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Christian’s Coven 4

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Vaughn lives a carefree life inside the coven and has been known
to get kicked out of a place or two for his wild ways. When he

spots a man standing in the middle of the club looking lost,
Vaughn decides to help the man out, only to realize the innocent
farm boy is his mate.

Connor came to the city six months ago. Finding a job was
impossible, and sleeping in shelters was his only option. When he

visits The Manacle for a hot meal that Jersey had promised him,
he stumbles into a world of dark pleasures and sinful delights.

But when Connor discovers vampires truly exist, he freaks out,
trying to stake Vaughn in his heart. Can Vaughn convince Connor

that vampires aren't bloodthirsty savages, and can Vaughn save
Connor from the real vampire hunters that are out there?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 35,927 words

VAUGHN’S VAMPIRE HUNTER

Christian’s Coven 4

Lynn Hagen

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

VAUGHN’S VAMPIRE HUNTER
Copyright © 2012 by Lynn Hagen
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-496-X

First E-book Publication: March 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

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Lynn Hagen from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank
you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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VAUGHN’S VAMPIRE

HUNTER

Christian’s Coven 4

LYNN HAGEN

Chapter One

Connor walked into The Manacle, business card clutched in his

hand as he glanced around at the men and women dancing as if they
were having sex on the dance floor. Bodies writhed as the synthesized
trance and techno music rang out. The place wasn’t what he had been
expecting. When Jersey had given him the business card, Connor had
thought it would be some hole-in-the-wall dive that served slop for
food.

Boy, had he been wrong.
The club was dark, mysterious, and smelled like leather and

sweat. Connor had never seen anything like this before. He felt like a
goldfish tossed into a tank of piranhas. Laser lights flashed repeatedly
and cut across the crowd, making Connor’s eyes hurt as he listened to
the seemingly endless frenetic beat pound out.

The beat was pulsing as people moved against one another, no

apologies to Connor as they tried to sweep him into the wall of
dancers. He was beginning to think this was a very bad idea. Instead
of coming here for a hot meal, the crowd around him was looking at
Connor as if he were the meal.

Lynn Hagen

Men locked their eyes onto him, licking their lips as they curled

their fingers for Connor to come closer. Connor cut his eyes the other
way, not wanting anyone to get the wrong idea about why he was
here.

His breathing became ragged when he saw men with dog collars

around their necks, no shirts, and rubbing all over their bodies as if
they were showering or something. Connor quickly looked away
when a few guys glanced his way, their lust-filled gazes sweeping
over him.

All he had wanted was a warm meal, not to be ogled like he was

prime meat. It seemed no matter where he stepped, he was pinned in a
crowd of men who wanted to touch various parts of Connor’s body.

He smacked their hands away, only to have other men touching

him. Connor could feel panic set in as he tried to turn around and head
for the door. This wasn’t a place he should be. It was too dark, too
Goth for him. Connor may have broken into Eli’s apartment to find
something he could pawn to eat, but he wasn’t really a bad guy.

He was just hungry.
“I could eat you up,” a man said from behind Connor. The guy

pressed his body into Connor’s back, his lips so close to Connor’s ear
that he could feel the small puffs of breath tickling his skin. It was
creeping him out.

“N–No thanks,” Connor stammered as he tried to get away. What

the hell kind of place was this? It reminded Connor more of a feeding
ground than a dance club. Everywhere he looked bodies were
entwined and groping.

The darkness wasn’t something he cared to be in either. Memories

from long ago started to surface, making Connor want to bolt for the
door.

“You look a little lost,” another man said from behind him.
Connor spun around, ready to defend his ass from being pinched

again. It was sore as hell just from standing here five minutes! He

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

wasn’t sure what kind of a club this was, but he knew he was never
coming back.

Hot meal or not.
“I don’t need any help,” he lied as he stared at a man who seemed

to dominate the room.

No, he owned it.
Connor wasn’t sure if he should try harder to get away or run into

the man’s beefy arms. There was something about the guy that
seemed to seep inside of him, calming his frazzled nerves. The panic
ebbed away as he stood there in front of the large man.

He noticed tattoos littering the guy’s thick arms. He couldn’t

really see what they were because the lighting was so low, but damn,
was the man impressive.

His breath caught in his lungs as the god leaned in toward him.

Connor couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as the guy’s lips grazed his
ear. His entire body shivered with the contact.

“I think you need my help, sweetheart.”
Connor blinked up into cocoa-brown eyes as he licked his dry

lips. He was waiting for the man to begin groping him like everyone
else had done, but his arms stayed at his sides. This alone made
Connor want to ask for help from the large man.

“What is this place?” he asked as he glanced around once more. If

the guy confirmed that it was some sort of feeding ground, Connor
was so out of there.

“It’s what it looks like,” he replied. “A club.”
Somehow Connor doubted everything was as it seemed. There

were half-naked men everywhere, writhing around as if begging to be
fucked.

“Don’t you know where you are?” the man asked as he scowled at

Connor. “What kind of club this is?”

Connor held the card out he had been clutching in his hand. “All I

know is that Jersey gave me this and said to come here if I ever
needed a hot meal.”

Lynn Hagen

The man plucked the card from Connor’s hand and studied it

before his cocoa-brown eyes glanced back at Connor. “Follow me.”

He began to sweat bullets when he saw the man walking further

into the club. Connor wasn’t so sure he wanted to go any deeper into
this place than he already was. When he felt another hand grope his
ass, Connor took off, chasing after the tall, dark man. He feared he
had lost sight of the guy until he saw his towering frame ascending a
set of stairs.

Connor quickly caught up, his eyes snapping everywhere, taking

in the sights around him.

“Have a seat in one of the booths, and I’ll have a menu brought

over.”

“But—” Connor began and then stopped, embarrassed to tell the

man he was broke. Jersey had said a free meal, but if the guy was
going to send over a menu, he must think that Connor had money to
order.

The man’s eyes softened as he smiled at Connor. “It’s on the

house.”

Connor felt relief drain the tension inside of him as he spotted an

empty booth and scooted into it. At least up here he wasn’t smashed
between all those sweaty bodies down below. He felt like he could
actually breathe again. Connor ran his hand over his arms as he
waited for the guy to bring him a menu.

What kind of food did a place like this serve? He didn’t care right

about now. His stomach was growling so loudly that Connor was
surprised it didn’t drown out the music. His head snapped up when
the guy returned to his booth, handing Connor a menu.

He had thought the man had said someone else would bring the

menu, but it was the same guy.

“Take your time and order what you’d like. I’ll be back in a

minute to see what you want.”

“Thanks,” Connor said as he took the menu.
“By the way, I’m Vaughn.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“Connor,” he replied as he quickly glanced down at the menu. He

didn’t want Vaughn to notice how he was drooling as he stared at the
thickly made man. The guy was hot as hell, but Connor knew not
every man was gay.

Which would be a damn shame in Vaughn’s case.
Connor could just imagine that solid wall of muscle wrapping

around him as Vaughn fucked him until the cows came home.

“Just ask for me if you decide before I get back, Connor.”
He shivered inwardly at the way his name fell from the man’s lips.

He wanted to hear it again…while Vaughn fucked him. Connor could
feel his face heat up at the thought as he cleared his throat. “Okay.”

He glanced over the menu, not really looking at it as he thought of

the tall, dark, and handsome man who had just left his booth.

The man was mouthwatering!
When he saw that Vaughn was out of sight, Connor waved the

menu in front of his face, fanning away the heat that was coursing
through his body. “Damn, that is one fine man,” he mumbled to
himself as he tilted to the side, trying to see if he could get one last
glance of Vaughn…or his ass.

He wasn’t sure what kind of club he was in or what they did

here—which he highly doubted it was just “a club”—but he wouldn’t
mind getting to know that man a whole lot better.

When his stomach rumbled once more, Connor straightened and

opened the menu. He was surprised to see such a wide selection. Even
though Vaughn said he could order what he wanted, Connor wasn’t
going to take advantage of the offer. Burgers and fries would do.

He sat the menu down, waiting for Vaughn to return when he

noticed a few men looking his way from another booth. Connor
quickly glanced down at his menu. He didn’t like the unwanted
attention. It made him uncomfortable.

Especially in a place like this.

Lynn Hagen

Whatever this place was where anyone felt they could grope at

him. They weren’t staring at him menacingly, just curiously, but it
still made him feel like a bug under a microscope.

“Have you decided?”
That deep, dark, and silky voice was back, coming from behind

him. Connor glanced over his shoulder to see Vaughn standing there,
his thick and muscled arms crossed over a very impressive chest, one
thick, black brow arched.

“Burger and fries,” Connor answered as he slid the menu to the

edge of the table.

“That’s it?” Vaughn asked as he slid into the seat across from

Connor. “You can have anything you want. I told you it’s on the
house.”

“I know, but that will do just fine.” What did the guy want him to

do, order the whole menu? He appreciated the gesture, but burgers
and fries were enough.

Vaughn tilted his head to the side as he clasped his hands in front

of him on the table. Connor’s eyes zeroed in on the large fingers
entwined. He wondered what they would feel like roaming over his
naked body.

“You’ve never been here before?”
Was it that obvious? Connor felt out of place as he glanced

around. He felt like he was the only one not dressed in black, or
leather, or even wearing a collar. He had on blue jeans, a powder-blue
T-shirt, and sneakers.

His hair was a dark blond, and he had cobalt-blue eyes. It seemed

everyone around him had dark hair and eyes. His skin even paled in
comparison to Vaughn’s pretty mocha-brown coloring. Connor
seemed so out of place that he was surprised everyone in the club
wasn’t gawking at him.

He leaned forward, lowering his voice. “What kind of place is

this, really?” he asked softly. “Honestly.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Vaughn sat back, tossing his large arm over the back of the booth.

“You really want to know?” he asked as a grin tugged at his kissable,
lickable, and fuck-he-wanted-to-taste lips. His eyes snapped up at
Vaughn, unsure if he really wanted to know from the way the man
had asked the question.

He pointed down toward the dance floor instead. “Why are men

wearing collars?” he asked.

Vaughn chuckled, the smile reaching his eyes as he licked his

bottom lip. Connor had to catch the moan. The man was acting as
though he was thoroughly enjoying Connor’s innocence. “The collars
mean someone owns them.”

Owns them? “I don’t understand,” Connor confessed.
Vaughn waved a hand across the table at Connor. “Where exactly

are you from, little man?”

Connor bristled at the term. He may only be five foot seven and

weigh a measly one-hundred and forty pounds, but he hated when
someone referred to him as little. “I grew up on a farm and moved
here about six months ago,” he admitted. “Why?”

“It shows.” Vaughn smiled.
“You don’t have to be so damn smug about it.” Connor sat back,

crossing his arms over his chest. “I may not be worldly like everyone
else here”—his hand waved around to encompass the club—“but I’m
not stupid either. I know this club is more than just a club.”

Vaughn nodded, the smile still playing on his lips. “Very

observant, Connor…for a farm boy.” He chuckled. “Toward the
back”—Vaughn chucked a thumb over his shoulder—“is a BDSM
club. Care to check it out?”

Connor knew a challenge when he heard one. “I will,” he said

indignantly, “just as soon as I find out what BDSM means.”

Vaughn roared with laughter as his arms landed on the table.

“You really are too cute for words, little man.”

Connor could tell that Vaughn wasn’t trying to insult him with the

laughter or the term. The man had a genuine grin on his face as he

Lynn Hagen

smiled at Connor. Although he still hated to be called little, he let it
slide. He knew nothing about the world he just stepped into, and
Vaughn was the only one he felt comfortable around while sitting in
this bizarre place.

“So tell me,” Connor said as he once again lowered his voice,

“what does BDSM stand for?”

Vaughn shook his head, a crooked smile on his face. “I think

showing you would help you to understand better than trying to
explain what it means.”

Connor leaned away.
“After you eat, I’ll take you down and show you around.”
He wasn’t too sure about that. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to

delve deeper into what the strange club had to offer. The place was
dark, mysterious, and foreboding in his eyes. It was true that he was a
farm boy and not too worldly, but again, he wasn’t stupid.

“I’ll pass,” he replied. “I just came here for a meal.”
“And that you shall have.” Vaughn slid from the booth. “Let me

go place your order.”

* * * *

Vaughn made his way downstairs, glancing back up to where his

mate was sitting. He kept a close eye on the man as he leaned his arm
on the bar. Connor was way too innocent to be left alone. The guy
was asking to be bitten, and he wasn’t even aware of it.

Vaughn had already spotted a few vampires scoping his mate out,

and he was ready to tear their damn eyes from their sockets. He
wasn’t sure what Connor was doing here, but Vaughn planned on
protecting his mate. “I need a burger and fries.”

Winston, the bartender, nodded. “Coming right up.”
Vaughn turned, looking up to where his mate was sitting as he

studied the man’s features. He looked so out of place sitting there that
Vaughn couldn’t help but smile. Connor jumped at every little thing

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

and scooted further into the booth when vampires passed him by.
Vaughn didn’t think Connor knew the men were vampires. His mate
was just jumpy as hell.

A farm boy.
Damn if fate didn’t have a twisted sense of humor. Vaughn was

well over six foot four, a solid two-hundred and forty pounds, and he
was known for causing havoc in various establishments over the
years, kicking up a ruckus as he had a good time.

And fate mated him to an innocent farm boy?
What kind of crossed-wire shit was that? What the hell had fate

been smoking? He had to admit though, Connor looked real edible,
even though he was sitting up in the booth looking as though he were
about to piss his pants.

A roughneck vampire and a lost farm boy. Fuck if that wasn’t a

paradox.

Vaughn growled low when he spotted one of the male vampires

approaching his mate. He watched closely, taking in the scene as
Connor shook his head, waving his hands back and forth in front of
him, turning the vampire down.

The vampire bowed his head and then walked away. Vaughn

relaxed.

“Here you go,” Winston said as he placed the plate of food in

front of Vaughn. “You giving it to that guy up there?”

“Yeah,” Vaughn answered as he grabbed the plate. “Got a

problem with that?”

Winston snickered. “No, but if you plan on snacking on the man,

I’d get him out of here. There’s too many interested parties around.”
He nodded toward the dance floor.

Vaughn turned to see more than one set of eyes staring up at

Connor with hunger. He took the plate, thanking Winston as he made
his way back toward his mate.

“Here you go.” Vaughn set the plate down in front of Connor,

taking a seat in the booth.

Lynn Hagen

Connor’s eyes rounded as he stared at the plate. Vaughn knew it

was more than enough. The vampires made sure their blood donors
were well fed before they left the club. There was no sense letting the
humans leave in a weak state. The vampires needed the humans to
survive so that they could continue feeding from them.

“I’m not sure I can eat all of this,” Connor said as he picked a fry

up and shoved it into his mouth, chewing quickly. “But it smells real
good.” He grabbed another fry, and then another until his plate was
cleared. Vaughn watched in awe as the food disappeared.

Yeah, right. He didn’t think he could finish it all, my ass.
Vaughn became concerned at the way his mate had devoured the

food as he leaned forward. “Why are you so hungry?” he asked. If his
mate was skipping meals, Vaughn was going to rectify that. It was his
job, his honor, to make sure his mate was healthy and happy.

A veil fell over Connor’s eyes as he glanced away, pushing the

empty plate toward the center of the table. “It’s not important. Tell
Jersey I said thank you for the meal.” Connor stood, but Vaughn
reached out and manacled his fingers around his mate’s slim wrist,
stopping his mate from fleeing.

“I can help you, Connor.”
Connor shook his head as he pulled his hand free. “You’ve helped

enough and I thank you, but I need to get back.”

“Back to where?” he asked as Connor descended the steps,

Vaughn trailing behind his mate. Damn, the man was small. He was
towering over the small farm boy, and Vaughn found that he liked it.

He growled at anyone that looked his mate’s way. The men ogling

his mate quickly turned away as Vaughn showed his fangs. He was
being territorial, and he didn’t care. Connor was his.

“That’s not important either,” Connor said as he pushed through

the crowd, making his way to the door. “It was nice meeting you,
Vaughn.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Vaughn shivered at the way his name fell from his mate’s lips. He

didn’t want the guy to go, but he knew he couldn’t force him to stay.
“At least tell me where you live,” Vaughn said as they exited the club.

Harley, the bouncer for The Manacle, lifted his hand, ready to

scrub Connor’s memory when Vaughn grabbed the guy’s wrist,
shaking his head. “He doesn’t know anything,” Vaughn whispered to
Harley and then released the vampire.

Harley gave a nod and then waved for the next pair standing by

the ropes to enter the club.

Connor turned in the middle of the parking lot, waving his hand

toward the brick building. “Is there someplace else we could meet?
Someplace that isn’t here?” he asked as his cheeks turned a pretty
shade of pink.

Goddamn, Vaughn wanted him. If his mate blushed that prettily

just asking a question, Vaughn wondered what he would look like as
he fucked him senseless. The image almost made him grab Connor
and race back inside to one of the back rooms.

“I have a place in mind, little man.” Vaughn grinned wickedly as

he leaned back against someone’s car. “It’s a place a little more
private, a little quieter than here.”

Connor didn’t look convinced. “I’m not talking about your

bedroom,” he replied.

Neither was Vaughn. He was thinking more along the lines of a

back room. The thought of blindfolding the man had his cock thick in
his jeans. Would Connor beg prettily? Fuck, he hoped so.

“Maybe a coffee shop?”
Vaughn was surprised by Connor’s request. It didn’t sit right that

his mate didn’t feel safe with him. Vaughn knew the man was human
and didn’t feel the pull, but it still hurt. The guy should feel
something.

Anything.
Damn it, nothing.

Lynn Hagen

He sighed, knowing he’d agree to meet Connor anywhere.

“There’s a fish place down the street.” He chucked a thumb over his
shoulder. “Papa Dock’s. Why don’t you meet me there?”

A smile lifted Connor’s lips as he nodded. “How about tomorrow

morning?”

Yeah, that really wasn’t going to work for him.
The whole vampire thing and all.
As much as Vaughn wanted to see his mate first thing in the

morning, he really didn’t want to blister so badly that he would want
to claw his skin off. Why did he have to name that early? “How about
tomorrow night?” he countered. “Say seven?”

“Seven it is, Vaughn,” Connor said with a smile as he began to

walk away. Vaughn sighed again, but this time it was because he
wondered if his mate could stay out of enough trouble until tomorrow
night. The guy really was too innocent to be walking around this
neighborhood by himself.

He was surprised Connor survived six months in the city without

getting bit. He really did look that innocent. There had to be a way to
convince his mate to come home with him tomorrow night.

Vaughn didn’t trust a damn person when it came to Connor.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Two

“He’s a cute little thing,” Christo commented as Vaughn made his

way back into the club. “It’s a shame you let that meal go without
dining from him.”

Christo may be the second-in-command, but he was about to get

his damn head shoved into the fucking wall. Curling his hands into
fists, Vaughn took a deep and steady breath. “No one is dining from
him,” he replied heatedly. “He’s my mate, and if anyone goes near
him, I’ll tear their fucking head off.”

Christo’s eyes widened as he stared at Vaughn. “Dude, what the

hell did you let him leave for?”

Vaughn hadn’t a clue. He knew he couldn’t force his mate to stay.

What was he supposed to have done? It wasn’t like he could tie the
guy up and shove him in a closet somewhere. He had no choice. He
may be large and rowdy, but he would never force his mate to do
anything against his will.

“He’s meeting me tomorrow night.”
“No offense,” Christo said as he leaned against the wall, giving a

shrug. “He’s a little too innocent to be running around the city by
himself. The things that go bump in the night just might bump into
him. If he were my mate, there’s no way I would have let him walk
out of here.”

Vaughn gave a low growl as he walked back outside, searching

the parking lot, but Connor was long gone. Damn it! He wasn’t used
to looking out for someone. This mating thing was getting
complicated. Now Vaughn would worry all night about his mate until
he saw him again.

Lynn Hagen

“He went that way,” Harley said as he pointed down a side street.
“Thanks.” Vaughn took off. The least he could do was make sure

his mate made it home safely. Vaughn kicked himself in the ass for
not thinking of the cruel people of the world just waiting to get their
claws into his farm boy.

He jogged until he spotted his mate a few minutes later. He

breathed a sigh of relief as he ducked into the shadows, following
Connor unseen.

Vaughn grinned as he watched his mate’s hips shake from side to

side. He wondered what it would feel like to sink balls deep inside the
guy’s slim little ass. He was getting hard as a rock standing in the
shadows watching the way his ass twitched when he walked.

The man was sexy as fuck and didn’t even know it.
When Connor turned the corner, Vaughn rushed to catch up. He

stayed far enough back where Connor couldn’t see him. Being a
vampire, he possessed the skills to be quick and quiet as he followed
the small man.

When Connor ran up a set of concrete steps and opened the door,

disappearing inside the grungy building, Vaughn’s jaw dropped.

His mate lived in a homeless shelter?
Oh, that would never do. That placed was filled with too many

shady characters. The things that went bump in the night were
probably sleeping right next to Connor. The thought made Vaughn’s
head hurt. How in the hell had he survived for six months?

Vaughn crept around the building, peering inside as he watched

his mate kick off his shoes and crawl onto his small cot, sliding a thin
cotton blanket over his shoulders.

Why in the hell would his mate leave his farm to come to the city

to be homeless? It made absolutely no sense to him. He just couldn’t
understand it. Vaughn drew further back into the shadows, watching
his mate as he turned over, pulling that damn paper-thin blanket over
his body and closing his eyes.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

A need so deep, so desperate, and so yearning filled Vaughn. He

wanted to storm in there and take his mate away, take him back to the
manor where the coven resided. Connor deserved to sleep in a big
plush bed.

Not on a thin ass cot in a homeless shelter.
Vaughn didn’t fault anyone who needed to use the place, but

Connor had a manor waiting for him and Vaughn was going to make
damn sure this was the last night his mate slept here. He perched
himself on a stone wall, resting in the shadow of some trees as he
watched Connor sleep. Vaughn wasn’t going to leave until the last
possible minute.

And if someone tried something with Connor while Vaughn kept

an eye on his mate, he was going to kill the bastard dumb enough to
fuck with what was his.

* * * *

Connor slipped his hands into his pockets, walking briskly to the

fish place that he and Vaughn had agreed to meet at. His stomach was
churning in knots, his nerves frayed thinking about seeing that big
hunk of a man again.

