Edge Of Tomorrow [Eternal Flames Maddox 6]

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

"I call your two pocket lubes, and raise you a vibrating c**k ring," Ollie said, tossing his bid into the center of the table.

Casimir tossed his hand in. "That's too rich for my blood."

Pascal bit his bottom lip, tapped his fingers on the table as he looked at Ollie. "I call your bid and raise you a chocolate body topping."

"Call," Donny said, tossing in his bid.

"Yorkie, I don't know what to do," Timmy said while anxiously biting his thumbnail as he bounced his legs up and down.

York shook his head. “Nugget, you know the agreement. I can't play your hands. Just do what you think is best."

Timmy sighed, then tossed in Pascal's bid amount. "This is harder than milking Latte."

Pascal snickered at Donny's confused look, then explained, "Latte is his goat."

Donny opened his mouth wide, "Ahh."

Zen shook his head. "I still can't believe you guys are playing with s*x novelties."

Shrugging, Ollie said, "Hey, you never know when strawberry flavored lube might come in handy."

"How do you think I always have the pocket lube on hand for those unplanned moments of yours?" Pascal asked with a giggle.

Zen started nibbling on Pascal's ear, muttering, "You never seem to complain when those unplanned moments are taking place."

"Oh hell no! No nookie on the poker table. Now show your hand, Pas," Ollie grumbled.

Pascal laid his hand down, smirking at his brother. "You're just jealous that I found my sexy ass mate and you are still looking."

"Trust me, I don't want a mate," Ollie said, then looked at Pascal's hand. "Seriously, bro, you raised with a pair of twos?"

Shrugging, Pascal said, "I guess I'll be buying my lube this week."

Donny looked at Ollie as he laid his hand down. "Aces and threes. Are you serious, Ollie, you don't want a mate? Hell, I can be a d**k and I still can't wait until I find my own mate."

Ollie laid his hand down. "Good luck with that, Donny. I spent too much time hidden away in caves, trees, and mud huts with just my brother and my hand for company. I want to live the single life for a long time. I want to be able to go out there, get laid, play the field and enjoy my life. The thought of being tied to one man makes my lungs tighten up, my heart race, and my stomach nauseous. Full house boys, Queens over Jacks."

Casimir sat back. "Ollie, I was in the pixie realm for centuries and can honestly say if fate granted me the gift of a mate, I would snatch that man up and not look back."

Just as Ollie went to scoop in the pot, York placed his hand on his arm. "You have no clue what you’re missing when it comes to having a mate, Ollie. Having my nugget in my life has only made me understand what true freedom really is, and you’re forgetting my mate hasn't shown his hand yet."

Donny looked at Ollie, saying, "You do know that your reaction to a mating makes no sense.

You think having a mate means you lose your freedom. However, we are taught that when we

get our mate, our true lives begin. We get to share everything with them, always have someone there to have our backs, listen to our complaints and help us hold the burdens we carry."

Timmy sighed. "I love having my Yorkie in my life. I haven't had to wash my own body since he and I mated and it's so sweet how he sings love songs to me every night and dances naked, swinging his―"

"Nugget! Why don't you show the guys your hand?" York interrupted as the others softly laughed.

Timmy shrugged, saying, "I don't have any pairs. So I guess I lose."

Timmy laid his cards down and York laughed as Ollie moaned and tossed his head back.

"What? Did I do something wrong?" Timmy asked nervously.

York leaned into the table, taking the winning pot. "No baby, but a two, three, four, five, and six of diamonds is a straight flush, and it definitely beats a full house."

Ollie watched as York whispered something in Timmy's ear, making the little man giggle, and Zen was trying to remove Pascal's tonsils with his tongue.

Ollie stood up and went to the bar. "Hey Blake, can I get a water?"

"Sure, Ollie," Blake replied, pulling a bottle out of the cooler and setting it on the counter.

Ollie turned and sighed. Blake laughed. "All these mated pairs coming out of the woodwork sure leaves a shifter to wonder when their turn will come."

Twisting the cap off his water bottle, Ollie took a swig, but didn't say anything in return. The last thing Ollie wanted to do was get into a discussion about mates again. The less he talked about it,

the better his chances were that no one would find out that he had known for months who his mate was and had done everything, and more, to make sure the man didn't find out.

Ollie would never forget the day his world flipped on him. Timmy had played a major role that day.

The little gargoyle was adorable and didn't so much as kill a bug, yet, that little package had the ability to stop the deadliest of men with just a glance. Without the sunglasses, Timmy could turn anyone into stone and did. Hell, he even turned his own mate into a hunk of granite by accident.

The council had been so concerned, they had taken him to the council building and placed him with his mate in a cell. When he had gone to answer some questions, the poor guy got so scared he zapped the entire council into statues.

Ollie had laughed his ass off when Jett and he had been making fun of the high and mighty members, and then Wyndingo walked into the room. Ollie will never forget the scent of his mate.

Ponderosa pine and cinnamon. Ollie's c**k went from zero to a hundred in two seconds flat.

Then his heart started racing, his lungs didn't want to work, sweat began to pour from his body, and Ollie just knew he was going to pass out.

