Slate's Mistake Read online

  Yeah, like that is going to give me comfort, confidence, and a mind at ease? She still didn’t want to trust him, but she trusted her dad.

  Her heart thumped against her ribcage and her palms started to sweat as she approached the front door. Henry was beside her. He reached out and took her hand, murmuring reassurances to her. “It’s all right. I’m here, and I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  He was always so protective and supportive of her. It could also have something to do with me being a “weak” human. Her sister, who was half shifter, hadn’t really been sick a day in her life, but as for her, well, she kept getting near everything under the sun. She was twenty-seven, much too young to suspect a diagnosis of cancer. But here she was, nonetheless.

  In spite of watching his hand rise to knock on the door, she still jumped at the sound of his knuckles rapping lightly on the wood. It was the middle of the night, and everything sounded louder. She was still trying to calm her painfully racing heart when the door opened. A man who looked to be her age, with a well formed swimmer’s build and strawberry blond hair, stood in the doorway. He smiled broadly, showing off two long, sharp teeth. Katie gasped. She had never seen such large canines before. She was told they only came down for fighting and mate-claiming.

  He stepped aside, giving them room to move inside. As soon as the door closed, he extended his hand in greeting. “Hello, I’m Dr. Seamus Rossi.”

  His canines were showing again, from his broad smile. Katie didn’t notice his hand was extended until her dad squeezed hers and let it go. She felt the heat and pressure loss immediately, almost causing her to lose balance. As she extended it, her hand was wrapped in a warm soft embrace. “Katie Williams,” she croaked out. Her eyes kept darting down to his mouth, looking for those sharp canines, which were now hidden behind a closed smile.

  A look of concern crossed over his face. “Is something wrong?”

  Katie blushed when she realized he was talking to her, “Uh, no, I’m sorry, but I’ve never seen anyone’s canines before.”

  His smile widened and he laughed. “I’m not a shifter. I’m a vampire, so these aren’t canines. They’re fangs.”

  The shock of his declaration pulled a gasp from her, and she felt herself more excited than frightened. “Really? Wow, that is so cool. I’ve heard of vampires, but I’ve never actually met one.”

  “Well, now you have, and I hope it is a good impression.” He turned to her dad. “Henry, thank you for bringing her. Are you staying?”

  “Yes. I’d like to wait for her, if that’s all right.” Henry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her behind the doctor, as they made their way down a hallway.

  They stopped at an open door to a bedroom. “If it’s all right with her, then it should be fine.”

  Both men looked expectantly at her. “Please,” she mildly pleaded.

  Dr. Rossi nodded. “That’s fine. Henry, do you know where the kitchen is?” He waited for Henry’s affirmation before he continued. “Good, there should be some coffee there. Help yourself.”

  Henry leaned over and gave her a reassuring kiss on her temple. “I’ll be close by if you need me.” He turned on his heel and left back down the hallway.

  Katie tentatively walked into the lit room. There was a bed with a dark blue bottom sheet and two matching pillows. In a corner, folded neatly, was the rest of the bedding. Lined on a long dresser, were many medical items and supplies that, as an RN, she recognized. There were two chairs facing each other, next to the bed.

  “I’m going to need to do a physical examination. I brought examination gowns. Why don’t I step out into the hall for a minute and let you dress in one of those? You can cover yourself further with that sheet. Just let me know when you are ready.” The doctor had reached into a box and pulled out a folded purple gown. He placed it on the end of the bed and closed the door behind him as he left her. She wasn’t too sleepy anymore. She was pretty wide awake, so she undressed and covered up in pretty good time. She even folded her clothes and put them on one of the two chairs.

  Katie sat back against the headboard of the bed. She understood the need to use this space, but she felt like a virgin about to be unveiled to her newly married lord of the manor. She sighed deeply and tried to shake the ridiculous feeling. There was a light tap on the door, and then the door opened up. The doctor stepped through with two cups of what she would guess to be coffee. He offered her one up and put the other on the side table.

  Breathing in the smell of the bitter goodness, she hummed. “Thank you.”

