Mating Song [Eternal Flames 14]

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

“You f*****g come near me again and I swear on all things good in this life that I will castrate you!” Angelo yelled at his mate Morgan as the man tried to help him into the hospital bed.

“Angel, I know it hurts, but I’m just trying to help you,” Morgan insisted as he reached for Angelo’s arm again.

Angelo slapped the hand away and growled at Morgan as he climbed onto the bed. “You did this to me! No wait, it was those two harpies, the butterfly dragons Helio and Briar. You’re all responsible for this. Get me those two so I can pluck their damn wings off one by one, then they can have an inkling of the pain I’m in.”

“I know you don’t mean that, Angel. I know how much you adore Helio and Briar and how

grateful we both are for this amazing gift they have given us. Please, my love, just let me try to help ease some of your pain,” Morgan said lovingly as he took Angelo’s hand in his.

“I see things are right on schedule then,” Rob said as he strolled into the room.

“Right on schedule for what? A f*****g lobotomy? Because that is exactly what I am going to do to you for taking so damn long to get down here!” Angelo threatened.

Rob laughed. “Yup, right on schedule. The threats, the screaming. Next comes the―”

But before Rob could finish, Angelo started crying. “Morgan, please make it stop. I changed my mind, I don’t want to do this anymore. We can still adopt, and I wouldn’t have to go through this.”

“Then there is the deal making and the tears,” Rob finished as he walked around Angelo,

checking his vitals.

“Oh stick it up your ass,” Angelo hissed.

“And back to the terrorizing pregnant person. Okay, then, so your vitals look great. From what I was told about Rhys and Twix’s births, they had a pouch that formed along their lower abdomen that opened and allowed the babies, or eggs as it were, to come out. So, let's raise your gown and have a look at your belly,” Rob said as he pulled up a rolling stool and placed it at the foot of Angelo’s bed, then sat.

“I need you to put your feet in the stirrups, Ang, then slide your butt to the edge of the table.”

“I’m not a woman and the baby isn’t going to shoot out of a v****a, Doc, so I think you’re in the wrong place,” Angelo huffed.

Rob gave him a shocked, horror-filled look, his mouth dropping open as he gasped, “You’re not a woman? Oh my god, there’s a pregnant man in my hospital. Someone call the National

Inquirer, we’re about to become filthy rich.”

Angelo narrowed his eyes at Rob and his lips thinned. “You know, Rob, you were always a pain in the ass, but since you got mated you’re a sarcastic pain in the ass. Normally I would be loving that, but I’m not appreciating it right now. I hope you get preggers so you can feel what this s**t is, then maybe you’ll get more compassion. Morgan give the Doc a dollar, so he can buy a better bedside manner. Now do something. Ooooowwwww!” Angelo screamed as his back arched off

the table and he grabbed his stomach.

* * * *

Nope, he was not stepping into that mess. Shadow thought to himself as he moved away from Angelo’s door and headed back out of the ER toward the exit. He only hoped that baby came soon, so that Angelo and Morgan could get back to being the wonderful, loving couple they were.

Shadow stepped off the curb and headed to his squad car, then slid in. After turning on the ignition he keyed up the mic and radioed dispatch. “Delta seven four.”

Dispatch voice, “Delta seven four.”

“Delta seven four, Angelo is at the hospital and being taken care of. Delta seven four, code twelve,” Shadow responded.

“Delta seven four, code twelve, copy. I’ll notify the chief about Ang,” the dispatch voice came back. “Proceed to designated route out on Mountain Pass, copy?”

“Delta seven four, copy.” Shadow returned the mic to its holder and put the car in gear. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed out to the main road heading into Crystal. God this job was boring. Sure he liked having something to do and joining the Crystal police force had been a given at the time seeing as he had nothing better to do when he first moved here, but damn, Shadow missed battle.

Just like Savage, Shadow had spent many years in one army or another, since the American Civil War, when he joined the Militia. Being a paranormal had afforded him that opportunity and Shadow had jumped at it every chance he got. He loved being a soldier, it gave him a purpose in life.

Even though his last tour with Wade and the guys had made him feel like he had done his time, enough was enough and he wanted to start actually living, Shadow was happy when they were approached about the Black Op’s team. His thought was that he would have the best of both worlds. But since that last mission in South America when everything had gone FUBAR, and

they found out someone was after their team, Shadow knew it was time to walk away from that life for good and try to find something else.

