Page 9 of Chosen: The Lenkov Journals

Wylder

Multiple food delivery containers filled the coffee table as they unpacked the order. Just having to feed five men would be a lot of food but add in the fact they were all other and there was a fuck ton of food. Good thing Dario was like a billionaire or some shit.

“Come on, little one. The Chinese is getting cold,” Dario called out to Theo, the only one that wasn’t currently sitting around the large living room.

“Can he even hear you? You might need an intercom system or something,” Wylder suggested. What Dario called an apartment was something entirely different. It was bigger than some houses Wylder had been inside, including the ones he grew up in.

Dario rubbed the back of his neck. “There is one.”

“I’m coming! Don’t eat without me!” Theo called from farther in the apartment where he’d gone to dress after shifting back to human form.

“We would never start without him.” Aleksander sniffed.

Wylder patted the uptight vampire’s arm. Aleksander took words way too literally. Theo knew they wouldn’t eat without him. Wylder was a little worried the shifter would get lost in the apartment though.

Wylder had never seen anything like this place. Not even on television. They were on the top floor, penthouse, that spread across an entire floor of a building downtown. One man did not need so much space, or six bedrooms, or eight bathrooms, or two formal dining rooms. Although Wylder could appreciate the gym that had been part of the tour.

The tour took over half an hour. Wylder had held Theo in his cat form as Dario showed them around. Aleksander and Mitch had taken in the place with suitable admiration while Wylder had been flabbergasted. Theo’s mouth had hung open with wide eyes and he’d made several weird cat sounds.

It hit home that one of his mates was a fucking billionaire. He was one of the top five richest men in the world. In his frayed jeans and tank top, Wylder had never felt so out of place in his life. He didn’t normally worry about what he wore or how he acted. His scars couldn’t be hidden, so if someone didn’t like him, that was their problem, not his. The experiments performed on him had taught Wylder to accept who he was. Until he’d stepped inside the apartment where Wylder was certain even the toilet brushes cost more than his Jeep. If he’d bought his Jeep brand-new off the showroom floor, which he hadn’t—his Jeep was six years old.

“Sorry! Sorry! I got turned around,” Theo rushed into the living room with pink cheeks and a nervous gaze.

The shifter wore a pair of very loose sweatpants and a T-shirt that fell off his slender shoulders. When it had come time for him to shift back to human and get dressed, Wylder had noticed that his clothes had still been wet.

Dario had found something for Theo to wear, although the clothes were a good three sizes too big.

Theo stood in the doorway, holding up the sweats with his hand.

Dario made a low growl of sexiness as he stared at Theo. Apparently Dario liked what he saw. Or liked Theo wearing his clothes. Either was a possibility.

Wylder was just pleased that his mate was warm and comfortable again.

“Come get some food,” Dario ordered. “I threw your clothes in the washer. They were covered in mud, but they’ll be done soon.”

Wylder liked the way that Dario doted on Theo. Wylder had many concerns about the little shifter. How thin he was, how he hesitated to voice any concern, or even how he hardly ever met their eyes when he did speak. From the moment Wylder had seen the little guy, his protective instincts had overwhelmed him. Knowing that Theo was his mate gave him the purpose that he’d been looking for.

“It smells good,” Theo said, continuing to stare at the containers.

“Here, please sit, everyone. I thought this would be better than one of the formal dining rooms. More casual. Let’s eat and we can talk everything out.”

Alek’s hand landed on Wylder’s lower back, guiding him to the couch. Wylder glanced over his shoulder and smiled at the vampire as he shuffled forward. Having four mates was sure to come with difficulties, but Wylder thought that the different dynamics in their group would work in their favor.

Aleksander was stuffy and needed to laugh more, which Wylder was more than happy to help with. Dario tended to be more affectionate, which Theo needed and Wylder wouldn’t mind. Theo was sweet and soft and made Wylder want to fight off all the evils in the world for him. He hadn’t quite figured out Mitch yet—the demon thing was throwing Wylder off—but he was attractive clad in leather, and he had a fucking sword! Could Wylder get a sword? That would be awesome!

He ended up sitting between Aleksander and Mitch as Theo dropped to his knees on the carpet in front of Dario.

“It all looks so good! I don’t know where to start.”

“Eat it all,” Mitch growled. “You could stand to gain a few pounds. Or twenty.”

