Tame Me by Jayda Marx
Chapter Nine
Evan
Archie tapped his fingers on the window sill of my truck as I drove us out to Loch Kilgore. My mate had barely been able to contain his excitement all day; earlier at home, I went to the bathroom and when I came out, I found him in fox form pacing the perimeter of the living room. I helped calm him down by holding him on my lap and combing my fingers through his wiry fur.
Now it seemed that his eagerness was back in full force. Luckily, we were close to our destination. When I parked in a dirt patch next to the water, Archie leapt out of the truck and hurried to my side to open the door for me. He was so damn cute when he was excited.
I looked along the water’s edge and saw that our friends Lachlan, Lennox, Callum and Brodie had arrived before us. There were also a few other people present and I wasn’t surprised; Loch Kilgore offered great fishing and beautiful views of the surrounding heathered hills. People from all over visited throughout the year.
But there was something familiar about the others, who were standing near our friends. I looked closer and a wide smile crossed my lips. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“What is it?” Archie asked, looking in every direction.
“Remember my friends from America I mentioned?” He nodded. “They’re here.”
And they looked to already be causing a scene. Sam stood next to Ben with his arm flung over his best friend’s shoulder. Flynn and Fletcher were behind them, shoving each other and shouting obscenities while Dante rubbed his temples. Bastian and Milo were ignoring everyone and smiling over a private conversation.
“Hey look, they’re here!” Sam shouted, waving his hand over his head. Archie and I sped over to the group and the young blond vampire asked, “Are you surprised?”
“Very surprised,” I admitted, “But I’m thrilled to see you all. What brought you all this way?”
Dante answered in his thick Spanish accent, “Callum called me a few days ago to say that you’d found your fox shifter mate. We’ve never had the pleasure of having a shifter in our covens, and we were all quite excited to meet him.”
“So we got our asses on a plane and came right over,” Sam added less eloquently. “We got in this morning and Callum mentioned that you were all meeting here, so - ta da!”
“Thank you all for making the trip. I’d like you to meet my mate Archie.” I proudly motioned towards my beautiful mate, who was scanning his eyes over the crowd.
“Oi, another redhead!” Flynn remarked, seemingly noticing for the first time that we’d arrived. He and his brother hustled to the front of the group. “Good to meet you, mate,” he added, ruffling Archie’s curls with his hand. “I’m Flynn and this is my brother Fletcher.”
“It’s nice to meet you both,” Archie greeted, shaking each of their hands.
Sam stepped forward and took his turn shaking. “And I’m their better half, Sam.” The twins nodded their agreement to his words.
“Wait...both of them belong to you?” Archie asked, appearing confused. I understood; it was rare for a paranormal being to have more than one mate. But having known Sam as long as I had, I couldn’t imagine him being satisfied with just one.
“Lucky me, right?” Sam replied while bouncing his eyebrows. “These sexy gingerbread men double dunk in my milk every damn day.”
“For god’s sake, Sam,” Bastian grumbled while Ben giggled into his hand. “Forgive him, Archie. He tends to be a little...well, for a lack of a better word, disgusting.”
Sam gasped and put his hand on his chest. “I prefer the term ‘sexually entertaining’.” He winked at Archie and added, “Otherwise known as hilarious and fun.”
“And irritating,” Bastian said with an eye roll. He shooed Sam out of the way to shake Archie’s hand. “It’s good to meet you. I’m Bastian and this is Milo.” Milo smiled and greeted my mate with a handshake as well.
“And I’m Dante,” the prince introduced himself when it was his turn. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you.” He bowed his head before resting his hand on Ben’s shoulder. “And this is my beautiful mate Benny.”
Ben beamed and threw his arms around Archie’s neck. “Welcome to our crazy little family.” He and Brodie were a lot alike in that they were sweet, personable, and open with their emotions. Archie seemed less taken aback than when Brodie hugged him, smiling as he gave Ben a good squeeze.
“Well, now that introductions are out of the way,” Callum began, “Shall we get started? I brought enough poles for everyone.”
“We don’t need poles,” Sam insisted. “My gingersnaps are just going to wade out into the water, lift their kilts and dip in their meaty worms. I bet they’ll each catch a whopper.” Bastian groaned, and Dante looked like he had a headache, but the rest of us (including Archie) laughed.
