Ron walked over and locked the door and then leaned against it. Somehow, he had to convince Eric to go to the old boarded up club in the lowlands a place no one goes especially humans. Ron walked over to the sofa and sat down heavily and tried to come up with a plan.

  He was furious with Eric because if the man had just played along none of this would be happening. Now the wolves were angry and whoever ended up spending the night with them would most certainly not survive the ordeal. Ron just had to make sure that person wasn’t him.

  "Chester, hello . . . don't hang up." He decided to start with his only connection to Eric Bruce. "I just want a chance to apologize to Eric. I know he hates me, and I understand, but the way the evening turned out was not the evening I had planned." He started to pull out all the excuses he could come up with.

  “Don’t bother, I know Eric and when he is finished with someone he is finished, and he is finished with you. He won’t accept an apology in any shape or form. It’s better that you simply disappear.” Chester was developing some backbone that he hadn’t exhibited before and Ron did not like it.

  "I have to apologize even if he punches me in the face afterward; I still need to tell him I'm sorry, and I need to do it face to face." Ron was pleading but also using a little firm language that usually got what he wanted from Chester. Chester wouldn't admit it, but he liked to be controlled and bossed about.

  "If you try to talk to him, he will punch you in the face. That's a given, believe me." Chester was being impossible, so Ron pulled out the big guns and began to whimper and then cry.

  "You can be there with us. Just let me tell him how sorry I am, or I will never be able to live with myself. I've never hurt anyone before, and I know that I hurt Eric. Please let me make this right or as right as possible."

  "I'll see what I can do but I make no promises." Chester responded, clearly torn over what he should do. "I'll get back with you."

  "I'll call back in the morning," Ron stated firmly.

  “Okay, but like I said, I make no promises.”

  “I know you’ll come through for me Chester. You know how important this is to me.” Ron was giving his best performance of their entire relationship, and it was hard not to giggle just a little. “I wish we could have worked out Chester maybe after I speak with Eric we could give it another try.”

  Chester hung up before he was forced to make a reply. Sweet young Chester couldn’t shut him out completely, but he also couldn’t bring himself to accept Ron. His torment was delectable. Ron had enjoyed their time together, twisting that boy every which way. He was going to miss the entertainment. Chester was so easy and so damned needy.

  "What time is it?" Eric asked as he pushed the blankets back and moved up, balancing on his elbow while looking down into the sexy face of his new lover. Kannan yawned and slowly opened his eyes. He glanced over to the right at the digital clock.

  "Seven ten according to the clock. Why do you have somewhere to go?" Kannan gave a half grin, pulled Eric down on top of him, and gave him a deep and thorough good morning kiss. "I love the way you smell." Kannan moaned and buried his nose against Eric's shoulder.

  "You bit me last night," Eric said and laid his head on Kannan's shoulder. He touched the tender little scar and felt a lovely sensation that sent a thrill down his spine.

  “I did.” Kannan ran his fingertips across it in a feather light touch and the thrill was sharper making Eric moan softly.

  “That feels fantastic.” He admitted. “I don’t know what you did but I love the results.”

  “I bonded with you.” Eric had heard the statement before. Chester had often made reference to soul mates and bonding. Chester was convinced the town was overrun with vampires, werewolves, and witches, and he made many compelling arguments in that regard.

  "The only time I've heard anyone refer to bonding it was in regard to the paranormal." Eric was asking for clarification. "According to Chester, vampires bond with their beloveds, werewolves bond with their mates, and witches bond with their familiars, so which are you." He said it half joking but became somber when Kannan responded candidly.

  "I am a vampire, and you are my beloved." Eric did not know what to say.

  “Are you serious?” Eric asked.

  “Where did Chester get his information?”

  “Chester is an electrician he contracts with builders and works all over the city. He has seen many things and until now I was never sure if I believed all of it or not.” Eric had a million things suddenly rushing through his mind.

  "Tell me what you know, what you've experienced." Kannan rolled so that he was on top now, and Eric was on his back, pressed into the warm comfort of the bed. He wasn't restricting him in any way, and Eric knew he could move if he wanted to, but he didn't want to. He searched Kannan's face for truth and sincerity, and it was all there.

  The feeling in his heart told him this was his reality now that a door had opened and a secret had tumbled out. Things he'd witnessed and experienced suddenly came back to him. Questions and confusion were falling into place while his understanding was catching up with his knowledge. A fresh clarity was washing over him.

  He watched as Kannan's eyes turned blood red and his teeth elongated, protruding from his lips. His face took on an odd angular appearance, sharp and firm. Eric should have been afraid, but strangely enough, he was not. His connection to this man had grown, and the attraction he felt last night was now an overwhelming desire to be with him . . . forever.

  “Why do I feel so moved by you?” Eric reached up and gently touched Kannan’s lip and felt the energy and power surging through him. He watched as his features went back to normal and the wild untamed part of him receded. “What is this? Why am I not scared and why do I want you so badly?”

  "It's natural, and I feel the same way about you. You're my beloved, and we have bonded, which links us together, body, mind, and soul. Like I said, it is natural." Kannan was making sense, but Eric could feel that he wasn't telling him everything. He decided to answer the question he'd asked earlier.

