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Pink Petal Books Pink Petal Books, an imprint of Jupiter Gardens Press, publishes romance novels where the relationship is primary. It doesn’t matter if you want to read super erotic or sweet inspirational books. Pink Petal Books believes that love is a beautiful thing, no matter what form it takes. For more information about Pink Petal Books visit http://www.pinkpetalbooks.com/.
Additional Titles by the Author Tales of the Darkworld Book 1: Shifting Winds Tales of the Darkworld Book 2: Hot Water (combined in print volume Tales of the Darkworld Vol. 1) Tales of the Darkworld Book 3: Fire Season Tales of the Darkworld Book 4: Ride The Lightning Tales of the Darkworld Book 5: Common Ground Christmas Hookup Christmas Catch Christmas In Hell A Very Cougar Christmas Holiday Hearts The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Permission is granted to make ONE backup copy for archival purposes.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
TALES OF THE DARKWORLD BOOK 6: SUNSTROKED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Copyright © Lex Valentine, 2010 Cover Art ® 2010 by Winterheart Design Edited by Mary K. Wilson ISBN# 978‐0‐9829099‐8‐0
Electronic Publication Date: July 2010 This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Jupiter Gardens Press, Jupiter Gardens, LLC., PO Box 191, Grimes, IA 50111 For more information to learn to more about this, or any other author’s work, please visit http://www.pinkpetalbooks.com/
Sunstroked Lex Valentine
PPB
Dedication For Z.A. Maxfield who told me that the best desserts involve fire, who helped create Gargoyle Lodge’s decadent S’mores, and who is the best lunch companion ever.
Author’s Note: The Tales books up to Common Ground (#5) can stand alone, but read together provide the reader with a comprehensive view of the characters and their family dynamics. With this book (#6), the series takes a turn toward each book being less stand alone. You can read Sunstroked without the others but there will be things you may not understand if you’ve not read Common Ground or Hot Water or Fire Season. Common Ground in particular is key to Sunstroked, most especially the epilogue. The series spans ten books and I deliberately did not release them in chronological order. If you read the books in the order released, each book and the series as a whole will be easier to comprehend. Here’s a mini‐time line of the chronological order of events for the books that have been in the series thus far. Ride the Lightning Part One Fire Season, Ride the Lightning Parts Two and Three (The bulk of Fire Season and Ride the Lightning takes place concurrently.) Shifting Winds Hot Water Ride the Lightning epilogue Holiday Hearts (free holiday read) Shifting Winds epilogue Common Ground Sunstroked
Prologue Shocked to the core, Seth stood on the front doorstep of his new lover’s house and watched the man unlock the door. Little tremors ran through Seth's body, a product of the shock and aftermath of the biggest orgasm he’d ever had in his life. Not twenty minutes before, the beautiful, sun‐kissed man in front of him had dragged him down onto the soft grass of the cemetery and given him his first blow job. Technically, it wasn’t really his first blow job since a few girls had done the deed in the past, but to Seth, who stood firmly in the closet, having the golden fae man suck his cock counted as his first real blow job. The other ones had felt good, but they’d lacked the emotional impact of the one he’d just received. And the Gods knew all the sex with girls in Seth’s past had been accomplished solely because he’d closed his eyes and fantasized about men. The door swung wide and the blond wildling stepped into the house. He turned and smiled at Seth, the curve of his lips inviting in ways that had nothing to with being a good host. Seth felt the raw sexuality of the man right down to his marrow and shivered with awareness. As he stepped into the foyer, he realized his life would never be the same again. He didn’t know if he’d be able to come out, didn’t know how he would feel after having all his fantasies come true, but he knew what was about to happen would profoundly change him and his perceptions of himself. The scent of vetiver filled his nostrils, making his cock thicken. It pressed against his zipper, eager to be touched. With a deep, silent sigh, Seth watched his lover close the door and lock it. When he turned, his steel blue gaze swept from Seth’s feet to his face. They stared at one another in silence and heat wreathed Seth’s groin. Corey Green had to be the most beautiful man Seth had ever seen. And his looks weren’t even half his appeal. If the man hadn’t been so incredibly nice on top of his sexiness, Seth wouldn’t have even considered losing his virginity to the guy. But he knew, just as he knew his own innate sexuality, that being with Corey was right. His sense of destiny galloped headlong toward Corey’s bedroom, carrying Seth toward something he wanted with a fierceness that made every muscle in his body tremble. He wanted what was to come, needed it. The darkness he’d lived in his entire life had brightened the moment Corey had spoken to him, and Seth didn’t want to go back to the dark. He wanted to walk in the sun for the first time, maybe the only time, in his life. Corey represented happiness and pleasure and freedom, all things that had been in short supply throughout Seth’s life. Tomorrow he’d think about whether he should continue to deny his sexuality. Tomorrow he’d figure out what to do for the rest of his life. Tonight, all he wanted was pleasure. The pleasure he and his lover would give each other… “You’re thinking too much,” Corey murmured and wrapped one hand around the back of Seth’s head, drawing him closer. “You just need to feel. Feel and enjoy.”
Seth let Corey pull him close. His heart pounded so hard he wondered if Corey could hear it. As the wildling’s mouth came down on his, Seth had the sense that the sun had emerged from behind a cloud. Searing heat flushed his body as if the sun beat down on his skin. With a sigh, Seth surrendered to the teasing lick of Corey’s tongue, opening his mouth to invite his lover inside. Their tongues twined and joy shot through Seth. A simple kiss had never felt so good. When Corey broke off the kiss, Seth moaned in protest. With a chuckle, Corey threaded his fingers with Seth’s and led the way upstairs. The bedroom stood in shadow, the setting sun slanting only a few faint rays through the open window. Corey flicked on the bedside lamp and the room filled with a golden light. “Tell me what you want.” Corey’s voice held a softness and caring that sent a shudder through Seth. So few people in his life had cared about him. For this man whom he’d just met to openly show he cared about Seth’s feelings, wants, and desires, sent a wave of nameless emotion through him. Although they’d not done much yet, Seth already teetered on overload. Yet, he welcomed it. His past would be set aside from this moment onward. He would look to the future and look inside himself for the answers, and not look to his pack or his family to supply the blueprint for his life. “I want it all.” His stark words were met with a glorious smile. The curving of Corey’s generous, sexy lips made Seth’s mouth water. “Well, of course you do,” Corey said, brushing his fingers through Seth’s unruly hair. “And I’m perfectly willing to be a sexual smorgasbord, but where do you want to start? What do you want to do first?” Seth reached up and locked his fingers around Corey’s wrist, feeling the thrum of the wildling’s blood beneath his fingertips. “Have you ever had a virgin before?” he asked, his heart suddenly aching to know where he stood with Corey. Two hands cupped his face for a brief moment, a fleeting caress meant to soothe. “No, I haven’t. But you’re special. I sensed it immediately,” Corey replied honestly, his steel blue eyes serious. “I want to show you how wonderful this can be. I want to show you what you feel is not wrong. How can pleasure be wrong? It is no one’s place to sit in judgment on another especially with regard to acts of pleasure between two consenting adults. You’re not a freak, Seth. You’re just a man with healthy desires. Other men will want to be with you. I want to be with you. And there is nothing wrong with that. Let me show you how good it can be.” Seth pondered Corey’s words for a moment, recognizing the truth in them. The darkness within him lightened. He stretched out a hand and laid it on Corey’s hip. “I want to touch and be touched.” A sigh escaped the wildling. Something brilliant glittered in his steel colored eyes for a moment, then he blinked them shut. When they opened, raw hunger blazed at Seth from the handsome face of the man who would be his first real lover. Then Corey spread his arms wide. The teasing smile that Seth had instantly been drawn to lit Corey’s face. Bathed in the smile’s radiance, it almost seemed to Seth as if a door had closed on his past, locking the darkness away where it could no longer reach him. His mouth went dry, his heart pounded to an uneven rhythm driven by lust and a plethora of emotions he couldn’t begin to define.
With shaking but determined hands, Seth pushed up Corey’s polo shirt exposing a broad golden‐skinned chest. Moments later, the shirt hit the floor, and Seth’s fingertips found the wildling’s nipples. The flat discs puckered beneath his touch, and Corey groaned. Silently, Seth groaned too. The smooth skin beneath his hands didn’t feel anything like a woman’s. His palms skated over the hard contours of Corey’s torso, and he decided the man’s skin felt like rough silk. Its texture made Seth’s already aching cock spurt pre‐cum, wetting his worn jeans. His head buzzed with the overload of new sensations. Almost without thinking, his fingers dropped to the waistband of Corey’s khaki slacks. He undid the belt buckle, popped open the button, lowered the zipper…and then the burning in his chest got through to his sex‐fogged brain and he realized he’d been holding his breath. Letting it out in a little rush, he pushed at Corey’s pants; they dropped to the floor. The wildling’s smile never wavered as he kicked free of his footwear and the pants. Now, Corey stood naked before him and Seth swallowed hard. He didn’t know where he wanted to start. Corey’s body had a beauty that called to his every sense. The epitome of every erotic fantasy Seth had ever had, Corey fired his imagination. Leaning forward, almost afraid to touch any part of his new lover despite his yearning to feel Corey’s penis in his hand, his mouth, his ass, Seth took the path of least resistance. He pressed his open mouth to the side of Corey’s throat. The wildling moaned and a shiver rippled through him as Seth licked the skin beneath his lips. The taste of Corey exploded on his tongue and suddenly, his hands and mouth moved in tandem, voraciously exploring every inch of the wilding he could reach. Corey’s hips thrust against Seth. With a load groan, Seth decided he didn’t want to stop touching Corey even to pull his own clothes off. “Take my clothes off,” he ordered his lover in a voice rough with lust. Before he could wonder at the wildling’s speed, he found himself naked, his cock brushing Corey’s hip. He twisted a little, causing their hips to bump together. Belly to belly now, Seth experienced for the first time the incredible heat from the friction of his cock rubbing against another stiff cock. An odd sense of coming home filled him from the heart outward, spreading through every atom in his body and every particle of his soul. This is what he’d been born for. He knew it just as surely as he knew Scotland would never again be his home. The home of his heart had yet to be found but in that moment, it sure as hell felt as if he’d found it in Corey’s arms. The wildling turned his blond head, and his mouth brushed Seth’s. Fire licked through Seth’s veins as he deepened the kiss. The silent glide of their tongues from Seth’s mouth to Corey’s and back again accompanied the back and forth thrust of their hips against each other. Hot hard flesh rubbed together. Two pairs of hands roamed and stroked. The thunder of two rapid heartbeats vibrated between them as low growls and moans punctuated their rough caresses. Corey’s smile flashed again when Seth broke the kiss to push him down on the bed. Sprawled on the sheets, his cock thick against his thigh, Corey’s golden body beckoned to Seth. The intense sexuality of the moment held Seth enthralled. He’d never touched another man’s penis. He’d never seen any erection but his own except in photos. He’d certainly never tasted one although he dreamed of it almost nightly. The thick staff before him enticed, and Seth knelt on the mattress, leaning over Corey. His breath came harshly between his parted lips. He stared at the wildling’s cock, mapping the veins, studying the color of the flesh, tracing the rounded lines of the head. His own cock ached with a ferocity that drew his balls tight to his body.