At first he thought joining the police department would be a great choice to still give him that rush he lived for. That feeling he was doing something good in the world, something right, and giving back, but once he got on the job, he quickly realized he had made a grave mistake.

Not that being a police officer wasn’t a good and honorable profession, because Shadow had nothing but respect for the men and women in blue, but it just wasn’t for him. Sure he was a badass and trained better than any police training could ever show him, but in a small town like Crystal, where paranormals were the top of the food chain and the paranormal council leaders lived, there wasn’t much action on a day to day basis.

Now, going off to sit on the side of the main road between Crystal and Maddox, was like falling into the abyss. Very few cars used the pass and those that did usually stuck to the speed limit because of the twists and turns. So it was very rare he actually got to pull someone over and give them a ticket.

But, this was the life he chose for now. He made a promise and he would honor it. At least until he talked to Nash and Wade about not doing it anymore and Nash could find a replacement.

What he would do after that Shadow had no clue, but he was sure he would figure something out.

Maybe he needed to call his best friend Snake and go out for some beers? Snake was the best friend Shadow had ever found in his long life and the man never let him down. Snake would help him clear his head.

Feeling a little better now that he had a plan to talk to his buddy about everything, Shadow turned right and headed down the long, deserted road. As the miles passed by, Shadows thoughts turned to a stunningly beautiful voice that had drawn him in like a bee to honey.

When he first heard that voice something inside him made him search it out. Shadow had no idea what was happening, all he did know at the time was he had to get to whoever was singing. His feet had moved on their own, against his will, but had it really been his will?

The voice was captivating, mesmerizing, and almost ethereal. He had been enthralled, as if bewitched, and the allure to find the source was too great. When Shadow stepped up to the door and saw his friend Asbuth along with his new mates there, he suddenly realized whose room he was standing at. The little human who was brother, or like a brother, to Asbuth’s dragon mate.

But then there was the songbird, sitting beside the bed, pouring his heart out in the words he sang.

Shadow could hear all the anguish and pain, with a hint of remorse, as the slip of a woman, as he first thought, sang to the unconscious man in the bed. Suddenly the woman jumped to her feet and her voice grew louder, sadder, and Shadow felt a need to go to her and wrap her in his arms.

To take away her suffering.

But when she lowered her voice at the end, he heard it, the harsh treble of a man's voice mixed in and Shadow knew. The remarkable voice belonged to a man, not a woman, and Shadow looked

upon the form with more interest.

Not that he didn’t like women because he thought they were okay, nice, but he was only attracted to men. That was one of the reasons he was so relieved to be placed in Wade’s team. An elite force of Navy SEAL’s made up of just homosexuals. It had never been heard of before, and they still had to watch who found out, but it made all their lives easier. The trust, the bond they forged was unbreakable.

The song stopped, and Shadow suddenly became aware that he had not been the only one drawn to the voice. At least twenty to thirty people stood around him, all enraptured by the small human’s voice.

When the man turned, Shadow thought he would swallow his own tongue. He had never in all his long life seen any man, or anyone for that matter, as jaw-droppingly gorgeous as the human who now stood staring at him.

As the remarkable creature came closer, Shadow noticed his amazing silver eyes, plump, soft, pink lips, high cheekbones, and long platinum blond hair with the single strip of pink on the side.

The beauty was at least a foot shorter than his own six feet three inches and had to weigh over a hundred pounds less than his two hundred and forty pounds.

As the man drew near, Shadow couldn’t help but to touch. He had raised his hand and cupped the man's cheek, and a zap of lightning raced through his body. Instantly he knew who he was standing before. Who it was he was touching. His mate.

In that second of knowledge, Shadow knew he had to get away. There was no way he could take a mate. Not now and maybe not ever. So he did the one thing he knew he was good at, he turned and disappeared, but the little minx had found him. No one had ever found him if Shadow hadn’t wanted them to, but this amazing man had.

Truthfully it wasn’t like he had gone all stealth warrior, but with the crowd surrounding the door, Shadow had been confident he would make it to the elevator and leave quickly before anyone spotted him. And even though Shadow had been impressed that his mate had found him, he knew they couldn’t be together. Shadow had walked away and that was how he intended it to stay.