Page 5 of Chosen: The Lenkov Journals

Wylder

He had turned into a stalker. A true bona fide stalker and Wylder wasn’t even ashamed of it. If he wasn’t in class, working his part-time job, or unable to get away, Wylder was keeping track of Theo Bailey.

It was now obvious to Wylder that Theo was struggling in a way that the young man should not. He didn’t appear to have any friends although Theo’s roommate seemed like a good guy. Theo spent way too much time alone. The worst thing that Wylder had found was Theo’s eating habits though. Theo only ate one meal a day. And during those meals, he didn’t consume nearly enough for a human, much less a shifter. Wylder was worried and he was going to have to step in soon.

He’d had enough watching the small shifter run around and wear himself out. A few times Wylder had worried he’d be caught, but other than a few quick glances over his shoulder, Theo didn’t seem to notice him. Didn’t the shifter have any instincts? He should have at least felt Wylder close by.

Wylder had been trained his entire life for joining the military. His father, grandfather, uncles, they’d taken him out into the woods for hunting, getting Wylder used to firing a weapon.

In his backyard had been an obstacle course that Wylder started his morning running from the day he started kindergarten.

His entire life had revolved around serving his country.

There hadn’t been any play dates or parties for him.

His strict father, difficult mother, all his family only cared that he became the best soldier before Wylder had ever been a soldier.

Instincts had been wired into his subconscious before Wylder understood what was happening.

In Theo’s shoes Wylder would be suspicious. Even if he wasn’t enhanced. Theo was either too trusting or something more was going on. Wylder was driving himself insane. Something had to change.

It was time that Wylder made his move. He couldn’t just keep following the little shifter around. Even now he leaned against the tree across from Theo’s dorm building as the shifter had gone inside twenty minutes ago. If Theo kept to his regular routine, he wouldn’t be leaving his room again, even on a Friday night.

Wylder sensed he was no longer alone before he turned his head to meet the pale blue of the other from the hockey game.

“Hello, Wylder,” Aleksander greeted.

“Hello, Aleksander.” Wylder hadn’t figured out where this attractive man fit in with Theo yet. Wylder hadn’t seen or felt Aleksander around, but here he was. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you,” Aleksander answered quickly.

Wylder snorted. “And why would you be looking for me here?”

Frowning, Aleksander glanced around. “I started at the arena as that was the last place I saw you. I’ve been walking around trying to pick up…”

“My scent?” Wylder finished when Aleksander trailed off.

“Yes.” Aleksander smoothed his hand over his suit jacket.

Seriously, why was the guy wearing another fancy suit?Friday night casual. Hadn’t the man heard of it?

“Don’t you have any casual clothes?”

“I beg your pardon?” Aleksander seemed taken aback by Wylder’s question.

Wylder waved a hand at the suit. “Pretty fancy dressing for stalking someone.”

“I was not stalking you,” Aleksander replied with a huff.

“Mm-hm.” Just like Wylder wasn’t stalking Theo. “Well, you stand out in that suit. Not even the professors around here dress like that.”

“I would hope not. This suit cost three thousand dollars.”

His mouth dropped open before Wylder forced himself to close it. “You spent three thousand dollars on a suit? What is wrong with you?”

With a sniff, Aleksander raised his chin. Oh, a challenge. Aleksander didn’t like Wylder’s direct questions. Well, that was too damn bad. Wylder might find Aleksander attractive, but he wasn’t letting this man around Theo until he knew what Aleksander wanted with the shifter. Theo was his.

“You found me,” Wylder said. “What did you want?”

“Are you always this…”

“Awesome? Charming? Need help coming up with the right—”

“Difficult,” Aleksander cut in.

“Yes. I am.” Wylder crossed his arms over his chest. “You are not human. You are something else. I don’t know what, but I know you are… other . You are hanging around a college campus that I don’t think you have any business being at.” He didn’t mention following Theo. Wylder would not bring up the shifter unless Aleksander did.

“I—”

“And I’ll go ahead and warn you now that I’ll know if you lie to me.” He tapped the side of his nose. “I might not be a shifter, but I am not totally without my own abilities.”

