False Start [The Mating Games 3]

CHAPTER 1 Above his head, Joop could hear arguing, "Tonight we get the f*****g rats to the lab and you two need to look for that dragon's treasure. It's here somewhere, I know it." "But Councilman Troy, we've looked everywhere." One of the men whined. Joop heard a hard smack, then Councilman Troy hissed, "Unless you plan on an early exit from this life, you will get your ass moving! I will not tolerate f**k-ups!" The man must have believed the Councilman, because his voice was shaky as he said, "Yes, sir." "Good, because once we have this treasure, it will fund our experiments for eternity, as well as make me the most powerful shifter of all time." The Councilman snarled. "Do you still want us to bring in the skunk and bat?" One man asked. Joop heard the Elder laugh as he said, "Not right now. We have to wait until Councilman Eagan is taken care of first. I have two of his guards biding their time and he will be dead shortly. Until then, I can't risk him gathering evidence against me. I would be charged with treason and that means death, and remember, my death means yours as well. I will not go down alone." "He has lost his f*****g mind." One man said. Joop head someone laughing, then say, "Maybe so, but unless you want to turn out like the other rats, I suggest you do what you're told." "Those scientists worked late last night, did you hear the screaming coming from the lab?" the other asked. Another harsh laugh was heard, then the other man said, "Dude, I'm surprised the people on the other side of the lake didn't hear the screaming." "Have you ever gone in the lab?" The one man asked nervously. "I made that mistake once, and I threw up. Now I'm going to grab a bite, I'll be back in thirty minutes." The other said. Joop didn't hear anything from above after that. He laid quietly in the dark listening to Kahn breathing across the room. It still surprised him that a vampire needed to breath. Weren't they supposed to be the undead? If they were dead, why would he need to breath? Damn, he was rambling in his head. Joop knew he tended to do that when he was nervous or scared, and right now he was both. One second he was swimming in the pond, thinking about how he wished his mate had accepted him, and the next second Kahn was there struggling with two very large men as a gun was pointed at Joop’s face ordering him out of the pond. Hearing a low groan, Joop turned, and thanks to his shifter genes, he could see Kahn's figure moving. Rushing to his mate’s side, Joop asked, "Are you okay?" Struggling to sit up, Kahn rasped, "Joop, is that you? Where in the hell are we?" Kahn looked around and asked, "What in the hell happened?" Joop looked around the small space, saying, "You must have followed me to the pond. Councilman Troy's men showed up and you tried to stop them from taking me, but they gave you some kind of shot that knocked you out and we were brought here." Sliding up the wall into a better sitting position, Kahn asked, "and I ask again, where is here?" Shrugging, Joop said, "I'm not really sure. It's past the lake, and a few miles in. It looks like an old village, of sorts, but I really didn't get a good look, before they pushed us into this tunnel." Kahn began to stand and Joop grabbed his arm rushing to say, "Don't try to get up so fast. We don't know what they gave you and you could fall and hurt yourself in the dark." Kahn gave a small smile as he continued to stand, saying, "Thank you for your concern, but vampires see very well in the dark." "Oh." Joop said softly and looked away. Feeling fingers under his chin, Joop wished he could see more than outlines, as he looked into his mate's eyes. Joop remembered them from the first time he had ever seen them. They were the prettiest hazel coloring with tiny gold sparkles running through them. Joop couldn't stop a small smile as he thought back to that day, remembering how he had thought they didn't have to worry about getting a kink in their necks when they kissed, because Kahn was only about an inch taller than his own five foot nine. However, their body proportions were very different. Joop has always believed that it was the fact that while Kahn was muscle and tone, Joop was his beaver. No matter how many times a day he swam, and Joop swam no less than four times a day, he could not tone his muscles or get rid of that bit of stuffing he had in his gut. "Listen to me, my Dragoste, we have much to talk about, but first, I believe we need to find an exit." Kahn said and then ran his fingers lightly down Joop’s cheek. Shivering and feeling his skin pebble, Joop asked, "What does that mean?" "It means we need to get out of here as quickly as possible, for a multitude of reasons." Kahn answered as he turned and began to run his hands along the walls. Joop walked closer to Kahn, saying, "I was talking about Dragoste. I'm not familiar with that word." Kahn nodded, saying, "That is because it is Romanian. It means, love. The mate to a vampire is named after their origin. Amor is for those from Spain and although it is spelled differently it is also the name for the French. German is, Liebe. Mine is Romanian, and therefore, you are my Dragoste." Joop swallowed a dry lump that had just formed in his throat as he whispered, "But you don't want me as your mate, so why give me the name?" Kahn turned to Joop and his eyes were glowing red, when he said, "Joop, you are my Dragoste. I made a terrible mistake when we first met, and I have looked everywhere for you since that day." Joop's eyes went wide as he rasped, "You have?" Nodding his head, Kahn again ran his fingers down the side of Joop's face as he leaned down, and softly said, "Joop, I want to explain everything to you, but we really need to find our way out of here." Shaking his head, Joop said, "No, I want to know what happened. Why did you deny me? Why do you think that we are mates? What changed your mind?" Kahn sighed as he walked to a cot and sat, then indicated for Joop to sit next to him, "Please sit and I will explain." Joop sat and clasped his hands together, saying softly, "Okay, I'm sitting." Kahn didn't speak for a few moments and Joop was beginning to think his mate was never going to say anything. However, before he could stand back up, Kahn's deep baritone filled the dark room, "I am centuries old, Joop." Joop drew in a breath of surprise, but before he could ask how old was