Page 11 of Chosen: The Lenkov Journals

Theo

He rose as Alek went to the door to let his brother in.

“It won’t be bad,” Wylder said from next to him. “At least you’ve already met him.”

Theo was not feeling reassured.

“Are you both done eating?” Dario asked while cleaning up the coffee table. Mitch stood with empty plates in his hands.

They’d eaten around the coffee table again so that they could all relax and just hang out. It had been nice, sitting around, talking, eating. Not about anything serious but what they’d done that week. Wylder flirting, Alek blushing, Mitch booming laughter, Dario running his hand down Theo’s back, and Theo basking in it all.

“I’m done,” Theo replied.

“Me too,” Wylder said.

Dario took the leftover food and dirty plates to the kitchen. Theo wanted to immediately call him back. Instead, he turned as Alek reentered the living area. Professor Blake’s eyes were wide as he looked around the massive penthouse.

It was a little intimidating to be in the massive space, but Theo was more comfortable than he’d expected. Dario had made him feel comfortable, cared about, almost loved.

“Here are two of my mates,” Alek said. He motioned to Theo and Wylder.

“Mr. Bailey!” Professor Blake exclaimed and smiled. “I should have known.”

“Hi, professor.” Theo gave a small wave.

Professor Blake waved his hand. “Call me Evian unless we are in class.” He walked over to pull Theo into a hug.

Theo didn’t know what to do! He glanced frantically at Wylder.

“Hey, professor! I’m Wylder.”

Hellcats! He was so thankful for Wylder.

“Welcome to the family,” Professor Blake, Evian, whispered in Theo’s ear. He pulled away before grabbing Wylder.

He hugged Wylder too. “Both of you. Welcome to the family. So happy to meet you.”

Theo could finally breathe. Professor Blake, no, Evian, he needed to think of him as Evian, seemed happy to see Theo there.

Dario and Mitch returned.

“Dario!” Evian grinned. “If I knew my brother was your type, I would have forced him to attend the lecture.”

Dario laughed. “That might have saved time but then I might have missed Theo.” They exchanged hard back slaps.

Evian turned to him. “You were there?”

Theo blushed but nodded. “I was entranced. Didn’t hear a word of it.”

That brought another round of laughter.

“I spotted him in the crowd and sent Ferguson after him.”

“How is Fergie?” Evian asked. “We were supposed to grab dinner.”

“Fine, busy as always. Let me introduce you to Mitch.”

Evian held out his arms.

Mitch scowled, stepping back. “What?”

Theo had to hide his giggle.

Evian stalked closer to Mitch.

Mitch continued to back away.

“Ev—” Alek warned.

“What? I just want to hug my new brother,” Evian smirked.

Oh! Theo hadn’t known that his professor was a prankster. He was having too much fun chasing Mitch around the room. The demon warrior didn’t want anything to do with Evian.

“Back!” Mitch pointed a finger at Evian.

“Brother!” Evian exclaimed. He was still reaching for Mitch.

Theo lost it. This was just too funny. He fell to the couch laughing with Wylder landing beside him. Their laughter nearly drowned out Mitch’s squawk as he hid behind Dario.

“Enough!” Alek barked.

Evian dropped his arms. “Fine.” He grinned at Mitch. “We’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

“Is that a threat?” Mitch demanded. He was eyeing Evian like he was one of the demons that needed to be taken down.

“It’s a promise!” Evian replied.

“I’m so sorry.” Alek sat next to Theo. “He is a nutcase.”

“I’m not even the worse one,” Evian supplied. He walked over to drop onto the couch beside Wylder. “Thomas is twice as bad.” He shook his head. “And the twins. Beware of the twins.”

Theo looked over to Alek. “Beware?”

“They’re…” Alek seemed stuck.

“Crazy!” Evian supplied. “And our fathers…”

“Stop!” Alek demanded. “You’re going to scare my mates away!”

“Nah.” Evian threw an arm around Wylder’s shoulder. “They’re tougher than that.”

Theo glanced at Dario. Dario was hovering close to the doorway he’d come through from the kitchen. He shook his head at Theo before winking.

Hellcats! He hadn’t known that his professor was nuts.

Evian clapped his hands. “Who has the journals?”

“I do,” Theo admitted. “I’ll just go grab them.”

“Great! I know there is something in there about the dark elves. I just can’t remember which one,” Evian said.

“I haven’t found anything yet,” Theo said.

“It’s in there. I’ll have a better idea in which one once I look,” Evian promised.

Theo rose from the couch before hurrying down the hall. He was tempted to hide out in his new room. It was so comforting and soothing, but he had to be an adult. He pulled the journals from his bag before heading back to the living room. The sooner they could find what they needed, the quicker they could get to their movie night.