Pushing his fear of the unknown to the back of his mind, Seth bent and licked the wet tip of Corey’s cock. The salty, musky taste hit his tongue and sent lust spiraling out of control inside him. Seth drew a deep breath, slightly shocked by how much he loved the taste of Corey’s pre‐ cum, by how much he yearned to feel the wildling’s erection stretching his lips. He bent again and pressed his mouth to the crown of Corey’s stiff penis. The velvety tip held all the lure of a siren’s call, and Seth licked and sucked it for a moment before pushing forward. He opened his mouth and let the wide head slip inside. It grazed the roof of his mouth as it slipped slowly toward the back of his throat. The exact second reality hit him coincided with the almost natural flexing of his throat muscles to accommodate the cock in his mouth. His tongue swirled over the hard flesh automatically, and in that instant, the moment that it seemed he’d been born to suck cock, Seth understood he could no longer deny his sexuality. He was gay. And by the gods he loved what he was doing and what he was about to do throughout the night ahead. As he drew his lips down Corey’s shaft, his cheeks hollowing as he sucked, he visualized in his head how he would fuck the wildling. How he would lick and caress the pale pink pucker he’d already spied between the firm cheeks of Corey’s buttocks. How he would generously lube it, slipping his fingers into the hot, velvety hole. How Corey would moan as Seth pressed his hard cock past the tight ring of sphincter muscles. How he would gently ease inside Corey’s body, the heated clasp of flesh inciting his lust, until he thrust hard, relentlessly taking the wildling. And how he would howl as he spilled his cum within the dark passage of his first real lover. Seth sucked harder on Corey’s cock, making the golden man moan and writhe with pleasure. Satisfaction rose within him. Fiercely, he ground his cock against Corey’s thigh as he gave his first blow job, his mind taken over by glorious visions of hot sex that set his senses soaring. A sense of true freedom soared within him as he absorbed every sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. He knew by the time daylight streaked the sky that he would experience everything about which he had ever dreamed. And despite his fears, he would let Corey have every virgin piece of him. Just the thought of Corey’s fingers touching his anus had the puckered hole clenching in excitement. The thought of Corey pushing his cock into Seth’s entrance had him breaking out in a sweat. A delicious sweat of anticipation. He wanted to know what the burn of penetration felt like. He wanted to know the intense pleasure to be derived from the head of Corey’s cock pressing his prostate. He wanted it all with a viciousness that laid his former life in its grave, never to be resurrected. He might not be out like Corey, but he would never again be in the closet as he had been for all of his life up to this moment. His tongue swirled over Corey’s cock as he slipped his hands beneath the wildling’s thighs, pressing them open wide. One hand cupped the tightly drawn up balls, squeezing them gently and pulling on the tender sac. Corey’s moans grew louder. Seth let his fingertips stroke the sensitive skin of his lover’s perineum. The resulting shudders that wracked Corey’s frame made Seth want to grin—an impossibility with the man’s cock filling his mouth. As his fingertips found the entrance to Corey’s body, his lover cried out. The sudden swell of the flesh he caressed with his tongue warned Seth that Corey’s orgasm was upon him. Moments later, hot cum spurted into his mouth. Seth wrapped his hands around the base of Corey’s cock as he tried to swallow quickly. The salty bittersweet taste filling his mouth gave him a sense of fierce satisfaction. He had made his lover come. He had sucked his cock until the man had spilled his seed in Seth’s mouth. He drank it down and didn’t lose a drop. He had given his lover pleasure.
His male lover…Suddenly, the carnality of the moment overcame him, and he felt his cock spasm, his cum splashing out onto Corey’s hard thigh. Slowly, he licked his way along his lover’s softening cock until it slipped from his mouth. He stared at Corey feeling stripped bare, his emotions raw. With a tender smile, Corey reached up and wrapped a hand around the back of his neck, drawing him down. Their lips met, and Corey kissed him, pressing his tongue into Seth’s mouth. Happiness crept into Seth’s heart. He could do this. He could be true to himself, to his desires. He pressed his body to Corey’s, uncaring that his cum stuck their thighs together. The moment would be forever burned into his memory as one of rebirth. The taste of Corey’s cum in his mouth, the touch of their tongues together, the heat of their bodies firing anew as lust began to rise again almost instantly. He’d never known freedom would feel like this nor that it would taste so gloriously of the golden man who held him in his arms. Seth closed his eyes, opened his senses fully and let his heart soar out of the darkness and into the sun.
Part One Out of the Darkness Chapter One For a vampire, Colin had what his wife teasingly referred to as an unhealthy love of the sun. Actually, Colin loved sunny things rather than the sun itself. Bright, happy, fun stuff. He lived life with a positive attitude and preferred to be surrounded by others who did. Working at a cemetery probably added to his natural inclination to prefer the cheerful things in life because death wasn’t a very happy thing. Despite the fact his place of employment could be a tad depressing, Colin loved his job. Of course, his family owned the cemetery, and he’d grown up knowing he would one day take his place there. He loved the cemetery because it gave the living a way to assuage their grief and celebrate the lives of their loved ones. Putting a positive spin on death came easy for him when he saw the simple joy people found in placing flowers on a grave. Still, for the past year a dark cloud had hung over Colin’s office. His assistant Corey Green had always been the most happy, positive person Colin knew. Corey subscribed to the notion that people chose to be happy. Unfortunately, for just over a year, Corey had not been happy, and the environment in Colin’s office had lost its cheerful sun. The dark cloud that was Corey finally started to get to his boss. Colin wanted his assistant back. The brooding shell of the formerly happy wildling depressed Colin. He figured if life could kick Corey in the ass so hard it took away his sun, how hard would it kick him some day? Not a happy thought, and definitely one Colin wanted to banish from his brain. So on a bright May morning, a determined Colin Granville walked into his office and confronted the dark cloud hovering at his assistant’s computer. “I want my Corey back.” The cloud looked up with a frown. “Excuse me?” Colin advanced on the desk and glared at the blond man seated behind it. “Where the fuck is the sunny, ‘I choose to be happy’ man I’ve known for ten years? He disappeared last spring and I gave you plenty of space and never said a freaking word about where and why he went,” Colin said in a tone he hoped conveyed not only his determination to get to the bottom of the problem, but also his concern for his friend and employee. “Now, I’m done being patient. I want my Corey back.” The unexpected happened. A wealth of raw, dark misery misted the blue grey eyes of his assistant before his gaze dropped. “I’m sorry, bossman,” he mumbled. “Maybe I should just go home.”
Colin frowned. “Go home? There’s work to do. You can do it whether you’re happy or depressed. And I’m not saying you can’t work here if you’re not happy. But I care about you, and I don’t like seeing you like this. For a whole year I’ve bitten my tongue and it’s really tired of being punctured. So what the hell is wrong, Corey?” His assistant looked up again. “I meant go home. Behind the Veil of the Jewel Box.” Horror filled Colin. Returning to the fae realm behind the Veil of the Jewel Box was something fae creatures did when the Darkworld had nothing left to offer them. Usually, this occurred after the death of a mate. Colin walked around the desk and using his preternatural strength, grabbed Corey by the bicep, dragging him up from his chair. He pulled his assistant into his office and shut the door, pushing Corey into a chair and taking the one across from him. “What the hell is wrong?” he asked softly. “Who hurt you?” Corey slumped in the chair like a deflating balloon. “I hurt me, Colin. I wished for something I should have known I could never have. I tried to take it. I pushed too hard and I lost it,” he rasped, his voice husky with pain. “For a year I’ve waited for him to accept he’s gay and come back to me. I had all these dreams in my head of how amazing it would be when he realized we belonged together. He’d come running in, happy to see me, telling me he’s out and he loves me. But I’ve heard nothing. Not one word. So I’ve come to accept I fucked up and lost my mate.” Colin drew a deep breath. So the guy wasn’t dead. He’d just left Corey and hadn’t returned. Colin could work with that. He couldn’t work with dead. His pun almost made him smile, but in deference to the situation, he held it back. “So who is he? He has to be someone special to be your mate,” he asked. Corey shrugged listlessly. “A guy I met here in the cemetery. He was here for Big Fang’s wedding.” Shock rippled through Colin. “He was here for Marius’s wedding? Are you sure?” “Yeah. He said he was there for a wedding, but everyone was too happy for him so he’d found a quiet spot to just sit and think. The only wedding that day was your brother’s,” Corey replied in a morose voice. Colin had a feeling he knew just who Corey talked about. And he could completely understand why the guy hadn’t come back to Corey. According to Marius, the guy had major issues about being gay. His dread increased. “Did he tell you his name? Where he lived?” Colin prodded, hoping he might be wrong about the identity of Corey’s mate. The wildling’s eyes brightened a little. “His name is Seth Dylan. He’s your sister‐in‐law Sair’s cousin.” His fears confirmed, Colin waited for Corey to say more. When he didn’t, Colin frowned. He’d never had such a tough time getting information out of Corey. “And?” he prodded again. “And I sucked him off in your cemetery, okay?” Corey burst out, his expression filled with pain and exasperation. “Then I took him home, and I took his virginity. He left the next morning, and I’ve not heard from him since. I pushed too damn hard! I should have waited!”
“I don’t think so, Corey.” Colin shook his head. “That guy was gonna bolt no matter what. Sair’s brother, Ruan McCallan, did a number on him his entire life. Sair’s worked her ass off to overcome it, but Seth is a tough nut to crack. It was always gonna take awhile for him to accept who and what he is.” “Still, I shouldn’t have done what I did. I knew he was afraid, bossman. I could smell his fear,” Corey whispered in an agonized tone. “How did you know he was your mate?” Corey shrugged again. “His scent mostly, but the way I was drawn to him was a big part of it. I could feel the pull of the metaphysical connection.” He sighed heavily. “I don’t think Seth felt it at all.” Reaching out, Colin patted Corey’s knee. His assistant looked up. The sadness and pain in his eyes made Colin’s heart ache for him. “Don’t give up, Corey. Maybe you just need to re‐find yourself, your center, or whatever they call it. When you’ve regained your former sunny disposition, who knows what could happen,” he said. “Maybe Seth needs to feel that inner confidence shining from you in order to find his way back. Why don’t you take a vacation and dust off the old Corey? Maybe things will start to happen then.” Corey heaved another sigh. “Okay. I’ll take next week off. I’ll go away somewhere and meditate or levitate or whatever.” “If you figure out how to levitate, let me know.” Colin chuckled and was rewarded with a weak smile from his assistant. As Corey left his office, Colin crossed his fingers and said a little prayer to the gods. If anyone needed divine assistance right now, it was Corey.
Chapter Two Something about Gargoyle Lodge appealed to Seth on a purely primal level. It might have been the fact that for the first time since leaving his native Scotland, he had the freedom to run in a place with miles upon miles of trees and woodland. The lodge owned the entire mountain it sat upon and although the acreage around the lodge itself was manicured, albeit in a manner that matched its wild surroundings, the rest of the mountain had mostly been left in its natural state. Since arriving at the lodge the week before, Seth had taken to shifting into his wolf form and running every morning as the dawn broke and every evening as the sun set. The freedom to run in a large natural habitat set the seal on the transformation he’d gone through in the past year and a half. As he pushed his shovel into the mountain’s rich soil, Seth acknowledged he had come into his own. Perhaps not quite fully yet, but close enough that it made no difference to his life, and his choices, any longer. He’d settled on a path and walked it with a quiet acceptance of who he truly was and what he might look forward to in life. He’d spent years trapped in the darkness of fear and pain, and now it seemed as if the sun grew brighter with each day that passed. He had a job he loved, and a small house he called his own although he spent little time there. He’d grown comfortable in his skin and accepted his choices, his past, and his sexuality with a hard won equanimity. He’d lucked out with the job his cousin’s friends had found for him. As a landscape engineer, he traveled the country for his employer working in urban spaces as well as rugged terrain. He’d become a bit of a legend within the company for being able to reforest areas burned out by wildfires, and because of that talent he’d gotten his boss quite a few lucrative contracts. When his boss decided to retire, he’d offered the company to Seth. Borrowing on his trust fund, Seth had bought the man out and taken over the company. In the three months since he’d taken over, Seth had already paid back most of what he’d taken from his trust fund. The job at Gargoyle Lodge had been going on since before Seth had bought the company. Now, he stood on the mountainside, planting saplings in an area burned in a wildfire ten years before. Much of the natural vegetation had grown back, but some of the trees had not. It was Seth’s job to replace them. His crews had been all over the mountain replanting in the bare pockets dotting the landscape. Seth had been to the lodge every couple of weeks for the past six months, and each time he spent more and more time on the mountain doing the same work as his crews, digging holes, planting trees, and monitoring their welfare. According to his schedule, they would complete the contract with Gargoyle Lodge at the end of the week, three days away. Somehow he knew that despite the end of his work there, he would return again and again. He loved the mountain, and part of him would always be drawn back there. Jumping into the small green and yellow four wheel drive Gator utility vehicle, Seth bumped along the trail down to the next area on his map. He left the hiking trail behind and maneuvered
between the big trees, coming to a stop near the area where he needed to plant the next four saplings. As he dug the holes, he reveled in the warmth of the sun. So much of his life had been shadowed with fear and confusion, and it seemed as if he’d been locked away in a dark hole where the sun never reached. He preferred being outdoors now. The feel of the earth beneath his work boots and the scent of pine in his nostrils coupled with the warm fingers of the sun’s heat on his shoulders gave him a sense of being one with his world. The warm embrace of the sun enfolded him, its fingers stroking him soothingly. He smiled thinking, not for the first time, that he was sunstroked, brought into the light and loved by the sun like a parent or mate, an entity with no agenda but to give him a sense of belonging. The earth gave way beneath his shovel, and he made quick work of the first three holes. While digging the fourth hole, his sensitive wolf hearing picked up on the sound of feet on the hiking trail. When the person veered off the trail, their footsteps coming toward him, Seth froze. But the sounds stopped before the person came into view. A rustling of pine needles indicated the hiker now sat beneath the spreading branches of a huge ancient pine that hid him from Seth’s view. A husky voice reached his ears at the same time that the scent of vetiver filled his nostrils. Seth stiffened. He’d only ever smelled that particular scent on one man. A man from one of the most pivotal moments of his life…one where darkness and light swirled together and conspired to set him on the path to the life he now embraced. Seth stood in the shade of the big pine as the voice echoed in his head and made his heart pound. He knew the voice intimately, heard it in his dreams regularly. “So what do you say, big guy?” the voice murmured to the tree. “Should I go home? Should I give up? I’ve never been a quitter, but by the gods, it’s been more than a year. At what point do I admit I screwed up and ruined my only chance for happiness?” The branches of the pine moved gently and Seth remembered how Corey Green had had a way with the trees. Of course, Corey was fae, a wildling, and wildlings took their strength and power from nature and more specifically trees. The day he'd met Corey came rushing back to him, how the fae man had smelled, how his blond hair had shone in the sun, how his blue grey eyes had gleamed like the finest brushed steel, and how the trees of Granville Cemetery had moved and responded to him in much the same way that Seth had. “I’ve never been one to rail at fate for the things that happen in my life. I’ve always taken responsibility for my choices. But really, what did I ever do to earn such heartbreak?” Blinking back his memories, Seth contemplated Corey’s anguished words. Someone had broken the wildling’s heart? He distinctly remembered Corey telling him that he thought he might have met his mate but that the man had yet to acknowledge him so perhaps they weren’t mates after all. Either that man or another since had hurt the wildling. The thought made Seth’s stomach clench as acid churned furiously in its pit. “I know, I know,” Corey whispered, his voice husky as if he barely held his emotions in check. “I’m being overly dramatic now, so just fuck me for being a sentimental old queen.” A soft derisive laugh that sounded nothing like the Corey Seth knew came from the direction of the pine tree. “Yeah, I know. I’m not that old and I’m not exactly a queen. Queer yes. Queen no.”
