Back Roads

Haven 4

Back Roads It’s not that he isn’t insanely attracted to Bannon Murphy, but when the man starts talking about mates, Galen balks. He’s been burned by a lying, manipulating shifter before, and he isn’t convinced that he can trust the sexy Irishman. After months of trying to convince Galen they’re fated to be together, Bannon is at the end of his rope. Not only does Galen refuse to accept that they’re mates, but he stubbornly clings to the idea that he’s nothing more than human. No matter how hard Galen tries to push him away, Bannon isn’t going anywhere without a fight. When The Council convinces him to take Galen on his next assignment, Bannon decides to use the time to woo his obstinate mate. Unfortunately, it soon becomes apparent that keeping them safe from their enemies will be easier than convincing his mate to stop running from the truth. Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves Length: 40,700 words

BACK ROADS Haven 4

Gabrielle Evans

EVERLASTING CLASSIC MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

BACK ROADS Copyright © 2011 by Gabrielle Evans E-book ISBN: 1-61926-095-6 First E-book Publication: November 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

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BACK ROADS Haven 4 GABRIELLE EVANS Copyright © 2011

Prologue “They’re moving away.” It was like a little spark that continued to grow fainter, until Galen knew it would disappear completely. “Well, bloody hell and damnation.” Cian Murphy didn’t sound happy about the news, and Galen found himself opening his mouth to apologize. There wasn’t anything he could do about it, though, unless they wanted him to sprint out into the trees and drag the shifter back by the scruff of his neck. A bony elbow caught him in the ribs, causing him to grunt and rub at his side as he cast Kendall a disgruntled look. What the hell was that all about? He hadn’t said a word. “This isn’t your fault,” Kendall stated firmly with a glare of his own. “Well, of course it’s not.” Galen barely resisted the urge to close his eyes and groan when Bannon Murphy crossed his arms over his chiseled chest and arched one dark eyebrow at him. The man could make his cock stand erect with just a look. When he spoke in that deep, deliciously sexy voice of his, it was enough to send anyone into heat. “What would give ya a fool idea like that?” Bannon was giving him that look that meant they’d be talking about this later. It seemed

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like all they’d done for months on end was talk until Galen barely recognized his own voice. “Which way are they movin’?” Bannon asked when Galen refused to answer the first question. This part he could do. Closing his eyes, Galen turned one way, then the other, pulling in the energy from the kidnapper and the pups. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt the morning sun warming his face as he lifted his arm and pointed toward the east. “They’re moving fast, too. I can barely feel them anymore.” It was merely a flicker at this point, and soon it would be gone completely if they didn’t do something quickly. A large, warm body pressed up against his back, and Bannon’s unique scent permeated the air around him. Those long fingers curled around his shoulders and began massaging gently. “What else are ya feelin’?” “Shifter.” That wasn’t completely true. “No, he’s only part shifter.” It bothered him that he couldn’t figure out what this guy was other than shifter. It was as if he could feel something just on the fringes, but he couldn’t lock onto it. “That’s good, darlin’,” Bannon whispered in his ear, pulling a full-body shiver from Galen. His hands roamed, caressing up and down Galen’s arms and completely driving him out of his mind. God, the man had good hands. “They’re so sweet together I think I’m going into a diabetic coma.” Galen frowned at Jory’s words, but kept his eyes closed. No one knew how he felt about Bannon, though. He’d gone out of his way to make sure of it. “We’ll drag the details out of him later,” Kendall whispered loud enough for Galen to hear. They did know he was standing right there, didn’t they? “What’s going on?”

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Oh, poor Aslan. Galen loved the guy to death, but he honestly just seemed to exist inside his own world. Galen had a feeling that Aslan understood a lot more than he let on, but it was just easier to let everyone think that he was a clueless twit. Galen could definitely see the appeal. If people thought he didn’t comprehend what was going on, no one would ever ask anything from him. While he was thinking through this, a large burst of energy hit him square between the eyes. “There’s someone else,” he announced. “Coming from that way.” He swung his arm around to point toward the northeast. “What is it, Galen? What’s out there?” Bannon spoke quietly, still soothing Galen with his touch and his voice. His heart pounded inside his chest, and his palms began to sweat. Whatever was out there was massive and moving faster than anything he’d ever seen, and it was going right for the pups. As he concentrated harder, the massive ball of energy began to shift, and he suddenly realized it wasn’t just one, but several different pulses. Pushing past the initial shock of such a huge blast, he began sorting out the different readings he was getting. When he finally tapped in and figured out that it was a group of werewolves, he started laughing so hard that he could barely breathe. Everyone was probably staring at him like he was insane, but knowing that Raina and her brothers were about to tear apart the man who’d kidnapped hers and Teegan’s babies was about the best example of cosmic justice he could imagine. **** “Hey.” Bannon thought his heart would pound out of his chest at the shy smile Galen offered him as he stepped aside to allow Bannon entrance to his bedroom.

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Slipping inside, he returned the man’s smile, but with a bit more confidence. They’d been dancing around each other for far too long, and it was time to get some things out in the open. Bannon could admit that he was little nervous about what Galen’s reaction might be to the biggest piece of news, but he couldn’t hold it inside any longer. “Teegan and the pups are safe now, right?” Galen twisted his hands together as he eased down on the side of the mattress and looked up at Bannon with big, rounded eyes. He was so adorable Bannon felt overjoyed that he could give the guy some good news for a change. “Everyone is safe and accounted for, darlin’.” Galen’s head tilted to the side, and his soft brown curls fell over one eye. “Why do you call me that?” “Do ya not like it?” “Oh, I like it,” Galen admitted, his cheeks and ears tinting the cutest shade of pink. “It just confuses me. You know how I feel about you. Yet, you haven’t made a single move on me. Why, Bannon?” Choking back his sigh, Bannon moved farther into the room and knelt on the floor in front of Galen, resting his hands on the smaller man’s knees. This part of the conversation had come much sooner than he’d anticipated. While he’d been trying to find a way to bring it up for weeks, he wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t send Galen running for the hills. There was a hurt and sadness in Galen’s eyes that tugged at his heartstrings. Something there that told him his little man had been hurt badly by someone in the past. He knew all about Galen’s imprisonment and the life he’d led as a slave. There was more to the story, though—something that went back even before then. Until he knew the details, he’d have to tread lightly. “There’s somethin’ I’m needin’ to tell ya, Galen. I think maybe ya can feel it, too, but ya haven’t said a word. So, now I’m not sure what to be thinkin’.”

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Galen’s small, trembling hands covered his own, and he offered a wobbly smile. “You’re making me nervous. Just tell me whatever it is you want to say.” “You’re my mate,” Bannon blurted. Okay, so there wasn’t an easy way to tell someone that, especially if he didn’t understand the customs and lifestyle of shifters. Immediately, Galen began shaking his head, and his eyes narrowed into slits. “No, I’m not. You know I can’t be. Why would you say something like that to me?” “Ah, but ya are, darlin’.” Bannon had known it instantly. Galen’s past was a mystery to him, but there was no doubt that the man was his mate and therefore had some diluted shifter blood in his family tree. Galen came up off the bed so quickly, Bannon fell back on his ass with a grunt. His mate looked hopping mad and ready to spit fire. “I’m not stupid, Bannon. I know the rules. Shifters can only mate other shifters. I won’t even pretend to understand it, but I heard it from your own mouth, and it’s been verified by other shifters here in the coven. I would have given you anything you wanted. I would have happily shared my life with you. Why would you lie to me about something like this?” Oh, yes, there was definitely a story there. Judging by the mottled red of Galen’s face, and the way his eyes sparked with anger, Bannon doubted he’d be hearing it any time soon, though. “Now, calm yourself. Why would I be lyin’ to ya about somethin’ so important? Just talk to me, Galen. Ask me anything you’re wantin’ to know. I have no secrets from ya.” “I don’t have any questions,” Galen answered flatly. “I just can’t believe you’d try to trick me like that. I thought I meant more to you.” He dropped his head, and his shoulders sagged. “Please, just leave.” Never had Bannon expected such a reaction. It left him grappling for something to hang on to while his entire world spun out from under him. Where was all the vehemence coming from? Galen was

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normally so shy and submissive. This wasn’t like the man Bannon had come to know and care for. “Talk to me, Galen. Tell me what has ya so upset then.” That had apparently been the wrong thing to say because Galen snorted and marched to the door where he flung it open and pointed out into the hall. “Please, Bannon. I’m asking you to leave. I need five freakin’ minutes. So…” He trailed off, his eyes pleading for Bannon to give him the space he needed. Not knowing what else to do, Bannon nodded numbly, rose to his feet, and padded out of the room with his head hung like a whipped dog. He’d be back, though. Galen was his mate, and he couldn’t run from the truth forever. **** “Galen. Can ya hear me, darlin’?” Groaning in his sleep, Galen rolled to his side and pulled his pillow over his head. The voice sounded like Bannon, but the man was gone, several states away, and certainly couldn’t be inside his bedroom. “Galen. I’m needin’ your help. Can ya talk to me then?” Help. It was the only word that penetrated the fog of sleep. Galen would do anything in his power to help Bannon. In the six months or so since they’d met, the big, Irish shifter had become his entire world. He’d freaked and completely lost his mind when Bannon uttered the M word, but that didn’t diminish his feelings for the man. Blinking open his eyes, Galen frowned when he found himself standing in the middle of a cemetery, the moon shining overhead and thick, white fog rolling around his ankles. Scanning his surroundings, his scowl deepened when he found Bannon tied to one of the tombstones. His head lolled on his shoulder, and his eyes were glassy, but there was a tiny smile on his face as he looked up at Galen.

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“I knew ya would hear me,” he croaked. Hurry across the distance between them, Galen fell to his knees and began tugging at the braided ropes securing Bannon to the big, decaying piece of rock. “What happened to you? Where are we?” Panic welled up in his chest when he couldn’t so much as budge the restraints. “I can’t get them off,” he all but sobbed. “Hush now, a ghrá. Don’t go gettin’ yourself all worked up. I’m goin’ to be just fine, but I need you to do somethin’ for me.” “Anything,” Galen promised, wiping at his eyes. “Tell me what to do, Bannon.” “The others are comin’ for us, but they’re not knowin’ where to look. Ya tell Stavion what ya see here. Remember it all, Galen, and tell them. Bad things are goin’ to happen if they don’t find us. Do ya understand, sweetheart?” Galen understood “bad things” more than almost anyone, and he wanted nothing like that to happen to Bannon. “I’ll tell them. Are you going to be okay?” “Don’t worry yourself about me. Ya need to be wakin’ up now, Galen. I’m countin’ on ya.” Bending forward, Galen brushed his lips over Bannon’s cheek and nodded firmly. “I won’t let you down. Just hang in there. Help’s coming for you.” Willing himself awake, Galen didn’t bother to stop and consider how strange it was for him to share a dream with Bannon. All he knew was that the man he cared about needed his help. Struggling out of the blankets, an ear-piercing scream had him hurrying to pull on a pair of pajama bottoms before he bolted out of the room. The minute he was through the door, he almost fell back on his ass when he ran smack into Aslan just on the other side. “I saw a ghost,” Aslan blurted breathlessly. “Well, I saw Bannon.” “They’re in trouble,” they both said simultaneously.

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Then they eyed each other for a few seconds, nodded once, and took off down the hall in search of the coven leader. Galen assumed it was Torren that Aslan had seen. The last he’d heard, Bannon was on his way to meet the witch, along with Raven, and some cursed vampire and his mate. He didn’t know what it meant that he’d shared a dream with Bannon, or that Torren had appeared to Aslan as a specter. He doubted it was anything good, though. They needed to hurry. Grabbing Aslan by the hand, Galen picked up his pace, practically dragging his friend along behind him. They needed help and fast. “Stavion!”

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Chapter One “Galen, we’re needin’ a talk, little one.” Bannon Murphy knocked on Galen’s door softly, using his voice to coax his mate out. It didn’t matter that Galen refused to acknowledge that they belonged together. Bannon knew the truth. The door eased open, and Galen stood there in the crack, his eyes red and his brown curls bouncing around his face. “Bannon, I can’t do this anymore. You know how I feel about you, but I can’t.” “Let me in.” “You’re not going away, are you?” “No. Not until ya let me in that room.” Bannon rested his palm on the doorframe and leaned closer to the smaller man. “Are ya wantin’ to have this talk here?” He didn’t want to air their issues where anyone could hear them, but he intended to have a talk with Galen one way or another. With a defeated sigh, Galen stepped away from the door and opened it wider for Bannon to enter. “I don’t know what you want to talk about. I don’t really see that there is anything left to say.” “Ya be the stubbornest man I’ve ever met.” Bannon wouldn’t admit it in case it encouraged the little shit, but he found his mate’s stubbornness kind of endearing. “That’s not even a word.” Galen turned away quickly, but not before Bannon saw the corners of his lips twitch. “Is so.” Galen lost the battle, and his lips stretched into a wide grin. “You’re an idiot.” “Aye, but you’re smilin’ now, aren’t ya?”

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“What do you want, Bannon?” “I might have died. Are ya not even happy to see me alive?” Bannon was not a stranger to witches and other Magiks, but after the shit he’d been through in Nevada, he was well shot of the lot of them. “You know I am,” Galen answered softly as he crossed the room to flop down in the armchair near the closet. “What do you want?” Bannon threw his hands up in frustration and began pacing the room. “Now, that’s a bloody fine way to be greetin’ me, don’t ya think?” “Look, I know what you’re here to say, and you’re wrong. I don’t know how many times we have to travel down this road. You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met, but I can’t be your mate. I’m not a shifter, Bannon. I’m not going to fall for you just so you can meet your real mate later down the road and forget all about me.” It was the most the man had said to him at one time in weeks. He was wrong, though. “You’re not makin’ a lick of sense, darlin’. Ya tell me how I sent ya that message from Nevada, if we’re not mates.” Galen shrugged. “I have no idea. I’m glad you did and I was able to help, but that doesn’t change what I am. Shifters only mate other shifters—you said so yourself. They don’t mate humans, witches, vampires, or whatever. I’m not a shifter, so therefore I’m not your mate.” “How are ya knowin’ you’re not a shifter? Just because ya don’t change into an animal doesn’t mean you’re not a shifter. Aye, we are only matin’ other shifters, but ya don’t have to be full-blooded now, do ya? Even just a little bit will do. Take Malakai for example. He’s mated to my brother, Flynn, but he’s not changin’ into a beasty. I know what my instincts are tellin’ me, and they’re sayin’ ya belong to me.” “I don’t belong to anyone!” Galen screamed. He jumped to his feet and pointed a finger in Bannon’s face. “I belonged to someone for half my damn life, and I won’t do it again. I make my own decisions now. I won’t let someone tell me what to do, when to do it,

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and how I need to do it better.” When he finally wound down, his entire frame was shaking, and his chest heaved as though he’d run a marathon. “Calm yaself, Galen. That’s not what I’m meanin’.” Bannon took a step toward his mate but stopped when Galen snarled at him. “What is all this now?” Like letting the helium out of a balloon, Galen deflated and sagged back into his chair. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m already half in love with you, and I’m not willing to fall the entire way.” That was exactly what Bannon wanted, though. He’d known Galen was his mate from the first time he’d caught a whiff of the man’s intriguing scent. Knowing the harsh life Galen had led as a slave, he’d taken things slowly, only befriending him and easing him into the idea of being mated. While Galen had seemed eager for the friendship, his stance never changed on the mating part. For months, he’d steadfastly refused to accept the truth. Bannon doubted it was so much that he didn’t believe it, and more that he was trying to protect himself. There were painful secrets lurking in his mate’s past, something beyond even being kept as a slave for years. “What are ya not tellin’ me, Galen?” “If I pour my heart out will you leave me alone?” “No.” There was no sense in lying to the guy. Bannon had no intentions of walking away from his sienota—his fated mate. What kind of man did Galen think he was? “I’m begging you. Please, just leave me alone. I thought I could be your friend without wanting more, but I can’t.” Bannon opened his mouth to respond, but his cell phone chose that moment to begin vibrating in his pocket. With a growl of frustration, he retrieved the offending object and answered without checking the ID. “What?” “Torren is asking for you,” Raven said on the other end of the line. “I guess The Council has a witch they want you to track down.”

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“Can’t it wait?” Bannon wasn’t conceited, but he knew his skills as a Tracker were unmatched by most in the country. Usually, he didn’t mind being sent out on assignments, but that was before he had a mate who was hiding shit from him. “I don’t think so, man. Torren is doing his best to get things settled and ease into his position as elder so he can see his kids. I know I wasn’t too big on the idea at first, but he’s a good guy. He’s not going to take them away from Raina and Teegan.” Maybe it made him an asshole, but Bannon didn’t really care. He’d met the females a few times, but he had no real emotional attachment to them or their adopted cubs. He’d only met Torren once, and most of that time had been spent unconscious because of Leader McCarthy’s psychotic brother. The trio’s parental issues were none of his concern. “Where’s he stayin’?” Bannon finally asked with a sigh. “He’s in Casper right now. You want me to drive?” Bannon gave Galen a lingering look and sighed again. “Aye, I’ll meet ya in five minutes.” He disconnected and turned to Galen once more. “I—” “I heard,” Galen cut him off. “Be careful, Bannon.” Then he rose from the chair, went into his private bathroom, and closed the door. Unsure if he should go after him or not, Bannon hesitated for a full minute before he finally pushed up from his seat and walked out of the room. Something had to give soon, or he was going to lose his mind. Maybe by the time he returned from Casper, he’d have a new plan to woo his reluctant mate. He briefly considered asking for Raven’s advice, but the man was a complete jackass. Oh, he had a lot of respect for the Enforcer, and liked the hell out of him, but Raven had a tendency to leap into a situation without thinking ahead to the consequences. Asking the man for advice on how to handle the situation with Galen would be murder-suicide for his muddled relationship.

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Then again, he seemed to be doing a pretty good job of screwing it up all on his own. **** Galen sat on the edge of the tub and fisted his hands in his lap, waiting for the snick of the door that would signal Bannon’s departure. He didn’t have to wait long, but he didn’t know if he felt relief or disappointment at the fact. Part of him wanted Bannon to come after him and demand that Galen…well, something. Everything was so confusing, and he really didn’t know what the hell he wanted. “I hate this,” he whispered to the empty room. He hated how his feelings were all twisted up in knots—right along with his stomach a lot of the time. Bannon Murphy was without a doubt the sweetest, kindest, not to mention the sexiest, man he had ever met. No matter that Galen continuously pushed him away, Bannon never stayed gone for long. He was a persistent bastard, but it was just one more thing Galen loved about the guy. “Galen?” A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by Kendall’s voice. “Honey, are you in there?” Leaping up, Galen hurried to the door, jerked it open, and threw himself into Kendall’s arms with enough force that he knocked his friend back several steps. Now that Bannon was gone, he was free to fall apart, and that was exactly what he did. He sobbed and shuddered, holding on to Kendall for dear life as he soaked his friend’s shirt with his tears. So lost in his meltdown, he didn’t immediately notice that Kendall wasn’t the only one in the room until two more sets of arms wound around both of them. “Shh, Galen,” Jory whispered. “It’s going to be okay.” “We’re all here for you,” Aslan added. “Please don’t cry.”

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Pulling himself together, Galen eased out of the group embrace and wiped roughly at his eyes. “I’m fine, guys. Thank you.” “Do you want to talk about it?” Kendall asked, concern written all over his face. “Bannon is your mate, isn’t he?” “No,” Galen answered immediately, shaking his head defensively. “I can’t be his mate.” “I know it’s scary.” Jory took his hand and led him over to the bed where he urged Galen to sit. Then they all climbed up on the mattress with him, surrounding him in comfort and support. “I didn’t want to admit that Stavion was my mate at first, either.” “I almost pissed myself every time Cassius walked in a room,” Kendall added with a light chuckle. They were sweet for trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t the same situation at all. “I love him,” Galen confessed with another sniffle. “I can’t be his mate, though.” His friends exchanged looks of confusion, each sporting identical frowns on their faces. “You can’t or you won’t?” Jory finally asked. “I can’t. He’s a shifter.” “I still don’t get it,” Aslan said with a shrug. The poor guy rarely understood anything, but Galen loved him all the same. What Aslan lacked in worldly knowledge, he made up for in enthusiasm. “Shifters have to mate other shifters. That’s what Bannon told me anyway. I don’t understand why that is.” He shook his head as his brow furrowed. “Everyone else can mate whoever they want. Fate doesn’t discriminate for them. Why are shifters different?” “Okay, slow down.” Jory scooted around until he could stretch out on his side and prop himself up on his elbow. “Bannon is a shifter, and that means he can only mate another shifter. Is that right?” Galen nodded in defeat. “And you’re not a shifter,” Kendall continued. “So, you can’t be his mate,” Aslan finished with a disgusted huff. “That’s stupid.”

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Galen couldn’t agree more. “He won’t leave me alone, though. I don’t know what to do.” “If Bannon says you’re his mate, maybe it’s true.” Jory shrugged when Galen glared at him. “It seems like he would know better than anyone. Just because you don’t actually shift doesn’t mean that you don’t have some shifter blood in you somewhere.” “That’s the same thing Bannon said.” Galen sighed and rested his head on Kendall’s shoulder when his friend’s arm went around his back. “I’m scared.” “No shit,” Aslan said with a snort. “I don’t know how any of you guys do it. Your men are enormous! Don’t you ever worry about them squishing you while you’re sleeping? And how the hell does sex work with them? I’d think they’d crush you.” There was a moment of silence before Jory, Kendall, and Galen burst into laughter. “Oh, just wait,” Kendall gasped. “Your turn is coming.” “Sooner than you think,” Galen added with a smirk. “Have you talked to Torren yet?” Aslan wrinkled his nose and looked away. “I haven’t even met him. I know what Jonas said, but I think Torren showing up in my room as a ghosty thing was just a fluke, though. If I was really his mate, wouldn’t he be here with me now?” Galen didn’t have a good answer for that, so he said nothing at all. He had the exact opposite problem. His “mate” wouldn’t leave him alone. “We’re a mess, aren’t we?” His friends chuckled in agreement. “Yeah, I guess we are,” Jory answered. “You guys have it easy, though. They want me to be a freakin’ elder! What do I know about being in charge of anything? Hell, I still need Stavion to order my breakfast half the time because I can’t decide what I want to eat.” “You care, though,” Galen said seriously. “You have the biggest heart, and I think you could do a lot of good.”

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“Besides,” Aslan butted in with a smirk, “you’ll outrank Stavion if you accept the position.” This sent them all into more fits of giggles, and Galen was feeling much better. He was so lucky to have such wonderful friends. “I don’t think Stavion has realized that yet. I can just picture his face when I tell him.” Jory grinned mischievously and wiggled his eyebrows. “How long do you have to make a decision?” Aslan asked. “I told Layke that I’d let him know by Halloween.” Jory became serious again. “There’s just a lot to consider.” “Well, if it makes a difference, I think you’d be a wonderful elder.” Galen took Jory’s hand and squeezed it gently. “There are a lot more out there like us who need someone to speak for them, Jory. I know you’re supposed to represent the demons, but you’ll have the clout to help others, too.” Everyone was quiet for a long time, and Galen was sorry that he’d ruined the light mood. “How about pajama night? We haven’t had one of those in a while. No mates, though,” he added sternly. “What about Malakai?” Jory asked. “I haven’t seen much of him since he’s been back.” He shrugged and smiled. “I like him.” Galen liked the little vampire, too. “Okay, we can invite Malakai. I say we do it in your room, though. Kendall has the baby, so that’s out, and mine and Aslan’s rooms are too small.” “Stavion can stay with Cassius tonight if he doesn’t mind crashing on the couch and possibly a crying baby,” Kendall offered. Jory grinned. “I’ll convince him.” Happier than he’d been in weeks, Galen flopped back on his bed and sighed. He still didn’t know what to do about Bannon, but for one night, he wasn’t going to worry about it.

