Michigan Page 4

  What I wouldn’t give to be able to bite that ass right now.

  When Michigan stood up and closed the door, Lucas tried to adopt a pleasant expression, hoping the other man didn’t notice his erection.

  “So how long does this need to cook for?” Michigan asked as he turned around to face Lucas.

  “Thirty to thirty-five minutes, sometimes forty. Nimo’s oven is kinda wonky,” Lucas said.

  “Yeah it’s kinda wonky,” Zay parroted.

  Michigan chuckled. A deeper growl sounded from the other side of the house and Lucas turned to glance in that direction before he shook his head and looked back at Michigan.

  “Shall we go outside?”

  Michigan assented. “Let’s.”

  Lucas led Zay from the kitchen, hyperaware of Michigan at his back. Though he knew the man had to be a couple of feet behind him, Lucas could have sworn he felt Michigan’s warm breath on the back of his neck. His body shivered and he bit his bottom lip to contain the groan that threatened.

  As they stepped outside they found the rest of Michigan’s family and Dietrick standing outside, talking and laughing. They all turned to stare at them and Lucas felt as if he were instantly on display, the urge to run—to leave—riding him hard and he would have done just that if Zay hadn’t tugged on his hand at that very moment.

  Lucas looked down at the little boy and crouched until they were eye-to-eye. “What’s up, gumdrop?” he asked.

  Zay rolled his eyes and giggled. “Unca Lucas? Can we play cowboy?”

  “Cowboy?” Michigan asked from above them.

  Lucas’s face burned hot from embarrassment. “Yeah, it’s a game that’s special for Zay and his uncles.” Ruffling Zay’s head he pushed down his desire to appear sexy and cool before the gorgeous man in the leather jacket above him and realized that it just wasn’t meant to be and turning he yelled for Dietrick.

  “Yo, Dee!”

  Dietrick glanced up from where he’d been having an intimate conversation with Michigan’s brother, a blush on his cheeks as he looked at Lucas. “Yeah?” he squeaked.

  Lucas rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Zay wants to play cowboy.”

  Dietrick’s eyes lit up. “Oh goody! We haven’t played that in a long time!”

  “What’s cowboy?” Michigan’s brother, who looked like a carbon copy of him except for the hair, said as he rose from the grass.

  “You’ll see,” Lucas muttered. Sighing, Lucas, made sure all of his hair was pulled into two ponytails and he got down on the ground on his hands and knees in the grass.

  “Oh I’m liking cowboy already,” Michigan growled sexily and Lucas felt his face grow hot. He swallowed and cut his eyes over at the other man. Tossing his hair back to make sure that his hair was over his shoulders as much as possible, Lucas watched as Dietrick took up position on the other side of the yard. He grunted as Zay climbed on top of his back and wrapped pudgy his hands in Lucas’s hair and laughed.

  “Giddyup horsey!” Zay said.

  Making the appropriate horse noises, Lucas moved across the yard towards Dietrick.

  “Hold on there, pardner. Whud are you doin’ on my property?” Dietrick asked adopting a very bad Wild West drawl. Lucas rolled his eyes.

  “I’m a cowboy and I want to live on this land with you,” Zay said politely.

  “Well, you seem like a nice tike, but I’m afraid I’m gonna have to say no. Not unless you want to fight me for it.”

  “Fight?” Zay gasped.

  Lucas heard Michigan and his brothers chuckle and he found himself wishing that a hole would open up somewhere and swallow him. He wanted it to spare Zay, but he really, really wanted it to take him.

  “That’s right. You’re gonna have to meet me in a quick draw kid, and if you beat me, you can have my land,” Dietrick said.

  Zay giggled and yanked on the strands of Lucas’s hair making Lucas wince. “C’mon horsey. We gotta have a qwick dwaw!”