The instant Corey said the word queer, Seth’s body went into hyperdrive. It had been more than eighteen months since Seth had seen the wildling. Eighteen months into which he'd packed years of living. Until he’d met Corey, he’d been closeted and scared. On a day when he’d felt completely alone, afraid, and filled with despair and confusion, Corey had held him, kissed him, and given him the most perfect sexual experience of his life. Corey had been the one to take his virginity and show him the light, the sun. One perfect night of passion, from which Seth had run the following morning. Initially, panic had driven him from Corey’s house the morning after they’d met at Granville Cemetery. But over the past year and a half, Seth had gradually ventured out of the closet and fear of discovery no longer paralyzed him. He didn’t broadcast his sexuality, but he didn’t deny it either. He’d become comfortable with himself and the fact that he was gay. For that, he had Corey to thank. Now, listening to those hushed tones, his body responded despite the fact he’d gotten off the night before with a guy he’d met in the lodge bar. Hearing the wildling’s voice caused lust to rise in him harder and fiercer than it ever had in his life, even stronger than the night Corey had taught him the pleasures of being with a man. Instead of the fear he once felt at that kind of desire, Seth instead pondered why Corey’s voice would affect him so deeply. He knew it had nothing to do with their shared past. His body responded to Corey in a way it hadn’t that first time, the lust tempered with emotions he’d not had before. Emotions stronger and more complicated with every word the wildling spoke. “So I’m here to find answers, find a way to pick up my life and go on.” Corey sighed heavily, the sound filled with despair. “I guess my time of mourning is done. I need to accept the fact that he’s not ever coming back. Which brings me to the question of whether I stay in this world or, like every other fae who’s lost their mate, go home. For the next week, it’s all you trees and me. And I have to tell you guys, the me part is confused. Somewhere in the finding and losing of my mate, I’ve lost Corey, too. As painful as it might be, I have to find him again regardless of whether he sticks it out here or tucks his figurative tail between his legs and heads on home.” Swallowing hard, Seth’s stomach heaved and he felt like throwing up. Someone had hurt Corey so badly the wildling mourned his loss. He’d been someone whom Corey loved so much he contemplated leaving the Darkworld. His heartbreak speared Seth, twisting his guts into turmoil. Whenever he’d thought of Corey, which admittedly wasn’t much over the past months, he’d thought of him like a golden beacon of light, bright and shiny and strong. However, the Corey he’d met was a far cry from the man who now sat beneath the pine, his voice husky with pain and a hint of tears. Seth peered through the branches as Corey rose to his feet and strode away up the path out of his sight. So the wildling would be at the lodge for a week. With a sigh, Seth turned away and thrust his shovel into the dirt, intent on digging the last hole of the day. He had three days left of his contract with Gargoyle Lodge. After that he’d be on to the next job. All he had to do was avoid Corey for three days, and he’d never have to see the guy again. His stomach clenched in yet another protest. Silently, he acknowledged that avoiding Corey wasn’t what he wanted. He truly wanted to see him. Wanted to comfort him and tell him about the changes in his life, changes that had happened because of their encounter. The emotions Corey roused within him needed to be explored, and that couldn’t happen if he avoided the guy. For the rest of the day, Seth tried to decide what the hell to do about Corey Green. He wondered why his emotions went completely haywire over the guy. And he wondered why
jealousy ate at him over the revelation that Corey had a mate. Sure, meeting Corey had been the lynchpin behind the changes in his life and his attitude. The wildling would always be special to him because of that. However, running into him here on the mountain had an almost inevitable feel to it, as if fate had just stroked her hand over him. By the time Seth got back to the lodge, the sun sat low in the sky. For the first time since he’d arrived, he didn’t have the urge to go for a run. His wolf paced within him, yet never once urged him to shift. That alone told Seth his emotions were confused. In his suite, he showered, his mind occupied with thoughts of Corey. The wildling defied every preconceived notion Seth had ever had about gay men. When he’d been in denial, his nightly fantasies filled with hard bodies and rough hands, he’d always been the one who pitched. Yet Corey had shown him how pleasurable it could be to do both, knocking all his ideas about sex with men completely out of the ballpark. All his subsequent encounters had been rather lopsided compared to his initiation. He’d never been the aggressor, seeking out partners. They had always come to him, and he had always dominated them from that point forward. It hadn’t ever been like his night with Corey, give and take, a feast of mutually satisfying acts where neither of them had been the dominant, and their submission had been to emotions and sensations only. As he dressed in dark jeans and a plain black silk shirt, Seth decided his encounter with Corey would remain the most satisfying sex he’d ever had. The extent to which he’d given himself to the fae man and the richness of Corey’s own surrender would forever mark the moment as a pinnacle in his life. If he hadn’t found anyone to make him feel that good in almost two years, he rather doubted he ever would. It pretty much ended his dreams of one day having a family and a man to come home to. Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Seth decided his habitual dour frown had only served to show the world – and all the gay men he met – that he was an angst ridden wolf with a chip on his shoulder. Even though he felt different inside, more alive every day, he still wore the expressions he always had, and they seemed to affect who approached him and what they expected of him. The night before had been no different. Approached by a tall, muscular vampire in the bar, Seth had let the man lead him to his room. Once there, Seth had fucked him. The encounter had been all about Seth’s pleasure. Wilson North, for all his suave, domineering appearance, had loved letting Seth take control. He’d sucked Seth and bent over for his cock. Seth had thought it quite hot that the in‐control vampire had a submissive side. Remembering the encounter now, Seth admitted he’d taken his pleasure without regard for Will’s. The vampire had come from Seth fucking him, yet it meant nothing. Seth hadn’t even given the man a stroking hand toward that orgasm. He’d been damned selfish. Thinking back, it dawned on him that every sexual act he’d been involved in since the night Corey had taken his virginity had been a selfish one focused on his own pleasure, never his partner’s. Disgust for his behavior welled in Seth. Corey hadn’t taught him to be a selfish lover. Corey had been the most selfless lover Seth had ever had. In a sense, he’d spent the last year and a half dishonoring what Corey had taught him about making love to a man. Despite his disgust at his own behavior, Seth couldn’t imagine having sex with any of those men, including Will, the way he’d had sex with Corey. The very thought of letting any of them fuck him made him cringe with revulsion.
Turning away from his reflection Seth entered his bedroom and sank onto the edge of the bed. He felt off kilter and unprepared to meet Corey again. Looking frankly at his emotions, he knew he wanted to see Corey, needed to. Excitement curled in his gut. At the same time, apprehension pricked him. Corey had fallen for someone. He had a mate. And after Seth had bailed on him without any further contact, Corey had every right to want nothing to do with him. Yet now that Seth knew the wildling was at the lodge, he felt driven to be with him. He didn’t know what he’d say to Corey either except to apologize for running away and never contacting him. The decision to see Corey again firmly made, Seth figured even if he had no clue what to say, he’d better just get his ass downstairs and see if he could find his former lover. The words would come to him. So would the apology. Whether Corey would accept them was something else entirely. The instant Seth peered into the restaurant he knew Corey wasn’t there. He ducked back out and headed into the bar. A lot of the lodge’s guests preferred the bar over the restaurant. It had a dark, seductive ambiance with deep black leather seating in semi‐circular booths placed along the interior walls. Tall tables with black high backed stools dotted the center floor space, regular tables graced the glass walled side that looked out over a sprawling wrought iron fenced, flag‐ stoned patio, and a lacquered bar curved the length of the S‐shaped room. A good portion of the restaurant’s menu made up the bar menu so a lot of the younger, single, childless crowd tended to forsake the restaurant to stake out the best tables in the bar. When Seth walked in, he noticed that more than half the patrons were men and every other table had people eating dinner. He paused, letting his eyes roam the length of the long room. Quite a few of the patrons, both male and female, turned their heads to look at him. Seth ignored them. He just wasn’t interested regardless of how hot any of them might be. A hand touched his elbow briefly and he turned, frowning. The tall, lean form of Wilson North stood behind him. Will smiled his lopsided grin. “Seth. How are you?” A flash of awkwardness held his frown in place a moment longer than necessary. Then he offered the vampire a small smile. “I’m good. And you?” The trappings of culture usually didn’t hold him quite so tightly but Seth wasn’t quite sure what to say to Will. He’d loved fucking the vampire the night before, but tonight, the man left him stone cold. Sexually, at least. Will’s grin widened. “I’m good too. I had a great time last night, but I know when there’s no spark.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Friends?” Seth let out an internal sigh. Will had let him off the hook. He owed the man for that. He held out his hand, and Will shook it firmly, but let his fingers linger for just a split second too long. Seth’s eyes narrowed, and Will chuckled, his arm dropping to his side. “Did you meet someone else?” he inquired curiously. Seth shook his head. “No, but someone I know is here. I caught a glimpse of him earlier today out on the trail when I was planting trees. I need to talk to him.” Wilson nodded understandingly. He patted Seth on the shoulder, his touch unconsciously showing the world, or the bar at least, that he had intimate knowledge of the body beneath his
palm. Before Seth could stiffen, the hand fell. At that exact moment, his eyes met the dark steel of Corey Green’s. Blood rushed to every part of his body despite the not very forthcoming expression on Corey’s face. “I see you’ve spotted who you’re looking for.” Will took a step back. “I’ll see you, Seth. Good luck with your friend.” Seth watched the vampire stride across the bar toward the far end of the room. Then he turned toward Corey. The wildling sat to Seth’s left, in a booth near the darkened entrance to the kitchen. It was the darkest corner of the room, the farthest from the crowds that usually packed the bar. He sat alone, chin sunk to his chest, dressed in a dark shirt that looked as if it had no place on the man whose sunny disposition had lit Seth’s life eighteen months ago. Unfortunately, the dark, brooding expression on Corey’s face didn’t seem to belong there either in Seth’s estimation. Drawn to the wildling like a planet toward the sun, Seth began to walk toward Corey’s booth. For a moment, he thought he saw anger in the steely eyes that watched his progress across the room. Then Corey looked down at his drink. His gaze remained averted until Seth stood at the edge of the table. “Hello, Corey.” Seth’s stomach clenched with nerves and he knew his voice sounded low and husky, tinged with emotion, but he couldn’t help his reactions. Corey’s vetiver scent filled his nostrils, and he had to ruthlessly control his cock’s instant need to be inside his former lover. Slowly, Corey raised his head. Seth’s breath caught in his throat. Deep, raw, heartbreaking agony stared out at him from Corey’s steel blue eyes. The intense emotion grabbed him by the throat, throttling his breath, stopping his heartbeat, and sending his protective instincts into instant overdrive. He vowed to kill whoever had hurt Corey. At the same time, he wanted to enfold his former lover in a warm embrace and shield him from further pain. In the instant it took Seth to register Corey’s pain and corral his own emotional response to it, the wildling’s face went blank. The polite mask he put on didn’t fool Seth in the least. He knew Corey was dying on the inside. “Seth. What are you doing here?” Corey’s voice held icy overtones, and Seth couldn’t blame him for being cold. After all, Seth had left Corey’s house without a word while the wildling slept, and despite having Corey’s cell number and knowing where Corey worked, he’d kept himself deliberately away. What had happened between them had left Seth’s emotionally spent. At the time, he hadn’t known how to handle what he felt. He’d swept the majority of his feelings about Corey and that night under the rug and hadn’t dealt with them. Gazing at Corey now, Seth understood clearly that fear had ruled his actions in staying away from the wildling. A man like him, bright and outgoing, could never need someone as emotionally crippled as Seth had been. Even now, he still didn’t think he was worthy of Corey, but he could no longer ignore the desire he had for the man. “I’m working. My company is replanting areas of the mountainside that were devastated in a wildfire and never recovered,” he replied honestly. An expression of irony crossed Corey’s face, and Seth wondered at it, but decided he’d best not question. He stood on shaky ground with his former lover. At the moment, the wildling didn’t appear approachable or forthcoming.