“Maybe you should take these just in case,” Callum said as he handed over three fishing poles.
Once everyone had a pole, Callum passed around a container full of nightcrawlers. Ben frowned as he inspected the worm in his palm. “Aw, look at the little guy. I wish he didn’t have to get stabbed. Will you do it for me, osito?”
“Of course, little love,” Dante replied as he took the worm from his mate.
“Little love?” Achie asked, and Ben nodded with a smile. “I like that. It’s kind of like how Evan calls me wee one.”
Ben cooed with his hand on his chest, but Sam appeared disappointed. “You don’t call him ‘foxy’? You missed a golden opportunity, dude.” I shrugged and chuckled as he went back to stabbing his bait.
When we were all prepared, we stepped to the water and tossed in our lines. Ben squealed when he reeled in the first fish (although he asked Dante to unhook it and put it in the cooler for him), and the rest of the group soon followed. Everybody was catching a steady string of fish...except Archie.
My poor mate couldn’t quite get the hang of the pole or casting his line. I was surprised because I knew he loved to fish, but I wanted to do anything I could to help him. I circled my hand over his back and asked, “Do you need anything, wee one?”
He replied quietly, “This isn’t how I’m used to fishing.”
“Do you use a different type of pole? Or bait? How can I help you?”
“I’m not sure you can.” He looked around at our friends before speaking into my mind, “If I fish how I usually do, I'm afraid everyone will laugh at me.”
“Archie, I promise no one will do that. Everyone here cares about you. They’re your friends. We all just want you to be comfortable and happy.”
He chewed on his lip for a moment before nodding. “Will you shield me?”
“Of course.” I wasn’t sure what was happening, but I stood guard in front of Archie’s small body. A few moments later, a bright red fox wiggled out between my legs and walked to the water’s edge.
Brodie gasped at the sight, Ben dropped his pole and clapped, and the rest of us watched with huge grins as Archie waded into the gentle water. He went completely still as he stared at something below the surface and then lurched forward without warning, dipping his face into the liquid. A moment later, he lifted up a huge trout that flapped and wriggled between his teeth.
The group burst into cheers and applause as he trotted back onto the bank and dropped his fish in the cooler with the rest.
“That was amazing!” Lennox exclaimed, and the rest of us chimed in with our agreement.
Ben sank to his knees beside my mate. “You are such a pretty fox! Is it okay if I touch you?” He asked Archie, but he also looked at me, which I appreciated. We both nodded and Ben ran his fingers through my mate’s fur. “Thank you.”
Lennox, Brodie and Milo joined Ben on the ground, petting and scratching my little fox. I worried that it might be too much for him, so I asked him mentally, “Are you okay?”
“I’m great. Everyone is so nice and I think they really like me! Isn’t it incredible?”
I beamed at my sweet mate. “Yes it is, my love.” Lachlan patted my back with a smile; he knew what it meant to me for my mate to enjoy being in our group.
After Archie got a long stretch of attention, we all went back to fishing. Now that my mate was in his element, he caught more than the rest of us combined.
Once our cooler was full to bursting, Flynn and Fletcher built a fire on a clear patch of ground and we all took a seat around it. The heat from the flames felt nice; now that the sun had gone down and stars were speckled over the dark sky, the air was cool and crisp, chilling my skin even through my thick jumper.
“Ooh, I have an idea!” Brodie exclaimed, breaking the silence between us. “While we’re waiting for the fire to burn down to cook on, I can play a song! Callum, do you have my flute?”
“I never leave home without it, m’anam.” It was true; Callum was always prepared because his mate loved to play on any occasion at any place.
Callum pulled the wooden instrument from the utility pocket on his kilt and passed it to Brodie. He put the mouthpiece between his lips and played a few notes to warm up. Then he took a deep breath and blew harder, sending a slow, pretty tune into the air.
Milo and Bastian nodded their heads to the melody and Ben climbed onto Dante’s lap. The other couples (or throuples, in Sam’s case) snuggled close, and Archie (who was in human form again) rested his head on my shoulder.
But after a few moments, Archie lifted his head to tell me, “I know this song.”
Brodie stopped playing and dropped the flute from his lips. “You do?”