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Chapter Two “I need you to locate a faerie by the name of Camdin Maywater.” Bannon frowned at Elder Winters. “I thought I was to find a witch?” “You will, but we need Camdin located as well.” Torren rose from his seat and walked around the big oak desk. Bannon had no desire to leave Wyoming. He’d seen a lot of the country since coming to America, and while it was exciting, it kept him far away from Haven for long stretches at a time, and therefore, away from Galen. “This is the guy you want to name elder of the fae,” Raven said from Bannon’s side. “No disrespect, but why him?” “He’s important, and he has something I need,” Elder Winters answered cryptically. They weren’t going to get any further information, and Bannon knew it. “So, I’m to find a faerie and a witch. When do I leave?” The elders exchanged a glance, and Torren looked apologetic when he returned his attention to Bannon. “We need Galen’s help.” “No.” Bannon shook his head firmly and crossed his arms over his chest. “He’ll not be goin’.” Anger welled up in him at the thought of the elders using Galen in such a way. His mate was no warrior, and he was going to bloody well keep his ass at home where it was safe. “I’ll bring back whoever you’re wantin’, but you’ll not be usin’ my mate.” He didn’t realize his slip of the tongue until it was too late and Torren was smiling in triumph at him. There had been speculation, especially after Galen dreamed of him while he was being held

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prisoner in Nevada. Until he’d just blurted it out, no one knew for sure that he and Galen were mates, though. It wasn’t even so much that he’d said the words, either. His angry reaction to the news was all the proof they needed. The big question was why they were so interested in digging out the information. “You have to claim him.” “Whoa, Torren. What the hell, man?” Raven stepped forward, waving his hand indignantly. “We need Galen,” Torren answered simply. “I know what he can do, and his powers will be stronger—along with Bannon’s—if they’re bonded.” “Why?” Bannon was so furious that it was the only word he could get through his clenched teeth. It was bad enough that they wanted to use Galen in whatever scheme they’d cooked up, but to force them to claim each other was taking it too far. A mating between a destined pair—or trio or whatever—was sacred. Claiming a mate was the most intense and personal thing a paranormal ever did. Marriages ended in divorce every day. There was no calling it quits once you claimed a mate. To make matters even worse, Bannon was totally onboard with making Galen his own. Galen was far from being ready for something like that, though. “Being bonded will make both of your abilities stronger. We don’t have a lot of time, Bannon.” “How long do I have?” “Until Halloween,” Elder Winters answered quietly. “We need to locate them before The Council meeting.” “Them? Who exactly are we trying to find?” Raven tilted his head to the side and frowned. “This sounds fucking shady as hell.” “We need two witches, Raith and Lynk, before the Halloween festival.” Torren sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “It would be best if we could find all twelve of them, but that seems unlikely in the short timeframe.”

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“A dozen?” Raven choked. “Who are these witches?” “My brothers.” “So, why can’t you just dial-a-bro?” Raven crossed his arms over his muscled chest and took up a similar posture as Bannon. “What are you hiding? I don’t mind doing my job, but this reeks of bullshit.” Bannon couldn’t agree more. They wanted them to find a faerie and twelve fucking witches, but they wouldn’t tell them why. The elders exchanged another look, and this time, Torren huffed in defeat. “My brothers have been in hiding since our father was executed. We’ve spread out over the country—possibly the world. We don’t keep in touch because it would be too dangerous.” “Divide and conquer,” Raven mumbled. “It seems to me that it would be safer for you to stick together.” “You’d be wrong. We tried it at first, but because of our combined magic, it was easier for the Trackers to find us. After we split up, we kept in touch by phone until Raith was caught. All it took was a simple check of the contacts in his phone to trace us to the cities we were living in. I barely escaped, and I haven’t spoken to my brothers since.” “So, you don’t even know if they’re alive.” Raven dropped his head and bobbed it several times. “Okay, I get it, but why are we looking for them now?” “Phillip McCarthy is the simplest answer. We can’t get the location of the Book of the Banished from him. I’m sure you’ve both heard the legends about Halloween.” “It’s when the veil is the thinnest between our world and the next,” Bannon answered immediately. Of course they’d heard the legends. “Well, it’s not a legend. If the book has fallen into the wrong hands, what happened in that cemetery in Nevada will look like a fucking Mother Goose fairy tale.” “Should we not be lookin’ for the book then?”

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“The book is untraceable. Besides, we wouldn’t have enough time before the thirty-first. It could be virtually anywhere, though I think it’s a safe bet that it’s still in the U.S.” “Okay, so let me see if I have this straight.” Raven uncrossed his arms and scratched at the back of his neck. “That spell book is lost, or hidden, or something.” He waved a hand around to indicate the lack of importance to him. “It may or may not be in the hands of some wickedly evil witches who might use it to raise an army of the undead on Halloween.” Torren simply nodded. “And where do your brothers fit into this?” “Now that The Council is undergoing a complete overhaul, it’s time that we all come out of hiding. Our family was charged with guarding the Relegatis, but it was lost after our father died. We have to recover it.” “Aye, ya do. That’s still not tellin’ us why we’re needin’ your brothers before Halloween.” If Bannon didn’t start getting some straight answers, he was leaving. Being a Tracker was a fine job, but he wasn’t going to go charging into the fire without a damn good reason. “Raith and Lynk are the strongest besides myself,” Torren said without a hint of cockiness. “We’ll need them if we can’t recover the book before then.” “You said the book could be anywhere. What makes you think that trouble will be coming to our doorstep?” Bannon glanced at Raven, then back to Torren. It was a reasonable question. Torren was a smart man, though, and always thinking two steps ahead. If he felt the need for added protection, there was still something he wasn’t telling them. “The Relegatis needs a key to be unlocked. My brothers and I have the key, or more to the point, we are the key.”

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Raven’s eyebrows drew together, and he cocked his head to the side. “So, you’re telling me that you unlocked the book for McCarthy’s brother?” Torren sighed in obvious exasperation. “He didn’t have the book with him, Raven. How could I have unlocked it?” “Can ya be gettin’ to the fuckin’ point?” Torren wasn’t the only one exasperated. Bannon prided himself on being the most tolerant of his brothers. He was about two seconds from losing a lot more than his bloody patience, though. “Torren, man, your story isn’t adding up. How did Phillip use the book if he didn’t have the book? And how the hell did he get the spell if the damn thing can’t be opened by anyone other than you and your brothers?” Raven was shouting and snarling by the time he finished his questioning. It was a terrifying look for the vampire, and one Bannon hoped he never saw directed toward him. Not that he was afraid of Raven or anything ridiculous like that. He was just smart enough not to stick his neck out where it might be chomped into like a piece of beef jerky. With that being said, a few things were starting to come together for him in this twisted tale. “Ya think one of your brothers is openin’ the book for McCarthy.” Torren looked uncomfortable as he nodded. “The youngest six of us have a different mother, a shifter. They’re strong, but would more easily fall under a vampire’s compulsion, especially if he’d been drugged. As for Phillip not having the book, it would be easy enough to memorize a spell. Unfortunately, Phillip memorized it wrong.” “Once the book is opened…” Raven trailed off, looking as though he was trying to determine how to phrase his question. “Do you need to unlock it each time it’s opened? Or will once do the trick?” “Each time the book is closed, it must be unlocked with a key, a spell that only the guardians of the book are taught.” Bannon’s head was spinning with information overload. What he knew so far was that Torren had twelve brothers, six of which were

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hybrid shifters, and all of them were missing. Adding to that, a book that could bring the end of the world as they knew it and could only be opened by a Braddock was currently lost somewhere in the world with a high probability of it having a “key” sitting right fucking next to it. Gift-wrapped Armageddon. Hooray! “So, where does this faerie guy fit into all of this?” With all the hoodoo witch talk, Bannon had completely forgotten about the nominated elder of the fae. Elder Winters shook himself as though coming out of a daze at Raven’s question. “He has nothing to do with the Relegatis. Finding him and bringing him to The Council is imperative, however.” “And if he’s not wantin’ to come with us?” What Bannon really wanted to know was how much force he’d be allowed to use if the guy didn’t cooperate. Never had he failed to bring in someone he’d been assigned to locate. He wasn’t planning to start with Camdin Maywater. “Bring him back,” Elder Winters said simply. “Don’t harm him, but bring him back.” Sighing in defeat and just plain exhaustion, Bannon nodded his understanding. “Galen won’t be comin’.” He’d never made conditions on an assignment before, but this seemed like a good time to make a stand. “He will. Jory is going to talk to him tonight. I’m sure he’ll be eager to help when he hears what we want from him.” Something inside of Bannon snapped, and he launched himself at Torren. Luckily, before he could do something so incredibly stupid that it would surely end up with his head detached from his shoulders, Raven grabbed him around the waist and hauled him back. Underneath his rage, Bannon felt betrayed. Not only had Torren gone behind his back, but Jory as well. While he didn’t know the witch that well, he liked the hell out of Jory. The man had become a friend over the past several months, and to know that Jory not only

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backed the elders but actually played an active role in their deceit was like a hot poker to his chest. It didn’t matter, though. Even if Galen wanted to help, he was staying his ass in Haven where he’d be protected. No way in hell was Bannon going to let his small mate go traipsing across the country looking for witches. So what if they’d be together the entire time? So many things could go wrong. Bannon had seen it time and time again. Neither elder flinched or batted a lash at Bannon’s violent reaction. “What if I allowed you to choose a guard for him? You’ll need assistance anyway. Pick four Enforcers to travel with you and help protect Galen.” “No,” Bannon growled, still struggling against Raven’s hold. “Bannon, we don’t have time for this. Galen can help. In fact, he’ll be crucial to finding Camdin. You’re the best Tracker we have, but your abilities will only take you so far. He’s not a child. If he chooses to go, you can’t stop him.” “Ya just watch me.” “I can place a protection spell on him. Would that change your mind?” “No.” Torren threw his hands in the air and growled. “You are the most stubborn son of a bitch I’ve ever met. We need to find these men, and we need to do it in a big goddamn hurry! He’s going. If I have to, I’ll send him alone!” Bannon stopped struggling and glared at Torren murderously. They had him by the balls, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had no doubt that they’d smuggle Galen away and send him off to who knew where on his own, or most likely with some other Tracker not nearly as skilled as Bannon. Shrugging off Raven’s hold, Bannon jerked his head in grudging acceptance. He didn’t trust himself to speak, so he gave the elders one last withering look before turning and stomping out of the office.

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Elder or not, Torren Braddock would soon realize that being on a Murphy’s shit list was the last place he wanted to find himself.

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Chapter Three “Are you sure Stavion is okay with this?” “Who cares?” Jory and Malakai answered in unison before falling together in fits of laughter. “Seriously,” Jory continued, “you worry too much. Just grab some floor and watch the movie.” He covered his mouth to muffle his giggles as he bumped his shoulder against Malakai’s. “It’s a gay vampire movie about finding eternal mates.” “Is there sex?” “Well, I sure hope so!” “Is it porn?” Aslan asked in a stage whisper. Jory snorted and rolled his eyes before crawling across the floor to put the DVD into the player. “No, perv, it’s not porn.” Aslan shrugged unconcernedly. “I’ve seen the kind of movies you like. Low-budget porn would probably be better.” Unfortunately, Galen had to agree. Jory was into indie films, which was all well and good, except the ones he liked were suckage like no other. He’d forced them to watch one that vaguely resembled a high school play shot by an overexcited mother’s handheld camcorder. Vaguely resembled, because Galen was pretty sure that high school plays had much better acting. “You’ll like this one,” Jory announced as he snuggled under a blanket and curled up on the pile of pillows in the middle of the floor. “He says that every time,” Kendall scoffed. “Have any of you yet to like something that Jory found entertaining?” All eyes turned to Malakai, who blushed crimson all the way to the tips of his ears. “Hey, some of them weren’t that bad.”

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“By some, he means all, because he’s as bad as Jory.” Aslan stuck his tongue out when Jory flipped him the bird. “Whatever. Just don’t wake me up if I fall asleep during the opening credits.” “I’m not sure this has opening credits,” Jory said distractedly as the movie began. Galen glanced at the television and groaned. A cheesy chase sequence in black and white. Oh yeah, this one was going to be a winner. Surprisingly, as the movie continued, he found himself riveted. The lines were still corny and repetitive, and the deliveries of those lines groan-worthy. There were plot holes, additions of characters that made absolutely no sense, and one scene almost too embarrassing to watch because of its lameness. The romance between the two lead characters was what held his attention. The vampire searching for his destined mate finally finds the one, only to have everyone and everything stand between them. Even the love interest was standing in the way of their happiness. Was that what Galen was doing with Bannon? He’d practically had a lifetime of happiness tied up in a bow and hand delivered. They’d only know one another for a few months, hadn’t moved past the friendship stage, and yet Galen couldn’t imagine anyone on earth he’d rather have as a mate. Only, he didn’t have a mate. He was human for all intents and purposes. Sure, he had a special gift that kind of loopholed him into the paranormal world, but it was nothing to write home about. Bannon said they were mates, though. Why would he lie about something like that? He’d purposely sought out Galen, befriended him, and then set forth to more or less court him. Now, he wanted something more. Galen wanted more, too, but he’d been down that road before, and to say that it hadn’t ended well would be a gross understatement. “Galen?” A hand landed on his shoulder and shook him lightly.

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Jerking out of his inner wonderings, he blinked up at Jory and tried to smile. “Is the movie over? I guess I kind of zoned out for a bit.” “No problem. Kendall’s getting the next movie started. I was asking if you wanted anything from the kitchen.” “Nah, I’m good.” His stomach felt like it was in knots, and the mere thought of food made it twist painfully. “Maybe some ginger ale if they have it, though.” Jory’s eyebrows drew together in concern. “Are you feeling okay?” Before Galen could answer, though, the door to the suite pushed open and Boston and Flynn strolled in, dressed in nothing but sleep pants. He should have felt ashamed for ogling his friend’s mates, but damn, those were some fine-looking men. Not nearly as gorgeous as Bannon as far as he was concerned, but still, nothing to sneeze at. “I’m tired,” Boston said, apropos of nothing. Malakai tilted his head a little and grinned. “Then go to bed.” “Not funny, a ghrá.” Flynn crossed his arms over his chest and mirrored Malakai’s head tilt. “Dawn is comin’.” “Not for another two hours, it isn’t. Besides, there are shutters in here the same as the rest of the place.” “Please?” Boston gave his mate a look that Galen assumed was supposed to be puppy dog eyes, though it just looked absurd on the huge shifter. “Oh, I love when you beg. Do it again.” Malakai was having way too much fun teasing his mates. It was fine by Galen since he found it immensely comical. Flynn growled and tried to cross the room but ended up getting tangled in the blankets and pillows covering the space between him and Malakai and landed on his ass like a ton of bricks. The room exploded into laughter, and Galen was sure he’d ruptured something from laughing so hard.

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“A fine mess you’ve gotten me into, Malakai Bruins.” Flynn struggled to free himself and stand. “If you’re not movin’ in two seconds, I’ll be carryin’ ya out by your toes.” “Oh, begging and punishment,” Malakai purred. “How can I possibly say no to that?” Though he said it in a teasing manner, Galen saw the fire in his eyes as he stared up at his big shifters. Did he have a similar expression when he looked at Bannon? “Thanks for inviting me, guys, but I’ve got to run.” Malakai blew them all air kisses before jumping into Flynn’s arms and rubbing against him as they left the room with Boston following close behind. “That was sweet,” Kendall said with a goofy smile on his face. Poor Aslan was out cold and never even twitched throughout the entire scene. The words were barely out of Kendall’s mouth before the door opened again and Cassius strolled into the room with a hot, hungry look in his eyes. “I have a babysitter.” Apparently, those four little words were laced with magic because Kendall jumped up from the floor, sprinted across the room, and launched himself into his mate’s arms. His legs went around Cassius’s waist, and he attacked the vampire’s mouth with enough energy and enthusiasm to light a city block. When the two disappeared, Galen just kept staring at the door, waiting for Stavion to burst into the room at any second, snatch up Jory, and end their little slumber party. A hazy fantasy of Bannon coming for him teetered at the edges of his mind, but of course, that would never happen. He’d done everything in his power to make sure of that. “I didn’t think they’d ever get here,” Jory mumbled as he switched off the television and moved to kneel in front of Galen. “I have something to tell you. First, I want you to know that you don’t have to do it. No one will think any less of you, but it’s important, and if you can help—” “Jory, just spit it out.”

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“Torren and Layke want you to help Bannon find a faerie and a couple of witches. I don’t know all the details, but the witches are Torren’s brothers, the faerie is important, and it’s all centered around some spell book that’s going to wipe us off the face of the planet like the dinosaurs.” “Bannon is the best Tracker around. Why do they need me?” “I don’t really know that, either. I do know that bad shit might happen on Halloween if you can’t find them, and you and Bannon working together is likely to move things along faster.” Galen couldn’t argue with that. He wasn’t opposed to helping at all. It was spending every waking moment with Bannon for the next couple of weeks that scared the hell out of him. How was he supposed to resist the guy while being in such close proximity? Maybe you don’t have to, a little voice whispered in the back of his mind. “I’ll do it.” Jory stared at him silently for a moment before he sighed. “Bannon isn’t going to like this. He’s going to want you to stay here where it’s safe.” “Of course he will,” Galen answered with a smile. “He’s just like every other alpha male on the planet and thinks just because we’re small that we can’t take care of ourselves.” Jory smiled, but he didn’t look very happy. “No, dummy, it’s because he loves you.” “No.” Galen shook his head quickly and firmly. They were not going to discuss the L word. “Let’s just stick with the macho alpha thing, okay? That makes me a lot less nervous.” “Why are you so nervous?” Jory inched closer and reached out for Galen’s hand. “You two are so perfect for each other. He’s good to you and obviously cares about you. Why don’t you want to be with him?” “It’s not that.” He squeezed Jory’s hand and closed his eyes. “I’m scared,” he whispered. “I’ve been down this road before, and I can’t

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do it again. Trust me when I say that I know how the story ends, and it’s not happily ever after.” “What happened?” Jory asked just as quietly. “Who hurt you, Galen?” “Just someone I knew once.” To his intense relief, the front door of the suite opened again, and muffled footsteps sounded across the carpet. Blinking open his eyes, Galen’s mouth fell open and his body began to tremble. He’d expected to see Stavion, coming for Jory with that same heat in his eyes as the previous three visitors. Proving that sometimes fantasies do come to life, though, Bannon stood just inside the doorway, staring down at him with a mixture of need and something that could only be described as desperation. “Come with me.” His tone was hard and commanding, unlike anything Galen had ever heard from the man before, and he found himself moving instantly. Something was very wrong with the big shifter. He looked like he’d fall apart from the slightest touch, and that just simply wasn’t Bannon. “What happened?” “Just…” Bannon trailed off, pressed his lips together, and shook his head. After a couple of deep breaths, he held his hand out to Galen and waited for him to take it before pulling him out of the room. “Mine or yours?” Galen could only assume that Bannon was asking which room they should go to. Since his was closer, and he didn’t think Bannon was going to last much longer before he either exploded or imploded, he changed direction and led the shifter toward his room. Neither of them said a word as they made their way down the corridor. Once inside, conversation was further put on hold by Bannon’s tongue down his throat and his hard body pressing him into the wall. So stunned by the abrupt and aggressive act, Galen froze, unsure of how to react. It lasted for only seconds before instinct took over, and he threw his arms around Bannon’s neck, diving into the kiss.

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A soft, needy moan escaped him as months of sexual tension finally exploded between them, washing over him in a maelstrom of desire. Bannon’s soft slippery tongue dueled with his own, dominating the kiss as he plundered the warm depths of Galen’s mouth. Bannon’s low, possessive growl sent a shiver up his spine while all the blood in his body headed south to pool in his groin and swell his cock so that it strained against the cotton of his pajamas, valiantly trying to break free of the confinement. He’d spent so long fighting the attraction he felt for the shifter. Now that the dam was broken, every steamy fantasy he’d ever had of Bannon rushed to the forefront, fueling his passion until he was little more than a whimpering, lust-filled pile of goo. His hips rocked without his permission, humping his aching cock against the hard muscles of Bannon’s thigh. The friction and pressure was nice, but Galen needed more. “Please, Bannon,” he gasped when he jerked out of the kiss. “Please.” The desperate, pleading quality of his voice surprised him, snapping him out of his wanton behavior. His cheeks heated and his mouth went desert dry as he stared into Bannon’s jade-green eyes. What did he do now? The obvious answer was to run and hide, but with Bannon’s arms caging him against the wall, escape was not an option. So, he just stood there, his mouth flopping open, and waited for the object of his desire to make the next move. As if in slow motion, Bannon lifted one hand from the wall and brought it up to cradle the side of Galen’s face, tenderly caressing his cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I’m sorry, darlin’. I couldn’t help myself.” There was something vacant and hollow in Bannon’s voice, and while it cooled some of Galen’s ardor, it made his chest constrict uncomfortably. “Please tell me what happened. Why are you so upset?”

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“Shh.” Bannon pressed his thumb against the seam of Galen’s lips to silence him. “Just let me have this for now.” His head dipped closer, and he replaced his thumb with his mouth in a sensual kiss that curled Galen’s toes. Relaxing into Bannon’s embrace and leaning against his chest, Galen allowed him to take what he needed. He’d never seen the Irishman like this before, and he didn’t like it. Normally selfconfident and assured, Bannon now seemed almost as uncertain and fumbling as Galen felt. Ending the kiss with gentle pecks and nibbles at the man’s lips, he smoothed his hands down the sides of Bannon’s neck and over his chest. “This is about The Council, isn’t it?” “Aye,” Bannon breathed, bending so that he could rest their foreheads together. “I’m guessin’ Jory has told ya by now. You’ll not be goin’.” “That’s not your decision to make.” Galen kept his voice soft and even. “Jory says I can help you.” “Is he tellin’ ya that Torren Braddock is wantin’ me to claim ya before we leave?” Bannon leaned away and arched one dark eyebrow. Sucking his bottom lip between his teeth, Galen chewed it until he thought it would bleed, deliberately ignoring Bannon’s question. He wanted to help, to be useful for once in his miserable life, but if that meant he had to tie himself to Bannon forever… “What do you think?” “Ah, moi chroí, ya know the answer already. I’ll not force ya, though.” His head was spinning in confusion, and Galen had no idea what to say or do. On one hand, he adored the big, gorgeous shifter and couldn’t imagine ever being happy with anyone else. On the other hand, just the thought of letting Bannon claim him made his palms sweat and his legs shake in anxiety. “Tell me what to do.” He was just so damn tired of worrying about everything. If he let someone else make the decisions from now

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on, maybe he’d be able to maintain a bit of his sanity. “Fighting you is exhausting. I’m so tired, Bannon. Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.” “Oh, sweetheart.” Bannon brushed the hair back from Galen’s forehead and smiled sadly. “It’s not for me to tell. I’ll wait forever, but I can’t decide for ya.” “I can’t be your mate.” Good grief, he was beginning to sound like a broken record. Over and over, he’d been using the same excuse until he’d actually convinced himself that it was true. Now…well, he wasn’t so sure. Bannon wouldn’t pursue him with such determination if there wasn’t a connection. Right? “Can I ask you something?” The corners of Bannon’s lips twitched, and his eyes sparkled for the first time since he’d dragged Galen out of Jory’s room. “Ask away.” “How do I know? I believe you think that we’re mates, but how do I know? If we are, that means I have some kind of shifter blood in me.” It was possible considering he’d never met his father, and his mother had been pretty scarce on details about him. “How did you know I was the one for you?” “C’mere, darlin’.” Bannon walked backward, pulling Galen. Then he eased down on the foot of the bed and patted the space next to him. Once Galen was seated, Bannon turned a little and linked their hands together. “Ya have a scent that makes my mouth water. The most amazin’ thing I’m ever smellin’.” He liked the way Bannon smelled, too, and while it made him want to strip off his clothes and pant, he needed something more to go on. “Continue.” “My stomach flutters.” So did his. He chalked that up to nerves, though. “What else?” “My brain goes a bit fuzzy when ya get near.” Well, that happened to Galen every damn time Bannon walked in a room. Not only did he associate it with nervousness, but also with the fact that all the blood rushed south of the border each time he saw

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the man. Basal attraction to someone as gorgeous as Bannon was only to be expected. It didn’t prove they were destined for one another. “My gums itch a bit, I suppose.” Well, that one stumped him. Galen had felt the same itching and tingling in his gums, particularly around his canines. He couldn’t explain that one away by attributing it to attraction or anxiety. “Do I smell like an animal?” And why the hell hadn’t he thought to ask all of these questions months ago? Oh, right, because he’d been too busy running like a fucking pussy. Bannon leaned in and skimmed his nose up the column of Galen’s throat, inhaling deeply as he went. “Aye, but just a hint, and I can only catch it when I’m this near to ya.” He bent farther, inching across the mattress to close the minimal distance between them. Warm, wet, and moan inducing, his tongue slithered from collarbone to jawline, and he ended by scraping his incisors over the sensitive flesh just below Galen’s ear. “Bannon,” he whispered and sucked in a shuddering breath. It was a plea, but for what, he couldn’t say. Did he want Bannon to continue or stop? He craved more, but was it a wise decision? “Why do ya fight me so, Galen?” One hand came up to rest on the side of Galen’s neck, and Bannon’s lips stretched wide against the other side. “So fast,” he murmured. “Your heart beats so fast for me. Deny ya want me, and I’ll leave now.” He couldn’t. Well, he could, but it would be a lie. Every nerve ending in his body sparked and sizzled, screaming for more of Bannon’s touch. His dick throbbed painfully, tenting the front of his sleep pants and vying for freedom. “Say yes,” Bannon rasped into his ear before sucking the lobe between his teeth and nipping at it lightly. Galen groaned, his body quaking from the onslaught of sensations. It would be so easy to give in to his body’s demands. He could just turn off his brain and accept what Bannon was offering. So easy.

