Page 17 of The Maestro's Mates
Chapter 8
Pavel
Of course. Every plan Pavel had made to avoid his new-found mates had fallen apart in one fatal moment. Now they’d be stuck together for hours. His skin itched at the thought of having to tamp down his physical need to be closer to his two men.
Histwo men? These men didn’t belong to him. And they never would.
Pavel’s gaze bounced back and forth from Justin to Sebastian, unable to formulate words. How would he keep their connection a secret? If he even could. Vampires had to drink blood to recognize their mates, but he didn’t know about witches. Maybe Sebastian already knew.
So much out of his control. It was truly the worst?—
Sebastian’s troubled expression stopped his thoughts in their tracks.
“What is it?” he asked, making eye contact with the witch, who was now staring at the corners of the tiny metal box they were trapped in.
“This…this isn’t natural. It’s more than a random power outage.”
“It is?” Justin’s voice shook with uncertainty.
Sebastian shook his head. “This is witch’s work. I can smell it. I think my sister’s involved.”
Pavel’s skin rippled as his protective spirit urged him to take to stone, to protect his mates. He fought back the transformation. He needed to understand the situation better.
“Why? Do you have a contentious history?” Pavel kept his voice even, setting his conflicting emotions aside and focusing on the problem at hand.
Sebastian sank down, sitting cross-legged in the center of the shadowy elevator. “She has some kind of history with everyone. We’ve been waiting for her to make her move.”
Pavel raised an eyebrow, hoping for more information. After a sigh, Sebastian continued.
“There are two options I can see. Either she specifically trapped me here so she can try to take me out. Or she wanted me stuck here while she attacked the Circle in Bayonne. My money’s on the second.”
“Can you get us out?” Justin asked, his hand clenched tightly to the bar.
“That’s what I’m trying to find out.” Sebastian closed his eyes and fell still.
Justin glanced over at Pavel. Dammit, the adorable vampire was scared. Pavel could sense his fear. It was tangible in the air around them, and his gargoyle nature hated it. Without being able to stop himself, he crossed to Justin and leaned against the wall next to him.
“Don’t worry,” Pavel said, projecting calm with his even tone. “We’ll be okay. You’re a vampire. It would take more than a fall to kill you.”
“I guess,” Justin said, his voice falling to a whisper. He didn’t look at Pavel. “I’m not a fighter. I can sneak around, disappear into the shadows, you know, vampire stuff, but I suck in a head-to-head fight. My anxiety gets the better of me.”
“Do you know what I am?” Pavel shifted slightly, making direct eye contact with Justin, whose cheeks flushed red in response.
“A gargoyle?”
Pavel nodded. “Gargoyles are protectors. It’s ingrained. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Justin let out a breath and relaxed a tiny bit. He leaned against Pavel’s side, and instinctively, Pavel put his arm around the vampire. Justin’s curly blonde hair only came up to his chin. The sweet man was putting his trust in him, and he wouldn’t let his mate down.
Pavel froze. What the hell was he doing? This was theoppositeof what he wanted. Any affection between them was a mistake. He would not saddle these two vibrant souls with his atrophying body. Pavel refused to bond for them to watch him turn into a lifeless statue, some kind of sad monument to the creature that once lived.
But he also couldn’t let go, now that Justin was under his protection. He didn’t?—
Sebastian’s eyes snapped open, and the witch stretched his arms upwards with a groan.
“Well, this sucks.”
“What did you learn?” Pavel asked, ignoring the twinkle of delight in Sebastian’s eyes when the witch saw Justin in his embrace.