Reentering the living room, Theo placed the journals on the coffee table before he went to where Mitch was sitting on the end of the couch. As far from Evian as he could get.

“Are you okay?” Theo asked while climbing into Mitch’s lap.

Mitch wrapped an arm around him to hold him close. “He’s weird.”

Theo snorted. Evian was a little different, but Theo didn’t see that as a bad thing. As uptight as Alek tended to be, and as stern as his professor was in class, this other side of Evian amused Theo. He’d expected Evian to be closed off like Alek.

“And sparkly,” Mitch said.

“What?” Theo looked back over at Evian. Sparkly?

Alek joined them on the couch. Dario and Wylder were talking with Evian, giving some semblance of privacy.

“He takes after Mahah, my angel father,” Alek said.

Mitch stiffened.

“Wait!” Theo demanded. “Like the opposite of demons? That kind of angel?”

“No.” Alek shook his head. “Not opposites. More like they counterbalance each other.”

That didn’t make any more sense to Theo. “But he sparkles?”

“To me he does,” Mitch’s nose was turned up. “It’s a thing.”

“That’s Alek’s brother. You are going to have to get used to him,” Theo pointed out.

Mitch grunted.

Well, Theo tried. He didn’t understand and was tired of not knowing things. The Tate journal, as Theo had started to think about it, was just sitting abandoned on the coffee table and Theo really wanted it.

Alek glanced over before he leaned to grab the journal that Theo wanted.

Evian was already on his knees sorting through the journals. He’d set the Tate journal aside, allowing Alek to hand it over to Theo.

Theo hugged his journal to his chest.

“It’s this one,” Evian said, placing his hand over the third journal. The journal shook before opening on its own.

The pages were thin and flimsy. Alek had assured Theo that magic kept the journals intact and protected the pages but Theo still worried that he’d be the one to ruin them. He leaned forward, intrigued. The journals didn’t open for him that way.

“I need to borrow this one again,” Evian said.

Holding the Tate journal, Theo shrugged when Alek glanced at him.

“Sure,” Alek responded to his brother.

Evian nodded. He closed the book and sat back before looking over to them. “So, demon…”

Mitch groaned. “I don’t like you.”

Evian laughed. “I know!”

* * * * *

Mitch

There were moments in his life that Mitch he would always remember. The day he found out the true story of his parents’ mating, the feeling of accomplishment when he’d graduated from apprentice to warrior, the first time he’d taken his men into battle, that rainy afternoon that he’d met his four mates, and this night…his first cuddle and movie slumber party. Or that was what Wylder had called it.

Sometimes Mitch struggled with how seriously he should take the human’s humor. Unlike many of his brethren, Mitch had never chosen to spend time in the human realm. Humans were…often worse than demons. At least with a demon you knew to be on guard around them. Humans were sneaky and liked to stab each other in the back. It made Mitch…twitchy. And a twitchy demon warrior was not good.

Wylder was not like any other human Mitch had ever met.

He was brave, kind, and made Mitch smile.

There hadn’t been many reasons to smile in his life. Mitch didn’t mind his existence. It was better than never being born at all. His father was everything the humans thought demons to be, but he was proud of Mitch. Mitch’s mother was another story. Looking at him was a reminder of the marriage she hadn’t wanted. She loved Mitch in her own way.

He was friendly with his demon warrior brethren but not exactly friends. There were a few demons he was close to that Mitch would like to introduce his mates to someday.

His mates.

Mitch’s entire world had been turned upside down. His father was beyond thrilled that his offspring had been chosen. Mitch wasn’t sure what his future would look like now. Being afraid wasn’t an emotion that he was familiar with.

He was scared now.

There was so much responsibility that came with being one of the chosen mates.

Theo snuffled in his sleep before rolling over and burying his head against Mitch’s chest.

This was… Mitch didn’t even have words.Theo’s sweetness terrified him. How was Mitch supposed to protect the young man when Theo wasn’t even aware of all the danger he faced. Theo’s abandonment by his parents worried him. Shifters didn’t give up their young. The cat clowder should have stepped up if something terrible happened to his parents.

It was worrisome that Theo had been on his own for so long.

Mitch wasn’t sure how to help Theo. Where to even begin. He wanted to train his mates to learn to fight but there was also a part of him that never wanted Theo to face any danger.

He would do anything to have more nights where he could just lie here holding one mate while surrounded by his others. After they’d all eaten what had to be the best Italian food Mitch had ever tried, they’d crashed out on the couch, under blankets, the five of them. Somehow Mitch had ended up in the middle, with Theo and Wylder on either side of him, Dario next to Wylder, and Aleksander beside Theo.

