Just as he was pleasantly mulling over where he would like to live, two more vampires entered the room but hung back by the archway. One of them caught and held his attention he was tall like the others, but he was different too.

  His hair was dark but not black, and his eyes were a vivid blue. They held Evan's for a few seconds before shifting to take in the entirety of the room. The feeling of being held came over Evan and also a feeling of being let go when he looked away. Evan turned his attention back to the matter at hand.

  “What are you going to do to them?” Evan again gestured to the men outside. “They’re my father and my brothers. I don’t give a shit about Manfred. You can do what you wish with him, but I won't help you if you hurt my family. I hate their guts, but I can't stand by and watch them be hurt." The vampire didn't look surprised.

  "Most likely, the Master will clear their memories, but he won't harm them." The two vampires by the arch moved closer, and Evan found himself focusing on one of them. With everything that was happening and all the strangers in his home, this one man continually caught his attention and held it. He was similar in so many ways to the others: tall, dark, powerful, and focused, but this one had an added attraction that Evan could not deny.

  He'd never met anyone so strikingly handsome, and Evan had difficulty pulling his eyes away from the man. His heart was beating rapidly, and his mind was suddenly going to inappropriate places.

  With a deep breath and a firm cough, he pulled himself back under control. These vampires had the ability to enter minds and memories, and he didn’t want to embarrass himself with such thoughts running through his mind. It startled him when suddenly the focus of his attention smiled at him. Evan turned away abruptly as a strange thrill coursed through him.

  They were joined by the other vampires, including Master Hadden. Evan looked out to the patio and saw his father and brothers standing there looking in at them. "Did you clear their memories?" Evan asked.

  "No, it is better that they remember and understand the consequences of their actions." Master Hadden responded. "I know this isn't making any sense to you, and I'm sorry I can't give you more time and a better explanation." He walked over to where Evan was standing.

  "Killian explained some of it, but I don't know how I can be of any help to you or your coven." Evan glanced over to where the handsome vampire had been standing and was surprised to see that he'd moved. He was now standing directly behind him. His nearness was comforting even though Evan did not even know his name.

  “You’re going to save my coven and my city.” Master Hadden clear and too the point and then raised his hand, and Evan felt the vampire behind him place his hand on his shoulder and it was lights out for Evan.

  Conrad couldn’t believe what he was feeling. The rush of alertness and the sense of familiarity washed over him. He heard Killian talking to someone, stepped into the room, and saw that delicate beauty standing there conversing with one of the deadliest vampires in creation.

  He panicked for a second before calming his reaction and realizing that the young man was not in danger. Killian was not going to hurt him. This was the man they came for, and this was the Charmer. He was nothing like what Conrad had expected. This man looked like a hapless teenager.

  He moved closer and once he was close enough the realization of who this young man was and why Conrad was feeling so drawn to him became clear. This would be Charmer or perhaps simply a hapless teenager was his beloved.

  The young man turned and looked at him, and the connection he experienced was epic. Conrad felt the thrill reach right down to his core. When he smiled and winked, it got him flustered, and he awkwardly turned around but still kept sneaking peaks. He was feeling it, too.

  Conrad moved forward, needing to get closer, and placed his hand on Evan's shoulder when they were whisked home, making sure he was safe during the space folding trip. It was a little more bumpy than usual, and several guards landed on their asses when everyone arrived at the Imperial. They all turned to regard Batiste with disdain, assuming he'd done it on purpose. He was that sort of guy.

  "It wasn't me." He declared, instantly pointing a finger at Evan. "He is a disruptor. I am a sorcerer, so his presence had minor repercussions. If I'd been a magic, you guys would still be standing in Toronto."

  "He's the charmer." Killian clarified, and Batiste smiled and nodded.