“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
Brodie flapped his hand at my mate. “No, no, I just meant; do you know the words?”
“I do,” Archie smiled. “My mom used to sing this song to my brother when he was little.”
“Did she sing it to you too?” Lennox asked. He was just trying to make conversation, but I felt Archie’s sadness rolling off of him. He shook his head no and Lennox’s expression dropped. “I’m so sorry.”
To my surprise, Archie smiled and his sadness dissipated. “It’s okay.” He looked at everyone and added, “I have a great family now.” My heart melted, as did all of my friends sitting around the fire.
“Aye, you do,” Callum replied with a nod, and Ben sniffled quietly.
Brodie asked him, “Will you sing while I play?”
“I’m probably not very good,” Archie answered, ducking his head.
I rubbed my hand over his back and insisted, “I’m sure you’ll sound lovely.” My mate blushed and nodded to Brodie. When the tune began again, Archie crooned in a sweet, velvet voice:
Legend says on Misty Isle, treasures do abound,
Riches beyond yer wildest dreams, but never have they been found.
For many men have prepared their ships to sail by the light of day,
But every time the sun does rise, the isle sinks away.
Tonight when the moon shines, my love, I'll tell you what I'll do,
I'll sail across the ocean deep and bring the treasures back to you.
Brodie lowered his flute and silence fell over the group. I was sure that our friends, like me, were in awe of Archie’s hidden talent. I lowered my mouth to his ear and told him, “I’ve never heard anything so beautiful. You amaze me.”
“Thank you,” he whispered, and then puckered his lips for a kiss.
After a few more minutes of silence, Fletcher suggested, “Come on, Flynn; help me clean the fish.”
The two of them stood up and Sam asked, “Will groping you while you clean help? Because I’m down for that.”
“Definitely,” Flynn answered with a naughty grin.
But they never made it that far. After he was on his feet, Sam sniffed the air and looked across the lake. I followed his gaze to find a fox with its head lowered, drinking the water. I sniffed the air as well and realized that we weren’t looking at a fox, but a shifter.
“Hey Arch, is that a friend of yours?” Sam asked, pointing to the animal.
The moment Archie saw the animal, his face lost all color. “No. Evan, we need to go. Please, we need to leave.”
“What’s wrong?” I asked as he jumped to his feet, though I had a pretty good idea already. I rose to my feet as well and he pulled on my hand desperately.
“He’s from my skulk.”
Just then, the fox jerked its head up and stared at Archie for a few moments before dashing off into the trees. “Oh god, he saw me. He'll tell Alpha Torrence! Please, we need to go. Please!”
I scooped him into my arms and held him tightly. “It’s okay. I’ve got you and we’re leaving.”
Without direction, Flynn and Fletcher knelt on the ground and tossed dirt onto the fire to extinguish it as Sam looked on in confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“The other shifters in his skulk mistreated and abused him,” I explained quickly. Ben gasped, Brodie covered his mouth with his hands, and Milo cracked his knuckles.
“Oh, fuck no.” Many of our friends didn’t have easy pasts, Milo included. He’d suffered abuse as well and appeared hellbent on saving Archie from further pain.
“I ran away to be with Evan and if they find me, they’ll kill me!” Archie exclaimed. His breathing quickened until he nearly hyperventilated in my arms.
Dante stepped forward and patted my mate’s back. “We’ll protect you, Archie. You have my word.” My mate mumbled his thanks into my chest, where he was burrowing deeper into my hold. He was terrified and needed to be as close to me as possible.
"I got all of our belongings," Lachlan announced as he approached us, carrying all of the poles. "Let's get your mate out of here."
I nodded and we all headed towards our vehicles, but after only a few steps, we froze at a thundering sound behind us. I slowly turned around and saw a dozen foxes in the distance running straight at us. Archie whimpered and squeezed me tighter.
“It’s okay, wee one. I’m right here, but I need to put you down now, okay?” I placed his feet on the ground and tucked him behind me just as the group of foxes shifted into men; tall, muscular, furious-looking men.
“You know, once upon a time, this would be something straight out of my wettest dream,” Sam teased, nodding towards the group of naked men. “But they’ve got nothing on my gingersnaps.” As a mated vampire, Sam would not be attracted to anyone other than Flynn and Fletcher.