Theo dropped his chin to his chest, and Wylder wanted to smack the demon. What was Mitch’s problem? He hadn’t said much, but when he did it had usually been something uncalled for.

“Dude!” Wylder nudged Mitch with his elbow. “You don’t spend much time around people, do you?”

Mitch frowned. “Not unless they’re demons.”

“It’s totally showing, man,” Wylder said.

“What?” Mitch asked.

“Why don’t you point to what you want, and I’ll fix your plate?” Dario said to Theo after sending Mitch a narrowed gaze.

“What?” Mitch barked again.

Wylder shook his head. Okay, maybe they’d have some hurdles they needed to get over quicker than others.

Theo pointed at the broccoli and beef container as he addressed Mitch without even looking at the demon warrior. “That was rude,” Theo said quietly. “It’s not polite to make fun of someone for being skinny when they can only afford one meal a day, if even that. Sometimes food isn’t a priority.” He pointed to another container.

Dario’s hand froze in the process of reaching for the container Theo had pointed to.

When Dario didn’t continue making his plate, Theo nudged Dario’s hand, with a little whine, as he continued to stare over all the food. He probably had no idea how he’d just fucked up their world. Theo was so skinny because he couldn’t afford food? Wylder wanted to empty his entire bank account right that moment to make sure he never went hungry again. The others had visible reactions as well. Aleksander cursed quietly in what sounded like Russian. Mitch paled before dropping his hands in his lap.

“Sorry, little one. What else do you want?” Dario recovered first.

“I…I don’t know what everything is.”

Fuck his life! Wylder was going to end up crying over his little shifter.

“Would you like some help?” Aleksander asked, leaning forward. He was sitting next to Dario. He was blocking Theo from Wylder’s view, giving Wylder a chance to catch his breath.

“Please.” Theo grinned up at Aleksander.

“Chicken. You dip it in this sweet and sour sauce.” Aleksander pointed.

As Alek went over each dish with Theo, Mitch slumped beside him. “I had no idea. I shouldn’t have said that,” Mitch said quietly. “Shifter children have always been so protected and loved in my experience.”

“We have a lot of learning to do with one another.” Wylder gripped Mitch’s thigh and squeezed it. It wasn’t the man’s fault—well not completely—but even Wylder didn’t know what to say. “We’re going to mess up. It’s okay. Theo isn’t even thinking about it right now. He’s all about the new food.”

“But how does he not have enough to eat?” Mitch demanded. “One meal isn’t enough for a human, much less a shifter. I’m surprised he’s not constantly sick.”

“He has us now,” Wylder assured Mitch. “We’ll take care of him.”

“And keep him safe,” Mitch declared. He covered Wylder’s hand with his. It was a vow.

“Yes, and keep him safe.” That would always be Wylder’s number-one priority.

Theo had a full plate of food in front of him when Aleksander turned to Wylder. “What would you like?”

“Just give me a little of everything. I’ve never found anything I don’t like.”

Aleksander shook his head before filling a plate just like Wylder had requested. Dario was passing another full plate over to Mitch. Theo was already digging in as they all settled with their dinner.

Wylder grinned around his mouthful. This was technically the first meal with all the mates. The five of them would be going forward together. It was almost as if the fates were rewarding him for all he lost. Wylder hadn’t been close to his family, but they’d been all he’d had. Big holiday dinners, yearly phone calls, and traditions. Like Wylder having no choice but to join the Army. Just like all the males and some females before him. When he’d signed the papers releasing him from his service, Wylder had signed away all contact with his family. As far as his family was concerned, he’d died oversees and his body wasn’t able to be recovered.

Now Wylder had a new family. A different family. But one that was tailor-made for him. But why? From what Wylder understood of forming the chosen mates meant that we were destined to fight evil. Aleksander had briefly explained how his fathers had been fighting for over five hundred years, and they were due a break. As one of their children took over the helm, they’d be available for help, training, guidance, but it would be for the next generation to step up.

Aleksander’s fathers were vampire, angel, mage, bear-shifter, and human. Wylder and his mates were vampire, small feline shifter, dragon, demon warrior, and enhanced human. Supposedly the mates were chosen for very specific reasons, but Wylder was struggling on where he would fit in.