The couch Mitch had seen before had been added to, where now they could stretch out their legs on cushions in front of them.The couch had turnedinto a giant bed of sorts. Mitch didn’t know what to call it but all he knew was it was comfortable. Like sleeping on a cloud.

With the sliding glass door open to let in the soft breeze, they’d needed the blankets so Wylder and Theo didn’t get cold. Aleksander didn’t seem to notice the chilliness in the air and Mitch and Dario ran hot. It was the two youngest mates that needed to be covered.

He didn’t know what had woken him, but Mitch wasn’t upset. Not whenhe could lie awake while his mates slept against him. Mitch breathed in the mixture of alluring scents that came from his mates.

There hadn’t been any sex before they’d fallen asleep. In the past Mitch hadn’t even cuddled his sexual partners so this was completely new to him.

Mitch would be forced to admit, if questioned, that he enjoyed sex. Lots of sex. With many different creatures. Being a demon warrior made it quite easy for him to find a bed partner. Or on several occasions multiple bed partners. That wouldn’t happen for him now. Once he mated, the touch of another wouldn’t satisfy him if it wasn’t one of his mates.

He’d thought he’d be more upset when that realization hit, but now, with his mates beside him, Mitch couldn’t picture ever wanting anyone other than them. Which sort of freaked him out. They hadn’t even done more than kiss and Mitch would tear out the heart of anyone who touched what was his.

Lightning flashed in the sky as the scent of rain flooded into the apartment. Mitch smiled. He loved thunderstorms.

Theo whimpered as he attempted to bury deeper into Mitch’s chest. Mitch raised his hand to hold the boy tighter. His sweet, quiet, innocent mate. And fuck, Theo was innocent.

Part of Mitch’s abilities gave him the power to read another’s aura. It wasn’t commonly known, as warriors weren’t gifted with the ability, but Mitch’s power came from his sire. One look at Theo and Mitch had known that the boy was pure as snow. Not only sexually, but Theo was pure of heart as well. How had a literal half-demon from hell been picked for such a sweet mate? Mitch still couldn’t explain it. Yet, he didn’t feel trapped or confined as he feared. Mitch was honored.

Another lightning strike was quickly followed by a boom of thunder.

Theo gasped, waking suddenly. He cringed before starting to shake.

“Shh,” Mitch whispered. “It’s okay.”

Theo peered up at him, flushing red. “Oh! Sorry I didn’t mean to practically climb on top of you.” He tried to ease away but Mitch didn’t let him go.

“No,” Mitch responded quietly. “You’re perfect right where you are.” He enjoyed the weight of his boy on top of him. Plus, he knew that his heat would keep Theo warm as well.

“Are you sure?” Theo stared at Mitch with so much trust.

“I am.”

“Did I wake you up?”

“No,” Mitch assured Theo. “I was lying here thinking about how blessed I am.”

Theo’s eyes widened.

Before Mitch could explain further, another boom of thunder accompanied a flash in the sky. With the curtains and door open, they had a front-row seat to the storm.

Theo’s soft whine worried Mitch.

“Are you okay?”

Drawing in a deep breath, Theo nodded then quickly shook his head.

“You don’t like thunderstorms?” Mitch asked.

“The…elves…”

Fuck! Mitch hadn’t even thought about the fact that thunder and lightning had accompanied the dark elves’ attack on the boy. “I’ll get up and close the door.”

“No!” Theo said loudly. He glanced at their sleeping mates before ducking his head. “No, it’s okay.”

Mitch had started to sit up but relaxed back down into the couch cushions. “Are you sure?”

“You…uh…you like the storms.”

“I do,” he replied honestly.

“Why?” Theo asked as he laid his head back on Mitch’s shoulder.

Mitch curled his arm around Theo’s back. “For multiple reasons. I like the power of the storm. The energy and static in the air. The taste of the lightning.”

Theo hummed as he petted down Mitch’s chest. Mitch wore an old, faded T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts as they’d been relaxing before falling asleep.

“I love the smell and the cleanness after a storm as well. Like Mother Nature had her tantrum and now everything is okay,” Mitch continued. Theo seemed to calm with Mitch’s words.

“That’s…nice.”

“There is power in storms,” Mitch told him. “I can draw on the energy.”

“Like the elves?”

“No, they use storms to hide. I can’t create a storm, but I can manipulate it.”

“Cool. I can’t do anything like that.”

