Bought

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Rafe frowned, lifting his head higher, taking a sniff. The white Guide robe Jim had sent him for was forgotten in his hands. He stopped stock still on the crushed rock pathway. That smell....the hair raised up along his spine as he drew it into his lungs.



He left the path and rapidly headed out over the still damp grass. A crumpled bit of blue, wet and covered in mud caught his eye. Rafe headed for it, something creeping coldly up the back of his neck, telling him all was not right.



He reached the spot where the blue fabric lay, and was greeted with

more signs of trouble. He poked at the cloth, then picked it up. It

was a pair of Levi's button front jeans. Waist 30, inseam 34. Caleb's jeans. Oh shit. The ritual Guide robe fell out of his ands, dropping to the lawn.



Rafe spun, eyes searching, reached out and plucked a white-ish grey T-shirt off a branch. Mud was plastered up the back and side, smeared and beginning to dry around the edges. The flannel shirt under the bush was in worse shape, shredded as if by claws and caked with ground-in soil.



There were footprints all around the discarded clothing, the grass

squashed flat. Huge ones and some much smaller. Boots and running

shoes. The latter even smaller than Rafe's own.



Ten feet away was the first ravaged sneaker. Another ten feet and Rafe found the second shoe. Then both socks, mere threads of white left. Amidst a half dozen large shod prints, one of the smaller prints was there, perfectly defined, untrampled, pressed into the wet grass.



This time the print was of a bare foot.



Rafe knelt, ran fingertips over the print, raised them to his nose.

Caleb. His blood turned to ice.



Caleb's briefs were a soggy lump a few feet further on, as if tossed

aside and trampled on unnoticed, the seams ruptured, torn or sliced off. Rafe could see it in his mind's eye, as it had occurred. Caleb stripped, one item of clothing at a time, ripped from him, thrown aside. No blood...but...Rafe recoiled. Semen, he could smell semen. And it certainly didn't smell like Blue's. Clutching the T-shirt he let his senses draw him along.



Heart hammering in his throat, Rafe paced after the faint trail of ominous scent and the footprints that bore deeply into the soft earth. Big feet, shod in assault boots. Size seventeen at least. There was one group residing on the compound grounds now who were that big. The Guardians.



Bile rose in Rafe's throat, as he realized what the evidence meant.



A Guardian had found Caleb in the gardens and stripped him of his

clothes. In prelude to what? Rafe tried to focus. His mind kept bringing him back to the the salient fact that Caleb would be helpless against one of them.



The looks the Guardians had always shot Rafe's way, hot and

interested were impossible to dismiss. He had no reason to trust them to be any less interested or predatory when it came to Caleb simply because the boy was young and innocent.



The tracks led directly to the Guardian Barracks. They were precise

and unswerving and each step telegraphed to Rafe the impatience and

determination of the one who had taken Blue.



Rafe felt a whining terror rise in his throat. "Oh, Blue." What had he let happen? He'd failed to protect his cousin. Failed to keep him

safe.



Rafe burst up the steps and in through the doors.



Movement came at him from both right and left. He tried to dodge the

converging shadows, slipped under one set of grasping arms, feeling

the whisper of a blow sailing past, only to feel the greater impact of a body hitting his. He attempted to bounce off and bolt down the

corridor, toward the stronger scent of his cousin, but he was caught

up in iron hard arms, stopped, held tight, unable to move.



"Blue!" Rafe shouted, writhing to get a good angle, trying to kick

free. "Blue!"



Rafe kicked out, harder, swung wildly, helpless. His legs were

restrained by a second set of arms, he felt the flex of enormous power against his thighs. He squirmed. Shouted out again. "If you've hurt him...!" He choked on the thought. Couldn't get a threat of sufficient gravity out.



He screamed letting rage take over.



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Rathe lay awake in the disordered bed, holding his companion and

breathing in his sweet smell. He nuzzled his nose into the sweat damp neck, feeling Caleb let out a sigh, then stretch his neck. Rathe took advantage of the stretch. He suckled the tender length, lapping at it, biting gently.



Caleb's unique scent drove Rathe to distraction. Stole his discipline away as if he'd never had any. He cupped a big hand around the jut of the young man's hip. Pulling them closer. Caleb let out an exhausted, incredulous moan, his leg rising, lifting to fit around the Guardian's body. He was limp, pliant, tired but so willing. Rathe grinned. Perfect.



A good companion, one he'd searched and waited for. Thought never to find. There had been no few lovers taken to Rathe's bed all in hopes of finding this young man. It explained to him the powerful draw he'd felt towards Ellison's junior Sentinel, Brian Rafe. Rafe shared blood with this delicious one. Rathe buried his sensitive nose in the thick silk of sex-warmed hair behind Caleb's ear and breathed in.