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But where would that leave him tomorrow, next week, or a month from now? Had he seriously asked Bannon to make the decision for him? Every minute detail in his life had been orchestrated and carried out by someone else. First his mother, then the man who’d claimed to love him, and finally ending with his enslavement—never had one choice been his. Finally, he was in charge. He called the shots. If he said no—and he could—Bannon would stop everything, and they’d go back to tapdancing around each other. Bannon said the choice was his, and he believed the man meant it. How ironic that this was the first real, the first life-altering decision of his life that he could finally make for himself, and he still had no choice in the matter. “You suck.” “Aye, and ya can scream it from the rooftops.” Chuckling under his breath, Galen leaned away and cradled Bannon’s face in both hands, staring deep into his eyes. “I have two things I want to tell you. First, if I let you in and you break my heart, I’m going to kick your ass.” “Not to worry, darlin’. I’ll be takin’ good care of your heart.” Galen nodded curtly to show that he meant business. “The other thing could take a while, so you might as well get comfortable.” “Are ya trying to seduce me out of my clothes then, Galen?” Bannon smiled adorably, and Galen couldn’t help but mirror it. He kissed the tip of Bannon’s nose and sighed. “We’ll get to that part.” With a mock sigh, Bannon looked down at the prominent bulge trapped behind his zipper. “Can I hope your story is a short one?” “Absolutely.” He smirked as he released Bannon’s face and crawled up the bed to snuggle under the blankets. “Then you can spit in the other hand. You’ll let me know which fills up faster.”

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Chapter Four After kicking off his boots and tugging his shirt over his head, Bannon stood and reached for the button of his jeans. Galen cleared his throat, though it sounded more like a mixture between a sigh and yelp. Pausing with his fingers still on his zipper, Bannon glanced up and grinned. “Ya said I should be makin’ myself comfortable. My cock bent up like a switchback is a might unpleasant.” He didn’t want to make Galen uncomfortable, but he wasn’t lying. His cock throbbed painfully inside the denim. If he didn’t get a little relief, he was looking at permanent damage to his favorite body part. Galen looked him up and down, and his pink tongue darted out to lick his lips and make them glisten in the amber light from the bedside lamp. “Fine, but the boxers stay on.” “What if I told ya that I’m not wearin’ any?” He was, of course, but he couldn’t help but tease the little man a bit. It had been a long time since he’d seen this more playful side of Galen. From the minute the M word cropped into their conversation, he had become reserved and twitchy. Not a good look for him as far as Bannon was concerned. As expected, Galen rolled his eyes and snorted while lifting the corner of the blanket. “Just get your ass in here.” Mostly naked and in bed with his mate—it was probably the easiest decision ever. Shedding his jeans, Bannon sighed in relief, and swore he heard his erection do the same as it uncurled and sprang forward to leak pre-cum against the front of his dark blue boxers. Glancing between the growing stain and Galen, he finally shrugged and hurried to slide under the covers. He didn’t want to rock

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the boat when it appeared the guy was finally starting to loosen up, but there wasn’t much he could do about his body’s reaction to his mate. He scooted as close as he dared, stopping just before his raging hard-on could poke Galen in the belly, and levered himself up on one elbow, resting his head in his palm. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to control his breathing so that his words came out a hell of a lot steadier than he felt. “We’re here. Now, tell me what needs tellin’.” Galen ducked his head and chewed on his bottom lip. “Can you move closer?” Shit! “Uh, I’m not thinkin’ that’s a good idea.” His mate peeked up at him through those impossibly long lashes. “Please?” How was he supposed to say no to that, especially when it was exactly what he wanted as well? Rolling to his back, he curled his arm around Galen’s shoulders and urged him toward his chest. A deep, contented sigh fell from his plump lips as his head nestled on Bannon’s shoulder, and a sweeter sound had never been heard. “It’s so exhausting to pretend that I don’t want you.” “Then why do it?” Whatever Galen had to tell him, he was nervous about how Bannon would receive it. That much was clear by the tense set of his shoulders and the way his muscles quivered under Bannon’s fingertips as he traced them up and down Galen’s back. “I told you a little about my mom, right?” “Aye.” That would be the loony bird who’d made Galen’s life a living hell for sixteen years while she poisoned his mind to believe he was little more than the spawn of Satan. As far as Bannon could tell from Galen’s stories, she’d never had a logical reason for it, either. That led him to the only conclusion possible—the bitch was fucking crazy. “She thought I was possessed, or a demon, or something. It changed all the time. She tried for years to beat the evil out of me, and

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when that didn’t work, she took me outside of town and dropped me on the side of a dirt road like a dog you don’t want anymore.” Bannon swallowed back the growl he felt building in his chest and kept up the gentle stroking on Galen’s back. He’d very much like to meet Galen’s mother someday—in the dark—with no witnesses. “I was sixteen, and my mother had dictated every aspect of my life. So, there I am on the side of the road in the middle of God knows where with absolutely no clue of how to take care of myself.” Galen paused and rubbed his cheek against Bannon’s chest, right below his collarbone. “She wouldn’t even let me wear shoes with laces because she thought I’d try to strangle her with them when she wasn’t looking.” Bannon adored his parents. He’d led a rather normal life, well, normal for a paranormal. His childhood had been happy. His adult life was exciting and adventurous. Never had he wanted for anything— not food, shelter, or even affection. Not even things he’d seen as an Enforcer, first in Ireland and now America, could give him any understanding of the awfulness Galen had lived through. “Anyway,” Galen continued after a long, pregnant pause. “So, I’m just standing there. I swear I didn’t move from that spot for hours. I think part of me kept hoping that my mom would come back for me, but instead, along comes this beat-up Chevy pickup.” From the way Galen’s voice vibrated and cracked, Bannon had a feeling they were coming up to the climax of this horrific tale. He wanted to offer comfort, to tell him that everything would be fine, and he’d be right there. Afraid of breaking whatever spell that was allowing Galen to finally share his painful secrets, Bannon said none of those things. Instead, he simply held the man tighter and rubbed his cheek over the top of his head. “His name was Dallas Zeppler, and he was the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen. He stopped and picked me up, took me back to his place, and…”

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“And?” Bannon gently prodded when Galen had been silent for several seconds. “He told me about shifters.” Galen snorted and wiggled closer, molding himself to Bannon’s side. “I thought he was completely off his rocker, crazier than even my mom. That is, until he showed me. Right there in his living room, he shifted into this huge, black wolf.” Being a shifter himself, Bannon had always known about the paranormal world. He could only imagine how terrified Galen must have been to have his entire world turned on its ear—while facing down a snarling wolf nonetheless. “I completely freaked.” “Understandable,” Bannon assured him with a chaste kiss to the top of his head. “Well, I ran like hell, hid out in the woods for a while. I have no idea where I was going to go. On the third night, it started snowing. I’m pretty sure I would have died if Dallas hadn’t found me and took me back to his place.” “And a fact I’m grateful for, let me assure ya.” Bannon had an idea where this story was going, and it didn’t endear him at all to Dallas Zeppler. He was still thankful that his mate was alive, though. “Well, while I was getting better, we talked some more about the whole shifter thing. That’s when he told me that I was his mate. There’s three years of shit that I won’t bore you with, but suffice it to say, things ended as abruptly as they began.” Galen snuggled even closer, as if he was trying to crawl inside Bannon to block out the painful memories. Bannon would erase every last one of them if he had the ability. Since he couldn’t, he did the only thing he could think to do. He rolled over on his side and wrapped his mate up tight, cocooning him in his arms. He must have done something right, because Galen sighed and his muscles relaxed marginally. “I was nineteen when he found his real mate and told me that he had been mistaken. That’s the word he used, like he’d accidently called the wrong number. I didn’t believe it for a

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second, and I still don’t. I was just a distraction until something better came along.” “I’m so sorry, Galen.” Galen shrugged one shoulder. “Yeah, well, he couldn’t very well have me hanging around and mucking things up with his new wife.” “Wait, he mated a woman?” “Yep. I expected him to just kick me out or whatever, ya know?” Galen chuckled darkly. “But, no. He sold me to a coven here in Wyoming that made my mother look like Betty-fucking-Crocker. I bounced around for a couple of years until I ended up in that basement with Jory and the others. I think I was there for a year before some asshole with more muscles than brains shoved us all under that cabin.” Bannon swallowed past the lump in his throat as he fought to keep his emotions at bay. Galen was twenty-four, which meant he’d spent at least five years being used and abused before his rescue. And it was all because of a man he trusted and had most likely loved—a man who’d professed to be his mate without offering any proof, and then suddenly changed his mind. “So, you see why I was less than enthusiastic when you told me I was your mate.” “Aye, I understand. I’ll not be pressurin’ ya, Galen. We’ll go as slow as ya want or not at all.” It killed him to say it, but what kind of mate—what kind of person would he be if he tried to force Galen into something that he didn’t want just because he was too selfish to give the man up? After being kicked around by every person who was supposed to protect and care for him, why the hell should he trust anyone? Bannon doubted he’d have even let Galen get this close had their positions been reversed when they’d met. “Why does Torren want you to claim me?” Galen asked after a few minutes of mutual silence.

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“We’ll not worry about that right now. All that’s important is if, when, and why you want it. I don’t care about Torren Braddock.” “I’m sure that makes him giddy with joy, too.” “Smart-ass.” “You love my ass.” Bannon chuckled. “Cheeky little brat, aren’t ya?” Galen just sighed and kissed the underside of his jaw. “It’s more fun. I’m tired of worrying about everything. I just want to be happy, Bannon.” “I want the same for ya, mo chroí.” “What does that mean?” “My heart,” Bannon whispered into his mate’s soft curls. “It’s what ya are to me.” “Please, let me go with you.” If Bannon had been paying more attention rather than being fixated by the feel of the smaller man in his arms, he would have seen this coming. It was a battle he was sure to lose, but he still had to fight it. “No.” “I can help.” “No.” Well, this was getting them nowhere in a hurry. Maybe if he kept at it, Galen would eventually give up. He could hope anyway. “Bannon Murphy, stop being a dick. I can do this. Please, trust me.” “Now, that’s not bloody fair at all.” Bannon wanted to whimper at the complete injustice of how easily Galen was able to manipulate him. “Sleep, and then we’ll talk.” “Will you stay with me?” Bannon couldn’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be—ever. “I’ll be right here when ya wake up.” He nuzzled the top of his mate’s head again and kissed his temple. “You’re still not goin’.” “Fine, then you can stay here, too. If it’s too dangerous for me, then it’s too dangerous for you.” “I can take care of myself.”

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“So, you’re saying I’m weak?” “No.” Bannon’s brow furrowed and his lips turned down at the corners. “That’s not what I’m sayin’.” “Well, it’s the only way I can interpret it. Either that, or you don’t want to be stuck with me for all that time.” “Wait. What?” “So, which is it? Do you think I’m weak? Or are you trying to get away from me?” “I…uh…you…what?” At this point, Bannon realized that whatever answer he gave would be the wrong thing to say. He’d talked himself into the doghouse with no recollection of how it had happened. Fuck, he didn’t even know why he was in trouble. “You agree that I’m not weak or helpless?” “Yes, but—” “And you definitely like being close to me, right?” Galen rocked his hips forward to emphasize his point. “Yes, but—” “Good, then it’s settled. When do we leave?” Bannon closed his eyes, dropped his head back to the pillow, and began muttering under his breath, sending up a prayer for patience so that he didn’t strangle his tricky little mate. “I’m thinkin’ ya need a good smack to your backside.” “Right, but when are we leaving?” “Why is this so important to ya?” Galen sighed and began drawing little circles on Bannon’s chest with his index finger. “This ability that I have—it’s the only thing I’ve ever been good at. If I can use it to help keep the people I care about safe, I have to try. I need to do this, Bannon. You’ll be right beside me the entire time. What’s the worst that could happen?” More than you know, sweetheart. “Sleep now. We’ll talk more when you’re rested.” While Galen was softly snoring within minutes, it would be a long time before sleep finally came for Bannon.

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Chapter Five The rhythmic beeping and the sound of metallic grinding as the steel shutters rose for the night woke Galen from probably the best sleep he’d ever experienced. After reliving the most painful parts of his past, he’d felt completely drained. With the warmth of Bannon’s body curled around him protectively and the man’s delicious scent filling his nose, he’d drifted off quickly. If he was being honest, he half expected Bannon to be gone when he woke up. Not only was the shifter still in bed with him, but still wrapped around Galen like a living blanket. It didn’t appear to be the most comfortable position, especially the angle at which his neck was currently arched. Without concern for his own comfort, he’d given Galen exactly what he needed without even being asked for it. How could anyone not adore a man like that? Bannon had already proven himself to be everything that Dallas hadn’t been. Honestly, he’d proven himself to be unlike anyone Galen had ever met. Surely Bannon had a flaw somewhere, but he’d yet to find it. Everything the man did, he did for others—especially Galen. “Good morning, Bannon.” He squirmed a little until he could press his nose into the warm crook of Bannon’s neck and nuzzle it. “Did you sleep well?” Bannon just grunted as his arms tightened around Galen and one massive thigh was slung over his hips. By this point, the man was practically lying on top of him, and Galen was having trouble breathing.

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“Bannon, get up.” He tried to push the shifter’s leg off of him, but it wouldn’t budge. So, he tried to wiggle out of Bannon’s arms, but they simply tightened around him like steel bands. “Bannon!” The man groaned and rolled again, his chest pressing against Galen’s cheek and making it nearly impossible to suck in air to his lungs. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about deciding if he should let Bannon claim him or not because he was going to end up suffocated in his own bed. “Bannon Murphy!” Bending his arm at a less than pleasant angle, Galen managed to get a hand on Bannon’s chest and went straight for one of his dark nipples. Getting the little nub between his finger and thumb, he pinched hard and tugged as much as he could. Instead of jerking away like he expected him to, Bannon moaned and rocked his hips, grinding his morning erection against Galen’s stomach. Well, great. He didn’t know why the hell Bannon was so worried about him coming along to find Torren’s brothers. It was obviously more dangerous to sleep next to the man than go marching through a haunted cemetery on a full moon. The entire room shook as someone began pounding on his bedroom door. Under other circumstances, he would be pissed at the rudeness, but just then, he welcomed any help he could get. “Come in!” Though he tried to shout the words, they came out a little breathless. To his relief, he must have been loud enough, because the door swung open, and Raven stepped inside. He made it no more than two steps before his eyebrows disappeared into his hairline when he got a good look at what was going on. “Maybe I should come back.” “No!” Galen wiggled and squirmed, still trying to get Bannon off him without any success. “Help me.” Not bothering to hide his amusement, Raven rounded the bed to stand next to the mattress on Bannon’s side. “I had a feeling he’d be here. Can you breathe at all?”

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“Barely,” Galen grunted. “Can you just get him off of me?” Raven grabbed Bannon by the shoulders and shook him roughly. “Dude, wake up!” Bannon grumbled a little, curled farther around Galen, and went still again. “Hmm.” Raven cocked his head to the side and studied them for a few seconds before a huge grin spread over his face. “Hang on, Galen.” He didn’t know what that meant, or what the hell he was supposed to hang on to, but he dipped his head and waited. Raven bent close to Bannon’s ear, curled his top lip, and snarled so viciously it sent a chill up Galen’s spine. Bannon bolted upright like he’d been shot from a rocket launcher, whirled around on the bed, and positioned himself between Galen and Raven. Loud, feral growls spilled from his open mouth, and his fingers curled into claws. Not sure of what was about to happen, Galen tried to scramble off the bed to get as far away from the action as possible, but Bannon’s arm darted out behind him, looped around Galen’s shoulders, and pulled him flush with Bannon’s back. While Raven should have been cowering in a corner like Galen wanted to do, the vampire just threw his head back and laughed like an idiot. “Stop growling at me, dumbass.” Though he couldn’t see Bannon’s face, he knew the exact moment when Bannon began to calm. His hold on Galen loosed, his muscles relaxed, and his dark hair swished against his shoulders as he shook his head as though casting off the remnants of a bad dream. “And a fine hello to you,” he said after a tense moment—well, tense for Galen anyway. “Do ya not know better than to wake a man in such a way?” “You were crushing the hell out of your mate, man.” Galen opened his mouth to deny that he was Bannon’s mate but snapped it closed just as quickly. It probably wasn’t the most

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appropriate time to make that announcement. Plus, doubts niggled at the back of his mind as to the truth of his denial. All the signs pointed in the opposite direction, especially after the scene he’d just witnessed. It was obvious to anyone with half a brain that Bannon had been protecting him, putting Galen’s safety above his own. His defensive posture, the way he’d positioned himself in front of the danger, and even the way he’d kept a tight hold around Galen, all spoke volumes of what was most important to him. Bannon had promised not to pressure him into anything he wasn’t ready to commit to, but Galen was beginning to think that it wouldn’t be an issue for much longer. While he’d been trying to hide from everyone else, all he’d really been doing was fooling himself. If he didn’t trust the man with every part of him, then how was it that he’d slept so soundly for the first time in longer than he could remember? “Galen? Are ya with me, darlin’?” Coming out of his inner wonderings, Galen blinked and looked up to find Bannon smiling at him over his shoulder. Returning the smile, he leaned into his…mate’s back and sighed. “I’m definitely with you.” Giving in felt amazing. Letting go of his worry, his doubts, his insecurities and just accepting what Bannon offered was like a rush of cold air on a winter’s day. Or jumping from the high dive at the community pool like he’d done as a kid. It was a bit scary at first, the way it always took his breath away, but afterward, it was only pure exhilaration. That wasn’t to say he was ready to be claimed or declare his undying love. He was simply ready to give Bannon a chance to prove to him why he should look forward to those things. “Is there a reason Raven is still here?” “Hey! I just saved your life, punk. Show a little respect.” Raven looped his thumbs in his belt buckles and puffed his chest out, sending Galen into a fit of laughter.

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“Point taken, but really, you can leave now.” Raven looked between Galen and Bannon before rolling his eyes. “I don’t know what you did to him, but he’s a mouthy little thing now. You’ll want to nip that in the bud before it gets out of hand.” “Excuse me?” Galen’s mouth dropped open, and his eyebrows arched in disbelief. Surely he’d heard that wrong. Not even Raven was dumb enough to say something like that out loud. “See, the thing with mates is this.” Raven completely ignored his indignation as he began pacing the room and waving his hands around idiotically. To be fair, everything the man said or did at that point, Galen found it stupid as hell. “You have to let them know who’s in charge. If you don’t establish yourself as the alpha early on, then they’ll just walk all over you.” Galen glanced up to see what Bannon thought of the sewage spewing from Raven’s mouth. While he didn’t think Bannon agreed with all that bullshit, he was a little surprised to find the man had turned a brilliant shade of red, and he was biting his lip so hard to keep from laughing, Galen was afraid it would start bleeding at any moment. Personally, he didn’t see a damn thing funny about the situation. “You give them an inch, and they’ll take over the world,” Raven continued. “So, you have to assert yourself. Feisty is all well and good when you’ve got your cock inside something warm, but not where other people can actually see it. They’ll think you can’t handle your mate, and that looks bad on you, see?” “That’s it.” Before Bannon could stop him, Galen jumped to his feet, bent his knees, and launched himself off the bed to land on Raven’s back. “I’ll show you feisty, you overgrown, pig-for-brains, egotistical asshole!” Both hands fisted in Raven’s hair, trying to rip it out by the roots. “Galen!” Bannon jumped off the bed and began jerking on Galen, trying to pull him off Raven’s back.

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Galen refused to give up his hold, though. He might not be big, and he might not have an important job around the coven, but he was a hell of a lot more than Bannon Murphy’s mate. He was gaining a little too much pleasure in Raven’s shouts of pain, but whatever. The vampire totally deserved it. “Who’s in charge now, Raven? Huh?” Bannon was still trying halfheartedly to pry Galen off, but it wasn’t going well since he had to continuously stop and catch his breath from laughing so hard. “Dude, I was just playing around. You’re ripping my fucking hair out.” “Who’s in charge, Raven?” “You, okay? You can be whatever you want to be if you’ll just get the hell off of me.” It wasn’t exactly what Galen wanted to hear, but he doubted he’d get any more. Untangling his fingers from Raven’s hair, he slid down the Enforcer’s back and stood calmly beside Bannon as Raven spun around to face him. “Dude, I was just having some fun. I don’t really believe any of that shit.” Raven rubbed at the back of his head and winced. “You’re scrappy, and you’ve got balls the size of Canada. I’ll definitely give you that much.” Galen gave him a winsome smile as he slipped his hand into Bannon’s. “Thanks. It was kind of fun.” “Aye, ya are a fierce warrior.” Bannon’s arms came around him and lifted him off his feet so that he had to scramble for purchase on the man’s broad shoulders. Laughing like a loon, Galen could barely believe the drastic upward spiral his mood and outlook had taken in a mere twenty-four hours. And it was all because of the man in his arms—because Bannon had never given up on him. “Thank you,” he whispered, rubbing their noses together. “You’re welcome, of course, but what am I bein’ thanked for, if I might ask?”

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“For being so good to me.” Galen pecked at Bannon’s lips. “Because you let me fight my own battles, but you still want to take care of me.” He kissed him again. “And because you’re going to let me come along to find Torren’s brothers.” His tongue darted out, tickling the seam of Bannon’s lips, and they both groaned when the shifter opened to allow him entrance. Before he could get too into it, though, Raven cleared his throat to interrupt them. Groaning for an entirely different reason, Galen eased away from Bannon’s mouth and turned his head to glare at Raven. “What?” “There is a reason I came in here, and it wasn’t to have a psychotic chipmunk jump on my back and try to scalp me.” Galen smirked with satisfaction. “See, you experienced something new. You’re welcome.” Raven snorted, and Bannon chuckled as he set Galen on his feet. “Okay, so then why are ya here?” “Torren called. He wants us on a plane yesterday. Seriously, man, he’s freakin’ frothing at the mouth.” “And Galen?” Galen didn’t appreciate being talked about like he wasn’t there, but he wanted information too much to call Bannon on his rudeness. Raven nodded slowly. “Yeah, they want him to go. If you won’t agree to take him, they have three other Enforcers lined up to accompany him.” “What?” Galen gripped Bannon’s hand and looked up at him pleadingly. “Please, Bannon. I don’t want to go with someone I don’t know. I can help. Just take me!” “Even Layke thinks it’s a good idea, man. We can trust him. He wouldn’t put Galen in danger unless he had a damn good reason for doing it.” Raven huffed and shoved a hand through his blond hair. “We all think you should claim Galen as well, myself included.” “No,” Bannon said flatly as his face mottled in anger.