He ran his hand down Theo’s back to comfort him. “Maybe not but you can shift into an adorable ginger cat.” Mitch really liked Theo’s shifted form. The boy appeared more confident and definitely liked being petted.

Theo snorted. “Yeah, that’s going to be helpful. In the middle of a fight with dark elves I can shift and climb a tree. Woo-hoo.”

Mitch growled. He couldn’t keep the sound inside. Every instinct he had pushed at him to fix the sadness he heard in Theo’s voice.

“Ignore me. I’m just feeling sorry for myself.”

“No.” Mitch caught Theo’s chin in his hand and forced the boy to meet his gaze. “I will never ignore your feelings, and neither will our other mates.”

“Yeah.” Theo pressed his lips together. “You don’t have to tell them. I’m just being silly.”

Mitch glanced over Theo’s shoulder where Aleksander was watching them with hooded eyes. The vampire hadn’t let Theo know he was awake, but Mitch had known the moment that Aleksander’s breathing had changed.

“We don’t hide things from our mates,” Mitch ordered. Fuck, why was he having to be the responsible one? Dario would be much better at this conversation. It didn’t look like he was going to get any help from Aleksander either.

Theo sighed.

“Besides, what if you aren’t meant to be the warrior in our group?”

“What do you mean?” Hope filled the boy’s eyes.

Shit, Mitch didn’t even know. Unlike Theo and Wylder, he hadn’t given much thought to the journals that Aleksander had provided of the past chosen. Mitch knew his role. He was the fighter.

“The way I see it, we were put together for a purpose,” he started. “Chosen as a match because we would complement each other. Five warriors in the group wouldn’t do much good if fighting wasn’t always needed, right?”

“I guess.”

“Okay, let’s try this. Aleksander’s fathers, they have a human in the mating, and not an enhanced human like Wylder, a regular human.”

Theo stiffened. “That’s true. Tate. He writes the journals.”

“So obviously they don’t leave the human behind when they go on missions. I can’t imagine anyone who’d sired Aleksander being okay with that.”

Behind Theo, Aleksander gave a small nod of his head. Mitch must not be fucking this up too much.

“Yeah.” Theo looked thoughtful.

“It would be something to talk to Aleksander’s human father about,” Mitch advised.

“Which means we have to meet them,” Theo said quietly.

“I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to go our entire mating without meeting his family,” Mitch teased.“We already met the weird brother.”

Theo giggled. “He’s not even that weird.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree about that. The others can’t be that bad.”

He could see the amusement in Aleksander’s eyes as well. The vampire was quiet. Giving Mitch and Theo their time together, but he was listening. Maybe Mitch should feel bad that Theo didn’t know Aleksander was awake, but Mitch actually enjoyed the fact that Theo was sharing something with just him.

“What…” Theo plucked at Mitch’s shirt. “What if they don’t like me?” he whispered.

Aleksander’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth but Mitch had this part at least. He kissed Theo’s forehead. “I guarantee that they are going to love you.” Mitch was already half in love with the sweet shifter himself.

“You can’t know that,” Theo argued.

“But I can. I’m going to share a secret with you. One that no one but my sire and mother know.”

Theo’s eyes widened.

He avoided looking at Aleksander. He hoped that he didn’t make Aleksander uncomfortable. “I can read auras.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Theo confessed.

Mitch dropped his hand to tap at Theo’s heart. “It means that I know someone’s true intention, I can see what evil or what good they’ve done in the past, and I know if they’re a good person or not.”

“Can you see mine?” Theo asked with wonder.

“I can, my little mate. You are as pure as snow. The first time I saw you, I was almost blinded by how good you are. It was quite unbelievable at first.”

“Really?” Theo perked up.

“Baby, you shine with goodness.”

“What’s it look like?” Theo asked.

“Like looking directly into the sun. You know it’s bad for your eyes but you can’t look away. Do you remember how I told you that Evian sparkles?”

Theo nodded.

“His was more like fireworks. I haven’t seen that on anyone before. Your aura is more constant. Just pure goodness.I know that you will have a very important role in our mating because of it. You’ll help people, I can feel it in my bones.”

Theo laid his head back down before hugging Mitch tight.“I don’t have to be a warrior.”

“No, my little mate. You don’t.”

“You have lots of experience,” Theo said. “You knew how to use your sword.”

“I have been practicing my entire life,” Mitch shared. “Although it’s much easier in my true form.”

Theo’s head popped up off his chest. “What do you mean your true form?”

Didn’t Theo know? Well, he probably didn’t. Not with his limited knowledge. Fuck! What if Theo was scared of him?

“Mitch?” Theo pressed when he didn’t answer.

