Page 24 of Dancing Moonbeam

“I’m fine.” Jaytee didn’t give a shit about his own injuries. He could shift and heal, but he was terrified his mate wouldn’t pull through.

It wasn’t like they could take Raidh to the hospital. All Jaytee could do was pray his fae didn’t die.

With stinging tears in his eyes and terror in his heart, Jaytee pulled his mate onto his lap and rocked him.

His breath hitched when he saw Raidh’s blood, mixed with the bloodsucker’s he’d just killed, coating his hands. “The vampire said he was paid to kill Raidh,” he murmured as he held Moonbeam tightly in his arms.

“First, do you think it was his dad?” Jax looked horrified that a father would even consider such a thing. He pulled out clothes from his go-bag and got dressed. “Second, how would the vampires know we’d be on this road and that we would stop?”

“They must have tracked us from the house,” Kalen said as he dressed. “They just missed ambushing us but followed our scent and struck when we pulled over.”

“I know in my gut it was his father.” Jaytee ground his teeth as he looked down at his pale mate.

“This is just the beginning, son. I can feel it in my bones.” Kalen’s expression hardened as he looked out into the darkness surrounding them.

* * * *

As soon as Damon screeched to a stop, he jumped off his motorcycle and raced inside the house. He ran upstairs to get dressed because a shift caused clothes to shred. He’d driven home naked, and there was nothing worse than riding a bike with your willy hanging out, but he’d had no choice with no time to dress.

Now, he frantically searched for his truck keys, but they were nowhere to be found. It was like they’d vanished into thin air.

“Where the hell did I put those damn things!” He cursed and slowly spun, trying to remember when he’d last had them. Then he closed his eyes and facepalmed. “You’re such an idiot.”

The keys were already in his truck, tossed carelessly into the cupholder where he always kept them. He headed for the door, anxious to get back to his twin. Although Damon and the little fairy had started off on the completely wrong foot, he wanted to make sure Raidh was okay. He’d not only grown fond of the guy but he also loved seeing Jaytee so happy.

Too bad Raidh hadn’t stumbled into their lives with Damon’s mate in tow. After 235 years, Jaytee had found his mate. That gave Damon hope that his was out there somewhere, though he doubted he would find his mate just sitting around in a coffee shop.

With Damon’s luck, he would find his mate and the guy would be sucking some poor victim dry. He shuddered at the thought. “Please let my mate be anything but a vampire. I’ll even settled for a demon.”

Almost to the door, Damon slowed his steps and sniffed the air, suppressing a growl when the smell of vampire filled the room—a metallic tang that made his nostrils flare in disgust.

There was also a faint scent of fairy, a sweet and delicate fragrance that mingled with the other odors.

There was no doubt the vampire was there for Raidh.

Easing over to the wall where Jax proudly displayed his collection of Samurai knives, Damon ran his hand over the cool steel before taking a set down.

As Damon turned, he noticed the scent was strongest toward the back of the house. His hands clenched around the knives in a reverse grip, tips pointed behind him as he cautiously crept closer to the kitchen. He narrowed his eyes, searching for any signs of the vampire, tasting the adrenaline rushing through his veins, heightening his senses and preparing him for battle.

But before Damon could enter the room, he felt the impact of the vampire slamming into him, sending him flying backward and crashing onto the floor.

Quickly recovering, Damon sprang to his feet and charged at the vampire, slashing and striking with a deadly precision, causing numerous areas on the guy’s chest to erupt in blood. Then he buried one of his blades into the vampire’s sternum with a fierce growl.

Seemingly unaffected by the attack, the vampire yanked the knife out of his chest, dropping it to the floor with a metallic clank.

“This is so unnecessary,” he snarled. “Just hand over the fairy.”

Breathing heavily, they circled each other in the tense silence of the room. “How about I hand you your ass instead?” Damon countered, twirling his remaining knife confidently.

Both moved inhumanly fast. Damon bared his canines as the vampire slugged him in the kidney. Then the vampire punched Damon repeatedly before he could spin out of reach. Damon dropped to one knee, breathing heavily.

“Give up, mutt.” The vampire smiled smugly. “Step aside so I can retrieve the fairy, or I’ll hang your dead carcass outside your front door.”

Jaytee was counting on Damon to get back to him. He couldn’t let his brother down. Dropping the knife, Damon lunged at the vampire, slamming his claws into the bloodsucker’s chest and yanking out his heart.

“He’s fae, you fucking moron.” Panting heavily, Damon looked down at the heart. “Blah, gross.” He dropped it and rushed outside, jumping into his truck and then speeding away.

When he made it back to his family, he was relieved to see the bleeding at Raidh’s neck had stopped.

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