  "I listened to the things Chester said, and at first, I just laughed, but soon I realized he was being honest and was telling me exactly what he thought he saw or heard. Chester is a terrible liar, so I should have believed him, but it was too out there, and I just assumed he was mistaken." Eric had fought it all the way and insisted that Chester had to be wrong.

  “What changed your mind?”

  "The more I told him he was wrong that these things couldn't be, the more he tried to get proof." Eric looked up at Kannan and captured those deep, dark eyes so soulful and so intense. "He got a video on his phone. It wasn't fake. It was all real. Video is my life; it's what I do. I know it is fake when I see it, and it is not fake. They were the most unbelievable scenes I've ever witnessed."

  “What was it?” Kannan visibly tensed.

  “It was Mr. Nikolas Hadden wielding a sword downtown in that big, empty lot. There were others all standing ready with their swords it was surreal and then monsters appeared and a battle began, likes of which I’ve only seen in video games.” Eric was shocked by what he watched but could no longer deny that something supernatural existed within the city of Pittsburgh.

  "He also had a video of a tall man dressed in leather and gold and looked like some sort of glorified gladiator. He was fierce and looked like death on a stick." That broke the tension that had developed, and Kannan began to laugh and dropped his forehead down to rest on Eric's shoulder as he continued to laugh.

  “Was his hair black or brown?”

  "Black as the night, and his eyes were a scorching blue. He scared the shit out of me, and it was just a video. I didn't sleep soundly for days after seeing that guy." Eric didn't understand the laughter, but he liked the fact that it made it easier to talk. The tension had been building, and he feared that perhaps Chester and he had done something wrong. Now, the atmosphere was relaxed and easy once again.

  "That was Marek. He's not a vampire or a shifter or a magic. He's actually a Cyprian Knight. Master Hadden has two Cyprian Knights as members in his coven. Marek has black hair, and Thayer's is brown. They're supreme warriors who battle the dark aspects of the supernatural." Kannan pushed the hair back from Eric's face and kissed him softly.

  Kannan was so gentle and understanding for a man who looked like he could conquer the world with just one hard, cold stare. "They are impressive and frightening. Merik scared me too the first time I met him."

  "Thanks for saying that, but I doubt it." Eric didn't know how he could be having such a conversation and yet be so calm.

  “I wouldn’t cross him or Thayer and that’s the truth.” Kannan kissed him again and Eric wrapped his arms around him holding him close. This kind of closeness and relaxed communication was something he never had with previous lovers. It was usually awkwardness after the deed and each of them hurrying to disappear.

  “I believe you even though I don’t really understand it, I believe you.” Eric took a deep breath and then continued. “Why are you telling me all of this obviously it’s meant to be a secret, or everyone would know and don’t tell me you weren’t a little concerned with Chester’s videos.”

  “You’re my beloved. Do you know what that means?”

  “Chester called it soulmates.”

  “It’s more than that it’s destiny. I’m telling you everything because you’re one of us now. You are my beloved and I have claimed you and bonded with you. That means that you and I are like one.” He said and then added. “Chester’s videos will have to be confiscated for our protection and secrecy.”

  Eric nodded his understanding. "I noticed that my feelings have supercharged since last night, and my awareness of you and everything around me has amplified. I also find it easy to believe everything you tell me. It's like I know that you're speaking the truth even though I've known you for a day at best." Eric was rambling with everything that was running wildly through his mind, but Kannan was patient and listened, not interrupting or trying to explain things away.

  "I felt the same last night. I thought you were sweet and handsome, and today, I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Eric nodded his agreement. "It's real, and the feelings are real. We were predestined, and Fate has brought us together. She usually brings Fated couples together when they need each other the most." That made sense since he'd nearly died last night, and without Kannan, he probably would have.

  “I’m hungry.” Eric decided he’d had enough enlightenment for now and needed some time to process.

  "Why don't you shower and pull yourself together, and I'll order us something from the kitchen." Kannan dropped another kiss on Eric's already kiss-swollen lips and then jumped out of bed. Eric was not lost on the pure magnificence of this man. His body was perfect, and he was the most handsome man Eric had ever met. Why he was satisfied with a couch potato like him was a mystery.

  Kannan lowered his phone and turned back to stare at Eric with a look of displeasure. Eric sat up straight but did not speak and waited for whatever was to come.

  “Don’t ever think of yourself in those terms I will not have it. You are my beloved my love and my future you are perfect in my eyes. That is who you are do you understand me?” Eric nodded.

  “Do you understand me?” He repeated.

  "Yes, but you're so amazing, and I'm so ordinary."

  "Enough!" Kannan held up his hand to stop him from talking. "You're everything I've ever wanted: your hair, your voice, your killer body, those lips I can't stop kissing, your personality, and your ability to smile even in the worst situations. You are mine, and I will never give you up." Kannan pointed at him decisively, and Eric nodded again.

  "I love you too." He said. Kannan looked shocked and smiled.

  “That’s more like it baby and I love you too now go take a shower and meet me in the kitchen when you’re done.”