“You smell human but more.”

Wylder nodded.

“Can I ask what? Why?”

“You can ask,” Wylder taunted.

Aleksander stared at him. Wylder refused to break eye contact. It was fun riling Aleksander up. With his expensive suit, shiny shoes, and air of importance, Wylder doubted there was no one who didn’t fall all over themselves to do Aleksander’s biding. That would not be Wylder.

His companion growled. “What are you?”

Wylder grinned. “Human but more.”

Aleksander shocked him by yanking at his own hair. “You are frustrating!”

Reaching out, he smacked Aleksander’s hand away from the soft white strands. “Don’t!”

Aleksander’s eyes widened as Wylder caught a few silky strands in his fingers. He wanted to press his face into Aleksander’s hair and just breathe. His cock hardened, but Wylder had to ignore his body’s reaction to being so close to the other man.

“There,” Aleksander whispered. “That’s what I was looking for.”

Wylder lifted his gaze from Aleksander’s hair to his eyes.

“That attraction,” Aleksander murmured as he stepped closer. “You feel it too.”

“You’re a good-looking guy, Alek,” Wylder allowed. He dropped his hold on Aleksander’s hair. “I’d have to be dead not to notice.”

“It’s more than that,” Aleksander said quietly. He pressed into Wylder’s personal space. “Tell me you don’t feel the connection.”

Time to disengage. Wylder stepped back but he already had the tree against his shoulders. Aleksander was so close Wylder could feel the other man’s breath against his neck. Could smell peppermint and something darker…coffee maybe?

“You need to back off,” Wylder demanded.

“Why?” Aleksander dropped his hand down to cover Wylder’s hard cock. “You feel it.”

It was all he could do to not close his eyes and moan as Aleksander cupped his erection.

“We were meant to be here together. Just like this.” Aleksander started to lean in, but his words sparked something in Wylder’s brain.

He shoved Aleksander away from him, catching him off guard.

Aleksander flailed before catching his balance.

“What did you just say?” Wylder demanded, pointing at Aleksander.

Aleksander’s cheeks were flushed, but he held up both hands in a peaceful gesture. “Mate. Beloved. Whatever you want to call it. You are those things to me as I am to you.”

Unbelievable. Wylder knew about mates. It was part of his training and studies for all things other . Mates were highly sought after but only about half of others ever found their one true mate. His gaze darted to the building across from them.

His heart ached. Wylder had thought that his protectiveness, attraction, and need for Theo meant they could have been mates. If Theo wasn’t his mate, why couldn’t he stop thinking about the little shifter? Even as drawn as he was to Aleksander, there was a part of him that wanted to go to Theo.

Rubbing the back of his head, Wylder sighed. “You’re certain? One hundred percent sure?”

Aleksander jerked back like he’d been slapped. “One does not make a mistake when it comes to mates.”

“I meant no disrespect.” This changed things for Wylder. Complicated his life in ways he’d never imagined.

“Well.” Aleksander brushed the lapels of his suit as his lips twisted. “You could be a little more excited. You obviously know what being a mate means. You have quite a bit of knowledge for being human.” He tilted his head. “Or more than a human.”

“Enhanced,” Wylder confessed. This man was his destined mate so there couldn’t be secrets between them. “I’m an enhanced human.” He hadn’t said those words out loud to anyone outside his small team in the military. Had never told another his secret and didn’t know how Aleksander would react.

“How?” Aleksander asked gently.

“It’s a long story.” He motioned to the humans milling around them. “Not really the right time to discuss it.”

Aleksander nodded. “How about I take you to dinner? We could talk in a more private setting.”

He flicked his gaze once more to Theo’s residence. The little shifter should be in for the night. “Okay. I could eat.”

“Fantastic!” Aleksander clapped his hands. “Would you prefer a reservation anywhere in particular?” He was already reaching for his phone.

“Nowhere fancy is needed. Let’s just grab a quick bite close by.” He still wasn’t certain about leaving Theo on his own.And he wasn’t dressed nowhere near as nice as Aleksander.