Seth gestured toward the booth. “May I sit?” For a moment, Corey’s expression went hard as stone, then he nodded almost reluctantly. Seth slipped into the booth across from the wildling. A waitress appeared, and Seth glanced at the drink in front of Corey. “Have you eaten?” he asked. The wildling shook his head, and Seth turned to the waitress. “Two rib eyes, medium rare. Baked potatoes, loaded. Two green salads, one with ranch, one with Italian. Garlic rolls. Lots of butter.” He eyed Corey’s drink for a split second then finished the order with, “Two iced teas.” The waitress left and Corey’s fingers tightened on his drink. “You take a lot for granted, Dylan,” he rasped, his words edged with anger. “I know.” Seth sighed heavily and decided he’d best just start with the thing he needed to get off his chest. “Look, I’m sorry about the way I left your house and your life. I was wrong. I should have waited for you to wake up. Or I should have called you after I left to tell you I panicked. I shouldn’t have just taken myself out of your life. I’m a chickenshit and an idiot and I apologize.” Corey’s eyes widened a little in surprised. He downed his drink in a single swallow. Seth watched the movement of his Adam’s apple and felt his cock surge beneath his zipper. He could remember the taste of Corey’s throat on his tongue as if their lovemaking had happened the night before instead of eighteen months ago. His cock swelled a little more, and he shifted in his seat, trying to ease the tightness of his jeans. “I’m surprised you’re even bothering with an apology.” Corey’s mouth set itself in stern lines, and he stared down at his empty drink glass, refusing to look at Seth. “I’m an ass, Corey, but I’m not an asshole.” Seth bit back another sigh. His former lover wasn’t making anything easy for him. “I screwed up. I totally admit it. I knew it not half an hour after I left you. But, you know how confused and overwhelmed I was. My head wasn’t screwed on straight at all. It’s not an excuse for how poorly I treated you. I just want you to know I’m sorry for what I did.” The blond head lifted and a feral gleam appeared in Corey’s eyes. “All this time you’ve known where to find me. Eighteen months and it took running into me here to get you to apologize?” Seth felt his face flush. Corey’s words were damning and true. “I already admitted I’m a chickenshit,” he murmured uncomfortably. Corey stared at him for long, tense moments, his gaze hard and uncompromising. Seth prayed silently for their salads to arrive. He’d ordered the same dinner they’d had the night he’d gone to Corey’s house. They’d grilled steaks, nuked potatoes, and tore lettuce together. He remembered Corey digging Italian dressing out of the back of the refrigerator for him while smothering his own salad with ranch and a ton of bacon bits. He hoped like hell the meal he’d just ordered would remind Corey of how good things had been between them that night. Finally, Corey looked away as the waitress bustled up and set down two tall glasses of iced tea and two plates of salad. The instant she left, Corey shoved his plate at Seth. Seth pushed his over to Corey. They both smiled a little as they switched plates. “You remembered,” Corey murmured as he spread his napkin in his lap.
Seth sighed. “I will never forget.” Their gazes met. Something flickered in Corey’s expressive eyes before he ducked his head away. Seth could have sworn it was something deep and profound, but the emotion had been there for so brief a moment he couldn’t be sure. He picked up his fork. “Are you out?” Corey’s blurted words held a harsh note and his jaw clenched into a hard, unforgiving line. Startled, Seth couldn’t deny the relevance of the question. He just had a tough time with the context given Corey’s unforthcoming expression. “Not even a ‘yet’ in there.” Seth shook his head. “You don’t have much faith in me figuring out my life and my sexuality, do you?” Corey’s eyes flashed fire. “You were in major denial.” “It was hard for me to deny my sexuality or how much I wanted you when your cock was in my mouth,” Seth shot back, frustration goading him. The wildling’s face flushed but his expression turned to stone once more. “Then the man you were with when you came in the bar is your lover.” A muscle twitched in his jaw. “I thought his touch seemed lover‐like.” Seth wanted to scream. The bright, outgoing, happy man he’d met in the cemetery all those months ago was gone. In his place sat a hard, unforgiving, snarkastic bastard. He would have said bitch, but Corey wasn’t much of a queen. However, the word queen reminded him of Corey’s words to the tree up on the mountain. Then he remembered Corey’s broken heart. The hand that lay on his thigh tightened to a fist. “He’s not my lover. He’s just a guy I fucked. Someone I probably shouldn’t have even touched.” Seth bit back a growl. “I’m not in the closet, Corey. I don’t broadcast I’m gay, but I don’t deny it any longer either. I’ve not been a saint. I wasn’t one when I met you despite the fact I hadn’t ever been with a man.” They stared at each other and Seth could see Corey struggling with his revelations. He decided to let all the truth out and see where that got him with the wildling. “I fuck men. I don’t make love with them. I don’t suck their dicks. I barely touch them and rarely jack them off,” he admitted with a low growl. “I’m a selfish bastard of a lover. I use men. At least, I have in the past eighteen months. The only man I’ve ever made love with is you. You’re the only one I’ve ever been able to feel close to. And I screwed that up royally, didn’t I?” Corey shook his head dazedly. “What?” Seth leaned forward, dinner forgotten. “I heard you on the mountain, Corey. I know you met some man who broke your heart. A man who is your mate.” Just saying the words made Seth want to strangle the guy with his bare hands. “I should never have left you. If I hadn’t, maybe this other man wouldn’t have broken your heart. Maybe you and I could have meant something to each other.” “You’re crazy,” Corey said, his face shocked. “No. I’m not crazy,” Seth replied, determined to make Corey see everything would be okay. “I’m stupid, I’m willful. I’m scared and filled with angst. I’m a bastard and an ass. But I’m not afraid to speak the truth any longer, Corey.” He drew a deep breath. “I dream of you every fucking night. Your mouth on me. Mine on you. Your cock in me. Mine in you. The scent of your skin, the
smell of your cum, the taste of you on my tongue. I know some bastard broke your heart, but I’ll mend it for you if you’ll let me. I’m out of the closet. I am gay. And I still want you.” Silence met his impassioned words. Seth sat motionless waiting to hear Corey’s reply to his confession. Truthfully, Seth hadn’t even known he would say those words to Corey. He hadn’t exactly known what he wanted. But apparently, his subconscious knew and did a damn fine better job of articulating it than the conscious Seth ever had. Now, it was all up to Corey.
Chapter Three It really hadn’t been the best day of his life. Now, he had even more reason to want to retreat behind the Veil of the Jewel Box, Corey thought as he stared across the table at the man who’d turned his life upside down. Seth Dylan appearing as if called from Corey’s memory seemed to be Karma’s last ironic ass kick before Corey high‐tailed it back to the fae world. His drive from the ocean to the mountains had been full of traffic, but not more than he expected. The lodge itself had been perfection. Corey had felt comfortable there the instant he arrived. He could understand why Sean Antaeus liked Gargoyle Lodge for his company’s retreats. The place had every amenity including a host of hot men in the bar, some of whom had ogled Corey openly with appreciative gazes when he’d entered. Had he been looking to hookup, he could have had his choice of flavors of the month, he thought wryly. Since the purpose of his trip to the mountains had nothing to do with getting laid, Corey had steered clear of the main part of the bar and had taken up residence in the booth farthest from the singles action. He didn’t have the heart for meaningless sex anyway. Earlier that day, upon his arrival, he’d taken a hiking trail up the mountain intent on trying to enjoy the sunshine. The fae races always had some sort of affinity to nature. Being a wildling meant his power source came from the trees. Their branches moved as he walked past them, and he sensed their life force as a low thrum in his body. He’d hiked for perhaps a half an hour then stepped off the path into a small clearing. Drawing a deep breath of fresh mountain air, he sat down beneath a big pine. The quiet of the forest pressed in on him, and he closed his eyes and opened his senses. Power rushed through him from the big tree, comforting his broken spirit as he tried to decide what to do. For a few months following the most devastating sexual encounter of his life, Corey had lived on hope. As the weeks passed, his hope dwindled and finally died, taking with it his normally sunny and optimistic disposition. For an entire year afterward, guilt fueled his despair. He didn’t blame Colin at all for confronting him about his attitude. It sucked royally, and Corey knew it. Never in his life had he been depressed, and now it was all he knew. The harder he tried to regain his former cheerfulness, the more it eluded him. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told Colin maybe he’d be better off going home. The comforting lure of the fae realm called to his broken heart. Being among his people, his family, would soothe the dark places that now resided within him. Eventually, he would find peace there and the sunlight in his soul would shine again. Here in the Darkworld, his emotions were just too raw to bear any longer, but leaving would be adding another kind of pain to his already full load. The Darkworld wasn’t beautiful and perfect like what lay behind the Veil of the Jewel Box but in truth, Corey preferred the Darkworld. He loved the challenge of living amongst other races. The diversity of culture appealed to him. The very sameness of the fae world’s pristine beauty grew boring. As wildlings went, he stood in the minority. Most hated the Darkworld and could
never be coaxed from the fae world. The wildness of the Darkworld appealed to Corey, just as a wild young man from the depths of the Scottish Highlands had. Losing Seth had led to losing Corey. He needed to let Seth go so he could re‐find Corey. Maybe then he could stay in the Darkworld. After all, if he went home, he’d miss Colin fiercely. They were friends as well as boss and employee. Leaving the Granvilles would be the hardest thing Corey had ever done, barring his quest to rid himself of Seth’s ghost. He pondered his choices, falling into his childhood habit of speaking to the trees as he thought out loud. The branches of the pine moved gently, causing a sympathetic breeze to drift over his face as he spilled out his pain. Talking helped, but he still didn’t know what to do. And sitting in the glade feeling sorry for himself wouldn’t bring back his former sunny self, he decided. Corey resumed his hike, taking strength from the closeness of so many trees. Their souls whispered to him and comforted him. For the first time in more than a year, he felt as if he might be able to go on. The longer he walked, the deeper his resolve became to not let his heartache win. He had a lot of things for which to be thankful. He needed to count those blessings and build on them. Colin had worried about him enough to sit him down and talk to him. Elysia had brought him treats over the past few months, something he’d not really thought about. Now that he did, he realized she’d been trying to get him to smile and find some small enjoyment in the goodies. Even Big Fang, Marius Granville, the president of the cemetery, treated him as if he were a fragile piece of china that might break if breathed on too hard. None of them would have acted that way if they hadn’t cared about him. As the sun began to set, Corey decided he’d brave the bar and eat dinner there instead of his suite or the restaurant filled with families. Then he would sit on the bar’s patio and enjoy the trees. If a man came on to him, he’d at least speak to him. It would be nice to talk to someone who wasn’t a friend or family, someone who wanted to get to know him because he was an attractive man. He couldn’t bring himself to have sex with a stranger—sex with anyone for that matter—but just chatting over a glass of wine might be nice. And that was how he found himself sitting in a dark corner nursing a Scotch before deciding on dinner when Seth had walked in. While his body rang with shock at seeing the man he’d come to the lodge to forget, a tall vampire had walked up to Seth. The man had touched Seth’s hand, then his shoulder, the movement proclaiming his intimate knowledge of the werewolf’s body. Corey ground his teeth together. Perfect. Now he had to watch the man he loved with another man. If that wasn’t a Karmic kick in his ass, he didn’t know what was. When the two men parted, and Seth headed toward him, Corey’s heart thundered. His cock, useless to him over the past months, stirred as a deep sage scent reached his nose. Fear and pain warred within him and then anger took over. Fuck this, he thought. He didn’t need to stay here and watch Seth with his lover, letting the knife twist in his wounded heart. This had to be a sign. He didn’t belong in the Darkworld. If he could drive two hundred miles from home up into the mountains only to be faced with the very man he sought to forget, then fate had spoken. If he stayed in this realm, he would always be reminded he’d lost his mate. It was time to go home. With the decision finally settled in his mind, he let anger rule his conversation with Seth. He let him order dinner. The pain he suffered with every word Seth spoke just hammered home his decision. The teasing sage scent of the man he wanted more than anything in the world stirred his body to life. It was torture.
