“You saw those men last night. They shot at you and would have torn you to pieces if Quincy and I hadn’t intervened. The only way to kill powerful vampires like the Caen is to rip out their throats and their hearts. Do you think that you are capable of doing that? You couldn’t even stomach the aftermath, let alone being part of the kill.”

  “I understand, I’m not trying to be an idiot here.” Eddie defended. “But try and see this from my point of view for a minute.” Robert nodded and waited for an adequate explanation for Eddie being so obtuse. “I’ve been attacked by vampires five times, six counting last night. It all started after seeing the incident at the restaurant and overhearing talk of Coven DuCane and vampire references from the men who were sent there to erase it all. In my mind Coven DuCane is at the core of my problems so why would I trust any of you enough that I would willingly walk into your fortress?”

  He raised his hands in supplication when Robert cocked a sarcastic eyebrow in his direction. “I know, I know.” He said. “You all saved my bacon last evening, but I don’t know what or who I’m dealing with, and for now, I feel safest right here in my own home. I don’t trust DuCane, and I can’t just hand myself over to him. I’m sorry, Robert.” He finished and looked rather apologetic for having to defy the man who saved him.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Robert listened, and although he thought it a terrible and dangerous idea, he understood Eddie’s hesitance in going to the Palace for protection. Eddie saw Coven DuCane as the cause of his present problems.

  “When did you first come to suspect that there were vampires in your midst? Was it before the incident at the restaurant?” Robert thought it might give him a clue as to how Eddie had attracted the interest of a cult-like the Caen. He also wanted to keep him talking and learn what he could about this young man. He found there to be no pretense or guile when Eddie spoke, only the truth as he understood it. They needed to talk and to get to know one another because the Caen were a brutal sect, and Robert needed Eddie’s trust if he was to keep him safe.

  “There have always been unanswered questions and weirdness about this area. Ever since we were kids, Joe and I made up stories about the secretive family that lived in the woods and ran the town.” Eddie gave a soft smile that Robert returned.

  “But things took a strange turn a few months ago just before the scene at the restaurant. I saw a co-worker out with this guy, and they were heavy into a public display of affection. It struck me as odd because this girl is strait-laced, and always complains about others that get too intimate in public. So, this was way out of character for her. But to each his own, I figured.” Eddie glanced down and noticed that Robert was once again holding his hand. He gripped it a little tighter and then went on with his story.

  “The next day at work, I teased her about it, and she got angry claimed she never left her apartment the night before, and whoever I saw was definitely not her. She was seriously upset at my accusation, so I backed off and apologized, but it was her, Robert. I was no more than a few feet from her, and I know what I saw.” Eddie sat up straight and became a little more animated as he continued.

  “Then a couple of weeks later I see this guy again, and this time he’s with a guy, and they’re making out. The guy has his face pressed into the crook of the other guy’s neck, and when he pulled back, I saw blood. I freaked and took off like a bat out of hell. He didn’t see me thank God.” Eddie took a deep cleansing breath as if reliving the fright of that moment. “I told Joe, and we started to do some research. We found nothing concrete, but through our research, we came to believe there were vampires here.”

  “What did you find in your research?”

  “The DuCane family has been here on those acres out in the woods since before Michigan was a state. The place has passed from father to son for centuries in a straight line, which is almost impossible for that stretch of time. The current owner, Louis DuCane, got the property from this father, Louis DuCane who go it from his father, Louis DuCane. Do you see my point, no other children involved, no deaths giving the property to a cousin or nephew, nope a straight line of possession dating back about four hundred years.” Eddie looked at Robert in silence for a few moments before concluding.

  “I believe the Louis DuCane who lives on that property and oversees his business interests from there is the same Louis DuCane who came here four hundred years ago.”

  “So, you weren’t really surprised when you overheard the men discussing the coven and wiping memories?” Robert posed as he thought about how much to share with Eddie at this stage of their connection.