It was only six and he knew he was early, but he had nothing

better to do. His search for employment had turned up nothing, so he
had time to kill. Connor spotted the place and saw that there were
benches outside. He was grateful for that.

Who wanted to sit inside the dining area with nothing but a

hungry stomach? It was bad enough the smells outside were making
his belly grumble so loudly that a few people passing by glanced over
at him.

He slid his legs into one of the round bench-like tables and sat

down. Connor folded his arms in front of him and then rested his chin
on them. He stared off into the dwindling twilight. Night was now

Lynn Hagen

here, and the city was lighting up, reminding him that life went on,
even if he felt his spiraling down a road to nowhere fast.

No matter how many places he hit during the day, nobody was

hiring. This was the third shelter he had moved to because his time
was up at the others. And his time was coming to an end where he
was at.

Connor wasn’t sure what he was going to do. The thought of

finding another shelter to live in made him feel sick to his stomach.
He couldn’t go back to the farm. His bible-thumping parents had
kicked him out when they had caught him in his bedroom with Jamie.

That had been the worst moment in his life.
He thought his father was going to kill the poor guy. Jamie had

fled with his clothes clutched in his arms and his shoes in his hand.
And then his father had turned his anger on Connor, beating him until
he thought he would lose consciousness. After he healed, he was told
to leave and never return.

So now he sat here wondering where he was going to live and

where his next meal was coming from. Correction, now he sat here
waiting on a man he had absolutely no chance in hell with. It was a
waste of time, and Connor should just get the hell out of dodge before
Vaughn found out what a loser he truly was.

“I see I’m not the only one who showed up early.”
Connor shivered when he heard that dark and silky voice. If he

hadn’t been in a room full of men last night, he would have jacked off
in remembrance of Vaughn’s powerful body and hypnotic voice.

It sucked sharing a room with twenty other guys. There wasn’t

even any privacy in the bathroom. So he sat here hard as a rock and
hungry as hell.

Not a very good combination.
Staring at the man, Connor ached in all the right places. But it

wasn’t just that. There was something about the guy that pulled
Connor to him. He had hated to leave Vaughn last night. He had
wanted to spend more time with the man who made his heart thunder.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

But if he hadn’t gotten back to the shelter in time, he would have been
locked out for the night.

And more than likely lost his bed to someone else.
With nowhere else to go, Connor couldn’t chance it.
The smell of the fish permeated his lust-filled brain, reminding

Connor that he hadn’t eaten since Vaughn fed him the night before.
His hungry belly was outranking his hard cock. He wished he had a
few bucks to get something to eat, but Connor had used the last of his
money to catch the bus to a job interview that didn’t pan out.

“Have you eaten yet?” Vaughn asked as he took a seat next to

Connor.

“I’m not hungry,” Connor lied at the same time his stomach

roared. He could feel the hot flush of his cheeks at being caught in the
lie.

“Come on,” Vaughn said, a slight smile playing at his lips as he

stood, holding his hand out for Connor.

Connor curled his fingers around Vaughn’s, seeing the vast

difference in the sizes of their hands as they walked over to the
window.

“What’ll you have?”
“I can’t, uh…” Connor scraped his bottom lip with his teeth,

looking away.

“Hey,” Vaughn said as he gave a slight squeeze to Connor’s hand.

“Anything on the menu. It’s on me. That sky’s the limit.”

Connor chuckled. “Thanks, considering the highest priced item is

six bucks.”

“I’m a big spender like that,” Vaughn teased.
Connor, along with Vaughn, ordered some food, and then they

took a seat back at the table. He tried his best not to wolf it down.
Connor ate slowly as he watched Vaughn from under his lashes,
drooling over the guy.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Connor asked when he noticed Vaughn

hadn’t touched a thing on his tray.

Lynn Hagen

“Nah, I ate before I came here. But I hate to waste my food,” he

said as he slid his tray over to Connor. He wasn’t sure if the man had
done this on purpose, but as hungry as Connor was, he wasn’t going
to pass up seconds.

“Thanks.” He grabbed the tray and started in on Vaughn’s food as

soon as he finished his. He was waiting for Vaughn to question him
once again about his appetite, but the guy didn’t say a word.

“I can’t be gone too long from the club,” Vaughn started. “Care to

come back with me?”

Connor shook his head as he polished off the last of his sandwich.

“That place gives me the creeps.”

A thick brow lifted. “How so?”
Connor remembered all the times his father had beaten his mother

when the bastard was drunk. He’d hidden in his closet most of his
childhood to escape the sounds of his father yelling and his mother
crying.

Dark places only reminded him of those years long ago.
“I don’t like dark places,” he whispered as he grabbed the trays

and placed them back on the counter. He had always felt helpless and
afraid when the lights were turned out. It was a stupid fear, but one
that Connor still carried with him to this day. He wasn’t afraid of the
dark per se, but it always reminded him of a time in his life when he
had wished for different parents or a different life.

“What if I stayed with you the whole time?” Vaughn asked as he

approached Connor. “What if I promised never to leave your side?”

Connor wasn’t sure what to make of Vaughn’s offer. The guy had

been nothing but nice to him. He was so utterly alone in the world at
the moment, and to have someone there with him gave him a small
sliver of hope. “Promise?”

He wasn’t looking forward to being back at that strange club, but

if Vaughn kept to his word, Connor was willing to forgo his
apprehension of returning.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“I say what I mean, and I never go back on my word.” Vaughn

growled. “Remember that, Connor.”

Well, okay then. The man was a little uptight, but Connor

followed him anyway. When they reached the club, Connor hesitated.
If he thought it was packed last night, it was nothing compared to
what he saw in front of him.

“It’s Friday night,” Vaughn offered as if reading his mind. “It’s

always jam-packed on the weekend.”

“What exactly do you do here?” Connor asked as he gazed from

the long line of humans waiting to get in to Vaughn, looking as
though he’d rather just sit out in the parking lot all night.

If only Vaughn could.

* * * *

Vaughn really didn’t want to answer that question. Connor

already seemed timid enough as it was, and he didn’t want to scare
the guy away.

But lying to Connor wasn’t something Vaughn could do. “I

bounce in the back by the BDSM rooms.” He hadn’t been working the
night of the fiasco with Jimmy and Yasuko. If he had, Vincent
wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near the two men. Ever since that
night, Christian made sure users were upholding the rules and a
bouncer was back there every second.

He shivered when he thought of the pregnant Yasuko falling on

his ass when Vincent tried to take Jimmy away from his mate. Having
more than one bouncer back there made perfect sense to him. He had
asked Isla, the third-in-command, to keep an eye on the back rooms
until he got back with his mate.

Vaughn was not about to piss the prince off and leave the hallway

unattended.

“Oh,” Connor answered, looking slightly confused at Vaughn’s

confession of his job profession.

Lynn Hagen

“Relax,” Vaughn said as he took Connor’s hand, pulling his mate

toward the front door. If he waited for Connor to voluntarily walk,
they would be standing out here all night. The place was packed like
sardines in a can. The wall of humans seeking something other than
what they currently had in life was stifling as Vaughn pushed people
aside.

He spotted countless vampires stalking the crowd in search of the

perfect donor as he pulled Connor with him toward the back hallway.
When Connor’s hand slipped from his, Vaughn immediately turned
around.

“Where are we going?” Connor asked over the loud and

thrumming music.

“I have to relieve the guy who covered for me while I was gone,”

he replied, leaning in close so he wouldn’t have to shout. “Trust me,
mate.” Vaughn had been dying to use that title with Connor. He felt a
sensual chill run the course of his body as the word passed his lips.

“Are you sure?” Connor eyed him suspiciously.
“Am I sure about what?”
“This isn’t a ploy to get me back there, is it?”
Vaughn chuckled as he shook his head. “I wouldn’t trick you. If I

wanted to get you into one of the rooms, I would outright ask you to
join me.” Vaughn could see the heat slide into Connor’s eyes, but it
was mingled with a touch of fear. “You’re just going to help me
bounce.”

Connor laughed. “And what am I going to bounce?” he asked as

he waved a hand at his slim frame. “I don’t have the muscle to bounce
a damn thing except an idea off a wall.”

Vaughn liked Connor’s sense of humor. It was refreshing. “Just

follow me, little man.” He led the way to the back hallway, giving Isla
a nod of thanks. The vampire eyed Connor but said nothing as he left
Vaughn to his job.

“How many rooms are back here?” Connor asked as he took a seat

on Vaughn’s stool. His mate looked good sitting there.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“About a dozen. They stay occupied all night.” And the thought of

taking Connor into one of them had Vaughn growing hard.

“All of them?”
“Yep.”
He hid the grin on his face as a pair walked out of one of the

rooms, a sated smile on the submissive’s face as he walked behind the
dominant. Vaughn could see red welts across the guy’s exposed back.

“What the hell?” Connor said under his breath, but Vaughn heard

him loud and clear. His mate’s eyes were wide as he glanced at the
submissive walking away. “People get beat back here?”

If that shocked his mate, Vaughn knew they were in for a long

night.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Three

Connor wasn’t sure what to think as he sat there. The hallway

wasn’t crowded like the dance floor was. But back here, it seemed
even stranger than collars and the half-naked men he had seen
writhing around up front.

And that was saying a lot in his book.
Connor witnessed couples coming and going from the back

rooms. They went in with lust-filled eyes and then came out with
sated, happy looks. But what puzzled him were the marks he had seen
decorating some of the men’s flesh. And they looked happy!

What kind of strange place was this?
His eyes widened as he watched three men walk into a back room.

He cut his eyes over to Vaughn nervously, watching the expression on
the guy’s face. It didn’t seem to faze him that three men went into one
room. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his
chest, looking bored.

“Three?” he asked when Vaughn caught him staring.
A slow grin formed on Vaughn’s face, his eyes filled with humor.

“You’ve never heard of three guys having sex before?”

Connor wasn’t sure he liked the idea that Vaughn had heard of it.

Had the man had sex with two other guys at the same time before?
Connor wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to scratch the two unknowns’
eyes out.

He’d heard of three guys having sex, but he’d never seen it in

person, and he didn’t want to. He wiggled a little on the stool,
pressing his back into the wall. “What do they do in those rooms?” he
asked, ignoring Vaughn’s question. He’d been dying to ask Vaughn

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

all night, but curbed that urge, not really sure he wanted to know the
answer.

But after witnessing the three men, he was curious as hell.
Vaughn pointed to a couple doors in the hallway. “Those rooms,”

he said as he tucked his arm back over his chest, “are used as D/s
rooms.”

“What?”
Vaughn chuckled. “Dominant and submissive. Have you heard of

that?”

Connor nodded.
“Well, that’s what’s going on in those rooms,” he said and then

pointed to the room the three men had disappeared into. “And the
three men in there are playing adficio venatus.”

“What’s that?”
Vaughn shook his head, a crooked smile appearing on his

handsome face. “I don’t think you’re ready to know that just yet, farm
boy.”

Connor wasn’t sure he was ready to know either. His eyes were

opened wide in the past twenty-four hours to a world he never knew
existed. He had taken in a lot and seen so much already that his brain
was still trying to process everything. Connor didn’t need an
overload.

So he left it alone for now.
Thrumming his fingers on his thighs, Connor stole quick glances

at Vaughn, wondering why the guy had him sitting here helping him
bounce.

He hadn’t bounced a damn thing but his leg.
“This is what you do all night?” he asked after a long stretch of

silence.

“This is it. Glamorous, isn’t it?” Vaughn wiggled his brows.

“Although, once in a while I grab a bite to eat.” There was a slight
chuckle coming from Vaughn. Connor had a feeling their definitions
of eating didn’t mean the same thing.

Lynn Hagen

He wasn’t sure why he thought that, but there was a strange

feeling inside of him that all wasn’t as it seemed. There was a small
voice inside his head that was telling him to beat feet out of this crazy
place. Connor knew he should listen to it, but there was also
something about Vaughn that kept him rooted to the spot.

Something inside of him relaxed whenever he was around the

heavily muscled man. Connor didn’t understand his reaction to
Vaughn, but he enjoyed the feeling of contentment when Vaughn
smiled at him.

It was as if his insides sighed.
He twisted his lips to the side, tapping his fingers on his knees,

bored out of his ever-loving mind. “So,” Connor said after another
long stretch of silence, “what else do you do besides this?” he asked
as he waved his hand around the hallway.

“For fun?”
Connor nodded.
“I’ve been known to get thrown out of an establishment or two,”

Vaughn said with pride. Connor scratched his head, wondering how
someone could be proud of that fact. He would be totally embarrassed
if someone kicked him out for his behavior.

“Really?”
“Yep. I’m going to have fun tomorrow night. You should come

along.”

Connor wasn’t sure why that thought brought such a thrill to him,

but it did. “You want me to hang out with you?” It was like the jock
asking the nerd to hang out with him in high school. It was unheard
of. Connor gave a nod, because he knew if he spoke, he’d be shouting
in excitement.

He just hoped they didn’t get kicked out of wherever they were

going.

“Then it’s a date,” Vaughn said with a grin.
Connor jumped when he heard someone shouting behind one of

the doors. Vaughn was across the hall, opening the door in less than a

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

second. Connor slid from his stool, racing after the man, peeking into
the room from around Vaughn’s thick frame.

“What the fuck is going on in here?” Vaughn bellowed from the

doorway.

“I told him no, but he doesn’t listen,” a small man dressed in

nothing but a pair of tiny boy shorts snapped out as he hung in the
middle of the room.

Connor’s jaw dropped as he looked in. Never in his life had he

seen a man suspended in the middle of the room before with nothing
on but a pair of underwear.

“That wasn’t the safe word,” the larger man protested. “You know

the safe word, and all you had to do was say it.”

“I forgot it,” the smaller man said unrepentantly. “So sue me.”
He could hear the grunt of frustration coming from Vaughn, but

Connor was too busy taking in the strange scene. What the hell was a
safe word?

“What’s the safe word?” Vaughn asked the larger man.
The guy didn’t look too pleased. He actually looked downright

pissed. He wasn’t sure why the man was angry, but Connor wasn’t
going to ask. The man threw the whip down on the floor in
frustration, his eyes narrowing on the smaller man. “There doesn’t
have to be one. I’m not dealing with an untrainable brat.”

The larger man stormed across the room. “Fuck him,” he muttered

as Connor moved aside, allowing the man to brush by him.

“Uh, can somebody help me out here?” the smaller man asked.

“I’m kind of stuck.”

Connor pushed past Vaughn, heading into the room. He tried to

keep his eyes averted from the man’s undress, but that was impossible
when he had to get the guy down.

“A little help?” Connor asked as he glanced over at Vaughn and

then looked up at the man’s hands, which were clasped together by
leather, suspended by a hook.

Lynn Hagen

Now it was Vaughn’s turn to look pissed. “This isn’t my goddamn

job.” He lifted the man up and placed him on his feet.

Connor reached for the man’s wrists and unbound them.
The guy rubbed his wrists as he began to walk toward the door.

“Thanks,” he sang over his shoulder.

“What about your clothes?” Connor asked as he stared openly at

the tiny scrap of underwear the guy was wearing.

“What?” The man looked down his body and then back at Connor.

“I’m wearing them.”

Really?
Connor scratched his head as he stood there for a moment,

watching the empty doorway, and then looked over at Vaughn. “Is
this normal?”

Vaughn snorted. “You haven’t seen the half of it, little man. This

is mild compared to some nights.”

If this was mild, Connor didn’t want to see what a rough night

was like. The place was getting stranger by the hour. He wasn’t sure if
he would be sane by the time he had to leave.

“Now I have to clean this fucking room. They know better than to

leave it a mess,” Vaughn complained as he picked up the whip and
hung it back on the wall. Next he headed toward a cupboard.

Connor watched. If Vaughn came out of that cupboard with some

sort of medieval torture device, he was running for the door. He
wouldn’t doubt it in this place. To his surprise, Vaughn came away
with some disinfectant spray and paper towels.

“They know better,” Vaughn repeated his complaint as he began

to spray down…whatever the hell those tables were called. “I’m
going to have to talk to Christian about these guys.”

“Christian?” Connor asked as he grabbed the paper towels out of

Vaughn’s hands and wiped down what Vaughn sprayed. He couldn’t
help but notice a cross on one of the back walls and wondered why in
the hell it would be there in a place like this. Connor highly doubted
anyone used these rooms to pray.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“The owner,” he answered. “I’m getting tired of those lazy ass

people who think they can use these rooms and then leave them a
mess. What am I, their fucking maid?”

Connor snickered as he found a trash can to throw the used paper

towels in, listening to Vaughn’s complaints. They finished cleaning
the room, so Connor took a seat back on the stool.

“Why was he hanging there?” Connor asked. He kind of knew.

One man’s flesh was red, and the other man had a whip in his hand. It
didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on in there.
So he wasn’t sure why he was asking Vaughn to confirm his
suspicions.

Other than the fact that this was one boring, yet crazy job. Connor

couldn’t see himself getting into something like that. Not in this
lifetime. But if it made men happy, who was he to judge?

“It’s called a scene,” Vaughn said as he leaned back against the

wall, his eyes scanning the hallway. “Little guy gives up control, big
guy is in control.” Vaughn scratched at his chin and then shook his
head. “Not really. The little guy has the control.”

Connor was so damn confused.
Dropping the subject, Connor watched another couple walk into

the room they just cleaned. He had an urge to yell at them to clean
their mess up when they were done. He felt like an unofficial hall
monitor.

Jumping from his stool, Connor quickly snapped his head around.

“What time is it?” He had totally forgotten about the time. How could
he have forgotten? That should have been the highest priority to him.

Vaughn pulled his cell out and checked the time. “After ten,

why?”

Connor groaned as he slapped a hand over his face. He was so

screwed. How could he have let the time slip by him like that? “I’m
too late.”

“Late for what?” Vaughn pushed away from the wall, glancing

down at Connor.

Lynn Hagen

To hell with it. If they were going to hang out and be friends, then

he might as well tell the big guy. Even though it embarrassed Connor
to do so. “I’ve been locked out of the shelter for the night. I have no
place to sleep.”

Vaughn didn’t look as upset as Connor felt. His features remained

neutral as he gave a nonchalant shrug. “So crash at my place.”

Oh yeah, no biggie. It wasn’t Vaughn who had to rely on the

shelters for a place to stay warm and dry. No, it was Connor who felt
like Cinderella every damn night as he raced to make it back before
the doors locked.

And tonight he had missed the pumpkin coach.
As Vaughn’s words sank in, Connor gaped at the large and sexy

guy. How could Vaughn offer that to a man he’d just met? There had
to be a catch. Living in the city for six months, Connor learned that
there was always a catch. No one did anything out of kindness.

And no one did anything without looking to get paid back.
“And what do you want in return?” he asked suspiciously,

narrowing his eyes at the giant standing before him. Connor had
dreamt of having sex with Vaughn last night—in many, many
different positions—but if he had to have sex with him as repayment,
that would cheapen it. And that was something Connor refused to do.

Although the thought of that rock-hard wall of muscles wrapped

around him sent shivers all through his body.

But still…
“Nothing,” Vaughn said as a door opened, a couple walking by

them.

“Everyone wants something. So tell me up front what it is. Don’t

drop the bomb on me at the last second.” He was nobody’s fool. He
may be ignorant about this club, but he wasn’t a stupid man.

Everybody had an angle.
Vaughn shook his head again, a touch of anger in his eyes. “I said

nothing. I wouldn’t lie to you. You can crash at my place. It’s really
no big damn deal.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Connor gave a slow nod, unsure if he could believe the guy. He’d

been fooled a couple of times since coming to the city. Connor had
run into men promising they didn’t want anything in return for their
kindness.

And they all had lied.
Connor hadn’t given up any ass since he got to this city, and he

wasn’t going to start now. “Okay, but if you try anything,” Connor
warned as he bored his eyes into Vaughn’s, pointing up at the
muscular man, “I’ll feed you your balls for breakfast.”

Vaughn cocked a brow, but Connor wasn’t backing down—even

if he was dying to lick the man from head to toe. As Connor stood
there glaring at him, Vaughn began to laugh.

“You are full of surprises.”
“Yeah, just try me,” Connor retorted as he slowly backed up,

placing his rump on the stool. Resting his back against the wall and
placing his hands in his lap, Connor heard the last door open.

Some guy walked out with a sated, blissful look on his face,

walking by Connor as if he weren’t even sitting there. And then the
second man walked out…licking his fangs.

Connor wasn’t sure he was seeing things correctly. He wiped at

his eyes and then looked again. The fangs were sharp and gleaming in
the pale light of the hallway, but there was no mistaking them for
what they were.

“Holy shit!” Connor jumped from the stool, backing down the

hallway as his blood ran cold.

“Connor, wait,” Vaughn called, but Connor ignored him as he

pushed into the wall of dancers, trying his best to get away. Holy
fucking hell on a stick, vampires were real! Connor’s head swam with
the knowledge as he pressed toward the door.

It seemed the harder he tried to get away, the deeper into the wall

of writhing and sweaty bodies he sank. Hands groped his body as the
laser lights cut a path across the crowd. Connor tried desperately to
smack the unwanted hands away, but the groping seemed endless as

Lynn Hagen

he shouted and pushed at the partiers on the thickly packed dance
floor.

He gasped when he saw one man sucking on another’s neck. He

saw it for what it truly was now. They weren’t making out. No, a
vampire was drinking. As Connor looked around, he began to notice
more and more couples locked in a sexual hold as one drank and the
other was drained.

It was a feeding ground!
Connor felt dizzy as the crowd pulled him further back. He had to

get out of here. He had to get free of this place. He had to…oh
fucking hell. Panic was setting in as the door seemed further and
further away.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him from the

entanglement of bodies until he was free of the groping hands.
Connor sobbed as he kicked his legs back, trying to get free.

“Calm down, little man”—a strong command came from behind

him—“and stop fucking kicking me!”

Connor went limp in Vaughn’s arms, giving up the fight as

Vaughn carried him down another hallway, a quieter one that only
held one door. As Vaughn opened the door, Connor saw that it was a
big plush office, and it was empty.

Vaughn closed the door, strolling across the carpet and sitting

down, pulling Connor onto his lap.