Even though Theo was a small feline shifter, he was fast, could climb, and shift to get away. What could Wylder do as a human? Yes, he was enhanced, but he wasn’t nearly as talented with abilities as the others.

“Are you okay?” Aleksander asked, leaning into him. “You seemed lost in thought.”

“Fine.” Wylder had finished his food as he’d thought and noticed everyone else had as well.

Aleksander slid the plate from Wylder’s fingers and placed it on the table. Theo had his head resting on Dario’s knee, Dario’s fingers carding through his hair. Mitch’s arm was over the back of the couch, but his fingers brushed Wylder’s shoulder. Aleksander rested his palm on Wylder’s thigh. This was nice. Wylder had always been touchy-feely and he liked that they were all touching one way or another.

“I hate to ruin our good mood, but we should discuss the attack on Theo,” Mitch said.

Theo whimpered and Dario’s hands tightened in his hair. “It’s okay,” Dario murmured.

“I’ll go first,” Wylder offered. Maybe that would give Theo some time to settle.

“Okay. Just tell us everything from the start,” Aleksander said. “Any little detail can help. There is some information in the journals about the dark elves, but I’ve never gone against them myself.”

“Sure.” Wylder wiped his palms down his jeans. “I was heading for the library. Remember I was planning on meeting Theo there to look at the journals with him? I decided to cut behind the mathematics building so I might catch him and we could walk together. That’s when I heard the thunder, but the sky was clear blue and it was still a gorgeous day. When I looked up to the path that Theo would have taken, it was pitch-black.”

Wylder could still feel the terror, knowing the little feline had been in that dark area.

“I knew, somehow I knew, that Theo was in trouble and that I had to get to him. I ran but the closer I got to the path, the more the wind picked up and I couldn’t move. I fought. I couldn’t hear anything, but I could see lightning and rain. The rain was so heavy that it was impossible to see more than a foot into the darkness. It was only in that very small area.”

Rubbing his hand over his chest, Wylder tried to calm himself.

“I called out for Theo, but the wind was so strong. I couldn’t get to him. No one else seemed to notice anything. All the other students simply walked past as if they didn’t even see the darkness.”

“Blind spot,” Mitch said. “Humans wouldn’t have been able to see it.”

Wylder nodded. He didn’t know what a blind spot even meant. He’d thought the military had taught him everything about this paranormal world but it turned out he didn’t know shit.

“I’d been walking down the path when the darkness fell. I heard the thunder above me, but I thought it was a storm coming. I tried to hurry so I wouldn’t get caught in the rain, and that was when they stepped into my path.”Theo’s voice was so quiet that even with his enhanced hearing, Wylder had to strain to hear him.

“They?” Dario asked softly.

“Black-cloaked figures. There was one then two more joined him. Last time it had just been the one,” Theo said.

“Last time?” Wylder jerked forward. “You’ve faced them before?”

“Not really faced,” Theo answered. He turned his head where he still rested against Dario’s legs, but Wylder could see his eyes. “It was the night I went to the hockey game. When I saw you and Aleksander. I was running back to my dorm when I spotted him under the tree. You know, our tree.”

Wylder smiled back. Their tree. Then he remembered. “Fuck! After I chased after you, I felt something evil, something just not right in that area. It worried me so I hung out under that tree until I was sure you wouldn’t leave your room again that night.”

“You never saw anyone?” Mitch asked.

“No,” Wylder admitted.

“Theo?” Mitch turned to the shifter.

“Figure in a black cloak. He was pointing at me. I…I couldn’t see his face, that first time or today. It’s really freaky.”

“It was a scout,” Mitch said. He exchanged looks with Aleksander then Dario.

“What’s a scout?” Wylder questioned. “I mean I can guess what that means but…”

“How long after you met did you see the scout? Had all of you met?”

“About a week, I think,” Theo said. “Wylder saved me one night on campus from three shifters. He smelt human but something else, but since I shifted in front of him, I was scared. I’d always been told humans can never find out about me.”

“Understandable,” Wylder told his little cat.

Theo blushed. “But then I kept seeing you around campus. You were everywhere!”

Wylder laughed. “Because I was trying to get close to you! You kept running away. You're a quick one for sure. And I thought about stalking your dorm room. It was on your ID, but I didn’t want to come across as a creeper. Not that I didn’t hang around sometimes. I couldn’t figure out your schedule.