  “I figured you might need it after being woken in the middle of the night. Now.” The doctor sat down in one of the chairs and looked at her. “I wasn’t given much information what to expect or look for, but now that I have scented you, I understand the nature of your illness. But I do not know where or what kind, so why don’t you tell me what you know, and then if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to examine you and perhaps take some blood samples.”

  Katie completely understood what the doctor was talking about and asking … up until he wanted blood samples. Her heart sped up, and a ticklish nervousness settled in her stomach. “Uh.” She felt a little lightheaded. The doctor took on a slightly alarmed look. Katie shook her head. She was a registered nurse; she was capable of handling stress, well, apparently with the exception of being medically seen by a vampire. Medically seen? Oh! She almost smacked herself. She had seen the syringes and tubes on the dresser. “Oh! With a needle!” she said out loud and gave a nervous giggle.

  Dr. Rossi brightened and laughed. “You thought I meant with my fangs?”

  Heat covered Katie’s face. It took more to embarrass her than others, but this misunderstanding did just that. “Uh, yeah, I’m sorry. I’m not normally this skittish or airheaded.”

  “It’s fine. As you said, this is your first time meeting a vampire. The shock is normal.”

  Katie started to relax. “Thank you for understanding. Uh, so, it was about six weeks ago. My sister and I were heading out to lunch together, and she said I smelt different. She had a funny feeling about it, so she had me see dad directly after work. He said I smelt off, too, so I went to see a local doctor. But the doctors here aren’t very good. They didn’t even run any tests on me and told me I was fine, just to go home and return in a year for a check-up.”

  Dr. Rossi grunted. “Yes, I’m not impressed with many of the doctors here either.” At her confused look, Dr. Rossi elaborated. “I’m from the States. However, their practices are going downhill as well…” Katie opened her mouth in a silent “ah”. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like to have a look. Do you know where it is?” Katie shook her head. “Are you feeling sick or any discomfort anywhere?” She shook her head again in response. “Huh, all right then, let’s take some blood samples first, and then I’ll have to check you over.”

  As the doctor was drawing her blood, she was amazed that he had found the vein so easily. The needle hardly even hurt. “This is the least painful blood draw I’ve ever had.” She smiled up at the doctor.

  The doctor looked at her and returned her smile. “Ah, well, that is where being a vampire comes in handy. We can sense things better than others when it comes to blood. It isn’t a scent really as it is a sense. It’s so we can detect blood types and how healthy the blood is.”

  “That makes sense. So, would it be all right if I ask you some questions?”

  He nodded as he let loose the strap that he had placed around her arm. She felt the pinching from rubber strap release, and with it, she released a sigh of relief. As Dr. Rossi pulled out the tube and proceeded to stick another one in the port, she continued. “My dad taught us a lot of things about shifters, but he said most myths aren’t true, so what myths aren’t true for vampires?”

  “That is a very smart question. Well, let’s see.” Dr. Rossi pulled out the vial and placed it on a breakfast tray with the other. Grabbing another tub, he stuck in the port. “We can eat anything, including garlic, but
we do need blood to survive. We don’t need to drain anyone fully, in fact,” Dr. Rossi removed the vial and popped on yet another vial.

  How many does he need? she thought.

  But he casually continued. “Our bite is quite pleasurable. And like other paranormals, you can’t get turned into a vampire. You have to be born one. And of course the matter of the sun.” Dr. Seamus finally removed the needle and dressed the puncture wound. “We have no problems going out into the sun, except for my brother who lives in his office cave full of computers. I swear he would go up in smoke if he actually set foot near a sunny corner.”

  “Your brother?”

  The doctor threw his garbage of plastic packages into a small garbage bin and picked up the tray. Setting it on the dresser, he continued. “Yes, my twin actually. He loves computers as much as I love my job, but he rarely goes outside. With our heritage our complexion already so light, we tease him a lot.”

  “Oh!” Katie laughed. “So he can, he just shouldn’t. I get it.”

  Dr. Rossi laughed with her. “Correct. Would you please lie down on the bed?”