“Take deep breaths.”
“That–that was a vampire,” he stammered as he swallowed hard

around the dry lump in his throat.

“Yes, it was,” Vaughn confirmed. “Now calm down.”
How the hell was he supposed to calm down when he just

discovered there were vampires in the world? They were fictional,
movies Hollywood made. Not something that walked out of a fucking
door right in front of him!

“How?” he asked as he became dizzy.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“You’re hyperventilating,” Vaughn said as he ran a hand down

Connor’s back. “You have to relax.”

Connor took a deep breath, finally looking over at Vaughn…and

seeing the tip of a sharp fang just under the guy’s top lip.

Connor shrieked, pushing from Vaughn’s lap, his ass hitting the

floor hard. What the hell had he gotten himself into?

* * * *

Christo and Isla walked out of the back room, making sure their

donor was stable on his feet before letting him go. Christo
immediately slipped back into the crowd, raising his hands into the
air, his hips hitching to the side to the techno music.

His eyes scanned over the crowd of willing men, looking for his

next donor when he caught sight of Dante walking through the front
door.

He rolled his eyes as the leader of the Northern coven made his

way over to the bar. As second-in-command, he had a duty to alert
Christian to the other leader’s presence.

But damn if he wanted to leave the dance floor.
The game he and Isla just played, adficio venatus, a game in

which Isla and Christo had taken turns biting the human until the
human had an orgasm from the small bites—a game Christo had won
when he bit into the guy’s neck and the human came—had sated his
hunger, but now he was looking for a willing body to sate his raging
hard-on. No sex had taken place in the room with Isla, so Christo was
horny as hell.

Pushing his way over to the bar, Christo took a seat on a stool.

“Looking for Christian?”

Dante cut a glance at him and then looked straight ahead as if

Christo hadn’t spoken a damn word.

Arrogant bastard.

Lynn Hagen

“Well, I’ll be your good little boy and fetch him for you,” he said

snidely as he pushed away from the bar and walked down the private
hallway, disseminating to the manor.

Jogging down the steps to the lower level where the rooms were

located, Christo knocked on Christian’s door. He smiled when he
heard a baby crying. Young Minzhe was a well-loved child. The
entire coven doted over him, but nothing compared to the three
devoted fathers.

The door swung open, Minsheng glaring at him. “What?”
Christo chuckled at Minsheng’s fierceness. “Can you please tell

Christian that Dante is looking for him at the club?”

Minsheng gave a slight nod before slamming the bedroom door.
God, no wonder the messenger was always shot.
The job sucked.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Four

Vaughn watched as his mate crab-crawled backward until

Connor’s back hit Christian’s desk.

“S–Stay away from me,” Connor warned nervously, his eyes

darting wildly back and forth. Vaughn gave a deep sigh as he stared at
his frightened mate.

“Look, I’m not going to hurt you, Connor.”
“But you’re a vampire!” He hugged his knees to his body, his eyes

once again darting around. Vaughn wasn’t sure what the man was
looking for.

“Yes, but I’m a nice vampire…for you,” he replied, trying his best

to ease the tension that hung thickly in the air. Connor’s lips thinned,
his eyes stony with anger.

“Vampires kill people, suck their necks, and then drain them of

their blood,” Connor said dramatically, making weird ass slurping
sounds. Vaughn rolled his eyes.

“I may drink blood, but I don’t slurp.”
“Yeah, but you drain them, don’t you?” Connor said as he jumped

to his feet and ran around the desk, his hands searching over
Christian’s desk.

“What the hell are you looking for?” Vaughn was perplexed as

hell at his mate’s behavior. He understood that his mate was
frightened of the unknown, but he was acting quirky as hell.

“A stake. I’m supposed to stake you through the heart, damn it.”

Connor tapped his chin, glancing around the desk and then began to
open desk drawers. “Just stand right there while I find one.”

Lynn Hagen

“Seriously? You’re going to stake me through the goddamn

heart?” Vaughn wasn’t sure if he should be pissed off or laugh at the
way his mate told a vampire to wait for his staking.

Connor stilled and then glanced at Vaughn. “Or should I feed you

garlic?”

“Dude, why the fuck are you trying to kill me?”
“Duh, because you’re a vampire.”
“Which means?” Vaughn growled at the idea that his mate would

want to off his ass. What kind of bullshit was that? He’d been nothing
but nice to the little farm boy. What the hell kind of repayment was
this?

“Look,” Connor said as he smashed his index finger into the palm

of his hand. “You’re a vampire, so I have to put a garlic necklace on
and stake you through the heart. It’s the rules.”

Vaughn was confused as hell. “What goddamn rules?”
Connor slapped his hands on his hips, looking at Vaughn as if he

were daft. That irritated the shit out of Vaughn. “The rules of vampire
hunting, duh.” Connor looked at Vaughn as if the rules should have
been obvious.

“Okay, hold up, rewind here,” Vaughn said as he moved closer to

the desk. “What vampire hunting rules are you talking about?”

Pointing toward Christian’s computer, Connor stated, “The ones I

read online. The ones that tell a person how to kill vampires.”

“There are instructions online?”
“Yeah, there are entire websites telling people how to kill the

‘vein drainers.’”

Vaughn came around the desk, ignoring Connor as he ran around

the other side. He took a seat and booted up the computer and started
clicking.

“That one right there,” Connor said as he pointed to one of the

links the search engine pulled up. Vaughn clicked on it, and then his
heart stuttered. Never would he have believed such a site existed.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

He sat there reading the website, reading all the information on

how to kill the living dead. Living dead? Wasn’t that zombies? It was
jam-packed with helpful information. There were even some pointers
that Vaughn had never thought of before. He wasn’t sure if the ones
who put up this page were into fantasy games or if this was for real.

But they sure knew their fucking shit.
“And you believe this?” He shut the computer down as he pushed

away from the desk. “It’s all bullshit. It’s probably some fanatic into
role-playing.” At least he hoped so.

Connor’s eyes widened as he grabbed for the letter opener in the

cup on the desk. “The website said you would say that!”

“Put the letter opener down, Connor.”
“No!” Connor ran around the desk as Vaughn went after him.

“You want to drain me of my blood.”

“Hardly,” Vaughn replied as Connor sped up. It was a fucking

desk. There wasn’t much desk to run around. Vaughn tired of chasing
his mate, so he feigned left, grabbing Connor around his waist.

Connor swung the letter opener, damn near stabbing Vaughn in

his eye. He growled as he yanked it away and tossed it across the
room. Connor kicked back, the heel of his shoe landing on Vaughn’s
shin.

“Goddamn it. If you kick me one more time—”
“What, you gonna drain me?” Connor shot back at him.
“I’m very tempted right about now.” He growled as he dodged

another assault with Connor’s feet.

“Don’t you dare drop fang on me!”
Vaughn stilled as he tightened his hold. “Drop fang?”
“Yeah, you know.” Connor made some weird noise as if hissing.

It was a very bad imitation, at that. “Fangs, the things you suck blood
with.”

Vaughn rolled his eyes as he spun his mate around to face him.

Connor tilted his neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing repeatedly. “Go
ahead, drain me. You’re too big for me to fight anyway.”

Lynn Hagen

Vaughn leaned forward, licking Connor from collarbone to jaw,

his eyes slowly closing at the taste of his mate’s salty skin. He had to
admit, the idea of drinking from Connor appealed to him, but the idea
of sinking deep into his slim ass made Vaughn’s cock come to life.

Connor shivered in his arms. “Don’t play with your food.”
“Stop begging me to drain you,” he said as he walked back over to

the couch. He sat, making Connor straddle him as he kneaded the soft
flesh of Connor’s ass. “Because I’m not going to.”

“Why not?” Connor asked. “Isn’t my blood good enough for

you?”

“Will you stop with that?” Vaughn asked irritably. His mate was

one confusing ass man. Was he really pissed because the little
vampire hunter didn’t think his blood was good enough? “Stop
believing everything you read online. I’m not going to drain you.
You’re not going to stake me through the heart. So get over it.”

Connor looked a little lost as his eyes came up to study Vaughn’s

face. “Then what in the hell are we supposed to do?”

Oh, Vaughn had many wicked ideas of what they could do. All of

the ideas had both of them naked and shouting out in pleasure. “I
could show you if you’d like,” he said as his voice dropped to a husky
promise. His cock was hard under his denim as he saw the heat in
Connor’s eyes.

“Vampires can have sex?” Connor asked in surprise.
“Fuck yeah,” Vaughn growled low as he pulled Connor down

onto the proof in his pants. His cock was hard and pulsing, dying to
sink into Connor’s giving flesh. “What do you think?”

Connor’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he pressed his ass

down hard onto Vaughn’s erection. “Feels like you can fuck just
fine.”

Vaughn was glad his mate thought so because he was about to

fuck him right here in the office. Connor fell forward, his hands
landing on Vaughn’s chest as he ground his ass on Vaughn’s hard
cock.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

And then his mate opened his eyes.
“Fuck,” he shouted as he wiggled to get free. “I must have lost my

mind.”

Vaughn’s fangs were exposed…fully. The hunger inside of him

was to the point that if Connor was going to refuse, he better do it
now. He was barely holding back his restraint.

“I have to go,” Connor said as he jumped up, racing for the office

door. Vaughn caught his mate before he fled.

“You can’t just run out of here.” He took a deep breath, reining in

his lust as he blew his breath out slowly. “I’m not the one you need to
worry about.”

“How many vampires are there?”
Connor had no idea the trouble he could get into running away

from Vaughn. For one, if he made it to the front door, Harley would
scrub his mind of any memory his mate had of vampires. And there
was no damn way Vaughn was going through the whole “stake you in
the heart” routine again.

Connor’s arousal was also heavy in the air. If any vampire out

there got one good whiff, Vaughn was going to have to kill a few
good men.

“I told you that you could crash at my place. No strings attached,

mate.”

* * * *

Connor was conflicted inside. Vaughn’s eyes glowed with a

savage inner fire that Connor wanted unleashed on him. But, the
undeniable and dreadful fact that Vaughn was a vampire stopped him
from begging shamelessly for Vaughn to take him.

He tried to deny the pulsing knot that formed in his stomach at the

thought of leaving Vaughn. The guy was a vampire, for christ’s sake!
There shouldn’t be any second thought about it. He should be running
screaming from the place, not hesitating at the door.

Lynn Hagen

But yet…
“You promise that I’m safe?” Connor asked as he let his hand fall

away from the doorknob.

Why in the hell was he even considering this?
A faint light twinkled in the depth of Vaughn’s cocoa-brown eyes

as he nodded. “Never in life will you ever be as safe as you are with
me,” he said resolutely.

Connor prayed the man was telling the truth because he was about

to place his life in Vaughn’s hands. “Take me home.” He sighed.
What the hell, it wasn’t like he had anywhere else to go anyway.

“Okay, this might freak you out a bit,” Vaughn warned, “but, it’s

the quickest way.”

Connor was getting a bad feeling about—“Holy hell!” he shouted

as the office disappeared and a bedroom formed around them.

He grabbed his stomach and his mouth at the same time, praying

he didn’t vomit from the feeling of vertigo.

“I told you it was the quickest way,” Vaughn said. “But we’re

here. So you can get nosey or crash on the bed.” He waved his hand
toward a very large and plush-looking bed. Connor headed straight for
the bed, not realizing how tired he truly was.

But as he laid his head down on the softest pillow he ever felt,

sleep eluded him. Connor cursed. Why was his insomnia kicking in
now? As he fought to go to sleep, Connor’s mind wouldn’t shut
down.

He lay there wondering if everything he had read about vampires

was true. Vaughn didn’t seem like a savage who only wanted to drain
him. The man had been nothing but nice to him.

“The bathroom is over there.”
Connor turned to look where Vaughn was pointing.
“Thanks.”
“I’m just telling you now, I’m sleeping in the same bed as you.

But I promise, no funny stuff,” Vaughn said as he walked into the

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

bathroom. Connor turned back over, staring at the wall when he heard
the door open a few minutes later.

He didn’t dare look. Temptation was riding him hard enough as it

was. Vampire or not, Connor was lying there hard as a rock. He
needed to sort everything out without throwing sex into the mix.

The bed dipped, and Connor felt Vaughn pull the covers over his

body. He lay there stiffly, his arms crossed over his chest and his legs
pulled up to his body. “You don’t sleep in a coffin?”

He heard an amused chuckle come from behind him. “I told you

not to believe everything you read.”

“What the hell can I believe then?” Connor inquired heatedly. He

was irked by Vaughn’s cool and unaffected manner. He turned his
head to glance behind him when the guy remained silent. Connor was
caught off guard by the tender expression in Vaughn’s dark eyes.

Don’t you dare give in!
“You can believe that I would do anything to keep you safe.”
Aw! How sweet.
No, he shouldn’t be thinking like this. Vaughn was a damn

vampire with razor-sharp teeth, and the man wanted to drink Connor’s
blood. Connor wanted to turn back around, but his traitorous ass body
turned to fully face the hot and tempting man.

“Now that statement right there confuses me considering we just

met yesterday.”

Vaughn’s left eyebrow rose a fraction. “You don’t believe in love

at first sight?”

Connor could feel his resolve slipping away. If the man kept

talking like this, he was going to be putty in Vaughn’s hands. Had
anyone ever felt this way about Connor before?

Hell no.
So why did it have to be a damn vampire? “How do I know you

won’t drain me in my sleep?”

“Think about it, little man,” Vaughn said as he scooted a little

closer. Connor saw the move, but didn’t back away. “If I wanted to

Lynn Hagen

drain you, I would have done it by now. I outweigh you by a good
hundred pounds.”

True.
Connor struggled with the uncertainty as he gazed into Vaughn’s

eyes. There was just something about the man that made Connor want
to curl up in his arms. He hesitated, measuring Vaughn for a moment
before he wiggled closer.

To his wonderment, Vaughn opened his arms, pulling Connor

close until he was buried into the vampire’s side.

Well, there goes another myth. Connor sighed inwardly as he felt

the heat radiating off of Vaughn’s body. The man wasn’t the least bit
cold. As a matter of fact, his touch seemed to set Connor on fire. He
arched his back, begging with his body for Vaughn to touch him.

Connor felt passion rising in him like the hottest fire, clouding his

brain as Vaughn’s hands and lips began a hungry search of his body,
removing his shirt and tossing it aside. “Vaughn,” Connor whimpered
as the vampire skimmed his lips over Connor’s slim chest.

Large fingers reached down and unsnapped Connor’s jeans and

then pushed them down his thighs. Connor kicked them off, spreading
his legs wide in invitation. He pushed aside the thought that he was
about to let a vampire fuck him. Connor had been so wrong about a
lot of things concerning vampires that he didn’t even care at the
moment.

“Your skin tastes so sweet.” Vaughn groaned as his tongue trailed

down Connor’s body. “I want to taste you, mate.”

Connor stiffened for a moment, tensely waiting for Vaughn to bite

him until he felt warm, moist lips wrap around his cock. Good
fucking god, Vaughn could taste him anytime! His hands flew to
Vaughn’s head, his fingers playing over his soft hair as the turbulence
of passion swirled through him.

He cried out when one of Vaughn’s fangs nicked him. Not from

pain, god no, it was from the flooding of uncontrollable liquid fire

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

that raced through him. Connor’s body was shuddering and shaking
for Vaughn.

Glancing down, Connor watched as Vaughn swallowed his cock

to the back of his throat. He couldn’t tear his eyes away as Vaughn
pushed Connor’s legs back, licking at his balls next. Connor was
keening and begging as Vaughn lapped at his sac.

Vaughn’s arms quivered, his muscles flexed, and Connor damn

near came. The sight of Vaughn’s powerful frame settled between his
legs made Connor whimper even harder. He was starting to rethink
the whole “kill the vampire” thing he had in his head.

Everything he had learned had proven to be a lie. The only thing

that held true was Vaughn drinking blood, and Connor was five
seconds away from begging Vaughn to do just that. “Fuck me,”
Connor begged shamelessly. “Please, fuck me.”

Connor cried out when Vaughn’s tongue bathed his entrance,

pushing past his ring of muscle. That wasn’t what he had in mind, but
fuck if he was going to protest. There was no way Connor was going
to ask the man to stop.

It felt too good as he was drawn to a height of passion he never

knew existed.

“Vaughn, please,” Connor whimpered as his legs shook. He was

going to come any second now. The man didn’t listen as he ran his
tongue up Connor’s shaft and then took it back into his mouth,
feasting on his erection.

His lover’s fingers slid into Connor’s body, stretching him,

making his ass burn with excitement. Connor had had sex a handful of
times with Jamie, but it was nothing compared to what Vaughn was
doing to his body.

“Vaughn!” Connor shouted as his body exploded. Hot jets of cum

shot from Connor’s cock to the back of Vaughn’s mouth. His body
convulsed as Connor cried out. Vaughn sucked him down to the very
last drop before releasing his legs, gently laying them on the bed.

Connor’s chest jerked as he tried to breathe once again.

Lynn Hagen

Vaughn slid to the side, grabbing a tube of lube from under his

pillow. “Can a vampire have sex?” Vaughn repeated Connor’s
question from earlier. Connor just waved a hand around, too damn
boneless to answer.

The man had just proven that he was an expert at sucking cock. So

anything else was assumed.

Vaughn chuckled as Connor watched him lube his thick and

lengthy erection. Connor wasn’t too sure he could handle something
that large. He scraped his teeth over his bottom lip as Vaughn pressed
the head of his cock against Connor’s hole.

“Ready?” Vaughn asked, his dark eyes blazing with hunger down

at Connor.

“Yes.” Connor sucked air in through his teeth as Vaughn slammed

his cock to the hilt. Electric shock scorched through his body as
Vaughn stilled, waiting.

“Warn a guy before you pull a stunt like that again!”
Vaughn’s lips turned up at the corner, giving Connor a

mischievous smile. “Tell me my cock doesn’t feel good buried in
your ass.”

Connor couldn’t deny that, but fuck. His ass was throbbing now,

part pleasure and part pain. “Now you have to wait.”

Vaughn dropped to his forearms, stealing a kiss as he grinned.

“Whatever my mate wants.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” Connor asked as he wiggled

around, the pain instantly shooting into untold pleasure. He groaned
as he wrapped his hands around Vaughn’s thick arms.

“Because you are.”
“Your mate?”
Vaughn nodded. “Fate gave you to me, and I plan on keeping my

vampire hunter.”

Connor blushed as he smacked at Vaughn’s chest. “Don’t remind

me. Now shut up and fuck me.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Vaughn grazed his cock over Connor’s prostate, making his shaft

come back to life. He swung his legs up, locking them around
Vaughn’s thick waist as his lover began to move inside of him.

Connor gasped as Vaughn’s chest slid across his. The feeling of

bare skin colliding had his head reeling. His cock was smashed
between their bodies, giving Connor a sensual rub-off. He pulled
Vaughn’s head down, his lips covering the other man’s hungrily.
Vaughn’s tongue teased his, exploring Connor’s mouth as he
shuddered.

“You taste so damn good, farm boy.”
Connor rolled his eyes. “You have the strangest names for me.”
Vaughn smiled as he snapped his hips harder, driving his cock

deeper as Connor forgot their conversation and cried out.

“Come for me again, baby.”
Connor knew he could fill that request. Vaughn could probably

make him come a few more times tonight. He ran his hands over soft,
mocha-brown skin, tweaking Vaughn’s dark nipples as his lover
pounded into his ass.

“Come for me,” Vaughn begged, and Connor knew the man was

close. He snaked a hand between them, curling his fingers around his
cock and giving it a few good tugs before he shouted out his release
once again.

Vaughn went wild after that. He reared back, almost twisting

Connor in half as his pelvis smacked into Connor’s ass. His eyes grew
wide when Vaughn threw his head back, his fangs gleaming as he
roared.

Something deep inside Connor snapped as he tilted his head to the

side. “Bite me!” he begged loudly over Vaughn’s shout.

Vaughn came down on Connor, his fangs sinking deeply into

Connor’s neck as Vaughn drew in deep gulps of blood.

Connor’s body exploded in a fiery sensation as he had a third

orgasm as the long drafts from his neck were sending him back over

Lynn Hagen

the edge. He could feel Vaughn’s teeth embedded in his skin as his
lover’s hips snapped at a fast rate of speed.

When Vaughn extracted his teeth, licking the pinpricks closed,

Connor was shocked. The vampire hadn’t drained him. He had only
taken a small amount. Connor threw his arms around Vaughn’s neck,
knowing in his heart that he would never let the man go.

“Sleep,” Vaughn said as he lay back down next to Connor and

pulled him into his arms. Connor didn’t have the energy to argue. He
curled into Vaughn’s side, nuzzling his chest as he fell fast asleep.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Five

“Did you know there’s a website for vampire hunters?” Vaughn

asked Christo the next evening as everyone sat around the table in
Christian’s office.

“Where the hell have you been hiding? There are hundreds of

them.”

That was news to Vaughn. He didn’t think the humans knew

about them. “About vampire hunters?”

“About vampires, period.”
Damn, where the hell had Vaughn been all this time? He had no

clue. It probably would have helped if he got onto a computer once in
a while. The most high-tech thing Vaughn had was his cell phone.
“Then why in hell do we bother scrubbing humans’ minds when they
leave the club?”

“Because,” Christian said as he sat back, “humans’ guess at our

existence, it’s all smoke and mirrors, nothing substantial, and we want
to keep it that way. They pin the unexplainable on us, the things they
don’t have answers to or can’t solve.”

“That’s stupid,” Vaughn replied. “That damn vampire website

filled my mate’s head with all sorts of bullshit. He thought he had to
stab me through the heart when he saw Emilio coming from one of
the back rooms licking his fangs.”

Everyone at that table gaped at him. “Seriously?” Isla asked.
“He saw my fangs and tried to stake me with Christian’s letter

opener and was searching his office for garlic.” Vaughn twisted his
lips in annoyance when the entire room broke out in laughter.

It wasn’t that funny.

Lynn Hagen

“Your farm boy tried to stake you?” Nija asked incredulously.

“Really?”

“Is this meeting over?” Vaughn asked as he glanced toward the

prince.

Too bad the prince couldn’t answer him. The man was laughing

too hard. Vaughn sat back, wondering why he had said anything in
the first place.