Aleksander seemed to freeze but eventually gave Wylder a small smile. “Wherever you want.” He looked down Wylder’s body. Wylder wore an old, worn pair of jeans and a black tank top. Not exactly date material. Especially a date with a guy in a fancy suit. “Would you like to change first?”

Wylder laughed. He was going to have to teach his uptight mate a few things. “No, Alek. I’m not changing.” He grabbed Aleksander’s arm. “Come on, I know a place.”

Aleksander stumbled behind him. “Aleksander, my name is Aleksander, not Alek.”

Wylder snorted. “Sure.”This uptight hot mess of a man was just too fun to tease. At least Wylder knew he could bring excitement to Aleksander’s life. Hopefully the fates knew what they were doing, because Wylder was not a fancy guy.

“I don’t think you quite understand who I am,” Aleksander said, following along with Wylder. Wylder still had a hold of his arm, propelling Alek forward.

“I’m sure you’re very important, dear,” Wylder teased. He had to joke. It was his defense and if not, he’d be freaking out.

“I’ve had kings bow down to me,” Aleksander said seriously.

“Uh-huh.” They could go to the burger joint on the corner across from the university or the family café that served good old-fashioned dinner. The burger place might be a little too casual for Alek though. Shame. Wylder loved that place. Instead, he turned so they headed to the small café. He could get a chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, oh, and pie. Wylder loved pie. His stomach rumbled. He was hungrier than he thought.

“I feel as though you are not taking me very seriously,” Alek complained.

“I’m listening to every word,” Wylder said sincerely. “But I’m not a suit-wearing, manners-using formal mate. If that’s what you’re looking for—”

“You will be perfect as my mate. It doesn’t matter what you wear or what you wish you eat. The fates do not make mistakes.”

“Guess we’re going to find out,” Wylder replied tightly. Mates. This strange, proper other was his mate. He couldn’t help the small part of him that mourned the fact that he’d been completely wrong about Theo. Maybe he could talk it out with Alek. At least Aleksander might be able to shed some light on why he was reacting so strongly to Theo.

They walked the rest of the way to the café in silence. It was only about four blocks from campus, so it didn’t take long. At least Alek had relaxed some around him. Wylder kept a hold of Alek’s arm and the other man even leaned into him as they waited for a car to pass so they could cross the street.

He pointed ahead of them as he spotted the café and Aleksander nodded.

“I’ve been there before,” Aleksander stated. “When I met my brother for lunch.”

“Brother?” Wylder inquired. He had a lot to learn about his mate.

“Evian,” Aleksander said. “He’s a professor. Evian Blake.”

“I don’t know the name. Must not be someone that I’ve come across, but of course it’s only been a month since school started.” He held the door open for Aleksander to enter first.

Aleksander gave him a quick confused look before smiling. “Thank you.” He trailed his fingers over Wylder’s extended arm as he passed over the threshold.

Like lightning hit, Wylder’s body tingled. He felt alive. “You’re welcome.” He followed behind Aleksander as his mate moved to the booth in the corner of the cafe. Perfect, private, and secluded.

Wylder slipped into the booth across from Aleksander and really took in the other man. With his snow-white hair and pale blue eyes, it was really no surprise that Aleksander wasn’t human. He was too mystical in appearance. He obviously came from money but that was pretty common among others . They had been around long enough to save and invest for their future and families. Wylder didn’t know what he would be able to add to Aleksander’s life although he’d always heard that all mates were perfect for their person.

The waitress took their drink order and left them to look over the menu when Wylder couldn’t stand it any longer. He leaned forward. “So…what are you?”

“What? You don’t want to guess?” Alek smirked.

“I could but my knowledge is as limited as my abilities,” he answered honestly.

“Mostly vampire,” Alek murmured.

“Mostly?” Wylder pressed. He wasn’t sure he’d ever have guessed vampire. He’d not met one but always thought of them as tall, dark, and handsome. While Aleksander was tall and handsome, Wylder couldn’t say there was anything dark about him.

“There is also some angel, mage, bear shifter, and human thrown in as well. Still, I mostly take after my vampire father.”

Wylder blinked. Was Alek fucking with him?