  Lucas neighed and galloped away a few feet before turning back around to face Dietrick again. He saw the way his friend’s eyes twinkled at him in amusement and he narrowed his eyes, silently promising retribution. Normally Lucas didn’t mind playing cowboy with his nephew. As a matter of fact he loved playing with Zay. It was one of his favorite things to do, the little boy was a delight to be around, but Lucas was hyperaware of Michigan standing just feet away from him. He could feel the bigger man’s eyes watching him, his eyes moving over Lucas on his hands and knees, in a submissive position, a humiliating position, pretending to be a goddamn horse outside in front of everyone. Lucas really just wanted to go home and never come out. The fact that Dietrick was taking enjoyment in his misery just made things worse.

  “Draw!” Dietrick yelled.

  In spite of Lucas’s embarrassment, he had to chuckle when Dietrick clutched his chest and spun around, pretending to die when Zay made the sound of a gun firing. After Dietrick lay on the ground, unmoving, Lucas lowered his body so Zay could climb down. He watched as Zay hurried over to Dietrick.

  “Unca Dee, get up! Get up Unca Dee!” Zay cried, shaking Dietrick’s shoulder. When Dietrick still didn’t move, Zay turned to look at Lucas, his lower lip trembling. “Unca Lucas, help!”

  Lucas pushed himself up to his feet and hurried over, glancing over at Michigan and his brothers who looked concerned. He shook his head at them, letting them know wordlessly that everything was okay. He crouched down next to Dietrick and lowered his head next to his friend’s head to make sure he was breathing. Hearing Dietrick’s soft laughter, Lucas looked over at Isaiah and struggling to stay in his role as a horse, pressed his nose against the little boy’s stomach.

  “I have to save him?” Zay said, pressing his small hands into his chest before he placed his hands on Dietrick’s chest and started pressing down on Dietrick’s chest simulating CPR. “Bweeve! C’mon Unca Dee!” Zay lowered his head and blew on Dietrick’s stomach. Dietrick’s leg twitched and Lucas turned his head to hide his laughter. Everyone knew how ticklish Dietrick was so it had never made sense to him why he persisted on being the evil cowboy, but Lucas never said anything.

  “Bweeve Unca Dee!” Zay said pressing on Dietrick’s chest again before blowing on Dietrick’s stomach again. Dietrick’s body curled up and he started to laugh hysterically.

  Zay looked at Lucas with a wide grin and Lucas merely shrugged. “Unca Lucas! He laughed again,” Zay complained.

  “I know dumpling,” Lucas said opening his arms for Zay to come and cuddle with him. “You know Uncle Dietrick is very ticklish. He can’t help it. He’s just very silly.”

  “Yeah. Vewy silly.” Zay nodded.

  Dietrick continued to laugh. Lucas looked up when he heard deep chuckles joining in and found his gaze captured by Michigan’s own. The rest of the world blurred around him and Lucas found it hard to take in a breath. He wasn’t sure why he had the urge to walk, no, not walk, he wanted to crawl over to Michigan and beg the other man to have his way with him. To do whatever he wanted with him.

  An image rose in his mind of Michigan standing over him, Lucas’s hair wrapped around his fist, thrusting his cock in and out of Lucas’s mouth, his face twisted into a snarl of desire, fangs hanging over his lower lip…

  Fangs?

  Lucas shook his head and blinked away the image. Okay he was obviously allowing the crazy from earlier to seep into his sleep-deprived mind. Vampires didn’t exist. There was just no way. It was ridiculous.

  Lifting Zay off his lap, Lucas stood up and wiped off his ass and with one final glance at Michigan, he turned towards Dietrick.

  “Hey Dee, I’ve got to get to O8 and check on the prep for tonight. Tell Nimo I’ll be back in a few hours, okay?”

  Dietrick acquiesced and without another word, Lucas walked towards his moped, climbed on and pulled away. He didn’t look back at Michigan even though his heart felt as if it were being ripped apart in his chest the farther he rode away from the other man.

