Kelvin #5: MM Fated Mates (Tangled Tentacles), page 4
“Sit down and dig in.” Magnus nodded at the seat across from him. The table did seat four, but Magnus found he liked looking at Kelvin’s face. “You did sound super frustrated just answering the call and I can only imagine you had some shit going on at your end.” Magnus continued taking his own seat. “You meant to disconnect the call, I’m sure you did. But then someone in the background asked you what was wrong, and you ranted about that annoyingly frustrating FBI guy who probably deserved a shovel in his face, or words to that effect.”
“Oh, by the sea gods, I am so sorry.” Kelvin buried his face in hands, inhaling sharply and letting out a slow breath before he sat straight again. “In my defense, you were never meant to hear that, and I didn’t know you were my mate. I just… we had shit going on at home, yes, but every time I heard your voice, I’d get a hard on that wouldn’t quit and I was so bogged down with other stuff I didn’t click why. So, yeah, shitty home, shitty case, and frustration I think too, because I could hear the passion in your voice for the victims, even if you came across as such a hard man, and I have been genuinely helping all I could.”
“I know. I know. All’s forgiven.” Magnus nodded. “Eat.” He waited until Kelvin had picked up a knife and fork and started helping himself from the platters before he started to eat himself. Once the plates were clean, and Kelvin declared himself full, Magnus made them mugs of tea, and as they were brewing, he led them into the living space, moving his paper covered coffee table out of the way so both of them could sit on the couch.
“I am thrilled you’re here, and over the moon we’re mated, but you said you had something you wanted me to help with. Is it anything to do with the Andromeda mess and these sex ring franchises?”
Magnus listened carefully as Kelvin explained a convoluted story about his brother Markov, and his new mate Cassius. How Cassius had lost his wife and child while he’d been deployed and was then blackmailed for six years with the promise his son, Riley, was alive and would continue to stay that way if Cassius followed the orders that were sent with photos of his growing son.
“I would’ve done the same thing,” he said, when Kelvin paused. “For my kid I would move heaven and earth for the hope of keeping them alive.”
Kelvin looked relieved. “Me too, although Cassius and his motives are a point of division in our family at the moment. But there’s more.” He went on, through one cup of tea and then another, explaining how Markov had been captured by Andromeda – a name Magnus only knew as part of the money surrounding the sex ring franchises – and how Cassius had gone to save him. How the boat held the essence of Kelvin’s dead parents to act as a conduit for the death magic keeping a human Andromeda alive for over five hundred years, which was coincidentally how long Kelvin’s parents had been dead, and the labs, and what they were doing to the captive shifters, which included Markov.
“Cassius faced the man who he believed killed his son on that ship. The man admitted it. Said he strangled the little kid because he wouldn’t shut up and threw him overboard.”
“Gods, no. Kelvin. I’m so sorry.” Magnus reached for Kelvin’s hand, holding it firmly in his. “I take it that man is no longer alive.”
“No one on the ship is.” Kelvin shook his head, blinking rapidly. “Markov and Cassius, and Todd’s mates who are dragons, Ki and Lucas, towed the boat out to the deepest point of the Pacific ocean where it was destroyed.” He inhaled shakily and Magnus could feel his pain through their bond. “At least my mother’s essence is back where it belongs.”
Fuck. Leopards were loners and because of Magnus’s brusque nature so many people pushed him away, which made it more difficult for him to approach people he could care about. But with Kelvin, Magnus had no doubts. Scooting closer, he wrapped his free arm over Kelvin’s shoulder, pulling him into his side. “I am so sorry, babe. I truly am.”
“Yeah, well, thank you. My parents have been dead for a long time. But what Andromeda was doing was inhuman.”
“Definitely. But how do you want me to help? As you said, your parents have been gone a very long time, which incidentally probably means you are centuries older than me.”
“Just a few.” Kelvin’s grin was quick and watery, but it was there. “Actually, it wasn’t my parents I’d come to see you about. It’s to do with Cassius and Riley.”
