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  He had been in bed, with his newly claimed beloved in his arms when Josef came knocking. Apparently, Ed Massey took affront to his son Jared being denied entrance and sent a group of his men to the Club. His intent was to intimidate the patrons and close down the party. That wasn’t going to happen.

  The fact that Ed Massey’s behavior pulled him from the arms of his beloved meant things were not going to go well for the man. Nik felt his nature rising and his instincts sharpening.

  Nik’s security team led by Lando was holding the men back but had not dispersed them as yet. They were waiting for Nik to give the go ahead. Massey was influential in some areas of city politics and finance, so they didn’t treat his men as they would have any other rabble rousers.

  Nik saw Leo, Ed’s bodyguard, a large man with aspirations in the Massey empire, at the head of the group as soon as he crossed the room and entered the entrance way. Nik’s men were experts at keeping trouble contained and out of sight. The entrance had been closed and the hall leading to the man room was blocked off. What was happening here was not going to touch the party inside.

  “Here he is, now maybe we can come to an agreement and work this out without causing a scene. This place is too nice to be subject to the damage that I can do.” Leo said and stepped forward towards Lando who stopped him with the palm of his hand pressed to his chest. Leo looked down at the hand and up at Nik speculatively.

  “Is this how you want to play this Hadden? You have no idea the shit storm you will be releasing if you don’t let me and mine pass.” This time he looked down his nose at all of them.

  Nik stepped closer and stared at Leo for a moment before turning on his heels and stating, “Get rid of them.” To his men. The area was cleared in minutes, Massey’s men may have looked tough but they could not compete with a team of vampires. Once they were ousted, guards were posted at every entrance and several were manning the street outside to prevent any of the patrons being harassed coming or going from The Imperial Club.

  …

  Walker made it to the garage without incident and was walking out the large doors when a man in an expensive suit stopped him. “Aren’t you Walker Hall?” The man asked.

  “Yes, why?” Walker was nervous, the man was one of Nik’s security people and he hoped that there wasn’t a problem. He just wanted to sneak away, Nik was finished with him and he wanted to be gone, now.

  “Does he know you’re leaving?”

  “Yes, I’m supposed to leave.” Walker was sure being left alone like he had meant, ‘get out.’ The man looked unsure for a moment and then allowed Walker to pass. Walker got to the street and started to run as fast as his feet would carry him. There were a bunch of rough necks on the street and they seemed interested in starting shit with anyone and everyone who passed them.

  Once he was a few blocks from the club, he reached into his pocket to get his phone so he could tell Stanley he was going home. Unfortunately, his phone was not in his pocket. “Fuck.”

  Nik hurried to the elevator anxious to return to his sleeping lover. Walker was having an effect on him that was hitting all his senses and narrowing his focus to one thing, making the man his in every sense of the word. Walker Hall was a part of him now and would always remain a part of him.

  They were bonded now and Nik knew he had a lot of explaining to do when Walker woke up. Nik had not planned on bonding so soon but was not sorry for completing their bond and placing his claiming mark on Walker. He wanted the world to know that Walker Hall belonged to the Vampire Master.

  Nik sensed that something was wrong the moment he stepped into the elevator. The atmosphere was oppressive, and an apprehension hung in the surrounding air. By completing their bond, Nik was now connected on a mental and emotional level with his beloved. His heart began to pound as the elevator opened and he stepped out into his living room. Walker was gone, he could feel the bereft emptiness crowding in upon him.

  Nik, awash with panic, walked briskly to the bedroom in hopes that his instincts and perception were off and that Walker was still naked and asleep in his bed. His bed was empty, cold and empty. Walker’s clothing that he’d hung so carefully on the chair were gone.

  His mind was inundated with frantic thoughts of why he was gone and where would he go. Nik rushed to his house phone and contacted Josef informing him of the situation. Everyone was put on immediate alert as Nik went in search of his beloved. He would find him and he would bring him back.