Before the dragon man could get close enough, Ollie had taken to the back corner to try and get some semblance of control. Since that day, Ollie had done everything in his power to not be anywhere near the man. Dain was constantly giving him papers to take to Wyndingo, but so far Ollie was able to pass them on for someone else to do. Dain had been getting pissed at him and even talked with him a time or two, but Ollie just couldn't take the chance of Wyndingo

discovering the truth and then expecting him to give up his world.

"Did you hear that Zen damn near clocked Wyndingo the other day?" Blake asked.

Ollie turned to the black panther. "No, I didn't. Zen is always in control, what the hell happened?"

"Pascal had to take some papers to Wyndingo and Zen was with him. When Pas handed the dragon man the forms, Wyndingo leaned in and sniffed his mate," Blake said quiet enough for no one to hear.

Ollie felt a tingle of anger and pushed it down. "Why the hell was Wyndingo trying to sniff my mated brother?"

Shaking his head and wiping the bar, Blake replied, "I have no idea, but from what Rhys said, it wasn't the first time he's done it."

Ollie turned as the door opened and Dain walked in with Rhys and another guy he didn't

recognize. "Who's the tall sexy man with the Regent?"

Blake rolled his eyes. "Buck Lawrence, he's a friend of Nick's."

"Is that the guy Destrain is considering for Mayor of Maddox?" Ollie asked curiously.

"Yep. He seems like a nice enough guy, kind of hyper, but nice," Blake stated, then turned.

"Well I better get the grill started, dinner rush is going to hit pretty soon."

Ollie set his bottle on the bar, asking, "Blake, have you ever thought about opening up a restaurant of your own? You're a kick ass cook. I have no doubt that you would have a following like Twixie's."

A funny look came over Blake's face, then he schooled his features. "I'm good where I'm at, Ollie. Thanks for the compliment, but I like the anonymity I get here."

Ollie watched Blake go into the kitchen. "What an odd thing to say."

"Ollie, can you come here a moment please?" Dain asked, but Ollie knew it was a directive.

Making his way towards the Regent, Ollie could see the man was up to something. "Hey Dain, what's up?”

"I'd like you to meet Buck Lawrence. He is interviewing for the job as Mayor of Maddox," Dain stated.

Ollie put his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Buck. I'm a bit confused, I thought mayors were generally elected."

Buck laughed. "Well now, that normally is the way it's done, but Maddox is not like most towns."

"With over three quarters of the town being shifters, it is definitely different. Anyway, I'm going to be busy and I need you to go and pick up some papers from Wyndingo. He and his men did some safety inspections on a few buildings that I'm showing to some possible buyers this week,"

Dain stated.

Pascal giggled then shouted, "Ollie, Zen and I are going to head out. We have a delivery we need to wait for at the shop."

Ollie scoffed, "Yeah, I can imagine what you’re going to have delivered. Hey Pas, can you swing by Wy―"

"Pascal, you and Zen go and get that delivery," Dain stated firmly, then turned to Buck. "Can you give me a few moments to talk with Ollie in Jagger's office?"

"Of course, I think I'll go and get acquainted with some of the townspeople coming in for dinner," Buck said with a big smile.

Ollie didn't like the look on Dain's face. Damn it, he really liked Dain a lot. He had taken him and Pascal in when they had nowhere else to go. The Regent had been great, giving them a place to call home and that was something Ollie didn't take lightly. Ollie didn't like upsetting Dain in any way. Disappointing this man was akin to disappointing a father.

Dain walked into Jagger's office where Jagger was working on some paperwork, when they entered the room.

"Hey Dain, hey Ollie. Is there a problem?" Jagger asked.

Shaking his head, Dain said, "I just need to talk with Ollie for a minute. Do you mind giving us the office?"

Jagger stood up. "Not at all. Nick is supposed to be coming to the club anyway. We're going to talk about the Founders Day Celebration."

"Oh good, good. Buck is out there, maybe you guys can include him in on the event planning.

We need to finalize all the booths and he might have some ideas. I really want this to go well. All the proceeds are going to the Suicide Call Center Demitri and Marco run," Dain replied.

Nodding, Jagger said, "Not a problem, Dain."

The feeling in his stomach was the same it had always been when his dad would call him into his office. Ollie was always playing practical jokes on his brothers and sometimes they didn't go as planned. Like the time he killed a snake and tied the thing to his fishing pole and hid in Toby's closet, waiting for his big brother to come in. Because the door was closed, Ollie couldn't see well and when he heard someone come in, he started pulling the snake, making it slither on the floor. The problem was that it wasn't his brother, it was his mom bringing in the clothes she had just laundered. His mom screamed and the clothes went flying. He felt horrible because she cried for like a half hour. Or the time he covered Pascal's bed with rose petals not realizing they were from their neighbor’s favorite rose bush.

"Ollie, we need to have a serious talk about your dereliction of duty," Dain stated firmly as he sat in Jagger's chair.

"My what? I don't understand," Ollie said anxiously.

"When I was asked to be your ajutor, I thought that meant that you would assist me in my duties.

I thought that if I needed something done, all I needed to do was ask."