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Seeing his opportunity to find out why everyone was so gung ho about Bannon claiming him, Galen shifted his attention to Raven and smiled innocently. “Why do you think it’s a good idea? Why is it so important, Raven?” “Both of your powers will be stronger. You’ll be able to communicate telepathically, and not just in dreams. I get the feeling there’s something Torren still isn’t telling us, and I think we can use all the advantage we can get. This would help.” Galen stared down at his bare feet while he thought it over. If something were to happen, and they became separated, he’d still have a link to Bannon. That could definitely come in handy. Going on this assignment was probably one of the stupidest things he’d ever do. He might as well go big or stay home. “Okay.” “Okay?” Bannon growled, looking less than thrilled by the turn of events. “Galen, ya don’t know what you’re sayin’. You’re not ready for this.” “It’s just a little bite. It’s not a big deal, Bannon.” He was human. What could possibly happen to him by letting Bannon claim him? He’d get a little bite on the neck, and things would go on as they always had been. “It’s not a big deal,” Bannon echoed in a whisper. “That’s only provin’ how not ready ya are for this.” Galen shrugged. “You bite me, we get some juiced up, freaky powers, and then maybe save some lives. It doesn’t really change anything between us.” That had apparently been the wrong thing to say. Bannon looked like Galen had slapped him in the face with a two-by-four. Then he did something completely baffling and unexpected. He released Galen’s hand and left. He just fucking left. Even Raven looked upset for some reason. “What did I do?” “Be ready to go in an hour. Pack light but warm.” Then Raven disappeared out the door as well.

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Standing rooted to the spot, Galen’s eyes began to itch and his throat burned uncomfortably. He didn’t know what he’d done to upset the Enforcers so much, especially Bannon. Isn’t that what the man wanted? Wasn’t this entire courting about finally claiming Galen? Feeling confused, hurt, and lonelier than ever, Galen shuffled out of his room and down the hall to find Kendall. His friend couldn’t fix his problems for him, but maybe he’d have something Galen could borrow to pack his stuff in for the trip. That was, if they even let him go now. He wished he knew a shifter he could talk to about what had happened. Why the hell had Bannon looked like Galen had ripped his heart out and stomped on it? He’d never seen the Irishman looking so—“Malakai!” Altering his route, Galen darted toward the staircase, anxious to find the one person who could help him.

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Chapter Six Bannon didn’t have a clue where he was going. He just needed to get away and clear his head before he said something he regretted. It really wasn’t Galen’s fault. The man knew very little about their world. After the way his last “mate” had discarded him so ruthlessly, he couldn’t know how hurtful his words had been. Once he’d descended the stairs, he found himself wandering the corridors with no particular destination in mind. Maybe he could talk to Flynn. Of all the Murphy brothers, Flynn was the only one mated. Perhaps he’d have some advice. Turning on his heels, he hurried back the way he’d come, heading for the hallway on the other side of the massive staircase. Just as he reached the landing, hurried footsteps caught his attention, and he looked up to find Galen practically falling down the steps in his haste. “Galen!” He’d only wanted to warn his mate to slow down, but his voice startled the man, and Galen tripped, letting out a little yelp as his body arched forward and fell through the air toward Bannon. Fear and panic lodged in his heart, propelling him forward faster than he believed he was capable of moving. Leaping up four steps in one bound, Bannon caught Galen in his arms and stumbled back into the wall, barely preventing himself from falling as well. Clutching the smaller man to his chest, Bannon closed his eyes and willed his heart rate to return to a less dangerous rhythm. “Are ya tryin’ to give me heart failure?”

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“Sorry,” Galen mumbled, but he made no effort to move out of Bannon’s embrace. “I’m sorry for everything. I don’t know what I did wrong. Just tell me, please.” “Ah, darlin’, I’m not angry with ya. A bit hurt I’m thinkin’, but never angry.” Galen tilted his head back on his shoulders to peer up at Bannon with shimmering brown eyes. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I want to make it right, but I can’t if you won’t tell me what I did wrong.” “Let us find a seat, and I’ll explain the best I know how.” After making sure Galen was steady on his feet, Bannon released him and motioned for him to lead the way to the sitting room. “Where were ya goin’ in such a hurry?” “To talk to Malakai,” Galen answered as he eased down onto the leather sofa. His cheeks flamed, and he ducked his head as he continued. “I wanted to know more about shifters, but I don’t really know Flynn or Boston that well. Since Malakai is mated to them, I thought he might be able to answer some questions.” Bannon chuckled softly as he plopped down beside his mate. It seemed they’d both had the same idea. “Why would ya not just ask me, Galen? Ya know I’ll tell ya anything you’re wantin’ to know.” “I didn’t know where you went.” Galen shrugged and worried his bottom lip between his teeth. “You seemed pretty pissed off, too. I wasn’t sure if you’d want to talk to me.” “C’mere.” Bannon held out one arm and waited for Galen to settle in closer to his side. “Even when I’m angry, ya can always ask me anything. I’d never hurt ya, Galen. Ya have my word on that.” “I know,” Galen whispered in response. “Can you please just tell me what I did? Was it about the mating thing? Do you not want to claim me?” “Aye, I’m wantin’ to claim ya so everyone knows you’re mine. It’s not somethin’ I’m takin’ lightly, though. When you’re tellin’ me it’s no big deal, well, you’re wrong. It’s probably the biggest decision of my life.”

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Galen’s head snapped up, and his eyes went wide. “Oh, no, no, no. Bannon, I didn’t mean it like that. I swear I didn’t!” He squirmed around until he was on his knees and pushed up until they were eye to eye. His soft, petite hands gripped Bannon’s cheeks, and he leaned in close, so close that the tips of their noses touched. “I wasn’t thinking when I said that stuff, but that doesn’t mean that I take this lightly.” He heard Galen’s words, but this close, the only thing Bannon could think about was closing the short distance between them and crushing Galen to his mouth. His mate’s warm breath fanned over his face, and the feel of his hands on Bannon’s skin set his body on fire. The more time he spent with the man, the harder it became to resist him. “Do I love you? I think I might, but I don’t know for sure. This is all so new to me. Do I want you to claim me? Yes and no. I don’t know what all that entails, but I do know that if it means even the slightest chance of keeping you safe, then that’s what I want.” “And do ya want nothin’ for yourself?” Bannon skimmed his fingertips along the satiny smooth column of Galen’s throat. “Tell me what ya want, Galen Charles.” A little smile flittered over his mouth, and Galen brushed their lips together. “I want you, Bannon. I know that much. Everything that comes with it is where I keep getting hung up.” The smile disappeared, and he eased back on his heels. “When I said it was no big deal…” He trailed off and shook his head slowly. “I…I know I want to be with you, and so I figure that means I’ll want you to claim me some day.” He stopped again, and his brow furrowed into a shallow V. He seemed to be having trouble finding the words for what he was trying to say. Taking one of his mate’s hands, Bannon toyed with the slim fingers as he waited patiently for Galen to work through his thoughts. “I guess I just figured that if you claimed me, we’d get some extra mojo or whatever you want to call it, increase our chances of finding Torren’s brothers and not getting hurt in the process, but mostly

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things would go on as usual. I’m just a human, Bannon. It’s not a big deal if you claim me, because it doesn’t mean anything to me. Not that it’s unimportant, but I’ll still be the same as before.” His chin dropped to his chest, and he moaned pathetically. “I’m not explaining right.” Bannon understood what Galen was trying to say. The problem, however, was that the little guy was wrong. He definitely wasn’t just anything. Even if he’d been completely human there was so much more to him than “just.” “Did Dallas Zeppler never explain things to ya? Do ya not understand what being mated to a shifter means?” “I don’t know what you mean.” Galen peeked up, looking so sweet and innocent as one light brown lock fell over his left eye. “Why are the rules the same for me?” “Because you are the same as me. Ya might not be a Thoroughbred, but ya definitely be a shifter. Don’t ya remember? As I recall, it’s been one of your major complaints.” “I don’t complain.” Galen lifted his head and grinned impishly. “You mean the part where you think that I’m part shifter? Let’s suppose that you’re right. What does that mean for me?” “Well, once I claim ya, it means a lot of things. It means you’ll not be alone ever, and that you’ll always have someone to take care of ya.” “I don’t need a babysitter, Bannon,” Galen interrupted with a huff. “Ah, but are ya needin’ someone to love ya? What would ya say to havin’ someone who always puts ya first? I’ll never stray.” Bannon punctuated his vow by inching closer to his mate. “I’ll never be unfaithful.” A little closer, and he was practically leaning over Galen. “I’ll never break a promise or let ya down. From now until forever, you’ll be my whole world—my reason for livin’.” By the time he’d finished speaking, Galen’s back was pressed into the cushions, and he stared up with wide eyes as Bannon hovered over him. With one hand braced on the sofa beside Galen’s head, Bannon

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slowly lowered until their mouths were just a breath away from one another. “All those things ya have been missin’, ya won’t miss ’em anymore. You’ll never want for anything.” Galen swallowed audibly and licked at his lips. “That sounds perfect, but why do I feel like there’s more? What aren’t you telling me?” Yeah, it sounded wonderful when Bannon put it that way. He had to tell Galen everything, though. He wouldn’t trick the man into mating him without having all the facts—even the less pleasant parts of being mated to a shifter. “You know Malakai, Flynn, and Boston are bonded.” He waited for Galen’s nod of understanding. “It’s more than just feelin’ each other’s emotions, though. Their very life threads are intertwined.” Galen pushed up on his elbows, forcing Bannon to retreat or have their foreheads smack together. “What does that mean?” “Simply put, they can’t live without each other—literally.” From the expression on Galen’s face, he still wasn’t getting it. Abandoning the clichés, he decided to shoot straight from the hip. “If one dies, they all do.” Galen’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes rounded almost comically. “So, if you claim me and then get yourself killed, I’m going to keel over, too?” Bannon nodded solemnly. “Why?” He didn’t have a good answer for that. He didn’t make the rules. Hell, he didn’t even understand most of them. “If our mate dies, we don’t get another one. I’m guessin’ fate is knowin’ something we don’t. Would ya want to live out the rest of ya days alone?” “It sounds a hell of a lot better than dying! I’d still have friends. I could still get laid. Just because I’m not going to find some mythical piece of my soul that’s supposedly missing doesn’t mean I can’t lead a perfectly normal life.” Galen scrambled back until he was sitting in

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the corner of the sofa with his knees tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped around his legs. “Is it really worth that?” It was to Bannon, but he could see that Galen was having a lot of difficulty wrapping his mind around it. All shifters looked forward to the day they’d find their mate and claim him or her. The one person made just for them that would bring peace and joy to their heart and soul. The one person who would always be there for them, understand them like no one else, and share things that no other could. It was a goal shifters strived toward. Galen might have some shifter blood, but he was mostly human and had lived that way for his entire life. How was Bannon supposed to explain a concept that was not only foreign, but must seem almost barbaric to the man? “It’s worth it to me. I can’t answer for ya, though, Galen. That’s somethin’ ya have to decide on your own. If somethin’ was to happen to ya, I wouldn’t want to go on livin’. That’s how deep the bond runs. So, knowin’ I’d never have to try is a bloody relief to be honest.” “I respect that’s how you feel, but I’m not there yet. I have some strong feelings for you. I thought it was love, but now I’m not so sure. If it was really love, wouldn’t I be willing to die for you?” Galen looked so lost, his eyes desperately pleading for Bannon to understand. “I’ve fought hard my entire life to survive. I don’t want to die.” “It’s okay. I understand.” He did, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. “I need to be packin’, and then I’ll have to call Torren. Are ya still wantin’ to come along?” Galen nodded, even as tears spilled over and streaked down his cheeks. “Are you mad?” “No, Galen. I’m not angry.” He leaned over and kissed his mate’s forehead gently. “I’ll see ya later.” Pushing up from the sofa, Bannon hurried out of the room before his emotions could get the better of him and he did something foolish—like beg.

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He’d promised not to pressure Galen, and he’d meant it. Still, he’d never been the type to sit around and wait. If he wanted something, he went out and got it. Placing his fate into someone else’s hands was a hard pill to swallow. **** The night had started off so perfect, and now it was just one big clusterfuck. He hadn’t meant to hurt Bannon with his words, but he knew he had. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be with the man. He could handle all the other weirdness that came with being mated to a shifter, but all of this dying in the name of love was a little too Romeo and Juliet for him. Only, Romeo had a choice in the matter. “Galen?” Snapping out of his depressing thoughts, Galen lifted his head to find Willow standing on the other side of the room, looking at him with concern. “What are you doing here?” Willow smiled and shrugged as he hurried over to flop down on the couch beside him. “Cole is in Georgia to visit his brother. Blaise had some business with Stavion, and he doesn’t like to leave me alone.” He rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh at this. “At least I have friends here. I have to tag along with him when he goes to The Council tomorrow. That is guaranteed to be wicked boring.” Willow wrinkled his nose and shuddered. Galen laughed in spite of himself. Willow was always such a nut. “I’m sure you’ll survive.” “Oh, I’m sure I will, too, but I want to talk about you. Galen, why are you crying? What happened?” “Bannon says I’m his mate.” “Oh! That’s awesome. He’s cute.” Willow beamed and wiggled his eyebrows. “He shifts into a horse, right? So, is he hung like one?” Galen’s mouth dropped open. “You are a naughty elf.” “That’s what Cole says. So, spill. Is he?”

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“Even if I knew, I wouldn’t tell you,” Galen answered haughtily. He was already feeling better. Willow had a way of just making people happy by doing nothing more than being himself. “Don’t be a spoilsport. I’d tell you.” Willow pushed his long, dark hair back from his face and pouted. “Okay, then tell me.” “Blaise’s cock is—” “Ahh!” Galen clamped his hands over his ears and shook his head rapidly. “I was joking. I don’t want to hear about Blaise’s dick.” “Well, I do!” Jory rushed into the room, squealing like a dork as he dove onto the couch and tackled Willow to the cushions. “I missed you! We’re going to have to tie Blaise up by that magnificent cock of his so that you can come hang out with us more.” “You idiot, get off of me!” Willow laughed so hard his face was flushed, and he was panting for breath. Jory did as asked, grinning just as widely at Willow. Then his attention drifted to Galen, and his expression turned dark in the blink of an eye. “What happened?” Crap! Was he really that easy to read? “Nothing.” “Bullshit. Did you fight with Bannon?” “Not exactly.” Galen didn’t want to bring up depressing shit while they should enjoy spending time with their friend. “Just drop it.” “Nope.” Willow bounced around until he faced Galen with Jory leaning right over his shoulder to glare. “Spill it. What happened?” “He wants to claim me.” “So?” they both asked in unison. “He’s a shifter!” “And?” they asked again. Galen huffed and threw his hands in the air. “I don’t want to die!” “Huh?” Jory asked. Willow, on the other hand, sighed and slumped back on the sofa. “You know there’s so much more to it than that, right?”

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“Well, he said that I’ll be able to feel his emotions. There was all the great stuff about him always loving me and taking care of me. Then he drops the bomb that if he dies, so do I, and vice versa.” “Whoa.” Jory looked like he’d been slapped upside the head. “Are you for real?” Galen nodded sadly. “It’s a lot to ask. I mean, would you die for someone else?” “For Cole or Blaise? Absolutely.” “I’d do anything for Stavion,” Jory answered seriously, “even die. That’s not saying it would be my first option, but I’d do it.” If nothing else, that answered one question. “Then I guess I don’t love Bannon, because I don’t want to die, not even for him. Fate must really hate him to give him someone like me.” “Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s a scary concept. Shifters are pretty damn durable, though. We can heal ourselves, but with a little drop of our mate’s blood, it’s like super healing. We’re not prone to diseases, so you don’t have to worry about that. If he claims you, you’ll still be mostly human, but enhanced. So, it’s not all doom and gloom.” Galen sat up a little straighter when Willow had finished speaking. “I think that’s the problem. Jory’s a demon. He knew Stavion was his mate immediately. You’re an elf, so you knew Blaise and Cole were your mates. Plus, you’re part shifter. You can actually freakin’ shift.” “Wait.” Jory waved a hand around and frowned. “I think I missed the problem.” “I am human. If I have any shifter blood, it’s almost nonexistent. I have no idea if Bannon is telling the truth. I have no clue if I’m really his mate. I can’t feel it like you do. It wasn’t as if he walked into the room and I immediately knew he was the one.” His friends stared at him for a long time before Willow reached out and took his hands. “Don’t humans have soul mates?” “I guess. It seems to be a popular theme at weddings.” Yes, Galen was being sarcastic, but he was tired of being confused, and tired of

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letting that confusion fuel his fear. He just wanted to be happy for once in his goddamn life. Was that really too much to ask? “Then stop worrying about all of the other shit, and just do it the old-fashioned way,” Jory interjected. “Fall in love at your pace.” “Even we mere humans like to say that when we meet the right one, we’ll just know. Maybe Bannon isn’t the right one.” “I can’t answer that.” There was another thing Galen was tired of hearing. He had questions, but apparently no one had the answers. He had to search within himself or some crap like that, because that was so helpful. If he had the answers inside, he wouldn’t need to ask the damn questions in the first place. “You like Bannon, right? More than just a friend?” Willow asked. Galen nodded. “Yes.” He wouldn’t deny that he was insanely attracted to the man and loved spending time with him. “So, forget all the paranormal bullshit, and just let it happen. At least give yourself a chance to find out if he’s the one. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Stop trying to force it and contain it all inside a box of logic. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that love is not in any way logical.” And wasn’t that the fucking truth.

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Chapter Seven “Aye, he’s comin’. We’ll be ready tomorrow night.” “I need you to leave now. There’s a plane waiting at the airstrip.” “Well, that’s all fine, Torren, except that we don’t know where we’re goin’.” Bannon squeezed the phone tighter and pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand. “It’s gonna take time.” “We don’t have time, Bannon. It’s less than four weeks until Halloween.” There was a significant pause before Torren spoke again. “Have you claimed Galen yet?” Bannon hung up the phone. Then he went a step further and turned it off completely. Torren Braddock could go fuck himself. There was very little that Bannon wouldn’t do for his own brothers, but he’d never force anyone to mate against their will—no matter how much it would help. There was a good chance that Galen would be able to help him without bonding them. Torren had to know that. At the very least, it seemed like he should have suggested they try it. So, why did he want them mated so badly? Whatever. Bannon quit. He just quit it all. Galen didn’t want him. The Council just wanted to use him. His brothers were busy with their own jobs and lives, and he barely saw them anymore. He was a shifter living in a house full of vampires. Very rarely was he not surrounded by people, and yet he’d never felt more alone in his life. And though he felt alone, he also felt suffocated. “Fuck it.” With a loud growl, he launched his phone across the room where it smashed into the wall with a satisfying crunch. Jumping up from his mattress, he stomped to his bedroom door and jerked it open, only to stumble to

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a halt when he found Galen standing there with his hand poised to knock. “What?” It wasn’t fair, and he knew it. He really wasn’t angry at Galen. The man had every right to refuse him. There were a number of other things that were pissing him off, though, and right or wrong, Galen was an available target for his frustrations. “Can we talk?” “No.” He’d talked until he was blue in the face. Nothing he’d said would change Galen’s mind, and he’d run out of things to say. He was fed up with the back and forth, hot and cold. Galen wanted them to be together, but only under his terms. He wasn’t even willing to meet Bannon halfway. “Please?” “No. Now move.” Bannon wasn’t asking for the world. He wasn’t asking for Galen to gift wrap the moon for him. He was just asking for a fucking chance! It wasn’t as though he expected his mate to just roll over, expose his belly, and pant to be petted. He knew he’d have to work for it, earn Galen’s trust. How the hell was he supposed to do that if Galen wouldn’t let him? “Bannon, stop being a dick and let me in.” He’d bent over backward to meet every one of Galen’s demands and now he was a dick? Priceless. “Ya wanted me to leave ya alone. It’s the least ya can do for me.” “I never said I wanted you to leave me alone. You’re the one who jumped up and ran out of the room like it was on fire. I’m sorry that I hurt you, and don’t tell me that I didn’t. I know you, whether you want to admit it or not.” He stepped closer so that his chest bumped against Bannon. “Why can’t I be with you without you claiming me?” Yes, why Bannon, his dick seemed to scream at him as it took notice of his mate’s nearness and swelled inside his jeans. “I’m not strong enough,” he admitted. Just being this close to Galen, thoughts ran rampant through his mind of him sinking his teeth into that creamy skin and claiming the man as his forever.

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“That’s because we’ve both been thinking too much.” Galen came closer, forcing Bannon a step back into the room. “I got some really good advice tonight.” His hands began roaming Bannon’s chest, his thumbs brushing over the nipples and causing them to harden. “Why does it have to be all or nothing? Why can’t we just go with it and see where it takes us?” Bannon bit the inside of his cheek to keep from moaning when Galen’s hands traveled over his abs and skimmed along his waistband. Could he do it? It would mean smothering his basic instincts and fighting against his nature. Was Galen worth that? Absolutely. “What exactly is that you’re wantin’?” “I like you, Bannon. I mean, I really like you. I thought it might be more than that, but now I’m just freaking confused.” His fingers paused and his eyebrows drew together. “I know I’m happier when I’m with you. I know that you make me want things that I haven’t wanted in a very long time. The rest of it is a little fuzzy, though. It can’t be fuzzy, Bannon. I have to know without a doubt that I’m going to want this—want you—for the rest of my life. Otherwise, it’s not fair to either of us.” Galen’s request and the reasoning behind it made so much sense that Bannon felt about three inches tall. He’d been a selfish prick, and despite all of his claims to the contrary, he’d definitely been trying to pressure Galen into accepting something—if he was being honest— neither of them was ready for. As much as he craved the closeness that bonding them would give him, he knew absolutely nothing about having a mate. In actuality, he knew very little about Galen. Until the previous night, he’d had no clue about Dallas Zeppler. They’d spent months getting to know each other, but Bannon was beginning to think that he’d done most of the talking. Thinking back on the conversations they’d had, he couldn’t remember one important detail about Galen other than the stories

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about his horrid mother. Bannon didn’t know the man’s favorite food, color, movie, or book. He didn’t know if Galen preferred roses or lilies, or maybe he didn’t like flowers at all. Simple, basic things that he should know about his mate, and yet, he found himself at a complete loss. “C’mere, sweetheart.” It had only been a couple of hours, but it felt good to have Galen in his arms again. “I’ll do better. I promise ya.” Galen’s arms locked around his waist and hugged him tight. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Bannon. I just need more time. Please understand.” “Oh, darlin’, I do. I’m sorry that I wasn’t keepin’ my promise. Things will be different.” “I don’t need different. In fact, that’s what got us in trouble in the first place. I just want to go back to the way we were—minus me being a basket case.” “Torren is wantin’ us to leave tonight.” “Torren can wait,” Galen mumbled distractedly as his hands began wandering again, finding the button on Bannon’s jeans and popping it open with ease. “There are a lot of things I’m not sure about, but this isn’t one of them. I want you, Bannon Murphy.” “Are ya plannin’ to seduce me then?” Because, sweet Jesus, it was working. Bannon’s cock swelled and pulsed, aching for Galen’s touch. “Is it working?” “Aye, that it is.” Bannon closed his eyes and moaned like a tendollar whore when his mate reached into his boxers and freed his cock, wrapping his soft, slim fingers around the hard shaft and giving it a light squeeze. The only excuse Bannon had for his next move was that all the blood in his brain rushed straight to his dick, and he momentarily lost his damn mind. Grabbing Galen around the waist, he jerked the man

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up in his arms, pivoted to the side, and slammed his mate into the wall before attacking his mouth like a savage animal. Grunts, growls, and snarls ensued as he did his best impression of something between a caveman and a wolverine and tried to jam his tongue as far down Galen’s throat as possible. Conceivably, the man’s vocals cords would taste like heaven if he could just reach them. His naked cock didn’t just rub or slide over Galen’s cottoncovered mid-section. It humped, grinded, and basically tried to fuck his belly button. Smooth. Up, down, over, and around, his hands executed moves that would impress the Blue Angels as he grabbed, groped, and kneaded every inch of naked flesh he could find. When he couldn’t locate enough of the silky skin to slake his desire, he passed over the line of aggressive male and straight into the realm of barbarian by shredding Galen’s shirt until it was little more than tattered rags. Seven—count them—seven unholy months he’d brutally beat back his desire and lust for the writhing man in his arms. He’d jerked off like a pubescent so many times he’d actually developed calluses between thumb and forefinger. It was a little surprising to him that his dick hadn’t just given up and fallen right the fuck off at some point. He was probably terrifying his mate, but he couldn’t stop himself. Instinct, along with a healthy dose of sexual frustration, drove his every move until he’d somehow managed to divest Galen of every article of clothing without even realizing it. With his soon-to-be lover completely and gloriously naked, spread out—or pinned up—whatever—like a buffet, Bannon reorganized his attack, zeroing in on the sweet, little, copper-colored nipples. Galen gasped and panted above him, arching his back as his hands fisted in Bannon’s hair and held him closer. Bannon would have loved to say that he took his time and worshipped his mate’s body as the treasure it was. He’d be lying, though. Biting the pebbled nub between his teeth, he flicked his tongue over it before sucking the entire thing into his mouth and

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lavishing it with attention until it was swollen and throbbing for him. Then he moved on to the next, because it apparently wouldn’t do for his mate to have lopsided nipples. Sweet mercy, he didn’t even know what he was doing anymore. His brain had shut down completely, and his body rushed into takeover mode, moving of its own volition without command from him. All he knew in that exact moment was that Galen was his mate, and he needed more! Be it more of Galen’s scent, his taste, the satiny feel of his skin, or more friction on Bannon’s straining cock, he didn’t know, and he really didn’t give a flying fuck. Abandoning his mate’s tortured nipples, Bannon crushed Galen to him and swung them around, intending to carry him to the bed. Instead, his jeans slid off his hips, tripping him, and he ended up tackling his mate to the mattress like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line. No, not one lineman, but all of them. He was grateful though shocked that his little man had survived the collapse and resulting two hundred and fifty pounds that landed on top of him. Hell, he actually laughed, even if it was a bit breathlessly. “Sorry,” Bannon mumbled distractedly as he licked at Galen’s neck and tried to kick his jeans off, but only ended up getting them stuck around his boots. Screw it. Galen probably already thought he was a complete idiot. It wasn’t like things could get any worse. Maybe. Hopefully. Then he remembered that if they were going forward with this, at some point he was going to need to retrieve the lube. Where the hell was the lube? “Lube. We’re needin’ lube.” Galen giggled again and rolled over to rummage through the drawer of the nightstand. Bannon followed, or more to the point, his lips followed and just dragged the rest of him along for the ride as they continued nibbling and kissing every part of Galen close enough to touch.