Magnus quickly skimmed through the facts Kelvin had told him. “Finding Riley’s body would be almost impossible unless you have the ship’s coordinates for where it was when Riley was thrown overboard. I mean, do you feel it’s possible he’s been saved – like was the ship close to land? Could Riley swim?”
“Riley hates the water, but that’s the thing. He’s not dead.”
Magnus sat stunned as Kelvin finished the story, explaining how Andromeda had his hooks in the shadow team command that Cassius had been responsible for and how Markov and Cassius, with Kelvin’s help took them down. And how, afterwards, because the family was still in a shit-roar because they didn’t want Cassius in the family, the two men were staying in a hotel. And then…
“Riley just knocked on the door?” Magnus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Where the hell had he been?”
“That’s the million dollar question right there.” Disengaging himself from the embrace, Kelvin topped up his mug and Magnus’s. “All he had on him was a photo with a note on the back of it, just like Cassius had been receiving for years, and a story Riley had written about his life.”
“He’s six, you say?”
Kelvin nodded.
“Then his story is not going to have a lot of details. Hmm…”
“The thing is, I was hoping I could use you to get access to the FBI forensic lab and see if anything on the paper could give us a clue as to who had been holding Riley or where, but then you said you were on leave for a month.”
“I am, yes.” Magnus was still thinking, and then he grinned. “But I don’t have to stay on leave. Look.” He waved his hand in the direction of the coffee table. “I’m going to be blunt, right? It’s my way, so hopefully you won’t take offence. But one of the reasons I’ve been pushing you on these kidnapping franchises is because two years ago, I lost my sister. She disappeared while coming home from swimming, and no one has seen or heard from her since.”
Kelvin was a smart man. Magnus could see when he connected the dots. “She’s a shifter, and you think she was caught up as part of the same ring, or franchise that got hold of Azim.”
“I can’t think of any other reason she wouldn’t have at least got in touch to let me know she’s okay. I got her bag, wallet, and cell phone back from a homeless person, after tracking it down, but that was it. So, no. Wherever she is, she didn’t go willingly.”
“And you do realize she’s probably dead.” Kelvin’s soft tone did nothing to lessen the blow they caused. But Magnus nodded.
“I’ve been in this game a long time. I know the odds. I also know she would’ve fought, which meant them killing her was a strong possibility because she would’ve been too much trouble to keep. Meeting Azim, yes, I am sure you were told what a dick I was that day, but I didn’t realize that the paranormals were being stolen to order or anything about these pop-up franchises at that time. Azim said he was drugged and as a vampire, if they kept him short of blood, he’d be weakened. I’m not saying he wouldn’t have tried to get away, but you tell me, when he was found, how close was he to death?”
“Very.” Kelvin paused for a moment. “We didn’t know what was going to happen. Victor took Azim to an island we have, alone, to heal him. We all thought if Azim took Victor’s blood he would heal. But what Azim couldn’t tell us was that his throat had been crushed, and without blood, it hadn’t healed, and he could barely take a mouthful of Victor’s blood at a time.”
“Didn’t the claim help Azim?” Magnus thought of the kraken’s presence and spiritual hugs he’d felt when he woke up.
“Victor wouldn’t claim Azim without his consent.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Oh, shit indeed. Victor eventually brought Azim back to the Thalassa compound and it was Danik, Alexi’s mate, who figured out how to communicate with him. Danik knew that Azim could sign. He’d been the original detective on the case when Azim had been taken and was aware a family member was deaf. One claim later and Azim has been getting stronger ever since. He has a good sense for numbers too, so helps me and Todd where he can.”
“Which is useful, definitely, especially when you have a demanding FBI agent on your ass every five minutes.” Magnus was teasing, but his mind was already racing ahead. “Riley wasn’t the only kid stolen by Andromeda’s lot, obviously.”
“No, but from what I can tell from the information Cassius and Markov retrieved from the ship before it was sunk, it appears he was the only hybrid kid. Others were all one hundred percent whatever shifter types they were. Mostly predator species.”