centuries, Kahn continued, "When we reach the stage of puberty, our parents take us aside and explain Dragostes." "So it is like the vampire version of the birds and bees." Joop said. Nodding his head, Kahn laughed softly saying, "Yes, but it is more descriptive. Anyway, when the explanation is complete, every vampire dreams of finding their one love, the soul to their soul." "Then why deny him when he is found?" Joop asked in confusion. "Joop, I told you, I am centuries old. When this was explained to me, I was nothing more than a child. In the time I was told, there was no such thing as men being with men. I never even looked at another man in a s****l way before. I have never been..." Joop stood up nodding his head and saying sadly, "I understand now. You aren't gay." Kahn stood up and went to Joop, saying, "Joop, let me finish. I have never pictured myself with a man before. I have seen other's with the same s*x, but never me. I thought fate had to have made a mistake. When you yelled out that we were mates and I saw that the scent I was looking for was you, I was..." Joop nodded in understanding, "You were embarrassed. I mean, hey, first fate gave you a man and then it was one that looks like me. It must have been very disappointing." Kahn's eyes began to glow a dark green as he hissed, "Don't you ever say something like that again, Joop!" Joop began to tremble in fear as he looked into Kahn's glowing eyes and stammered, "So...so...sorry." Kahn closed his eyes and tilted his head back, taking in and letting out deep breaths before looking at Joop once again. Joop noticed his eyes were not glowing anymore. Kahn went to Joop and lightly ran his finger down Joop’s arm, saying, "I don't like it when you speak badly about yourself. Your beauty is like none I have ever seen." Joop scoffed, and Kahn growled, "You will listen!" Joop pulled back, exasperated, "Oh, come on, Kahn! I am no beauty. I am a beaver shifter. I know that I have a paunch for a stomach and plain brown eyes with plain brown hair and I..." Kahn brought Joop back into his arms, "You are not plain anything! You are my Dragoste. Damn it, Joop, you don't understand." Kahn pulled Joop even closer and Joop felt Kahn's hard shaft pressed against his own and gasped. "That's right, my Dragoste. This is what you do to me and have done to me each time I have come close to you. I did not accept our mating because I was stupid and narrow minded. I always thought my mate would be a woman. I was in shock and honestly, I was terrified." Kahn said loudly. Joop tilted his head in confusion, "Terrified of what?" Kahn growled then dropped Joop’s arms, and threw up his own, "What do I know of mating with a man? What if I hurt you, Joop? I know nothing about being with a man. I am a vampire and we are not known for our delicate mating. What if I hurt you? What if..." Joop went to Kahn and smacked his back hard. Kahn turned shocked eyes to Joop asking, "What the hell did you hit me for?" "Because you sounded like you were going to get hysterical, and because you deserved it." Joop said with hands on his hips. "Joop I..." Kahn started to say. Joop held his hand up, stopping Kahn from speaking. Tapping his foot and dropping his head down, Joop hissed, "You had your turn, and now it's mine." Kahn closed his mouth and listened as Joop spoke, "I have always thought about the day my mate and I would meet. Ricky, Ian, and I would lie in Ricky's bed and talk about what our mates would look like and what they would be." "What they would be?" Kahn asked softly. Joop snorted, "Yeah, Ricky said his mate would be the first shifter to run for president. Ian said his would be a Nobel prize winner." "What did you say?" Kahn asked softly. "I said I wanted a mate that accepted me for me." Joop answered quietly then laughed slightly saying, "And maybe be a bodyguard." Kahn gave a small laugh, saying, "A bodyguard?" Walking to the cot, Joop sat back down and looked up at Kahn, "I never thought about if my mate would be male or female. I wanted a mate that could kick ass. You see, I've known I was gay since I was seven, and a genius since birth, and let me tell you, kids can be mean." Sighing, Joop said, "I may be a shifter, Kahn, but I'm a beaver. We are not known for fighting. I was bullied my entire life. I have been shoved into lockers, had my books thrown across the room, chased down alleys...you name it, it has most likely happened, and not just because I'm gay. As many times as I've been beaten up, it's a good thing I'm a shifter and can heal quickly." Kahn growled low and menacingly. Joop looked at Kahn and said, "I figured that fate would give me a man and if not, we would work it out. I mean the person is going to be my mate. I just hoped that they could accept the fact that no matter how often I swim, I will always have this paunch, and I will always have a really high IQ." "How high?" Kahn asked. Snorting, Joop said, "Promise not to tell Ricky and Ian?" Joop could see the confusion in Kahn's face when he nodded his agreement and Joop said, "The average IQ is between eighty-five and one fifteen. Ricky and Ian always go toe to toe because Ricky tested at 172 and Ian a 171. Ian says he was only given that extra point because he flirted with the guy giving the test and Ian says I should have used some of Ricky's moves to work him. What they don't know is that I lied to them. I told them I scored a 168, but I actually scored a 174." "Holy s**t, you're smart!" Kahn gasped. Shrugging, Joop whispered, "When it comes to books, Science and Math, yeah, I am. However, when it comes to reading people, I'm really stupid, and when it comes to life, I am even more naive." Kahn took Joop’s hands, softly saying, "That isn't true, Joop." Joop laughed as he rasped, "I thought that when mates discovered each other there would be tunnel vision and then they would come together and no one else would exist. My mate would see me and think how lucky he was to find me." Joop felt the warm tears trickling down his cheek as his words began to become garbled, "When I saw you it was just like I thought for one special moment, and then you looked at me with those wide, surprised eyes and said fate made a mistake. I was your mistake. I wanted to die, Kahn. I had just yelled out that we were mates, and you denied me. In front of everyone in that room. It was humiliating and felt like someone had ripped my very soul out."