Michigan Read online

  “But…” Dietrick started. There was suddenly a pounding on the front door and Lucas jumped with a startled gasp. He looked back at the door; through the open blinds he could see several broad shouldered men outside and his heart pounded wondering who they were and what they could possibly want.

  “Daddy, the doctuhs awe heyuh,” Zay said.

  “What?” Nimo asked.

  Yeah. What? What doctuhs… umm… doctors? I didn’t call any doctors. Did Dietrick? Because I know Nimo didn’t. He would have been too scared that the hot doctor from Gelreen Memorial might show up. Lucas opened his mouth to ask Zay how he knew that the men at the door were doctors when the little boy took off running towards the door. He went to follow him, but before he could, the door was opened and what could only be described as a football team streamed down the hallway towards him. Lucas slid fully into Nimo’s room and looked at Nimo, surprised to see that his friend seemed to have recovered considerably from his illness and now stood watching as the men carried another unconscious man into his bedroom.

  “What happened?” Nimo asked.

  Lucas wanted to be more indignant and demand their identities. He wanted information, but he felt the way Dietrick had stiffened beside him and the way Dietrick was shaking next to him. He reached out a hand and held his friend’s hand trying to comfort him as best he could. Obviously Nimo knew who these men were so they couldn’t be all bad, so Lucas said nothing, merely watching them as they headed directly over to the bed.

  Out of the four, or five, hell, Lucas didn’t care how many there were, there were a lot, one stood out among the rest. He wore a leather jacket that clung to his broad shoulders, a pair of faded jeans that molded to his thick thighs, and had long black hair that was streaked with gray, which he currently had pulled back into a ponytail. It was the sexiest thing Lucas had ever seen in his life.

  “You are my son’s sufletul pereche,” one of the men, the oldest one said, and Lucas glanced his way, realizing that all of the other men resembled him, like younger versions of him. Almost as if… he must be their father, which made them all brothers.

  Lucas gasped when two of the men, one of them the sexy man with the gray streaked black hair dropped the unconscious man on the bed and—glided? No, people didn’t glide across the floor, they must have just walked really smoothly. Regardless, they stopped directly in front of Lucas and Dietrick and smiled at them.

  “Hello, my name is Michigan Sevion,” the leather jacket wearing, walking wet dream said.

  “H-hi. My name is Lucas Jaxson.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “And apparently your friends belong to two of my other sons.” His father’s words sounded like they were being spoken through a wall and Michigan wanted to snort at their redundancy.

  Thanks for stating the obvious, Pop.

  “I thought Lucas and Dietrick were your uncles,” Carolina said and if the dazed sound of his voice was any indication he was just as taken with his sufletul pereche as Michigan was with Lucas. Had he just been saying that he would rather not find this man than risk rejection? Had he been stupid? He had to have been suffering from temporary insanity because as Michigan stared at Lucas he realized he would gladly suffer through the thirst, the starvation, the two-week madness he would have to endure, as long as it meant that he got to have this moment. As long as it meant he got to look at Lucas, breathe in the intoxicating fragrance of his destined mate’s scent, the bouquet of his blood.

  His eyes slid closed as he inhaled deeply, pulling in every smell, every nuance and distinctive aroma that made up the genetic DNA of Lucas Jaxson, his destined one. The man, his man, that he had been created for, who had been created for him.

  His fangs threatened to lengthen and his throat went dry as an urge to taste Lucas filled him. His cock grew hard as desire, that monster, jumped on his back and sank its fangs deep into his neck even as the urge, the need to bond with his mate slithered its way up his body and wrapped itself around his torso, cutting off his air. His eyes flew open and he could see concern in Lucas’s eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Lucas asked, his hand outstretched towards him.

  Michigan nodded, knowing that he couldn’t speak because of his fangs. Nimo had just learned of the existence of the paranormal world and had completely freaked out. Michigan wasn’t sure how much, if anything, he had shared with Lucas, and he didn’t want his own mate to run away from him before they even had a chance to get to know each other better. Or kiss. Or touch. Or any of the other fun, adult things that his groin had his mind fantasizing about.

  He could hear Jersey talking to Nimo behind him and he tried to calm his libido, knowing that there were more important things going on right now.

  “Come and hold open your brother’s mouth so that we can get Nimo’s blood in between his lips,” his father commanded. Michigan acknowledged him, glad that his father had given him a reason to step away from Lucas.

  “Excuse me,” he inclined his head at Lucas.

  “Of course,” Lucas said.

  Michigan turned away from Lucas and took a step away from him. He lifted a hand and pressed it against his chest, the pain that sliced through his sternum almost bringing him to his knees. Tears filled his eyes and he quickly blinked them away.

  “Holy fuck,” he heard Carolina groan next to him. “How the hell did Dakota do this?”

  Michigan shook his head as he squared his shoulders and pushed through the pain gripping him and walked over to help Jersey.

  Jersey’s eyebrows lowered and he placed his large hand on Michigan’s shoulder and squeezed.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Michigan swallowed and acquiesced. “Yeah, it’s just…” He glanced at a comatose Dakota and back at Jersey, “Dak is a fucking warrior.”