  "Makes sense." He said, and everyone waited to find out what he meant because it didn't make sense to them. Evan was the last person Conrad would have considered to go up against their greatest enemy and the darkest of magics. It struck him as absurd, but he also understood that the universe operates in strange and unexpected ways. Conrad stayed close to Evan even stepping in front of him when Batiste made his accusations. His need to protect and defend was overwhelming.

  Batiste reached out to take hold of Evan's wrist, but Conrad interceded and blocked him. "I'm merely making a point. I'm not going to hurt him." He said to Conrad and winked. The man was such an insufferable pain in the ass. Evan looked up at Conrad as if asking permission. Conrad nodded but placed his hand on Evan's shoulder for security.

  Evan reached out his arm and Batiste encircled his wrist drawing attention to the amber bracelet. “Even with the bracelet you still have power.” Batiste said with a smile before turning to the others in the room specifically Master Hadden. “His father had this fashioned in order to prevent Evan’s energy from effecting him and the others in his kindred.” Batiste laughed and dropped Evan’s wrist.

  "Fate was being hilarious when she sent this boy to that family." Batiste stepped away but kept looking back at Evan, who was obviously intrigued. "Amber holds his power in check. The steel is just to prevent him from getting it off."

  “What is his power?” Master Hadden asked for specifics. “He is the Charmer, but he doesn't seem to be aware of that fact."

  "He's the Charmer alright, no doubt about that. I can see him deep within our young man, just waiting to be released." Batiste chuckled excitedly. "He's also much more than that. The bracelet he's wearing stops him from neutralizing every ounce of magic power in a five-hundred-yard radius. Magic cannot exist around this man." He smiled and looked over at Master Hadden. "He is the answer to your dreams, Nik."

  “He was born and lived among a kindred.” Master Hadden stated.

  “Hence the amber bracelet and I doubt they kept him close. Why they kept him around at all is mystifying.” Batiste glanced at Evan and was filled with curiosity.

  "They wanted to control him so that his powers weren't used against them," Killian told them. "The kid hates the one called Manfred, so I went into Manfred's head to find out why. Their fear of him, along with the desire to control such power, was among the things I found." Killian paused and then added. "I found Evan in a dilapidated garden shed sleeping on a cot, so they weren't treating him like family, more like a prisoner or slave. Manfred considered him a slave."

  "That fucking piece of shit. I wish I would have punched him harder." Evan erupted, and Killian agreed with him.

  "We should have wiped Manfred's mind or killed him; either would have sufficed. I think he is going to be a problem at some point." Killian spoke in a calm and measured tone.

  “What’s done is done.” Master Hadden stated unequivocally. “Maybe we should get down to business and leave our thoughts and feelings for later.” Master Hadden stated, and then dismissed everyone from the room except Conrad, Evan and Batiste. The Master was aware of the connection between Conrad and Evan.

  "You need to get comfortable with who you are." Batiste began. "You have been hobbled for most of your life, I'm assuming."

  “Yes, the bracelet was placed on me when I was four years old and was exchanged over the years for larger models, but I have always worn it. I was told that my ability was at odds with the family and that I could hurt people.” Evan unconsciously moved closer to Conrad as Batiste continued to question him. Conrad placed his hand on the small of his back and kept it there. Contact was a necessity for both of them.

  "You don't hurt them. You make them powerless." Batiste clarified. "It's a side effect of being a charmer."

  "Conrad, why don't you take Evan to your quarters and let him rest. Stay close, answer his questions, and keep him safe." Master Hadden gave him the gift he was craving.

  “Yes sir, thank you sir.” Conrad did not ask why and wasted no time in getting his arm around Evan and guiding him out of the room and to the elevator. Evan did not resist and eagerly fell into step beside Conrad.

  "I'm so glad to get out of that room. That guy was making me dizzy." Evan voiced his feelings, showing Conrad a level of trust.

  "Batiste has that effect on most people, but he's harmless, really. He used to be difficult, but since bonding with a vampire guard, he's tried to temper his need for chaos."

  “It’s still there just below the surface.” Evan looked up at him just as the doors to the elevator opened. “You all better hope that guard never leaves him.”