“Well, I was running. You knew about my cat! Then, one eveninga few days later, I saw you coming from the dining hall, so I was taking cover around the building. I turned and ran right into Aleksander. Like ran into him. He has a hard chest.”

“Yeah, he does.” Wylder leered at their vampire.

Aleksander rolled his eyes but there was a small smile on his face.

“I was startled and ran away again.”

“Then I tracked you to the game, which was right before the scout showed up,” Aleksander supplied.

“This was all before I came into the picture,” Dario said.

Mitch nodded. “I think the dark elves concentrated on Theo because he met two of you first. That would have been the biggest power charge in the area.”

“What do they want?” Theo asked quietly.

“Basically to wreak havoc. And if they can stop the chosen mates from bonding, then they’ll absorb that power to use against us,” Aleksander explained.

Theo shivered before he climbed to his feet and into Dario’s lap. Dario seemed surprised at first but cuddled the shifter close. Theo reached out to hold Aleksander’s hand as well.

Wylder watched when Aleksander’s cheeks pinked as he linked their fingers. Aleksander didn’t seem to expect affection from them, and Wylder didn’t like that. Everyone should be able to get a good cuddle now and then.

“They’re not gone? The dark elves?” Dario asked.

“No.” Mitch shook his head, frowning. “I killed one so the other two retreated, but they’ll try again. What worries me is that we could be dealing with more than one group of them. Dark elves are always made up of triplets. But there are dozens of different triplets and while they don’t usually work together, they do work with demons and other dark entities.”

“What you’re saying is we might be up against more than what we faced today?” Dario questioned.

Mitch nodded. “The good news is that it takes a lot of energy to travel realms, which means it doesn’t happen often.”

Theo’s head popped up so fast that Wylder almost laughed. Yeah, he wanted to know about these realms as well. “When you say realms…” Wylder rotated his wrist. “More information would be appreciated on that.”

“You don’t know about the different realms?” Mitch asked.

Both Wylder and Theo shook their heads.

“I was born in the hell realm. We consider this the human realm although shifters and other creatures hail from here as well if they have some percentage of human DNA. There is also the fae realm, the heaven realm, the water realm, the—”

Wylder held up his hand. “How many realms are there?”

“Thirteen,” Aleksander responded.

“Wow,” Theo breathed.

Wylder was trying to put together every single piece of information that had ever been relayed to him. Nothing of this magnitude had ever been discussed. “The government doesn’t know about all those realms, do they? There was nothing in my training that even hinted at this.”

“I would imagine not. Some realms are completely closed off to anyone not born there,” Aleksander supplied.

“But you’ve been to other realms?” Wylder asked him.

“Yes, several, but a couple of my fathers call other realms their home realm. They live here because this is where they are needed. And my dad is human.”

“Has he ever been to other realms?” Wylder might get to travel! Like really travel. Maybe not to Europe, France, and other countries he’d always wanted to go to, but to other realms.

“Of course, they go where they’re needed plus we’ve all visited relatives in other realms.”

“How?” Wylder demanded.

“I can portal,” Mitch told him. “I could take any of you with me when I portal.”

“Two of my fathers also portal. I can borrow their energy as well,”Aleksander said.

“I…” Wylder shook his head. “There really is a lot that I don’t know.”

“We have time.” Alek cupped his cheek and smiled. “This will be part of our training as we form our connections, our bonds.”

Because they were all mates. That was something that he was still getting used to. He’d known about mates—the shifters he’d trained withhad shared stories— but to have four mates? Important mates that were made to save the world or some shit like that? Wylder was still waiting to wake up and find out this was all a dream.

He’d learned a lot about this world he’d unknowingly agreed to be a part of, but all this was a little crazy. He leaned into Alek’s hold, relishing the contact. Alek seemed so cold at times, but here he was offering Wylder comfort.

“We’re in this together,” Dario said. He still had Theo on his lap, and the shifter looked about half asleep. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Sure,” Wylder agreed. It seemed like the dream was just going to continue. Okay, he’d better enjoy it while it lasted. He turned to Mitch. “So…demon?”

“Demon warrior,” Mitch corrected, pushing his chest out.

“And the difference between a demon and a demon warrior?”

