admire. “Refrigerator,” he corrected gently as he brushed Katio’s hair out of his face. “You know what? I think I have a better idea. What would you think if we put this in a frame and hang it up in your room?”

  Kaito considered him for a minute, and then turned to look down at his artwork. “You can have it, if you want.” His face lit up, and he clapped his hands together. “Can we put it in your room?”

  Ridiculously touched by the offering, Raith returned the boy’s smile and pulled the painting toward him on the kitchen table, careful not to smudge it. “Thank you, Kaito. I’d be happy to hang this in my room.”

  “Yay!” Launching out of his chair, he threw himself into Raith’s arms for a big hug. “Can we have ice cream now?”

  Though his heart melted from the affection, Raith couldn’t help but chuckle. “You really like ice cream, huh?”

  Kaito nodded enthusiastically. “It’s my favorite.”

  “What else is your favorite?”

  His button nose wrinkled, and his lips twisted like he’d tasted something sour. “I dunno. I don’t like hot dogs.” His eyes rounded, and he looked up at Raith pleadingly. “I don’t gotta eat hot dogs, do I?”

  “Nah, you don’t have to eat hot dogs. I don’t like them very much, either.” If Tanaka wasn’t already dead, Raith would hunt him down and rip him apart with his bare hands. “I think we probably need to eat more than just ice cream, though.”