  “They are a bonded couple Batiste is Ian’s beloved and Ian is Batiste’s bonded equal they are together forever.” Conrad assured as they stepped into the elevator.

  "I've heard of beloveds and mates, but I never heard of a bonded equal," Evan commented.

  "Batiste is a sorcerer, and sorcerers have bonded equals. It is as powerful as any paranormal bond."

  "Be glad because what I saw was a man on the edge of bedlam, and without constraints, that man could wreak havoc and madness." Evan continued his assessment of Batiste, and it was spot on.

  “He’s not a bad man just wildly immature.” Conrad interjected in defense of the crazy sorcerer.

  "Yes, yes and yes." Evan finished, and Conrad chuckled. The easy banter was warming Conrad's heart.

  They entered Conrad's quarters on the fourth floor of the Imperial. The rooms were not as large as those at the Hadden Center but were still substantial and well-designed for comfort and efficiency. He thought about Evan's opinion and wondered if he found the space pleasing.

  “Would you like to lay down?” He would start there. Evan shook his head and briefly glanced around the room.

  “I’m too wound up to ever be able to rest right now.” That was understandable and Conrad took him by the hand and walked him over to the sofa and helped him get seated stuffing pillows behind him and covering him with a light throw blanket.

  "Try to relax, and I'll get you something to drink. Are you hungry, sweetheart?"

  “No, but a glass of milk would be great.”

  “I’ll get it for you.” Conrad went to the kitchen and poured the glass of milk and included an assortment of semi-fresh cookies just in case he was a little hungry. When Conrad returned to the living room Evan was fast asleep and he looked like a total angel in repose. He returned the milk to the fridge and came back and took a seat next to Evan on the sofa.

  It wasn’t long before Evan gradually moved and laid his head on Conrad’s shoulder and draped his arm across his middle. Conrad was careful not to wake him as he slipped his arm around him and tucked him up close. Evan was clearly more exhausted than he realized, and a little rest would do him good.

  Having his beloved in his arms also did Conrad a lot of good easing his worry and furthering their connection. Conrad had to admit that he was still shocked that it happened, and that Fate chose him for this young man and he also could not be happier. Master Hadden was aware of their connection and others were probably made aware once the Master put the young Charmer in Conrad's custody.

  Evan McCormick was a man he knew nothing about and yet would gladly lay down his life to protect. It was the power of Fate. Young Evan needed someone on his side, someone to love him and protect him from everything that was coming.

  His beloved hasn’t had an easy life, but he maintained his dignity and self-respect. He’s cautious and watchful but still accepting of others. If it was the goal of his family to break him then they failed and they would never get another chance. This beautiful blonde headed young man belonged to Conrad Smith a highly skilled vampire warrior and one of the Master’s guard.

  Conrad held his beloved and stayed alert as he slept. Evan had many tasks that lay before him, and he would need his strength and focus. The idea of his seemingly vulnerable and slightly built beloved going up against the powers holding the Hadden Center was difficult for Conrad to think about. He would be there for Evan in any way that he was needed, and Evan would never again walk alone.

  CHAPTER THREE

  "He's here and as an added feature he happens to be Conrad's beloved." Nik spoke with Josef, keeping him informed and up to date regarding the Charmer.

  “So, the Charmer is going to become a coven member.” Josef chuckled.

  “It would appear so our only problem at present is the fact that he is an untrained Charmer. He has no clue as to his powers and has never taken on the form of Charmer.” Nik explained the conditions they found him in and the suppression and control he suffered from his family. “They have an enchanted bracelet on his left wrist that he cannot remove that quashes his abilities.”

  “Have you removed it?” Josef asked.

  “Not yet, not until we have a better understanding of what it controls. Batiste says Evan can short-circuit magics in people and the atmosphere within a five-hundred-yard radius when not wearing the bracelet.” Nik found the possibility quite exciting.