“Sorry,” Christian said as he cleared his throat and then waited for

everyone in the room to gather their composure. “I called this meeting
because Dante came to me with some disturbing news.”

“What, there’s a mass market on letter openers?” Christo held his

hand up, laughing until he turned a funny shade of red.

Vaughn grunted.
“No,” Christian continued, but Vaughn could see the gaiety in

Christian’s eyes. The prince made a second attempt at clearing his
throat. The room quieted. “The problem is twofold. First, he has
caught wind that some vampires aren’t too happy that Brandon killed
their brethren.”

“But the assholes were killing other vampires,” Christo argued.

“How could they be pissed at Brandon?”

“Nobody said they were intelligent,” Christian offered. “Men with

power or greed guiding them never think rationally.”

“So what’s the second problem?” Vaughn asked.
Christian sighed. “It is no longer a secret that I am the original

vampire.” The prince glanced around the room at each and every man
before he continued. “What I am about to tell you stays in this room.”

Vaughn wasn’t sure he wanted to hear this. Anytime someone said

that, bad shit happened. Nobody ever gave up a good secret. Not in
his experience.

“The elders felt the need to wake the ancient ones. They think that

it’s time the two ruled the vampire world.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Vaughn was stunned. The ancient ones were whispered about, but

no one had actually seen them. They were becoming more of a myth
than real as the years passed by. “Do they really exist?”

Christian nodded solemnly. “They do. But the elders are not the

ones who should wake them. Ceri and Rhys will only listen to one
person, reason with only one.”

“And who is that?” Emilio asked.
“Their brother.”
Vaughn hated when the prince spoke cryptically. Why couldn’t

the guy just come out and say who it was? It was like trying to pull
teeth from a lion. Impossible. “And who is their brother?”

Christian sat back, looking older than he had five minutes ago.

There were worry lines around his eyes, and he looked exhausted.
“Me.”

A pin could be heard dropping in the room right about now. “They

are my younger brothers. They are twins, and they are ruthless. They
damn near wiped out the population at their highest reign of power. I
had to put them both into a deep sleep. They nearly went rogue from
the killings. My brothers are too powerful to be rogue. Until I can find
a way to curb their lust for wiping out the scum of the earth, they
should not be awakened.”

“But that’s half the planet.”
“Yes, it is, Vaughn. Now do you see my dilemma? My attempt at

uniting the covens didn’t go as planned. It seems the rift is too great
between covens. Each and every one of them feels they are superior to
the others. Until I can come up with a solution, the number in rogue
vampires will continue to increase.”

“Until you have no choice but to wake Ceri and Rhys,” Vaughn

finished for the prince.

Christian nodded.

* * * *

Lynn Hagen

Vaughn left Christian’s office feeling numb. Everything was

going to hell in a handbasket fast. Not only were the rogues working
together now, but the elders were off on some hairbrained mission to
wake Christian’s brothers.

Everyone was losing their minds around here.
As he walked up the stairs, Vaughn spotted Connor at the booth

he left him in. Only Brandon and August had joined him.

This just wasn’t his day.
This couldn’t be good. They were brothers from the Northern

coven. Those two had caused more havoc around here than they were
worth. When Christian brought them here to protect them from their
coven, little did the prince know about the two terrors.

Emilio was assigned to watch them, but the two had gotten so out

of hand that he had put Christo in charge of them.

Some good that did.
He was just getting Connor past the “vampire hunter” stage.

Vaughn didn’t need these two filling his mate’s head with bullshit.

“You ready?” he asked his mate as he stepped up to the table.

Brandon and August looked at him innocently, which only told
Vaughn he had some troubles ahead.

Connor slid from the booth. “Sure.”
“See you, Connor,” Brandon said a little too nicely.
“Nice meeting the two of you,” Connor replied as he followed

Vaughn from the club. As Vaughn stepped from The Manacle, he
took in a deep breath. He loved the night, but he also wanted to clear
his head before Connor told him what crap the brothers had tried to
spin on him.

“What did they say to you?”
When Connor kept walking, Vaughn recklessly put his hand to

Connor’s slim neck and pulled him to a stop. There was no way his
mate was going to ruin their night of fun being pissed off over what
those two said.

“I asked you a question.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Connor lifted his chin, meeting Vaughn’s icy gaze straight on.

“You burn your vampires when they piss you off. What kind of
people are you?”

“What in the hell are you talking about?” Vaughn had visions of

torches in the street, a hunt in pursuit. That was decades ago. Hunts
were no longer the way the vampires handled things. He stood there
lost.

“Brandon told me that Taras was left outside to burn because

Christian’s coven didn’t like him.”

Vaughn wanted to punch something—preferably Brandon and

August, but they were just as small as Connor, and Vaughn wasn’t a
bully. “I can tell you the real reason why Taras received his
punishment.”

“Punishment? Oh, buddy. I think I’m back on with the vampire

hunter thing. You guys are barbaric!” Connor shouted and then
walked away. Vaughn could feel his temper rising. His little farm boy
was turning out to be a hell-raiser.

That just showed Vaughn that looks were deceiving.
His mate may look all innocent, but he was far from it. “Get back

here.”

Vaughn growled when Connor flipped him off. As badly as

Vaughn wanted to let Connor keep walking, he couldn’t. For one, the
neighborhood wasn’t the greatest place for his mate to be roaming
around alone.

And second, Vaughn didn’t like the fact that Connor looked at

him as a barbaric man. He may be over seven hundred years old, but
he was raised as a fair man. His madre taught him better than that.

Vaughn caught up with Connor, stopping him from his escaping.

“Do you know what Taras did?”

“It doesn’t matter. Tying someone up and burning him is cruel,”

Connor answered, giving him a hostile glare.

Vaughn was starting to think that there was more to the story than

he thought. “What exactly did he tell you?”

Lynn Hagen

“He said that his coven was visiting your coven and that the

prince didn’t like Taras, so he took him out back and tied him up and
then burned him.”

Vaughn growled. He was going to have a talk with those two

when he got back. “Taras forced Shelby into one of the back rooms
and tried to tie him up. Lord only knows what he was going to do to
him after that,” he said through gritted teeth. “The prince allowed
Shelby to name Taras’s punishment. A vampire can’t combust in
sunlight, but he sure as shit can blister badly and wish he was dead.”

“Oh,” Connor said as he glanced up at Vaughn apologetically.

“He didn’t tell me that part.”

“No, Brandon wouldn’t. He and his brother are trouble, and I

really wish you would stay away from them.”

“Where were you taking me?” Connor said, dropping the subject

quickly. Vaughn let it go. He wasn’t in the mood to argue tonight. He
exhaled deeply and then pointed to his car. “Just get in.”

He would much prefer to disseminate to where they were going,

but since the place had humans in there, it wasn’t possible. Vaughn
climbed in and started the car, driving away from The Manacle.

* * * *

Connor felt like a complete idiot. He had believed the brothers.

Just goes to show that there are assholes in every damn race. He
wasn’t sure what he had done for the brothers to fuck with him like
that, but Connor was pissed at the two now.

As Vaughn drove through the city, Connor stared out of the

window, watching the nightlife pass him by, feeling so lost and alone.
He had Vaughn next to him, but the man had only fucked him,
claiming he was Vaughn’s mate.

He still wasn’t too sure what that meant. Vaughn had just said

something about believing in fate. Vaughn hadn’t asked him to move
in or to be boyfriends.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Nothing solid, no commitment.
Connor wasn’t even sure where he was going to sleep tonight. He

knew his cot had been given away at the shelter, and he also knew he
needed to go get his backpack. His father used to say that the city was
filled with the damned, and Connor was beginning to believe him.
Everywhere he looked, Connor saw the scourges of life.

And now he was a part of that life.
Connor was missing the farm. He wasn’t missing his father’s

yelling or his mother’s crying, but he was missing the simplicity his
life used to hold. There was nothing simple about the city. It was
jaded and full of people who didn’t bat an eye at screwing someone
over.

He glanced over as Vaughn turned into a parking lot, parking his

car next to a row of motorcycles. The sign above the door said The
Fox’s Den, and Connor thought it ironic since a vampire was about to
enter the place.

“Why are we here?” Connor asked as he unbuckled his seat belt.
Vaughn turned his head toward Connor, the beginning of a smile

tipping the corners of his mouth. “Because it’s one of the few places I
haven’t been banned from.”

Connor wasn’t sure if that was a reassuring thought or not as he

climbed out of the car. “That still doesn’t tell me why we’re here.”

Vaughn pulled a bandana from out of the backseat and tied it on,

covering his entire head. Connor watched in wonderment. The piece
of cloth only made the man hotter, but it also made Connor even more
curious. “Patience, my mate, patience,” Vaughn said with amusement
as he grabbed Connor’s hand and led him inside.

The music was loud, some rock song blaring as he heard pool

balls cracking against one another somewhere toward the back of the
bar. As he took in the place, Connor noticed that a lot of the guys
were dressed like bikers. Bandanas over their heads, leather vests with
some sort of biker patches affixed to them. Some men wore jeans with
chains dangling from the pockets while others wore leather pants.

Lynn Hagen

They all looked rough though.
“I used to ride with them,” Vaughn said as he walked over to one

of the mean-looking bikers and punched the guy’s shoulder in mock
playfulness. “Ain’t that right, Tiny?”

Tiny? There was nothing tiny about the guy. The guy was just as

big as Vaughn. Where in the hell was the tiny at?

“Haven’t seen you around in a while, shithead.” The guy chuckled

as he and Vaughn clasped each other’s back. “There’s a game tonight
in the back. You in?”

Vaughn’s face lit up. “Fuck yeah. My boyfriend is going to join

us.”

Tiny glanced at Connor, raking his eyes up and down his body as

if assessing Connor. “Didn’t know you swung that way.”

Oh god, we are so dead. Connor was ready to haul ass to the door

and run for his life. These men were nothing to sneeze at. They all
looked like they could break Connor in half. He stood there with his
heart pounding in his chest.

Malevolence descended over Vaughn’s face as he gave off a low

growl. He squared off with Tiny, his eyes locking onto the other
man’s. “You got a fucking problem with that?”

Tiny chuckled as he threw an arm around Vaughn’s shoulder. “I

could give a shit less who you fuck. Come on, let’s go play.”

Connor just stood there for a moment, unsure of what he should

do until Vaughn reached behind and grabbed Connor’s hand, pulling
him along. The back room wasn’t any better. There was a large round
table with at least half a dozen men sitting there, all sporting the biker
attire.

Connor felt so out of place.
Vaughn took a seat, pulling Connor onto his lap. “Deal me in,

fellas,” he said as he slapped the table.

“About fucking time you showed your ugly face around here,”

one of the men said as he dealt the cards. Connor bristled at anyone
calling his lover ugly. Vaughn was the hottest man Connor had ever

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

laid eyes on. The one talking needed to take a look in the mirror at
himself.

Bastard.
A waitress walked over, taking everyone’s order. “What’ll you

have?”

Vaughn glanced at Connor. “Speak up, babe.”
“I’ll have a Coke,” Connor replied as he heard snickers around the

table. He wasn’t a drinker, big deal. He had gotten drunk once with
Jamie, and it hadn’t been a pretty sight. Alcohol went right to
Connor’s head and made him vomit violently. It was something he
didn’t care to repeat.

Of course, the alcohol being moonshine could have been the

deciding factor in his sickness.

“Give me the same.” Vaughn chuckled as he squeezed Connor’s

ass. “Only add a little Jack to it.”

“A little, honey?” The waitress smirked.
“Yeah, yeah, all right, you talked me into it. Give me my usual.”
“Jack with a drop of Coke coming right up,” she replied as she left

the room.

Connor leaned close to Vaughn so only his lover could hear him.

“I thought you only drank blood?”

Vaughn erupted in laughter as he pulled his cards from the table.

“That holds true most of the time, little man,” Vaughn replied and
then lowered his voice for Connor’s ears only. “But some of us can
acquire a taste for other things. It takes years of practice, but it can be
done.”

Resting his back into Vaughn’s expansive chest, Connor sat back

as the game began. The guys were loud, rowdy, and damn if they
didn’t have some vulgar mouths. Vaughn had ordered at least five
more drinks through the course of the game. He wasn’t sure if
vampires could get drunk, but Vaughn sure was chucking them back.

“You cheating son of a bitch,” one of the bikers roared, punching

the guy next to him. Vaughn sat there as if nothing was happening

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while Connor was on the verge of freaking out as he pressed further
back into Vaughn’s chest. He’d never seen such large men go at it
before, and it scared the shit out of him!

Vaughn began to chuckle when the other man swung back.
“What’s so funny about it? They’re beating each other up!”
A thickly arched brow rose as Vaughn was dealt another card and

then his lover sighed, turning toward the two fighting men. “Calm the
fuck down. I’d like to finish one damn game we start,” he barked
across the table, “without you guys trying to tear into each other.”

“Fuck you, Vaughn,” the one who threw the punch said, making

Connor’s lover laugh.

“You wish I would.”
The guy sneered at Vaughn, a look of disgust on his face. “Nah, I

like my bitches. You can keep your boys.”

Connor could feel Vaughn tensing beneath him. It was a slow

build as the tension in the room thickened. “One more word, Randy,
and my fist is going through your skull. Are we clear?” Vaughn said it
so calmly, so deadly that Connor was ready to answer yes.

Randy stared at him, giving Vaughn a look of pure hatred, but

gave a nod.

“Now finish this fucking game, ladies,” Vaughn said, the deadly

tone gone, replaced by an amused chuckle.

The guy was totally psycho!
Connor didn’t relax for the rest of the night. He could see Randy

glaring at Vaughn every now and again. He knew Vaughn could
probably drain everyone in the room in seconds—he was a vampire,
after all. But the looks Randy shot Vaughn’s way were still
disturbing.

He couldn’t even take comfort when Vaughn occasionally ran his

hand over Connor’s hip or thigh. He normally would have eaten that
up, but Connor just couldn’t relax. He had a creeping suspicion that
he had just made an enemy out of Randy.

And he wasn’t even sure why.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“All right, girls, I fold,” Vaughn said and then stood, placing

Connor on his feet. “I got shit to do besides hanging around a bunch
of ugly men.”

“Oh, come on, Vaughn. You know you want me,” Tiny teased as

he stood, giving Vaughn a quick clasp on the back.

Vaughn snorted. “Dream on, puss face.”
“Catch you later, Vaughn,” a couple of the men called out, but

Connor noticed Randy didn’t say a word. The man looked like he was
sulking as he sat there, and Connor was never gladder to get out of a
place as he was now.

As they walked to the front door of the bar, Vaughn veered over

to the counter and settled his tab. “You heading out, Vaughn?” the
bartender asked.

“Yeah, calling it an early night.”
“Don’t wait so long to come see us next time.”
Vaughn waved to a few men as they walked out of the bar.
“Did you have a good time?” he asked as he pulled his keys from

his pocket.

“If you call watching grown men argue, fight, and get drunk a

good time, then yeah.” Connor smiled over at his lover. “I had a nice
time with you,” he added.

“You’ll have an even better time once I get you back to my

place.” Vaughn wiggled his brows as they climbed into the car. Once
they settled back, Connor asked his lover the question that he’d been
dying to ask all night.

“Did you just out yourself in there?”
Vaughn’s hand stilled on the ignition as he glanced over at

Connor. “I wouldn’t necessarily call it outing. The subject of who I
fuck never came up before.”

“But it did because I was with you,” Connor stated under his

breath, feeling like a jerk for making Vaughn declare his sexuality in
front of his rough friends.

Lynn Hagen

Vaughn tilted Connor’s chin back, staring at him with those

cocoa-brown eyes. “Do you think I care what those men think of me?
If they are my friends, they’ll accept it. If not, they can suck my
balls.”

Connor crinkled his nose. “You are so crass. Besides, those are

my balls. No one is sucking them but me.”

Vaughn grinned as he leaned back and started the car. “We’ll see

if you can back up your statement when we get back.”

At least Connor knew where he was sleeping tonight.
Just as they pulled from the lot, heading back to The Manacle,

Connor saw Randy step out of the bar, lighting a cigarette and looking
at Connor with an evil grin as he watched them drive away.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Six

Christian shimmered into Dante’s office and immediately curled

his lip. Dante with his pants to his ankles was something Christian did
not want to see. “You have a visitor,” he said as he took a seat in one
of the chairs on the far side of the room. He didn’t need to see this up
close.

Dante glanced over his shoulder as he stilled. “I already knew you

were there.”

“Then get rid of him,” he said as he waved a hand toward the man

Dante was fucking against his desk. He really didn’t want to interrupt
the coven leader’s fun, but he needed to speak with Dante privately.

“You have the worst timing ever.” Dante cursed as he moved

away from the small man. “Get dressed.”

The guy shot Christian a dirty look as he grabbed his clothes and

left the office. Christian smiled as the man closed the door. “You have
a taste for humans, I see.”

“So do you,” Dante commented as he slid his pants up his legs

and fastened them. “Now what’s so important that you sent my fun
away?”

“I need you to travel with me. If the elders are truly searching for

my brothers, then I need to make sure they rest undisturbed.”

Dante sat, glancing at Christian questioningly. He would never tell

the other coven leader, but Christian was starting to enjoy their
encounters. He had many followers and two mates, not to mention
children. But a close friend Christian lacked. Too bad the man acted
as though his gut was being pulled out through his nose every time he

Lynn Hagen

came to see Christian. He could tell Dante was a loyal man. It was in
his eyes.

“You would trust me with their location?”
Christian crossed his leg over his knee, smoothing out his slacks

as a grin formed at his lips. “No. I would ask that you allow me to
blindfold you until we arrive.”

He could see that Dante really wasn’t trying to hear this. The man

had already come to Christian on more than one occasion and the
prince could tell Dante hated it every single time he had to seek
Christian’s help.

“You want me to trust you enough to let you blindfold me?”
Christian nodded.
“How long do I have to think about it?” Dante asked as he sat

back in his large leather chair.

“I am looking for an answer now,” Christian replied.
Christian could see the reluctance on the coven leader’s face as he

mulled things over. The prince would be hesitant as well if someone
wanted to blindfold him, but his brothers’ location must be kept
secret. If anyone knew where to find Ceri and Rhys, all hell would
break loose. It was a risk Christian wasn’t willing to gamble with.

“Screw me over and the elders will look like toddlers compared to

my wrath,” Dante finally answered.

Christian knew he had appointed the right vampire to lead the

Northern coven. Dante may have come to him in the past, but the man
was a very formidable opponent. Not that Christian worried about the
man, but Dante seemed like the type to make good on his promises.

“Very well.” Christian stood, pulling the silk scarf from his

pocket. “We better get going.”

* * * *

Vaughn tossed his mate onto the bed, watching Connor bounce as

he began to stalk around to the other side. He unsnapped his jeans,

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

pulling the zipper down, and then pushed the fabric down his thighs.
“I want you to suck my cock.” Vaughn groaned as he curled his
fingers around his painfully throbbing erection.

He could see Connor’s entire body shiver at the request. As his

mate flipped to his hands and knees and began to push across the bed,
Vaughn held his hand up. “I want you naked,” Vaughn commanded,
and Connor quickly complied, damn near ripping his shirt as he
pulled it off.

Once his mate’s pale flesh was revealed, he began to come at

Vaughn again as if his mate couldn’t wait to be near him.

“Slowly crawl to me, mate.”
Connor slowed down as Vaughn pulled his T-shirt off, tossing it

aside, and then pulled his jeans free from his body as Connor made
his way to Vaughn’s side of the bed. Vaughn stood there pumping his
cock a few times, pre-cum leaking out as he watched Connor’s sexy
body approach him.

He tapped the head of his cock and then smeared the pre-cum

around Connor’s lips. “Lick it off,” he growled low. His dick jerked
and throbbed as he watched Connor’s pink tongue chase around his
lips, licking the clear liquid away.

A bright clear desire sprang into Connor’s eyes as he opened his

mouth and leaned forward, wrapping his lips around Vaughn’s shaft.
He hissed as his cock slowly sank to the back of his mate’s throat.

His mate responded to the dark seduction of Vaughn’s passion,

and Vaughn felt a hungry desire spiraling inside of him. He curled his
fingers in his mate’s dark blond hair, holding his head still as he took
his pleasure from Connor’s mouth.

Connor didn’t protest. No, the man laid his hands against

Vaughn’s rigid thighs as he leaned even closer, swallowing Vaughn’s
hard cock all the way down until his nose was against Vaughn’s
groin.

His fangs dropped, and he felt the bond strengthening between

them. Connor’s pretty blue eyes glanced up at Vaughn from under his

Lynn Hagen

lashes. His mouth formed a tight seal around Vaughn’s cock.
Connor’s extraordinary eyes glazed and glowed as he milked
Vaughn’s cock with the muscles of his throat.

Vaughn’s toes curled and his body grew tight as the pressure built.

“Goddamn it, enough,” Vaughn growled as he pulled his cock free.
He was so close that he damn near came down Connor’s throat.

Which wouldn’t have been a bad thing, but Vaughn had other

wicked ideas of where he wanted to come. Vaughn crawled onto the
bed, pressing his back into the headboard as he spread his legs wide.
“Come sit on my lap.”

Connor crawled onto Vaughn, his ass pressing into Vaughn’s hard

length. He grabbed the lube, using it to slick Connor’s entrance and
prepared his mate for his cock. Connor mewled and groaned as
Vaughn’s fingers fucked his ass.

“Tell me how good this feels,” Vaughn said roughly as he tried

desperately to hold on to his orgasm. Connor looked like a fallen
angel perched upon his lap, his pretty blue eyes heated with lust,
making them darker.

“So good,” Connor breathed. “Your fingers feel so damn good in

me.”

Vaughn pulled his hand free and then lined his cock up. “Sit on

me, mate.”

Connor lifted his hips and then slowly impaled his ass onto

Vaughn’s waiting cock. It felt as though his blood was on fire as
Connor seated himself. “Fuck me, baby.”

Connor lifted his hips and then planted his feet as he began to

hump up and down on Vaughn’s cock. Vaughn threw his head back,
luxuriating in the pleasure of his mate’s tight body.

He could feel his fangs descend as Connor bounced up and down.