And then the impossible happened. Seth had apologized. And even more shocking, he’d said he dreamed of Corey and still wanted him. And the man was out now. What the hell? Mr. Angst Ridden Werewolf was now the poster boy for gay shifters? Emotions warred within Corey. The gods knew he loved Seth beyond anything. He fucking loved the guy too much. So much that he’d let his heartache fuck up his life. Clarity bloomed within him. He had lost the Corey that Colin loved because he had not been able to deal with his own emotions. He had expected life would get easier when he found his mate. Instead, he’d been presented with a set of problems which he’d run from. He had screwed it all up. Not Seth. His earlier decision to return to the fae world now seemed like an utter cop out. Anger at himself rose and wiped out any anger he’d felt toward Seth. The darkness still lay within him. He wasn’t happy, but he needed to work out his own head before he could be with anyone anyway. And especially before he tried to work things out with his mate. On top of that, the dumbass still hadn’t realized he was Corey’s mate. Now, that pissed him off. How the hell did Seth not know? Corey realized he’d been staring at Seth for a couple of minutes in dead silence. Worry clouded the werewolf’s eyes. Still, Corey gave him props for sitting there motionless, waiting patiently for a reply to his confession of still wanting Corey. The confession should have made Corey happy. Instead, it pricked his anger. Gods, he was such an emotional mess, he thought, wondering what the hell to say. His brain had turned to mush while his traitorous cock had turned to stone. Luckily, the table hid his response to Seth’s words. “Well, I can see you feel better for having gotten that off your chest,” he snarked finally, trying to buy himself some time while he figured out how best to deal with Seth. Resignation took over as the main emotion on the werewolf’s face. “I don’t. I’m tied up in knots to be honest,” Seth growled, his fingers white knuckled on his fork. “Maybe we could just have dinner without bringing up the past. Would that be possible?” Corey tipped his head slightly, eyeing his former lover curiously. How the hell did Seth think they could forget? What had happened between them sat at the table like a living thing. Ignoring it would only make dealing with it that much worse. “If you wanted the past to remain in the past, you shouldn’t have ordered this particular meal,” Corey pointed out, his voice still dripping sarcasm. Seth’s face tightened, his jaw clenched. He visibly appeared to be working though each of Corey’s hits. “I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he said in a low tone. “I was just trying to make a connection with you.” Blinking in surprise, Corey said, “A connection? By the gods, Seth. You have some monumental balls.” The harshness of Seth’s expression grew, but Corey could tell the werewolf struggled to continue reaching out. The fact that Seth wouldn’t give up and just walk away spurred Corey into action. He shoved the untouched plates of salad away and leaned over the table, his face zeroing in on Seth’s. “You want a connection?” he hissed angrily. Grabbing Seth around the back of his neck, Corey pressed his mouth to the werewolf’s. Pleasure exploded throughout his body. In that instant, all his vacillations ended. Corey knew he could never go home. It might take him awhile to work through his issues and try to come to terms with Seth and build a relationship, but he couldn’t walk away.
He flicked his tongue at the seam of Seth’s lips and they parted easily. His tongue tasted Seth’s and for the first time in eighteen months his body, his heart, and his mind came alive. Nothing could ever compare to the fierce arc of love and lust that roared to life in every particle of his being. Grabbing hold of his willpower, he eased back from Seth and back into his seat. As they stared at one another, chests heaving, Corey heard an odd rise in the murmur of voices in the room. He glanced toward the bar and his eyes widened in shock. The small potted ficus tree decorating the far end of the bar had shot up to the ceiling, its branches jutting out. The pot it had been contained in had burst open as roots grew too big for the container. People crowded around it, chattering in low voices. Corey covered his face with one hand and groaned. The waitress appeared and picked up their salad plates, replacing them with their steak dinners. “Didja see the tree suddenly sprout up?” she asked with a grin. “Must be some Magia guests here tonight.” She walked off, and Seth stared at Corey with suspicious eyes. “Wildlings. Trees,” he murmured. “Somehow you did that.” Corey felt his face flush. “Yes, but not on purpose.” A thoughtful expression settled on Seth’s face as he reached for his fork and knife. “I liked the kiss, Corey. I liked it a lot.” He cut into his steak and looked up, a slice of beef clinging to the fork’s tines. “I want more, but I can’t make the moves here. You’re angry. You’re upset. And you have a right to those emotions. I told you what I want. Now you have to figure out what you want.” Poking at his baked potato while pretending it was Seth’s taut backside taking the beating from the sharp fork did not help Corey figure out what to say to the man. He hated how off kilter Seth had him from the moment he’d walked up to the table. He didn’t know what he wanted. No. That wasn’t true. He knew both what he did and didn’t want. He didn’t want to lose this chance with Seth. He didn’t want to be unhappy. He didn’t want to be angry or depressed any longer. But he did want to sort out his head. And he wanted Seth to acknowledge they were mates. He wanted to go slowly this time and not rush anything. He wanted to know what Seth felt every step of the way. He wanted to know what they had would last forever. They ate in silence until finally they both pushed away their plates and the waitress brought them Mexican coffee. The subtle bite of the white tequila fired Corey’s guts. “I need time to figure out what I want,” he said finally, almost grudgingly. “I don’t trust you not to run out on me again. And I don’t trust my feelings or reactions around you.” Seth bit his lip as disappointment and confusion flickered across his face. “Where’s the Corey I knew?” he asked quietly, his eyes seeking Corey’s. “Gone.” The terse, single word reply is all the explanation Corey would give Seth. A spasm of pain caused the werewolf to grimace briefly. “Was it me or someone else who killed that happy personality?” Corey shrugged, remembering that Seth thought some other man had broken his heart. “You helped. And if you don’t mind, I don’t particularly want to talk about it.” He knew he sounded like a petulant schoolboy. He didn’t care. All the angst riding Seth when they’d first met now seemed to be centered within him. He resented Seth. He resented how his
cock strained the front of his jeans wanting Seth. He resented having his alone time interrupted with the pain of the past. He resented how he didn’t have the balls to just get up and leave the table, leave the lodge, and go home and figure out his head. Well, maybe he could at least leave the table and get away from Seth’s immediate presence. He downed his coffee, letting the hot brew and strong tequila fire its way into his gut. He stood up, uncaring if Seth saw his hard on. “Thanks for the apology. And for dinner. I’d like to tell you it was a pleasure, but as you can see,” he motioned toward his straining pants, “I’ve yet to find any.” Seth’s eyes darkened as he stared at the erection Corey boldly pointed out. He opened his mouth to speak but Corey turned away and hurried toward the door to the lobby. Instead of climbing the stairs where Seth might catch up to him, he caught an elevator and headed straight for his suite. Hanging the Do Not Disturb sign on the door, he went in and ripped off his clothes, leaving a trail of them all the way into the bathroom. Corey turned on the shower and stepped in, turning on the hot water. His skin flushed as the heat scoured him and the steam rose to fill the room. He wrapped a fist around his cock and closed his eyes, tasting again the lushness of Seth’s mouth. With a few tugs and groans, he came, his cum spurting out over his hand. The water washed away the evidence of his self‐gratification in moments. Washing himself briskly, he got out of the shower and dried off. He opened the glass slider to let in the sounds and scents of the night. He needed something to take away the scent of sage lingering in his nostrils. With the lights off, standing naked in his bedroom, he stared out at the mountain. Karma had apparently decided he needed a second chance. The problem was Corey didn’t know if he could take it. He didn’t know if things could be worked out with Seth. Anger that the shithead still didn’t recognize him as his mate fueled the darkness that still clung to him. His life still sucked. His heart was still broken. A few apologies and confessions of desire did not heal the hurts he’d sustained. He didn’t know what would. And he didn’t know if he’d be able to find the sunny, happy Corey of the past. Maybe that Corey had been too happy. Maybe the real Corey fell somewhere between his Pollyanna past and his Beast of a present. However the cookie crumbled, Corey knew he had to take control of his reactions. He had to consciously be who he was supposed to be, what felt right and comfortable. If that meant he wasn’t always one hundred percent sunny and open, then so be it. At least he’d be honest with himself from now on and not leave his life in the hands of others. Tomorrow, he’d talk to Seth again and maybe make some progress. They needed to build a bridge from the past to the present and fill in all the blanks, although not like a Mad Lib, he thought with a grin as he crawled into bed. He’d already lived the crazy madness. He needed to be cooler and more methodical now. As he drifted to sleep, exhausted by the emotions coursing through him all evening, he realized why he decided to figure things out with Seth. His lover had admitted to being with other men, yet he’d not done the things he’d done with Corey. The only cock he’d ever sucked had been Corey’s. The only man who’d ever fucked him was Corey. The only man he dreamed of was Corey. Seth’s confession had made Corey rock hard and dying to know the total truth. His heart demanded it.
Chapter Three Seth stepped outside and drew a lungful of the cool night air. The scent of the forest filled his senses, calming him. He strode through the manicured part of the grounds until he reached the gardens edging the main hiking trail. The darkness of the mountain beckoned to his wolf, but he ignored the call. Pacing an open grassy area he tried to sort out not only what had happened in the bar between him and Corey, but how he felt about it. He didn’t know quite what to think or feel and confusion definitely held sway over him. “Seth?” The deep voice held a note of concern and Seth came to a halt. Wilson North stood about ten feet away in a sliver of moonlight. The slight frown on the vampire’s face gave him an austere expression. “Are you okay?” A sigh begged to get out, but Seth held it back. “Will.” He wished there was enough light to see into the vampire’s eyes. Not that they would have given anything away. “Yeah, I’m okay I guess.” Will stepped closer. “The blond guy, the fae, he upset you.” The irony of the situation nearly drew a laugh from him. “I don’t know if upset is the right word for how I feel,” he admitted to the canny vampire. “Your ex?” The night before, Seth had found Will’s quiet strength and understated perceptiveness exciting. Now, he stared at the guy and remembered the searing heat of his naked body, and it did absolutely nothing for him. The sigh he’d held back escaped. “My first.” The vampire’s eyes gleamed in the darkness. “Not the same thing?” Seth shook his head. “One night isn’t a relationship.” “I see.” Will took another step closer. “How long ago?” The question shouldn’t have bothered him. It shouldn’t have made him feel vulnerable. He’d accepted who he was. “More than a year. Less than two.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I spent a lot of years in the closet before I came here. At home, those who suspected thought me unnatural.” Will’s frown turned fierce. “Where does the fae fit in?” “He works for my cousin’s husband. He’s the most overtly gay man I'd ever met who wasn’t some effeminate queen.” Seth shook his head again. “He was just a really happy person. Incredibly
comfortable in his skin. His confidence oozed from him like…sunshine. He drew people to him by the very force of his personality.” “And he didn’t want more than a night with you?” Shock tinged Will’s voice. Seth snorted derisively. “I don’t know. I didn’t stay to find out.” “You walked away.” Finding a bench, Seth sat down and leaned his forearms on his knees. “Oh, no. I fucking ran. He scared the piss out of me.” Will nodded. “I can understand that.” He sat on the bench adjacent to the one Seth sat on. “Seeing him again has brought a lot of emotions to the surface then.” “That’s a fucking understatement,” Seth growled and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as a headache threatened. “Do you still want him?” The irony of their conversation made Seth want to laugh. The man he’d fucked the night before had asked him if he still wanted the first man he’d ever fucked. He couldn’t imagine anyone having a more twisted life than he did. Still, he found himself answering truthfully. “More than I’ve ever wanted anyone.” The stark reality of his emotions hit him harder than if Will had punched him. For a moment, silence reigned. It broke when Will sighed. “I know Corey Green.” The vampire’s words sent a ripple of shock through Seth followed by a sickening turn of his stomach. “You do?” Seth’s head pounded with a litany of Please, don’t tell me. I don’t wanna know. I don’t need to know. I don’t know if I can handle knowing… His stomach twisted in knots. “Yeah. We were lovers for a short time maybe five years ago. I met him when my father died,” Will admitted. “You describe him very well. Sunshine. That is Corey Green.” Seth breathed in through his nose and out through his mouth in measured breaths. He told his stomach to get a fucking grip. “Not anymore. Apparently, he met someone who broke his heart.” A derisive snort escaped him. “It’s like the asshole took the sun when he left Corey. It hurts to look at him, to speak to him. It’s like the Corey I knew is…dead.” Will sighed again. “Did Corey tell you who it was?” Shaking his head, Seth swallowed back his nausea. “Of course not. After what I did to him, he could barely speak to me civilly, let alone look me in the eye. I got the sense he wished he was anywhere but with me.” “I’m sure that’s not true, Seth.” Will grimaced. “You took him by surprise is all. Plus, I’m sure he couldn’t have been comfortable with two of his former lovers in the same room. Then top it off with the fact that he can’t have missed our familiarity with each other. The whole scenario spells out awkward.” “You mean it spells out disaster,” Seth muttered. Will chuckled, the sound rich and laced with humor. “It could if you let it. My advice to you is to not let it become a mess. Deal with it all straight up. Just be yourself and be honest. Things have a way of working out for the best when you’re honest with yourself and others.”