Ben, however, was human, which explained why Dante had his hand over his mate’s eyes. Bastian appeared torn as he looked between the men and Milo, but his mate told him, “Don’t worry, Papi; I’m not looking at the naughty bits. I just want to be prepared for whatever the hell is about to happen.”
“I’m totally prepared,” Sam jumped in. “We haven’t had a good fight in a while. Let’s kick some ass, shall we?”
“I don’t want anyone to get hurt,” Archie insisted. “We can still leave.”
“They’ll follow us,” Lachlan gathered, and I knew he was right. The skulk had seen us and could easily track us.
“This ends now.” I turned around to face Archie and took his cheeks in my hands. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you either.”
“I’m stronger than I look,” I told him with a wink, showing more confidence than I felt. I was strong, but so were shifters. And I wasn’t a fighter. But I would fight for Archie. I kissed him and looked at Callum and Lachlan, who took the hint without having to hear a word. They stood on either side of my mate, watching over him.
When I turned around again, the shifters were only a few yards away. Archie whimpered behind me as I marched up to who I believed to be the Alpha; he was the largest of the group and hatred burned in his eyes.
“You have something that belongs to me,” he growled when we were face to face.
“Archie is my mate. He belongs with me.”
“That pathetic excuse for a shifter doesn’t deserve a mate.” My group of friends all growled behind me, but Torrence’s gaze didn’t leave mine. “He went against my orders and deserted the skulk. He must face the consequences.”
“He’s not going anywhere.”
Torrence arched his brow. “You’re willing to fight for him?”
“Anything for him.”
“You do realize that when I kill you, your precious mate dies too. Maybe - just maybe - if you hand him over to us, I will keep him alive to serve us. He did have one good use.” Several of the shifters behind him snickered and my blood boiled.
“Shut your fucking mouth. You’ll never lay another finger on him.”
“You had your chance, and now you’ll pay with your life. The world will have one less bloodsucker and worthless shifter.”
In a blink, Torrence tackled me to the ground and wrapped his hands around my throat. I kicked and wriggled beneath his hold as my friends cursed and screamed at the Alpha and his skulk.
And then all hell broke loose. The fox shifters charged my vampire friends, who met them head on. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw Callum, Lachlan, Dante, Bastian, Sam, Flynn, Fletcher and Milo (at Bastian’s side) embroiled in their own vicious battles. Fists clashed and blood splattered the ground.
I could also hear Archie's tears and feel his fear. It gave me strength I didn't know I had. I gripped Torrence's hands, which were crushing my windpipe, and bent his fingers back, snapping their bones. He hissed and flinched, giving me the opportunity to wrestle him off of me.
I kneed him in the stomach and tackled him to the ground before punching his face repeatedly with all my might. Blood splashed up my forearms and his cheek and jaw bones shattered beneath my hands. I didn't give him time to heal before I struck him again and again.
I gripped my hands around his throat and squeezed. Torrence clawed at my hands, but I didn't let up. I sank my nails into his flesh and choked him harder. His eyes began to glass over and his chest quivered as he tried and failed to suck in a breath.
I leaned down until our noses touched to tell him, "Maybe - just maybe - I'll let you live if you never come near my mate again. Forget his face. Forget his name. Never lay foot near vampire land for the rest of your days."
I watched for any sign of surrender, and thought I saw one when Torrence's lips swished around, but then he spat in my face. He would not forfeit for an unworthy cause, and his pride would cost him dearly.
I squeezed until his throat compressed, his vertebrae crumbling beneath my hands. Life left his eyes, but just to be sure, I spun his head until it faced the dirt underneath him. I'd never killed a man before, but I felt no remorse. It was my duty and honor to protect my mate.
I stood up and wiped my bloody hands on my jeans before taking in the scene around me; shifter bodies littered the ground while my vampire friends stood over them catching their breath. Their mates were at their sides, providing comfort and telling them how brave they were.
I looked for my mate, but saw no sign of him. "Where's Archie?" I asked in a panic.
"He was right next to me just a second ago," Ben replied. "He was running to you."
My heart beat wildly as terrible thoughts paraded through my mind. And then, within my mind, came a sound that made my blood run cold; Archie's fearful voice yelling, "Evan, help! In the forest!"