He wanted to bite, wanted to sink his fangs deeply into Connor’s
neck. He hooked his hand behind Connor’s head, pulling his mate to
his lips, taking Connor’s mouth in a desperate kiss.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

His fangs nicked Connor’s lower lip, and Vaughn swiped his

tongue across the bruised lip, taking in his mate’s sweet nectar. The
pressure was building quickly inside of him, and Vaughn knew he
didn’t have much longer before he blew his load. He propelled
forward, pressing Connor under him as Vaughn kissed Connor like a
dying man.

“I thought you wanted me to fuck you?” Connor teased as he

broke the kiss, wrapping his legs around Vaughn’s waist, driving his
ass harder onto Vaughn’s cock. Vaughn pulled his head up, feeling
his eyes shift to crimson as his fangs itched for Connor’s flesh.

“Oh hell, Vaughn,” Connor whispered. “Do you know how sexy

you look right now?”

Vaughn lowered his head, his pelvis grinding into Connor’s ass. “I

need to bite.”

Connor grazed his fingers over Vaughn’s fangs before he tilted his

head to the side, exposing his vein. “Then bite me.”

Vaughn inhaled his mate’s scent before his fangs broke Connor’s

skin, sinking deeply. The sweetness of blood splashed over his
tongue, Vaughn’s head reeling at the taste. His cock drove deeper into
Connor’s ass as he pulled Connor close to his body.

“Please never let me go,” Connor whispered so low that Vaughn

almost didn’t hear him. He tightened his hold on his mate, silently
promising. Connor’s nails raked down his back, making Vaughn
growl as he fed.

“Harder, Vaughn. Fuck me harder.”
Vaughn slammed into his mate’s tight hole as he drank, feeling

the familiar tingle run up his spine and steal his senses. He lapped at
the pinpricks and then cupped Connor’s face. “The day I let you go is
the day my body no longer holds any life. You alone have the power
to destroy me, Connor.”

Vaughn pressed his lips to Connor’s, softly kissing him as he

reached between them, stroking his mate’s cock, feeling the hard
length throbbing in his hand. Vaughn pulled all the way free of

Lynn Hagen

Connor’s body and then slammed back in, making his mate scream
into his mouth.

Vaughn repeated the act a few more times, relishing in Connor’s

cries of pleasure before his mate erupted in his hand, his hot seed
making Vaughn’s hand slick. Vaughn began to fuck Connor with
lightning speed, chasing after his own release.

As Connor’s hole pulsed around his cock, Vaughn slammed his

fist into the bed as he roared, his body convulsing with his release.
Connor rose up from the bed, nipping at Vaughn’s skin, the blunt
teeth sending Vaughn higher as his seed emptied from his body.

Vaughn pressed his face into the sheets, wiping away the sweat,

and then kissed Connor’s bite mark. His mate shivered, his body still
curled around Vaughn.

“Never worry that I’ll leave you, Connor. You’re mine, and I plan

on keeping you.”

Connor smiled up at him, a look of pure joy in his eyes. “I have

my very own vampire.”

Vaughn chuckled as he rolled to his side, pulling Connor with

him. “Now you can give up your hunt.”

* * * *

Connor pushed the front door open, the sun shining in his eyes as

he glanced around. Being with Vaughn, he had forgotten how damn
bright it was outside during the day. Connor had to hold his hand up
to shield the glare until his eyes adjusted. There wasn’t a cloud in the
sky, giving the sun full rein to warm Connor.

As his eyes adjusted, Connor began to walk away from the manor.

He needed to go get his backpack from the shelter before they tossed
it out.

There wasn’t much in his bag, but it was all the clothes Connor

could stuff in it as he was being tossed out of his house. If he didn’t
get that backpack back, he would be stuck with the clothes on his

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

back. Vaughn had already been kind to him, and Connor wasn’t going
to ask the man for any favors. Most men didn’t like needy lovers, and
Connor wasn’t going to push his luck.

It was a very long and tiresome walk from Christian’s manor to

the city, wearing Connor out by the time he reached the shelter. His
feet were killing him, and he was thirsty as hell. He drank from the
fountain in the main hallway before going in search of his backpack.

Maybe he would bum around today and meet Vaughn at the club

later when the sun went down. He really did miss the sun on his face
and wanted to enjoy it as long as possible. He just wished he could
share this with Vaughn. What would it be like to never know the sun?
Connor couldn’t even contemplate that idea. He loved being out in its
warm rays.

Connor was happy when he was told his backpack was in the

counselor’s office. Thank goodness they hadn’t tossed it out. Now he
could take a long hot shower and have a different change of clothes.
Although he laundered his outfit at Vaughn’s, it felt good to dress in a
different set of clothes.

“How have you been?” Mr. Thornton asked as Connor grabbed

his backpack from the corner.

He hitched the strap over his shoulder as he smiled at the kind

man. “Real good,” he answered honestly. “I met someone special, and
he invited me to live with him.”

Mr. Thornton gave Connor a genuine smile. “I’m glad to hear

that. Just be careful out there, Connor. There are plenty of people that
are looking for someone like you to use and abuse.”

“Like me?”
Mr. Thornton blushed as he waved a hand at Connor. “I mean no

offense, but you’re a little naïve. It’s not a bad thing. Just promise me
you’ll be careful.”

Connor knew in his heart that Vaughn wouldn’t let anything

happen to him. Vaughn had held him in his strong arms last night,
whispering sweet words to Connor until he finally fell asleep. Nope,

Lynn Hagen

Connor knew Vaughn would do anything to keep him safe. “I
promise, Mr. Thornton. And thanks for taking me in when I needed
it.”

The counselor stood and shook Connor’s hand and then walked

him out of his office. “I would say anytime, but try your best to keep
off the streets. If you do happen to find that you need us again, come
see me. I’ll help you out any way I can.”

Connor tightened the grip on his backpack, refusing to cry at Mr.

Thornton’s offer. Not too many people wanted to help without
anything in return. The guy was a rare find.

He waved as he said his good-bye. He left the shelter behind,

feeling light on his feet as he wandered around, basking in the sun.
Vaughn had given him some pocket money as well, so he could at
least afford to eat while he was out. He smiled as he walked, thinking
of what Vaughn had said to him last night.

It was a commitment of epic proportions, and Connor couldn’t be

happier. The man was drop-dead gorgeous and treated Connor like he
mattered. Maybe his luck was finally turning for the better. Lord
knew he hadn’t had enough of good luck to fill a thimble, and having
Vaughn in his life made Connor want to smile like a goofball.

“This must be my lucky day.”
Connor glanced over his shoulder to see Randy leaning against his

motorcycle next to the building Connor was passing by.

Oh crap.
He could feel his heart racing as he tried to quicken his steps, but

Randy cut him off. “Tell me something,” he asked casually, but
Connor knew there was a storm brewing inside the man from the
anger in Randy’s eyes. “How can a little faggot like you turn
Vaughn’s head? Are you blackmailing him or something?”

His fingers curled around the strap on his shoulder as Connor tried

to look anywhere but at the cruel man. He didn’t have an answer
because there wasn’t one. A man couldn’t be turned gay. He either
was or wasn’t.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Randy’s fist flew into Connor’s stomach, making the air whoosh

out of his lungs as his eyes watered. Connor fell to his knees, holding
his midsection as pain shot through his entire body. Fuck, it hurt. “I’ll
teach you about spreading your fucking perverted disease.”

Connor shouted as Randy pulled him into an alcove and began to

beat the shit out of him. No one heard his cries for help as Randy’s
fists slammed into his face, stomach, side, back, and head. When the
man’s knee came up and connected with Connor’s groin, he went
down hard.

“Every time I see you, I’m going to teach you about spreading

your damn disease around,” Randy threatened, kicking Connor once
more before he walked away.

Connor couldn’t move. He couldn’t even fucking breathe. It hurt

too damn bad. His whole body was in severe pain as he tried to crawl
from the alcove. As his hand reached out, Connor saw blood.

His blood.
Tears fell from his eyes as he tried desperately to stand, but he had

a feeling more than one bone was broken. Randy was a big man, as
big as Vaughn, and Connor had a feeling if the man had truly meant
to kill him, Connor would be dead right now.

As darkness began to swallow him, Connor screamed in his mind

for Vaughn.

* * * *

Vaughn’s eyes flew open. He could tell the sun was still high in

the sky, but as he turned over, he saw that his bed was void of his
mate. A deep ache began in his chest as he stared at the empty bed.

Connor was in trouble.
Vaughn could feel the bond between them weakening as he

rushed from the room and ran to Christian’s door. He banged on it as
he rubbed his chest, feeling as though he would never be happy again.

“Yes?” Minsheng said as he answered the door.

Lynn Hagen

“Where’s the prince?”
“He’s not here, why?” Minsheng asked, curiosity in his eyes.

Fuck, why did the prince choose now to be away? The man’s timing
sucked.

“Because my mate is in trouble. He’s not in bed, and I can feel his

pain. His life is fading fast.”

Minsheng nodded. “I have people I can call. They are shifters. If

anyone can find your mate, they can.”

Vaughn nodded as Minsheng grabbed his cell phone and talked

rapidly into it. He paced outside in the hallway, his chest growing
tighter. Why the hell wasn’t Connor in their bed? What could have
driven his mate to leave the protection of the manor?

Minsheng closed his cell phone and walked briskly out into the

hallway where Vaughn was still pacing manically. “They are on their
way. You must give them your mate’s scent.”

Vaughn didn’t know shifters could do that. He was starting to see

them in a whole new light. Never really giving them any thought,
Vaughn had never had a high opinion of them. But now that he
needed them…

Yeah…he was about to have a whole new respect for shifters.
He paced the hallway once he retrieved something with Connor’s

scent. Waiting was the worst. It felt like his mind was fracturing by
the time two men showed up, knocking on the manor door.

“Where’s the menace?” a voice called out from above.
Vaughn watched as Minsheng rolled his eyes when the two

shifters walked down the steps. “I never thought I’d see the day you
called for help.”

Minsheng’s jaw tightened as he waved a hand at the two men. “I

call for help and Zeus sends me Beavis and Butt-head?”

“It’s Rave and Taz, get it right. I hear you’re a new papa.”
Minsheng took a step back, blocking the entrance to his bedroom.

“Go near my son and I’ll cut your balls off with a rusty knife.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“Can we focus on my mate?” Vaughn growled. “I can feel him

slipping away, damn it!”

“Sorry,” one of the men said as he stepped up to Vaughn.

“Name’s Taz. Give me something with his scent on it.”

Vaughn handed over the pillowcase Connor had used last night

when he slept. Images of Connor lying there sated and peaceful tore at
Vaughn as his chest throbbed with pain. “Find him, please.” He
couldn’t imagine a world without Connor. It was just too painful.

Taz nodded, clutching the pillowcase in his hand. “If he walked

from here, we’ll find him.”

It ate at Vaughn’s gut to stay behind and do nothing. Connor was

his responsibility, and Vaughn couldn’t do a damn thing because the
sun ruled him. He watched the two shifters leave, taking the
pillowcase with them, and then headed into his bedroom to await any
news the shifters could find.

Minsheng came to Vaughn’s room a few hours later. Vaughn

hadn’t slept. He couldn’t sleep with his mate missing from his side.
He hadn’t realized how used to Connor being in his bed he’d become
until his mate was no longer there.

“They found him.”
Vaughn rolled from the bed, on his feet in seconds as he waited

for Minsheng to continue.

“Some people found your mate unconscious and nearly beaten to

death on the ground. They called an ambulance, and Connor was
rushed to the hospital. He’s still in surgery.”

Vaughn roared as his fist slammed into the wall. He was going to

find out who had done this and tear them apart. Connor was sweet and
kind. There was no reason for anyone to harm him. He couldn’t
imagine anything Connor could do to warrant being beaten like that.

“That’s all I know for now. I gave Taz your cell number and told

him to call you with any updates.”

Vaughn wiped the tears from his face as he nodded toward

Minsheng. “Thank you.”

Lynn Hagen

Minsheng left, and Vaughn looked up at the clock. He had an hour

before the sun would set, and then he would be at the hospital. If
Connor was still in surgery, it must be bad. He slammed his fist into
the wall once more, feeling helpless.

“If there’s anything you need, just ask.”
Vaughn nodded at Eli, who was standing in his doorway with

Jimmy. “We’ll go to the hospital with you if you’d like.”

Vaughn wasn’t sure what he wanted right now. His head was a

mess as he felt his and Connor’s bond growing weaker. Walking into
the bathroom, Vaughn showered and got ready for his departure.

He wanted to see Connor, find out the severity of his injuries.
And then Vaughn wanted to know who he had to kill.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Seven

Connor felt weighted down. His mind was fuzzy, and he wasn’t

sure where he was. He could feel something in his throat, blocking his
mouth.

And he could also hear a sweet voice talking softly to him.
“Te quiero, Connor. Por favor vuelve a mí.”
Connor wasn’t sure what was being said to him, but it sounded

nice. He just prayed he wasn’t hallucinating that deep and melodic
voice. The memory of what happened to him was fresh in his mind,
and Connor wasn’t sure if he had died or if he was in the hospital.

He was voting for the hospital.
As he slowly opened his eyes, he saw Vaughn hovering above

him, smiling down at him. “Hi, baby.” He could see the bloodred
tears shimmering in his lover’s cocoa-brown eyes. He tried to smile,
but there was something in his damn mouth.

“The doctor said you’ll pull through. He said I can take you home

in about a week if your recovery goes well.”

Connor could tell that Vaughn was looking for something to say.

But there was no need. Just staring at his lover’s pretty mocha face
was enough for Connor. He closed his eyes when Vaughn leaned
forward, placing a gentle kiss on his forehead. “You have to get
better, sweetheart. I miss my vampire hunter.”

Connor almost laughed. He wanted to. Vaughn was trying his best

to ease his worries, but Connor couldn’t find it in himself to laugh.
Not after what Randy had done to him. He had never hated anyone
before in his life. This had even trumped what his father had done to
him.

Lynn Hagen

He wasn’t really sure why, but it did. Anger slowly started to

build inside of him for a man he didn’t even know—for the pure
hatred Randy had unleashed on him just for being gay. No, Randy
was exactly like his father. They were cut from the same damn cloth.

A cloth that needed to be burned before any more soulless

bastards were made from it.

He closed his eyes, feeling tired.
“I’ll be here for as long as I can,” Vaughn said before kissing him

again.

With those comforting words, Connor fell asleep.

* * * *

Vaughn sat in the chair studying his mate. He wanted to ask

Connor if he knew who did this to him, but now wasn’t the time.
Right now Vaughn was more worried about the shape his mate was
in.

There was a breathing tube in his mouth, an IV stuck in his arm,

and enough wires sticking out everywhere to consider Connor a
marionette. Vaughn rested his head on the back of the chair, keeping
his eyes on his mate’s chest, watching it slowly rise and fall.

“Any news?” Christian asked as he walked into Connor’s private

room. As soon as Vaughn saw them putting his mate into a room with
two other people, he had insisted his mate be put in a private one,
letting them know he would pay for everything.

It also helped that Christian had strings to pull.
“He woke up for a minute, but fell back to sleep,” Vaughn said as

he stood and walked over to the bed, tucking the blankets around
Connor’s small frame. His heart hurt to see Connor like this.

“Then I take it he didn’t name his attacker?” Christian asked as he

stood on the other side of the bed.

He wished.
“No.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“Let me know as soon as he does.”
Vaughn snapped his head up, coming around the bed to speak to

the prince quietly. “This is my right to seek revenge, not yours. I
mean no disrespect, but it was my mate that was harmed, nearly
killed.”

“And you are very right. I just want Christo and Isla to accompany

you. Someone needs to watch your back, Vaughn. When a man is that
angry, he cannot watch everyone around him. Anger makes men weak
and robs them of their common sense. I just want to make sure
Connor gets his mate back as well.”

Vaughn couldn’t argue logic, but he was making damn sure the

revenge was his. No one was taking that away from him. “I’ll let you
know as soon as he tells me.”

Christian nodded as he turned his head back toward Connor.

“Take care of him, Vaughn. He needs you more than you’ll ever
know.”

Vaughn watched the prince leave, wondering what in the hell the

man was talking about. He had been taking care of his mate until he
crept out of the house and someone used him for batting practice.

“Knock, knock,” Christo said as he walked into the room. “How’s

he doing?”

Vaughn shrugged as he sat back down in his chair. “The same.”

He didn’t feel like going through the explanation of Connor waking
and then falling back to sleep. Vaughn didn’t feel like talking, period.

What he felt like doing was crying. But he wasn’t going to freak

the nurses out when he shed red tears. Besides, Connor didn’t need to
see him that way. He had to be strong for the small man. One person
falling apart around here was going to be enough.

He also knew that if he started crying, he would be hard-pressed

to stop. Never in his life had Vaughn loved someone so much that he
was willing to kill for him, die for him. Connor had come to mean
everything, and Vaughn was going to make the one pay who tried to
take Connor from him.

Lynn Hagen

Christo crossed his arms over his chest, staring down at Connor.

“I’m told you’re going to need my assistance soon.”

“Why are you whispering?” Vaughn asked. “This isn’t a library.”
Christo grinned as he pulled up the only other chair in the room

and took a seat, pissing Vaughn off. He wanted privacy, but he
understood that they were a coven, a family, and not only was Christo
here to help him with his vengeance, but he was here to comfort him
as well.

As much as the second-in-command knew how.
Vaughn shivered at the thought of Christo trying to comfort him.

It was a scary thought.

“I don’t know. I’ve never been to a hospital before. I thought

everyone whispered,” Christo said as he sat back and kicked his feet
out. “How am I supposed to know?”

Vaughn wasn’t sure what to say to that. This was his first time in a

hospital as well. He’d never tell Christo, but he had been whispering
when he first arrived as well. Must be an instinct when coming into
one of these places.

He jumped to his feet when he heard Connor moan. It wasn’t very

loud considering his breathing tube, but it was enough for Vaughn to
hear him. “Connor?”

His mate looked up at him with pain in his eyes. That was all

Vaughn needed to know. He walked from the room, snapping his
fingers and pointed toward Connor’s bed. The nurse stared at him. “Is
there something you want, sir?”

Vaughn gave a low growl at the nurse’s obvious flippancy. He

wasn’t in the mood for it. She had to know how close to death she
was when it came to making his mate lie in pain for even a second.
“Yeah, my boyfriend is in pain. Come take care of it.”

“I’ll get right on it,” she sarcastically replied and then turned her

back on Vaughn.

He was five seconds away from dragging her into the room and

glamoring her into doing what he asked. No matter what her problem

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

was, Connor wasn’t going to suffer for it. His mate had been through
enough already.

“I got this,” Christo said as he strutted from the room, laying his

arm causally on the counter. Vaughn watched as Christo laid his
charm on the nurse. He leaned back against the doorframe, crossing
his arms over his chest as he watched Christo smile, the nurse scowl,
and then Christo stomp away pissed.

“She’s not human.”
“A shifter?” Vaughn asked as he looked at the nurse again. She

smelled human.

“No, she’s a goddamn robot. She has to be. No one turns me

down. I think motor oil pumps through her veins.”

Vaughn snickered until he heard Connor moan again. This time he

walked over and tried his best to be polite to the barracuda. “My
boyfriend is in the room moaning in pain. Could you please do
something about it?”

“Look, I just got on shift. You’ll have to wait.”
Vaughn wasn’t going to have to do shit. He grabbed her by the

back of her neck and stared her into her ice-cold eyes, glamoring her.
It had been a very long time since he had to use this method. He had
forgotten how fun it could be. “You will take care of my mate and
make sure he has the best care possible. Do you understand?”

She gazed blankly at Vaughn and then nodded. “Right away, sir.”
He released her and then walked back to Connor’s room where

Christo sat sulking.

“Cheater.”
Vaughn shrugged. “It worked.” He didn’t care how he had to go

about doing it, but Connor was going to get the best care this place
could provide if he had to glamor the entire hospital staff.

Connor wasn’t hurt to the point he had to be turned to save his

life, and Vaughn was grateful. He wasn’t going to be the one to take
that choice from his vampire hunter. Connor would buy a whole damn
collection of letter openers if Vaughn begged for his conversion.

Lynn Hagen

“I still say she’s a damn robot,” Christo said as he sat back down.

“No one—”

“Has turned you down. I know, you said it already.”
“Testy, aren’t you?”
Vaughn ignored the man as he walked back over to Connor’s bed,

running his knuckles over his mate’s brow. “Come back to me, love.”

“Excuse me, let me give him his pain meds,” the nurse said as she

came into the room and took care of Connor. Vaughn hadn’t meant to
be an ass to her. He was just scared for his mate. But if it got her in
here, fuck it.

“Thank you,” Christo said as he smiled at her.
The nurse glared at him as she walked out of the room.
“Damn, even glamored she doesn’t like you,” Vaughn said as he

moved back to Connor. His mate looked more relaxed now, his eyes
closed as he rested, the tense line in his brows gone.

“That’s because she doesn’t have a beating heart.”
Vaughn chuckled. “You know, there are some people in the world

that aren’t going to like you no matter what you say or do. It happens.
Get over it. Besides, I thought you were gay.”

“I’m not trying to fuck her, just charm her into helping Connor.”
“You think maybe she knows that?” Vaughn asked as he looked

back down at his mate. His brows slanted into a frown when he
noticed one of the bruises on Connor’s face was shaped oddly.
Vaughn leaned closer, studying the mark, and then rage unlike
anything he’d ever felt before consumed him.

“I know who fucking did this to Connor.”
Christo jumped up and crossed the room. “How?”
Vaughn pointed to the deep indent on Connor’s cheek. It was in

the shape of a skull and crossbones with the inverted letters RC.
“Fucking Randy Caldwell.”

“You know him?” Christo asked.
“I used to belong to a biker gang before I came to Christian’s

coven. I know the rat bastard. He’s always had the worst temper

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

around. He was eyeing Connor when I went to The Fox’s Den. I
didn’t think anything of it at the time,” Vaughn said as he kissed
Connor’s cheek and then headed for the door.

“I’ll call Isla,” Christo said hurriedly as he followed Vaughn.
“Do that because Randy isn’t going to live through the night.”
Vaughn jumped into his car and sped off without waiting for

Christo. He had given the name of the location he was heading to.

Let Christo figure it out from there.
He sped through the city, ignoring the lights as he raced toward

The Fox’s Den. Rage mounted inside of Vaughn as he shifted gears,
racing to the place that held the one responsible for Connor’s broken
body.