“Makes sense. So, we have hidden kids, stolen paranormals, Andromeda with military connections drugging people, and being capable with those drugs to separate a shifter from his animal spirit like he did with Markov… and then we have the copious amounts of money that the franchise was making, and taking, being funneled god knows where, because it must be financing something…”
“Don’t forget the dragon eggs that were stolen, sold, died, and then the bodies sold back to Andromeda,” Kelvin added.
“Agreed, but I think that was just part of Andromeda’s sick game. He would’ve known after the first few deaths, the dragons couldn’t survive without their parents, but he still had them stolen and sold, probably for a considerably higher amount than he would buy back a dragon baby’s body for.”
“Adding to the growing financial pot.” Kelvin nodded. “Makes sense. But where does that lead?”
Magnus grinned, and patted Kelvin’s knee. “I don’t know where the trail ends up, but in this first instance, I think I should send an email to my boss and let her know I am taking on the Bigfoot case. What do you think? Want to go and find a big old furry?”
“How does Bigfoot fit into all this?” But Kelvin was smiling too, and Magnus could feel his excitement through their bond.
“I’m not sure it does exactly, but I do know if there is a Bigfoot then they would be a master at hiding. You said yourself it could be a way for a shifter to stay hidden, and when you factor in how old Andromeda was, what are the chances there are shifters that have been experimented on out there, living in the wilderness who might have escaped a lab? And besides, being on a case means I have every reason to use Forensic FBI lab facilities.”
“You are a smart man.” Kelvin leaned over brushing a kiss on his nose before pulling back. “You pull out your laptop and I’ll go and get my stuff out of the car.”
Chapter Seven
Kelvin
If Magnus’s boss was surprised by the suddenness of his return from his leave, Kelvin didn’t hear it in her voice during the conversation. What he heard was a barely held tolerance for her co-worker. That was six hours ago.
They’d fueled up on more food while they’d considered where the sighting of Bigfoot was and the easiest way to get there. Over land it seemed was the best choice, which meant flying. Kelvin had dismissed the idea of asking Lucas or Ki to take them. They were on the island with Markov and Cassius enjoying some family time and Kelvin wanted to have some time with Magnus by himself before he introduced his mate to his family drama.
So, in the hopes Alexi or Victor didn’t need to fly anywhere, Kelvin commandeered the family jet. He had been loath to call either Alexi or Victor to explain why he needed it. Not that technically he needed to. Alexi might be the pseudo head of their family because he was the eldest, but Kelvin didn’t think he’d been acting in a mature way lately. Besides, Kelvin paid towards the maintenance of the jet, the same as all the brothers did. He wasn’t going to apologize for using something he had as much right to as any of the others.
Kelvin had been sure his kraken would have alerted the other kraken’s they’d found their mate. He didn’t have an issue with that because he didn’t have a problem with any of the krakens. It was their human counterparts – or rather Alexi’s and Victor’s he was pissed off with. But that would probably explain why he hadn’t heard from any of his brothers. Todd and Markov might not be even aware he wasn’t at the Thalassa compound, but for now, Kelvin was still too pissed at Alexi and Victor to try explaining to anyone. In the meantime, he truly got how wonderful it was to be mated.
“When will the jet get to the landing strip?” Magnus plonked a large black canvas bag, which was the biggest pack Kelvin had ever seen, on the seat next to him.
“Erm, are you planning on a month’s trip or something?”
The sexy grin gave Kelvin ideas that they definitely had no time for. “There’s a tent and sleeping bags, along with other essentials such as packets of freeze dried food.” Magnus shrugged and checked the gun he plucked out of a side pocket. “You can’t be too careful. My leopard will keep us safe, but there’s no accounting for stupid humans who don’t take their safety seriously.” The gun was slipped back into one of the many side pockets.
“It makes sense I suppose. Bigfoot, whether a true separate species or hidden shifter, is going to be living somewhere remote with few facilities.”