  “It validated my theories. I told Joe about it since it supported all our research, but you guys found out somehow and wiped his mind, so I had to tell him all over again yesterday.” Robert couldn’t help but laugh. Eddie was so straight forward with his thought process, and it was so refreshing. “It seems like no one can hold onto their memories except me.” He finished.

  “Why is that? What is it about you, Eddie that makes it impossible to clear your memories?” As his beloved, Robert wouldn’t be able to touch Eddie’s mind, but before the connection was discovered, before there was contact between them, his memories could have been vulnerable. Eddie shook his head and shrugged.

  “I don’t know why it doesn’t work. I also don’t know how I was able to get away from those Caen soldiers. I evaded them five times before last night. I should probably be dead. I must have a guardian angel.” Eddie told him, and Robert instantly went on the defensive. The thought of his beloved in harm’s way sent his instincts into action, and he pulled Eddie closer, tucking him effectively under his arm.

  “No one is going to hurt you, Eddie, that I promise you.” He said with firm determination. Eddie leaned very pleasingly into Robert’s embrace.

  “Thanks for saving us last night. I’m sorry, I should have told you that sooner.” Eddie put his arm around Robert’s waist and pressed his face into his shoulder.

  “You’re welcome, and from now on, I’ll be your guardian angel.” Robert took the opportunity that was presented to him in the upturned face and large, eager brown eyes that stared so intently at him. He cupped the side of Eddie’s head in his palm and held him as Robert took his sweet lips in a delicious kiss. It was gentle and tentative at first and then grew in intensity and heat until they were locked in an embrace that was both tender and demanding.

  It was tender in the way Eddie held onto him and demanding in the way he groaned and pushed for more and deeper. Eddie, for all his naivete, was not a shrinking violet and Robert was enjoying the unabashed desire of his beloved. They had many things to discuss and work out between them, but physical attraction was not going to be a problem.

  Robert stilled Eddie’s hungry exploration by taking the man’s hard and straining cock in hand. His beloved felt so good and responded so wonderfully that he popped the button on Eddie’s jeans and slipped his hand inside to experience the feel of flesh on flesh as he brought him pleasure and satisfaction.

  Eddie felt himself being devoured by this gorgeous man, and he loved it. The fact Robert was a DuCane soldier was pushed far from his mind as he indulged the desire he’d felt since first laying eyes Robert Alden. The strong hand on his now aching cock was enough to push him to the edge. Eddie wantonly ground his hips, intensifying the experience and gave Robert permission for more and harder.

  Robert’s grip increased as his powerful fingers messaged to perfection. Eddie couldn’t stop the lustful groan that slipped erotically through his lips or the moan that followed. Robert’s lips and hands were doing things Eddie had only dreamed about, and he wanted it all.

  When he began to ease Eddie backward onto the bed, Eddie did not resist. The very idea that this man so sophisticated and so out of Eddie’s league was interested in him had Eddie ready to blow just with his kiss and his touch. No words were spoken, but desire and intent were clear, and Eddie had no intention of passing this up. He was ready to give Robert anything he asked so long as he promised not to stop what he was doing.

  Robert pinned him to the bed with his hard-muscular body, and Eddie instinctively thrust upward into his firm grip. He began pushing at Robert’s suit jacket wanting to get the clothes out of the way as soon as possible. He felt a chuckle against his lips as Robert moved slightly and pushed Eddie’s jeans further down his thighs so as to have a better grip on his throbbing cock. Eddie thought he would go out of his mind with the sheer intensity of the sensations rushing through his body.

  Just when things were really heating up, and clothes started to open, a loud knock reverberated through the small apartment. The knock was followed by the main door opening and Robert abruptly ending their moment together. He helped tuck Eddie back into his jeans and buttoned him up before standing and righting his own clothes. Robert smiled and winked at him relieving Eddie’s growing anxiety over the intrusion.