“Not all demons are bad. There are different levels and also different species. Let’s just talk about the regular horned demons that are the majority. Those demons are about eighty percent evil. When they need to be taken out or corralled, then someone needs to be able to handle them. My father is a demon, but my mother is a human. My father dragged her down to the hell realm and a year later I was born.”

“Dragged her?” Theo asked. “Like she didn’t want to go?”

“Most humans wouldn’t choose to be taken to the hell realm,” Mitch pointed out.

“Oh!” Theo’s wide eyes crinkled. “That’s sad.”

“It’s…complicated.”

Wylder wanted to ask more questions, but Mitch was growing uncomfortable. “You’re not a full-blooded demon but a mix of demon and human?”

“Yes.” Mitch relaxed beside him. “A warrior can’t be full demon. We are picked for the power we are born with. I started to train when I was four.”

“Four?” Fuck! Wylder thought the military legacy was bad in his family. He’d had to train but there hadn’t been any demons involved. What could a four-year-old do against a demon? Wylder wasn’t sure he wanted to know.

“It’s the way things are done,” Mitch said stiffly.

“But—” Theo peered at Mitch. “What about now? Are you going to have to leave us? I don’t want to live in hell.”

“No, sweet one,” Mitch said. “I would never make you live there, although there are some parts I would like to show you. It’s not as bad as you think.”

“We can stay at my family home there,” Alek offered. “It’s warded for protection.”

“That does bring up one question,” Mitch stated. “Mating.”

Wylder had a pretty good idea what that would consist of. Sex. Had to be sex. In every movie and book he’d ever seen, mates meant sex.

“I…I…” Theo stuttered out.

“We don’t need to talk about that right now,” Dario said sharply.

“It’s a good idea to make sure Theo and Wylder—” Alek started.

“No!” Dario barked. “This is already a lot for them to take in. They were raised human.”

“I understand that,” Alek said patiently. “They still need to understand what it will mean. With the dark elves already after Theo, we need to protect him.”

“I know.” Dario sighed. “I won’t take their choice away though.”

“Neither will we,” Mitch said. “I come from a mating that wasn’t consensual. It’s against the law in hell now, what my father did, and I fought to get it put into place. I would never allow anyone to harm my mates that way. They will have a choice. They will have an informed choice. They deserve to know everything.”

“Let’s table that for now,” Alek suggested. “We do have some time. The elves must regroup. There is much we need to discuss.”

Theo yawned before blushing. “Sorry.”

“You’ve been through a lot today, little one,” Dario told him. “It’s understandable you’d be tired.”

“I guess I should get back to my dorm,” Theo said.

Mitch, Alek, and Dario all stiffened.

Uh-oh. This wasn’t going to be good. Wylder could tell that Theo was not going to be comfortable with their physical relationship yet. Hopefully, the others wouldn’t pressure the sweet shifter.

“Maybe you should stay here,” Dario offered gently.

“Here?” Theo swallowed hard. “Uh…Ethan will be worried.”

Mitch growled. “Ethan?”

“His roommate. His friend,” Wylder explained. He met Dario’s eyes and raised a brow. “Theo doesn’t spend a lot of time away from his dorm and especially overnight. It would be strange.”

Dario nodded but the worry didn’t disappear from his gaze. “I know.”

Theo tugged at his oversized shirt. “I…I’m not stupid.”

Confusion all around. Wylder could see it on all the other mates’ faces. Theo’s obvious agitation surprised them and hurt Wylder’s heart. He didn’t like to see his little shifter in distress.

He rose then stepped over Alek to kneel beside the couch. “No one thinks you're stupid. Why would you say that?”

“Mates should have sex right away. Cement the bond,” Theo said quietly. “That’s what happens in the books I’ve read. But they’re also romance books so…maybe I’m wrong? I don’t think I am, not with the way you’re all acting.”

“Theo.” Wylder grasped Theo’s hands in his.

“Come on,” Theo snapped. “If it wasn’t for me, you all would be having sex already. Mating.”

“Maybe?” Wylder shrugged before squeezing Theo’s hands. “And it would be done when we don’t even know each other. If we wait, get to know one another, it will be even better when we do mate.”

Theo peered at him with so much hope in his eyes. “It’s not…it’s not that I don’t…want to.”

“You’re just not ready,” Dario said for him.

Theo nodded.