I spun around to face the woods just in time to see one last shifter dragging Archie backwards beyond the treeline, covering his mouth to keep him silent.
"Fuck, one slipped past us!" Milo yelled, but I was already sprinting after my love, with my friends' footsteps slapping the ground behind me.
I burst into the woods while branches scratched my face. I raised a hand and snapped off a thick twig as I ran. Finally, I came upon Archie and the shifter who held him hostage.
"Let him go!" I screamed, but the bassa just smiled wickedly.
"Say goodbye." He gripped Archie's throat as if to snap it, but I was faster. I threw the twig like a javelin, burying the sharp stick in the shifter's eye. He's instinctively let go of Archie, who ran for me.
But I wasn't finished yet, and my friends were well aware of that. They ran forward, grabbing hold of Archie and leaving me to deal with the shifter.
I slapped one hand on his forehead and used the other to pry out the twig, dragging his eyeball out with it. He howled in pain, which grew louder when I stuck two fingers off each hand into his eye socket.
The shifter punched and cursed me while I pulled in opposite directions, but it was no use. My rage gave me unmatched strength. A loud crack filled the air and a split formed down the middle of his forehead.
I pulled harder and his one eye rolled back as I ripped his face in two, bones and all. Blood and brain matter rained over my shoes and I dropped the limp body onto the ground.
Archie ran to me again, and this time I scooped him into a tight embrace. I buried my nose into his hair and breathed in his sweet earthy scent, centering my body and soul.
“You killed him,” Archie said into my chest. “You guys killed them all.”
“A few mangy mutts were no match for vampires,” Sam replied proudly.
Bastian shot him an irritated glance before giving my mate a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry about your skulk, but if we didn’t fight, we all would have lost our lives.”
“I don’t mourn for them,” Archie corrected. “You set me free.” I kissed his forehead before he nuzzled his face into my neck, breathing in my scent as well.
“What should we do with the bodies?” Fletcher asked.
Callum thought for a moment before answering, “I say we dump them in the lake and let the fish eat them.”
“Sweet,” Sam said simply before grabbing the dead shifter’s ankle and tossing his body over his shoulder like he weighed nothing. He carried it to the water’s edge, but didn’t throw it in; instead, he dropped it on the ground with the others. “We need to stab their lungs or else they’ll float,” he announced with a shrug.
I didn’t want to know how he knew that, and I was glad there was no one else around when several of my friends grabbed sharp rocks and punctured the bodies repeatedly. Once they were satisfied, all of the shifters were thrown into the water, where they sank like stones.
“Eat up, fishies,” Ben called. Because he was so sweet, it was even more terrifying when he said such things.
“Speaking of fish, I’m taking these with us; they look delicious,” Flynn said as he grabbed up the cooler. I blinked at him, wondering how he could be thinking of food at a time like this. He shrugged. “What? I’m hungry.”
“I could eat,” Milo agreed. I wondered exactly how many fights they'd been in to be so unaffected.
Lennox snapped his fingers. “Everyone should come to the bakery! We can bake the fish and have lots of sweeties afterwards.” Everybody cheered except for my mate; I still felt his discomfort and need.
“Thank you for the offer, but I need to get Archie home now.”
“We understand,” Dante replied with a kind smile. “Take care of your mate and we’ll see you soon.”
Archie lifted his head to regard the group. “Thank you all so much for your help. I can’t believe you fought for me.”
“Believe it,” Fletcher argued. “Like Ben said, we’re one big crazy family. We’re always here for each other.”
Archie smiled before nuzzling into me again. “Come, wee one; you need rest.”
He straddled my lap as I drove us home, and then I carried him inside. I gently scrubbed both of us in a hot shower before taking him to bed. For extra comfort and security, I rolled Archie up like a burrito in the thick pile of blankets before cradling him in my arms.
“Thank you for protecting me tonight. I’m so lucky to have you; I don’t have to worry anymore. We can just live our happy life together. I love you so much, Evan.”
“I love you too, Archie.” I dropped a kiss to the tip of his nose before patting his arse as I rocked him gently, humming the tune he sang at the lake. Before long, my sweet mate relaxed and fell asleep in my arms.