  Jersey didn’t ask and Michigan didn’t elaborate. They merely moved into position. Jersey held the top of Dakota’s head while Michigan pulled his mouth open and Carolina held his wrists down so he wouldn’t attempt to grab Nishon and kill him until the bond had fully snapped into place.

  “Take Zay out of the room, please Lucas,” Nishon said and Michigan stiffened.

  “Nimo, what the hell is going on?” Lucas asked. “What are these men talking about? Vampires and bonds and everything? Do you really believe all of this?” Michigan felt his heart sink as he realized that Lucas not only didn’t know about the paranormal world, but even though he’d been in the room while Michigan’s father had explained about mates and bonds, he hadn’t believed a word of it. Michigan had his work cut out for him.

  “I’ve seen proof, Lucas. Don’t be afraid when you see it, because you don’t want to be where I am.” Nishon’s voice was filled with despair, the room was thick with his guilt and Michigan’s stomach turned with it. He wanted to comfort his brother’s sufletul pereche, but knew that it was not his place, so he looked at Nishon with a compassionate gaze, hoping the younger man would look his way.

  He didn’t.

  “Come on, Zay. Uncle Lucas needs your help in the kitchen. I’m going to teach you how to make some lasagna,” Lucas said, looking down at Isaiah as he grabbed the little boy’s hand. He glanced at Nishon with worry shining in his eyes and then over at Michigan with confusion and interest gleaming in his green gaze.

  “Yay! Then I can teach Daddy!” Isaiah said with excitement.

  “Exactly,” Lucas said with a nod though his gaze was riveted on Michigan’s face. Michigan couldn’t tear his own eyes away and he found himself wanting to leap over everyone and pull his sufletul pereche into his arms and ravish him against the nearest wall. To bury his fangs into his neck and taste the sweet nectar of his blood. To bind them together for all eternity. To start a family together.

  He watched as Lucas led Isaiah out of the room, the human looking over his shoulder repeatedly until they were out of sight. Michigan wanted to call his sufletul pereche back to him and demand that he stay in the room where Michigan could keep him safe, but with his brother in the c
lutches of the thirst Lucas was safer in another room. Michigan was torn, so he kept quiet.

  He will be fine, frate, Jersey whispered to him through their mind link and Michigan nodded.

  While Michigan was close with his other brothers, he was especially close with his twin brother, Jersey. The two of them shared a mind link like and knew when the other was in pain. Humans were unaware that the studies and reports of twin telepathy and twin ESP were about paranormal twins, werewolves and vampire twins.

  When Michigan was studying once for a major exam at Johns Hopkins, Jersey had been slacking off and had taken the night off to go to a club with a group of friends. They had become drunk and when they were on their way home, Michigan had gotten a bad feeling that Jersey was in trouble. Abandoning his studies he’d hopped on his bike and gone towards the club. He’d arrived just as Jersey and his friends had been surrounded by a group of bigots. Michigan showing up on his bike had evened the odds and later, when he and Jersey had patched each other up in their dorm room, Jersey had thanked Michigan for showing up.

  Of course the ESP had a downside to it. Unless they put up the wall they could tell when the other was getting laid and for Michigan it was a little disconcerting because it seemed that Jersey was always getting laid at the most inopportune times. Nothing was worse than Michigan getting ready to walk into an appointment with a patient and suddenly feeling his brother getting laid and sprouting an erection. It had happened more times than he was comfortable with.

  Yes, I know, Michigan told Jersey now, responding to Jersey. I just want to keep him near.

  “Dietrick, I don’t think you want to be in here for this, so can you get me that knife Lucas brought to cut up the French bread and then go and sit out in the living room or in the kitchen with Lucas and Zay?” Nishon said.

  Nishon’s friend, Carolina’s sufletul pereche, Dietrick, chuckled. “You think seeing a vampire suck your blood is going to freak me out? I’ve seen worse things. Besides I’m not leaving you in a room full of vampires while your blood is flowing. You must be delusional.”

  Michigan’s eyebrow quirked at Dietrick’s reaction and he turned to look at Jersey. He seems to have accepted the reality of vampires well.

  Jersey nodded. I think there may be more to Carolina’s fated than we know.

  Michigan chuckled mentally. The poor bastard.

  He deserves it.

  Michigan couldn’t agree more. He watched as Nishon took the knife and made a cut in his wrist, not big enough to kill himself, but big enough for the blood to flow before he turned it over Dakota’s open mouth. Michigan watched for a moment, wondering if they would have to make Dakota’s throat muscles work to swallow the blood, but when his brother began to swallow on his own, Michigan released a sigh of relief. He jumped a bit when Dakota used his left hand to toss Carolina’s right hand away and reached up to grip Nimo’s wrist.

  As Dakota continued to drink his eyes suddenly snapped open and Michigan, Jersey and Carolina let him go. They stepped away as Dakota lifted a hand and sliced the side of his neck with a grin before lifting Nishon up onto his waist.

  “It’s time for us to leave now. The bond must be completed. Tennessee, light the candle,” Decebal commanded.