“You should see your face right now.” Alek covered his smile but Wylder still saw it. “I’m telling you the truth. I have five fathers, and all their DNA is inside my brothers and me.”

“You have five fathers?” What? Surely Alek was indeed fucking with him.

Alek nodded. “It’s a whole thing with my family.” He waved his hand. “We’ll need to talk about it, but yes, I swear I have five fathers.”

“A vampire, angel, mage, shifter, and human,” Wylder repeated.

“Yes.”

“I think you’d better start at the beginning,” Wylder demanded. “Otherwise, I’m going to sit here and think you’re full of shit.”

“I…” Alek narrowed his eyes. “I am not…full of anything like that.”

“Relax, I’m messing with you.” Wylder needed to get his vampire plus to relax some. He was way too serious. “Explain about the five fathers. And mother? Where is she?”

“No mother,” Alek replied. “My angelfather carried me and each siblings. We call him maha has a way to respect his ability though.”

“Your angel father? Like he birthed you?”

“Yes.”

Wylder glanced around the diner. Was there a camera hidden? Was he on some stupid prank show? “Bullshit.”

“Males baring children is possible in my world. With my family line.”

He narrowed his eyes. “How many siblings do you have?”

“Four. I’m the oldest, Evian, Thomas, and then the twins.”

“And your angel father birthed all of you?”

“My mahah, yes.”

“I don’t…I…what?”

Alek folded his hands on the table in front of him. “There is a reason that my family line has been gifted with the ability. Every generation of my family going back to the beginning of time has been tasked with protecting our world. We call them the chosen. Basically, each generation of the chosen consists of five mates. Each mate brings in something unique to the group to aid in the protection of both humans and non-humans.”

“Five mates.” That was wild. “Has there been any female or are the mates always male?”

“That’s a good question.” Alek knocked his knuckles against the table. “As long as I have been studying the history of the chosen, which has been for quite some time, I can’t remember any instance of there being a female mate. Interesting. I never thought of that.”

A feeling of dread filled him. “Why have you been studying about the chosen for so long? Wait! Who is this generation of the chosen for your family?”

Alek stared back at him.

“Fuck me,” he gasped. “You have three other mates?” No, Wylder was not big on sharing. Especially someone who was meant to be his. He glared at the man across the table from him. “Bullshit.”

“I am not lying to you.” Alek’s eyes were huge. Pleading.

* * * * *

Theo

Stepping outside his dorm building, Theo spotted Dario waiting on the steps for him. Dario’s attention wasn’t on the door that Theo had just exited,but on the tree across from the residence. This gave Theo the chance to take in all of Dario without those intense golden eyes staring back.

It was Friday night and he had agreed to this date.

For the last several days, Dario had texted Theo as if they already knew each other. Every morning when he woke up, Theo had a good morning text. Every night before he went to bed, he had a good night text. In between Dario would ask him questions. Favorite food, color, what Theo liked to do. It felt very much like dating, or what Theo imagined dating was, since he had no experience.

Frustrated at only coming up with one-word answers and afraid Dario would think he wasn’t answering, Theo asked for help for the first time in his life. To his complete surprise, when he’d approached his roommate with a fumbling explanation, Ethan had been thrilled to help him.Ethan called himself Theo’s wingman. Whatever that meant.

With Ethan’s help, Theo managed to find out a few things about Dario as well. The other man’s favorite color was blue. He enjoyed skiing and liked the cold. Theo hated the cold but didn’t share that. Dario had traveled all around the world when Theo hadn’t ever left the state he’d been born in. The more Theo learned about Dario, the harder it was to figure out what Dario saw in him. But he couldn’t back out of the date. Ethan had told him it would be rude and obviously Dario was looking forward to their dinner. At least according to Ethan.

Maybe his roommate was right. Dario was there a full ten minutes early as Theo stepped out of the building. Even though Theo could only see Dario’s back, he knew that was the man. The light gray slacks were tight around his butt and thick thighs. Theo wanted to touch—oh how his fingers itched—but that was not first-date behavior. At least according to Ethan.

He glanced up at his roommate who had insisted on walking him out. Ethan patted his shoulder, which Theo was sure meant support, but Theo nearly tripped over his own feet. He did not need to be falling down the steps in front of his date!