Linens were scattered all over the room, tossed aside in the urgency

he'd felt to claim his young Sentinel. Now, with the first claiming

done, he was far more contented, at peace. But he wanted Caleb,

again. He wanted to mark him, to take him and cover his lithe young

body with his own. To make Caleb cry out his name.



Blue sighed, let out a quiet giggle as Rathe licked the rim of his

ear, tightening the skin all over his body in a rush of gooseflesh.

His arms lifted with what little energy remained in his limbs, and

wound around the big man's neck. "Do it again." He suggested,

throatily.



And then they heard the call. A strangled shout, sounds of fighting, struggle and the word that really mattered, screamed out. Caleb stiffened, going absolutely still, listening.



"Blue!"



Rathe sat up, no doubt as to who was calling, interfering with his

mating. He growled sub-vocally, putting a possessive hand on the

center of Caleb's back, securing his companion in place. Caleb let out a grunt as he was pressed down into the mattress and held there.



The young Sentinel beside Rathe squirmed and pushing the larger man's hand off his back and sat up in bed. Rathe scowled but made no move to push him back down, though the thought had great appeal.



"Rafe," Caleb said, confused at why his cousin would be within the

Guardian's barracks, and calling so urgently for him. "That's Rafe, I have to go to him."



Caleb looked around the room frantic for something to put on, hopping up and out of Rathe's reach.



"I am your Senior," Rathe said as the sounds coming from the hallway escalated. Caleb was not going to put on a display for any other eyes. "I will deal with this." He swung himself to his feet, stepping over the tangle on the floor and pulled on his pants after retrieving them from a chair back. From the sounds in the hallway there was no time for shirt or boots.



Rathe was at the door in four long strides, he pulled it open and

stepped into the hallway. Behind him he could hear Caleb swearing,

then drawers sliding open with a crash as the young man pawed through them. The thought of Caleb trying to wear his clothing brought a rush of amused warmth to the Guardian as he closed the door behind him.



Blue's scent intensified, spine curlingly strong, when a door partway down the hall opened. Rafe stopped struggling with the two Guardians and looked toward the open door, hanging in their grasp. His nose twitched madly, he arched his back to better see who was exiting the room.



"You!" He said, seeing a shirtless, shoeless Rathe emerging. The look on the big man's face was pleased, like a cat got into the cream. Rafe felt rage flood him all over again. "What have you done with my cousin?" He hissed. "Don't lie to me, I know he's here I can smell him. I can smell him ~on~ you."



The man standing nonchalantly alert in the hall was huge, appearing

even more massive partially clothed than he did in his impeccable

black uniform. Rafe stared. Oh, god, what had he done to Caleb? Blue

had stood no chance. None at all.



"Let him go," Rathe said to his men and just that quickly the four

arms that were restraining Rafe were gone. Rafe tumbled to the floor, striking the wood on all fours and bounding upright as if on loaded springs. As soon as he was upright he shot towards his target, eyes glowing, claws extended, displaying his fangs, still clutching Caleb's muddied shirt.



"If you've hurt him, so help me…" His voice was throaty, primitive,

filled with a fierce power.



Rathe found the situation all together stimulating. Yes, the fire ran hot in the veins of this family , his companion's blood kin. That was a good thing indeed.



"Sentinel, mind what you say to me," Rathe growled. His words slowed

the approaching man. Rafe blinked at the tone of command. Every bit as powerful a command as his own Senior could issue.



Rafe slowed, padding in an arc in front of the Guardian, instinct for self preservation finally kicking in. Warily the smaller Sentinel looked for a weakness or an opening to exploit. Rathe let him look, he would find none.



"I am a Captain of the Guardians, your words offer me an insult I do

not deserve." Rathe said, his tone mild in the circumstances. This was Caleb's kin, he reminded himself. He might be forgiven if he trounced him roundly, but not if he did any serious or permanent harm.



"He's my cousin, an innocent, you have no right to take him." Rafe

shouted, his frustration winning free again. "No right to steal his virtue!"



The door behind the captain opened and Caleb stood clothed in a huge, blazingly white, button-down shirt, its buttons hastily and

crookedly fastened, so one side hung lower that the other, revealing

a slim shoulder. Rathe thought his heart would melt. The hem of the shirt ended irregularly below his slightly knobby knees. It was obvious he wore nothing underneath. Rafe let out a distressed moan.



"Stop it, Rafe," Caleb said, his face flushed pink. "He's done nothing against my will." He drew himself up with all the dignity he could muster. "This is what I want. No one forced me. I swear it."



Rafe glared at his cousin, eyes filled with anguish, "Do you know what you've done? You've ruined your chances for a good match. I would have found you the best I could."



Rafe could see it was too late, the passion marks, made by an eager, hungry mouth ringed the younger man's throat. His lips were swollen from kisses. The scent of sex was heavy. The way Blue stood, moved...Rafe despaired, he had walked that way himself after Jim's very pointed attentions. No longer virgin.