He wasn’t sure what Randy’s problem was with Connor, but

Vaughn was about to settle it tonight. Slamming on the brakes, the car
fishtailed into the parking lot where Vaughn jumped out and headed
inside.

Vaughn stepped into the biker bar, shooting a murderous glare at

everyone he saw until he spotted Randy off in a corner laughing with
a few guys. It boiled his blood to see the bastard having a good time
while Connor lay in the hospital with fucking tubes sticking out of
him. Vaughn ignored the calls of hello as he stalked over to Randy.

His lip curled up as he stopped at Randy’s table, grabbing the

human by his shirtfront and pulling him across the table. “You hurt
my fucking mate.” Vaughn growled low, his face mere inches from
the human’s.

“What are you talking about, man?” Randy asked as he pushed at

Vaughn’s hands. “Get the fuck off of me.”

Vaughn grabbed Randy’s hand, lifting it to show off the ring on

the human’s middle finger. The match was exact to the bruise on
Connor’s face. “Tell me how many other guys have this ring,
Randy?” Vaughn asked in a deadly and calm voice. “Tell me who else
has a skull and crossbones ring with RC on it?”

Lynn Hagen

“How the fuck should I know?” Randy said as he yanked his hand

away. “Now get off of me.”

Vaughn spun around, throwing the bastard into the wall.
“What the hell is your problem, Vaughn?” one of the other guys

called out. “You know that’s not how we settle things.”

Feeling his eyes shift to crimson, Vaughn turned around as his

fangs elongated. Tiny’s eyes widened as he took a step back. “What
the hell are you?”

Vaughn’s eyes stole a glance toward the door, seeing Christo and

Isla step inside. As soon as they spotted his state of distress, they
closed the door and stood in front of it, giving Vaughn a slight nod.

“Whatever you want to do, we got you covered,” Isla said as he

glanced around the room.

Vaughn swung back around to Tiny. “He hurt my mate. Randy

beat him to within an inch of his life.” He didn’t have to explain
himself. Vaughn really didn’t care at this moment what anyone
thought of him. But he and Tiny went back many years.

Vaughn would give him that one small explanation before killing

Randy. He turned his sights back on the man he had come here to kill.
“You’re going to die tonight.”

“Is that true?” Tiny asked Randy.
“He’s fucking crazy! I don’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Don’t lie,” Christo interjected. “You’ll only make things harder

on yourself. Trust me.”

Vaughn roared, knocking Randy in the side of his head with his

fist, watching as the human crashed to the floor. “Call me a liar again!
Call me a liar. I dare you,” Vaughn said as he pulled Randy to his feet
and swung him back into the wall. “Now tell me why you hurt my
mate.”

“Your what?” Randy snarled as his fingers curled around

Vaughn’s wrists.

“My mate. The one man I plan on spending the rest of my life

with. Tell me why you hurt him!” He should just kill the human and

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

get it over with. The bastard didn’t deserve to breathe for another
second. But there was a deep-seated need to know why the man had
harmed Connor. Vaughn was going to get answers or he was going to
pull them from Randy.

Painfully and slow.
Randy’s eyes lowered to slits. A burning hatred so deep, so

insolent burned in them that Vaughn wanted to rip them from their
sockets. “Because he’s a fucking fag, and he infected you with his
perverted disease.” He spat the words, his expression challenging.

Vaughn snapped. He tossed Randy across the room, the human

slamming into a table as it crashed to the floor underneath him. “You
hurt him because he loves me?” Vaughn shouted in rage as he closed
the distance between them. “You fucking hurt an innocent man
because he loves another man?”

The men in the room scattered away as Vaughn hissed, his fangs

exposed fully. He grabbed Randy’s head between his hands, ready to
snap his vertebrae.

“Wait!” Tiny called out. Vaughn glanced up, glaring at the man,

wondering what he had to wait for. It was black and white to him.
There was no gray area.

“What?”
“Let us take care of him,” Tiny said as he took a step forward.

“We’ll make sure he pays for what he did to your…mate.”

Vaughn shook his head. “Nobody’s taking my revenge from me.

He deserves to die.”

Tiny cautiously stepped closer, placing his hand on Vaughn’s

shoulder. “Are you going to go back to Connor with blood on your
hands?”

Fuck yeah.
“Let us take care of it, brother. Because trust me, Vaughn. Even if

you kill Randy, it still won’t satisfy that beast inside of you, the beast
that is begging to be sated. I know.”

Lynn Hagen

“He’s right,” Isla said from the door. “We’re not the monsters

everyone makes us out to be. Let his men handle this. You can stand
here and watch.”

Vaughn shook his head, trying to clear it as images of Connor

smiling at him with those innocent blue eyes came to mind. He knew
Connor wouldn’t want him to be the monster everyone thought he
was.

He didn’t want to be the monster, but this man had hurt his farm

boy, his vampire hunter. Vaughn was ready to tear his head from his
shoulders.

“Let us handle it,” Tiny said a little more firmly, his fingers

squeezing into Vaughn’s shoulder. “I promise you, he will pay for
what he did.”

Vaughn released Randy’s head and took a step back. “The only

fucking reason you aren’t dead right now is because of Connor. You
better be thankful,” Vaughn said as he turned toward the two
vampires posted at the door. “Don’t scrub their memories until
they’ve taken care of that piece of scum.”

Christo dipped his head as he moved aside, allowing Vaughn to

exit. He walked outside, rubbing his hands over his face repeatedly,
trying to cage the beast inside of him—the beast that wanted to go
back in there and make Randy die painfully.

The little voice niggling in his mind reminded him that Connor

wouldn’t want him to have blood on his hands.

Instead, he punched the wood next to the door over and over

again, trying to get rid of the rage that was coursing through him
before getting back into his car and driving back to his mate.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Chapter Eight

Connor sat up in the bed smiling widely as Vaughn sat in the

chair, reading from Connor’s cherished comic book. “I like the way
you make your voice change with each character,” Connor said as he
chuckled. “It’s like each one of them is speaking.”

Vaughn smiled at Connor as he continued to read. It had been

three weeks since Connor’s attack, and he was finally being released
in the morning. Complications with his recovery had kept him here
longer, but Connor was glad he was going home later today. He knew
that Vaughn had to leave him before dawn approached, but his mate
promised to stay with him until the last possible minute.

He felt odd calling Vaughn his mate. Connor wanted to sip some

tea and say bloody hell every time he said the word. But they had had
a long talk about what a mate truly was, and it didn’t mean buddy or
friend.

It had shocked him to find out that fate picked Vaughn for him

and that he would be spending the rest of his life with this gorgeous
man. It also thrilled the hell out of him.

“Read it again,” Connor pleaded from his bed.
Vaughn closed the book, shaking his head as he tossed the

magazine onto the table next to him. “My damn throat is sore from all
that reading. You could at least have another comic book for me to
read. It’s hard reading the same one over and over again.”

Connor’s bottom lip slid out in a pout as he lay back in the bed.

“But I like to hear you read to me.”

“I’ll tell you what,” Vaughn said as he pushed from the chair,

walking over to Connor’s bed and sitting on the side of it. “I’ll buy

Lynn Hagen

you a whole slew of comic books if I don’t have to read this one
again. Deal?”

Connor grinned. How could he pass up a deal like that? “It’s a

deal.”

God, he loved Vaughn. At least that was what he thought these

feelings stirring inside of him were. He had never been in love before
so he wasn’t sure what he was feeling, but he felt like he was walking
in the clouds every time Vaughn was near him or Connor was just
thinking of his vampire.

Vaughn grabbed Connor’s hand, lifting it and kissing the

knuckles, grazing his thumb over the back of his hand. “Now that
you’re better, I can tell you, little man, that you scared the hell out of
me.”

He swallowed hard as the gravity of the situation hit him. “I was

scared myself,” he confessed as he felt the tears prickling at the back
of his eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again. I didn’t think I was
going to make it.”

Vaughn pulled Connor into his strong arms, holding him tightly.

“I know who did this to you.”

Connor was shocked. He hadn’t said a word because he didn’t

want Vaughn going after Randy and killing him. He couldn’t have
lived with that. “What did you do?” he whispered into Vaughn’s
chest.

Vaughn ran his hand over the back of Connor’s head, kissing his

hair before pulling back. “Nothing. I let Tiny handle it.”

Connor blew a sigh of relief. As much as he wanted Randy to pay

for what he did, Connor didn’t want it to be at the hands of Vaughn.
His mate didn’t deserve to carry around the knowledge that he had
killed a man for Connor. He didn’t want to carry around that guilt
either.

Although knowing Randy was dead wouldn’t have bothered him

as much as he thought it would.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“By the way, why is his name Tiny?” Connor asked as he looked

up into Vaughn’s cocoa-brown eyes. “The guy’s anything but.”

Vaughn chuckled as he released Connor. “Nobody knows for sure

how he got the name, but rumor has it that he’s tiny down there.”
Vaughn glanced down at his groin.

Ouch!
Connor’s eyes rounded as he covered his hand over his mouth,

giggling. “I don’t even want to know.” Connor saw Vaughn look over
toward the window and knew it was time for his mate to go.

“Taz and Rave will be here to pick you up when you’re released

and bring you back to the manor,” Vaughn said as he ran his knuckles
down the side of Connor’s cheek. “I don’t want you to go anywhere
else but home. And I don’t want you anywhere by yourself.
Understood?”

Connor liked Taz and Rave. They had come to the hospital to visit

once or twice, always making Connor laugh. “I promise not to go
vampire hunting without you.”

Vaughn chuckled. “That’s my farm boy.”
His mate leaned forward, ghosting a kiss over Connor’s lips

before pulling back and standing straight. Connor grunted. He wanted
more than just a light touch of the lips. He was so damn horny that he
wanted to jump Vaughn’s bones. Unfortunately, Vaughn wouldn’t
take it any deeper.

Vaughn had already told him that Connor needed to recover first

when Connor had tried to pull his mate onto the bed the night before.
He didn’t need to recover.

Connor needed cock.
“I’ll see you at the house,” Vaughn said before he stepped out of

the room.

Connor sighed, tucking the blankets around him, watching the

empty doorway. He missed Vaughn already. There were at least seven
more hours before the doctor would come in and check on him,
clearing him to go home.

Lynn Hagen

He was going to be bored out of his mind by then.
Turning, he curled onto his side, trying desperately to go back to

sleep when his nurse came into the room. He had never in his life seen
anyone take care of a patient that way his nurse had with him. She
treated him like a king and was at his side in seconds when he buzzed
for her.

“I just wanted to say thank you,” Connor said as he reached out

and placed a hand over hers, “for taking such good care of me.”

“You’re welcome,” she said as she patted his hand and then left

the room.

He smiled as he closed his eyes, finally drifting off to sleep.

* * * *

Connor sat on the barstool, his butt wiggling around to the beat of

the music. It had been two weeks since he’d been released from the
hospital. And for those two weeks, Vaughn had brought Connor here,
not letting him out of his sight.

Being here had its merits. Connor was beginning to enjoy the

music. And he was beginning to like the club as well.

Now that he knew what the club was about.
No more men had groped him. They all knew he belonged to

Vaughn. The vampires kept their hands to themselves and even
growled at the humans who tried to approach Connor.

“Another Coke?” Winston, the bartender, asked.
“You’ve got it,” Connor said as he slapped the counter. “Give me

a chaser of water with it.”

Winston chuckled as he filled the glass with the beverage and then

slid it over to Connor. “One virgin Coke.”

“You don’t have to say that so loudly,” Connor griped.
“How often do you think I get to say that word?” Winston asked

as he winked at Connor. “Give me my small piece of joy.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“Yeah, because lord knows the man doesn’t get hit on all night,”

Jimmy said as he rang a customer up.

Connor snickered as he glanced around. He was really starting to

like the men who worked here. They were nothing like he had thought
them to be. His eyes narrowed when they landed on Brandon and
August sitting up in one of the booths.

Grabbing his drink, Connor ascended the stairs. He had a bone to

pick with those two. He sat his drink down on the table and slapped
his hands onto his hips as Brandon and August stared up at him. “You
lied to me,” he said.

A smirk appeared on Brandon’s face. “No we didn’t.”
“You sure as shit didn’t tell me the whole truth,” Connor retorted.
“We gave you the basic info. How you took it was up to you.”
“How I took it?” Connor snapped. “You knew how I was going to

take it. Why would you lie to me?”

“He’s always starting shit.”
“Hey!” Brandon snapped at his brother.
“Well, you are. You think you’re superior to others, and I don’t

like it. I’m tired of being a part of it.”

Connor was shocked that August was standing up to Brandon. It

said a lot about the man. He grabbed his drink, leaving the two to
argue as he went back downstairs. He saw Shelby over by the bar
talking to Winston and Jimmy. Eli was sitting there as well.

Once he got to know Shelby, Taras’s punishment didn’t seem like

enough. The guy was sweet as hell and didn’t deserve anyone forcing
him to do anything.

Connor skirted the outer perimeter of the crowd, only having to

push through a few people as he made his way to the back hallway.
He grinned when he saw his vampire sitting on his stool, playing that
dumb game on his cell phone.

“Those birds getting the best of you again?”
Vaughn grunted as he slid his phone into his pocket. “It’s a stupid

game.”

Lynn Hagen

Connor chuckled as he leaned up and kissed his mate. “Then why

do you play?”

“Because it’s addictive.”
There wasn’t any logic behind that, but Connor wasn’t going to

argue the point. He was in a very good mood. He hadn’t been laid in
five weeks, and he was ready to beg his mate to take him any way he
wanted to.

Connor glanced at one of the open doors, wondering if Vaughn

would take him inside to help him relieve the tension that was
building inside of him. He was healed, and Connor was ready for
Vaughn to fuck him into the wall…or table…or anywhere else in that
damn room. It didn’t need to be a flat surface. He’d be willing to just
bend over if that was what Vaughn wanted.

His face blushed profusely when Vaughn caught him staring at the

open door.

“Something on your mind, babe?” Vaughn asked as he sat up

straighter, a hunger in his eyes that had Connor’s heart racing faster.

He jerked his chin toward the door and then wiggled his brows. It

was the best he could manage right now. There was no way he was
going to outright ask Vaughn to take him into the room.

A slow grin formed on Vaughn’s face as he leaned just a bit

closer. “You want to try a room out?”

“Maybe,” Connor said as his eyes flickered everywhere.

* * * *

Vaughn had to rein in his control. He had been waiting for his

mate to heal. And Connor was standing here almost begging with his
eyes to get fucked. Standing, Vaughn pulled Connor to his chest as
his eyes scanned the crowd. He spotted Emilio and gave a jerk of his
head.

The vampire came sauntering down the hallway, a sly smile on his

face. “You rang?”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

“Yeah,” Vaughn said, trying not to let his lust get the better of him

and just run off without finding someone to man the hallway. “Need
you to cover for me for about—” Vaughn wasn’t sure how long.

It had been five weeks.
A record in his book.
“An hour,” he finished as he pulled Connor into the closest room

and slammed the door shut.

“Are we playing or fucking?” Vaughn asked as he untied his boots

and tossed them aside.

“I’m not sure what you mean,” Connor replied breathlessly as he

scrambled to get out of his clothes. “I’m all about fucking.”

Vaughn chuckled as he pushed his jeans down his legs and laid

them on a table. “Are we doing a scene?”

Connor’s hands stilled as he gazed up at Vaughn with his cobalt-

blue eyes. They held a hint of hesitancy and a glint of curiosity.
“What do I have to do?”

Vaughn knew after his mate’s ordeal that any spanking or

flogging was out of the question, but some skin play would be perfect.
“Are you comfortable with me blindfolding you?” he asked as he
walked over to the cupboard and opened it, glancing through the
whips, cuffs, chains, ropes, leashes, and so many other things that
Vaughn was leaking clear liquid from his cock. He spotted the scarfs
and pulled one from the drawer.

“I–I’m not sure, Vaughn,” Connor stammered as he stood in the

middle of the room naked and shaking. “What are you going to do to
me?”

Vaughn could see the slight fear in his mate’s eyes. He tossed the

scarf aside and crossed the room, enveloping Connor into his arms.
He had only planned on blindfolding Connor and licking him from
head to toe, but from the uncertainty and fear in his mate’s eyes,
Vaughn could forgo the scarf. “Nothing, babe, I’m going to make
love to you. That’s all.”

Lynn Hagen

Connor relaxed, leaning back as Vaughn grazed his lips across

Connor’s. “Never fear me, my love. I would never hurt you,” Vaughn
reassured him.

“I don’t fear you,” Connor confessed. “Dark places just scare me.

And being blindfolded makes everything dark.”

Vaughn wanted to probe deeper into Connor’s confession, but he

didn’t want to ruin their moment together. And from the look in his
mate’s eyes, Connor didn’t want to talk about it. Vaughn could drink
from him to find the secrets his mate’s mind hid, but Vaughn wanted
Connor to freely tell him.

Leaning his mate back on the table, Vaughn ran his hands over

Connor’s soft, pale skin, the tips of his fingers exploring every dip
and peak. Vaughn ran his lips over Connor’s pinkish-brown nipples,
nipping them as he pushed his mate’s legs back.

“I’m going to eat you alive, farm boy.”
Connor gasped and spread his legs apart, gifting Vaughn with

such a pretty sight. He knelt in front of his mate, lapping at his balls
as his fingers probed Connor’s tight hole. Vaughn let the saliva
moisten his mate’s entrance as his tongue circled around Connor’s
perineum, inhaling his male scent.

Connor groaned and writhed beneath him, his rear end pressing

down onto Vaughn’s exploring mouth. Separating Connor’s cheeks,
Vaughn lapped at his tight star. The musky scent exploded on his
tongue as he lapped and sucked, slowly pushing a finger inside his
mate’s hole.

“Vaughn,” Connor cried out, his body jerking as his ass throbbed

around Vaughn’s finger.

“Close your eyes, Connor.”
Connor gazed down at Vaughn, his brows pulled down in a frown.

“Why?”

“Because I want to heighten your other senses. I know it’ll be

dark, but I’ll never stop touching you. You’ll always know I’m here
with you.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

Connor bit his bottom lip and then slowly closed his eyes. Vaughn

stood, running the tips of his fingers over Connor, ghosting his lips in
the path of his fingers. He could see his mate shiver as Vaughn slowly
worked through Connor’s fear.

“Are you okay?” he asked as his lips ran over Connor’s calf, his

tongue flicking out to taste his mate’s soft skin.

“I–I’m okay.”
Vaughn reached under the table, grabbing a large red feather and

then began to trail it over Connor’s sensitive skin. “Keep your eyes
closed.”

Connor nodded as Vaughn pressed two fingers into his hole while

caressing his mate with the feather. Goose bumps broke out all over
Connor as his lips slightly parted. He could see his mate’s breath
becoming ragged as Vaughn continued his sensual assault.

Vaughn dipped his head, kissing Connor in random places, never

letting his mate know when or where his lips would strike. “I’m with
you in the dark, baby. Can you see me?”

Connor swallowed as he nodded. “I see you.”
“Good,” Vaughn said as he ran his tongue up the center of

Connor’s chest, adding a third finger inside of his body. “Hold on to
me. I’ll bring you back to the light.”

Connor’s arms swung out and then wrapped around his own body,

his eyes flickering under his lids as Vaughn continued to run the
feather over Connor’s body. He could see the pulse in his mate’s
throat quickening and knew he had to tread very carefully.

His mate was depending on him to bring him out of this.
Vaughn set the feather aside and reached for the lube. His fingers

grazed over Connor’s skin as he grabbed the tube. “Are you afraid?”

“Yes.”
“I’m right there with you, baby. Do you see me?” Vaughn asked

as he let the cool gel drip onto his cock, coating it.

“Yes.”

Lynn Hagen

He placed his dry hand on the center of Connor’s chest, letting his

mate know he was with him as he pulled his fingers free and smeared
the gel over his cock. “We’re coming to the light, Connor. When I say
open your eyes, what do you do?”

Connor sucked in a deep gasp of air as his eyes tightened. “Open

them.”

“Very good.” Vaughn ran his hand over Connor’s chest,

shoulders, and then placed his hand over Connor’s throat, gently.
“Open your eyes.”

Just as Connor’s eyelids sprang open, Vaughn drove his cock

deeply into his mate’s ass. “Hello, beautiful.”

Connor unwrapped his arms and then slung them around

Vaughn’s neck. His mate clung to him as Vaughn moved in and out
of Connor’s body. “Anytime the darkness is around you, just hold on
to me. I will always be your light.”

Connor nodded as his back arched, soft cries falling from his lips.

Their chests slid over each other’s as Vaughn wrapped his arms
around Connor, letting him feel safe, loved. Vaughn grazed his lips
over the shell of Connor’s ear, whispering into it. “I love you,
Connor. The darkness can never claim you as long as I am inside of
you. Reach out to me, and I’ll always be there.”

His mate whimpered as his body molded to Vaughn’s. He pulled

back, staring down into Connor’s passion-filled eyes as his cock
plunged into his mate’s giving flesh. Vaughn could feel his eyes shift
to crimson as his fangs elongated, itching to claim Connor’s neck
once more.

“I love you, Vaughn,” Connor confessed before tilting his neck,

giving Vaughn all he needed from his mate. Vaughn lapped at
Connor’s pulsing vein before he sank his teeth in, breaking the skin
and feeling the rush of Connor’s blood over his tongue.

Connor cried out, his seed spurting out between them as Vaughn

drank, fucked, and gloried in the feeling of having Connor in his

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

arms. He held his mate close as he took what he needed and then
licked the pinpricks closed.

Vaughn’s head fell back as he roared his release, his cock pulsing

inside his mate as his hips thrust over and over again. Connor held on
to him as Vaughn’s body finally came back under control.

He laid his mate back, staring down at the wonder fate had given

him and thanking whoever would listen for having his mate in his
arms.

Lynn Hagen

Chapter Nine

Vaughn stood outside The Fox’s Den. He wanted to see what

happened to Randy. Christo and Isla had scrubbed their minds, so
Vaughn knew they wouldn’t remember the incident. But he wanted to
make sure Randy had paid for what he had done to Connor.