  She did as instructed. That virgin sacrifice feeling returned, but she shook it off. It was just the awkwardness of the situation. The doctor placed the top sheet over her, up to the middle of her stomach. He seemed to have sensed her unease and tried to converse with her as he undid only one of the shoulders on her gown and slowly let it down. “What is your profession?”

  At least he had warm fingers, as she felt the pressure rub around her left breast.

  “I’m an RN at the local hospital.”

  The doctor perked up. “Oh really? How long have you been an RN?” After feeling around a bit, he covered her and reached over for the other shoulder.

  “A few years now.”

  The doctor’s fingers rubbed in circles around her breast. He rubbed a bit more in one particular spot. Just at that moment, the door few open and a giant of a man with blond hair and substantial muscles let out a very animalistic roar. She saw his canines descend, and now she knew the difference between the two kinds, there was a big difference. His hands grew claws, and his eyes turned feline.

  The doctor leaped up as the shifter dove at him. Katie screamed and rolled away to the other side of the bed. As soon as she felt her butt hit the floor she continued to push herself into a corner, watching the fight. The doctor’s eyes turned red, and his black claws pointed out from his fingers. The unmistakable shifter grabbed the vampire by the throat and lifted him off the floor and against the wall. She couldn’t stop screaming as more giant men began to file into the room. Holding the sheet around her body up to her neck, she saw one of those men was her dad. He ran over to her and pulled her into his arms.

  The roar turned more feral. Katie turned to see the out-of-control shifter now had his sights on her dad. She pulled herself tighter against her dad. She knew shifters had greater strength than humans, but she had never known a predator shifter before.

  A tall, thick man, with a chinstrap beard, tore into the room wearing only his pants. He looked at the scene and hollered, “Enough, Slate! Attenhut!”

  The giant wild man jerked and straightened to a military attention stance. His partially shifted state retreated just a little.

  Henry picked Katie up and started to leave, but the madman jerked and growled, then hissed at Henry. He actually freaking hissed!

  Henry froze. Katie was so shocked that she felt her insides quiver and shake, and she tightened her hold around her dad’s neck.

  “What the hell is going on, Slate?” The half-naked man’s voice was rough with authority.

  Two men were holding him back while another one, similar looking to the doctor, stood behind Dr. Rossi. The angry man didn’t take his eyes off her and her dad.

  “Put her down!” he spat.

  Henry placed her feet on the ground, but Katie whimpered. She didn’t want to let him go. “I need to put you down, sweetie. I can’t defend you if I’m holding you,” he said gently.

  She hated his reasoning but understood. She tried hard to convince her muscles to let go, and after a few moments of battle with her will, she was finally able to. She couldn’t stand on her own, however, so she fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor. Big golden brown feline eyes followed her movements. Now wasn’t that just a creepy feeling? She could totally relate now to any prey.

  He stared at her for moments, freezing everyone where they were while they waited for his answer. As afraid of this shifter that she was, a bloom of attraction warmed her lower belly. His sun-bronzed skin clung tightly over his bodybuilder physique, topped with short blond hair turned black at the tips, and as he calmed, his eyes reverted back to human, revealing a rich caramel colored brown eyes. He held up his hands. “I won’t hurt you. I am so very sorry for scaring you. I’m Slate, Slate Payton. I’m a lion shifter, and you’re my mate.”

  A shiver zipped up her spine, and her stomach flipped with pleasure from his heated stare, distracting her momentarily from fully comprehending his claim.

  Several men around the room swore, including her dad overhead. The half-naked man, whom she figured was the new alpha, tilted his head back and closed his eyes for a moment. “Everyone needs to exit the room,” he groaned. He brought his head down and pinched his fingers over the bridge of his nose then looked up and around at the exiting men. “Seamus, you, too.” All the men obeyed but her dad. Henry stayed standing over her, which brought a growl from the blond man. The man, who must be the alpha, looked towards Henry, “Henry, you, too. He won’t hurt her, you know that now.”

