Page 4 of Bound to the Hellhound
“You’ll get another chance to settle the score, I’m sure.” The Master assured him with a pat on the shoulder. “Silas and I managed to decrease the wolf population in this area considerably.” He smiled.
“The Ackerley family will not be pleased," Silas commented lightly.
“Their pleasure is not my concern. Now let’s get home so Valerian can take proper care of his new love.” They drove away as Nelson Tuffin ran from the elevator into the garage, shoutingfor them to stop. He was given no consideration because Theo no longer belonged to him.
“I smelled a human and a wolf when I found my mate on the floor in the basement," Valerian stated as he studied the refined beauty of his mate’s face and the sheer elegance of his presence. “I took out three wolves in the stairwell, but everyone in the basement had scattered and disappeared when I got there.”
“Nelson and Larry were with us," Silas interjected.
“That leaves Justin.” The Master added. “There are only the father and three sons.”
“The wolf was one of Parson's men; his smell was all over him," Valerian said and pulled his mate closer. “I should have gotten to him sooner.” He stared down at his sleeping mate.
"You tore through that place like a madman. There was no way you could have gotten there sooner unless you were magically transported.” Silas said sarcastically.
“This isn’t over. You will get your revenge.” The Master stated with finality.
Parson walked up to where Nelson Tuffin stood staring at the exit long after the black SUV had departed. “DuCane and his bodyguard killed everyone in that room apart from you and your son.” Parson gritted out the words between clenched teeth. “The hellhound killed three of my men on the stairwell, but your sons were spared.” Nelson turned to look at him, and instantly Parson grabbed him by the throat and broke his neck.
Nelson was dead before he had a chance to think or speak. “My men are not going to be the only ones to die this night," Parson said and wiped the blood from his hands onto Nelson’sgray jacket. He then pulled out his phone, dialed Henderson Ackerley, and explained the situation.
“The hellhound left with the youngest Tuffin boy, I think his name is Theo," Parson stated.
“What’s their relationship?”
"I don't know, but he seemed to be the catalyst that set this entire meeting on its ass and turned it into a blood bath.” He didn’t share the fact that his men were the first to draw arms. He was comfortable enough laying all the blame on the Tuffin family or what remained of it.
"I don't want to take on DuCane; he's too powerful, but I can't let this go unchallenged."
"Understood, sir."
“Tell those Tuffin boys, Larry and Justin, they either bring me Theo's head or I'll take theirs. Someone has to pay.”
CHAPTER THREE
Theo had not awakened during their return trip. Valerian was worried, but he could feel that Theo was okay. He was simply unconscious and, according to the Master, would wake when he was ready.
“He's human, and his body and mind are coming to terms with the events of this night. It will resolve itself, and he will come back to you, Valerian. Just be patient." He told him. Valerian could be patient with most things; he was known for his endless patience; however, when it came to his mate, his patience was limited.
The desire to know him, to really talk to him and learn what kind of man he was, and to feel those gorgeous gray eyes on him once again was eating away at Valerian. He understood he really did, but he desperately wanted his little human mate to wake up. The longer it took, the more worried he became.
Valerian had seen humans disappear inside themselves after a trauma, and sometimes they didn't come back. That thought was playing havoc with his heart until the Master laid his hand on Valerian's shoulder, sensing his distress.
“He will come back to you, Valerian. Just hold him and talk to him, let him know you're waiting for him." One minute, the Master could be mercilessly cutting out the heart of an enemy, and in the next minute, he could be soothing the emotional fears of one of his men. Louis DuCane was one of a kind, and his people loved him.
“Thank you, sir.”
Valerian took his mate to his home, which was on the Palace grounds. It was called the King’s Lodge and was a large structure located within the gardens. He was awarded the private home after saving the Master’s life on several occasions. As a hellhound, he was impervious to many things, including dragon fire, which oddly came in handy from time to time as a bodyguard of Master Louis DuCane.
He brought his mate inside and took him to the primary bedroom on the upper floor. Theo was still unconscious, trauma was a tricky thing with humans, and the waiting game was not something Valerian was comfortable with. Unfortunately, there were no other options. The doctors who came declared him to be well, except for a series of healing injuries.
They, like the Master, told him that his mate would wake up when he was ready and not a moment before. Valerian sat next to the bed and watched over him as he slept, noticing the tension still present on his face and in the way his hands remained clenched at his sides. The only time he seemed to relax was when Valerian was holding him.
He stripped down to just his pants and t-shirt and got onto the bed, carefully picking up Theo and placing him on his lap. Valerian leaned against the pillows, braced against the headboard, and wrapped Theo in his arms, bringing him snug to his chest. The minute he held him, he felt Theo's breath releaseand his muscles begin to soften. The relaxation was immediate, and it touched something deep within Valerian to know that he brought peace to his mate.
“Sleep, baby, I'll watch over you." Theo had his head lying on Valerian's chest and his left arm draped around his waist. The pose was natural, and Valerian found it as comforting as his mate. Valerian reached over and switched off the light, and it wasn’t long before he began to doze. Life was edging toward perfect if only his mate would wake up.
Theo opened his eyes and looked around without moving. He didn’t know this room, and the smells were all different from what he was used to. His home life was all harsh cleaning chemicals and cold air. His father gave him a room in a tenement he managed, and he was a stickler for cleanliness. He had someone in every day to clean Theo’s apartment from top to bottom. Theo recognized it as control, but what else did he have?