"Ruined...." He said, stricken. "No Alpha will want you."



Rathe roared and slammed Rafe against the wall, a rock hard forearm

across his chest; his eyes glowed with fire, his fangs and claws

extended, a display even more impressive than Rafe's own. They hissed at each other.



"No Alpha will take what is mine from me!" Rathe growled, his claws

drawing deep pricks of blood from the smaller man's neck, pinning him to the wood panelling. "I have Claimed him, he wears my scent and he will wear no other as long as I live."



Blue was suddenly beside them, pulling the clawed hand away from his

cousin's neck. "Don't! He is my family! Please, let him go, he only

wants what is best for me." Caleb's voice dropped to a shy whisper,

his silvery grey eyes shone like polished jewels as they met Rathe's

green ones. "He doesn't know how much I want you, too."



Rathe pulled in his claws and let go of his Companion's cousin. He

would do much to hear those words again, and over and over. He stroked a hand through the thick wash of tangled hair, pushing it back off Caleb's face. He turned to Rafe, standing up against the wall, staring at his disheveled and tumble-haired cousin.



"You heard." Rathe didn't try to keep the note of pride from his

voice. "He is mine by consent. As soon as the hall of records opens

our bond will be registered



"I want a promise from both of you that you will not hurt each other," Caleb said. He sounded stern, as if he dared scold.



Rathe let out a snort. but his hand caressed his Companion, running all the way down the slim back. "He can not hurt me. And I will not hurt him. You are my family, and as such he is family also." Rathe replied, grudgingly, but said in a tone that Caleb believed.



Caleb turned to the quivering form of his cousin. "Rafe? Please don't be mad. You know how it has always been. The chance of me finding an Alpha when...when it makes me sick to be touched by one. I could never go with an Alpha, never be happy with one. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want to disappoint anyone. But you were there." He held out his hand entreatingly. "You saw... me and Jim."



Rathe growled a warning as Blue's hand nearly touched the other

Sentinel. Caleb withdrew the limb. But his eyes implored Rafe for his understanding. It was too soon in their bonding to allow Caleb the liberty to touch others, even a blood relative. Later. Much later, it would be permitted.



"Go now, attend to your Guide," the Guardian said.



Rafe watched in silence as the Guardian turned, picked up his cousin, who exclaimed in surprise, then melted into the embrace. The thin white shirt molded to his body, stretched taut, outlining his savory rump...Rafe averted his eyes.



Rathe carried Caleb into his room, kicking the door closed behind him.



A murmur rippled through the throng of Guardians at Rafe's back. He

spun, hands up in case he needed to defend himself, his claws were

fully extended and formidable, if only half the length of a Guardian's, they could still do damage. It was not only Rathe who had looked at him with heated eyes. But this time it was a welcome face he saw.



Jim stood in the doorway of the barracks. He held a wadded mass of

soft fabric once very white. Now streaks of green and muddy brown marred the robe. The Guardians stood aside for him, recognizing the heir of Cascade.



"What the hell is going on?" Jim asked, his tone hard. Rafe hung his head.



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"What happened?" Jim asked when Rafe made it to his side. He pushed

Rafe out of the building ahead of him, wary, not trusting the

unpredictable whims of the Guardians. Any one of the men would take

Rafe if he was on offer, unClaimed. Each one would snatch him up if they were able. Jim saw it in their eyes. He hurried to get Rafe to safer territory. Rafe had been very foolish to dare go inside the barracks. These barracks were not Ellison territory now.



"I smell blood," Jim said once they were safely inside Blair's building, "and this is what is left of the robe I asked you to get for Blair. What the hell, Brian?" Jim put his fingers beneath Rafe's chin and lifted his head to examine the claw marks.



"It's all right," Rafe said snapping his chin out of Jim's hand and

hanging his head. "I deserved it." And he had. Caleb was....



"For what?" Jim asked, mildly, taking Rafe's chin back into his hand. It would be a true measure of Rafe's upset if he denied the touch a second time. Rafe seemed to gather himself, though and held still for the examination. Jim prodded him. "Should you be punished for dropping a Guide robe?"



"I have failed," Rafe moaned, "My family and Caleb."



"There has been no failure," Jim said, choosing his words carefully.

The Claw marks were not as deep as they easily could have been and

none were in lethal areas. Rathe had been careful, it would have been frighteningly easy for the big man to rip out a carotid. And then Brian would be gone. Jim muttered unhappily, burying his nose in the thick hair behind his companion's ear. He inhaled until he felt a measure of calm, reassured Rafe was OK. Then he pulled back.



"I was supposed to find him an Alpha, and now…" Rafe moaned, letting Jim handle him, leaning into the touches.