"Well of course, Dain. That's what I thought I was doing," Ollie stated in confusion.

"Normally, yes, but in the last couple of months, you have done only what you choose and not what I ask. Why is that, Ollie?" Dain asked sounding angry.

Ollie didn't know what to say. He hadn't meant to upset Dain. Yet, here the man sat pissed.

"Ollie, I have asked you time and time again to be my liaison between myself and Wyndingo, yet every time I ask you to take him something or go talk with him, you either send Pascal or someone else to deliver my files or call the man instead of going to talk with him as I directed.

Has the man done something to you? Because if there is a problem, I need to know so I can deal with him."

Shaking his head, Ollie quickly said, "No, Wyndingo didn't do anything to me, Dain. I barely know the man. You never told me you wanted me to be the go between for you and him. You

would say you needed the files to get to him and I did that. When you asked me to talk with Wyndingo about something, I just figured a phone call would do the trick."

Dain gave Ollie "the look". The one that said, "You are so full of shit." Then he said, "You know that isn't correct, Ollie. We have spoken about this issue before. Now if you don't want me as you ajutor any longer just tell me and we can find someone else that might be willing to take the title."

Ollie gasped, "No! Dain, I love working with you. I don't want anyone else."

"Then you need to start doing your job, Ollie. I need you to be my liaison with Wyndingo, especially now. Things are getting so busy with all the new Maddox residents coming in and new businesses getting started. Hell, I damn near allowed a crazed b***h to come into our town because of all I have to do. I can't have that. The people of our town look to me to keep them safe from harm. So I'm going to ask you again, do you want to continue working for me or not?"

Ollie sat looking at Dain. God's yes, he wanted to stay with Dain. The man treated him as an equal not a slave. Dain and his mates had taught him about spells and potions and even went the extra mile as to say they would take him on as an apprentice. This would mean that Ollie could one day be a mage, and with the promise they said he showed, it also meant he might one day be able to stand on his own two feet―alone, and not dependent on anyone else to keep him

completely safe. How many Santorini foxes could say that? Considering there was only him and his three brothers left, not many. However, it didn't change the fact that for now he would require an ajutor.

An ajutor was like a sponsor of sorts to Ollie's kind. They would agree to keep them safe and they would make their clutch, blaze, pack, or whatever almost indestructible. It was because of the Santorini fox's ability to do this that they had been highly sought after and damn near extinct.

"Ollie, do you or do you not want to continue our arrangement?" Dain asked more firmly than moments before.

Ollie sat back, knowing that his time was going to run out. There was no way that Wyndingo wasn't going to figure out they were mates. Unless―maybe Dain or one of his mates had a spell in one of those old books of theirs that could mask a scent? Yes! That was what he would do. He would go to the spell room and find one and this way he could just mask his scent and Wyndingo would never find out!

Looking Dain in the eyes, Ollie nodded. "Yes, Dain, I can do that."

Dain smiled and sat forward. "Good, then I want you to go to Wyndingo right this minute, no stopping to get a drink or talk to a friend. You will go there this second and pick up those forms he has for me."

Ollie stood and started for the door when Dain called his name once more. Turning back toward Dain, he saw the man looking at him knowingly, saying, "If I find you made any stops along the way, our agreement will be null and void, and you will have to find a new ajutor."

Ollie's eyes went wide and he swallowed hard. Nodding, he opened the door. Dain once more called his name.

Ollie stopped but didn't turn, as Dain said, "He's at the training facility doing drills with his men."

Once Ollie left the office, Rune and Kerrick appeared, Rune saying, "I don't like using a cloaking spell against one of our own. Especially with a man as gifted as he is. If we lose Ollie's trust, we could lose him."

Dain sighed. "I know, sweet heart, but you know what Angelo told the council."

Nodding Kerrick replied, "Yes, but all he said was that trouble was coming to our world and Ollie and Wyndingo were the only ones that could save us all. He didn't know how or why."

Dain looked at the door Ollie had just walked out of, saying, "It has something to do with the fact that they are mates."

Rune gasped, "They're mates? You never told us this."

"Nor did you tell the council, Dain," Kerrick admonished.

Sighing, Dain replied, "I've told everyone before, it is not my place to interfere. I did everything I could to push it along, thinking that it would be good for them to come together. I see one hell of a force between them."

"How is pushing it along and interfering not one and the same?" Kerrick said with a short laugh.

"Pushing it along is helping and interfering is forcing. However, with Angelo's vision, I was left no other choice," Dain replied.

Rune’s eyes and features saddened as he asked, "And will you truly give him up as ajutor if he defies you once more?"

Dain quickly stood and took his mate into his arms. "Ollie is like a son to us all, Rune.

Sometimes, it is tough love that makes them find a strength even they didn't know they had."

Rune snuggled into Dain's arms, asking, "But will you give him up if he goes against your orders?"

Dain sighed and placed his forehead onto Rune’s, whispering, "Let's hope I don't have to decide that and Ollie does as he is told."

Kerrick came up behind Dain and wrapped his arms around his two mates. "Let's just hope your plan works. Because if it doesn't, then all of mankind will pay a very heavy price."