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Then his mate was back, trying to push a rather large bottle of slick into his hand. “Uh, maybe ya should do that.” At the rate he was going, he’d probably end up hurting his mate, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. “You want to watch?” Galen purred seductively as he flipped the cap open and poured a generous amount of the clear liquid into his palm. Bannon eased off the bed, shucking the rest of his clothing before he knelt on the floor, positioning himself for an up close and personal view of the show about to commence. His dick pulsed, flexing with each thundering beat of his heart as it leaked generous amounts of pre-cum from the slit. Spreading his legs wide and pulling his knees back to his chest, Galen opened himself to Bannon’s viewing pleasure, showing off his sweet, pink hole. The muscles quivered and clenched, seemingly eager for what was coming. Galen, however, had decided to torture Bannon to death. Instead of reaching for his obviously hungry hole, his slim fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking and slicking the hard, thick length. Bannon watched with rapt attention, following every long, slow glide as his mouth watered and electricity zipped up his spine. Chancing a look at Galen’s face, he could practically see the fire burning there, and it made his stomach clench and his balls draw up close to his body. If they didn’t get this train moving, he was going to blow before he ever pulled into the station. Feeling slightly more in control of himself, he snatched the lube up from the mattress and coated his fingers quickly. Resting one hand on the inside of Galen’s right thigh, he used his slippery fingers to caress his lover’s tight hole. The muscles squeezed and relaxed, greedy for more. Slipping just the tip of his index finger into the snug opening, Bannon glanced up at his mate again, checking to be sure that Galen wasn’t too uncomfortable.

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A long, low moan bounced off the walls, and Galen rocked up and down on the mattress, impaling himself farther on Bannon’s digit. “More. Feels good, but I need more.” Whatever his baby wanted, he got. Inserting more of his finger, Bannon paused for a heartbeat before he began pumping in and out, coaxing Galen’s hole to relax for him. It didn’t take long before he was able to insert a second finger and finally a third. Galen’s inner walls clamped around his fingers, squeezing them inside his velvety heat. “Now, Bannon. Can’t last. Oh, oh, fuck!” His hand was a mere blur as he jerked harder and faster at his engorged cock. “Please!” Erotic moans and needy whimpers spilled from his kiss-swollen lips, and Bannon thought he’d come right where he sat. Getting ahold of himself, he eased his fingers from Galen’s ass and crawled up the bed to loom over him. The need still clawed at him, making his head swim and his balls ache, but he was able to control it a little better now. Gripping the base of his cock, he lined up with his mate’s entrance and stopped, nudging against the ring of muscles but not entering. With his other hand, he brushed the curls back from Galen’s flushed face and stared into his chocolate-brown eyes, waiting for permission. “Don’t stop. Please, Bannon. I need this. I need to feel you. Make love to me.” Music to his hears—and to his dick, but he wouldn’t mention that part later. Still staring into Galen’s eyes, he rocked his hips forward in small, gentle movements until the flared tip of his cock breached his lover’s opening. The first feel of those insanely tight muscles wrapped around his dick was heaven and hell, all in one perfect package. Grinding his teeth together to stave off his already impending orgasm, he continued forward until his entire length was encased in the heated depths of Galen’s channel. Then, as though he’d flipped a switch, his control snapped again, and he pulled out, only to slam back in with a bone-jarring intensity.

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Galen cried out and arched his back, his fingers scrambling for purchase on Bannon’s back, and then digging his nails in to secure his hold. The sharp bite of pain only spurred Bannon on as he jackhammered his hips, surging into his lover’s body again and again, each stroke harder and faster than the last. His growls and grunts mingled with Galen’s mewls and whimpers then were accompanied by the sounds of their damp flesh slapping together to create an erotic symphony that echoed around the room. Galen dropped his head back to the mattress, exposing his neck in a submissive gesture that Bannon had to remember wasn’t really an offer. It was hard to remember anything with the amazing feel of his mate’s body beneath him and the blazing inferno wrapped around his long-neglected cock. Even though his gums itched and his mouth watered as his gaze zeroed in on the jumping vein in Galen’s neck, by some miracle, he managed to hold onto that one visage of self-control. Slipping an arm beneath Galen’s lower back, he lifted the man’s hips off the bed, changing the angle and nailing his prostate on the next hard thrust. His mate screamed, his muscles tensed, and his inner walls grabbed Bannon’s cock in a chokehold as long, hot ropes of cream shot from Galen’s slit. As his lover’s tunnel convulsed around him in waves, Bannon closed his eyes and groaned before burying himself to the root and shuddering through the most earth-shattering climax he’d ever experienced. On and on it went, ricocheting through his body as he pumped endless ropes of hot cum into Galen’s waiting depths. When he could finally see straight, let alone think in more than terms of yes, yes, yes, Bannon gently eased from Galen’s entrance and collapsed on the mattress beside his sweaty but smiling mate. “Thank you,” Galen whispered a moment later, turning on his side to press their lips together. “You are the most amazing man I’ve ever met.”

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He started to roll away, but Bannon caught him around the waist and held him securely to his chest. “Where do ya think you’re goin’?” Galen chuckled and kissed him again. “To get something to clean us up. I’ll be right back.” With an exhausted grunt, Bannon released him and rolled to his back with a goofy smile on his face. He finally understood what Galen had been trying to tell him. While he’d been speeding down the freeway, hurrying their relationship along at breakneck speeds, he’d been missing out on all of the important things. Now that he got that, he looked forward to exploring not only his mate’s body, but his mind and soul as well. He wanted to know everything there was to know about Galen Charles. He might get there faster on the highway, but to truly enjoy the journey, he’d have to take the back roads.

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Chapter Eight “Bannon Murphy, open this fucking door!” Galen jerked awake, hurdled over Bannon, and squeezed himself up against the headboard, trying to become as small as possible. He didn’t know who the hell was on the other side of the door, but it was clear that they were pissed. The banging on the door was one continuous drum that seemed to shake the entire room and reverberate inside Galen’s skull. He didn’t know how long he’d been sleeping, but it was still dark outside, so it couldn’t have been long. Either way, this was definitely not how he’d have chosen to be woken up. Hadn’t anyone ever heard of alarm clocks? And why did they always have to try to beat down the door like the hounds of hell were on their heels? “It’s okay,” Bannon said as he patted Galen’s thigh. “It’s just Torren.” With a loud groan, he pushed up on the mattress and scrubbed both hands over his face. “Quit bangin’! I’m comin’, damn it!” Rolling off the bed, he took his time going through his dresser to find a clean pair of boxers and pulling them on. Then he sauntered to the door as if there wasn’t an angry witch on the other side and pulled it open. “What?” “You hung up on me,” Torren snarled. “Nice of ya to notice. That doesn’t explain why ya felt the need to come all the way down here, beat the hell out of my door, and scare my mate out of his skin.” “I gave you an order.”

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Bannon snorted, but Galen didn’t really see anything humorous in the situation. Torren looked mad enough to spit fire. Galen idly wondered if he’d turn Bannon into a toad. Witches did that, right? “Aye, ya did, and if ya didn’t notice, that was my way of tellin’ ya to piss off.” “We have twenty-seven days until Halloween. On average, it takes you approximately two weeks to find one person. We’re looking for three. Do you think this is a goddamn game?” Torren roared, slamming his hand against the doorframe. Galen whimpered as he curled himself into a ball and ducked his head. Realistically, he knew Torren wasn’t angry at him. He also knew that Bannon wouldn’t allow the man to hurt him even if he was. That didn’t stop him from being scared out of his mind at the irate mountain of a man. “Enough,” Bannon growled. He turned his back on Torren, which was a brave though stupid move in Galen’s opinion, and crossed the room to crawl back up on the bed. Then he pulled Galen into his arms and stroked his hair back from his face. “Not to worry, darlin’. Torren is just a bit out of sorts. No one is going to hurt ya.” A heavy sigh sounded from the doorway, and Galen peeked up to see Torren drop his head and rub at the back of his neck. “He’s right. I’m sorry, Galen. This elder business is a lot more stressful than I thought it would be. Add my personal issues on top of that, and I’m not really myself these days. I didn’t mean to scare you.” “Galen? Are you okay?” Aslan appeared behind Torren, peeking around his massive frame to look into the room. “I heard shouting and banging. You’re not hurt are you?” Galen smiled at his friend and waved him into the room while Bannon pulled a blanket up over him to hide his nudity. “Thank you,” he whispered to his lover and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning to Aslan. “I’m fine, but thank you.” Aslan was so tiny, smaller even than Galen, and couldn’t fight his way out of a paper sack. Anyone else in his place would have locked

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the door and hidden under the bed with the amount of noise Torren had been making. Not Aslan, though. His friend was in trouble, and he’d come running without thought to his own safety. “Okay, I just wanted to make sure.” Aslan crossed his legs under him on the mattress and settled in, showing no signs of leaving any time soon. Then very slowly, he turned his head to stare at Torren and pointed a finger at the big man. “You’re being very rude.” Torren had the strangest look on his face as he stared back at Aslan. It was somewhere between a lost puppy and starving wolf. Galen probably would have found it comical if he hadn’t still been shaking from being woken up in such a terrifying way. “I apologize,” Torren said quietly. “Did I frighten you?” “A little,” Aslan admitted but shrugged. “I was mostly worried about Galen. You’re my mate, right? I’ve seen you before, but you were more glowy and see-through. I like you better this way.” Bannon’s eyes rounded, and he lifted both eyebrows. Galen grinned and snuggled in closer. It might seem a bit abrupt to some, but that was just Aslan. He never beat around the bush about anything. “Thank you?” The inflection in Torren’s voice made it sound like a question, and Galen pressed his face into Bannon’s neck to muffle his chuckle. “Oh, you’re very welcome. If we’re mates, why haven’t you come to see me? Don’t you like me?” “I’m afraid I don’t know you at all. I’d like to change that, though.” “Okay.” Aslan stood on the bed and jumped across the room, right into Torren’s arms. “Let’s go to my room.” Torren nodded dazedly and turned to carry his mate down the hall. The minute they were out of sight, Galen burst into laughter. “Torren doesn’t even know what hit him. Did you see the look on his face?” “Ya mean like the one I was wearin’ when your sexy little ass walked into the room for the first time?” Bannon poked at Galen’s

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ribs, tickling him and sending him into more fits of giggles. Then he sighed and dropped his cheek to rest on top of Galen’s head. “I guess we should be packin’. Torren is right that we’re runnin’ outta time.” “Yeah, I guess you’re right. So, how do you track people? How am I going to help?” “I’m not sure how to explain it. I’m thinkin’ it’ll be something I’ll need to just show ya.” “Can you do it now?” “Well, I have to be asleep.” “Huh?” Galen sat up straight and tilted his head on his shoulders. “How on earth do you find people while you’re sleeping?” “He can show you on the plane,” Torren interrupted, coming back into the room, sans Aslan. “We have reason to believe that Camdin is somewhere in New England, so there’s a plane waiting to take you to Maine where you’ll work your way down the coast from there.” Ignoring Torren’s kiss-swollen lips and his mussed-up hair, Galen pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes. “If you know he’s in New England, why don’t you know exactly where he is?” “It’s not GPS, Galen.” “What’s not? Why do I feel like you’re only giving us half the story?” “Because I am,” Torren admitted. “You don’t need to know everything. I just need Bannon to do his job and you to help if you can. There’s a car leaving for the airstrip in ten minutes. I expect you in it.” Aslan stood just inside the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a crooked smile on his face. “You just can’t help yourself can you? Leave them alone, and come here.” Torren’s entire body softened as he turned to face his mate. “I have to get back, caro.” His massive palm tenderly cradled the side Aslan’s face. “I need to settle some business, but I’ll be back soon. Will you wait for me?”

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“Sure.” Aslan pushed up on his toes, kissed Torren’s cheek, then turned and bounced out of the room. “He’s going to be a handful,” Torren muttered as he watched Aslan leave. He had a dopey smile on his face, though, so Galen took that to be a good thing. “Be in that car,” he said without turning. Then he left without further comment. “I guess we better be in that car.” Bannon chuckled and kissed Galen on the nose. “Aye, I guess we should.” **** “Wow!” Galen’s mouth dropped open when he stepped through the door at the back of the plane. “This is awesome.” Bannon had slept in the bed Galen was gawking at too many times to count. He was a little over the thrill of it, but he’d had the same reaction the first time. Never had anyone shared the bed with him, though. Suddenly, the trip didn’t seem quite so bad. “I’ve never been on a plane before. It’s safe, right?” “Not to worry, sweetheart. It’s safer than drivin’.” “It’ll be sunrise soon. Are Raven and Demos going to be okay?” Bannon eased around his mate and walked over to the small window beside the bed. “Steel plates slide over these, just like at home. There’s even a steel door separatin’ the cockpit. Everyone is perfectly safe.” “How long is it until we land? Then what do we do when we get wherever we’re going?” “Come over here, and stop ya frettin’.” Bannon chuckled and flopped down on the mattress. “We have work to do.” “Are you going to show me how you do your tracking thing now?” “Aye. It’s actually easier when we’re movin’, but I’ll get to that part.” He reached into a little compartment on the headboard and

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withdrew two glass vials. “Ya need to take this and get comfortable. It’s just to help ya sleep,” he added when Galen looked hesitant. Screwing off the black cap on one of the vials, he tipped the contents into his mouth and tossed the bottle and the lid into the waste can beside the bed. Then he kicked his boots off and stripped down to his boxers before turning the covers down and crawling into bed. “Bottoms up,” Galen mumbled as he upended the bottle and drank down the clear liquid inside. His nose scrunched up, and his mouth twisted. “What is that?” “More or less a Valium.” Bannon levered up on his elbows and patted the empty space beside him. “Crawl in.” Galen undressed down to his boxers as well and wiggled himself under the blankets and right up to Bannon’s chest. “Now what?” “Relax and try to sleep.” “Okay.” Galen cuddled closer, resting his head on Bannon’s chest and draping one leg over his thigh. Already exhausted from the emotional roller coaster of the day, and feeling utterly content with his mate’s scent filling his nose and his warm body heating Bannon’s side, it wasn’t long before the sleeping aid began to work its magic. “Bannon, where are we?” There was a slightly hysterical note to Galen’s voice as he hissed in Bannon’s ear. Blinking open his eyes, Bannon looked out over the vast field surrounded at the edges by thick, rolling fog. Moonlight illuminated the thick grass, making it look almost black in the eerie realm of his dream world. “It’s just a dream,” Bannon assured his lover. He was rather pleased that he’d been able to suck Galen into the dream with him. “Stay by my side, and don’t let anyone touch ya.” “Who? There’s no one here but us.” Galen did as instructed though, grabbing Bannon’s hand and plastering himself to his side. “What are we doing?” “Hush now, mo chroí.”

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Dreams didn’t work like reality. It wasn’t like punching someone’s name into a database and waiting for the results to pop up on the screen. With computers, Bannon could search by name, age, gender, phone number, address, police records, and a number of other things—usually the more the better. It was the opposite in his dreams. Fewer details usually garnered better results. Unfortunately, it also gave him a lot of results. That was where Galen would come into play. The first man appeared in the center of the field, looking dazed and very much confused about how he’d gotten to his surroundings. “Don’t be afraid,” he whispered to Galen when he felt the man tense beside him. “Can ya tell me what he is?” Bannon knew the man had to be a preter of some sort. His powers only worked on other paranormals for some reason. There were thousands of them scattered around the world, but luckily, they numbered far less than the general population, which made his job a fair sight easier. “D–Demon,” Galen stuttered, squeezing Bannon’s hand in a death grip. “Shh, it’s okay now.” Three more men appeared out of thin air, scattered around the clearing. “Shifters,” Galen whispered. “They’re all shifters. Related, I think.” “Good. You’re doin’ good, baby.” And it was going much faster than it normally did. Bannon couldn’t have been more pleased. “Where did he go?” The demon Galen had identified faded away until he vanished completely. “The plane has moved outside of my radius.” There were limits to his powers, just like any other magic. He could only summon preternaturals, and only when they were sleeping. Once that person awoke or moved outside of his circle, he lost him. Eight more males appeared within the boundaries of the fog—two who appeared to be teenagers, a small boy, and five fully-grown men.

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This was where vague could be a problem. He’d sent out feelers for males, but narrowing the age range was a little more difficult. “They’re all werewolves except the little boy,” Galen whispered, and Bannon could hear the frown in his voice. “He…he’s like Kendall. And he’s scared.” Before Bannon could react to the news, a huge group of at least twenty men ghosted in through the fog. They looked just as confused as the others—all except for one. While everyone else in the clearing milled about, looking just like what would be expected in a dream, one of the men in the back stood completely motionless, staring into Bannon’s eyes as though he recognized him for what he was. “Galen?” “The one looking at us? His name is Raith Braddock, and he wants us to get him the fuck out. His words, not mine.” “How did ya do that?” “I didn’t.” Galen lifted his arm and pointed toward the witch. “He did. He’s in my head, and it’s kind of uncomfortable.” “Where is he?” The words weren’t fully out of his mouth before Raith was sucked back into the fog as though an invisible line was connected to his belly button. “What happened? Where did he go?” “Someone took him.” Bannon had only seen it happen twice before, and it never meant anything good for him. “We need to be goin’, Galen. Now.”

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Chapter Nine “Galen, wake up!” Rolling his head back and forth on the pillow, Galen groaned as the world around him shook. Why was the bed shaking? “Galen!” Oh, right. The bed wasn’t vibrating, but he was. Well, Bannon was shaking the shit out of him as he yelled his name and tapped at his cheeks annoyingly. “I’m up. I’m up.” Galen groaned again, prying his eyelids open and blinking several times to get them to focus. “Why are you shaking me?” “I’m thinkin’ ya probably shouldn’t take the sleep stuff anymore. I almost choked on my heart when ya wouldn’t wake up.” “How long have I been asleep?” It felt like only minutes, but it suddenly occurred to him that he didn’t feel the rocking or swaying of the plane anymore. “Did we land?” “Aye.” Bannon stared down at him with concern. “It’s almost nightfall, Galen. I got ya out of the dream, but I couldn’t get ya awake.” Galen bolted upright, groaning and grabbing at his temples when his head began to spin. “Yeah, no more night-night juice for me. I feel like my head is going to explode.” “Here, drink this, baby.” Bannon pushed a small plastic cup of water into his hand. “I’m not sure what good it’ll do, but I’ve seen it in movies.” Galen snorted and started coughing when the sip he’d just taken went down the wrong pipe. Once he could breathe again, he sat the cup aside and pulled his legs up under him. “So, first, that was some

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freaky-ass shit. Is that how you did it when I had that dream about you being in the cemetery?” “Aye, but it’s a bit different to slip into your dream instead of pullin’ ya into mine.” “Why me?” Galen had wondered from the moment he’d woken up in a sweat after having the nightmare. “I’m guessin’ because you’re my mate, and I was worried for ya. I’m not really sure how it happened at all.” “So, what do we do now?” Galen was damn proud of the fact that his voice sounded so steady considering he was spazzing out like crazy. That field they’d dreamed of was creepy. The fog was straight from Wes Craven’s wet dreams. People popping in and out, demons, werewolves, and that damn witch slipping inside his head—it was all insane, not to mention completely terrifying. “I’ve already talked to Torren. He has my brothers searchin’ a hundred mile radius around the location where we saw Raith.” Bannon wrapped his arm around Galen’s shoulders and tucked him in close to his side. “There’s a car waitin’ to drive us down the coast while I look for Camdin.” “I’m coming with you,” Galen replied firmly. “I can help.” “Aye, ya were a great help, but it’s too dangerous. You’ll be in the car, but I’ll not be bringin’ ya into the dream again.” Instead of arguing with the stubborn fool, Galen changed the subject. He’d be inside that dream world, and he’d do everything he could to help. The fact that Bannon thought he could win on the issue was kind of cute, though, so he gave him a swift peck on the jaw. “Why did you tell me not to let anyone touch me? It’s just a dream, right?” “Yes and no. Remember how uncomfortable it felt for Raith to be inside your head?” Bannon waited for his nod. “Now imagine there are a hundred people in there. Things are startin’ to get a little tight, aye? When I construct these dreams, I don’t populate them with people from my subconscious—which is the reason for the dark field.