Mitch swallowed hard. “This is my human form. The one I use when in this realm. I don’t…this isn’t what I look like at home.”

“Oh!” Theo sucked in his bottom lip staring at him. “Can I see?”

He shook his head. “Maybe tomorrow? Wylder probably needs to know as well.”

“We could wake him up.” There was excitement in his voice.

“Let’s let him sleep,” Mitch said. That would give him more time to figure out what to do. He shouldn’t have brought it up. It wouldn’t have been an issue unless they went into another realm.

Theo pouted. “But I want to know what you really look like. It doesn’t seem fair that you have to…not be yourself.”

“It’s not so bad,” Mitch lied. “I just need to get used to it.” He really should have spent more time in the human realm.

“But you’re not comfortable!” Theo argued. “It’s not right!”

It warmed him that Theo cared. That didn’t mean that the sweet boy wouldn’t be afraid of him. “It’s fine.”

Theo huffed. “I’ll tell the others in the morning that we need to let you be your natural self. It’s only fair.”

The little shifter wasn’t going to let this go. “Theo, you might not like my natural form.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m a demon,” Mitch reminded him.

“Demon warrior,” Theo corrected.

Mitch chuckled. “Yes, a demon warrior. But the demon is a part of me. I look like a demon.”

“Okay.” Theo nodded. “I don’t know what a demon looks like though. I mean I’ve seen movies but that’s probably not right.”

Mitch wasn’t a movie person. They didn’t have those in hell. Or at least he didn’t.

“Can you tell me?” Theo asked.

Everything that he’d been enjoying of his peaceful night was being ruined. “I don’t have to—”

“Please,” Theo begged.

Shit! As gently as he could, Mitch captured Theo’s wrist. He brought Theo’s hand to his forehead. “I have two horns. Black. Right here. They are bumpy.”

Theo rubbed his fingers over the exact spot where Mitch’s horns would be. He was proud of his horns. They were a feature that demons recognized for power. Virility.

“I also have ridges here.” Mitch brought Theo’s fingers across his cheekbones.

Theo rubbed there as well.

“And along the edges of my nose,” Mitch shared.

Theo moved his fingers on his own this time.

“And along the bottom of my chin,” Mitch added.

Theo smiled. “I think I’m picturing it correctly.”

“I’m also taller than in my human form.”

“Really?” Theo’s eyes widened. “Is that even possible?”

“Of course it is.”

“Okay. Cool.” Theo smiled. “What else?”

“My skin is not skin,” Mitch confessed.

“Not skin?”

“Just not like human skin.”

“That’s okay.” Theo grinned. “I’m all furry when I shift.”

Mitch had to bite back his laugh. He pulled Theo’s head down to his chest. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Just being you.”

“That’s all I can be,” Theo told him.

“Perfect. You are perfect, baby.” He glanced over at Aleksander who had remained quiet but heard every word. There was something like approval in Alek’s gaze that shone back at him. Alek kissed his fingertips before running his hand over where Mitch’s horns would be.

Mitch hadn’t been worried about Aleksander or Dario’s reaction. They had more experience with demons or those that were different. The boys though. Mitch could only trust that the fates knew what they were doing.

Theo snorted. “I think you’re just biased.”

Mitch continued to soothe Theo, running his hand up and down Theo’s back as he hummed. He’d thought Theo had fallen back to sleep before he heard his quiet voice.

“I really like you holding me like this,” Theo whispered.

“I like it too,” Mitch told him. As he continued touching his mate, innocent as it was, he could feel that Theo was responding to his touch in more than one way. Theo’s cock had hardened as he lay against Mitch.

“Can I…can I have a kiss before I go back to sleep?”

“You can have anything you want, my little wildcat.”

Theo smiled at the nickname before pursing his lips.

Mitch kissed him gently before Theo pressed his lips harder against his. Mitch didn’t believe that the little shifter would be holding off physical relations for much longer, although it might take a push for Dario to realize that Theo was ready.

What Theo lacked in experience, he more than made up with enthusiasm. Theo put his entire being into kissing and just a few moments had Theo rubbing against him.

With regret, Mitch slowed the kiss before pulling away.

Theo’s eyes were glazed over as he licked his lips.

“Think you can sleep now?” Mitch asked.

Theo huffed. “Well…”

“Lay your head down,” Mitch demanded as he pushed Theo’s cheek back to his chest. He glanced over and saw Aleksander smiling at him with the same heat that was running through Mitch’s body.

He tightened his arms around Theo as another flash of lightning brightened outside.

“Thanks, Mitch.” Theo rubbed his face against his chest.

Mitch closed his eyes with a smile on his face.