  CHAPTER SIX
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  Days Later

  Michigan stretched in front of his house, ignoring his brothers as they yelled for him to hurry up and “bring his ass” so they could go running around their neighborhood. His mind was filled with thoughts of his sufletul pereche. Which really wasn’t a surprise. There wasn’t an hour that went by when he didn’t think about the man. His smell. The way his hips moved when he walked. His smile. His hair. His hair.

  Michigan groaned and he pressed the heel of his hand against the base of his hardened cock.

  “Oh man, are you serious?” Arizona yelled.

  Michigan lifted his hand and flipped his brother off.

  “Yo, Mich, think you can maybe choke the chicken when we get back from running, man? I mean, I know you’re all hard up and shit, but I think it’s like incest and shit if you jerk off in front of us,” Utah said with a laugh.

  Michigan walked down his driveway to where his brothers were waiting and rolled his eyes at Utah. “Shut up, fucker.”

  “Wait, I’ve read some pretty hot twincest stories online,” Colorado said.

  Michigan stumbled and turned to look at his brother, his eyebrows raised. “You’ve read some what?” he asked.

  They all turned to stare at Colorado who looked back at them, his face bright red in embarrassment. He toed the ground and shrugged.

  “I’m not saying I was imagining anyone in our family because eww. I’m just saying I’ve read a couple and they were pretty hot.”

  Michigan looked at his brothers and then back at Colorado. He shook his head and patted Colorado on the shoulder. “Wow, Col, bro, I think you need to go see a shrink. I think you might be a sex addict,” he teased.

  Everyone else laughed as they all started off in a light jog. Michigan let the sound of their footsteps pounding on the pavement drive out his thoughts of Lucas, but after a while, it was inevitable that Lucas’s green eyes would appear in his mind and his sufletul pereche’s sweet scent would fill his nostrils. Michigan stumbled and he tumbled to the ground.

  “Holy shit!” Utah yelled.

  Michigan lay in the middle of the road staring up at the bright Mississippi sun, despair filling him, his throat growing dry and his skin tightening.

  “Mich? You okay?” Washington asked.

  Michigan sat up and shook his head. “No. It’s starting.” Silence met his statement and he knew his brothers were aware what he was talking about without him needing to expound upon it.

  Once a vampire was within a mile of their fated one, they were pulled like a magnet toward them, the bonding beginning, at least on the part of the vampire. “The thirst” took hold of them at that moment. Driving them, compelling them to mate, bind, entwine their lives and their souls with their intended, for all eternity.

  They had a fortnight to do so or “the thirst” would drive them insane, drive them to drink and drain blood from countless people around them, and either be killed by other vampires or eventually die from starvation which could only be quenched by the blood of their mate.

  Michigan had grown up scared to death of “the thirst” and now after having watched Dakota almost die from it, he was experiencing it himself, along with a few of his other brothers. If he didn’t know any better he would think there was someone out there who was purposely sabotaging their matings, trying to make sure they failed or that they were difficult so Michigan and his brothers died from “the thirst.” But who would do such a thing? As far as he knew, they had no enemies. Everyone loved the Sevion family.

  “Well, do we need to intervene with this Jaxson guy like we did with Nimo?” Washington asked.

  Michigan shook his head and ran his hand through his hair, loosening his ponytail. He sighed in frustration, wincing at the small goose egg on the back of his head. Though his vampire DNA would get rid of the lump quickly, just knowing that he’d took a tumble hard enough for it to be there in the first place made him want to call his mother and ask her to make him some chocolate chip cookies.

  “No. I don’t think that’s going to work with Lucas. Remember he was there with Nimo. He heard Tată’s speech. He wasn’t moved. I think something’s happened to him. Something that made him either scared or determined to not believe in the paranormal world. Whatever it is, it’s going to take something different than Tată talking to him.”

  Colorado snorted. “Why not Tatiana?”

  Michigan looked at his brother and grinned. He bobbed his head. If anyone could get through to his mate it would be their little sister. “You know what, Col? I think you might just be on to something.”

