Talbot - Full Moon Dating Isaiah and Jameson

L et me tell you about Isaiah and Jameson. Harve chortled when he said it, and Stone blinked at his lover, amazed at how sure Harve seemed already.

Wow, that was fast. Usually Adelia and Stone got a bit of a say in the couples matched at Full Moon Dating, since Stone was the boss. Adelia was awful bossy, too, for the admin part of the team. She had opinions.

Ades and I were bored, Harve said. Ah, so Adelia had been in on it. Man, those two. Harve called up a wee tablet, opening a file with just a few touches of his clever fingers. I mean, Adelia almost matched Isaiah with a dentist from Colorado Springs, but then I snooped through the company emails and realized I know this guy. Harve handed him the tablet. Why he didnt just pick up the phone

Stone blinked some more. Holy shitballs. The head of the vampire band in Santa Fe?

Well, pretty much New Mexico. I mean, theres like two million people in the whole state. Harves gray eyes flashed with humor, but that made sense. Not as much food, not as many vampires.

How do you know him? Stone shook his head. Harve never ceased to amaze him, and his connections were wide and varied.

He did me a favor once, when I was traveling through. I misunderstood some local religious rituals.

Hmmm. I was afraid you were going to tell me you were his guardian before he died. Stone was fascinated by Harves mostly undisclosed past.

No. No, although that would have amused me. Isaiah was born, not made, and hes unfortunately become the head of the clan. Hes miserably unhappy, poor baby.

Why is that?

Read the file, lazy. Hes not suited to it at all.

Stone read, his eyes widening. Youre fucking kidding me.

Nope. Trust me, Jameson is the man for the job.

And you trust him? Stone gave Harve a hard look, which was patently false because he was stupid for the guy, but still

I do.

Harve didnt get it. This was a disaster looking for a place to land. Why?

Because I was Jamesons guardian before he died. Harves grin was as wicked as it could be.

Oh, for fucks sake. Stone threw up his hands. Set it up, but I bet a weekend of blow jobs it goes sour.

Absolutely. The total certainty in the word led him to believe that his jaw was going to be sore sometime soon. Harve rarely took a bet unless he thought he would win, so Stone would be on his knees, he would bet.

And wasnt that a lovely idea?

I t doesnt look good, Isaiah. You have to choose someone. Aunt Bedelia was getting her banshee on, wasnt she? Youre the head of the family. Of the whole band. You cannot be solitary. Theres already talk of you being weak.

The temptation to squawk about being gay was huge, but the simple fact was that wasnt an issue. One of his brothers and two of his sisters had been queer. He was neverNEVERsupposed to rule. He was the seventh son, the baby. The worthless one who would have gone to the sun back in the Dark Ages.

But one plane crash in the Rockies had taken Mother and Father, along with his sisters and two of his brothers. His other two brothers had been shattered, had literally walked out into samesaid New Mexico sun with a group of their clan and it was all over.

Now he was the last one, with a handful of frightened, angry older family that needed him to make everything better.

Fuck his life.

He forced himself to snarl, to stand over Bedelia and stare her down. Let me remind you who survived. I will not stand anyone questioning my place.

Because goddess knew he didnt know what to do if he was overthrown and tossed out. Hed never even bitten a real human. Live feeding was a completely foreign idea.

She lowered her gaze, her long neck bending gracefully. Of course. But

No. Isaiah had this handled. His new companion would arrive tomorrow and the family would be pleased with his supposed choice. No more.

Hed made an arrangement with his good friend, Harve the Angel, and someone was coming who could be exactly what he needed.

A beard.

He grinned. That was so the perfect answer. An actor. Someone who would be on his payroll. No one needed to know that he wasnt a typical dominant asshole vampire clan leader.

So long as the beard was kind and willing to put on a show, they should get along like a house afire.

Are you ready for the board meeting, then? she asked.

Auntie, I have this. And what he didnt have, his dearest friend Jo did. She lived for business. She would whip the board into any shape he wished to see them in. Maybe a dove. Or a shark.

All right then. Her lips quivered before stilling. I only want to help.

I know. He did, because he was her last chance to stay in with the ruling clan. If he failed, she would fall from grace completely.

Thank you for listening. She turned to glide into the boardroom.

Okay, he muttered. Lets get this done.

His new paramour would be here soon and things would improve. They had to.

They could hardly get any worse.

O kay, so is there anything else I need to know last minute? The drive up from Albuquerque to Santa Fe started out sort of flat gray, but as he moved up in elevation, red crept in even at night, the Sangre de Cristos rising with the snow a stark white up there.

Lovely. Jameson approved.

Harve chuckled over the words. Isnt that enough for now?

Does he know?

He knows youre coming. Oh little shit. Harve was always so cagey. That had not been what he was asking at all.

And? Jameson drawled out.

He sort of thinks youre a little baby sub coming to be his beard?

What? Oh, that was fucking hilarious. Good thing I like acting out.

The last thing Jameson was at all was a baby sub. His cheeks hurt, his grin stretched them so wide. What is he? Why does he need a beard?

It would be easy as pie to pretend to desire the manthis Garces guy was hot as a two-dollar pistol, pale as milk with a shock of copper hair and eyes an icy blue. Gorgeous, old world, very traditional vamp.

Well, you know hes a vampire clan head.

Right. The dossier said everyone else died and left him the only heir.

Right. Thing is, hes no dominant. At all. Now, thats not common knowledge which is why its not in the dossier, just in case. His whole family is pushing him to take a consort. Harve snorted, then sighed. Hes smart, clever, well-read, and about as submissive sexually as they come. Your kind are as bad as wolves.