As he pushed the door open, the familiar smells and sounds

surrounded him. Vaughn glanced around to see Tiny sitting at a table
bullshitting with some of the guys, a wide grin on his face. His eyes
shot up as the biker spotted Vaughn. “Look what the cat drug in.”

Vaughn smiled at seeing Tiny in such good spirits. “How’s it

hanging?”

“Pretty damn good, despite rumors,” he said as he winked and

then nodded toward an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

Vaughn nodded at the bartender as he walked across the room,

taking a seat and threading his hands behind his head. “What’s going
on?”

Tiny shook his head as he snapped his fingers at the bartender.

The man immediately brought Vaughn his Jack and Coke. He thanked
the guy as he sat forward, taking a drink as he stared at his longtime
friend. “I need to talk to Randy. Have you seen him around?”

Tiny shook his head as he sat back, resting his entwined fingers on

his stomach. “I haven’t seen him around in over a month. It’s like he
dropped off the face of the earth. His vest is still in the back room.
I’m not sure if he quit or had the law after him and took off.”

Vaughn wondered briefly at Randy’s fate and then pushed it aside.

It was better that he didn’t know. He had a feeling Christo and Isla
knew exactly what happened to Randy, but he wasn’t going to press

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

the matter. The two vampires had obviously scrubbed Tiny’s mind of
the event, so there was nothing he could do here.

“I just dropped by to see how things were going,” Vaughn said as

he stood, downing the rest of his drink.

“Where you at these days?” Tiny asked as he stood as well. “It’d

be nice to see you more than every blue moon.”

“I bounce the back hallways at The Manacle. You should drop by

sometime.”

“Back hallways?”
“There’s a BDSM club in the back.” Vaughn could see the interest

in Tiny’s eyes. There was a flare of arousal as he gave a nod toward
Vaughn. Vaughn never delved too deep into Tiny’s sex life, and he
hadn’t wanted to. But he could see the interest.

It only showed Vaughn that he didn’t know the man as well as he

thought he did.

“Maybe I’ll stop by sometime to see you.”
Vaughn had no doubt he would be seeing Tiny at The Manacle.

* * * *

Christian appeared back in his office from seeing that his brothers

were undisturbed. He hated checking on them every few days, but he
couldn’t chance them being found. Dante was starting to get crankier
about accompanying him on the trips, but it took two vampires to
open the cave he had buried them in so long ago.

He doubted the elders even knew how to get inside, but Christian

wasn’t going to become lax just because he thought them
unknowledgeable. “Shelby, what are you doing here?” Christian
asked when he saw the small vampire sitting on the sofa in his office.
The man hardly ever came in here, so seeing the small man
automatically had Christian wondering what was going on.

Shelby shrugged and then sighed. “Just taking a break from

everything.”

Lynn Hagen

Christian took a seat on the sofa, sitting back as he studied the

young vampire. “And what do you need to take a break from, young
one?” Shelby was a very sweet man. He loved being in the club. If
something drove him to Christian’s office, it couldn’t be good.

Christian was very protective of the vampire, considering Shelby

was one of his sons. Shelby didn’t go around bragging about their
familial ties like some of Christian’s other children seemed to do. And
Christian kept his ties to Shelby quiet as well. He didn’t need the
small vampire being used against Christian. It was one of his worst
fears that Shelby would be harmed because of him.

But there was something about Shelby that brought out every

protective instinct in Christian. Maybe it was because Shelby was
more naïve than his siblings, or maybe it was because Shelby had
chosen to live here instead of getting out and exploring the world as
the others had decided to do.

Whatever it was, Christian felt a strong bond with Shelby. And

Shelby was turning out to be a great brother as well. He came by to
see Minzhe every chance he had. Yasuko loved it and that made
Christian even happier.

“I was out there dancing on the dance floor,” Shelby said as he

looked up at Christian with troubled eyes, “and a few vampires started
to get really aggressive. They were grabbing humans and biting them,
even when the humans had said no. Some of them even tried to grab
me, but I was faster than them and ran in here.”

A cold chill ran down Christian’s spine as he stood. Vampires

getting aggressive in his club? Anyone who was in his coven or even
visiting vampires knew that biting a human against their will was
punishable. The anger mounted even higher when he thought of
Shelby being forced. Something was amiss, and the prince planned on
finding out what was going on.

“Can you show me the ones responsible?” Christian asked Shelby.
Shelby scraped his teeth over his bottom lip and then stood,

following the prince from the office. Reaching out to the bouncer at

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

the door, Christian gave an order through his mind. “I want no one
entering or leaving.”

Harley nodded as the doors to The Manacle closed, caging all the

occupants inside. It was an eerie sight to see the doors close, but
Christian had to get to the bottom of things. He wasn’t going to have
the humans they relied on for food harmed in any way.

Next he summoned the four bouncers he had watching the entire

club. Jersey, Vaughn, Hudson, and Sutton pushed through the crowd
and headed his way, looking perplexed. Christian stood on the outer
edge of the crowd that was still dancing and scanned the sea of
people, looking for anything peculiar.

“Show me, Shelby.”
The young one pointed to one of the vampires to his left. Christian

snapped his fingers, bringing the bouncers closer. “We have a
problem. Shelby has informed me that we have aggressive vampires
in the club. Either we have rogues or vampires on Liquid Wrath.
Vaughn, I want you to fetch me that young vampire over there.”
Christian pointed to a vampire who was getting overly aggressive
with a human male. The human was pushing the vampire back,
shaking his head in apparent refusal, but the vampire wasn’t taking no
for an answer.

Vaughn growled as he pushed through a few people and grabbed

the vampire. The guy wasn’t too pleased with the interruption and
showed it when Vaughn tried to pull him away from the human he
was harassing. Christian watched as Hudson and Sutton joined in,
grabbing the vampire and hauling him over.

It shouldn’t have taken three bouncers to collect the young one.
The prince prayed it wasn’t Liquid Wrath. He loathed that drug. It

was becoming an overwhelming problem in the paranormal
community. It had almost killed him when he had ingested it while
trying to convert Tater, one of the bear shifters’ mates from Brac
Village.

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Lynn Hagen

Placing his hand on the vampire’s head, Christian probed his

mind, sifting through his memories. What should have been a clear
picture of what happened in his club was only hazed and garbled.

Which told him absolutely nothing.
It could be bloodlust from drinking way beyond the young one’s

capacity, and it could be Liquid Wrath poisoning the vampire’s mind.
Christian wasn’t sure.

“Hold out his hand for me.”
Vaughn forced the vampire’s hand up as Christian sliced the

man’s palm open. He wasn’t going to taste the blood for memories
because that was too dangerous. Instead, he sniffed at the red blood
that was surfacing in the man’s palm.

The smell was foul and offensive, making his head snap back.
“I want to know who fed these vampires the drug.”
“What drug?” Shelby asked quietly as he looked between the

vampire and the prince.

Christian glanced at each bouncer and then down at Shelby.

“Somebody is distributing Liquid Wrath in this club, and I want him
found,” Christian said as he looked back up at the four. “No one
leaves until the culprit is brought in front of me.”

Jersey, Hudson, and Sutton left to search the crowd as Vaughn

held on to the aggressive vampire. “Take him into one of the back
rooms and tie him down. When he detoxes, he’ll give me the answers
I want.”

* * * *

Connor searched the club for his mate. He hadn’t seen Vaughn in

over an hour, and he was starting to worry. It wasn’t like Vaughn to
leave without telling him. His mate had been too adamant about
Connor staying close by. There was no way he took off and left
Connor behind.

“Are you going to buy the shit or what?”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

101

Connor’s ears perked up as he entered the back hallway. He

noticed two men standing close to one of the doors to a room. Being
human, he wasn’t sure if these men were vampires or not. Vaughn
could tell right away, but Connor was stuck at guessing.

“I don’t think I want to try it,” one of the men said and then

hurried away. Connor stood there watching the one left behind. There
was something off about him. The guy’s eyes were flickering around
too fast, and he just had that look about him.

The look that told Connor that the man was up to no good.
“You looking to score?” the man asked as he spotted Connor

watching him. “I don’t have all night. If you’re buying, get the fuck
over here.”

Connor began to shake his head and then stopped. He was curious

to know what the man was selling. He’d seen drug deals on the corner
when he walked to various jobs from the different shelters he had
stayed in.

“What are you selling?” he asked as he walked across the hallway.
“Avon,” the man snapped. “What do you think?”
Connor wasn’t sure. He’d never done drugs in his life and didn’t

know anything about them. He watched as the man pulled a small
brown vial with a black lid from his pocket. It was only about an inch
in length, not very big.

“What is that?”
The guy grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. That alone made

Connor want to back away, but he was curious. He’d never seen drugs
up close. He wasn’t stupid enough to take them, but…

“It’s Liquid Wrath. You wouldn’t believe the high,” the guy said

as if trying to sell Connor on the drug. “Tell you what. Since you’re
obviously a first timer, I’ll give it to you for free.” The man handed
the small vial over to Connor.

Connor opened his hand, letting the brown vial drop into his palm.

It sure was small. He grabbed it, holding it between his index finger

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Lynn Hagen

and his thumb. He could see some sort of liquid inside, sloshing
around as he bent it back and forth. “How do you take it?”

The guy shrugged. “It depends. You can shoot it or just drink it

straight. Most prefer to drink it.”

“What does it do?”
The guy grunted in frustration. “This isn’t a class on the shit. If

you want to know, drink it. Stop asking so many fucking questions.”

Connor twisted the lid off, inhaling deeply, and then coughed. The

drug had a foul smell to it. How in the hell could anyone drink this
shit? It smelled like blood and turpentine with a dash of chlorine
mixed in. His damn nose was burning now. He screwed the lid back
on, ready to hand it back and tell the guy to piss off when his arm was
seized and the vial was ripped from his fingers.

“Did you take it?” Vaughn shouted as he shoved some guy into a

room and then cupped Connor’s face, pulling at his eyes. “Tell me,
Connor. Did you take it?”

Connor shook his head frantically, seeing the anger and fear in

Vaughn’s eyes. He knew drugs were bad and he wasn’t dumb enough
to try them, but the look of total panic in his mate’s eyes scared the
hell out of Connor. “I–I was just curious.”

“But did you take the drug, Connor? I need to know.”
“No,” Connor answered as he pulled from Vaughn’s tightening

grip. “I didn’t take it.”

“Good,” the prince said as he entered the hallway and grabbed the

dealer by his throat, “because if you had, you’d be dead. That drug
kills humans.”

Connor felt as if he couldn’t breathe. He had inhaled it. Could he

die from inhaling it? He glanced openmouthed at the guy the prince
was holding. Had he known it would kill Connor? The man had been
so casual about the whole conversation. Connor couldn’t believe the
man had cared less if Connor lived or died.

What kind of a monster was the dealer?

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

103

“I smelled it. Am I going to die?” he asked in panic. “Am I?” His

body was shaking so badly that Connor’s knees were beginning to
buckle. The drug was deadly to humans, and this bastard had tried to
get him to drink it.

“I don’t think smelling it will harm you,” the prince answered.

“But I can’t be one hundred percent sure.”

Oh fucking hell! That was not reassuring in the least. Connor

watched as Vaughn went into the room and tied some man down, and
then his mate came back, a deep scowl on his face.

“Why in the fuck would you even touch it?” he shouted directly

into Connor’s face. “What would possess you to even go near the
shit?”

Connor didn’t have an answer. He wasn’t sure why he had let the

man drop the vial into his palm, but seeing Vaughn’s fangs elongate
was starting to scare him. “I–I don’t know,” he answered honestly.

He watched in a detached haze as Christian slammed the dealer

against the wall and then opened his mouth, his fangs—which were
twice as long as Vaughn’s—slicing through the air, straight into the
man’s jugular.

As he turned his head to block out what was happening, Vaughn

grabbed him, and then everything changed. They were no longer in
the club but Vaughn’s bedroom. His mate laid him in bed.

“I want you to stay here. Don’t fucking leave this house, Connor.”

He could see the disappointment in his mate’s eyes as Vaughn
vanished right before his eyes.

Connor slid from the bed, wondering if Vaughn hated him now.

Anger started to mount in him at his mate. It wasn’t like he was going
to take the damn drug. He knew better than that. Only a fool would do
drugs.

He had just been curious.
Vaughn shouldn’t be this mad at him. Did he think that lowly of

Connor to automatically assume that just because he lived on a farm
his whole life that he was stupid?

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Lynn Hagen

Connor wasn’t sure, but the more he paced the room, the angrier

he became. How dare Vaughn treat him that way!

Walking briskly to the bedroom door, Connor swung it open. He

wasn’t going to stay with a man who didn’t trust him and thought him
stupid. He grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder,
heading for the front door.

“Fuck him,” he muttered under his breath as he climbed the steps.

“If he wants to treat me like I don’t have common sense, he can kiss
my ass.”

Connor slung the front door open, raging inside as he stepped out

into the night. His anger was through the roof as he walked down the
driveway and headed…nowhere.

He stopped and took in a deep breath. Running away from his

problems wasn’t going to solve a damn thing. He was reacting badly
to Vaughn’s anger just as Vaughn had reacted to sheer fear that
Connor had ingested the drug.

How would he have reacted if he thought he would lose Vaughn

over some damn drug? Connor knew how he would have reacted.

The same way Vaughn did.
He spun around, heading back for the house where he would wait

for his mate. Hopefully Vaughn’s anger dissipated by the time he
returned.

As Connor walked back up the long, winding drive, he was

tackled from behind.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

105

Chapter Ten

Vaughn paced the room as the bouncers brought in more vampires

high on the drug. He couldn’t believe the man Christian killed had
been a shifter. No one had scented him. But then again, Liquid Wrath
disguised a shifter’s scent.

There were at least twenty small brown vials, lining a table, that

the prince had found on the dead man’s body. Vaughn shuddered as
he looked at them. His mate had been holding one. Connor had
opened one and smelled the contents.

If Connor had drunk it…
“I want them bound until the drug has worn off,” Christian

directed. Vaughn helped the other men tie the thrashing vampires
down. They used any bondage equipment they could find in the
cupboards to immobilize the strung-out men.

“Hudson, you have first shift watching them. Let me know if

there’s any change,” the prince said as he gazed at the infected
vampires with pity and remorse in his eyes. “It is a true shame to
watch good men fall to the allure of drugs,” he muttered before
leaving the room.

When Jersey and Sutton left the room, Vaughn disseminated to his

bedroom. He saw the empty bed and walked quickly to the bathroom.
It was empty as well. Vaughn didn’t think that anyone had broken
into the manor and taken his mate. Which left only one other
explanation.

Connor had walked out.
“Fuck!” he shouted in anger as he raced from his bedroom and

took the steps two at a time. Hadn’t Connor learned what being out on

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Lynn Hagen

his own was like? His mate had already been hurt badly already. What
the hell was wrong with him tonight? Connor was acting as though all
his common sense had fled him.

Vaughn threw the front door open and began to jog down the

driveway when he spotted Connor’s backpack. He bent at the waist,
picking it up. Vaughn’s heart stopped when he not only saw, but
smelled his mate’s blood.

He clutched the bag in his hand as fear gripped him. Vaughn

hadn’t a clue what happened out here or how his mate’s blood was
spilled. Taking a deep breath to concentrate, Vaughn opened his
senses, his blood calling to his mate’s.

The connection was faint, but Vaughn picked it up. He could feel

the abject fear that was Connor’s. He hadn’t a clue who had his mate,
but Vaughn was going to find out.

And when he did, they were going to wish they were never born.

There was no walking away this time. He would gladly have blood on
his hands from killing the bastard.

Vaughn almost crumbled when he felt the fear spike inside his

mate. He had to find him and fast. Connor was afraid of the dark, and
Vaughn prayed whoever had him wasn’t keeping him somewhere
dark.

“The darkness can never claim you as long as I am inside of you.

Reach out to me, and I’ll always be there.”

The words echoed in his head, as if Connor was reciting them.

“I’m coming, baby.” Vaughn hurried his steps as his senses guided
him. It felt like a lifetime was passing him by, and Vaughn wasn’t
sure if he was any closer.

Vaughn could feel frustration coursing through him. He knew he

had to concentrate. No other emotion could override him at the
moment. His senses had to remain open so his blood could call to his
mate’s. Pushing his fear, anxiety, frustration, and anger down deep,
Vaughn continued his hunt.

Where in the hell was his mate?

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107

He was in the warehouse district. There were many warehouses in

this part of town. It didn’t make any sense to him. Why would his
mate be in this district? Who the hell could have taken him that would
have brought him here?

It was frustrating to have so many questions and no answers.
Stopping in front of one of the buildings that looked as though it

hadn’t been used in years, Vaughn glanced around. Plastic was
blowing freely from broken windows, and the entrance door held a
rusty padlock.

There was no way the front had been used. Not recently.
He walked around to the back, his eyes flying over the building as

he looked for a way in. He could just evaporate and appear inside the
building, but he wasn’t sure what was going down and he may be the
one surprised with a weapon.

As he rounded the corner, he had to step around old, used crates

and broken machinery that was so badly rusted that he couldn’t even
tell what it was. There were small fires burning further away,
probably from people the street housed.

Vaughn spotted an overhead door that was slightly lifted. The

building didn’t look like it had electricity, so he knew he would be
pushing it up manually.

As quietly as he could, Vaughn crawled inside once he got the

overhead door up about a foot and then got to his feet. The place was
shrouded in darkness. But that didn’t stop him. Being a vampire,
Vaughn had excellent night vision.

Glancing around, he saw more machinery parts. There were crates

and boxes stacked everywhere. It looked like it hadn’t been touched
in decades. It was more a storage place than anything else.

After checking the first floor and finding nothing, Vaughn crept

up the steel steps, not making a sound. It looked like the second floor
used to be used for office space. There were darkened windows up
here and some doors. The carpet was black, the original color covered
under years of dust and dirt.

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Lynn Hagen

With two fingers, Vaughn slowly twisted the knob on the first

door. There were desks, filing cabinets, and stacks of boxes in the
room, but no living being. He hated the fact that the place was
plunged in darkness.

Connor was afraid of the dark, and this place was feeding into his

mate’s worst fear. His senses were still wide open, and he could feel
Connor’s terror. It was like a kick to the gut with steel spikes to feel
the fear coming from his mate with an intensity that almost choked
Vaughn.

“The darkness can never claim you as long as I am inside of you.

Reach out to me, and I’ll always be there.”

Vaughn took a deep breath when those words ghosted through his

mind again. “I’m here, baby. Hang on.” He checked the next room
but only found more office furniture and boxes.

He stopped and cocked his head when he heard whispered voices

coming from down the hallway. There was more than one person
here. Vaughn briefly thought about disseminating back to the club and
getting help, but the fear he felt from his mate was mounting.

There wasn’t enough time.
As he reached for the handle of the next door, Vaughn felt

something cold and hard push into the back of his skull.

“Don’t move a damn muscle,” a man said low and steady from

behind him. “Or I swear to god I’ll make you bleed.”

Vaughn stilled, unsure of what was pressing into his head.

“Where’s Connor?” Vaughn asked as he stared at the door.

“The kid we dragged in here?” the man asked.
From the tone of voice the stranger was using, he wasn’t a stupid

man. It was low, restrained, and lethal. Vaughn could feel the rage
coming off of the stranger in waves. But it was tempered, caged.

“That would be him,” Vaughn answered. He could take this guy

out. He knew he could, but Vaughn wasn’t sure just how many men
were here or who they were. Vaughn played it cool. “Where is he?”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

109

“Tied up at the moment,” the man said as he pressed the cold

metal harder into his head. “Now get moving. Walk to the end of the
hallway nice and slow.”

Vaughn did as the man said, taking measured steps as he scanned

the surrounding area, trying to figure a way out of this as well as
keeping his senses open. Connor’s blood was calling to him from the
end of the hallway, in the direction they were heading.

“Open the door,” the man instructed as they reached the last door

in the hallway. “Nice and slow,” he reminded Vaughn.

Vaughn reached out, opening the door slowly, sensing his mate

just beyond the heavy metal of the door. As he stepped into the room,
Vaughn spotted Connor bound, gagged, and curled up on the floor in
the center of the room.

And he wasn’t moving.
He had to fight every instinct in him not to run to Connor. The

urge was overwhelming as he looked at the long, jagged scar running
from Connor’s temple to his jaw. His molars ground together at the
sight, fighting his fangs to stay sheathed.

Now that he didn’t need his senses for the blood call, Vaughn

could feel the insurmountable rage building and coursing through him
at the sight of Connor’s unconscious and helpless form.

“What did you do to him?” he bit out between clenched teeth. His

eyes snapped up when a door on the other side of the office opened,
Randy sauntering in.

What the fuck?
The guy was supposed to be dead, or at the very least, immobile

somewhere with breathing tubes. He wasn’t supposed to be standing
here in the office with a triumphant smile on his face.

“I knew you’d come for him,” Randy said with a sneer. “It truly

sickens me that this little faggot turned your head like that.” He
crossed the room, hatred blazing in his eyes as he stared down at
Connor. “You were a good man, Vaughn. It’s a shame to see you fell
to the perverted disease.”

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“What have you done to him?” Vaughn asked as the blunt object

in the back of his head pushed harder into his skull.

“Not much,” Randy replied as he chuckled. “I just gave him a

little something to settle him down. The fag has a good set of lungs on
him. I’ll give him that.”

Vaughn’s eyes snapped down to Connor, wondering what that

little something was. The drug hadn’t totally taken Connor out. If it
had, he wouldn’t have heard Connor’s pleas for Vaughn to find him.

“It took me a while to recover from what Tiny and the men had

done to me. I crawled out of that stinking fucking river after they
tossed me in, thinking that they’d killed me,” Randy went on. “And
when I crawled out of that goddamned river, there was someone there.
Someone to explain to me what had happened and what I had seen.”

Vaughn was racking his brain trying to figure out what Randy was

talking about. He hadn’t a clue. He was lost as hell. Who could have
been standing there, and what was Randy talking about?

“I know you’re a vampire,” Randy said as he sat on the corner of

the desk and crossed his arms on his thighs. “And I knew I couldn’t
do this on my own. You’re strong as fuck, man. I’ll give you that.”

Do what on his own?
“But I found out a lot of interesting facts about you. About your

kind.” Randy enunciated the last word, saying it as if it were a foul
taste in his mouth. “I know you’re immortal,” he said as he clucked
his tongue. “I wonder how old you are.”

