Astrid's Wish (5 page)

Astrid quickly shut his door when he noticed Klaus caught him staring. The man made him jumpy—not in a bad way but a way he wasn’t familiar with. When Klaus looked at him, time stopped. It took all he could to just take a breath. What kind of power did this witch have over him?

Astrid slid down the wall until his butt hit the floor. Over the last few days, Ben tried his best to explain how the council worked and what type of paranormals there were. He also explained how it was because of witches that vampires and shifters existed. Witches were greatly feared among their world. Astrid found that funny. He was frightened by his own shadow, and to think people were scared of him? He just couldn’t fathom the notion.

For a hundred years, he was held prisoner by a man who couldn’t stand the sight of him and treated him like garbage. His own mother didn’t even want him and sold him to complete strangers. His home life before he had been taken to Malcolm wasn’t great, but at least there he didn’t have to worry about being hit every day. He also didn’t have to worry about someone sneaking into his room at night.

A cold shiver ran through Astrid’s body as he remembered those nights. He tried to forget but couldn’t. He was only sixteen when Lucian started visiting his room. At first Lucian acted like he was Astrid’s friend, but it was all just a lie. It was a sick game Lucian played until he got tired of playing it. Lucian stole his innocence away. Miles said it wasn’t his fault, but it didn’t erase the memories.

He felt unclean and not suitable to be touched by a lover.

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Astrid brought his knees up to his chest and hugged his arms around his legs. He wanted to laugh at the thought of ever finding someone to love him. Yes, he had had sex before but never because he desired it. It was something forced upon him, and he often wondered if he would ever crave the touch of another in a loving way.

He worried he wouldn’t be able to stand another’s hands on him sexually. But being around Miles and Ben gave him hope that maybe one day he could find a love of his own. He wanted to be happy like they were.

Every day he gave thanks to the powers that be that brought Miles into his life. He hated that Miles had suffered while in Malcolm’s care, but if it wasn’t for Malcolm kidnapping Miles, Astrid wouldn’t have met the man and he would never have gotten free of Lucian.

Since coming to live with Ben and Miles, his life had definitely changed for the better. He had a family and friends now. People talked to him and wanted to be around him. That had never happened when he lived with Malcolm. The warriors genuinely wanted to be his friend. There was no trick in that offered friendship, just the offer of being friends.

Miles told him that Malcolm was a monster and that that wasn’t how people normally acted or treated others. He said it would take time, but he would learn to trust again. And he did trust Miles, Ben, Trevor, and the other warriors in the house. They made Astrid feel, for the first time in his life, like he belonged somewhere.

Astrid looked around his room and smiled. Ben made sure it got decorated with the things he wanted. He didn’t know what he liked, so Miles and Trevor had fun showing him all sorts of things on the Internet. They also introduced him to online shopping. And with the next-day delivery option, he became the proud owner of things.

Simple things he never had the luxury of owning before.

Miles and Trevor helped him order clothes, shoes, sheets, and a fluffy comforter for his bed. He also got to pick out as many pillows as he wanted. To have clean clothes to wear and a nice soft bed to
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sleep in was something most people took for granted, but not him.

He’d never had those simple luxuries, so he treasured them as if they were the most precious of diamonds.

Ben said he couldn’t promise they would always be living in the same location or house but that he would always pack up all of Astrid’s things and have them shipped to wherever they called home.

The warriors traveled a lot, but Astrid was okay with that as long as he got to stay with his family.

While Miles introduced him to computers, Trevor introduced him to gaming. Trevor loved to play on the Xbox, Wii, and the PlayStation. He spent hours showing Astrid how to play his favorite games. He didn’t understand most of them, but he tried, and it was entertaining playing with the vampire. Trevor would yell at the screen when something didn’t go his way and dance in circles when he won.

Astrid enjoyed spending time with Trevor. It was never boring.

But when he wanted to learn to read he went to Miles, the more adult of the two. After a hundred years of doing nothing but staring at four walls, his thirst for knowledge was insatiable. Miles said knowledge was power, and Astrid wanted to be as powerful as he could possibly be so that no one hurt him again.