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When I’m bringin’ other people into my dreams, it’s not their physical bodies. However, as long as the other person isn’t stronger, I can trap their mind inside the dream indefinitely.” “Which could also work in reverse,” Galen surmised. “They were inside your dream, where you controlled what happened. Say, for example, if that demon had taken my hand before he popped out of the clearing, he could have sucked me into his dream with no escape.” “Correct.” Bannon looked pleased as punch at Galen’s deductive skills. Galen would decide later if he took that as a compliment or not. “When ya start manipulating other people’s minds, it becomes more complicated than simply wakin’ up to get free.” “Then we’ll just have to be careful. What about the little boy?” He couldn’t have been more than five years old, and he’d been so sad and scared. Galen’s heart broke for the little tyke. “My brothers are looking for him as well, but he’s not the priority.” “That’s bullshit! He’s just a little boy!” “Aye, agreed, sweetheart, but I’m not havin’ any say in this.” “Bannon, this isn’t right. We have to help him.” After a moment of quiet, Bannon finally dipped his head once. “If Devlin’s not findin’ him before we’re done here, we’ll go back for him. Will that suffice for ya?” No, it really didn’t, but Galen didn’t see that he had a choice. He did, however, realize that his big Irish lover had a heart of gold, and who wouldn’t find that sexy? Craning his neck, he scraped his teeth over the rough five-o’clock shadow along Bannon’s jawline. “Thank you. How long before we have to leave?” A rolling shudder wracked Bannon’s body, and his arm tightened around Galen. “Half hour or so,” he answered distractedly, tilting his head back to give Galen more room to play. “What did ya have in mind, darlin’?” “I think you know.” Galen purred seductively as he looped his arms around Bannon’s corded neck. Then he eased back to the

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mattress, pulling his lover on top of him. “It must be exhausting being so perfect all the time.” Bannon chuckled and brushed their lips together lightly. “I’m far from perfect, but I’m tryin’.” When his mouth returned to Galen’s, he was anything but tentative. The kiss was hard and searching, leaving no doubt in Galen’s mind what Bannon needed from him. With a muffled moan, he arched up against his lover, pressing their bare chests together as he surrendered to Bannon’s skillful tongue. God, he could kiss Bannon forever. The hungry way the man nibbled at his lips and stroked inside of his mouth with his tongue left Galen’s head reeling and his body burning. His heart hammered wildly inside his chest, knocking against his sternum as it pumped all the blood in his body straight to his groin. His dick hardened instantly, swelling and lengthening where it lay trapped between their heated bodies. Bannon’s soft, moist lips released his and traveled along the column of his throat, over his collarbones, and continued down his chest, leaving a trail of liquid heat in their wake. Galen writhed and shivered, panted and moaned as his fingers tangled in Bannon’s hair, guiding the man’s mouth to where he needed it most. Bypassing his aching cock, Bannon laved his tongue over the sensitive flesh where thigh met groin then nipped at it with his teeth. After several minutes of torturing Galen’s senses and testing his sanity by licking, biting, and groping everywhere around his groin except his dick, Bannon’s tongue swirled around Galen’s sac, lapping at it with languid movements. Galen whimpered and humped his hips, silently demanding more. Bannon didn’t disappoint as he sucked one ball into his mouth and rolled it around before moving on to the next. Only when Galen’s sac was so tight he thought his testicles might retract into his body did Bannon finally release them. Flattening his tongue, he licked a wet line from Galen’s scrotum clear up his flexing cock and all the way to the weeping tip. Just when

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Galen thought they were getting somewhere, Bannon went back to teasing him. Sucking the spongy crown in his mouth, Bannon flicked his tongue over the slit, swirled it slowly around the head, and gently raked the flared ridge with his teeth. His lips slid a little farther down Galen’s turgid length, but he popped back up quickly. “Damn it, Bannon!” Galen felt more than saw Bannon’s lips stretch into a grin around his pulsing dick. The bastard. Over and over, Bannon tortured him, working Galen’s cock to the back of his throat a little at a time until Galen thought he’d explode. With a feral snarl he’d never heard fall from his own lips before, he fisted his hands in his lover’s hair again and pumped his hips, fucking Bannon’s mouth roughly. The shifter just seemed to call out the beast in him. Bannon moaned loudly, sending faint vibrations coursing along the rigid length of Galen’s dick. His lips clamped down hard, even as his throat muscles relaxed, and he held perfectly still, allowing Galen to take what he wanted without reservations. “Yes, oh, fuck! Yes, yes, yes!” Moans, whines, whimpers, and growls that would make the highest paid hooker proud poured from his panting lips. A slippery finger nudged against his back door, and Galen spread his legs wider, unconcerned with where the lube had come from. Maybe he’d remember to ask later. Planting his feet beside his ass, he surged in and out of the warm, wet cavern of Bannon’s mouth and rode the finger that pumped into his hungry hole. The sting of pain when Bannon inserted two more fingers only drove his lust higher, and he bucked up into his lover’s mouth as his head whipped back and forth on the mattress. “Right there. Oh, don’t stop. Fuck, I’m gonna come!” Lightning sizzled down his spine, his lower belly tightened, and his cock pulsated against Bannon’s tongue. Then everything stopped.

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Bannon popped off his dick with a naughty slurp, extracted his fingers from Galen’s clenching channel, and rose up to kneel on the mattress. Without a word—though there was definitely some panting and growling—Bannon positioned the crown of his cock at Galen’s entrance and shoved forward, sheathing himself to the base in one powerful thrust. Galen arched his back and cried out to the ceiling as he felt every vein and ridge of Bannon’s length, stretching him and sliding against his straining muscles. Hard and demanding, Bannon took him on a fast ride as he drove into Galen’s body with enough force to send them sliding up the bed. Lifting his shaking legs to wind around Bannon’s hips, Galen forced his body to move, meeting Bannon’s every punishing lunge. “Harder!” he screamed. “Fuck me harder. Make me come, Bannon.” Apparently, “come” was the magical word that ended up leaving him empty and unfulfilled, because Bannon pulled out of his hole once more and sat up on his knees. Galen wanted to scream in frustration, but before he got the chance, Bannon flipped him over to his stomach, jerked his ass into the air, and slammed back into him. A strong arm looped around his chest and pulled him upright so that his back pressed against Bannon’s damp chest. Harder and faster, his lover drove into his greedy tunnel while a possessive growl rumbled in his chest. “Ya love this, don’t ya, sweetheart? Ya love the feel of my fat cock reaming your sweet little arse. No one else can make ya feel like I do.” “No one else,” Galen agreed with a desperate moan. If he didn’t get to come soon, he was going to die. “Ya belong to me, Galen Charles. I’m the only one who can make ya fly.” “Yes!” Galen screamed when Bannon’s massive cock nailed his sweet spot and sent lights bursting behind his closed eyelids. “Just

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you. Only you. Touch me, jerk my cock, and make me come. I need to come. Please!” Bannon’s callused hand palmed Galen’s bouncing cock and stroked him roughly. “Come for me then. Squeeze my cock and come in my hand. Give me what I want, Galen.” “Bannon!” Dropping his head back to Bannon’s shoulder, Galen jerked and shuddered as copious amounts of thick cream erupted from his slit and coated his lover’s hand and wrist. “A ghrá,” Bannon whispered before burying his face in the side of Galen’s neck and groaning. His muscles tensed, his arm around Galen constricted, and molten lava filled Galen’s depths to overflowing. They sat that way for a long time, just holding onto one another until Bannon’s softening cock finally slipped from Galen’s wet hole. “Did ya mean it?” Galen tilted his head farther back to look up into Bannon’s eyes. “That I’m yours? Of course I belong to you, Bannon. Just because I’m not ready for you to claim me doesn’t mean that I don’t know that. You’re all I want.” He meant every word of it. His main concern was that the feeling was temporary. Until he knew for sure that nothing would ever feel as good as having Bannon in his arms, he just couldn’t take the next step. “That’s more than enough for now,” Bannon murmured against the flushed skin of Galen’s shoulder. They were moving toward dangerous territory, and Galen didn’t want to ruin the mood by discussing something he knew hurt Bannon—no matter how much the stubborn ass denied it. “Where did the lube come from?” Bannon snorted and kissed the back of Galen’s neck. “I had to do something while I was watchin’ ya sleep now didn’t I?”

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Chapter Ten “Where are we?” Bannon smirked as he took his mate’s hand and led him up the stone steps of the little gazebo. With just a thought, soft, twinkling lights illuminated the canopy over them, and quiet music drifted on the warm, night air. Gasping in surprise, his eyes shining with awe and excitement, Galen squeezed Bannon’s hand as his head turned one way and then the other, as though he was trying to take in everything at once. His eyes landed on Bannon’s chest, traveled down his body, and finally moved on to his own expertly dressed frame. “What on earth am I wearing?” “Do ya like it?” Bannon didn’t know much about fashion, but he figured Armani was always in style, and his lover’s creamy skin was dazzling against the charcoal of the suit. “It’s amazing,” Galen breathed, running his fingertips over the lapel of his jacket. “Are we dreaming?” “Aye, I’m taking the night off.” They’d been traveling up and down the Eastern Seaboard for days, and Bannon missed his mate. It didn’t matter that Galen was right beside him the entire trip. It just wasn’t the same. “Quality time?” Galen asked, one corner of his lips turning up in a half smile. “That’s the one.” Tugging Galen closer, Bannon wound an arm around his mate’s waist and held him snug against his chest while he swayed them from side to side. “How am I doin’?”

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“Very romantic,” Galen answered with a soft sigh as he rested his head on Bannon’s chest. “You really should be working, though.” “Let me tell ya a little secret.” Dipping his head, Bannon skimmed his nose around the delicate shell of Galen’s ear, smiling broadly when the smaller man shivered. “I’m likin’ my job, and I’m good at it. It’s important, but not as important as you, Galen Charles. I’ll not be neglectin’ my mate.” “Mmm, you say all the right things,” Galen purred. “This is really nice.” “Tell me what ya want, and it’s yours. Anything in the world.” Bannon couldn’t explain it, but he had an all-encompassing need to make everything perfect for Galen. It didn’t matter if it was only a dream. It should be an unforgettable night. “The moon is bright, the stars are shining, the music is amazing, and I have you all to myself for a change. I really couldn’t ask for more than this.” Galen pressed himself even closer, rested one hand on Bannon’s chest, and wrapped the other around his waist to give him a gentle squeeze. “You’ve thought of everything.” It wasn’t good enough for Bannon, though. Having Galen in his arms and not worrying about anything else in the universe was heaven, but he wanted more for his mate. “Please, darlin’. Pick anything. Let me give ya something.” Tilting his head up, Galen looked at him for a long moment before his eyes traveled to the string of lights over their heads. “This reminds me of a movie I watched a couple of weeks ago with Jory. It was a ridiculous movie as always, but it showed this panoramic view of Paris.” “Ah, The City of Light.” “Yes! Have you been there?” Galen practically vibrated in his enthusiasm. “I have.”

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Before Galen could even ask him, Bannon closed his eyes and reconstructed the dream so that they were standing hand in hand atop the Eiffel Tower. “Oh, it’s beautiful,” Galen whispered reverently. His slim fingers wrapped around Bannon’s forearms and dug in as he stared out over the city. “Thank you.” It wasn’t as good as the real thing, but it was pretty damn close. Once things calmed down and they each had a chance to just breathe, Bannon promised himself that he’d make his little mate’s dream come true for real. Clutching Galen close, he brushed a kiss over the top of his head and smiled. “I’m glad ya like it. I wish I could give ya more.” “Hush,” Galen chastised as he began rocking back and forth. “There is only one thing that could make this any more perfect.” “And what is that?” All Galen had to do was say the word and it was his. Bannon would make sure of it. Leaning his head back on his shoulders and looking up with a mischievous smile, Galen winked at him. “Kiss me. Right here on the Eiffel Tower, looking out over the most beautiful city in the world, I want you to kiss me.” Well, it certainly wasn’t a hardship. “Ah, the things I suffer for ya, Mr. Charles,” Bannon teased as he cupped his lover’s face, dropped his mouth to Galen’s, and sought entrance to the warm depths within. Galen’s arms came up to curl around his neck, and he opened right up, giving a soft little whimper when their tongues met. There was no battle for dominance, no sweet surrender. They were equals in every way as their lips and tongues slid and melded together. Instead of his dick growing rock hard as it normally did every time he was within sniffing distance of Galen, Bannon found it was his heart that swelled this time. His entire body tingled, a lump formed in his throat, and even the lights of Paris couldn’t compete with the treasure in his arms.

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When the kiss ended, the world around him still remained blurry, leaving only him and Galen. It was just a dream, but real or make believe, Bannon couldn’t imagine a more flawless moment. He’d have loved for it to go on forever, but he had a job to do. Luckily for him, Galen was always so understanding. “We need to wake up now, don’t we?” There was no disappointment in his voice, and Bannon adored him even more for it. “We can stay for a few more minutes,” he answered, turning Galen so that they could look out over the Champ de Mars. Galen snuggled into his side and sighed. “You need to get back to work. I understand.” He looked up and pursed his lips for a quick kiss. “Thank you so much for this. It’s amazing. Even if it’s not real, it’s real to me. No one has ever done anything like this for me.” “Anything for ya, darlin’.” “I know.” Galen smiled coyly and took a step back. “I’m really starting to see that.” His head cocked to the side, and he frowned. “Our chauffeurs aren’t going to be very happy with us, though.” Bannon had an inkling that the men who’d been assigned to drive them around while they slept and searched for the faerie and witches were never happy with anything. “They’ll get over it.” “Probably, but I want to get this over with and get back home. I miss my bed.” Galen took Bannon’s hand and brought it to his lips where he placed a chaste kiss in the palm. “Thank you again for this.” Bannon swallowed around the constriction in his throat and nodded. “Slow and easy, right?” Galen gave him a little smirk. “Yeah, but not too slow. Naked is still definitely on the menu.” **** For the rest of the week they drove up and down the coast of New England. Galen didn’t know who the two drivers were, but he did know that they were shifters, and he thought maybe wolves.

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Some paranormals he could get a clear reading on, but others were harder. These guys weren’t very clear broadcasters, but he did get the sense that they’d rather be anywhere else in the world than driving him and Bannon all over the countryside. Not that he could blame them. He doubted they’d volunteered for the job. Hell, he didn’t even know what pack they were from. Stavion trusted them, and more importantly, Bannon trusted them. That was good enough for Galen. He just wished they were a little more communicative. They rarely talked except to grunt out orders. They probably had names, but he’d yet to learn them. They stopped five times a day to eat, wash up, and refuel. That was it. Apparently, their reluctant drivers were every bit as ready to get the task over with and get home as he was. Galen was beginning to go stir-crazy trapped inside their rolling hotel. To make matters worse, Bannon slept most of the time. Other than the one special dream date he’d created, Bannon refused to allow Galen into his dreamscape because it was too dangerous. Galen understood, but it still sucked, and he was lonely. When Bannon wasn’t sleeping, they talked. Galen wanted the man to fuck his brains out, but instead, they talked. He’d have even settled for a pity fuck inside one of Bannon’s dreams, but the man refused, saying Galen deserved better than that. While he appreciated the sentiment, it did little for his overactive libido. Bannon asked the strangest questions about everything from Galen’s favorite cartoon character to when he’d had his last medical exam. Had he had his wisdom teeth removed? What was his favorite color? Did he prefer sliced or blocked cheese? On and on it went like some strange episode of Family Feud. Survey says…Bannon has lost his mind! Two nights of amazing sex wasn’t nearly enough to quell the fire that burned inside him for his mate, though. In fact, it only pushed his desire to new levels that he wasn’t sure he’d ever recover from if

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something didn’t happen between them soon. And yes, sometime during the course of the week as he watched Bannon sleep, curled up in his lap, or answered a string of inquiries, he’d come to the conclusion that the man was definitely his mate. More importantly, he’d finally accepted that somewhere in his family tree lurked a shifter who’d somehow passed his genes on to Galen. No one could want someone as much as he wanted Bannon without the help of animal magnetism. Other than his burning desire, there was something calming and peaceful about being close to his lover. During the long hours when the road seemed to be never ending, and the only sound was the thrum of tires against the asphalt, Galen swore if he closed his eyes and concentrated, he could hear Bannon’s heart beating in sync with his. Bannon no longer allowed Galen into his dreamscape, but that didn’t stop Galen from dreaming about his gorgeous lover. Twice he’d woken up with cum-soaked boxers. Though all of his dreams had been erotic in nature, the chance that he’d wake up with sticky shorts seemed to have a direct correlation to dreams that involved Bannon biting and claiming him. If that didn’t answer the question of their mate status, he didn’t know what would. “I want ya to come with me tonight,” Bannon said out of the blue as they sped along some godforsaken back road in Pennsylvania, traveling north now, though farther inland. “In your dream?” Galen bounced a little in his seat. While he appreciated Bannon’s desire to protect him, he was bored out of his ever-loving mind and could definitely use the distraction. Besides, he was supposed to be helping—something Bannon had allowed him to do very seldom since their trip began. “Aye, but I’m wantin’ your promise that you’ll do exactly as I say.” “You know I will. Let me help, Bannon. You’re exhausted, and you look like shit. You need me.” He probably could have worded

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that a little more delicately, but it was the truth. Bannon looked like death sautéed over medium heat. Bannon sighed and leaned across the seat to kiss Galen on the lips. “That I do. I miss ya, Galen Charles. I’m sittin’ right beside ya every day, but I need to feel ya in my arms without all these bothersome clothes.” Galen snorted and rolled his eyes. “You’re just horny.” “That, too.” Bannon grinned boyishly and shrugged. “Can ya blame me?” Groaning as his cock began to swell between his thighs, Galen rubbed the hard mound with the heel of his palm and shook his head. “I know the feeling well.” “Then let’s get this over so I can pay proper attention to my mate.” “I don’t know if I can wait that long,” Galen mumbled, earning him a derisive snort from the wolf-shifter behind the wheel. The passenger glanced over the seatback, but didn’t comment on Galen’s predicament. Smart of him. As with all new relationships, the physical attraction was intense, and the need to lick, bite, suck, and fuck was overwhelming. If he wasn’t thinking about the fifteen different ways Bannon could screw him into the next week, then he was salivating to get his lips wrapped around his mate’s enormous cock. On the bright side, he could now confidently tell Willow that, yes, Bannon was definitely hung like a horse. “Are ya needin’, my darlin’?” Bannon grabbed ahold of his hips and hauled Galen into his lap so that he straddled the man’s muscular thighs. “We can’t be havin’ that, can we?” Galen glanced over his shoulder and right into the amber stare of the shifter perched in the passenger seat. “He’s watching me, Bannon.” Long fingers gripped his chin, coaxing his eyes back to his lover. “Right here, Galen. Look right at me. It’s just us, no one else.” His

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hand moved around to cup the back of Galen’s head and pull him down into a searing kiss. His other hand fumbled at the button on Galen’s jeans, and before he could even think to stop it, Galen felt his cock pop free of its confinement and the cool air brush over the straining length. He shivered involuntarily, but made no move to pull away from Bannon’s mouth. When that strong hand wrapped around his erection and began stroking him to the rhythm of Bannon’s tongue, Galen was in heaven. Moaning into his lover’s mouth, Galen rocked his hips, thrusting his rigid shaft through Bannon’s tight grip as the world around them melted away. Damn, he needed this. Not just the orgasm that was barreling toward him, but he needed to feel the connection with his mate. Just more proof that they were meant to be together. He literally hurt from being denied Bannon’s touch for so long. Releasing his mouth and trailing his lips up to Galen’s ear, Bannon quickened his strokes as he raggedly whispered deliciously naughty words. “I know what ya want, Galen. Ya want my fat cock up your ass, stretchin’ and fillin’ ya. That’s what my baby wants, isn’t it?” “Yesss,” Galen hissed, dragging the word out as his head fell back on his shoulders. “Soon, sweetheart. This is just to take the edge off. Ya need me, though, don’t ya?” “Yes. I need you, Bannon. Please.” Galen was growing louder with every word, but he didn’t care. If the two men up front insisted on keeping them locked up in the stupid car for days at a time, then they could very well just get the fuck over it if they didn’t like it. “I’m right here. Not gonna let ya fall, now am I? Come for me, baby. Let go of everything else, and come for me.” That was exactly what Galen did. Pushing everything else out of his mind, he focused on the intense pleasure Bannon was giving him and gritted his teeth together as his climax ripped through him. Semen

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shot up his shaft and through the slit to cover Bannon’s shirt in his spunk. Shivering through the aftershocks, Galen finally opened his eyelids and smiled into Bannon’s eyes. “Thank you.” Bannon returned the smile and pecked at Galen’s lips. “Mmm, my pleasure. Do ya think ya can sleep now?” Galen was pretty sure he could sleep through a tsunami at that point. “You are very tricksy, sir.” Shrugging unrepentantly, Bannon tucked Galen back into his jeans and winked. “I don’t hear ya complainin’.” “Can we stop so I can get cleaned up and changed?” “We’ll stop in a couple of hours to get fuel,” the driver more or less grunted at him. Apparently, he still didn’t like his job very much. “Where are you from? I mean, what pack do you belong to?” “Cloud Peak,” the passenger also grunted. Galen arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Bannon, can I see your phone, please?” Bannon didn’t even question the reason as he lifted Galen off his lap and dug into his pocket for his phone. He passed it over, shrugging when Galen gaped at the cracked screen and chipped off pieces of plastic. “It had a little accident.” “Does it still work?” “Of course.” Rolling his eyes, Galen powered on the display screen and scrolled through the contacts until he found the number he was looking for. Then he pressed the phone to his ear and waited as it rang. “Bannon?” “Hey, Blaise,” Galen answered, grinning innocently when both shifters shot him a startled look. “It’s Galen. Are you the one who sent these idiots to drive us around? Because, I gotta say, you suck.” Blaise groaned over the line, and there was a long pause before he spoke again. “I take it that they’re being less than cordial.”

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“That’s an understatement. I just want to stop, take a shower, and eat a real meal that doesn’t involve using my fingers as utensils. Is that really too much to ask?” Blaise grumbled but didn’t give any further response. “We stop to get gas, relieve our bladders, and swing by some gross fast food chain, but only on their schedule. I don’t mind helping, but I’m exhausted, I smell, and I’m starting to get migraines from all the craptastic food they keep shoving in my face.” Bannon frowned, obviously unhappy that Galen had kept the news from him. Smiling apologetically, Galen pushed up in his seat and kissed Bannon’s cheek. “I’ll be fine,” he mouthed to his lover. “They’re not the friendliest guys in the world, and they’re used to doing things their way. Plus, I kind of bribed them into taking the job. They’re the best, though, and that’s what Torren asked of me.” Blaise was being oddly vague, which seemed to be a reoccurring theme with everyone related to The Council. “Dude, I’m not whining or trying to tattle. I just want a damn shower and possibly a salad without Commando Joe Bob growling like I morally offended his mother. I’m not asking you to send them to their rooms, either. I just want to know why we’re being treated like prisoners.” Blaise sighed audibly, and Galen could just picture him pinching the bridge of his nose. “Their orders were to keep moving and not let anyone near you or Bannon. Again, that’s what Torren requested.” From the tone of his voice, he was less than thrilled with the new elder. “That’s all I can tell you. So, if you want a shower, I suggest you find the faerie quick.” “What about Raith Braddock?” “They still haven’t found him or the little boy you mentioned. I’m checking the database, but there are three werewolf packs and two shifter packs in and around that area. It’s going to take some time. Me and Willow are on our way to the airport, so I’m going to have to let you go. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more help.”

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“Why are you going to the airport?” Galen realized he was being nosey, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. “While the Murphys haven’t found Raith yet, they did stumble across a small pack of Moonlighters. I’ll let Willow give you the details later, but the long story short is that they’re in bad shape. Even Haven wouldn’t be a good place for them.” “That’s horrible, but it doesn’t explain why you’re getting on a plane.” “Stavion just purchased the land next to Haven so he can expand. The place is getting too crowded, and there are more and more people coming in every day.” “Yeah, Jory told me.” It was a good thing, though. The paranormals Haven took in were good people with nowhere else to go. He loved the fact that he could be a part of something like that. “Anyway,” Blaise continued, “since I have familial links with the pack in Georgia, I get the honor of going to convince their very stubborn alpha to pack up, move all of them to Wyoming, and take in these Moonlighters. I know you haven’t met Xander, but believe me when I say that I’d rather be in your position right now.” Galen would rather be in any position than the one he was in, so he took that to mean that it could possibly take an act of congress to convince this alpha to move his pack. “Good luck, Blaise, and I mean that. Tell Willow to call me when you land.” They said their good-byes, and Galen disconnected before passing the phone over to Bannon and filling him in on any parts of the conversation he may have missed. “I really, and I mean, really want a shower, so let’s find that little bastard faerie.” Bannon chuckled, pulling a glass vial of clear liquid out of the pocket of the seat in front of him. He twisted the cap off and drank down the sleep medicine. “I’ll be able to tell when ya doze off, and I’ll pull ya into the dream then.” “No.” Galen reached over and dug out another vial. “I’ll just take less of it this time.” He opened the cap and took a careful sip,

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estimating it to be about a third of the glass tube. “Let’s see if this does the trick.” Bannon didn’t look very happy, but it was too late to take it back now. So, Galen just smiled and settled back in his seat. He’d been damn serious about that shower.