Vaughn wanted to roll his eyes at the whole “villain confesses his

plan” routine Randy was spewing. He didn’t want to hear it. All he
wanted to do was go to his mate. The only thing he wanted to do was
kill everyone in this building and get his mate to safety.

His fingers itched to hold Connor’s slight form in his arms again.

Vaughn wanted to rip away the blindfold and bonds and crush the
man to his chest. But not knowing who else was here and what was
crushing into his skull, Vaughn stayed still.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

111

“You see,” Randy said as he stood and then waggled his finger at

Vaughn. “You fucked up, Vaughn. You fucked up big-time letting me
know what you are. The guy behind you is very resourceful. He’s a
part of a group who hunts and kills vampires. And he knows how to
kill your kind.”

Vaughn swallowed hard at the news. So it wasn’t a role-playing

site, but real. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, but he didn’t
have time to absorb the knowledge. Vaughn needed to concentrate on
the situation he found himself in right now.

Connor was counting on him to keep a level head.
If he survived this, Vaughn would have to make sure he told

Christian about that fucking website.

“It took me a while, and I had to enlist the vampire hunters’ help

to find out where you lived,” Randy said. “And lo and behold, tonight
we decide to seize the place and there’s your fag strolling up the
driveway. What fucking luck.” Randy almost burst with elation.

The news of the vampire hunters seizing the manor was

disturbing, but if Randy called Connor a fag one more time, he was
going to remove his head from his shoulders. To hell with the hunter
behind him.

“Of course I told them”—Randy’s chin jerked toward the man

behind Vaughn—“that it would be better to go during the day when
all of you bloodsuckers were asleep in your coffins.”

Vaughn heard a low growl from behind him. So the hunter didn’t

like being called an idiot. A plan formed in Vaughn’s head. “You
called the shots?” he asked, fueling the brewing fire.

“Hell no,” the man said from behind him. “We were the ones who

wanted to wait until high noon, but jackass over there wanted revenge
so badly that he jumped the gun.”

So the man wasn’t as quiet as Vaughn had first thought.
“If you hadn’t made me wait so long to exact my revenge, our

plan wouldn’t have failed!” Randy shouted, his face turning an angry
red.

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Lynn Hagen

“Our plan? Since when are you a vampire hunter?” the man shot

back. “You are too damn stupid to be one of us.”

When Vaughn felt the cold metal leave his head, he rammed his

elbow into the hunter’s gut and then leapt, landing over Connor as he
disseminated. Vaughn hated that he had given that little secret away,
but he needed to get his mate out of there fast. He could hear the howl
of rage as he left the warehouse and appeared in his bedroom.

Going straight to the bathroom, Vaughn removed the blindfold

and bonds as he ran the bath. Once Connor was naked and free,
Vaughn stripped down and lowered his body and his mate’s into the
heated water.

“Wake up, baby,” he said as he ran water over Connor’s exposed

flesh. “Please wake up for me.”

Connor groaned but didn’t open his eyes. Vaughn held him close,

rocking him gently as he bathed his mate. He wanted to know why his
mate had been outside, but that was the last thing on his mind right
now. There were too many unanswered questions, and they would
wait until later. Right now Vaughn concentrated on cleaning his mate
and checking him for any more wounds. The only one he found was
the jagged cut on Connor’s face.

Vaughn leaned forward and licked the wound, sealing it closed.

His saliva should keep any scar from occurring, but Vaughn still
worried. Connor looked like he was fighting to open his eyes, but it
seemed too much for his mate right now.

“Rest, baby. Sleep it off.” As long as he saw Connor fighting the

drug, he would have to be satisfied with that for now.

Vaughn finished bathing his mate and then settled them both in

bed. He curled around Connor, keeping him safe as he drifted off to
sleep.

He’d tell Christian about the hunters when everyone returned.

Until then, Vaughn was going to make sure Connor stayed in his arms
where he belonged.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

113

Chapter Eleven

Connor ran his hands over Vaughn’s muscled and sexy body, the

mocha-brown skin a contrast to his pale fingers. His mate was fast
asleep, exhaustion heavy under his eyes. Connor didn’t want to wake
him, just touch the strong man.

Vaughn was so damn tall, and built to match. He would never get

enough of drooling over the guy’s hard form. His fingers traced over
Vaughn’s thick pecs and then over the dark nipples, watching as they
peaked under his touch.

It was amazing that even in his sleep, Vaughn’s body reacted to

him. He glanced at all the tattoos the vampire had, wondering if he
had gotten them while he was in the biker gang. The pads of his
fingers explored them as they traced up Vaughn’s biceps, feeling the
hard knot of muscle along the way.

Connor had only wanted to touch, to explore his mate’s body and

get to know the dips and hard ridges a little better, but his cock was
taking notice of Vaughn’s toned muscles. Maybe he could jerk off
while just touching Vaughn? He didn’t want to wake him. Vaughn
looked like he had fought a battle all night.

A battle Connor had missed.
After he was tackled in the driveway, Connor didn’t remember too

much. Just that he had fought like crazy and screamed his heart out.
The next thing he knew, he was lying in bed with his mate.

His face felt a little tight, but nothing that concerned him. He was

naked and smelled pretty good, so he guessed at Vaughn bathing him.
Scooting down the bed, Connor peeled the covers back, getting eye to
eye with Vaughn’s thick and dormant cock.

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Lynn Hagen

Even in rest it was impressive.
As Connor curled his fingers around his shaft, he imagined that

cock long and thick, fucking him hard in his ass. His legs spread
wider as he pushed back on his knees, licking his dry lips as he began
to stroke himself.

Images of Vaughn biting him had Connor so close to coming that

he whimpered. His eyes closed and his lips parted, even though he
wanted to see Vaughn’s cock as he came. The images were too
intense, too erotic to let pass by.

His thumb smoothed over the head of his shaft, feeling the

wetness as he smeared it, used it for lube. He needed more. Connor
wet his fingers and stuck two of them into his ass as he inhaled
sharply.

That was it. That was the extra edge he needed. He pounded his

fist harder, feeling the familiar tingle wrap around his groin. He
inserted a third finger, pushing the bite of pain as he jerked himself
off.

His eyes flew open when he heard a low growl. Vaughn was on

his hands and knees, staring at him as if he were about to take Connor
down in one fell swoop. His fangs were long, and his eyes had shifted
to the dark shade of red.

Connor had seconds to pull his fingers free of his ass before

Vaughn had him on his back, pushing his legs back to his chest and
driving his cock deep into Connor’s ass, giving him more than just a
fantasy.

It was the real thing and so much better than Connor had even

envisioned.

Vaughn curled his arms under Connor’s, almost doing a choke

hold on him as his legs entwined with Connor’s. “Starting without
me?” Vaughn asked in his ear as his cock stretched Connor’s hole
wide.

Connor could only manage a whimper as his shaft smashed

between his body and the bed. His balls were already tight to his body

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

115

and his dick was sensitive as hell, but there wasn’t enough friction to
get him off.

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he said as he fucked his cock into the

bed and then canted his ass back as Vaughn drove into it. His mate
curled their fingers together as he sniffed at Connor’s neck, lapping
the skin.

“Do you know how long I waited last night for you to wake?” he

asked, thrusting on every word. “I fell asleep hoping to fuck this tight
ass.”

Connor cried out when Vaughn hammered into him at lightning

speed. His face shoved into the sheets as Vaughn’s muscled body
worked him over. He felt one long lick up his neck before the pain,
and then pleasure was there, Vaughn biting into him.

“Oh, god!” Connor shouted, his cum wetting the sheets below him

as Vaughn sucked at his neck. His cock throbbed, spewed, and ached
as Vaughn hit every nerve ending in his ass with his thick dick.

Their legs still entwined, Vaughn spread Connor wider as he

licked the pinpricks closed and reared back, his hands leaving
Connor’s and digging into his waist.

Skin slapped and Connor’s eyes rolled, the feeling of Vaughn

inside of him too much. His arms shot out, his fingers gripping the
edge of the bed as Connor slammed back onto Vaughn’s dick. He
wiggled his ass, feeling his mate’s cock inside of him, owning him.

Vaughn’s fingers were like a death grip on Connor’s hips as he

roared, his cock pulsing hot seed into Connor’s ass as he slammed his
dick hard into Connor. Once his mate stilled, Connor fell to the bed,
boneless.

Vaughn pulled his softening cock from Connor’s ass, leaving the

bed. Connor looked over his shoulder to see the bathroom door close,
but not before he caught the angry look on Vaughn’s face.

Now that the lust had been fed, Connor knew he was in for it.

Leaving the manor was a stupid move on his part, and for the second

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time, he had paid for it. If he thought Vaughn was pissed the last time,
it was nothing compared to the vibes Connor was getting now.

This was going to be bad.
He could just feel it.
Thirty minutes later the door flew open, a towel wrapped around

his mate’s waist. Vaughn walked over to the dresser, not looking in
Connor’s direction and not saying a word. The tension was making
him crazy.

Connor slipped from the bed and took a hurried shower,

wondering if his mate was going to explode on him or give him the
silent treatment. He wasn’t sure which one he was dreading more.

Connor quickly dried and dressed, the silence in the room almost

choking him. As he tied his sneakers, Connor glanced over at
Vaughn. The man was grabbing a few things from the dresser, his
movements jerky, angry. Connor let out a long breath before he stood.
“Talk to me, please.”

The silence was killing him. He knew which he dreaded more.

Connor couldn’t stand for Vaughn to ignore him. Yelling would be
better in his opinion than feeling as though he didn’t exist. He loved
Vaughn, and being ignored was torturous.

“I’m too angry right now, Connor. You don’t want me talking to

you,” Vaughn said in a clipped tone. “Just leave it alone.”

He couldn’t.
“Tell me I’m a screwup. Tell me to fuck off and get the hell out,

but don’t ignore me.” He could see the tic in Vaughn’s jaw as he
stood there, staring at the dresser. “Fuck you, Vaughn. If it’s that bad
to be with me, then I’m not sticking around—”

Connor got what he wished for and so much more when Vaughn

had his fingers around his throat, snarling in his face. There was no
pressure in his grip, but Connor curled his lips in, waiting, watching
Vaughn’s eyes darken in anger.

“You want me to talk, fine.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

117

Connor was rethinking the whole thing now. Maybe his silence

would have been better.

“I find you in the club with drugs in your hand. A drug that kills

humans,” he snapped angrily. “And then you take off from the manor,
as if you hadn’t learned from your first attack what happens when you
go out alone. I find you in a warehouse, bound and gagged and
pumped with drugs. We barely make it out of there because, surprise,
vampire hunters are real. Do you want me to keep talking?”

Connor couldn’t take any more. He had reached his limits as the

tears fell. Ignoring the hand at his throat, Connor slung his arms
around Vaughn’s neck, holding on for dear life. Vaughn stood there
motionless for a moment and then slowly wrapped his arms around
Connor.

He didn’t say another word, but the feeling of having strong arms

around him made Connor cry even harder.

“Stop crying,” Vaughn said gently as he ran his hand over the

back of Connor’s head. He could tell Vaughn was still pissed as hell
at him, but all Connor wanted was his mate’s comfort at the moment.
“Shush.”

Connor clung to his mate, never willing to be away from him

again. “I swear to god that I’ll never go anywhere alone again. I
promise, Vaughn. Please stop being mad at me.”

“And the drugs?” Vaughn asked after a moment of silence.
“I was never going to take it. I was just curious. I’m not stupid.

I’ve seen what drugs do to people.” And he had. Connor had seen the
lifeless forms wandering the streets when he lived in the shelter.
Those lifeless souls were always begging for another hit of whatever
they were hooked on. It was a sight that he would always remember.

Vaughn pried Connor’s arms from around his neck, staring deeply

into his eyes. “I never in life want to feel that terrified again. That’s
twice now you’ve put yourself at risk.” He held his hand up when
Connor began to speak. “Yes, I’m angry as hell at you right now.

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You’re my mate. The only one I’ll ever get. If I lose you, then who
will I share eternity with?”

“Eternity?” Connor gasped. Fuck, he couldn’t even begin to wrap

his head around how long that was. “But I’m not a vampire. I won’t
live that long.” And the thought ate at him. Connor wanted forever
with Vaughn. He didn’t want to grow old and die, leaving Vaughn
behind. It wasn’t fair to either of them.

“You’re mated to a vampire. That gives you a pass.”
Connor would take that. He almost felt like shouting for joy. If

Vaughn wasn’t still pissed at him, he would.

“Come on. I need to go tell Christian about the vampire hunters.”
Connor closed his eyes as Vaughn popped them to the club. There

was no other way he could describe it. One minute they were in the
bedroom, the next, Christian’s office. It was a cool way to travel.

And strange as hell, too.
“There are really vampire hunters?” Connor asked as he pushed

into Vaughn’s side. He didn’t want to be a foot away from his mate
right now. He didn’t remember anything Vaughn had told him about
last night, but the thought of someone drugging him made him shiver.

“Vaughn,” Christian said as he looked up from his desk.
Vaughn pulled Connor along as he approached the prince’s desk.

“Do you remember when I told you about that website my mate had
shown me, the one about the vampire hunters?”

Christian nodded.
“It’s not just a role-playing site, and I think I ran into one of the

members last night. The man was referred to as a vampire hunter.
They were planning on seizing the manor, but the guy who hurt
Connor fucked their plans up.”

Christian sat back, pressing his fingers together as he studied

Vaughn and then Connor. He hated to have the prince scrutinizing
him like this.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

119

“I am aware the hunters are real,” Christian confessed. “Or so I’ve

been told that they are. But I wasn’t aware they knew where we
lived.”

“You knew about them?” Vaughn asked, shocked.
“Rumors.”
“Well, I can tell you the rumors are true and they are bloodthirsty.

One had something shoved at my skull last night, daring me to piss
him off.”

His mate hadn’t told him that part. Connor felt faint as he stood

there. He had almost lost his mate last night because he was a hothead
and didn’t think things through, leaving the manor and putting
himself, and his mate, in danger.

His knees felt weak.
“Then it’s time we stepped up our security,” Christian said,

looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Connor
felt bad for the man. He wouldn’t trade places with the guy for all the
money in the world. The burden of leading was too great.

“I’ll call Maverick and Zeus to see if they know any shifters they

trust to watch over our coven as we sleep.”

“Do you mean packless shifters?” Vaughn asked.
Connor was lost.
“Yes,” Christian nodded. “Day watchers. Go to work. I have a lot

of planning to do.”

“I wanted to ask you about the vampires who drank the drug,”

Vaughn said. “How are they?”

Christian sighed as he dropped the pen onto his desk. “Better.

They were first-time users, so the drug hadn’t infected them the way it
would have had they been longtime users. They are at the manor,
instructed not to leave until I can figure out what to do with them.”

What to do with them? Was the prince going to stick them outside

in the sun? Connor hoped not. People made mistakes, made bad
judgment calls, but those men had suffered enough.

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“Are–are you going to burn them?” Connor asked and then took a

step behind Vaughn.

“No,” he said as he smiled at Connor. “They’ve suffered enough.”

The prince spoke what Connor had been thinking. “Now go to work.”

Connor followed his mate out of the office, wondering what was

going to happen next. He had gone from living on a farm, to homeless
shelters in the city, and now he found himself living in a coven of
vampires who were being hunted by humans. There was even a drug
out there that could kill him from one tiny drink.

Nothing seemed real to him anymore.

* * * *

As angry as Vaughn was at Connor for putting himself in harm’s

way for a second time, he could see the stiff way his mate was
walking. He knew he fucked him properly, but there was a change in
his mate that had nothing to do with their bout of sex this evening.

Vaughn waited until they had brushed past the crowd and were in

the back hallway. Connor glanced at him and then at the stool, as if
asking for permission to take Vaughn’s seat. Vaughn nodded and
Connor sat down.

“Now tell me what has you so quiet.”
Connor glanced around the dim hallway, looking at the dark

paneling and art on the wall of various scenes as if he had never been
there before. “Nothing seems real,” his mate confessed.

“How so?”
Connor waved a hand at the crowd, taking in a deep breath. “I

thought I had this all figured out. The people, the place, but after
everything that has happened, I’m not sure of anything anymore.
Vampires exist, shape-shifters are real, and there are humans out there
that want to destroy them.”

“It’ll take time for you to understand how our world works,

Connor. Don’t try to figure it all out now.”

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

121

Connor shook his head. “No, after hearing how you almost

died…”

And now we get to the root of the problem. Vaughn tilted his

mate’s head back, staring into his cobalt-blue eyes. “It’s exactly how I
felt both times you disappeared. That tight feeling in your chest that
makes you think you’ll never breathe again. The worry that is a
constant now and never lets you forget what happened.”

Connor nodded. “That would be the feeling I have.”
Vaughn hugged his mate, resting his chin on Connor’s soft hair.

“But you can’t let it rule you. If you let your fear dictate how you live,
then you are no longer living, just existing. You have to learn to curb
your fears without letting them rule you.”

Connor gazed up at him, his pretty eyes locked onto Vaughn. “But

you’re so strong, Vaughn. How do you do it?”

Vaughn chuckled. “If I knew the answer to that, farm boy, I

wouldn’t freak out every time you’re away from me.”

His mate smiled, and it was something so beautiful that Vaughn

felt his heart skip a beat. “You do that?”

They both turned when Christo came walking down the hallway.

He didn’t look too happy as he stopped by the pair. He leaned against
the opposite wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “I hear we’re
getting babysitters when we sleep.”

Vaughn nodded. “Yeah, it’s true. Come to find out vampire

hunters are real. I ran into one last night.”

Christo snorted. “Of course they’re real.”
“How do you know?” Connor interjected.
“Rumors,” Christo answered. “I’ve heard about them for years,

but I’ve never run across one, so I wasn’t sure if they were real or
not.”

“Do I live under a fucking rock or something?” Vaughn snapped.

“Why does everyone hear rumors except me?”

“No, just the back hallway.” Connor giggled. “I think you would

hear a lot back here with the coming and going of so many.”

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Vaughn rolled his eyes at his mate. It was the farthest thing from

the truth. It was about as interesting back here as watching paint dry.
“I don’t hear a damn thing except whips, shouts, and grunts. You
think these people talk about anything worth listening to?”

“Well,” Christo said as he pushed away from the wall. Vaughn

had totally forgotten the man was even there. “Christian just told me
he found a few shifters that will guard the manor when we sleep
during the day. I just hope the rank bastards aren’t rogues and kill us
in our fucking sleep.”

That was a morbid thought.
Christo disappeared down the hall as Vaughn turned back to

Connor.

“Are vampires really that weak when the sun is out?”
“It all depends on their age. A vampire’s age has a lot of factors,”

Vaughn answered. “Like how often they feed or how weak they are
when the sun is high.”

Connor gaped up at him. “How old are you?”
Vaughn wasn’t going there. They had many years ahead of them

to discuss his age and what he’d seen in life. “Old enough to only
need blood once a week.”

“Then why in the hell do you bite me every time you fuck me?”

Connor asked with a pout.

“Because you taste so damn good,” Vaughn answered as he

nuzzled Connor’s neck. He inhaled deeply, relishing the fact that
Connor was his and would be for all eternity.

If the brat stopped putting himself in harm’s way.
It still amazed him that fate had given him someone like Connor.

The man was way too innocent for the vampire life. His little vampire
hunter was an unexpected surprise, and Vaughn planned on keeping
him forever.

Even though Connor had tried to stake him when he found out

Vaughn was a vampire, his mate had come a long way in accepting
this way of life.

Vaughn’s Vampire Hunter

123

Now if he could only stop Connor from leaving the manor during

the day, life would be perfect.

* * * *

Jacob pulled his motorcycle into an empty space as he swung his

leg over and stared at the brick building. This was where Vaughn
worked? He was expecting some club where the college kids partied
and passed out.

But The Manacle looked more dark and inviting, calling to Jacob

in a strange sort of way. He walked to the bouncer at the door,
looking at the line that was halfway around the building. “I’m here to
see Vaughn. We’re old friends.”

The bouncer nodded and waved his hand for Jacob to enter the

building. He glanced around at the half-naked men dancing to the
allure of the music. Jacob spotted a bar and made his way over. He
waved a bartender down as he took a seat on one of the vacant stools.

“I’m here to see Vaughn. Can you tell him Tiny is here?”
The man nodded and then spoke low to someone behind the bar,

watching as the man went to get Vaughn for him.

“What’ll you have?” the bartender asked as he pulled a few bottles

of beer from the cooler and handed them over to some guy.

“Ice water for now,” Jacob replied as he turned around and

scanned the crowd. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting here, but
when his eyes settled on the small man dancing as if he didn’t have a
care in the world, Jacob leaned back and watched.

The guy was tempting, wicked, and fascinating the hell out of

him. When Vaughn asked if Jacob had a problem with gay men, little
did the man know Jacob’s kink. He didn’t advertise it like Vaughn
had, but the hot little number dancing in front of him was making his
mouth water.

“Hey,” Vaughn said as he clapped Jacob on his shoulder. “You

made it.”

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Jacob cut his eyes away from the small man as he nodded at

Vaughn. “Thought I’d check the place out.”

“Party, have fun, and there is a place to crash upstairs if you get

too drunk,” Vaughn said with a smile.

“Thanks,” Jacob replied as he glanced back over at the man who

was now standing there staring at him with the biggest black eyes
he’d ever seen.

“You’re gay?” Vaughn asked incredulously as he looked between

Jacob and the small man.

“It happens,” Jacob said as the guy who had been standing there

staring at him took off running through the crowd. Too bad, they
could have had a good time.

“That’s Shelby,” Vaughn said as he dropped his voice to almost a

whisper. “I’d cross him off of your radar. He’s well protected here.”

Jacob didn’t care about who was protecting the small man. Some

inner voice whispered to him that Shelby could run all he wanted to,
but Jacob was the one who was going to catch the man.

It was only a matter of time.

THE END

WWW.LYNNHAGEN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but

lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to
find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a

cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

Also by Lynn Hagen

Ménage Everlasting ManLove: Christian’s Coven 1:

Christian’s Menace

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Christian’s Coven 2: Nija’s Temptation

Everlasting Classic ManLove: Christian’s Coven 3: Eli’s Way

For all other titles, please visit