“There’s also the idea we’re going to have to trek a fair bit inland before we can even start tracking.” Magnus nodded at his bag. “I have the file, and the town’s name as a starting point, but a quick check on Google earth showed the town was not much more than a gas station, a bar and grill, and a local store. The report of the sightings came from a family who only came into town once a month and ‘north of town and turn west when you reach the forest,’ isn’t helpful in terms of Google maps. The Ozarks St. Francis forest itself is a huge and rugged area. Even with the plane and a rental truck, it’s still going to be a long trek.”
His brow furrowed as he eyed Kelvin’s suit, the one he’d changed into once he’d retrieved his suitcase. “Do you have anything other than suits with you? Not that you don’t look great in them, but they won’t cut it where we are going.”
Kelvin eyed his immaculate suit and sighed. His mate was right. It was too late to shop now. They’d need to do it when they landed in Arkansas. “I’ll shop when we land. I’ll find something.” He eyed the suitcase he’d sat by the door to take with him. “I might as well leave that here too. It’s not like it’s suitable for trekking either.”
An arm was slung around his shoulder, the scruff on his mate’s face gone as he rubbed his cheek against Kelvin’s. A move he was coming to love. “It’ll be fine here until we get back.”
Kelvin checked his watch when Magnus let go. “I think it’s time to head out. Especially seeing as we have to navigate your driveway.”
The grin was back. “It’s to stop folk’s visiting.”
“Yes, well, my suspension and ass prefer a smoother ride.”
His laughter bloomed like a sunrise. It was bold and joyous. “A smooth ride for your ass.” Magnus bent, his lips a mere whisper from Kelvin’s. “Now that can be easily accomplished, babe.” The kiss was soft and melted Kelvin’s resolve on leaving to meet the plane.
Kelvin’s ass clenched while his cheeks heated at just how much he’d enjoyed their mating. Only next time he wanted the chance at being the one to slide into his mate’s tight ass.
“And you’ll get it, once we’ve found Bigfoot and stuck it to my boss,” Magnus murmured against Kelvin’s lips before kissing him briefly and then moving back.
Getting up off the sofa, Kelvin tried to hide how flustered he was. “Was I projecting that loudly?”
“Let’s just say, those in the next town without our mating connection could have heard you.” Magnus maintained a straight face for all of a second before he laughed.
“You’re a funny guy.”
“Not normally, as you know. But you, mate of mine, seem to bring out the best in me.”
There was a sudden wave of sadness and Kelvin went and wrapped his arms around Magnus. “Do you want me to help… to find your sister?”
He shuddered, his face buried in Kelvin’s throat. “How can you do that when I’ve failed using every available avenue?”
“Answer me this first. If you could find out the truth, would you want to?” Not everyone was able to face the reality of the death of a loved one. The case that brought Danik into their lives had proven that.
When Magnus met Kelvin’s stare, he had his answer before his lips parted. “Yes. I need to know. Can you help in some way I haven’t tried?”
“Do you have something, anything with her scent on it?”
Magnus didn’t question Kelvin as he let go and walked out of the room to return a minute later holding a sealed bag. “These were hers. I sealed them into an evidence bag after I found them. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever need them.”
“Can I open the bag? Smell them?”
Magnus gave nothing away as he held out the bag, his gaze unwavering. “If you think it will help, do what is necessary.”
“Can we go outside, I’ll need space.” Magnus nodded wordlessly and followed Kelvin outside.
Opening the bag, Kelvin stood on the same spot he’d already had his tentacles in the earth. His kraken was there with him ready for what was to come. He didn’t put his nose in the bag, his hand shifted, and tentacles formed, then reached into the bag, his kraken picking up the one scent that was dominant over all the others.
The tentacles came out of the bag which he offered back to Magnus who was now eyeing him with interest. Once he was free of the bag, Kelvin’s kraken took over. Tentacles formed, his suit once more ripping at the sleeves as they thickened and lengthened to dig deep into the dirt. At one with his kraken, Kelvin who seldom did this kind of searching let his animal side lead. It didn’t take long.