  § § §

  Later that night, Michigan stepped into O8 dressed in a grey pinstriped suit, his hair hanging around his shoulders. He held tightly onto Tatiana’s hand. The little girl’s raven black hair curled around her pixie face in tight ringlets, her big hazel eyes shining as she took in the elegant décor of the restaurant.

  “Michy! This is a fancy restaurant!” she whispered loudly and the restaurant patrons around them, waiting for their seats, all smiled fondly at her, remarking about how adorable she was.

  “Yes it is Tatiana.” Michigan looked around the restaurant, lifting his head trying to discreetly scent his sufletul pereche’s blood. When he picked up on the subtle bouquet that made up Lucas’s chemical structure, Michigan smiled, making sure his fangs didn’t drop. He walked towards the hostess stand.

  “Hi. I have a reservation for two for Sevion. And is it possible for you to sit us close to the kitchen? I would love to be able to speak to the chef. I hear he’s exquisite.”

  The hostess blushed at him and nodded. “Absolutely Doctor Sevion. If you’ll just follow me.”

  Michigan assented and led Tatiana over to their table. One of two things was going to happen tonight. He was either going to leave here with a promise from Lucas that they were going to at least try to start dating, or he was going to leave the restaurant knowing that he was going to die from “the thirst”. But as a diagnostician, Michigan was a man of results. He was a man who found answers to questions and who found solutions to problems. He didn’t deal well with unsolvable issues. His sufletul pereche not accepting their bond was a big problem, one he had every intention of solving.

  Michigan smiled at the hostess when she led them to a table that gave them a great view of the kitchen. He inclined his head at her before turning to pull out the chair for Tatiana. He pushed the chair in and walked around to take a seat next to Tatiana so that he could help her with her meal in case she needed it.

  “Your waiter will be right over to take your order,” the hostess said before giving Michigan a shy smile and walking away.

  “She likes you, Michy,” Tatiana whispered loudly. Michigan groaned when he heard some of the patrons at the tables around them laughing. Lowering his voice, Michigan leaned forward and spoke directly to her.

  “Well, it’s too bad for her, because you’re my date tonight, right?”

  Tatiana nodded, her eyes shining brightly as she smiled. “Yep! I’m your date. Me and Lucas.”

  Michigan agreed wondering just how he could get his sufletul pereche to come out to their table while they were there for dinner. “You’re right, and besides, you know you’re the only girl for me.”

  Tatiana’s eyes widened and she gasped. “But what about Mamă, Daciana, and Oana?” she asked in a soft voice as if afraid they would hear her question.

  Michigan tightened his lips to hide his smile and once he had himself under control he nodded soberly. “You’re right, I forgot all about them. They are important, aren’t they?”

  Tatiana bobbed her head in agreement and touched his shoulder leaning forward. “You have to love them too, Michy.” She bit her lower lip, flashing her small fangs as she thought hard about the situation. Michigan hoped no one noticed the sharpness of the teeth, or if they did they would only think Tatiana needed a bit of dental work. Tatiana’s eyes brightened and she clapped. “We won’t tell them I’m your favorite!”

  Michigan gasp
ed and smacked his forehead. “That’s it! Tati, you are brilliant.” He took her hand and kissed the back of it. He smiled at her tiny giggle and leaned back in his seat. He noticed then that they appeared to have the attention of almost the entire restaurant. The women were smiling at him, some of them with their hands on their chests, and their eyes shining as if they found him extremely attractive and the men were looking at him with respect. Though there were some who looked at him with appeared to be confusion or annoyance. He wanted to roll his eyes at them but Tatiana was at the age where she imitated everything she saw one of her older siblings doing and Michigan did not want to have another conversation with his mother about some new habit his little sister had picked up from him. His ears hadn’t recovered from the last lecture about Tatiana repeating the word “shit.” He shuddered and picked up the menu to peruse the dishes offered in the restaurant.