Alek leaned against Dario’s arm to cup Theo’s face. “We move at our own pace. We do what’s right for us.”

Theo rolled his eyes. “You say that now.”

Mitch rose to stand behind Wylder to rest against his back. “We say that because this is important. You are important and so are your feelings. What would you say if Wylder wasn’t ready or me?”

“I wouldn’t rush anyone. I guess…” Theo said.

“And just because you’re not ready for sex doesn’t mean we can’t…” Wylder leaned forward and pressed his lips against Theo’s. He kept the kiss light and without pressure.

Theo moaned before grabbing a fistful of Wylder’s hair as he deepened the kiss on his own. Fuck, this was not what Wylder had expected. Still, he was unable to resist when Theo opened his mouth and Theo’s tongue brushed against the seam of his lips. Wylder took control of the kiss, pushing his tongue inside and rubbing against Theo’s. He swallowed Theo’s moan as he ravaged the little shifter’s lips.

Behind him, strong hands gripped Wylder’s shoulders. Another body pressed against his side.

Wylder slowly drew back from the kiss. He peered up at Theo who looked shocked, aroused, and a little embarrassed.

Dario turned Theo’s head so he too could kiss the boy.

There was no jealousy in watching two of his mates before Wylder’s attention was drawn to Alek, who cupped his face. Alek lifted a brow. Was he asking permission? Wylder grinned before he practically hauled Alek into his lap.

They kissed, this time all passion, want, and need. Alek ate at his lips. Hard. Demanding.

Wylder’s cock was so hard that he was in pain.

Two hands slid around him. Around his chest. Fuck! That felt good.

Alek gasped as he pulled back. Before Wylder could reach for him again, Mitch grabbed the back of his neck.

His entire world focused down on the lips against his, the hands on him, and the sounds from his mates. Even though Wylder had started this, it didn’t mean he’d been prepared for the electric charge in the air. He was moved, lifted, positioned.

Dario tasted of dark chocolate and magic. Wylder didn’t know that magic had a taste, but it seemed like Dario carried that unique property.

Finally, unable to take anymore, Wylder yanked his mouth away.

He panted as he stared into Dario’s shocked gaze. “We need to stop. This is too much, too fast.”

Dario nodded. They separated to look down at the three mates on the floor. Alek held their sweet shifter in his lap while Mitch ran his hands over both of them. Theo rolled his hips as soft whines escaped.

Wyler dropped down beside his little shifter. “Hey, baby.” He had to grip Theo’s hair and pull hard.

Alek growled, chasing Theo’s mouth.

“We need to calm down,” Wylder advised.

Theo pouted.

Shit! Why was Wylder being the responsible one? His dick was going to hate him.

“He’s right. This is getting…” Alek moaned.

“Wow!” Theo put his own fingers to his lips. “That was even better than my dreams!”

Wylder let his head fall back. His little shifter was trying to kill him. Taking a few deep breaths, he struggled to get control of himself. Mitch pushed away to pace by the window. Dario panted behind him. Alek set Theo gently to the side.

Theo’s big bright eyes met his.

“I told you. We don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for and we can still do other stuff.”

Theo nodded. “Yeah.”

“We should probably discuss our schedules for the week.” Dario straightened his shirt.

Wylder peered at his mates one at a time. They were all mussed and wrinkled. Well, the chemistry was there between all of them. That was for damn sure. Now to work out everything else. Fuck, he needed a cold shower to think straight.

Mitch growled, drawing his attention. Mitch’s arm glowed with blue and black shapes that were both beautiful and weird. “I’m being summoned by my sire. It’s probably about the attack on Theo. There was a lot of magic left behind from the dark elves and the hellhounds would have reported in by now.”

“You have to leave?” Theo asked in a quiet voice.

“I do need to inform my sire about your attack and…” Mitch waved his hand. “How blessed I’ve been.” He strolled over to Theo. “I won’t be going far. And I can portal to you in seconds if you need me.”

“We need your phone number,” Wylder demanded.

“Of course.” Mitch pulled his phone from his leather pants.

Dario held his hand out. “I’ll add all our numbers.”

“We should get the boys back to the dorms anyway.” Alek rose before offering his hand to Wylder.

Wylder let himself be lifted to his feet. It was a good thing he had a single dorm room. He had plans with his right hand later.