The lights were still flashing in his eyes as he struggled to come down from such a high. It had thoroughly drained him and sapped every ounce of energy from his system, but it was the most extraordinary sensual experience of his life so far. He smiled and opened his eyes to see his two mates kissing and caring for one another. They turned to him and kissed him hard and possessively taking turns leaving him spent beyond comprehension.

  Diego held him and whispered words of love and comfort while Kingston disappeared and came back with a warm cloth. Benny watched as he cleaned him and Diego and refastened their clothing. Benny had never had anyone treat him with so much care and dare he say, love.

  "We would like you to stay tonight. Stay here with us, Benny." Diego stated and dropped another heated kiss to Benny's red and swollen lips. Benny looked around and saw Kingston coming from the bathroom. He sat next to him and instantly wrapped his arm around Benny's shoulders and also encompassed Diego. He was holding them both, and it made him feel a part of them, special and needed.

  He was losing himself in these men when all of a sudden, his insecurities began to push forth. A series of troubling thoughts enveloped him gradually numbing his joy and flattening his desire. Did they only want him for tonight? Diego asked him to stay tonight not forever. He didn’t really know Kingston or Diego or their intent. Was he a mate they intended to keep or were they satisfied with each other? The niggling questions of doubt began to take a solid hold in his mind.

  They both felt it, the subtle withdrawal and the tension as Benny’s body took on a stiffness that wasn’t there before. They pulled back slowly letting their hands slid down to rest on his thighs. Diego’s on the left and Kingston’s on the right. They gave him a little space but remained close unwilling to move too far as their natural impulses were still on edge and demanding they claim their beloved. They’d hoped to claim him tonight.

  "What's wrong, beautiful?" Diego crooned. His voice was even deeper than normal. He felt the need to gather Benny into his arms and soothe his fears but knew that would only exacerbate whatever thoughts were tormenting him at the moment. He caught Kingston's gaze and it was obvious he was feeling the same urge.

  His brow was creased, and his lips pressed together in a thin line showing the strength of will he was employing to resist. Diego clasped his hand with Kingston’s where it was resting on the back of the sofa behind Benny’s head. They needed the calm that each other provided. Courting their skittish wolf was going to take some time. He was willing and wanting a few minutes ago, so they just needed to give him space, and he would return to them like before.

  Benny avoided eye contact but did place his hands over both Diego’s and Kingston’s where they lay on his upper thighs. He took several deep breaths and attempted to square his shoulders but remained somewhat folded in on himself. “I know you.” He said with significant force considering what his posture was telegraphing.

  "I want you, both. It is shocking but I know its fact, we are mates. But I don't know you as people, and you don't know me. I ache for you." He looked at Diego and then at Kingston. "But I don't know who you are or how this is going to work."

  Kingston usually the man of few words and even fewer explanations spoke up in an attempt to reassure Benny and maintain the progress they'd made. "We sensed your presence when we entered the club, and we searched for you. Finding you in the hallway to our room was a shocking stroke of good luck since we'd just decided to end the night and begin our search again in the morning." Kingston turned his hand over so as to grip Benny's

  “It broke our hearts to think that we’d terrified you to such a degree that others came to your aid. It tore us up that you didn’t know us, and we were then the terrified ones. We were terrified sitting in that room with you Master wondering if we would ever be allowed to see you again. Wondering if you would accept us or if our lives would have to go on somehow without you. We were terrified of losing you.”

  Kingston paused for a moment but then added. "We will do this any way that is comfortable for you. We can go as slow as you need and discuss everything that you believe needs to be discussed, but we will never let you go."

  Diego softened the statement by interjecting. “We have known you existed since just after Kingston and I bonded. Our Seer told us that a third was present and in time Fate would bring you to us. We always knew there would be you. We know you’re unsure and you have experiences that have taught you to distrust, but all we ask is that you remain open and give us a chance." He ended with a smile that elicited the same from Benny.

  Benny nodded throughout the declarations but waited until all was said to comment. Both Kingston and Diego held their breath as Benny responded. If all else failed, they were ready and prepared to abduct him and spirit him away to Coven DuCane and let the Alphas and Masters and all the insecurities in Benny's life be damned. He belonged to them, and they would not be denied their beloved.

  "I can't lose you either," Benny stated and his words were music to their ears.

  “I just need time to process. I know that sounds stupid, but I don’t always have control of my wolf and he tends to run scared if changes aren’t processed and understood. I want our bond to be right and solid and for that to happen my wolf needs to trust you.” Benny looked them both in the eyes for the first time since ending their embrace.

  Kingston stood up and then Diego followed and held out his hand to Benny who took it and stood up between them. "We understand," Diego stated and walked over to the already open door and Benny and Kingston followed. “Go back to your bed, Benny and rest. Tomorrow we will have lunch together in a nice restaurant and we will get to know one another better. We will do all the talking that you require and then we will discuss our future.” Benny stepped forward and nodded his head looking once again unsure.