Ethan smiled at Theo before he cleared his throat.

Dario spun around with a smile although his gaze locked on where Ethan’s hand remained on his shoulder.

“You must be Dario.” Ethan’s voice had never sounded so cold.

Theo peered up at his roommate. Did he not like Dario? Theo had shared their messages and Ethan encouraged him to respond and even helped Theo come up with his messages.

“Yes.” Dario moved up the couple of steps that separated them. He held his hand out to Ethan. “Dario Foster. And you are?”

Ethan had to move his hand from Theo’s shoulder to shake with the older man. Theo thought he saw Dario’s shoulders loosen.

“Ethan. I’m Theo’s friend and roommate.”

Friend? Ethan had said they were friends!

“Well, I’m happy to meet any friend of Theo’s,” Dario replied kindly before smiling down at Theo.

That smile. Wow. Dario had such perfect straight white teeth. He must smile all the time. Theo would if he had teeth like that.

Ethan sighed as he released Dario’s hand. “You okay, buddy?”

“Yep, yeah, sure,” Theo said quickly. Hellcats! He sounded like a dork. He cleared his throat. “Yes, I’m good. We’re going to dinner.” He waved his hand between himself and Dario.

“We are,” Dario agreed. He moved closer to Theo. “You look very nice tonight. Not that you didn’t look nice the night we met, but I like your shirt. It brings out your eyes.”

Theo cut his gaze to Ethan’s. His roommate had helped him pick out his best pair of jeans and the long-sleeve green button-down shirt. The shirt had been in the back of his closet. Theo didn’t even remember buying it.He was glad he had.

Ethan shoved his hands in the pockets of his shorts and nodded. Oh! Theo turned toward Dario. “Thank you. I like your pants. No! I mean…your pants are tight! No, uh…” Mortified, Theo placed the palms of his hands on his cheeks to try to hide his blush. He shouldn’t even try to talk! This was already not going well.

Ethan snorted but Dario brushed his hand down Theo’s back as he chuckled.

“Thank you. I like these pants too.”

“Oh God!” Theo wanted to run back to his room and hide under his pillow.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” Dario said quietly. “I’m nervous too.”

“You are?” Theo peered up at the other man. Dario wasn’t lying to him, was he?

“Of course, I am. I haven’t been on a date in a very long time, and I like you.”

He liked Theo? Maybe there was something wrong with Dario?

“Well, I can see you’re in good hands,” Ethan said. He smiled at Dario, like he normally did with Theo, and Theo relaxed. He wanted his roommate, no, his friend, to like Dario.

“He is,” Dario said to Ethan. “We won’t be far from campus, and I’ll return him in a few hours.” He looked down at Theo. “Sound good to you?”

Theo nodded. He had hoped that Dario had their evening planned. Theo hadn’t asked but he’d expected Dario to sort of take care of everything. That way Theo could concentrate on impressing the other man.

“Well, you two better be going. I’m going to the dining hall to grab my own dinner.” Ethan gently bumped Theo’s arm. “Have fun.” Then he was jogging down the steps.

Once he was alone with Dario, Theo didn’t know what to say or do. He peered up at Dario to find the older man smiling gently at him.

“You ready for dinner?”

“Yes,” Theo replied quietly. “Where are we going?”

“There’s a small family-owned restaurant a few blocks from here. I thought we could walk there, get to know each other while we eat, then walk back. We’ll even be passing by an ice-cream shop that we can stop by for dessert.”

“I like ice cream,” Theo said quickly. All the rest sounded good, but Theo really wanted ice cream. He hadn’t had ice cream in forever!

“Dinner first,” Dario said firmly.

“Oh okay.” He had to make sure that he saved room.

“And you’re going to eat properly,” Dario added.

He blew out a breath. While it was nice that someone cared about his eating habits, Theo really wanted ice cream. “Okay.”

“Let’s walk.” Dario didn’t stop touching Theo. As they made their way down the steps, Dario’s hand settled on Theo’s lower back.