  “My bosses.” He informed Eddie and turned to them as they entered the room. Eddie stood but stayed back behind Robert. “Eddie, this is Ismael Patronne and his son Silas.” Robert introduced them, and Eddie nodded his acknowledgment. Both men returned the gesture but looked at him and the area speculatively. They were both large and intimidating like all the DuCane men.

  Eddie noticed Robert shift his stance a couple of steps to the left, putting Eddie effectively behind him. Eddie didn’t know what it meant, but it made him feel safe, so that was good. Suffering the gaze of these two men was making Eddie wish he could hide under Robert’s jacket. They were DuCane men, powerfully positioned within the Coven. Eddie once again felt the fear of not knowing what he was getting himself into.

  “Eddie is important to me, sir,” Robert stated, and suddenly, everyone seemed at ease. The meaning of the statement was obviously understood by everyone apart from Eddie. He looked at the two men, and they visibly relaxed and regarded him warmly instead of like a problem as they had when they first entered.

  “Will Eddie be joining us at the Palace?” Ismael asked clearly, seeing it as Robert had as the safest place for him under the present circumstances.

  “We’re discussing that, sir. As it is, Eddie would prefer to stay here, in his own home.” Robert explained vaguely and didn’t sound too keen on Eddie’s choice. The two men echoed Roberts's disapproval with a stern look and a slight shake of their heads.

  Ismael took a few steps closer, keeping his eyes on Eddie and assessing every nuance of expression. “This is very serious, Eddie. Do you truly understand the situation that you are in?”

  “Robert said that I’m being hunted by a deadly cult that won’t stop until I’m dead, or they are dead,” Eddie stated what he’d been told in the manner he understood it.

  “That’s the gist of it, but I fear that you don’t recognize the gravity of the threat and the risk that you place yourself in by staying in a place that has already been proven unsuitable.” Ismael glanced at the window in the kitchen that had been replaced and then back at Eddie.

  “I’ll stay with him, sir,” Robert interjected. Ismael was about to respond when someone came barreling into the room, and Eddie was instantly mortified when his Uncle Allen began chastising him in front of these men.

  “Eddie! Why the hell haven’t you fixed that fence? The shit job you did last night isn’t going to hold, and the damn cows will be out on the road again. Get your ass out there and fix it.” His uncle Allen was shouting and pointing his finger, and then he suddenly noticed the men in the room.

  “Who the hell are these men? You’re not allowed to have visitors here Eddie, that was pointed out to you years ago. I own this place, and you will follow my rules, or you will . . .” And that was all he said as Ismael slapped his palm in the middle of Uncle Allen’s forehead, and the man hit the floor like a sack of potatoes. It was lights out for the old man.

  Ismael made no comment and turned his attention back to Robert and Eddie.

  “Wow,” Eddie remarked. Robert reached back and took his hand and held it giving Eddie the sense that there was a lot more going on there than he realized. Was he really being thickheaded and putting himself in danger by insisting on staying home? The Palace scared him, and that was the primary reason for refusing the offer of protection. Robert then turned to look at him directly with those penetrating black eyes that saw everything clearly sensing his struggle.

  “It’s not safe for you here. I understand your hesitance about going to the Palace but look at it as the lesser of two evils if that makes more sense. We want these freaks destroyed as much as you do. The Caen have no place here in DuCane territory, and we will take them out, all of them. In the meantime, let us help you.” He implored, and Eddie appreciated his concern and his assistance. He needed to be smart about this. Help like what Robert had provided and was offering didn’t come around every day.

  “The enemy of my enemy?” Eddie gave a half-smile. “Is that what you’re saying?”

  “If that works for you, yes, I’ll take that.” Robert squeezed his hand and pulled him closer.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll go with you. You’re right, I’m being stupid. I can’t get through this on my own and survive. I’m no match for what I saw lying on my kitchen floor last night.” Eddie felt a shiver pass through him at the memory of all that blood and gore. He also felt Robert’s grip on his hand tighten, and his distress drained away. Robert had a way of touching him that made Eddie stronger. It was a strange but powerful sensation, and Eddie leaned into it.