  "It's okay Benny, we will collect you at noon, be ready," Kingston told him and reached out his hand as if to shake. Benny looked at the hand and stepped forward to place a soft kiss to the underside of his chin. He then turned to Diego and did the same to him.

  “Good night.” He said and left closing the door behind him.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  It was so damned hard walking down that hallway to the elevator that Benny nearly turned around three times. But he had to have some space and a few minutes to take this all in. These men were head and shoulders above him not only physically but socially. They were part of an elite coven and were important members of that elite coven. Master DuCane ruled the oldest and arguably the most powerful coven in the country and these men were part of his assassin squad. They were highly trained and highly regarded.

  With all of that in mind, Benny struggled with the idea of being mated to not one such man but two. He was drawn to them, his body actually trembled at the memory of their touch and his wolf was smitten although still a little nervous. But what use could they have for a mate or beloved such as him?

  They just finished a job in Europe, one of many he presumed over the years. They were well traveled, highly educated, expertly trained and members of a high order. Whereas he was born and raised in the sticks of central Michigan in a pack so backward they used outhouses and got their water from a lake. There was no school, no training for anything and as an omega wolf, he and his brother were mere slaves.

  Things had changed for him, the Hadden Coven gave him a place and a job along with protection. His brother was now mated to a high-level member of the Coven. Benny was taking classes and hoped to one day get a placement in their communications department. Now his life was about to change again, and it had to be for the better because he refused to go back to being looked down upon as weak and useless.

  He would not settle for being a pet or merely an ornament in their lives. He had to be equal, but how would that work with two men such as Kingston Nash and Diego Castilla? Tomorrow at lunch he would present his concerns and hear their responses. He wasn’t afraid of them. They were a dangerous pair, but they didn’t scare him and that spoke volumes all on its own. His wolf was nervous but wanted its mates all the same. What a fickle little wolf.

  …

  “He came to us, he searched us out even as traumatized as he was, he still needed to come to us and he opened himself to us. That’s a good sign.” Diego commented as he and Kingston sat back on the sofa and embraced. They needed each other always but even more so during this time of fighting to secure their beloved.

  “I’ll call Steven and have him remove us from the roster until we figure out our little beloved and get him home with us.” Diego smiled at Kingston who was still wearing a glower. “Come on, lighten up, we always have plan B.” He added and Kingston instantly cheered up.

  …

  Benny called Andrew the following morning and reported that he'd met with Kingston and Diego the previous evening. The meeting scheduled for eleven was canceled and no one seemed surprised. He didn't have to work today and as a matter of fact, he was given as many days off as he needed. He figured he'd take it one day at a time.

  Memories of last evening swam in his thoughts all night and were there to greet him when he woke. The emotions and thrills of being with Kingston and Diego were fresh and still caused him to tremble. He skipped breakfast choosing to have coffee in his room instead. His stomach was too stirred up and tense to be able to eat.

  Maybe he was thinking about this too hard. These were his mates and he knew what that meant. They were to be the center of his life and he the center of theirs, it was as Fate demanded. The details were to be worked out as time progressed, not dealt with immediately. It was just fear of change that had him leaving last night and missing out on probably a night of the best sex he’d ever had.

  Sure, they were assassins and that sounded pretty serious, but everyone has a job, a purpose in a Coven and his mates just happen to be assassins. Their skill sets put them on a different trajectory than him, but everyone played their own part in a Coven community.

  They wouldn't treat him as less than because they would aim to please just as he felt compelled to please them. An unhappy mate is an unhappy union for all. He continued to give himself the pep talk watching the clock and waiting for twelve noon. It was so exciting and so unnerving, but he was happy. Through it all, he was happy. Having two mates was an unexpected surprise, but he was drawn to them both equally. It was weird, but he and his wolf were hot for both men. He wouldn't be able to choose if forced, they both belonged to him. It didn't seem strange admitting that, and it made him feel good.

  Kingston and Diego were walking on eggshells around him and it was time he acted like a proper mate and cut the trauma drama. If he wanted to be treated like an equal, then he needed to stop the fucking crying.

  He was dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a navy blue t-shirt. He checked himself in the mirror again and was satisfied that he looked good. Grabbing his phone, he dropped it into his pocket and took a seat at his desk.

  He still had over an hour before they were to come for him. Damn, he wished he'd thought to give them his cell number and gotten theirs, but he was too busy sticking his head up his ass at the time to actually do anything constructive.

  It surprised him when someone knocked on his door. His mates weren’t coming for a while yet. Expectations shot up as he hurried to the door hoping that they were unable to stay away any longer and had decided to come early. Unfortunately, it was Kristof at his door, and he didn’t look happy. He looked like someone who was about to deliver some bad news. Benny felt his heart drop at the possibilities. Fuck.

  …

  Kingston was tense and annoyed; it was obvious by the set of his brow and his silence as he drove. Diego felt the same, but they'd had no choice. The call to their handler Steven last night resulted in the worse possible outcome considering their current situation. Twenty minutes after contacting Steven to give him the good news and to request that they be taken off the roster for the next couple of weeks, he calls back with an urgent order.