Fatigue started to set in, and Astrid climbed to his feet. He wanted to get a nap in before dinner. He pulled back the bright-blue down comforter and eased under the covers.

Once he got situated, he thought about the man across the hall, Klaus. He thought about the deep-auburn-colored hair that stood out in contrast to Klaus’s tan skin. Then there were those haunted blue eyes. Whenever Klaus looked at him, it was if he could see directly into Astrid’s soul, and he feared what the man might see.

Astrid shifted to find a more comfortable position. The stirring low in his gut sent a tingling sensation that caused his penis to twitch of its own accord. Klaus was a man to be feared, but the fear Astrid felt toward the man wasn’t that Klaus would hurt him—no, quite the opposite. Desire plagued him every time the strong man gazed upon
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him. He wanted to leap into his arms, cuddle his face close to his neck, and breathe in Klaus’s strong, masculine scent. Even from his room he could smell the manly aroma of heated skin, aftershave, and Klaus’s own personal musk.

This can’t be normal. I’ve never wanted to feel the touch of
another, but that’s all I want from him. Please, god, help me stop
wanting what I can’t have.

His shoulders started to tremble as he began to cry. He wasn’t normal, and there was no way an older, more experienced man would ever want a throwaway like him. Astrid had nothing to offer, and he wasn’t even sure he could stand Klaus’s touch on his skin. He wanted it, but want and the ability to accept were two different things.

* * * *

“So let me get this straight,” Trevor said as he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall. “That big scary dude in there is Astrid’s mate?” His brows scrunched up in confusion. “How is that even possible? They just fucking met.”

“It’s fate, Trevor. There’s no way to stop what’s meant to be,”

Miles said through clenched teeth. It wasn’t right for this to happen to Astrid now. It was too soon. He just started to get his life back, and
wham
, it took a detour of the worst kind. No good could come from being mated to Klaus.

The man was sent to more than likely take Astrid away from them. And that thought had bile churning in his stomach. Klaus could also have been sent to kill Astrid. An untrained or even a trained witch was considered deadly in the eyes of the precious council. The council didn’t know how childlike and innocent Astrid truly was.

Chances were they wouldn’t even give him a chance. Well, the council could go fuck themselves, because Miles wouldn’t let them take Astrid. He just wouldn’t.

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“Miles, calm down.” Trevor pushed away from the wall and took a seat next to Miles on the floor. “Having a mate can’t be all bad.

Look at you and Ben.” Trevor nudged his arm. “That seemed to work out for the best.”

Miles sat silently next to his cousin. Through the window they watched the leaves outside dance around on the ground as they scattered in the wind. The flurry of leaves being chased around the yard reminded him of the first time he met Ben. Like the leaves, Miles was pushed by an unseen force to the man, and his life went scattering up into the air. He didn’t mean literally but figuratively.

Being with Ben was the best thing to ever happen to him. He loved the man more than anything, but it wasn’t an easy road to get to where they were now. Miles had suffered at the hands of Malcolm, and he had only been under that man’s evil care for two weeks. He was lucky to come out of that unscathed, but Astrid’s story was different. Astrid had lived for a hundred years, day to day, not knowing what bad thing would happen next.

It wasn’t fair to ask a man who had been abused to accept a lifetime commitment from anyone. Astrid needed time to grow and discover for himself who he wanted to be. The man needed to live for awhile without the expectations of having to please another.

Miles feared Astrid wouldn’t be able to handle what Klaus would want from him. Astrid wasn’t sexually mature enough to engage in any type of sexual intercourse. Being raped for years on end didn’t make him an experienced lover, and it sure as hell didn’t make him ready for any kind of relationship with Klaus.

“Trevor, it’s different and you know it. Astrid was taken advantage of in the worst way. There’s no way he’s ready for such a big commitment,” Miles said. “Sex is the last thing he needs forced upon him right now. He’s still healing.”

