Marking Kane

Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1Second week of December, Monday

Gabriel Martin was frustrated ever since he got off his private plane in Newark. They’d landed at a most inopportune time. He was dreaming about his Mate. It felt like a true dream, the kind the talented have.

His Mate was not how he always pictured him. He was small, fine boned, not tall. He was a teacher, not a scientist, but he was all that Gabriel hoped he would be.

His Mate greeted him at the door, jumping into his arms. Gabriel carried him up to bed. They slowly undressed, each putting on a show for the other until the tension was too high and they had to make love. Suddenly they were in bed. Gabriel had no idea how they got there. His Mate, after several soul-stirring kisses, moved down his sternum past his navel to his c**k. He licked around the top, pulling back the delicate foreskin, running his tongue around the rim. His Mate had no gag reflex and swallowed him whole.

Gabriel touched his dirty blond hair and his Mate looked up at him with blue-green eyes, he popped off his c**k and turned around presenting himself for Gabriel’s use. He had prepared himself before Gabriel got home and was on his hands and knees waiting for Gabriel to take him. Gabriel’s fangs elongated as he got ready to make love to his Mate, his everything.

A knock sounded at the door. He was awakened by his general factotum and driver, Leon Mercier. It was just a dream. A realistic dream, but a dream nonetheless.

“Alpha Martin, we’re landed. I have the car waiting on the tarmac.”

“I’ll be there in a moment,” Gabriel said in frustration. His dream always ended on the same note, almost but not quite. He believed in portents. Gabriel was sure he’d met his Mate in his dreams. He hoped soon to meet him in the flesh.

* * * *

The ride from Newark was tedious. The snow and sleet made for rough going on the road even with the new Navigator limousines Rémy had them purchase. Once they finally reached Sullivan Street, there was the mother of all traffic jams. He needed to walk off the doldrums that his dream of someday always brought him. Gabriel tapped on the partition that separated him and Gaspard from Leon.

“Take the limo to the garage. Gaspard and I will walk home, it’s only a block and with the traffic snarled because of the accident ahead of us it will take thirty minutes to travel the distance in the limo.”

“Alpha, it’s cold outside and you’re not used to this weather yet. Atlanta is very different than New York City.”

“We’re loup garou. We’re bred for this weather. I’ll be fine, you’re fussing over nothing.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Just as he got out of the car, he heard a moan. He turned his head and saw a man in an empty lot staggering, trying to remain upright and attempting to fasten his clothing which had been ripped to shreds. There was blood dripping down his leg. His eyes were rapidly closing and his face swelling from many blows. Through the torn clothing, Gabriel could see his white underwear was stained bright red.

He called to Leon. “Wait.”

Gabriel ran toward the man to render aid. Gaspard yelled, “Alpha, you may not want to get involved. Call nine-one-one.”

“You call nine-one-one. I’m going to try to help him.”

The man staggered across the lot. “Please…I can’t see and I need to get to a hospital.” The man was small. He wore a cheap suit and scattered all over the empty lot were what looked like graded papers.

Gabriel put his arm out to steady the man. He smelled pears over the stench of urine, blood, and semen. The moment skin touched skin his wolf cried, Mate, Mine.

Gabriel shouted over the Alpha link, Get help now. This is my Mate.

His Mate started talking and couldn’t seem to stop. “There were five of them. They wore ski masks and had a gun. They called me by name. I’m no one. Why would they do this, for a passing grade?” He started to sob. “I’m going be sick.” The man turned around and vomited on the sidewalk. “I’m sorry. That won’t happen again. I think I need to go to…” The man attempted to walk but fell to his knees.

Gabriel knelt down and put his arm around his Mate’s shoulders. “It’s going to be all right. I promise. Let’s get you to a hospital. I’m going to pick you up and carry you to my limo.” Gabriel stood and lifted him from the ground.

“I can’t, I’ll make a mess. If you call an ambulance or a cab, I can sit and wait on the curb.”

“No, you can’t. You’re bleeding badly and your eyes are so swollen you can’t see. You’re coming with me.” Gabriel lifted him up off the ground and carried him to the limousine.

Miraculously, the accident had cleared and the traffic unsnarled by the time they got to the limo. The gods are kind.

Gabriel placed his Mate in the back seat of the limousine and slid in beside him.

“Which hospital is closest?” he shouted at Leon.

“Beth Israel. Artis has admitting privileges there.”

“Call Armand and get Artis over there now.”

“What’s your name, baby?” Gabriel asked gently.

Kane reached around for his coat to cover himself and felt in its pocket.

“They took my wallet.” He started to sob.

“Easy now, easy. We’re going to get you help. I’m Gabriel Martin, just tell me your name.”

Gabriel was trying to control his temper. Right now he wanted to rip someone’s head off. The rape of a Mate was the worst crime that could be perpetrated against an Alpha. I have to reign it in; my Mate needs me. He’s talking to me. I have to focus.

“Kane Brady, I teach junior English at McClellan. Oh my God, did I lose all of the student’s papers? They had a gun. They hit my face with a pistol and made me suck it.”

Now Gabriel was about to be sick. “Don’t worry, I’ll send Gaspard to collect your things. We’re pulling into the Emergency Room. Let me carry you inside.”

“No…too much trouble. I’ll walk.” With Kane leaning heavily on Gabriel, he limped into the waiting room. He moaned in pain. Gabriel wanted to tear someone apart now, his Mate hurt, he could feel his pain over the burgeoning Mate link.