  “That’s amazing.” Josef too found the news exciting. “If he’s as powerful as we believe him to be, we will never have to worry about magics in our city again.”

  "It's a wonderful thought, but first he has to be trained, and then we have to see whether he is capable of cleansing the Center. That's a tall order for such a small man and fragile-looking man, and I can't imagine Conrad will be thrilled having his beloved take on such a forceful enemy."

  “No, I can’t imagine he would be feeling good about this.” Josef concurred. “Who is going to train him?”

  "I thought Batiste, but after seeing them together, I don't think he's the best choice. Evan plainly does not trust him, and we don't have time to try and develop a rapport, so I'm thinking of Marek. The man exudes confidence, trust, and strength. I'm sure Evan will be comfortable with him.” Nik also didn’t trust Batiste to follow through. His reliability was much better than it used to be, but he still had a tendency to wander off.

  “I agree Marek is the better choice.”

  Evan remembered sitting on the sofa and Conrad covering him with a blanket and offering him milk and that was all he could recall. When he woke he was draped across Conrad cuddled up to the handsome, warm vampire. He should pull back and give the poor man some space, but he just couldn’t convince himself to move.

  When he looked up at his companion he noticed that Conrad was not asleep he was awake and watching him. “How long was I asleep?” He asked.

  “Two hours and forty-five minutes.” Evan made to move away and stop using the man as a body pillow but was stopped by the arm that Conrad held around him.

  “Stay and relax you have a long day ahead of you so sleep while you can.” Conrad tucked the blanket back around Evan and gathered him close.

  "Why did you come for me? No one has explained what it is I'm supposed to do for you. Master Hadden is a powerful and very important person, and he wouldn't have shown up on my doorstep without good reason." Evan decided to seek some answers and clarification since they had the time, and it was just him and Conrad.

  “This is not the home of the Hadden Coven. We outgrew the Imperial Club many years ago. The coven resides in the Hadden Center downtown in the financial district. It's forty floors of architectural glory, but several months ago, we had to leave and run to safety." Evan listened closely and could feel the tension in Conrad's tone.

  "The young, the old, the weak, and the vulnerable were taken to the Mountain Lodge, a location in the Allegany Mountains, and they are protected by the second in command, Josef McQueen, along with soldiers and guards. The rest of us, with the leadership of Master Nikolas Hadden, remain in Pittsburgh fighting back the darkness that has infected the Hadden Center and threatens the city." He paused for a moment, and Evan just let the silence remain. He could see that Conrad had a lot more to say.

  “A skilled witch or warlock, I’m not sure what he was apart from a traitor, infiltrated the Hadden Coven and set a curse upon the land and the structure. It was formed in a manner that once it was set, it would continue to grow, and its effects would be felt throughout the city.” He paused again and turned so as to look Evan in the eyes. "It's an ancient hex, and the bastard who placed it was killed before he could be forced to remove it."

  That answered most of Evan’s questions he understood magic even though his family thought he was clueless. He kept to himself and didn’t contribute so they assumed he knew nothing of what they were doing.

  Sedric was a mid-level warlock with some power but nothing fancy or interesting. His brothers were similar although Wren had more ability than either Landon or Sedric, but his abilities were simple earth magic and nothing deadly.

  Manfred on the other hand was dark and he feared Evan, but he refused to let Sedric send him away. It was a strange situation that he called keeping his enemy close. He hated Evan but he needed to watch him and humiliate him knocking him down at every opportunity. Manfred would have to be dealt with at some point, just as Killian predicted.

  “I think I understand what you need from me.” He approached the conversation carefully still not completely trusting of this vampire but definitely leaning in that direction. He seemed genuine and Evan was a good judge of people. “You want me to enter the Center building and cancel the magics existing there.”

  "The magics in that building are not minor or basic, and you will need training and preparation before entering. Are you aware that you are what is called a Charmer?" Evan had heard the word tossed around this evening, but he was not familiar with the word.