Page 7 of The Vampire and the Ravens

He paused again, gauging their reactions and sensing their relief, but they were still cautious, and Liam did not blame them. "How do you feel about having an aged vampire chef as your mate. I assume it was not what either of you had expected."

“You’re not that old.” Luke countered kindly.

“I hit the five-hundred year mark a few years ago. I’ve lived a very long life and I never stopped dreaming of the day I would meet my beloved or beloveds as it were.” He smiled suddenly feeling the intensity of the moment. His lovers were gorgeous and accomplished and from what he could see, they were fine men.

"You say that you're a chef, but I see in you something much deeper and broader in your past life. You're more than meets the eye, Liam Reid." Riall was quite intuitive with that statement and very close to the truth. He wasn't always a chef, but cooking and being of service gave him peace at a time when he had very little.

"Come." He motioned for them to follow. "We have a lot to learn about one another." Riall came up to his right and placed his hand on the small part of his back in a protective move. Luke came up on his left side and took his hand. It was a possessive move, and Liam loved every minute of it.

"He's taking them to his quarters," Ira informed Master DuCane. "They seem comfortable and communicating." He added.

“They are his beloveds they will not cause him harm, Louis.” Ismael assured him with an indulgent smile. “I know you worry about him, but Liam is not helpless he is well able to handle himself and his two sexy lovers. The man has hit the jackpot and I’m sure he knows it.”

"They are lead enforcers and killers, and they work directly for Lord Fenrah. They are vicious and unpredictable, and I have no idea what Fate was thinking when she decided they’d be the perfect match for our dear Chef Reid.” Louis feared for Chef Reid’s welfare but was helpless to interfere with a Fated bond.

"Similar was said about you and your beloved Ezra." Ismael reminded him. "Master Hadden worried because your reputation was well known, and Ezra was a small human with minimal magics. What makes the difference is that, like your and Ezra's relationship, Liam is their mate, and he is fast becoming the center of their worlds." Louis was nodding his understanding, but it was apparent that he still harbored some misgivings where the Ravens were concerned.

"In other news." Ismael changed the subject. "The Cerulean scroll is authentic and has been placed with the relics and talismans. In the worst-case scenario, if the darkness bleeds out of Pittsburgh, we have an added layer of protection."

"Nik has a viable lead on a charmer, which is good news, but until it becomes a reality, and they are actively battling the curse, we all remain under a cloud. Having the Raven brothers here under my roof does nothing to ease my concerns. Ravens are considered to be darkness personified." Louis circled back to the raven issue, which was still clearly on his mind.

"I dealt with a flock of ravens once back in the old country. I found them to be lying, deceiving, self-serving louts, and before you say it, I know not all groups are the same. That is my only experience with the species apart from limited contact with Lord Fenrah.”

“And how did you find Lord Fenrah? Was he a lying, deceiving, self-serving piece of shit?" Ismael countered, and Ira fought hard to suppress the smile that was threatened.

“He was distant and suspicious but in the end he kept his word.” Louis stated and then added. “He was a decent man.” He was still in a mood so wasn’t giving much but admitted not all ravens were the same.

"Luke and Riall will honor, love, and protect him just as we do for the ones we love above all others. Liam is in good hands, and damn, those men are sexy. As I said before, Liam is a lucky man." Ismael chuckled.

"I will reserve judgment," Louis stated.

"Of course you will." Ismael kidded. Apart from Ezra, he was the only man who could speak to the Master so irreverently. They'd been together for centuries, living, fighting, and building; closer friends did not exist.

CHAPTER FOUR

Liam's place was large, consisting of several rooms and, of course, a large tricked-out kitchen possessing appliances that Riall did not even have names for. The place was polished, neat, and organized within an inch of its life. Their mate appreciated orderliness and beauty. The rooms, although perfectly structured for symmetry and design with base colors of muted tones, also had touches of the unexpected. An explosion of color in an artwork or a busy pattern of a pillow pulled the area out of the quiet and subdued and brought attention and interest.

“Would you like something to drink?” Back in DuCane’s office Liam had presented with confidence and a certainty but now he sounded hesitant and unsure. He glanced around the room and awkwardly offered them a seat and a drink.

"What's wrong, Liam?" He asked knowing that their relationship was dependent upon an open honesty between them.

"I don't know. I've lived life in a certain way for so long that I don't know how to function or act any differently. Honestly, as much as I dreamed of meeting my beloved as the years turned into centuries, I accepted the fact that I was never going to be blessed with a person of my own." Liam was upset with himself, and both he and Luke could feel it. Their bond was forming, and they were feeling just the barest of moods, but his upset was coming through clearly.

Liam was trying so hard to be calm and accepting and understanding but his emotions were scattering, and he was losing his focus. Riall took Liam’s hand and brought him over to the large sofa in front of the large window. It was a calming location with the sun shining through the window onto the peaceful color of the sofa and surrounding fabrics. Riall always sought out the sun when stressed or confused and it always relaxed him.

Liam followed without question and sat down with Riall and Luke sitting on either side of him. They kept their hands on him taking his hands or rubbing his thighs anything to maintain contact and grow their bond.

“Take your time Liam.” Luke told him and Liam laid his head back on the cushions and took a deep cleansing breath.

"You two deserve so much more than an old, broken-down vampire of no particular distinction." Right, there was the truth of it all, and they both heard it. He did not see them as less than, but rather, he thought he was not good enough for them.

“You are our mate Liam. You are everything we will ever want or need you are our true match, true love and true bond.” Riall spoke his feelings as best that he could. He was never one to share any depth of emotion with anyone but his brother Luke and it wasn’t easy, but he knew Liam needed his assurance just as they had needed his.

"We aren't very old. I'm twenty-seven, and Riall is twenty-five, but we have lived an eventful life, sometimes dark and sometimes brutal." Luke took over and began to explain while Riall held Liam's hand and stroked the back of his head, loving the feel of his dark locks as they slid through his fingers.

“We never knew our parents or any family for that matter. We were left on the steps of Lord Fenrah’s mansion shortly after our birth. He took us in, raised us, and trained us as his personal guards and protection. Later, he expanded our position to include specific and delicate fieldwork." Luke looked at Liam silently, conveying the shadowy meaning of the words, which were specific and delicate. Liam nodded but did not interrupt.

"We have done things and been a part of events that may shock you, but everything we did was and is in the service of our flock and Lord Fenrah. Like you, we wondered if Fate would bless us with a mate, considering the lives that we have led. I look at you, and I see a gorgeous man of class and breeding, someone who in the real world would never give someone like me a second look." Luke paused when Liam looked pained and shook his head.

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