Theo liked that touch, soft, and not overwhelming. He was being guided in the right direction without feeling like he was being forced. As they passed the tree Dario had been staring at, Theo caught the faint combined scents that shouldn’t be together. He was a shifter—scenting was kind of his one good ability—but why would he smell Wylder and the white-haired stranger together across from his dorm building? No, he must be mistaken.

“I hope you like the food,” Dario said as they walked. “It’s smaller and less fancy a restaurant but Ferguson talked me into a more intimate dining place close to campus. He thought you’d be more comfortable.” The last was stated like a question.

“Yeah.” Theo tugged at the bottom of his shirt. “I don’t really do fancy. This is the best shirt I own.”

“It is a lovely shirt,” Dario complimented.

“Th…thanks.”

“Why don’t you tell me about yourself. Did you grow up around here or are you an out-of-state transfer? You said you were twenty but also a freshman?”

Hellcats! Theo didn’t want to weigh the date down with sadness, and talking about his past always made him sad. He should have expected the question. That was a basic get-to-know-you question. First date stuff. At least according to Ethan. “I grew up a few hours away,” Theo responded. As they’d texted, it had been easier to avoid the tough questions.

“Theo,” Dario said gently. “If you don’t want to tell me…”

Theo shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to share things with you. Just…just not my past. It’s not happy and I really want to enjoy our date.”

Dario beamed at him. “I want to enjoy our date too. Okay, no heavy talk on the first date then. Can we talk about your animal? I smell feline.”

“Yes! We can talk about that! Please. I haven’t had much contact with shifters. I have no idea what your animal is.”

“Not much contact?” Dario asked. “What about your parents?”

Theo shook his head.

“Okay, little one. I think I’m beginning to understand a few things.”

“Bad things?” Theo had to ask.

“No.” Dario stopped their progress and turned Theo to face him. “Only good things. You haven’t reacted to me the way I would have thought.”

“Did I do something wrong?” He hated being ignorant about his shifter side.

“No, sweetheart. You haven’t done anything wrong and we’re going to have a wonderful date. It’s going to be so great. I can feel it.”

Theo found himself smiling. Dario was so understanding and gentle with him. And Theo really liked it when Dario called him little one. Usually, it annoyed Theo that he was so much smaller than everyone around him. He’d once heard some of the group home workers talking about how Theo must have been born premature since he was so small. No one really knew since he’d been found at a couple weeks old, dropped off at a fire station. With Dario, Theo didn’t see being smaller as a bad thing. Dario made him feel precious.

“First, let’s share a secret,” Dario said brightly.

“A secret?” Theo had so many. What would Dario want to know?

Dario stood tall as he held both of Theo’s hands in one of his. “I’m a dragon shifter.”

“No way!” Theo shouted. “Oops. Sorry.”

The way Dario laughed was contagious and Theo found himself laughing along. “I really am a dragon.”

“I didn’t think dragons were real!” Theo exclaimed.

“Very real. There are few of us left but my family line is strong.”

“That’s so cool!” A dragon. Wow, Theo couldn’t believe it. A freaking dragon!

“And you?” Dario pressed.

“Oh, I’m just a cat, like a housecat.”

“That’s not just anything,” Dario said sternly. “That’s amazing and I bet you’re adorable.”

“Really?” Theo liked his animal side. He didn’t get to shift often but he had a lot less worries in his shifted form. Being a cat was simple.

“I’d love to curl up with you in your cat form. I hope we can do that soon.”

He nodded along. He could shift in front of Dario and it wouldn’t be weird. “Can…can I see you too? Sometime?”

“Of course,” Dario answered. “There isn’t much room for me to shift in the city, but we’ll figure something out.”

“Awesome.” He was going to see a dragon in real life. Wow. That was the moment that Theo’s stomach decided to growl and pull Dario’s attention away from their shifted forms.

“Now, little one, it’s time to fill that belly of yours.”

Stupid stomach. Still Theo felt good about the date. This time it was he that reached out and took Dario’s hand in his. Dario squeezed his fingers before pulling him toward the path they’d been walking down.

“Dinner and ice cream,” Theo said. He really wanted that ice cream. Maybe he could even get two scoops.