  …

  Walker made it home unscathed. The crowd outside of the club was belligerent but thankfully the security guys were taking care of them. The Imperial’s security force was not to be trifled with, he discovered as he saw one man learn that lesson the hard way. He made a note to never piss off one of Nik’s security people.

  Thoughts of Nik Hadden flooded his mind, and he dropped down onto his worn and faded sofa. His evening with Nik would be something he’d hold in his memory for ever. No other man would do the things he did or get him to the places that Nik got him to. Walker laid his head back and closed his eyes.

  He wished he’d been able to say goodbye, it was childish, but he would have liked to have looked into those hypnotic blue eyes one last time. It had been an adventure, a once in a lifetime adventure.

  Walker shook his head and reached for his land line. He would have to look into getting another cell phone tomorrow because no way was he going back to Nik and asking for his phone. It was just a cheap pay as you go phone so he could pick up another easy enough. There were a few pictures he hadn’t down loaded onto his computer and he hated losing those, but it is what it is.

  “Shit Walker, what happened? Were you really with Nik Hadden? Oh my god you were with Nik Hadden.” Stanley went on and on for several minutes before Walker could get a word in.

  “Yeah, I was with him but it was just a one off, nothing serious and there will be no second date. Well, there really wasn’t a first date so a second would be impossible at this juncture.” Walker stopped talking when he realized he too was rambling.

  “You had sex with him?” Stanley whispered into the phone, his shock and disbelief evident.

  “Yeah, he was probably just trying to take the edge off and well, who am I to say no to a man who looks like Nik Hadden.” Walker was trying to sound flippant but he wasn’t feeling it. Down deep he felt an emptiness that continued to grow the longer he was away from The Imperial Club and Nik. He wasn’t a sap or a clinging vine, so why was he thinking about this guy non-stop. He’d had other hookups but not once did he feel like this. He tried to chalk it up to the mind blowing sex and the bite on his neck.

  “Walker this is serious.” Stanley suddenly sounded calm and in control and Walker found that to be more unsettling than his previous shrieking.

  “It’s not serious, believe me. We fucked, I fell asleep, because yeah, he was that good and when I woke he was nowhere in sight. It got up and took off. I wasn’t going to hang around to be judged and escorted out.” Walker was not going to entertain any daydream ideas about what took place. He knew what took place, and it was one fast fuck, period, end of relationship.

  “Just listen for a minute. Did he bite you?” Stanley’s tone took on a pleading element. “His Second, Josef, came to me after you disappeared with Master Hadden. He told me to not worry that you were safe and being cared for and that I could call you in the morning.”

  “So, he just didn’t want you getting in the way.” Walker interjected, while refusing to answer the did he bite you question.

  “Listen, Josef told me that you were chosen.” Stanley seemed to be getting frustrated.

  “I still don’t see any significance to that.” Walker was not trying to be obtuse, it just was not the fairytale that Stanley was so eagerly trying to weave.

  “My god, this is so hard. There is so much you don’t know and I can’t explain it to you. Just let me say this, you’re important, you may not see it or believe it, but you are. You need to call Master Hadden.”
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br />   Walker started laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes. “Not in this lifetime, Stanley, no way in hell am I going to start stalking. It was a onetime deal nothing more and you of all people should understand you do not call someone who left you cold after a good time.” Walker was getting a little irritated by the end of his tirade. “Okay, enough, let’s talk about something else.”

  Stanley huffed a couple of times but then started telling Walker about the buff waiter he had made plans with for tomorrow. They made agreed to meet tomorrow for lunch at the diner downtown before saying good night.

  Walker got up from the sofa and made his way to his bed which was the same sofa only covered with a sheet and blankets and his pillow that he kept in the cupboard. This was a one room apartment with a minuscule bathroom with one tiny window and although exceptionally small, Walker preferred it considering his neighborhood. No one would be able to sneak in without him knowing they were there. He got undressed and pulled on his pajama pants before snuggling down into his lumpy sofa/bed.

