A Cold Winter's Day 25 (9 page)

“So, Pa claimed you, huh?” Chauncey teased.

“Boy, I will slap your ass out of that chair if you utter one more word about my sex life.”

Chance quickly pointed to Cole. “Language, Pa.”

Malcolm looked vexed as he glared at Chance.

“Yeah, and damn if he doesn’t know how to make the windows rattle,” Luke said innocently, trying his best to hide his smile. When Chauncey’s laughter filled the room, his big hand slamming down onto the table as he roared, Luke began to laugh and couldn’t stop.

Soon the entire room was laughing. Luke glanced over at Malcolm to see a smile tugging at his lips. He reached over and grabbed Malcolm’s hand, giving it a light squeeze as he winked at him. “They’re your sons. They don’t care that I’m a man, only that you’re happy,” he whispered.

* * * *

Malcolm wasn’t sure why he was being so uptight. He was on the defense and was biting everyone’s heads off and that wasn’t like him. He was normally an easygoing guy, laid-back.

He was gay, big deal. So were his sons. But Malcolm knew it was easier to accept other people for who they were than your own self. Nobody liked the spotlight on them when their secrets came running out of the closet.

And boy, was he out of the closet now.

Luke stood and leaned over, smashing his lips against Malcolm’s as he chuckled.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Chauncey whooped. “Tear that face up,
grrr
.”

Malcolm grinned as he cupped Luke’s face and explored his mouth, right there at the kitchen table. Even Cole had his small fists in the air, mashed potatoes squeezing through his tiny fingers as he grinned at them.

The tension drained from Malcolm as Luke broke the kiss, his eyes turning a darker brown as he licked his lips.

Great, now he was sitting at the table with a hard-on.

Luke took a seat as everyone began to talk, the tension gone and his family having a good time. Malcolm looked at Luke and knew he couldn’t live a day without him. The man was beautiful all the way through. He had taken Malcolm to task in the gentlest of ways and eased away his worries with just one kiss.

He had never met anyone like Luke, and he knew he never would. His mate was one of a kind—in his eyes at least. His heart swelled and his body ached every time he glanced Luke’s way.

There was no way he could ever allow Luke to walk away, not when he had woven himself around Malcolm’s heart in such a short period of time.

Malcolm stood, grabbing Luke’s hand as he walked away from the table. “Chance, you have Cole.”

“You got it, Pa.”

Malcolm led his mate into the living room where a roaring fire was burning in the fireplace. He led Luke over to the hearth and then sat down on the rug, pulling his mate onto his lap. Luke came willingly, a sparkle of pleasure waving in his eyes. He smiled shyly at Malcolm as he sat down on his lap, straddling him.

“What does my papa bear want?”

Malcolm chuckled at the endearment.

He liked it.

“A wood elf,” he replied as he rubbed his hands up and down Luke’s arms. Malcolm leaned his back against a chair as he pulled his long legs up and planted his feet on the floor. Luke looked perfect perched on his lap.

Simply perfect.

“You have me, Malcolm,” Luke replied as his fingers caressed Malcolm’s chest. “All of me.”

Malcolm wanted to believe Luke. He truly did. But there was one last bit of hesitation in Luke’s eyes that made him hold back. His worst fear was that he would wake up and Luke would be gone, taking Cole with him in some moronic move to spare Malcolm the trouble when his tribe showed up.

And Malcolm had no doubt that Luke’s tribe would come after him.

“Promise me, Luke,” Malcolm said as he grazed Luke’s face with his fingertips.

“Anything,” Luke replied as he leaned into Malcolm’s hand.

“Promise me that you will never run from me.”

Luke stiffened as his eyes slowly lowered.

That was what he thought. Malcolm was more hurt by Luke’s admission than anything he could ever think of. Hadn’t he promised to protect the elf and his son? Hadn’t he shown the man what he had to offer?

Apparently it wasn’t good enough. Apparently Luke didn’t think Malcolm could protect him. He sat there hurt beyond words that Luke would steal away in the night and leave him all alone. Didn’t the man know how much Malcolm loved him already? Hadn’t he shown him?

Malcolm deserved better than that.

Cole deserved better than that.

Luke surely deserved to have a life worth living.

“It’s not you,” Luke confessed to Malcolm’s chest. “When it comes to Cole, I fear no one can protect him, not even me.”

Having sons of his own, Malcolm could relate. “But you have to stop running sometime and take a stand. You have an entire bear family backing you up, and we’re not chopped liver.”

Luke smiled as he glanced up at Malcolm through his lashes, making Malcolm’s heart beat faster. “No, you’re not. I just can’t stand the thought of you or one of your family members being hurt because of me.”

Malcolm growled as he grabbed Luke’s upper arms, holding them tight. “You
are
my family. You have to understand that. Stop thinking so damn hard about this and just accept the help we’re offering you. I swear to god, if you leave this house I’ll hunt you down and tie you to my bed!”