  There was a job that only they could be trusted to complete, and it was an order from Master DuCane. It was unlike him to spring such a directive on them especially when he’d just insisted that they take a three-day vacation. But they were mere assassins in the service of their Master they were not his counsel.

  Kingston rolled his eyes over to look at Diego who was seated to his right. “Do you believe this was urgent? So critical that we had to be torn from our beloved, our wary and unclaimed beloved? The occultist in Northern New York have been in operation for decades they're despicable but also useful, and they haven't caused us any direct harm. Why is it urgently necessary that their leader be eliminated today? We usually receive more information than just find him and kill him.” He kept his eyes on Diego for a moment before returning them to the road ahead.

  Diego leaned back in the passenger seat with his head supported on the headrest and threaded his fingers together on his lap. They were both equally frustrated at the cold and inconsiderate way they were pulled away from Benny. But this was their life, they were professionals and their Master and Coven depended upon them.

  "I think it was unfortunate and I hope to find that this assignment was so urgent that being designated as the only team to handle it will be made clear to us." He closed his eyes for a moment and then turned his head to look at Kingston. "I wish we could have spoken to Benny ourselves before leaving." He added sadly.

  Kingston could feel the aggravation coming off his beloved. Diego was trying to stay cool about this, but he was failing. The fact that they were going into whatever this assignment was going to amount to in a mindset of frustrated anger was going to compromise their abilities and they knew it. Distractions could kill. He needed to stop complaining and get focused.

  "We need to keep our minds on the job and not on what we left behind," Kingston stated firm and decisive. “Reasons and feelings are inconsequential right now. We’ll figure that out later. The only thing that matters right now is finishing this job and returning to the Hadden Coven as soon as possible. Benny is there waiting for us.” Kingston glanced at Diego again and noticed the sadness still in his eyes. “He is waiting for us and we must return to him so let’s get this done with no distraction.” He reached over and took Diego’s hand.

  "Let's get this done," Diego stated and squeezed Kingston's hand. "Our beloved is waiting."

  …

  Benny stepped back and let Kristof enter. He was certain the news was going to be bad just going by the expression of regret written all over Kristof’s face. He moved back even further giving Kristof plenty of room. Kristof closed the door and indicated that Benny should sit down which he did in the chair by his desk. Kristof took the wooden chair he kept by the door and pulled it over so he could sit close to Benny. Damn this was going to be bad he just knew it.

  Benny knotted his fingers together in his lap and waited with a breathlessness that was making him light-headed. Kristof took a long breath and then looked around the room as if he was finding it difficult putting his words together.

  Kristof reached over and covered Benny’s hands with his own and held them as he began. “Kingston and Diego left last night.” Those were the worst six words in the history of words.

  Benny began to tremble with panic but pushed his wolf back and kept his composure, this time. He kept his gaze focused on Kristof and tried to pull strength from his Alpha who was doing everything in his power to make this as easy as possible. But it was impossible, the pain bubbled up in Benny and the instant sorrow that enveloped him was unbelievable. He'd ruined this, he'd ruined everything. He left them last night and now they'd left him.

  "Andrew said they left a note in the room. It was found this morning by a member of the housekeeping staff. It had your name on it, but I read it." He handed the half sheet of paper to Benny who took it in a shaking hand and tried to read it, but the tears clouding his eyes made it impossible.

  "Here let me read it to you." Kristof took the note back and began to read it. Benny heard the main points. They had to leave, and they would be back for him. There was no explanation for why they had to leave or any time table as to when they would be back for him.

  “They left me.” Was all Benny could get passed his lips and it sounded pathetic.

  "I worked in their business for a lot of years before I met my beloved Andrew and settled down here. I can assure you that although the note seems brief and cold, it is not. They can't give out information about their assignments and can put nothing into writing. It's unusual that they even left a note at all. They will be back, Benny." Kristof tried to comfort and reassure, but Benny was having doubts.

  “Would you have taken a job and walked away from Andrew after first meeting him and before claiming him?” Benny knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it.

  Kristof shook his head. “No, I would not have walked away. But with that said, I was a freelancer and worked for myself. Kingston and Diego work for their coven, they answer to Master DuCane. They have to defer to their Master." Benny listened, but he was not buying it.

  His fears of last night were becoming real. He was not enough for them, and at the same time, he was probably too much for them. He had been difficult and resistant and undoubtedly not what they were expecting.

  “Be totally honest with me Kristof, do you really believe those two men are going to come back for me?” Benny knew Kristof would not lie to him.

  Kristof moved his hand to Benny's shoulder and squeezed as he looked him in the eyes. "Honestly, I don't know. I wish I could tell you for certain, but I believe you should prepare yourself for the possibility of them never returning."

  "I fucked it all up." Benny's voice quivered, but he held his composure.