  The hours passed and sleep would not come. He tossed and turned as his mind went over every moment that transpired between them, every word, every action. Nik Hadden would not get out of his head. The evening ran on a constant loop. He wanted to put it behind him, appreciate the time they had and get on with his life.

  His heart and his mind, not to mention that scar on his neck were constantly reminding him of what it was like with Nik. That scar was throbbing but not in pain, it was so sensitive and every time he touched it, a thrill skidded alone his nervous system. He found himself with a constant hard on.

  This was not natural. After several hours of restlessness, Walker got up and heated a cup of water in his microwave to make some instant coffee. He found an old movie on television and settled back once again on the sofa.

  …

  Nik discovered from the cameras and the guard in the basement garage that Walker had left the building. He watched him leave the apartment and exit through the garage. It wasn’t hard to figure out why he had left. He awoke and he was alone, it was clear to Walker that the evening was over so he left. It was an obvious conclusion that every normal person would make.

  Nik kicked himself for not waking his lover and assuring him that he would be returning. He’d claimed Walker, so their connection would bring him back. The bond was powerful and Walker would feel the need to return.

  It would all work out, he was confident that his bite would bring his beloved back to him soon. Not even a human could resist the pull of a bonding scar. He considered how his life had changed in the past few hours. He’d found his beloved and claimed him and began a campaign to rid this end of town of the bullies and thugs.

  The Masseys would learn to keep their distance from Nik Hadden and all that he governed. His move tonight was a bold one and would probably reap a certain amount of blow back, but nothing he and his men could not handle.

  He returned to his bedroom just to breathe in the scent of his beloved and relive the wonder and excitement of their first encounter. Beneath that lingering scent of disappointment lay the true aroma of his beloved’s desire and passion. He drank it in and felt their connection strengthening. His beloved was too beautiful for words to describe. Walker Hall had a lot to learn about his new life and the sooner the better as far as Nik was concerned.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Walker woke to a pounding on his apartment door. He checked his watch and noticed it was not yet seven in the morning. Who in the hell would be bothering him at this time on a Sunday morning? He pulled himself to his feet and not caring that he was wearing only his briefs, walked over to the door.

  “Who is it?” He asked through the door, you couldn’t be too careful in this neighborhood.

  “Nik, open up.” He sounded firm and although Walker would have liked to have said forget it, he couldn’t. He had to know why the man was at his door and he also had this overwhelming pull of attraction that demanded he open the door. He couldn’t refuse if he wanted to, and he tried not to dwell on the feeling too long. This guy had a spell on him or something because he could deny him nothing. He chuckled at himself because he knew the attraction was all about his experience last night. He could try to blame it on witchcraft, but in the end, it was simple lust and need.

  Walker opened the door, still wearing only his briefs and stared out at the handsome sophisticated man of his dreams. He looked so rested, so put together for being so early. Walker couldn’t find his tongue and continued to stare as Nik stepped closer and edged Walker back inside the apartment and closed the door behind them.

  “You look ravishing this morning my love.” Nik ran his eyes over Walker taking in the briefs and all the naked flesh and Walker could see the lust flash in those cool blues. Walker reached over and grabbed a pair of sweats and pulled them on. “Don’t get dressed on my account.” Nik continued with his suggestive looks and banter.

  Walker wasn’t sure what to make of the scene. Nik fucked his brains out and then abandoned him last night and now he walks right into his apartment as if they were in a relationship or something. Walker stared at him suspiciously and remained silent because he had nothing to say. What did he want?

  Nik saw the trepidation in Walker’s eyes and ached to ease his mind, but he didn’t know what to say, yet. He’d planned on waiting for their bond to bring Walker back to him, but it was obvious by three this morning that he was not going to wait for anything. Nik discovered Walker’s address and was more than a little concerned about the neighborhood his sweet beloved lived in. He reached into his pocket and handed Walker his phone.