  “Yes, Tată,” Tennessee responded.

  Michigan headed for the doorway, the smell of jasmine and sage following him as the bonding candle was lit, happiness for his brother and his sufletul pereche filling his being even as his mind turned to Lucas and his own mating. Would he ever have his own bonding ceremony or would he too find himself in the clutches of the thirst?

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Lucas placed another layer of lasagna noodles down in the pan and smiled at Zay who still scrunched his nose at the ricotta cheese mixture.

  “Do you always put an egg in there?” the little boy asked.

  Lucas chuckled. “Yes. I always put an egg in the ricotta cheese and stir it up. And I always put Cajun seasoning and Lawry’s seasoning in the Prego sauce after I brown the ground beef and mix it all together. I put salt in the water when I boil the noodles.”

  Zay shook his head. “Man, cooking sure is hawd.”

  Lucas laughed. “Yes it is. That’s why I had to go to school for it.”

  Zay’s eyes widened. “You had to go to school for cooking?”

  Lucas nodded. “Yes I did. I went to the Cordon Bleu in France and I studied in N’awlins, then in Italy for the summer, then I went to New York and on to Colombia and learned to make Hispanic cuisine, then I came back to Mississippi and got a job at O8.”

  “Is that where you work now?” a deep, sultry voice that instantly made Lucas think of sweaty limbs, mussed bed sheets, and voices screaming in ecstasy sounded from the kitchen doorway, and he looked up from Zay’s inquisitive gaze into the sinfully delicious hazel eyes of Michigan Sevion.

  “Uh-um…” he stammered.

  “Yes!” Zay answered for him. “Unca Lucas works at O8.”

  “That’s one of the best restaurants in Loweston,” Michigan said as he strode into the kitchen. “Actually, that’s probably the best restaurant in the entire dam-dang country.”

  Lucas smirked. “Nice save.”

  Michigan chuckled. “Thanks.” He trailed his fingers along the edge of the kitchen island and Lucas found his eyes following those wide blunt fingers wondering how they would feel trailing over his naked skin, or wrapped around his hard cock. Oh god, he couldn’t be thinking about that with his nephew in the room with him.

  “So, how long have you been the chef there?”

  “How did you know I was the chef? I could just be a waiter. Or the janitor or something,” Lucas said, tilting his head to the side.

  Michigan snorted and shook his head. “There’s no way anyone who can make lasagna that’s not even cooked but already smells this good, can be anything other than a chef.”

  Lucas blushed. “Thank you.”

  Michigan stopped in front of him and looked down into Lucas’s face. “You’re welcome.”

  “Are you going to kiss Unca Lucas?” a small voice asked and Lucas snapped out of the trance he was in to look down at Zay.

  “Absolutely not!” Lucas squeaked out. “I don’t even know Michigan. Not really. Besides, we’re making a lasagna, remember?” He pushed the strands of his ponytail that had escaped back behind his ear and turned his back to Michigan.

  “But why not? He smells like you.” Zay shrugged.

  Lucas frowned in confusion. “He smells like me?” He glanced back at Michigan and noticed the blood had drained from the other man’s face before he looked back at Zay. “What do you mean he smells like me?”

  “Like Doctor Dakota smells like Daddy. It means you two awe meant for each othuh.”

  Lucas looked at Zay in surprise before turning his gaze to Michigan, his eyes wide. His conversation with Nimo came back to his mind as well as the conversation he’d heard just minutes before in Nimo’s bedroom. He started to shake his head, not believing there was any way Michigan could believe he was a vampire and that they were destined for each other. They’d only just met. Yes, they were obviously attracted to each other, but they didn’t know each other. And maybe what Zay thought was just a matter of the little boy wanting them all to be happy and in love. Perhaps the little boy only thought they smelled alike because they used the same cologne or body wash or something.

  He opened his mouth to say just that when Nimo’s soft moan drifted towards his ear. Lucas blushed even as Michigan smirked.

  “They must be pretty loud, we’re all the way on the other side of the house,” Michigan said. Lucas agreed.

  “Come on Zay, Let’s put the rest of the cheese on the top of the lasagna and stick it in the oven and go outside and play, huh?” Lucas said. He poured the meat mixture on the top layer of noodles before handing one of the bowls of shredded mozzarella cheese to Zay.

  “Can I help?” Michigan asked. Lucas turned to him and bobbed his head.

  “Yeah, you can spri
nkle the cheddar cheese on top as well,” Lucas directed, before he grabbed the Parmesan cheese and sprinkled it on top of the lasagna along with Michigan and Zay’s help. When they had completely covered the top of the lasagna, Lucas opened the oven door and turned to grab the pan. Michigan held it in his hand and grinned at him.

  “I’ll do it.”

  Lucas swept his hand out and stepped out of the way of the hot appliance, grabbing Zay and pulling him out of the way as Michigan stuck the dinner inside. Lucas tried to keep his eyes off Michigan’s ass as the bigger man bent over, but it was a losing battle and he licked his lips as the fabric of the man’s jeans stretched tight over his rear.