“So you’re not tweaked your ex‐lover is here and that he’s my ex‐lover too?” Seth couldn’t believe Will’s calm. Inside, he shook like a leaf in a category five hurricane. Will laughed softly. “It doesn’t bother me at all. Look, not to be a cold blooded bastard or anything but, I’ve no emotions vested in you, Seth. You fucked me. It’s what I wanted and you delivered. I like you, and I think we could be friends. I’d probably let you fuck me again if you wanted to, but I think you’re done with me now that Corey’s here. As for our fae friend, it was a long time ago. Neither Corey nor I looked upon the relationship as anything other than a couple of friends having fun and getting laid. We figured out in the first few days we weren’t mates so we just relaxed and enjoyed ourselves for a few months. It was no big deal.” Seth drew a shaky breath that he knew Will heard. “I’m still drawn to him. Maybe more now than I was then.” “Then I think you owe it to yourself to find out why.” After Will left, Seth stared into the darkness, his mind filled with what ifs. His lips still tingled from Corey’s kiss. His cock still ached. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep either. With a sigh, he got up and removed his clothes, leaving them on the bench. He shifted and began his run. For nearly two hours he ran the mountain, flushing out small rodents and sleeping birds, stretching his muscles and wearing himself out. By the time he returned to the bench and his clothes, he’d exhausted himself. He dressed and headed to his room. After a shower, he lay in his bed and listened to the sounds of the night animals outside his open balcony door. He couldn’t deny his feelings, even in his physical exhaustion. Now that his subconscious had pushed them out into the open, he knew he had no choice but to act upon them. His body had a mind of its own when it came to Corey. He didn’t care if the man had a mate. The fact that Corey’s mate had bailed on him made Seth so angry he could spit nails. At the same time, he felt a fierce satisfaction that Corey’s single state meant he had another chance with the wildling. If Corey had been here with a mate, Seth wouldn’t have been able to stand it. He could barely stomach knowing Wilson North had been Corey’s lover in the past. The thought of Will’s elegantly sculpted lips kissing Corey’s was like a flaming fist in Seth’s gut. Seth had never experienced jealousy in his life. He didn’t exactly care why he felt it now; he only needed to arrange things so he never had to experience it again. And that meant finding a way to claim Corey. His old angst, the darkness, closed in on him as he kicked himself six ways from Sunday for being so stupid and afraid that he’d run out on Corey. If Corey wouldn’t give him another chance, he had no one to blame but himself. As he drifted to sleep, his mind took him to the dreams he’d had every night since Corey had taken his virginity. Dreams of the fae man’s golden flesh, his long fingered hands touching Seth in ways no one else ever had. A sense of right, of belonging, filled Seth’s soul. He writhed on the cool sheets, his limbs aching, his body on fire. He ached for Corey in a way he’d never experienced for another man. No other man had held him in thrall as Corey did. He had never put a name to his emotions. Had been too afraid to. But now, in his dreams, he heard himself moaning to Corey, telling him how much he cared for him, wanted him…loved him. In a cold sweat, chest heaving as he gasped for air, Seth sat bolt upright in bed. Dawn streaked the sky outside. The revelations of his dreams hit him like a sledgehammer. He loved Corey. He always had. He’d fallen for him that day in the cemetery when the wildling had appeared like a golden god, brushing aside Seth’s depression and darkness and drawing him into the sun, stroking him with the flames of desire, teaching him about passion.
Shit! How the hell had he not known he’d fallen in love with Corey? How the fuck had he managed to stay away from him for so many months? His actions of the past eighteen months became much clearer now. Every man he’d been with had been the antithesis of Corey. They had all been dark‐haired and as unlike the wildling as possible. And Seth used them to assuage his lust. He never touched them, never reciprocated. Yes, he no longer denied his sexuality but at the same time, he’d done nothing to embrace it. He never thought in terms of a relationship. Never thought about sharing his life with another man. He realized now the reason he never thought about such things was because he couldn’t see himself in that situation with any man but Corey. Seth closed his eyes on a wave of misery and flopped back on the bed. How the hell had he fucked himself over so badly? Why had he never stopped to think about things, to analyze his feelings? The answer was obvious. He’d spent his whole life hiding his feelings. Denying his desires. He even denied them to himself. Realizing he’d never go back to sleep now, Seth got up and showered, then dressed for work. He had a crew to supervise and trees to plant. Two days left on the mountain, and then he could go home. The irony of his job didn’t escape him. He lusted for a fae man who drew power from plants and trees, the very source of his business. He didn’t know what to do about Corey other than to try to show the man he’d changed. But he couldn’t do that while he was working so he needed to get his job for the day completed. He gulped down a cup of coffee in the suite’s kitchenette, grabbed a handful of energy bars and headed out onto the mountain with his Gator. By the time his crew arrived, he’d dealt with the biggest most problematic task of the day, a stubborn stump in a rocky area. The rest of the day flew past as he planted trees and directed his crew. By mid‐afternoon his muscles protested and his stomach had begun to growl non‐stop. Leaving his foreman in charge for the remainder of the workday, Seth headed down the mountain. As he steered the Gator down a little used, twisting path, Seth suddenly caught the scent of vetiver. The Gator rolled to a stop, idling with its usual rumble. Coming up the path, dressed in faded jeans and a dark green t‐shirt was Corey. Seth killed the engine and waited for the wildling to reach him. Their gazes locked as Corey traversed the last few feet to the Gator. “Hey,” Seth said quietly, searching the wildling’s face for an indication of his mood. “Hi.” Corey stood with his hands at his sides, a backpack hunching his shoulders a little. Emotion rose within him and Seth’s chest ached as he yearned to hop off the utility vehicle and take Corey in his arms. He held himself motionless and let Corey take the lead. After a moment, the wildling sighed. “I’m sorry I was a dick to you last night and stuck you with the bill for dinner.” Seth’s mouth quirked up in a little grin. “No worries. The lodge is picking up my tab. Part of the work we’re doing here.” He gestured toward the side of the mountain. Corey nodded absently, his gaze tracking the movement of Seth’s arm. “I’m still sorry I was a jerk. I’m…not the same person I was when I first met you. A lot of things have changed.” He shrugged, the move displaying his discomfort.
“Do you still work at the cemetery?” The instant the words left his mouth Seth felt like a fool. If Corey had left Granville Cemetery, his cousin Sair would have told him. Corey nodded, his blond head bobbing. If he’d thought Seth’s words stupid, he didn’t show it. “Yeah. Colin made me take this vacation. He’s my best friend slash boss. I don’t think there’s anyone in the Darkworld who cares about me as much as Colin,” Corey admitted, two spots of color appearing on his cheekbones. “He made you take a vacation?” Seth’s brows rose. He wondered if Corey realized what his words had given away. The wildling felt very alone in the world right now. He hadn’t had that attitude when Seth had first met him, but now he seemed completely vulnerable. Corey sighed softly. “I wasn’t in very good mental shape, and my attitude had begun to bother Colin. I don’t blame him for the lecture he gave me and the forced vacation. Like I said, I’m not the same person anymore. As my friend and my employer, he had every right to call me on it.” Seth’s urge to take the wildling in his arms increased with every word Corey spoke. On top of that, the need to have a more fulfilling sexual experience clawed at him. Just sticking his dick up some guy and getting off wasn’t enough anymore. He needed more of a connection to his lover. He needed Corey. Ignoring the stirring of his cock, Seth pointed toward the path. “I’d give you a lift to the top but I’m actually headed back down to my suite. I’m done for the day. But I would really like to spend more time with you. How about dinner after your hike?” Corey stared at him with bleak, steel blue eyes. Seth wondered what his stark expression meant. He wanted, needed to kiss the wildling in the worst possible way. He needed to feel close to him. The ache in his chest increased. “Yeah, okay. Dinner would be alright,” Corey mumbled, his eyes dropping to the ground. “Five thirty in the restaurant?” Seth suggested. A smile tugged at Corey’s mouth. “Avoiding the hotties in the bar?” Seth grimaced. “Long before you showed up, I’d decided I wasn’t really enjoying the eye candy at the meat market,” he admitted. The steel blue eyes sparked. “Wilson North?” Seth’s heart sank at Corey’s slightly accusatory words. He shifted on the hard seat of the Gator. “Okay, yeah. I fucked him.” He sighed heavily. “Will’s a nice guy. I’m a fucking bastard. He’s been a lot nicer to me, on a friend type level, than I’ve been to him on any level.” “He’s one of the men you’ve used?” Corey tossed Seth’s own words back at him. “Yes.” The admission made Seth feel like a class A jerk. “And I’ve apologized to him for it. Not that he would accept the apology. He says he never asked me for anything more than what I gave him.” A resigned expression settled on Corey’s handsome face. “Sounds like the Will I know. I should have said hello to him.” “I didn’t know you knew him. In fact, when he told me about the two of you, I frankly didn’t want to hear it.” Seth figured he had nothing left to lose where Corey was concerned. Confessing
his feelings couldn’t hurt the situation. At least, he hoped not. “I didn’t want to have visions of him touching you, kissing you. It’s bad enough knowing some guy came along and broke your heart after I left.” Seth couldn’t look at Corey. He stared at his hands, holding the steering wheel of the Gator with a white knuckled grip. He heard Corey’s feet shuffle on the gravel of the path. Swallowing hard, he looked up, expecting to see Corey walking away. Instead, he’d moved closer, his body directly beside where Seth sat in the little green truck. “I haven’t forgotten your offer to mend my broken heart.” The softly spoken words sent waves of desire rushing through Seth. His heart pounded unevenly with a rapid tattoo, robbing him of breath. “I meant it. I would do anything to bring back the sunny Corey,” he rasped, his voice choked and husky with emotion he couldn’t hide. A wry smile curved Corey’s lips and he shook his head a little. “Everyone wants the old happy Corey back,” he confessed. “But I don’t know if he’s still inside me. He’s gone through so much I’m not sure he exists any longer. Maybe there’s a Corey in me who isn’t quite as dark as who I am now, but that other Corey? The sunshine Corey? He may be gone forever.” Impulsively, Seth reached out and grabbed one of Corey’s hands, holding it between his own dirt stained ones. “I hope he’s not. By the gods, I pray he isn’t, because I know in my heart if he is gone, part of his demise lies at my door, and I don’t know if I can live with that,” he said roughly. Corey squeezed Seth’s fingers then pulled his hand free and stepped back from the Gator. “Don’t blame yourself, Seth. Most of this can be traced back to my own unrealistic expectations. I lived a Pollyanna existence. I thought anything was fixable, and that is just not true.” He sighed again and took another step away. “I need to finish my hike. I promised myself this time alone with the trees to recharge myself. I’ll meet you in the restaurant at five thirty.” Seth sat on the Gator and watched the most important man in his life walk away. Once Corey had disappeared around one of the paths bends, he fired up the engine and headed down to the lodge. He had plenty of time for a shower and a quick nap before he had to meet Corey. He hoped the civil nature of their discussion on the mountain and Corey agreeing to dinner meant things were looking more positive. The gods knew he needed something to keep him going now that he knew just how important Corey was to him.