  “You left that last night.” He watched as Walker took the phone and set it aside without comment. “I’m sorry you were alone when you woke. I had a situation to handle downstairs and thought I’d be back before you roused. I should have told you I was leaving, next time I will.”

  “Next time?” Walker cocked an eyebrow up at Nik. The situation probably had something to do with the thugs Walker encountered on the street so he was forced to accept the truth of Nik’s statement. But even without the proof, Walker had a sense that the snub was deliberate.

  The smile that covered Nik’s face was feral and predatory and sent a delicious thrill to crawl up Walker’s back. Nik stalked slowly towards him and Walker stood still, eyes wide and expectant. “Yes, sweetheart, we have just begun.” The words poured from his lips thick and sultry.

  Nik raised his right hand and pushed the hair back from Walker’s forehead and let his fingers tangle in the silky locks. “You are my beloved, Walker Hall, and last night was just the beginning.” He bent and placed a soft, lingering kiss to Walker’s lips and then pulled back to stare into those large, bemused hazel eyes. “We have a lot to discuss, but first, I’d like to take you for a nice breakfast. I want to get to know you better.”

  Nik kept talking and realized by the dazed look on Walker’s face that he was probably hearing only half of what was being said. He was there and he was receptive, so Nik was not going to complain. Walker had let him inside and let him explain, now he needed to get some things straight between them. Breakfast would be his opportunity to begin the clarification of who he was and what their union of last night really meant.

  Walker was a smart guy and Nik was confident that he would discern truth in what he was told. Nik was anxious to move forward with this relationship and establish their bond to the Coven. It was new and Walker was still feeling on the outside, but Nik would change that very soon.

  Walker looked down at himself and then up at Nik. “I’ll need to shower, it’ll take a few minutes.”

  “No problem, I’ll wait.” He indicated for Walker to do what he had to do and took a seat in the only chair in the room. He pulled out his phone and began messaging his driver that they would be out soon.

  Nik looked oddly comfortable and at home in his expensive suit all stretched out scrolling through his phone. His face showed nothing but acceptance, not a hint of scorn or dista
ste at his surroundings. Walker was again impressed by this man and excited that he came to take him to breakfast. He wasn’t deluding himself, there was a lot going on below the surface of what was said, but for now Walker wanted breakfast with Nik Hadden. He’d deal with the rest later. It looked like the adventure of a lifetime was going to continue.

  Walker finished his shower and dressed in record time. He didn’t like leaving Nik on his own in the apartment. He didn’t have anything to hide, but it made him feel too exposed and he wanted a modicum of privacy and mystery if possible. Considering all they’d done together last night, mystery was probably out of the question.

  He exited the bathroom while combing his hair and noticed that Nik was in the same chair and was still on his phone. As soon as Walker entered the room Nik looked up and captured his gaze and held it.

  Walker was mesmerized, the scar on his neck began to throb when Nik stood and walked towards him. It was like slow motion but also seemed to happen in an instant. Nik slid his hand behind Walker’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss so deep, Walker was sure he felt Nik’s tongue in his throat and it was wonderful.

  Walker placed his hands on Nik’s hips and held on as he opened for everything Nik was giving. Nik’s exploring tongue was making Walker’s cock hard as a rock and he unconsciously pressed himself against Nik’s thigh and ground his hardness for relief.

  His jeans were a hindrance to his satisfaction but Nik soon took care of that problem. With deft hands, he moved Walker’s t-shirt out of the way and opened his jeans to quickly plunge his hand inside and grasp Walker’s hard, aching cock. Walker let loose with a deep-rooted moan that came up from a place of untold and expectant pleasure.

  Walker felt the kiss get more and more passionate and it was as if Nik was truly making love to him. It wasn’t a raw assault but rather a loving embrace and Walker melted as the feeling washed over him. The touch became meaningful in a way that Walker felt to his soul.