  “You're not stupid.” Robert gently corrected. “You’re a careful man, and there’s nothing wrong with that.” Eddie smiled at the supportive tone he took.

  “Perhaps you could walk us out while Eddie packs his things since he will be staying with us for a while,” Ismael suggested, but it was not a suggestion. Robert nodded and turned to Eddie.

  “Meet me outside when you’re ready.” He dropped a quick kiss to his lips, which surprised the hell out of Eddie, considering the other two men were standing right there.

  “Okay.” He said and watched the three men leave and wondered what turn his life was about to take.

  …

  Once they were out in the yard, Ismael congratulated Robert on finding his beloved, and Silas seconded the sentiment. “He is aware of our kind, but he is unaware that he is your beloved.” It was a question, and a statement rolled into one.

  “No, sir. He’s just getting used to this new reality, so I thought it best if I waited and allowed our relationship to grow before telling him what we are to one another.” Robert explained.

  “I wouldn’t wait too long. Eddie seems bright and intuitive and already leaning on you for support. Bonding with him would allow him additional strength and resistance to what it is that stalks him.” Ismael glanced out into the field and then back at Robert.

  “The Caen soldiers have made several appearances, all of which have centered around your beloved. Do you know why they hunt him?”

  “No, sir. We talked, but I can’t discern any reason for them to be trying to hurt him. As you know, he and his friend Joe Banks developed a strong theory of Coven DuCane after living in this town and witnessing a feeding and a memory wipe. Eddie naturally assumed the vampires that were after him were from Coven DuCane and that he was targeted because he knew our secret. But that wouldn’t explain why the Caen were after him.” Robert explained.

  “How did he elude the Caen soldiers?” Silas interjected. “The Sheriff’s report says they have attacked him on five separate occasions and yet he still lives. How is that possible? He’s a human, a weak human and the Caen do not miss their target unless they are killed first.”

  “He seems to think it was pure luck and the ability to run very fast.” Robert did not look convinced as he repeated Eddie’s thoughts. “There has to be something that he’s not aware of.”

  “The resistance to having his memory erased could be due to the fact that he is your beloved. I don’t think we need to focus on that too deeply, but we do need to figure out why an ancient and brutal cult has marked your beloved for death. He either has something they want or knows something he shouldn’t.” Ismael finished just as Eddie exited the building and walked up to stand beside Robert.

  “Take him to the Palace and keep him safe.” Ismael and Silas headed for their car, and Robert directed Eddie towards a black SUV. Eddie wondered what they had been talking about since all conversation stopped the minute he stepped out of his house. He knew his paranoia was working overtime.

  Once they were in the vehicle and pulling away from the farm, Eddie’s curiosity got the best of him. “Were you discussing me with your bosses?”

  “Yes,” Robert answered almost immediately, and Eddie was shocked by his honesty.

  “I thought you’d lie to me.” Eddie also decided to be truthful.

  “I’ll never lie to you, Eddie. Besides, what else would we be talking about considering the things that have happened?” Robert told him without ever taking his eyes off the road in front of him.

  “Can I trust you, Robert?” Eddie asked, and boldly reached over and placed his hand on Robert’s thigh.

  “Yes, you can.” He answered and took his right hand off the steering wheel and placed it over Eddie’s.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  They were well on their way to the expansive wooded area that was rumored to hide the DuCane Palace. Eddie would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little excited to see it. He and Joe had considered trying to get a look at it but had never followed through. Thoughts of Joe brought on a concern for Joe’s wellbeing.

  “Would you take me to Joe’s first so I can check on him?” Eddie was worried about his friend. “He lives at 243 Central Avenue.” He added.

  “Yes, of course.” Robert turned back towards town without argument, which Eddie appreciated.