Trevor sat quietly beside him. Miles could tell his cousin was contemplating something. God only knew what would fly out of his mouth.

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“Don’t get mad at me for saying this, but did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, Astrid has some sort of feelings toward Klaus?”

Trevor held up his hand to silence Miles’s retort. “Just hear me out.

Remember when you met Ben?” He nodded. “Remember how scared you were?” He nodded again. “But do you also remember how you felt about Ben? How, even with all that crazy shit happening, you couldn’t keep your hands off him? Maybe Astrid is feeling those things for Klaus. I mean, shit, the guy is freaking hot. If he was single, I’d be trying to hit that.”

“He is single,” Miles snapped at his cousin.

“See, you say that, but we know it’s not true. Like you said, this mating thing is fate’s way of giving you that one perfect person. The person who will love and protect you no matter what. And like it or not, fate has put Astrid and Klaus together.” Trevor placed his hand on Miles’s shoulder. “It’s just a matter of time before something happens between them. If Astrid feels a fraction of the way you did toward Ben, the poor guy is probably popping a boner left and right.

And you sitting here in denial about the whole thing isn’t helping.”

“What do you suggest I do? Go give him some lube and say,

‘Here you go. Enjoy yourself’?” Miles pushed to his feet and walked toward the window. He was angry on Astrid’s behalf. There was no way Astrid was ready to have sex with anyone, even a destined mate.

“Miles, don’t be stupid. All I’m saying is you should help inform Astrid. Explain to him the things he is feeling. So if and when he decides to go further with Klaus, he’s prepared.”

Tears burned at the back of his eyes. It just wasn’t fair. “Trevor, he was abused for longer than either one of us has been alive. How do we tell him it’s okay to want those things?”

Trevor pulled him into his arms and hugged him tight. “Miles, I’m not sure I believe in this whole soul-mate thing, but I believe in you. I see what you and Ben share, and it’s not ugly or wrong. The love I see between you two gives me hope that one day someone might love me that way.” He stepped back from Miles. “Maybe this is a blessing in
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disguise. Maybe Klaus was sent here to help Astrid heal, like Ben did for you.”

Miles had never thought of it like that. He was too concerned that Klaus was sent to harm Astrid. He never once considered that this might be a good thing. Could it be possible that Klaus could help Astrid come out of his shell and not be so afraid all the time?

“I see those wheels turning.” A shit-eating grin spread across Trevor’s face. “I might be on to something, right? Let me hear you say I’m the man.” He waved his hand around. “Come on. Show me the love.”

Miles started to laugh. How he and Trevor were related he would never understand. “I’ll give you that. Maybe Klaus can help Astrid.

And yes, you’re right. I should discuss this with Astrid so he is prepared. Now, let’s go eat dinner. I’m starving.”

Trevor wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “See how easy that was. I should become a shrink. I’m good at problem solving.”

He continued to laugh as they headed down the hall. Trevor made some valid points, but it still didn’t make talking to Astrid about any of this any easier.

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After supper, Klaus had requested that he have some time alone with Astrid so he could ask him some simple questions. He expected to be met with an argument, but it didn’t happen. Miles and Ben both agreed to him talking with his mate.

Klaus banged the butt of his fist against his forehead. He needed to stop thinking in those terms where Astrid was concerned. He had a job to do, and getting mated and ditching his responsibilities wasn’t it.

Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly through his nose. He turned his attention toward Astrid. The young witch sat in the center of the couch with his legs crossed. His gaze was trained downward.

Astrid kept twisting his hands over and over again in his lap. Klaus could feel the waves of tension wafting off of the young man. It caused the hairs on his arms to stand on end.

He took the opportunity to look at Astrid, to truly look at him. His honey-blond hair had been pulled back off his face. Someone had French braided the smooth locks into a tight braid. His pale skin glowed even in the well-lit room. His small body appeared even tinier on the large leather couch. He looked so fragile, as if crafted from glass.

His hands itched just to pick Astrid up and place him on his lap.