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Chapter Eleven The first night was a complete bust. Over and over they pulled every kind paranormal imaginable, and some Galen couldn’t identify, into Bannon’s dream. Still, they couldn’t find the damn faerie, or Lynk Braddock. “I’m bored. My butt hurts. I smell like old cheese that’s been sitting in the sun, and if I have to eat one more burger I’m going to start sprouting sesame seeds out of my ears.” “Is there anything else you’d like to complain about, princess?” the driver asked him. Bannon growled and shifted in his seat, but Galen patted his mate’s leg and shook his head. “He’s right. Everyone is just as miserable as I am.” “I don’t like it,” Bannon responded, glaring daggers at the back of the shifter’s head. Rolling his eyes, Galen slid across the seat and tucked himself under Bannon’s arm. “The growling is sexy, but not particularly helpful. How about we get to work? We need to find Camdin before we all end up killing each other.” Galen loved that Bannon felt protective of him and was willing to go to bat for him against whatever perceived injustice. The guy also had a possessive streak a mile wide, which Galen found endearing. It was kind of nice to belong to someone without feeling like he was a piece of property. They were past the week mark of all being cramped up together inside the vehicle, and tensions were running high. Bannon and the two wolf-shifters had been growling at each other since the crack of

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dawn. It was sweet of Bannon to jump to his defense, but Galen didn’t know how much more his frayed nerves could handle. “Maybe the little guy wants to put on another show for us,” the passenger said with a cocky grin as he turned in his seat to look Galen up and down. Bannon was out of his seat and crawling over the console between the front seats to plow his fist into the guy’s face before Galen even registered the insult. The car swerved as the driver fought to pull the two of them apart and push Bannon into the backseat. He wasn’t having much success in his endeavors, though, and Galen just knew they were going to end up in a ditch. “Never talk about him like that,” Bannon snarled before landing another blow to the shifter’s jaw. The noise level in the car rose to deafening volumes, and Galen had the urge to press his palms over his ears. Instead, he wrapped both arms around Bannon’s waist and pulled with everything he had. “Bannon, that’s enough!” It was like flipping a switch. Bannon calmed instantly, released his hold on the other man’s collar, and flopped back into his seat. His strong fingers looped around Galen’s upper arms, pulled him into his lap, and held him there in an iron grip while he continue to growl and snarl at the two wolves in the front seat. “Apologize.” The passenger rubbed at his already-swelling jaw and glared, but he did dip his head and offer a mumbled apology to Galen. Galen dipped his head in return and curled himself against Bannon’s chest. Part of him wanted to chastise his lover for acting like a child, but he couldn’t do it. No one had ever been on his side. No one ever stood up for him without thought as to whether he was right or wrong. Not even his friends back in Haven had ever fought so vehemently for him.

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“Thank you,” he whispered against the bristly skin of Bannon’s jaw. “I’m sorry I caused problems.” If possible, Bannon’s arms tightened even more around him, and he rubbed his cheek over the top of Galen’s head. “Ya did nothin’ wrong, darlin’. No one has the right to be treatin’ ya that way. Even when I’m not around, don’t ya ever settle for less than what ya deserve.” Closing his eyes and sighing in contentment, Galen felt himself fall just a little more for the big Irishman with brilliant green eyes. “Let’s get to work and find that faerie.” **** “Where the hell are we anyway?” “My dream.” Bannon wound his arms around his mate and pulled him back against his chest. They weren’t in any danger—yet—but he just liked holding Galen. Galen snorted as he leaned back into Bannon comfortably. “I know that. I meant where is the car?” “Ah, I think we’re still in Pennsylvania.” “Can all of your brothers do this? Everyone says you’re an amazing Tracker, so I have to assume that they can’t.” Bannon’s chest swelled with pride, and his lips stretched into a wide grin. “No, they can’t. They’re good Trackers in their own right, but only one Murphy per generation is born with the ability to dream walk.” “Aren’t all your brothers gay?” “Aye, that they are.” Bannon’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why do ya ask?” “It’s going to be kind of hard for you to pass on this little gift if none of you are banging women.” “Well, now, Cassius wasn’t bangin’ a woman, was he? Besides, we have cousins. It’s not like we’re pissin’ on the family tree.”

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“Witch,” Galen blurted. “Witch, witch, witch—I think there’s eleven—no, twelve of them.” “Very nice, sweetheart.” Bannon was impressed. Galen had been able to identify the circle of witches before they’d even passed through the fog. Not only was the little man’s company welcomed, but things went so much faster with him there. “Release them, Bannon.” Galen sounded panicked. “They know what’s going on. They’re chanting. Fuck, do it now!” Bannon closed his eyes and mentally wiped away his tentative hold on the witches’ minds. When he opened his eyes again, they were gone, and he let out a breath of relief. “How do ya keep doing that?” “I have no idea. It’s definitely new. Maybe I can only do it in dreams, because I’ve definitely never heard people in my head before or been able to feel when they’re scared or angry.” “It makes sense. Ya can manipulate your powers into whatever ya need inside the dream world. I’m not complainin’, because it’s provin’ right helpful.” “Demons, but they feel more like Jory than the scary one from the last time.” Bannon nodded when four men of average height and stature wandered in through the fog. They wouldn’t be a threat, and they weren’t who he was looking for, so he dismissed them. “Shifter, shifter,” Galen continued on in a bored manner. “Sh— Faerie!” Four of the biggest men Bannon had ever seen drifted toward the middle of the clearing, each staring around or gazing up at the moonlight. “Which one?” He imagined a faerie would be small and dainty, much like Galen’s friend, Kendall. “That one,” Galen said, pointing toward the one standing the closet to him, “with the long dark hair.” “Can ya hear him?” Galen shook his head.

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“Can ya speak to him?” Bannon tapped Galen’s temple to show that he didn’t want his mate to speak aloud. “I’ll try.” Whatever he was doing must have worked, because the man Bannon assumed to be Camdin whipped around to stare at them intently. “That’s Camdin,” Galen confirmed. “He knows he’s in a dream, but other than that, he has no idea where he is in the real world. He wants to know if Layke is safe.” Galen relayed all of this to Bannon much like an interpreter would. “They’re keeping him drugged on shifter blood.” Galen looked up and wrinkled his nose at Bannon. “Seriously? Your blood makes faeries sick?” Bannon shrugged. “I’ve never actually met a faerie. I couldn’t tell ya.” “Okay, so what do we do now? How do we get him?” “We need to know where he is.” “I already told you that he doesn’t know.” Galen huffed in frustration. “This sucks. I mean, he’s right freakin’ there, but he’s not. And how the hell did you ever do this without me?” Bannon chuckled and kissed the top of Galen’s head. “It was much harder, and a pain in my arse. Without your help, I set it up more like a club, and they had to each state their name and where they came from to get in.” “Yeah, that sounds complicated and time-consuming,” Galen agreed. “So, what did you do if they didn’t know where they were?” “I’m gonna need ya to wake up now, Galen.” Bannon knew what he had to do, but he wasn’t going to risk Galen to do it. “Why? What are you doing?” “I’m goin’ with him.” “Like hell you are!” Galen spun around and narrowed his eyes. “What if you get stuck? What if you can’t get out of his dream? I’m not going to let you do it.”

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“I’ve done this before, a ghrá. I know what I’m doin’.” Bannon pushed the dark curls back from Galen’s face and kissed his forehead. “Trust me.” “You’ve called me that before. What does it mean?” “My love,” Bannon whispered. “I’m not askin’ ya to feel the same, but I know my heart.” “I thought I was your heart.” Galen’s eyes twinkled, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Aye, that ya are. And I always protect my heart, so I need to do this alone. Wake up now, Galen.” His fierce little mate stared at him for a long time before he finally nodded and took a step back. “You come back to me, Bannon Murphy. I mean it.” “It’s the only place I want to be.” Just like with the witches, Bannon closed his eyes and released Galen back into his own dream. He hoped it was a happy one. Then one by one, he released the other people standing in the clearing until only Camdin and himself remained. “I’m Bannon Murphy, and Elder Winters sent me to bring you back to Wyoming.” “Layke is all right?” Camdin asked, and Bannon was surprised at how soft and musical his voice sounded. He’d expected a deep, booming baritone. Bannon nodded in the affirmative. “Do ya know who is holding ya?” Camdin shook his head. “I only know they’re shifters. I’m not even sure what kind.” “How long have you been there?” “I don’t know that, either, but I think not very long. I was with different shifters before them.” “Why are they keeping ya, Camdin?” This line of questioning was going nowhere fast, but Bannon really didn’t want to travel into Camdin’s dream. “Elder Winters said ya were in hiding.”

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“I was for a very long time. They found me, though. I’m sick, Mr. Murphy. I think I may be dying. I have something they want.” “What do ya have, Camdin?” Bannon asked coaxingly. “They have the key, but they can’t find the book. I won’t give them the book.” A light flipped on, and Bannon almost choked on his tongue. “Ya have the Book of the Banished.” “It is hidden well. They will never find it.” “The key, Camdin? Who is the key?” “Ah, so you know the legend.” The faerie nodded slowly in approval before doubling over in a coughing fit. “Lynk Braddock cannot know the book’s location,” he rasped when he could breathe again. “They have brought in vampires to try to compel the information from me. I’m growing weak, and I don’t know how much longer I can resist them, though.” “What do shifters want with the book?” “What everyone wants.” Camdin lifted his arms out to the side. “Power. They think the witches will give them that power if they deliver the Relegatis.” Bannon knew exactly which coven hoped to benefit from the deal. Well, maybe not exactly, but he’d seen their faces when he’d sucked them into his dream. “I’m going to help ya, but I need to know where the book is.” How long had he been guarding the book anyway? At some point Phillip McCarthy had to have possessed it to know the spells he’d cast in the cemetery, as well as binding himself to that wolf to insure he couldn’t be killed. “I can’t tell you that, because our dreams are not safe. Free me from these shifters, and I can give you the book.” It wasn’t a demand so much as a plea. “Do ya know Phillip McCarthy?” Camdin’s face paled, and his lips pressed together in a thin line. He shook his head quickly. Bannon didn’t think it was in denial, but

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in refusal to answer the question. That was all the answer he needed, though. “Can ya tell me nothin’ of where you’re at?” Now that he knew witches were involved, the idea of venturing into Camdin’s dreams was even less appealing. “It smells like blood, feces, and dead animals where we’re being held. The room is small, but I think the building must be much larger. The voices echo when people talk. There’s no floor, only dirt. That’s all I can tell you.” “Camdin, I’m going to send ya back now. Someone will be there soon. Is Lynk Braddock with ya?” “Yes.” Bannon bobbed his head. “Okay, then ya just sit tight.” Releasing his hold on Camdin, he slowly began collapsing his dream, reversing the steps he took to construct it. When he’d finished, he closed his eyes and basically willed himself awake. He didn’t really know how any of it worked, but being able to wake himself at will was damn handy when things went wrong. The fact that he knew where to begin looking for Camdin and Lynk was just sheer dumb luck. His Da had insisted the Murphy boys pulled their own weight, which meant Bannon had a job by the time he was fifteen. He’d hated every minute of that summer, but it was damn helpful now. So, silver lining and all that jazz. Flipping back his eyelids, he yawned hugely and pushed his hair out of his face. Rolling his head to the side, he grinned when he found Galen staring back at him. “Hello, sweetheart.” “You’re back,” Galen whispered. “I was worried.” “Ah, now I’m fine. I told ya not to worry yourself.” He reached out and tapped the tip of Galen’s nose with his finger. “I think I know where he is. And guess what?” “What?” Galen asked, playing along with a silly smile on his lips. “Lynk Braddock is with him.” “Score!” Galen did a little fist pump that made Bannon chuckle.

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Sitting up straighter, he leaned up between the two front seats and cleared his throat. “We need to stop here.” Surprisingly, the wolves didn’t argue. Hell, the driver didn’t even find a parking lot. He simply pulled over to the side of the road. “Uh, thanks.” “What are we doing? Where is he? How do we get there? Do we need backup?” Bannon held his hands up to cut off Galen’s frantic questions. “Easy, darlin’. I’m callin’ Torren now.” Pulling his cell phone out, he hit the speed dial and waited for the witch to answer. “I know where to look for Camdin,” he said by way of greeting when Torren answered. “Tell me what you need,” Torren replied, all business. “Raven and Demos by tomorrow night, and a list of slaughterhouses within a hundred mile radius of…” Bannon trailed off and looked out the window as if that would give him some idea. “Where the bloody hell are we anyway?” “I think the last sign said Carbondale,” the passenger answered. Bannon thought his name might have been Scott, but he couldn’t remember. After seven days, anyone would think he’d know their names. It wasn’t like he didn’t care. The wolves just weren’t big into sharing. “Within a hundred mile radius of Carbondale, Pennsylvania,” he repeated to Torren. “Why the fuck do you need slaughterhouses, Murphy?” The smell of feces, blood, dead animals—dirty floors, cavernous rooms, and hollow walls—it all brought back memories from the summer he’d spent working that slaughterhouse in Limerick. “That’s where we’re goin’ to find them.”

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Chapter Twelve “Are you ready for this?” Raven asked. Galen was ready for anything. He finally had his hotel room, a hot shower, and decent food. That hot shower had included a very gorgeous and naked shifter with dreamy green eyes, so he was pretty much feeling like he could take on the world. He’d also had an epiphany. While he’d been sitting in the backseat of that hellish Tahoe watching Bannon sleep and worrying if he’d see him again, he’d also been damning himself for giving in and letting his mate send him away. Bannon knew what he was doing, so it would have made more sense for Galen to trek into Camdin’s dreams. Then if something went wrong, Bannon—hopefully—could have rescued his ass. If something had gone wrong for Bannon, the man would have been on his own, because Galen didn’t have a clue how to rescue him. And while he’d been thinking of that, he’d also realized that if his lover couldn’t save him, there was a very real possibility that he’d end up dead. The major epiphany was that he didn’t care. If it meant that Bannon would be safe, well, that was all that mattered. He was chomping at the bit to share this new awakening with Bannon, but it just didn’t seem like a good time. They’d either been strategizing or sleeping. Neither presented the ideal opportunity for his declaration. There’d been the shower of course, but he didn’t really want to say the words for the first time with his lover’s cock buried in his ass. That just seemed kind of tacky.

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“Galen? Are you ready, a ghrá?” Bannon touched his arm lightly, skimming his fingers over the skin and making it break out into goose bumps. “What?” Galen shook himself and looked around the room at the other men. Crap! He’d completely missed the entire conversation. “Where are we going?” “Back the way you came,” Demos answered. “There’s a slaughterhouse just north of Carbondale that’s been shut down for a couple of months now. It’s the best place to start.” “It’s just going to be us?” Galen didn’t know how many shifters there were, but he still assumed they’d be grossly outnumbered. Bannon had said something about witches. What if the place had some kind of protection spell around it? “He really does think of everything,” Raven complimented him when he addressed his concerns to the group. “Unfortunately, we don’t have time to wait for backup to get here.” “There’s a good chance that the witches already know we’re here,” Demos added. “If they don’t, they will soon. We have to move now.” “What about Raith and the little boy?” Galen knew it wasn’t really important to their current predicament, but he couldn’t get that little pixie out of his head. “They have the little boy and arrested the alpha, beta, and two Enforcers,” one of the wolf-shifters, David, answered. Turned out they did have names, and after getting them out of the SUV, they weren’t really such bad guys. It must have showed on his face because the other wolf, Scott, smiled at him and winked. “I’m sorry about what I said in the car. It was out of line, and I have no good excuse for it. You have a good mate there.” “Thank you.” Galen glanced over at Bannon and felt his insides go all gooey. No one had to tell him that he had a winner.

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“I’m sorry for being such a dick, too,” David added with a grin as he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. “We were having some personal issues before Blaise assigned us to this job. I guess you could say we weren’t exactly happy about taking this job, but we still shouldn’t have taken it out on you.” Galen waved him away. “I get it. I haven’t been the easiest to get along with, either. Eight days inside a car would do that to anyone, so you’re definitely forgiven.” They all shook hands, and even Bannon joined in with his own apology for decking Scott. “So, what about the little boy?” Bannon asked once they all finished with their how-do-you-dos. It warmed Galen’s heart that his mate was taking the situation seriously. He also got the feeling that it was only because Bannon knew it was important to him. Who couldn’t love a guy like that? “They don’t even know where to begin looking for the boy’s parents, so they’re taking him back to The Council,” Scott said. “That’s all the information we have for now.” “What about Raith Braddock?” Demos asked. Both shifters shook their heads. “They can’t locate him. Torren’s on his way, but it sounds like there’s some bad mojo going down in Missouri.” David rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed. “If they can’t find him by the time we’re done here, we’re supposed to drive you back to meet Torren.” “Fine. Then let’s do this so I can get the hell back home,” Raven said as he pushed to his feet. Galen agreed. It had only been eight days, but he was ready to get back to Wyoming. He missed his bed, his friends, and not being in constant fear that someone would try to exterminate them before they could reach their goal. They were so close, too. Their enemies had already given them a two-for-one deal with Camdin and Lynk. If they were lucky, Torren would find his other damn brother on his own, and then they could all get on with their lives.

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“Is there a possibility that we could die?” Demos shrugged unconcernedly. “Sure. There’s always that chance when we go out on an assignment.” The way he said it sounded more like he was explaining to Galen the chances of them getting a flat tire on the way to a baseball game. Yeah, it could happen, and no one would ever see it coming. It wasn’t the candlelight and soft music that Galen had imagined in his head, but knowing Bannon might not return, he wasn’t about to let him leave without getting one thing off his chest. “Can you guys give us a minute? We’ll meet you in the car.” Everyone mumbled their agreement and filed out of the room. Galen watched them leave and waited for the door to close behind them before he turned to look up at his mate. “I need to tell you something.” “What would that be?” Bannon didn’t look apprehensive in the least. Hell, his smile was so big, Galen feared it might split his face in two. His heart hammered, his palms began to sweat, and his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. “I…I…” He’d never uttered the words to another human being. Not his friends, his mother, or even Dallas Zeppler had been worthy of the words or the power within them. Bannon was different, though. Bannon was everything. “I love you.” Once they’d passed through his lips, the words didn’t seem quite so scary anymore. In fact, Galen felt liberated, like he’d been carrying a big burden, and it had suddenly been lifted. “I’m never going to feel about someone else the way I feel about you. I’d willingly die for you, Bannon Murphy, because you’re the most important thing in my life.” Galen yelped when Bannon’s arms shot around him like steel bands, lifted him off his feet, and swung him around in circles. “Ah, ya make my heart pitter-patter, darlin’,” he teased. His lips found Galen’s, and they shared a brief but sensual kiss before Bannon set him on his feet and became serious.

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Cupping Galen’s cheeks in both hands, he bent so that they were eye to eye. “I love you,” he said very clearly. That was all he said, but really, what else was there? It was good enough for Galen, and he didn’t know if his heart rate would ever return to normal. If that was the price he paid for having the love of a man like Bannon, he’d gladly pay it. Hell, he’d take out a loan for it if he needed to. “We should be going,” Bannon said after another long pause where they just stared at each other. “I’ll make you a deal.” “What deal?” “You get us out of this alive, and you can claim me.” Bannon grinned as he stood up straight and took Galen’s hand, tugging him toward the door. “I’ll hold ya to it.” **** He absolutely hated that Galen had to be there with them, but his little mate had become their secret weapon. It was easier, faster, and a hell of a lot safer for Galen to do a scan and tell them how many and what type of paranormals were inside the building. Once his job was finished, he was going to stay put in the car to wait whether he liked it or not, though. “Do ya need to move closer?” Bannon prayed his lover said no. Galen closed his eyes and leaned against Bannon’s side in the backseat of the SUV. They could see the abandoned slaughterhouse up the road, but hopefully, they were far enough away that no one could see them. “One…two…five…seven shifters,” Galen said after a minute, apparently counting them as he came across their—well, whatever it was he could sense. “A faerie, a witch, and I think a goat.” “A goat?” Raven asked from the driver’s seat. “Seriously?”

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Galen opened his eyes and shrugged. “Real animals are harder than shifters, but I think it’s a goat.” “Well, here’s hoping that witch is Lynk Braddock,” Demos murmured before pushing open his door and climbing out of the vehicle. “Let’s rock and roll.” Galen reached for his door handle as well, but Bannon stopped him. “Stay here.” “Okay.” The smaller man slouched back in his seat and kicked his shoes off into the floorboard. “That’s it?” Bannon had been prepared to beg, plead, and bribe. Galen’s easy acquiesce left him stumbling for what to say next. “I can’t fight. I have no super powers, and I don’t heal like you guys. I’m just going to get in the way, distract you, or get hurt. I don’t really care for any of those options, so I’ll stay here. Should I honk the horn if I see someone coming?” “No. Stay down and keep quiet.” Though it would be nice to have advanced warning that the cavalry was coming, he wouldn’t risk Galen exposing his hiding place. Pulling a dagger from the sheath on his belt, he flipped it around and passed it over handle first. “Take this.” Galen looked like he’d refuse, but Bannon growled, and he eventually rolled his eyes and took it. “Same thing as last time,” he said firmly. “Come back to me, Bannon Murphy, or I’ll get someone bigger to kick your ass.” Chuckling under his breath, Bannon bent and kissed Galen’s plump lips before sliding out of the car and jogging over to meet his fellow Enforcers. “Stick together or spread out?” he asked Raven, who was technically in charge in Stavion’s absence, though the Cloud Peak Pack Enforcers could probably care less who gave the orders. “Stick together until we get inside. We’ll reassess from there.” Everyone nodded their agreement and took off toward the dilapidated barn-like structure that looked downright creepy standing there in the moonlight. Keeping low and sticking to the fences near

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the paddocks, Bannon was the first to reach the small side door. It was slightly ajar, and looked like it would fall off its hinges if he so much huffed at it. Sliding around the side of the building, he searched for another way in that would be less conspicuous than basically knocking down the front door. The windows were too high to reach. Damn! He saw no other door along the east side, so he continued on toward the back of the barn where he was again treated to the sight of enormous double doors. Yeah, no one would notice if he just pushed those right open. Treading quietly, he hurried back around the building to the others still waiting near the paddocks. As he crept toward them, his eyes followed the fence, and a smile spread over his face when he noticed it was actually a chute that led toward a gate instead of a door inside the building. Waving his hand to get the others’ attention, he jerked his head toward the chute and pointed at the gate. Four sets of eyes follow his movements, and nods went around the group. Sliding between two of the rotting boards, Bannon crouched low inside the chute and waited for the others to join him before taking off toward the gate. It was metal rather than wood, but he had no trouble hurdling it to land inside the sparsely lit building. Raven and Demos jumped the fence after him, and something furry brushed against his hand where it dangled limply at his side. Looking down, he found a huge russet wolf peering into the darkness of the cavernous room. Scanning behind him, he found the other wolf standing near Demos’s side with his eyes locked on the darkness at well. Bending at the knees, he crouched beside the wolf closet to him and pressed his lips to the animal’s ear. “Lead the way,” he breathed as quietly as possible. The wolf’s ear twitched, and he made a quiet snuffling sound before padding forward to be engulfed by the shadows.

