Page 9 of Hellhounds and Homicides

Rowen sunk his small teeth into Dumas’ neck and held on for several seconds making sure to leave his mark as well. The link between them snapped into place instantly and instantly Dumas felt the heart of his little mate, the strength and the presence of his precious feline.

The stray was a powerhouse mentally and emotionally and a pure wonder spiritually. He was young at a mere twenty-seven, but his struggles had been many, and his life had been filled with abuse and betrayal. The cat had many secrets, but they now belonged to Dumas.

“You see me.” Rowen leaned back with his head against the wall and looked at Dumas.

“I see all of you and you are a wonder a pure and beautiful wonder.” Dumas’ voice was naturally deep but now it was exceptionally deep and gravely denoting the level of emotion rushing through him. He looked over at the mating scar on Rowen’s shoulder and he felt pride at marking such an amazing man. He also felt pride at being marked by this amazing man.

Rowen dropped his head to Dumas' shoulder, and Dumas carried him to the bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, still holding Rowen in his arms. Rowen straddled his lap and once again laid his head on Dumas' shoulder. Dumas loved the closeness and the ease with which his mate held onto him.

"I see you too, Dumas," Rowen said, his voice soft and peaceful. "You are a marvel and one of the strongest people I have ever met, and that strength covers everything about you." He took a calming breath, and Dumas ran his hand up and down his back, steady and reassuring. "You were born into darkness, and you have lived for centuries, and now you are mine. This is going to work out just fine." Dumas smiled, appreciating the pride that was present in Rowen's tone of voice.

"They have Cal, and if he hasn't already told them everything, then they've probably dredged his mind. Whatever he knew, the vampires know."

“Cal needs to be eliminated.”

"They know the score, so he's definitely in protective custody somewhere."

“Or he may already be dead. The vampires are rarely gentle with magics.” The third man entered the room, and he exuded power he was the leader of this pack of dupes, and he held little respect for any of them. They were useful and convenient for now. The two discussing Cal stepped back and remained silent.

"This should never have happened. No one gave permission to kill the cop." His voice steadily rose with each word until he was screaming at the two men. "Instead of running, why didn't you kill Cal before they had the opportunity to scrub his mind?"

"The hellhound was attacking Cal. I thought he would kill him." One of the men said it in his defense, but it wasn't good enough. The leader snapped his fingers, and the man exploded, spreading his insides around the room and all over his companion.

“Do you have anything to contribute?” The leader asked the one remaining. He quickly shook his head afraid to speak but it did not save him. Like his friend he was spread across the room with a snap of the leader’s fingers.

"Useless incompetence everywhere." He yelled and left the room, ordering the guard to have it cleaned. It was his own fault relying on common magics for a job this important and this involved. They had four souls, and they needed one more to complete the invocation. It had been done before, but thoseblasted vampires had to interfere, and all his plans had been for nothing.

This time he would make sure there were no interferences, and the revenant would aspire to his full potential for destruction and power. The magics were done running from Hadden’s men it was time they took over and put the vampires on the run.

Dumas held Rowen in his arms throughout the night lying in the soft bed covered with plush blankets in the large dimly lit room and the setting was perfect. Sleep came intermittently as his mind was filled with visions of his mate. Rowen Dalhousie cat shifter extraordinaire. They’d enjoyed one another throughout the night eagerly learning each other’s bodies and desires.

Rowen was sometimes hesitant but always pushed through satisfying his wants with Dumas’ ample encouragement. His little mate was fast asleep and purring. It was such a sweet soothing sound and Dumas looked forward to hearing it from now until forever. He slid his fingers through Rowen’s hair feeling the silky softness and pushing it back from his face. That face a marvel of color and symmetry such a handsome man.

“Are you staring at me?” Rowen’s eyes were closed, and he laughed softly. The sound stirred Dumas to his soul. Bringing his mate peace and joy gave him a powerful sense of accomplishment.

“I’m staring with wonder and appreciation, sweetheart." He leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Loving you is the easiest thing I have ever done." Dumas rolled to his side and laid his arm over Rowen, who was curled up at his side.

"I want you to move in here, and I want you to let your friends and coworkers know that you're in a committed relationship. I won't do well with anyone getting too close or friendly with you. It wouldn't be good for a homicide detective to have to start hiding bodies." Rowen chuckled. "Hellhounds are very territorial." Dumas finished with a heated kiss to Rowen's swollen lips. "Tell me you'll move in immediately."

“I’ll move in most definitely my cat will not be separated from their mate for long. Strays, like hellhounds, are very territorial. Although it might take some time I have an apartment and belongings and a job to attend to, but I eagerly accept your offer.” Rowen skimmed his palm down Dumas’ side and along his hip raising goosebumps along the way.

"I will help you move. We can get it done in an afternoon." Dumas offered, not wanting to have to wait for his mate. "I have resources. You don't have to wait."

“I would appreciate the help.” He was pleased that Rowen didn’t fight him on this, which showed that he too was ready to get their lives moving forward. “What time is it?” He asked.

"Ten after six," Dumas responded. "Master Hadden asked for a meeting with us this morning to discuss the incident of last evening."

“He wants me there too?”

“Yes, they got a lot of useful information from Cal Grainger.”

“Did they probe his mind?”

"They did, and they removed memories and inserted others. Grainger will confess to the murders, closing your case. This will allow Master Hadden to find the magics responsible and deal with them.” Dumas wasn’t sure how Rowen would takethe information. He pulled him a little closer on instinct as he waited.

“That will remove any necessity on my part to cover for Hadden and his men. That works for me.” Rowen was continually surprising Dumas. He was a practical and reasonable man. He didn’t look for trouble when solutions were presenting themselves. “I know I gave you a hard time about this case, but I would never have put any paranormal in jeopardy.”

"I know, we're mates now, so I understand you quite thoroughly." He smiled. "And with that said, I think we have just enough time for me to relieve that insistent pressure you've been experiencing." He reached between Rowen's legs and took hold of his hard cock. "I need to take care of this." He said, pushing back the blankets. Rowen rolled to his back, welcoming the relief.

---