  “Yes, sir.” Eric jumped from the bed and hurried to the bathroom.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Kannan was so in love with that cute little human that he could hardly think straight. Every thought was swirling around Eric and how to convince him to be a permanent part of his life. Having him say the words so easily and without fear was the icing on the cake. He declared his love without needing to qualify it or explain it away he just said what he was feeling and that was another reason why he was falling so hard for this little, vulnerable human.

  He took a quick shower in the spare room and dressed before heading to the kitchen and placing his breakfast order. He would have to make sure to have some groceries delivered so there were food and drinks available for his beloved.

  The sandwiches he made last night were a hit so he would have more sandwich options there for him. Kannan wasn’t sure of his taste as yet, but he was getting an idea. Eric was obviously not a picky eater having polished off the tray of odds and ends that Kannan had pulled together.

  He was in the kitchen setting out their breakfast and making coffee when his phone rang. “Hello.”

  "Just an update on the wolves who assaulted your beloved," Kristof stated and then continued. "They and a portion of their crew, including their alpha wannabee Decker, are living in the building that housed the old Red Crescent Lounge in the lowlands. That place has been closed for years ever since Master Hadden started cleaning up the area."

  "I patrol the southern part of the lowlands, and since the hex came to town, the lowlands have been getting steadily worse and steeped in shadows and blood. It's a nasty part of town." Kannan commented.

  "Yes, the hex has been having a negative effect on susceptible places like the lowlands and idiot people like the wolves. They haven't done anything bad enough to warrant expulsion from Hadden territory, but they're getting close." Kristof sounded irritated by the fact he couldn't just send them packing. "Gage and Mael have located Rule, and if you want to join the interrogation, meet us at the warehouse in two hours."

  “Thanks, I’ll be there. Any information on Cal?”

  "Not yet, but we're confident that Rule will lead us to Cal." He closed the call and finished setting up breakfast just as Eric entered the room, looking all fresh and tasty.

  "Come and have a seat, my love." Kannan took him into his arms and kissed him before helping him get seated at the table. They finished breakfast in relative quiet, and Kannan was glad to see that his beloved had a healthy appetite. He poured coffee, and they moved from the table to the living room.

  "I'd like for you to move in here with me. We can pick up your things later today and get you situated before nightfall." Kannan decided to voice his intentions and see what Eric had to say. From what he could read, Eric was mellow and accepting of everything they'd discussed and of the incredible things Kannan had told him. His heart was open, and his mind was working through it all.

  "I want to be with you, but it might take me a bit longer to relocate. I need some time to think and organize before making such a move." That was not what Kannan wanted to hear, but he understood. He nodded and sipped his coffee while reaching out to Eric with his mind.

  He was hesitant but not averse to the idea his feelings were a mixture of want and uncertainty. He trusted Kannan, but he didn't trust himself or his ability to make good decisions.

  Kannan reached over, took his hand, and squeezed it. "Do you trust me?"

  “Yes.”

  "I trust you too." He raised his hand to his lips and kissed it. "Take the time you need but know that I cannot be without you for very long. We are newly bonded, and as a vampire, I am hard-wired to attach to my beloved. It's how Fate makes sure the union is strong and will grow as intended." He paused, wanting to choose his words correctly.

  “This isn’t off the cuff or a sudden infatuation it is a connection so deep and meant to span a lifetime and more. I will love you for the rest of your life and the need to be near you will always be a part of me.” He stared into Eric’s deep blue gaze and saw the desire that was there but also shades of uncertainty remained.

  He had to give him the time he asked for, but it was going to be miserable. He should have been prepared for this, but he wasn’t. His own overconfidence based on their time together over the past two days had led him here. Eric was human, and it was natural that he would ask for time.

  "I'm sorry," Eric said, moving closer to Kannan, obviously having picked up on his disappointment.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. I put a lot on you last night and this morning and you will need time.” Kannan tried to be supportive, but his vampire nature was demanding they grab Eric and leave but that was not possible. Humans were tricky creatures, and a wrong move now could prolong this process much longer than Kannan was prepared to tolerate.

  "I want this too. I want there to be a you and me, but I have to think about moving in with you. It's fast, considering we literally just met. I'm not saying no; I'm just saying, let me think." Eric was struggling, and Kannan didn't want his beloved to be stressed. He took him into his arms and buried his face in the crook of Eric's neck. He drank in his lovely scent and let it calm him and fill him with peace.

  "I have to leave soon; Rule has been located, and I want to speak with him regarding your attack." That information had Eric stiffening and digging his fingers into Kannan's sides. His fear was taking over, but Kannan held him and channeled his calm. "Nothing to fear, Eric. I will deal with him, Cal, and anyone else involved. That pack of wolves has no place in the Hadden territory."

  "Werewolves," Eric said the word.

  "Yes, not all are like those two reprobates. Most are decent people." Kannan responded.

  "Werewolves," Eric repeated. "This is a strange new world you have presented to me, Kannan Lieth.

  “Too strange.” He asked.

  “No, I can handle it.” There was a smile in his voice, and it was the sweetest gift.