“Baby, I’m Gabriel Martin, for tonight you are my fiancé.” He sought out the triage nurse. “I need Dr. Artis, my fiancé has been raped.”

* * * *

Armand swept into the Emergency Room, imperious as always, followed by Sean, who refused to stay at home. “Alpha Martin is going to be nuts and of no help at all to his Mate. Let me come with you and Dr. Artis. Maybe the gods will see fit to have my voice help,” Sean told Armand, and because the crime was so heinous, Armand reluctantly acquiesced.

“Armand, over here. They’re making us wait.” Gabriel propped his Mate up in the orange plastic chair.

The Alpha shouted, “Artis, get over here and make sure they give him a bed immediately.”

Gabriel’s very Human Mate was desperately trying to cover himself in the filthy tatters of his clothing. Gabriel had taken off his coat to cover him. Artis and Armand moved to Gabriel’s side.

Artis spoke, “Alpha, I have to take him now. I need to see how bad it is. You don’t need to look at this.”

Gabriel couldn’t seem to make his fingers let go of his Mate’s shoulder. “Alpha Martin, I’ll go. I promise I’ll take good care of him,” Sean said.

“Alpha Mate, thank the gods. Can you soothe him?”

“I’ll do my best. Go with The Alpha. He’s calling Detective Sergeant Murphy.”

“Murphy got a promotion.”

“Yes, he took the test and was first on the list.”

* * * *

Sean ushered Kane into the treatment area where Artis immediately requested a rape kit.

He held the shaking man in his arms. “I’m Sean Quinn-La Marche. The man who found you is Gabriel Martin and my husband is his boss. Gabriel called Armand because he has some pull in the city. We’re going to take care of you and find out who did this.”

Dr. Artis came over to the cot. “I have to wait for Detective Murphy to record your statement and take a video and still photographs to document all of your injuries before I can give you a sedative. I am going to give you a rape exam, now. I have to follow specific steps to make sure I collect all of the evidence. This is the medical exam that is given to all rape victims male or female. I also need to examine you for injuries. Sean can stay with you if you like. If not, I’ll send him to the waiting room. I’m afraid this exam will be intrusive and painful but necessary to prosecute and to know how to treat you.”

Kane gazed up at Sean, who held his hand. “Would you mind staying with me? I don’t have anyone here.”

“Of course, I’ll stay with you. That’s why I came when Armand told me what happened.”

“I don’t understand why he’s helping me.”

“Never mind that now. Dr. Artis is the private doctor for members of Garou Industries’ Board of Directors and he’s going to take care of you.”

“Why would Mr. Martin do this for me? I don’t understand.”

Sean patted him lightly on his back. “I’m afraid Gabriel will have to tell you that himself. I can tell you to believe whatever he tells you. He is sincere and will not lie to you, ever. As for why I’m here, this almost happened to me once and if it weren’t for Armand driving by me on the street, I would have been murdered. Armand remembers this well.”

* * * *

Outside the examination area, Armand held a shaking Gabriel. “If only there hadn’t been so much traffic, I would have been there in time to prevent this. It must have happened only ten minutes before we drove by.”

“But you did drive by and were able to save him.” Armand reminded Gabriel, who was too busy beating himself up to listen.

“He said they called him by name.” Gabriel shook his head. “The sheer brutality of the act is mind numbing and they knew him.”

“From the way things look, they had longer than fifteen minutes to hurt him. He’s lucky you got out of the car.” Armand told Gabriel. “The gods arrange things as they will. You found him and are going to take care of him now, which should be enough.”

Gabriel turned and caught Gaspard out of the corner of his eye. “Was there any evidence left at the scene?”

“Murphy’s there. He allowed me to pick up the student’s papers and Alpha Mate’s satchel. He was worried about that. I found all of them. Some of the papers are wet and smudged, but since they’ve all been graded, I think it will be okay.”

“Something that I’ve heard about that school. It’s on the tip of my tongue, but I can’t recall…” Armand snapped his fingers. “Their basketball team is on its way to play in the state championship tournaments.”

“I didn’t know you followed basketball, Alpha,” Gaspard remarked trying desperately to get Alpha La Marche to divert Gabriel’s mind from where it was going.

“Yes.” The Alpha turned his head toward Gabriel. “There are five team members on a basketball court and there were five assailants. I suspect the same thing you do.”

Gaspard searched through the satchel and held an attendance roster up in triumph. Carefully he matched the papers to the names. Two papers were missing. He looked at the names of the students who hadn’t turned in their papers. “Alpha, do you recognize these names?” He pointed to Deon Jackson and Johnny Sanders. “These two are missing term papers.”

“Yes, I do recognize those names. They’ve been in the newspaper as players the colleges are scouting.”

“And looking at the records he keeps of their grades. They haven’t done anything all year so far. They are going to fail.”

Suddenly, Gabriel was all ears. “If they were going to fail, they’d have a lot to gain by getting rid of a teacher that won’t just pass them because they’re on the team. We need to tell Murphy.”

* * * *

Sean stayed with Kane throughout Artis’ examination and was shocked at the sheer brutality of the crime. Kane’s ribs were already turning purple and his eyes were almost swollen shut. Sean could see the barest slit of bluish green through the long lashes. His dirty blond hair was caked with blood, semen, and urine and the area around his genitals turned purple with bruising.