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Bannon couldn’t see, but he was able to follow the soft padding of the shifter’s feet over the dirt floor. He’d made it no more than half a dozen steps when the other wolf in their group shot past him, barking and snarling. His companion’s voice rose up with his, untamed and vicious. Their barking and snarling was quickly accompanied by a hellacious cry of a pterodactyl. Realistically, Bannon knew it wasn’t actually a long-extinct reptile-bird-thing, but that was sure as shit what it sounded like. Caws and shrieks loud enough to shake the walls echoed around the room, and the air trembled around them as the sounds of flapping wings competed with the unholy cries. “Bannon!” Raven shouted. “Go find the faerie and Braddock. We’ve got this!” Bannon had never been one to retreat from a fight, but he understood the importance of finding their guys, so he took off jogging deeper into the barn. Unlucky for him, that led right toward whatever monster birds were making all the racket. Thankfully, however, someone was kind enough to choose that exact moment to flip on the fluorescent lights hanging from the rafters. Squinting against the sudden brightness, Bannon got his first good look at their enemies and almost pissed himself. They were golden eagles—maybe. They looked like what he imagined the birds of prey would be if someone pumped them full of steroids and possibly radioactive waste. Birds that big just did not exist beyond fossils. It appeared to be to their disadvantage, though, as they were having trouble remaining airborne. While the room was large, it wasn’t big enough to accommodate all seven of them and allow them to turn freely. Even as he watched, one of the eagles knocked itself out by flying into the rafters and then spiraling to the ground. Deciding that the other Enforcers had things well in hand, Bannon searched the room for whoever had flipped on the lights. Near the

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back corner of the room, still mostly in the shadows, a dark figure slumped against the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. Jumping over one of the fallen birds, Bannon sprinted across the room, kicking up dirt behind him as he ran. Slowing to a walk, he approached cautiously with his hands out to show that he wasn’t a threat. “Are you Lynk Braddock?” he yelled over the noise of the fight. “Yes,” the man croaked. “Dying.” “Not today, you’re not. Where’s the faerie?” Lynk lifted one shaky hand and pointed to a door in the corner. Bannon nodded and patted the witch on the shoulder. “I’m comin’ back for ya. Just hold on.” Rising to his feet, he moved cautiously, keeping his back to the wall and checking over his shoulder after every few steps. Once he reached the door, he nudged it open with his foot and peeked around the frame. “Camdin Maywater!” The sound of coughing was his only reply, but it was better than nothing. Nothing meant dead, and dead got his ass handed to him by The Council. Besides, it also kind of sucked for the person doing the dying. It didn’t take him long to locate the faerie and half carry, half drag him out of the room to sit him down beside Lynk. “Stay here,” he ordered as if they were in any condition to move. They both looked like they’d be knocking on death’s door at any time. Sometime while he’d been rescuing the captives, his friends had decided they didn’t like winning. Demos was sprawled out face-first on the ground. Both wolves were slumped on their sides and bleeding profusely. They’d managed to take five of the birds with them, but that still left Raven to battle two on his own. So, of course, he was losing. A large talon sliced through the air, catching Raven in the chest and flinging him backward off his feet. He didn’t stay down long, before struggling back to his feet and charging forward like a

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madman, even as blood flowed down his chest from his gaping wound. If Raven was crazy, Bannon supposed he was, too, because in the next instant he found himself sprinting toward the enormous beasts as well. They were probably going to lose, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. It was obviously his night for not being needed, though. Two muffled cracks sounded from the other side of the room, and then the strangest thing happened. Both eagles shifted into naked men in midair and plummeted to the ground where they lay unconscious. With his mouth hanging open, Bannon looked toward the gate they’d all climbed over to find his mate standing there with a tranquilizer gun in his hands. “I thought I told ya to stay in the car!” Galen shrugged as he sauntered forward. “And I told you not to get yourself killed.” He let the butt of the rifle rest on the ground and puffed his chest out, proud and cocky. “I figured if one of us was breaking a promise, it should be me.” Bannon wasn’t appeased. He growled and grumbled under his breath as he stomped back and forth and waved his hands around like a lunatic, raving on about how Galen could have died. When he finally ran down, he turned and crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “What do ya have to say for yourself?” His mate lifted both eyebrows and smirked. “You’re welcome.”

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Chapter Thirteen “So, did we save the world?” Galen blinked up innocently at Bannon as they all gathered into Torren’s office. “We’re about to find out,” Bannon answered with a nod toward Torren and Layke. “At least they found Raith.” Galen bobbed his head eagerly in agreement. He really hadn’t been looking forward to going to Missouri and doing everything all over again. “So, you never did tell me what sucked Raith out of that dream.” Reaching back to take Galen’s hand, Bannon stroked the knuckles with his thumb. “Someone woke him up.” He glanced over at Torren and grimaced. “The boss man nearly took my bloody head off for gettin’ him all riled up about dreamwalkers and other witches. You’d think I did it on purpose.” There were a lot of damn people in the office, and Galen was starting to feel a little claustrophobic. “Why do I have to be here?” Bannon didn’t have a chance to answer before Torren cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “First off, I want to say thank you.” He dipped his head at each of the Enforcers in the room. Even Scott and David were there. Galen figured it was a miracle that they’d even lived after the way those birds had shredded them. “Also, to our new sharpshooter.” Torren winked at him, and Galen felt his face flush. He hadn’t really done much. The tranquilizer gun had just been sitting in its case in the back of the SUV. For the life of him, he hadn’t been able to figure out why no one else had taken it. They were supposed to be trained for shit like that, right?

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There had been three different sets of darts—blue, green, and red—and he’d just made a lucky guess by grabbing the blue one. When those birds turned into men and fell right out of the air, Galen hid it well, but he’d been struggling to keep his dinner down because he thought he’d killed them. Bannon later explained that the darts were filled with Inhibitors, Inducers, and sedatives. Inhibitors kept shifters from changing forms. Inducers forced them to shift to either animal or human. And well, sedatives were just sedatives, though specially designed for paranormals. Galen decided it was just a damn good thing he hadn’t unknowingly grabbed the Inhibitor darts. “So, for those of you who haven’t met him, this is my brother, Raith.” He patted the man on the back, beaming from ear to ear. “His body is still working out the drugs the shifters gave him, but I assure you, he’s a bigger asshole than I am.” Galen decided to reserve judgment. Raith glared at his brother as he lifted a hand to acknowledge the rest of the room. “Ignore him. I’m feeling much better, and I’m only an asshole to Torren.” Laughter went around the group, and Galen leaned in closer to Bannon’s side as he joined in. Okay, so he could admit that the whole family reunion thing had been kind of sweet, even if they were still missing ten of their brothers. Turning to the man on his other side, Torren wrapped his arm around the guy’s shoulder and squeezed him gently. “This is my other brother, Lynk. He’s working some sedatives out of his system as well, but he’s actually a pretty good guy.” While Torren and Raith were gigantic by Galen’s estimates, Lynk appeared to be about his size. It was odd to see all three brothers together—sweet, but odd. Everyone’s attention turned to Camdin, who was sitting on the sofa with Elder Winters perched on the armrest right beside him. “This is Camdin Maywater,” Layke said with a fond smile at the

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faerie. “The doctor has looked him over and says he’ll be as good as new in a few days. Until then, I’m afraid he needs his rest.” “Wait a minute,” Raven interrupted. “We damn near got ourselves killed to rescue this guy, and no one has yet to give us a reason why. I don’t think I’m the only who’d like an explanation.” He’d hit the nail on the head with that one. Galen sure wanted to know why Torren and Layke had been so secretive, and why even now, they were trying to spirit the man away. As if the combined stare of the people in the room would reduce the six-foot-six behemoth to pile of rubble. “We can discuss this another time,” Torren said loud enough to be heard over the grumbles that went around the group. “It’s only two weeks until Halloween, and we have a meeting and a party to prepare for. Also, I’d like to spend some time with my family. It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen them.” “Why is he being so formal and snooty?” Galen whispered to his mate. “He’s hiding something,” Demos said from Galen’s other side. “I don’t know about you, but I’m not leaving until I find out what it is.” “Just tell them, Layke. It’s better if they all know. You do trust them, don’t you?” Camdin looked up at the elf and smiled imploringly. There was some history there. Galen wondered if it would also have a future. Layke and Torren exchanged looks, and then Torren whispered something to each of his brothers. Finally, it appeared they all came to some sort of agreement, because Torren dipped his head curtly, and Layke stood, holding out a hand for Camdin. It looked almost painful for the faerie to lever himself up off the sofa, but he managed, and stood on unsteady legs beside Layke. Camdin fumbled with the buttons on the clean shirt The Council had provided for him. After several failed attempts, he finally gave up and turned to Layke for help.

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With nimble fingers, Layke undid the buttons swiftly and parted the fabric to reveal Camdin’s smooth chest, broad shoulders, and rippling abs. “Ya might want to put your eyes back in ya head there, Galen. And maybe wipe the drool from your chin.” “Oh, hush.” Galen bumped his hip against his mate. “There’s nothing wrong with looking, and he’s a hottie. Admit it.” Bannon pressed his lips together and said nothing, which only made Galen giggle. The man was such a goofball, but it was one of the things Galen loved best about him. Though it was a magnificent sight, he was having trouble understanding why Torren and Layke were showing off Camdin’s perfect physique. He didn’t start getting worried, though, until Torren stepped forward with a letter opener in his hand. Before Galen could object, the witch sliced the blade across his thumb so that beads of crimson rushed to the surface and flowed down into his palm. He smeared the blood over Camdin’s chest and bowed his head, chanting words in a language Galen didn’t understand. Right before his eyes, glowing words appeared not only on Camdin’s chest, but across every inch of bare skin Galen could see. He had a feeling there were more hidden on the man’s back and beneath his slacks. “He is the Book of the Banished?” Demos’s mouth hung open. “Are you shitting me? How is that even possible?” “And how the hell do you close a fucking person?” Raven interjected. “Like this,” Torren answered. He wiped the blood away from Camdin’s chest with a handkerchief and murmured more words that Galen didn’t understand. The glowing words disappeared, leaving only smooth, unmarked skin behind. “Fuck me,” Raven whispered. “So, why didn’t you just tell us?”

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“No one could know,” Camdin answered. “Our minds are never as safe as we think.” “So, have you always been like this?” Galen waved a hand to indicate Camdin’s chest. He wasn’t really sure what “this” was, but he figured he got his point across with the awesome hand motions. Nice move, jackass. Camdin seemed to catch his drift, though, because he started chuckling while Layke helped him ease back down to the sofa. “Not always, little one. It’s been nearly five centuries since I was cursed, binding me to the Relegatis for eternity.” “Wow,” Galen breathed. “You’re really old.” Bannon reached back and popped him on the butt in reprimand. Galen jumped and glared up at his lover as he rubbed his stinging backside. Camdin laughed again, though. “I will be seven hundred and twenty-three in November. So, yes, I guess I am rather old.” “How do ya know Phillip McCarthy?” Bannon asked with a little growl in his voice. And he thought Galen was being rude? “Hypocrite,” Galen muttered out of the side of his mouth. As usual, Bannon ignored him, though. “I was called to Leader McCarthy’s estate to translate some scrolls he’d found. He thought they might be Faerine, you see, the ancient language of my people. As far as I knew, there were no remaining traces anywhere on earth. I was eager to see these scrolls.” “I thought Nicholas was the leader?” Bannon kissed the top of Galen’s head. “He gained the position from his brother.” Oh, well that made sense. Galen really needed sleep. His poor, frazzled brain just wasn’t functioning properly. “That’s how he got you to come to him, but the bigger question is why. How did he know what you were?” Stavion asked, speaking for the first time since they’d gathered in the room.

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Camdin swallowed hard and fisted his hands in his lap. Galen already knew the answer to that question, and he figured everyone else did as well. Only one of Torren’s brothers could have passed the information on to Phillip. The only thing left to piece together was which one of them had done it. “Mikko, but he didn’t betray you. The boy looked half dead when Phillip brought him to me. He was sick and weak, making it simple to compel his mind.” From everything Bannon had told him about Phillip McCarthy and all the shit that went down in Nevada, Galen counted a few things that weren’t adding up. Patting Bannon’s hand when he tried to hold him back, Galen stepped forward and cocked his head to the side, looking first at Camdin, and then to Torren. “Phillip died approximately three years ago, right? And when did your father die?” “Fifteen years ago,” Raith supplied at once. “So, you lost contact with the man you were supposed to be guarding for fifteen years, yet Phillip McCarthy was able to find him easily enough with the help of one of your brothers only three years ago. Do you see where your story isn’t adding up for me?” “You knew exactly where he was up until he was kidnapped by those eagle shifters,” Raven accused. “Why didn’t you just tell us, Torren?” Torren rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “If Camdin had been taken by witches, I couldn’t risk you knowing too much.” He looked right at Bannon as he spoke. “I needed you to find him, but with the way you track, it was too dangerous for you to know everything. What would have happened if you’d been pulled out of your dream?” They’d have been screwed. Galen remembered the circle of witches who’d popped into that dream field. They were scary as hell. He could only imagine what would have happened if Bannon hadn’t forced them from the dream when he did.

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“Witches,” Galen whispered. “That’s what all of this is about. These witches know that you and your brothers are the keys. They’ve been rounding you up like cattle, haven’t they, Torren? They have the keys, but they need the book.” Torren nodded slowly. “It’s a race between the witch circles as to who can find the book first. The only advantage we have is that they think they’re looking for an actual book. I’m sorry I lied to you, but it was for your own protection.” “So, why did those shifters have Camdin?” Demos asked. “They believe he has information about the book,” Lynk answered, his voice a bit hoarse. “The witches are using weres, shifters, and vampires to do their dirty work so they can hide the fact that they’re in possession of a key.” “We have the Relegatis and three of the keys,” Bannon said after a tense moment where no one spoke. “I say we get to findin’ the other keys.” How could Galen not love the man? His heart was so big, and he always saw the good in people. Even though Torren had lied to them, he’d done it for his family, and also to protect Galen and Bannon. It was a delicate line, but being pissed off took too much energy. “I’m in.” “Thank you, but I can’t let you do that.” Torren smiled, but it looked sad. “You know too much now. I can’t risk it. We’ll have to find another way to locate my brothers.” “We’ve got this,” Raven said indignantly. “With Galen’s help, it’s practically a cakewalk.” “Aye, Galen can identify the witches the moment they enter the dream. We’ll find your brothers.” Torren’s eyes traveled over their group, and he eventually bobbed his head. “Thank you. I know I don’t deserve your help after I lied to you, but I do need it.” “Just stop being a prick and hiding stuff from us,” Raven said bluntly, but he was smiling. “You’re a good guy, and I like you. I

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don’t like having things kept from me when I’m trying to do my job, though. From now on, we work together. Got it?” Torren grinned. “Got it.” “We need to find Mikko first,” Raith added, turning to look at Camdin. “What did McCarthy do with him?” “Some of the servants helped me get away, and I haven’t seen Mikko since. I truly don’t know what happened to your brother. I’m sorry.” “Question McCarthy,” Stavion suggested. “Better yet, get Nicholas’s ass back here and have him question his crazy brother.” “We have the Relegatis, so we should be safe for now.” Torren linked his fingers behind his back and began pacing. “Everyone needs to rest and recuperate. We’ll meet and discuss this more after Halloween. Wherever our brothers are, they’re not dead. Not to sound like a cocky asshole, but we’re all too important for the witches to kill us.” To outsiders it might have sounded cocky, but Galen understood exactly what Torren meant. Those witches hadn’t spent years tracking down the Braddocks just to slaughter them. They needed a Braddock to open the book, and that couldn’t very well happen if the men were dead. There were some more words said, but Galen kind of missed them when Bannon’s hand traveled down his back and began massaging his ass. Galen had made a damn big promise back in that hotel room in Pennsylvania, and he couldn’t wait to deliver. “Take me home, big guy.” Bannon’s arms wound around his waist and lifted him off his feet. “Let’s go home.”

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Chapter Fourteen “They’re idiots, every last one of them.” Galen sat in the grass beside Malakai and laughed as Bannon and his brothers chased each other around a field in the moonlight. While it would have been hilarious if they’d been human, it was even more so to watch six huge Irish Thoroughbreds romp around like children. Malakai chuckled and leaned back on his elbows. “They’re having fun. They don’t get nearly enough of that lately.” No, they really didn’t. Until he’d been thrust into an assignment with Bannon, Galen never appreciated how much crap his mate had to go through with his job. “So, where’s Boston?” “In Georgia, helping Xander and everyone pack.” “So, Blaise convinced them to move?” “Yeah, it wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be. I think Braxton and Keeton had a little to do with that, though.” “Who’s that?” Malakai shook his head and laughed. “Flynn calls them the Trouble Twins. You’ll see why when you meet them. They’re almost always into some kind of trouble, but they have these big, bleeding hearts. I imagine the minute Blaise said that some shifters needed help, Braxton and Keeton were all over it.” “When will they be here?” “Next week. I guess they’re going to stay in the main house until the cabins go up on the new land. It’s about triple the size of the land we own now, and Stavion’s going to section off a hundred acres just for the Moonlighters.”

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“I’m guessing Stavion wants to get this done as quickly as possible.” Wasn’t that the entire reason for asking Boston’s old pack to come to Wyoming? Galen didn’t really understand what all the fuss was about, but he did know that shifters of the white-pelted variety made people twitchy. “Yeah,” Malakai sighed. “Boston tries to stick to the back acreage when he runs, and more often than not, he’s taking Inhibitors on the full moon. It keeps him from shifting, but he’s always sick for a couple of days afterwards. I don’t like it.” “Haven isn’t supposed to be this way.” Everyone was welcome here. It was where the homeless, neglected, and abused came to find safety and acceptance. “People are just scared, Galen. It’s been this way for a long time, and it’s going to take just as long to start convincing people that Moonlighters aren’t evil. We’ll get there, but for now, it’s just best if everyone is on their guard.” Malakai rose to his feet and smiled. “Things will work out. I’m going to get my mate and take him home. I’ll see ya later, Galen.” “Slut!” Galen called after his friend. Malakai just laughed and waved a hand over his shoulder as he took off running across the field. Galen didn’t know how the vampire could tell all those horses apart, but Malakai made a beeline straight to one of them, grabbed the equine around the neck, and swung himself up on its back. He made it look so easy. Stupid vampires. As the others took off across the field again, one of the Thoroughbreds broke away and trotted over to Galen. He dropped his head and snorted softly as he butted his nose against the side of Galen’s face. “Hey, Bannon,” he said around his laughter. “Cut it out. That tickles!” In the next blink, the horse vanished, and Bannon began kissing and licking up the side of Galen’s face as he slowly eased him back to the grass. “Missed you, a ghrá.”

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“Mmm, missed you, too.” So what if it had only been half an hour since they’d held hands on the way to the field? It was one of those corny, mushy things people said when they were in love. Galen was all for being in love. **** Bannon knew exactly what Galen was thinking, but it wasn’t true. He didn’t just say the words because they sounded sweet or because it came with the territory of having a mate. He’d said them because they were true. Every minute he wasn’t with Galen, he missed the man. “Are you going to claim me?” Galen looked uncertain, his eyes shimmering in the moonlight that drifted down through the trees. It had been three days since they returned from their assignment, and his mate had asked him every day. Bannon kept putting him off, though—not because he didn’t want the same thing, but because he wanted the moment to be perfect when it finally happened. “Right here in the grass, then? Is that what you’re wantin’?” “I just want to be yours.” “Ah, but ya already are, darlin’.” And he always would be. The claiming bite was just the icing on the cake. He’d been so worried about it before, but he’d come to realize that he didn’t need it to feel close to his mate and to know that they belonged together. It was just a bonus. “Please, Bannon.” Now how could he resist such a sweet plea? Taking his time, he divested his mate of his clothing, kissing and caressing each inch of bare skin as it was revealed. When he finally had Galen completely and gloriously naked beneath him, Bannon pushed the curls back from his face and claimed his lover’s lips in a passionate kiss. Galen arched beneath him, pressing their chests together and moaning into his mouth. “Touch me,” he panted as he humped upward to grind his hard cock against Bannon’s abs.

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“Mmm, someone has been very naughty,” Bannon teased when he found the flat base of a butt plug nestled snugly between Galen’s ass cheeks. “I wanted to be ready. Now, just fuck me already!” Bannon chuckled at his lover’s impatience. Gripping the silicone base, he tugged the toy out of Galen’s tight channel just a little and wiggled it around. Then he pumped it in and out slowly until his mate began to moan and writhe. “Bannon, damn it!” Oh, he loved teasing Galen. The man was forever trying to rush them along. “Shh, love. It’s so much better when you take the back roads.” Bannon knew from experience. He continued teasing, pumping the plug in and out of Galen’s hole, licking at his pebbled nipples, and stroking his beautiful cock until the man could do nothing more than pant and whimper in pleasure. When Bannon was satisfied that he’d worshiped Galen’s body to the best of his ability, he gently extracted the toy and replaced it with the head of his cock. Hovering above his mate’s flushed and glistening body, he pushed in slowly, groaning at the intense pleasure that always assaulted him each time he made love to Galen. His thrusts were lazy, a slow languid glide of his hips, and nothing in the world existed besides the man beneath him. Galen had made him work for it. He hadn’t just handed over his body and heart on a silver platter, and Bannon loved him all the more for it. All those long months he’d spent chasing after his mate only made the reward that much sweeter. The intensity escalated, driving Bannon to increase his tempo, and before long he was slamming into Galen’s yielding body with lightning fast strokes. His spine tingled, his balls tightened, and a wicked set of fangs exploded from his gums. Well, that was new. Deciding that his body knew what the hell it was doing, Bannon pushed the thought out of his mind as he

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continued to surge into Galen’s tight heat. The cords in his neck strained, his muscles bunched, and loud, primitive growls fell from his panting lips. “Now, Bannon,” Galen whispered before closing his eyes and turning his head to the side. The act was so submissive in nature, Bannon almost came right there on the spot. Dipping his head, he licked up the column of Galen’s throat, then as gently as possible used his new elongated canines to push through the supple flesh. The first splash of blood over his tongue was like being struck by lightning. After only a couple of draws, he carefully released his hold on Galen’s neck and licked over the wound. “Your turn, mo chroí.” Using his razor sharp fang, he sliced the pad of his thumb and lowered it to Galen’s mouth. Bless his little heart, he didn’t bat a lash as he sucked the digit into his mouth and sucked with vigor. Bannon felt every pull on his thumb as though it was directly linked to his cock. His length swelled and pulsed inside Galen’s ass and finally exploded with enough force to steal the breath from his lungs. “Bannon!” Galen threw his head back and screamed over and over as hot ropes of pearly semen jetted from his slit to splash over his belly and chest. They slumped together, sweaty and gasping for breath, and Bannon couldn’t remember a time he’d ever been happier. Galen’s feelings of love and contentment washed over him, bathing him in light that warmed him right down his soul. “Mine,” Galen whispered inside his mind as he pushed up to brush his lips across Bannon’s. “Mine,” Bannon said aloud. The journey ahead of them would be long and winding, but he looked forward to traveling it with his mate. “I love you, Galen Charles. More than anything.” Galen’s smile stretched from ear to ear and his small hands came up to cradle Bannon’s face. “I love you, too, Bannon.”

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Bannon hissed as his softening dick slipped out of Galen’s hole. Wrapping his arms around his lover, he rolled to the side and pulled the man on top of him to drape across his chest. “Are ya cold?” “A little,” Galen mumbled, tucking his arms between their bodies. “It’s peaceful out here, though. I don’t want to leave just yet.” Gently stroking his mate’s hair, Bannon gazed up at the stars and sighed in contentment. They had a lot of work ahead of them, but just for a little while, he could forget that anything existed but the man in his arms. “I can feel what you’re feeling,” Galen said, and Bannon could hear the smile in his voice. “I don’t really feel any different otherwise, though. I thought we were supposed to be all wicked powerful after we mated. Isn’t that why Torren was pushing it so hard?” “I’m thinkin’ it was more so we could share powers. Then we can cover more ground by creating separate dreams. Do ya see what I’m sayin’?” Galen nodded against Bannon’s chest. “Yeah, I get it. Will that really work?” “We should probably test it before we go lookin’ for the Braddocks.” “How about we test it now?” Bannon chuckled and skimmed his fingers along the crease of Galen’s pert ass. He laughed even harder when he felt his mate’s cock began to stir and swell between them. “Somethin’ tells me ya might have trouble fallin’ asleep right now.” “Mmm,” Galen purred as he began to rock his hips, rubbing his hard cock over Bannon’s abs. “Then I guess you’ll just have to wear me out, won’t you?” With a playful growl, Bannon flipped them over and pinned his lover beneath him as he attacked his mouth hungrily. That was one challenge he was more than willing to accept.

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THE END WWW.GABRIELLEEVANS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gabrielle Evans grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma. We are talking one red light that may or may not work depending on the day of the week. She married her high school sweetheart and the rest is pretty much history. They have two very active boys and one high-strung wiener dog that keeps her constantly on the go. For now, she parks her car in central Indiana, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Gabrielle believes in love at first sight, falling hard and fast, taking chances, and grabbing your happy-ever-after with both hands. Most importantly, she believes that a great cup of coffee can cure anything.

Also by Gabrielle Evans Everlasting Classic ManLove: Haven 1: Caution: Contents Under Pressure Everlasting Classic ManLove: Haven 2: Faith, Trust, and Stardust Everlasting Classic ManLove: Haven 3: Forgotten Sins

For all other titles, please visit www.bookstrand.com/gabrielle-evans

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