Luke swallowed as he glanced up at Malcolm, fear evident in his eyes. That was the last thing Malcolm wanted to see, but he had to make Luke see that he was in the safest place he could be.

Even if a legion of elves stormed his ranch, Malcolm would kill every last one of them to protect his mate. Why couldn’t Luke see that?

He had to see the truth.

“We’ll protect you.”

Malcolm looked up to see his sons standing in the entranceway to the living room, grim faces on all seven of them. His chest swelled with pride as he glanced at each one of them. Even Chauncey had his game face on.

“You will?” Luke asked as his fingers curled into Malcolm’s shirt.

“You’re damn straight,” Chauncey said as he bounced Cole on his hip. “Let someone come here messing with you or Cole. I’ll eat their fucking asses.”

Malcolm grinned as Luke stared at Chauncey like he wasn’t right in the head. “Um, I don’t think you’ll have to go that far, but thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“Get lost, boys. You’re interrupting our intimate time together,” Malcolm said as his hand ran up and down Luke’s back. He winked at his boys, nodding his head in thanks as they scattered.

“You did a good job raising them,” Luke said as he laid his head on Malcolm’s shoulder. Malcolm wrapped his arms around his mate as he sat there, praying he was right and he could protect them.

Because god help anyone stupid enough to mess with the Lakelands.

* * * *

Luke hummed as he made the bed. Last night had been the best night of his life. His new family accepted him, and Malcolm had shown Luke how well-versed he was when it came to sex. His ass was still sore.

He reached over and grabbed a pillow when he felt someone behind him. He turned and dropped the pillow. Luke stood paralyzed in Malcolm’s bedroom as he stared into the darkest and coldest eyes he had ever seen, eyes that had once held such happiness and wisdom.

He couldn’t move.

He couldn’t breathe.

“Just hand him over and you can be the whore for all the bears. I don’t care what happens to you, Luke. The only thing I’m after is the child.”

His child.

His son.

Luke opened his mouth and then closed it, words refusing to form as raw terror gripped him. He knew Malcolm wouldn’t be able to protect him, but he prayed the bears would fight to keep Cole safe.

“Never.” His lips finally moved.

Shanta growled as he backhanded Luke so hard that blood shot from his mouth. Luke’s ears rang and his head exploded in pain, but he still wasn’t going to give up Cole.

He’d die before that happened.

“Your choice, Luke. We can do this the easy way or we can torture you until you scream for mercy.”

We?

Luke gasped as two more elves shimmered into the room, apologetic looks pulling at their faces. Luke didn’t want apologies. He wanted those scum bastards to stand up to Shanta and refuse to do his dirty work.

But Luke knew that wasn’t going to happen.

He knew everyone in his tribe feared Shanta. The man had proved what he would do if one of them disobeyed him. Luke had heard the stories, and now he wholeheartedly believed them.

Shanta was as evil as they came.

“You won’t get my son.”

Shanta chuckled as he stepped closer to Luke, his expression one of malice as he clucked his tongue. “So you choose to do this the hard way, Luke?”

Luke stood tall as he steeled himself. He knew what was coming—or he had a pretty good idea. Shanta was going to use him as a bargaining chip with the bears to get Cole. He could see it in the bastard’s cold eyes.

“You’re not getting him.”

Luke flew sideways as Shanta damn near broke his jaw. He wouldn’t doubt it if the leader had succeeded. Never in his life had he felt so much pain. His eyes watered as excruciating pain shot through him as he tried to speak. But Luke refused to cry out. He wasn’t going to let Shanta know how badly he was hurt.

“Very well.”

Luke felt a deep, dark hopelessness surround him as Shanta grabbed him by the neck and shimmered from the Lakelands’ house.

Maverick paced his office as he tried to decipher his dream. He had seen an elf, the same elf that he knew to be Malcolm’s mate. The same elf that made Maverick send Malcolm to the rec center that day so that fate could intervene.

Only this time the elf was laid out as if dead.

Maverick knew his dreams were significant, that they weren’t just ordinary dreams.

This dream meant something, but he couldn’t figure out what. Wasn’t the elf at the Lakelands’? Hadn’t Malcolm found his mate that day at the rec center?

As his fist flew into the desk, Maverick growled. No matter what qualms he had with the bears, he wasn’t about to let an innocent man die.

The part that puzzled him the most was the vision of the child. Maverick had no idea why a child would be tied to all of this, but if a child was in danger, he was going to find the one responsible and cut the one from throat to navel.

Maverick picked up his phone and dialed. He stared at the far wall as he felt rage unlike anything he had felt in a very long time well up inside. He was going to find answers and the one responsible for hurting the elf and child.

And when he did, the son of a bitch was going to bleed.

* * * *

Surprisingly, Malcolm hadn’t shifted and reduced his house to rubble. He just stood there in a fog-ridden daze as he stared at the speckles of blood on his carpet.