Chapter Four Karma had to be the biggest bitch in the universe, Corey thought darkly, not for the first time since his arrival at the lodge. On his way up the mountain he had to run into Seth, looking disheveled and so hot Corey wanted to strip him naked and suck him right there on the trail where any hiker could see. On the way down, with the lodge nearly in sight, he ran into Wilson North. “How are you, Will?” he asked politely, wondering how much Will knew of his non‐ relationship with Seth. A wry smile quirked up one corner of Will’s mouth. “I’m good. And yourself?” Corey shrugged. No sense in lying to the guy. Will had always had the uncanny ability to discern the emotions of others. When they first met, Corey had wondered if it was a vampire thing, but a frank discussion with Colin made him realize Will was unique among Acerbians. “I could be better,” he admitted and shifted his backpack a little, realizing too late he’d given away his discomfort with the situation. Will’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “I bet.” He took a step nearer. “It’s not every day you go on vacation only to be faced by two of your former lovers.” So Will knew everything. Which meant Seth had told him. Corey sighed. Could the situation get any worse? A few frightening scenarios popped unbidden into his mind, and he suppressed a shudder. Apparently, his imagination thought it could. “It’s not on my top ten list of fun stuff to do,” he grumbled. Will’s expression shifted, becoming sympathetic. “I’m sorry.” He shuffled his feet slightly, and Corey got the sudden impression Will felt a little uncomfortable. His brows rose in surprise. Will sighed. “You know, if I’d known he was your mate I would never have chosen him,” Will said in a low voice. Corey’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Will. “How did you know he’s my mate? Seth himself doesn’t even know.” Will spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “Give me a break, Corey. I saw you kiss him. I saw the tree shoot up to the ceiling. I saw how the two of you are together. The intensity rocked the aura of the room. It’s obvious to me you’re a pair.” He grimaced slightly. “I’m not sure how Seth doesn’t know. Maybe all those years of repression are blinding him. I can’t say. I can say he still wants you. He’s consumed by you. That’s not a bad sign, you know.” Looking away from Will’s canny gaze, Corey fought the urge to sigh once more. “I know. But it pisses me off that he has no clue. And I need to work through my anger before I confront him
and tell him we’re mates. You know, he thinks someone else broke my heart after he left. How could he not see how profoundly he affected me?” “He was too wrapped up in his own feelings,” Will said promptly. “You changed his life that night, Corey. He needed time to process. He’ll figure it out. He’s not stupid.” Corey rolled his eyes. “Only I would end up with a blind to the truth, in the closet, angst ridden werewolf for a mate.” A rich laugh escaped Will. “He’s not in the closet any longer, Corey. You changed that.” “One less thing for me to overcome,” he muttered more to himself than to his former lover. Will laughed again and clapped a warm hand on his shoulder. Not for the first time, Corey marveled that a vampire could be so warm blooded. For an instant, the briefest of touches, Will’s fingers caressed him. Then his hand dropped. “He’s a prize, Corey. He’s worth the effort. Don’t give up.” The words had a soft intensity that startled Corey. He opened his mouth to reply to Will, to say something snarky, but the vampire had already turned away, heading up the trail. For long minutes, Corey stood watching his former lover’s strong back until it disappeared around a bend in the trail. He shivered and the sensation of an icy cold finger trailed down his spine. Not for the first time he had the sense that Will was no ordinary Acerbian. The vampire had some other quality about him, some other power within him. Corey had never been able to ascertain what that power was, but he sensed it strongly. He walked the rest of the way down the mountain pondering Will’s words. It made sense Seth would have had a head filled with his own reactions and feelings about the night he’d lost his virginity. Thinking about Corey’s feelings or the connection that might lie between them would have been far down the list of Seth’s emotional priorities. After the years of repression he’d suffered at his family’s hands, it was a wonder he’d even let Corey take his virginity. Corey rather doubted Seth had left his house that morning a full‐fledged gay man, out and proud. Even now, almost two years later, Seth didn’t wear his sexuality on his sleeve. Once back at the lodge, Corey showered off the sweat of his hike and put in a call to Colin. “Tell me my Corey is back,” his boss and best friend demanded. Corey laughed, feeling much more like his old self, yet conscious of the fact the darkness still lay within him. “Ohmygod. You laughed.” Colin’s voice rang with excitement, and he called to his wife. “Eden! Corey laughed!” “Damn it, Colin. I’m not a baby sprouting its first tooth,” he complained. “You don’t need to show me off to your mate.” “Do too,” Colin asserted. “Besides, Eden and I share everything. She’s been worried about you too.” Flopping back on the sofa, Corey smiled at the ceiling. “I’m better. Really. And I appreciate how much you both love me.” He paused for a moment, then said, “Wilson North is here.” Two beats of silence followed his announcement. When Colin spoke, his voice was tight, almost angry. “Here as in he’s with you or here as in he’s a guest at the lodge?”
“He’s a guest. But I saw him with another man and it pissed me off.” “What the fuck?” Colin practically screamed into the phone. “Corey, your head is on backward! Will is your past. Leave him the fuck alone! You have to figure out what to do about your mate.” “Will was with Seth.” Silence followed the bombshell he dropped. Then a loud growling came from the phone. Corey decided he’d teased Colin enough. “They’d been together the night before but Seth said it was a one off and Will told me the same,” he explained quietly. Colin huffed into the phone. “You took great delight in jerking my chain, didn’t you?” he accused. Corey laughed again. “I’m sorry.” His smile faded as he sobered. “Seeing Seth was hard, Colin. Very hard.” “How do you feel? Are you okay?” Colin’s voice held a gruff note Corey remembered from their chat in his office when Colin had forced the vacation on him. “I laughed, bossman. Do I sound not okay?” Corey hedged. “Did Seth realize you’re his mate?” Corey winced. Trust Colin to get right to the meat of the matter. “No. He still doesn’t know.” When Colin started growling, Corey hastened to tell him the rest. “He apologized though. He bought me dinner even though I was angry and not good company. He admitted he still wants me.” “And?” Colin’s voice held a hard note Corey knew was his “don’t fuck with me, I’m the boss” voice. “And we’re having dinner. A civil one this time where I leave my anger in my suitcase and try like hell not to be resentful of the fact he’s been perfectly fine these last eighteen months while I’ve been an emotional basket case wearing my broken heart on my sleeve.” Corey decided not to tell Colin that Seth thought someone else had broken his heart. He figured Colin had done enough growling for one phone call. They talked about work a little and then Corey hung up. He eyed the mini bar as he sat fingering his cell phone. Liquid courage beckoned, and he was tempted, but hanging onto his control seemed more likely to happen sober. Dressed in dark grey slacks and a pink button down shirt without a tie, Corey strode into the lodge’s restaurant exactly on time. Hands in his pockets, he looked for Seth and didn’t see him. The hostess offered him a table but he said he was waiting for someone. She told him he could wait in the bar and she’d call him when his party arrived. He shook his head, a smile threatening to curl his lips up. “No, thanks. I’d better stay out of there tonight,” he said with an amused little shake of his head. “The trees must be sighing in relief.”
The dark velvet tones of Seth’s voice held humor and a sexual awareness that zinged straight to Corey’s cock. He turned and found the werewolf eyeing him with bright silver grey eyes. His heart began to pound. He’d forgotten how Seth’s gimlet eyes affected him. “Sorry I’m late. I took a short nap when I got back and forgot to set the alarm.” Corey could feel the weight of those pale eyes as they looked him over from the top of his short buzz cut to the tips of his leather loafers. “It’s fine. I just got here myself,” he murmured, feeling his body heat as Seth stared at him. “Your table’s ready, Mr. Dylan,” the hostess said, interrupting their silent perusal of each other. Seth followed the hostess, walking just slightly ahead of Corey. As they crossed the dining room, Corey noted the stretch of midnight blue silk across Seth’s broad shoulders and the perfect cut of his charcoal slacks, the light wool emphasizing the firm globes of his ass. Corey tried not to stare but it was a losing battle. He knew what that ass felt like. He knew how it filled his hands with hard muscle as he clutched it. He knew the musky scent and taste of the dark center hidden in the crease. He knew how it felt to sink his cock into the tight clutch of that moist hole. Biting back a moan, Corey hissed in a breath as they arrived at their table for two, set into a romantic alcove with a low candle in the center casting golden light across the pristine white tablecloth. Seth’s sharp gaze met his as the hostess melted away. For a split second, Corey had the sense Seth knew exactly what he’d been thinking. Then they seated themselves and the sommelier appeared with a bottle of wine Seth had apparently chosen in advance. Corey sat silent as Seth tasted the wine and nodded his approval to pour. The moment the sommelier left, the waiter arrived. They listened to the list of daily specials, both chose the prime rib, and fell into silence as the waiter departed. Finally, Seth tilted his chin toward Corey’s chest. “Are you making a statement with the pink?” A short laugh escaped Corey. “Only that I look good in pink.” Seth grinned. “You do. It’s a perfect complement to your blond hair. Which, by the way, you’ve cut since I saw you last.” Raising a hand to his head, Corey ran his palm over the short buzz cut. “I got tired of fussing with it. I actually like it better now.” Seth shook his head. “I liked it when I could sink my fingers in it.” Flashes of memory flickered in Corey’s mind with glimpses of Seth’s dark head bent over him, licking him, biting him, hands clutched in Corey’s hair as if it were a lifeline…He stiffened. Both his spine and his cock. “Times change.” Corey gestured toward the table and wine and stifled the urge to snark. “Setting a scene, are you?” “I don’t care if anyone knows I’m romancing you,” the werewolf growled softly. “I want you. I don’t care who knows it.” Corey sat back in his chair and swirled the wine in it. “I guess you truly are out of the closet.” “Life is too short for me to hide in there. If I want a life and a future, I must be out.”
Seth shrugged his broad shoulders and a little frown darkened his expression. It reminded Corey of the dark, scowling demeanor Seth displayed when he’d first met him. Fear, uncertainty and anger had ruled him then. Now, their roles had reversed. Seth stood in the sun, trying to make a life for himself while Corey stood in the shadows nursing his pain and despair and the anger of disappointment. He tried to shrug them off but they wouldn’t go. Instead, he pushed them down and tried to present his former lover with an expression of cool equanimity. “I can hear you arguing with yourself,” Seth murmured. “It’s okay if you’re angry with me still. I expect it. I was so fucking scared I didn’t have the balls to even leave you a note. Believe me, you can’t be any more pissed at me than I am at myself. My stupid behavior hurt you. I never meant for that to happen. I owe you so much.” Corey winced. Gods! Seth was saying the shit Corey didn’t want him to say. Don’t tell me how my taking your virginity allowed you to come out of the closet and fuck other men. Don’t tell me! Don’t tell me! Gritting his teeth for a moment, he forced himself to relax, the only sign of his agitation the fact that he downed his entire glass of wine in a couple of swallows. “Maybe we shouldn’t speak of the past,” he offered. Seth leaned closer. “I don’t want to forget what we shared. I don’t want to start over.” The yearning inside Corey grew at those softly spoken words of intent. He trembled. Every part of him wanted Seth. Even his ornery brain. The call of his mate was strong within him. Every sage scented breath he took made him ache to surrender to Seth. He wanted to open his mind and body and take in Seth’s cock, his tongue, his every thought. He wanted to mate with Seth and emerge from the deed to find all the plants in a 100 yard radius overgrown from the overspill of his emotion. Swallowing hard, he gestured toward the wine. “I think I need a refill.” Somehow his voice came out sounding normal. Corey thought for sure it would shake to equal the tremors that wracked him internally. The glint in Seth’s eyes as he reached for the bottle made Corey wonder if the werewolf knew how badly he’d been shaken by everything that had happened, everything Seth said. Their meal came and they ate in a more companionable fashion than the night before. Seth told him about his business, and Corey had to admit he was impressed with what his lover had accomplished in the last year and a half. Coming out of his brooding funk had done wonders for his professional life as well as his personal issues. Careful not to drink too much, Corey absorbed Seth’s words, listening carefully and realizing what he’d known of Seth had been purely physical. He’d never known the depths inside the werewolf other than the bare bones of his life in Scotland and the issues he faced when he’d arrived in California. And the fact that they were mates. Dessert arrived without either of them ordering it. Corey cocked an eyebrow at Seth as the waiter went to a sideboard, opened what appeared to be a built in refrigerator, and took out a number of items. Then he opened another door in the sideboard, put on an oven mitt and pulled a metal carafe and two other small containers from what had to be a warming oven. He arranged the items on the sideboard and took out two china plates. He dusted them with cocoa powder and set toasted graham crackers from the oven on the cocoa in a diamond pattern. “What the hell?” Corey muttered, fascinated with the waiter’s set up.