Jim stared at his Companion is disbelief. Did he not know? Was he that naïve? "No," Jim said. "Caleb would never have found an Alpha worth his salt. Any Alpha who was strong enough to make a match would have run from him. Caleb is…different. If you had asked before bringing him here, I would have told you."



"My family sent him without telling me until he was on the way," Rafe said. "I thought it best just to keep him away from you. Is that what you mean by different? Because Alphas don't like him?"



Jim smoothed a thumb over the tear tracks running down his companion's face and then he put his thumb in his mouth tasting Rafe, tasting sadness and grief, as if some great tragedy had taken place. He fought not to roll his eyes, this had gone far enough.



"Rafe," Jim snapped. "You are not making any sense blaming yourself. I say again it is not your fault. We have to get Blair to the Guide House; there is no time for this…display, Sentinel. You have done no wrong by your cousin!"



"What? What are you saying?" Rafe was confused. "I was supposed to find him an Alpha, I failed."



"No," Jim said with great patience. "You aren't to blame. It is the best he could hope for. In times past he would have been hunted and killed if he didn't bond to a Guardian very young. I am amazed he's made through his studies without being taken down. When I claimed you he became part of the Ellison family. That is probably the only thing that saved him. But if the wrong Alpha had stumbled across him he'd be dead. Only a Guardian can truly protect him."



"What are you saying? Why would anyone want to kill Blue?"



"Think! He is a beta Sentinel who will not bow to an Alpha. Any Alpha. Not even to the heir of Cascade. It was all I could do not to kill him the first time I met him. I let him live for you because he is your blood."



"Jim?" Rafe asked, aghast. His Senior had wanted to kill his cousin?

Little Blue? "How could I have been so stupid?" He asked himself.

Rumors had always circulated of such things. Hunting parties of

Sentinels tracking down....Rafe swallowed hard. "And I let them send

him here."



"Hell yes, a good thing you did! Your cousin has been claimed by a

Captain of the Guardians, one who will, no doubt be promoted to

Admiral one day, if not by my father then by me. I would not call that a failure." Jim ran a hand up the back of Rafe's neck. "You did good, Companion. Bonding with Rathe saved his life."



"You mean it's a good match?" Rafe asked hopefully.



"Very prestigious. The Guardians will not take just any Sentinel for a Companion. He has to have a good heart, be brave, honest, intelligent and loyal. There will be no Guide for Rathe, only Caleb." Jim smiled. "Rathe will tithe your family well. Don't worry." Oh yes, Rathe would heap money and prestige on Rafe's family. Guardians always did. The Rafe/Henny family would be very happy indeed.



"But how would he know about him? Blue just got here yesterday!" Rafe was confused still. Jim ruffled his messy hair. Sniffed him, allowing himself to put his nose back behind Brian's ear, luxuriating in the powerful scent that was there. True, he needed to wash. All the sweat, the smell of distress. It wouldn't do. But over it all was the smell of his Companion. And that was as scent Jim valued.



"We can sense it. His kind." The deep rumble turned both of their

heads. Rafe shuddered. He hated how the Guardians could do that. Sneak up on him. And from the expression in Jim's eyes, the Alpha didn't like it either.



Captain Rathe and Caleb stood in the doorway. Caleb was dressed in a Guardian uniform, about half the size of the one Rathe was wearing, and a far better fit that the over sized shirt he'd barely been wearing earlier. He was blushing furiously, but kept his chin up, his eyes challenging.



"I have come to apologize for the injury to your Companion," Rathe

continued, his gaze raking slowly over Rafe's throat. Rafe felt his

nipples tighten involuntarily, as if the look had been an actual

touch. He fought the impulse to step behind Jim for an instant, then

he gave in and put his Senior between himself and Rathe, feeling

instantly better.



"And I apologize for the rash actions of my companion in approaching you, unannounced." Jim said, relieved that the Captain was not there to issue a challenge. He noted it when Rafe slid in behind him. Good. He wanted no more dramatics. Rafe would stay there. He flicked the command with his fingers, knowing Rafe would see it. And obey it.



"Perhaps it is best that all involved forgive and forget," the Captain said.



Jim offered his hand. "Done," he said. "Welcome to our family. I hope you will allow the family to host a reception for you and your mate."



"An unexpected honor, I accept," Rathe said. It was good to have the support of a mate's kin. "I suggest you get your Guide to the Guide House as soon as possible. The Protectorate has made arrangements to keep the Vet who falsely accused you of Guide abuse…" the Captain's smile was predatory and bristling with teeth as he spoke the next words, "...otherwise occupied. We have seen to it that another qualified Vet will examine your Guide, one sympathetic with the Guide reforms. I will send men with you as further insurance that all will go smoothly. My companion and I will depart now to register our bond. Good day to you all."



Ne'ichan and Joan Z