  She looked up at her dad, curious what he was going to do. He looked down at her. “Do you want me to go?”

  Katie quickly shook her head. She didn’t trust her voice at the moment. She was too shaky from the fright.

  Henry looked back at the alpha. “She doesn’t want me to leave, so I won’t leave her.” Katie expected the alpha to punish her dad for arguing against an order and was afraid he would forcefully remove him.

  Relief flooded her when the alpha only nodded. “All right, you stay. Serves you right, Slate, for freaking out your mate, my mate, and Tom’s mate.” He growled a bit then turned and left the room.

  Chapter Three

  Slate wanted to growl back at his alpha as he left the room. When he came downstairs, his nose picked up a sent that caused his dick to go half hard in a near instant and he didn’t realize he had followed the scent until he had the door open and saw Seamus’ hands groping the breast of a woman whom he immediately realized was his mate. It put him in a rage like nothing else. All he could think about was strangling a man he considered a friend.

  Now his mate sat on the floor, pressed against a wall as hard as she could. He could scent the acrid bitterness of her fear, and it hurt him deeply. He’d never meant to scare her. She was the one person, specially made for him, who would complete him. She already meant more to him than his own friends.

  He walked slowly around the bed. He would have stood in front of her but the shifter hovering over her wouldn’t move. He wanted to growl and remove the offensive being, but his mate had asked him to stay, so he meant something special to her, therefore to him, damn it. He just hoped the shifter wasn’t her husband. Some shifters took spouses instead of waiting for their destined mate.

  He kept his voice low, and calm, and looked the man in the eyes, “Please move, I won’t harm her. You know I won’t. I can’t.”

  The man didn’t lower his eyes in submission to Slate’s higher rank, which didn’t sit well with his lion, and the concern that he may be a boyfriend or husband to her, really didn’t help. His lion paced, growled, hissed and clawed inside his head, wanting to get out and maul the other shifter into submission. He fought with everything in him not to lose control again.

  The shifter didn’t move and even dared to look Slate straight in his eyes. “You already have hurt her. Not all hurt is physical.”

  Just like that, the wind was
knocked from Slate’s lungs without a single physical blow, further validating what the man had just spoken. With just those words, it caused him to bleed inside. The man was right. He’d scared his mate. Scratch that, he’d terrified her. After catching his breath, leaning on the balls of his feet, he slowly squatted down to look his mate in her big blue eyes.

  “I am truly sorry. I promise you are safe with me. Please let me prove myself to you.”

  She didn’t move for a second, then slowly shook her head, and her scent started to change from fearful to angry. “You attacked the doctor! Who was trying to help me! If you were my mate, you would want me to be helped, not keep me from help!”

  Oh boy, he thought, she’s pissed. He would be slightly relieved that she wasn’t afraid of him anymore, but he got a sinking suspicion this anger may cost him his mating. He had made a costly mistake by losing control. Hell, he shouldn’t have even opened the door. He had no right to, and now his mating was jeopardized. His stomach fluttered into a soured state at that thought. No! He thought to himself, I won’t stop trying to earn her back, ever. His lion agreed with that thought. No matter how long it took, they wouldn’t cease to earn her back.

  “Go away!” she bit out. Slate nearly flinched at the distaste she had for him.

  “You heard her.” The words from the man standing over them sounded clipped.

  Slate ignored the man. “I’ll leave the room and I’ll give you time, but you are my mate, and I can’t and won’t keep out of your life. I’ll leave my number for you if you ever need me. Again, I’m truly sorry for scaring you.”

  His lion roared his anger in his head as he stood up to leave. It felt like the hardest thing he had ever done when he walked out of the door. He didn’t even feel this sick when he left his mother and sister when he had left home.

  Outside the door, Seamus, Ryker, Tom, Kace, and Alphy were all standing in the hall. He knew they could hear what was said in there. Their hearing was much better than a human’s. He clenched his jaw, trying to get a hold on his distraught emotions. He cleared his throat. “Uh, Sea man, I sincerely apologize. I value our friendship, and I hope you can forgive me.”