“I ordered this when I reserved the table and ordered the wine,” Seth admitted in a low voice as they stared at the waiter. “It’s the lodge’s specialty. No fancy French desserts here.” Rapidly, the waiter transferred partially melted chocolate squares to one cracker on each plate. Then he put equally gooey peanut butter cups on the remaining crackers. He took out a torch and with a flourish turned it on. Corey bit back a gasp as the waiter reached for a bowl of giant marshmallows on the sideboard and the flame almost touched the runner. Just what the night needed, a mad dash from the dining room to escape being toasted like the marshmallow the waiter now held to the flame, he thought wryly. “He knows what he’s doing. Watch,” Seth whispered. Expertly, the waiter held the big marshmallow on a skewer and torched it to a toasted golden brown. With a flick of his wrist and the help of a little silver knife, the marshmallow landed on the gooey chocolate. The next marshmallow landed on a melted peanut butter cup. Once all four marshmallows sat on the plates, the waiter turned off the torch, topped each of the marshmallows with a toasted graham cracker, dusted both plates with powdered sugar, and drizzled them both with warm fudge sauce from the metal carafe. Finally, he squirted whipped cream from a tube onto the confections and served the warm plates. As the waiter disappeared, Corey looked at the fancy S’mores on his plate. The chocolate sauce had been drizzled in an artistic pattern and the whipped cream adorned the tops of the S’mores decoratively. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such decadent S’mores before,” he said as he stared at the desserts. Seth laughed. “I’m pretty sure I haven’t. When they told me about it, I got an instant fang‐ ache. But I also knew it was exactly right for tonight. Hot, sweet, and reminiscent of the simpler things in life while still retaining a decadence that overwhelms your senses.” His words were as lush and rich as the dessert. Spoken in husky tones that slipped over Corey like the smoothest melted chocolate, making his senses come alive. He looked up from his plate and found himself captured by Seth’s ardent stare. It had been a long time since someone had gazed at him with the level of lust currently residing in Seth’s eyes. In fact, he could swear he’d not seen the like since the night he and Seth had first had sex. His body responded and the only rational thought left in his head was that he’d like to lick chocolate and marshmallow and whipped cream off of Seth’s naked skin. “Eat,” Seth urged in a whisper soft voice that didn’t disguise his arousal. “Then we’ll walk off the calories.” Dragging his gaze back to his plate Corey cut into one of the S’mores, breaking it into manageable pieces. He picked up a gooey bite and popped it into his mouth, absently licking his fingers of chocolate. Seth’s eyes glinted but he didn’t say a word, just copied Corey’s actions and took a bite of his own dessert. Corey looked away when Seth licked marshmallow and chocolate from his forefinger and thumb. He didn’t need the sexual tension between them to get any more intense. They ate in silence and Corey knew they had the same thoughts. Once dinner was over, then what? Seth’s expression clearly indicated how much he wanted to take Corey to bed and Corey’s cock already throbbed with his need to fall in with what Seth wanted.
As he pushed away his plate, licking the chocolate, peanut butter, and whipped cream from his bottom lip, he found Seth staring at him again. A tiny dab of chocolate resided in the corner of the werewolf’s lips and Corey wanted to lick it off. He couldn’t resist Seth. His body demanded his mate. When Seth pushed away his plate and stood, Corey wondered if his legs would work. He felt shaky and his heart beat a rapid tattoo that made his chest ache. Standing slowly, he carefully kept his gaze averted. He knew if he looked at Seth and saw that expression of intense lust in those silver eyes, he’d be lost. As he followed Seth from the restaurant, he knew resistance was futile. Fighting Seth was a losing battle because he’d be fighting himself too. His head might still be nursing a monumental grudge and not want to end up in the werewolf’s bed, but his heart and his body sang with the inevitability of it. Mate. He’s my mate. He’s mine. The words rang over and over inside him. They pounded with the rhythm of his feet on the woodchip path as he followed Seth into the lodge’s gardens. At least they weren’t climbing the stairs to Seth’s suite. Maybe, just maybe, Corey could manage to avoid having sex with Seth. Despite how much he wanted it, his headspace wasn’t ready for it. Wouldn’t be ready for it until Corey had a chance to sort out his feelings and rid himself of the dark anger that still welled within him when he thought of the last year of his life. He glanced up as he stepped into a little side garden surrounded by tall yew hedges. Statues gleamed dully in the moonlight. He wondered what the heck they were but couldn’t make them out in the dim light. And then all rational thought left his head as Seth grasped his chin and pulled his head around. Hot firm lips pressed to his and Corey moaned, tasting the chocolate they’d eaten. His lips parted and his tongue flicked out. Seth opened his mouth and delicious heat fired Corey’s groin as their tongues touched. Seth pressed his hips to Corey’s, grinding his thick erection against Corey’s swelling cock. No matter how badly his head didn’t want this, Corey’s body overruled it. He wrapped his arms around Seth, clinging to him as they kissed. The hard muscles of Seth’s back rippled beneath the silk of his shirt and the flat of Corey’s palms. Intense pleasure spilled through Corey and he barely registered the fact that Seth had begun to maneuver him backward. The kiss broke when he bumped up against a statue, the cold stone barely registering through the back of his shirt because of the heat raging in his body. Seth stood pressed to his chest, panting, his eyes glittering in the low light as he tugged at the button and zipper of Corey’s slacks. “Gods! Seth, what are you doing?” Corey moaned, wondering if the werewolf would fuck him there in the garden. “Giving you pleasure, Corey. Showing you how much I want you,” Seth replied, his voice a low growl. He pushed Corey’s pants down, taking his boxers with them. Sucking in air, his heart beating rapidly, Corey looked down to see his cock rising from between his shirt tails and Seth kneeling on the grass. His eyes widened at Seth’s submissive posture. Before he could say a word or even think what to do, Seth wrapped one hand around the base of his cock. Corey moaned again. Seth touching his cock had to be the most pleasure he’d had since the night they’d spent together. As he watched, Seth lowered his mouth to the swollen head and licked it like an ice cream cone.
Corey thought he’d lose it. His balls tightened painfully with the instant need to come. Seth worked his mouth skillfully down Corey’s thick erection. Panting and trying desperately not to make a fool of himself by coming after only a couple of licks and sucks, Corey watched his lover deep throat him. Flushed with lust, sweat beading his hairline, he stared incredulously as Seth expertly sucked his cock. Corey could barely believe Seth had only ever done this with him. He did it so well, Corey could easily accept that Seth had been sucking a different cock every night they’d been apart. Seth stared up at him, eyes intent and filled with dark emotion. Corey knew in that instant Seth hadn’t lied. The only cock he’d ever had in his mouth had been Corey’s. If Seth sucked him like an expert it was because he wanted Corey more than he had ever wanted anyone else. The truth melted Corey’s heart. Seth wanted him. He’d never done the things he did with Corey with any other man. Corey’s soul called to Seth’s. Seth might not have figured out why he only wanted to do these acts with Corey, but Corey knew. If he gave Seth time, the werewolf would figure out who his true mate was. It was inevitable. When Seth’s fingers dug into Corey’s buttocks, he shivered. His orgasm drew close, his spine tingling with the knowledge that pleasure’s peak lay only a few short licks and sucks away. Pumping his hips a little, fucking Seth’s face gently, Corey drifted on a plane where only his cock and Seth’s mouth existed. The hot wet suction, the slurping sounds, the tongue flicks, all drove him wild. A finger traced the crease of his ass and Corey lost it. His control shattered and his cock exploded in Seth’s mouth. Pumping his cum into his mate’s mouth, Corey clutched at Seth’s hair trying to keep his balance as his legs grew weak. Finally, tongue still swirling, Seth eased back, letting Corey’s spent penis slip from his lips. He stood and took Corey in his arms, nuzzling his throat. “Come to bed with me. Please, Corey,” he begged quietly. Reality splintered the pleasure zone Corey had been in. He stumbled back a step and bent to pull up his boxers and slacks. As he zipped up his pants, he met Seth’s dark, shuttered gaze. “I can’t. And this shouldn’t have happened.” He sighed. He wanted to be with Seth. Why the hell was he denying them both the pleasure? Seth’s eyes darkened. “I’m sorry,” he croaked hoarsely. “I just mean it’s too soon,” Corey hastened to explain, wanting to erase the darkness he saw filtering back into Seth’s expression. “I need a little more time to figure out my head.” His lover’s dark head bobbed in a nod. “I understand. I shouldn’t have pushed the issue tonight. But I’m done here in another couple of days. I want to know if I can see you when you go home.” A thrill of excitement caused Corey’s body to tremble. “I don’t know,” he replied honestly. “I don’t know what I want right now.” Seth stepped closer, his body rubbing against Corey’s. “Your body knows what it wants.” Unable to stop himself, Corey leaned in and kissed Seth. Short, hot, and sweet, their lips pressed together, open but with no tongue. He drew back and sucked in a deep breath. “I need to think.”
Seth smiled, the movement of his lips sad and resigned. He stepped away from Corey. “I understand.” Corey walked away from his lover on unsteady legs. At the split in the yew hedge, he looked over his shoulder at Seth who still stood beside the statue. “Call me in the morning.” The moment he spoke, Seth smiled, and Corey’s heart turned over. Quickly, before he gave in to temptation, he walked away, headed back to the lodge. Later, as he lay in bed, he wondered what the hell the next day would bring. This new Seth, the out Seth, drew him like a lodestone. He badly wanted to just spend the day rolling around on a bed with the werewolf. His eyes drifted shut. Maybe that’s what he would do. Maybe all they needed to patch things up between them was sex and lots of it. The thought of an entire day’s worth of unfettered carnality made Corey smile. He fell asleep thinking despite the darkness, he’d never felt more alive.
Chapter Five Seth spent a restless night with thoughts of Corey taunting his unsatisfied libido. His balls ached. His cock hurt. His heart felt bruised. But in his gut, fire raged. He wanted Corey. He loved Corey. And somehow, he would make everything work out between them. He rose at dawn once more and headed out to the mountain. He had one last project to oversee and then he’d spend the next day checking all the projects before declaring the work complete. He loved finishing on time and under budget. Of course, he was under budget because he did so much work himself. The recalcitrant tree stump he’d tackled on his own the day before should have cost his company a couple of grand in time, men, and machinery to remove. Instead, all it had taken was one sexually frustrated werewolf. By eight‐thirty he’d checked in with all of his crews and made sure they all knew their assignments for the day. He’d also gone over the master plan and made sure all the completed items were checked off. By five pm today, the job would be finished. His final check should only take until early afternoon. After that, he could concentrate on Corey. As if thinking about the wildling fired their connection, his phone rang. “Dylan,” he answered. “You didn’t call,” Corey said in an accusatory tone. Seth chuckled. “I was going to. I just sent my crews out.” Corey made a rude sound. “I figured you for a crack of dawn guy calling and waking me before the sun even made an appearance.” “I was up,” Seth conceded. “But I didn’t want to wake you.” “I haven’t slept. I’ve been thinking.” A sinking feeling in his stomach made Seth suddenly want to puke. “About what?” he asked, his mouth dry. “What else? You. Me. Sex.” Corey’s snarky tone made Seth’s stomach feel even worse. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, leaning back against his Gator. “I want you.” Seth didn’t know what else to say. He’d apologized. He’d begged. He’d been brutally honest with himself and Corey. He didn’t know what to do to make Corey forgive him. And now, he wondered what the hell he’d do if Corey wouldn’t. He clutched his cell phone as fear seeped into his soul. “I know. And I can’t deny I want you too,” Corey admitted. “But, I need time Seth. I need to process my feelings, and I decided I can’t do that when I’m around you. I need some time alone.” Seth’s heart thumped so hard his breastbone ached. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
Corey sighed and Seth heard the regret in it. His heart rate picked up even more as his fear level rose. “Nothing. Just stay here and finish your job. I’m going home,” Corey replied softly. Shock rippled through Seth. “What does that mean?” “It means you’ll stay here and work while I go home to put in some thinking time. If you’re here and I’m there, you can’t distract me, and right now, I don’t need the distraction.” “You can’t stay away from me forever, Corey. I’m not the same scared man I was before. This time, I’ll come after you,” Seth warned in a low voice. “Good. This time, I expect you to not let me down,” Corey replied with a hint of snark. “I’ll call you in a few days, Seth.” The line went dead and dread filled Seth’s heart. He knew there were a thousand reasons for Corey to not see him again. He just had to have faith his honesty would win him the prize he sought. Meanwhile, he had a job to complete. Getting in the Gator, he drove down the mountain to his next project despite the fact his balls, and his heart, ached. By the end of the day, Seth had worn himself out. Two of his crews had run into last minute issues and it had taken longer than usual for him to sort them out. He knew he was a little distracted because of his worries about Corey, but he still needed to do a good job for the lodge. Full darkness had fallen by the time he got back to his suite and had showered off the grime of the mountain. He picked at his room service meal, eating only enough to fuel himself. Afterward, he went out for a run. The freedom he felt in his wolf form helped ease some of his stress and worry. When he returned to his suite he saw his cell phone had a missed call. Seeing the number, he clicked the button to return the call despite the lateness of the evening. “Where were you?” the sharp voice of his cousin Sair demanded without preamble. He smiled and stretched his legs out, propping his feet on the coffee table. “I went for a run. This mountain is the perfect place for shifters.” “I’ll have Marius book it for our anniversary then.” She paused, then said, “Now tell me why my mother wolf intuition has been workin’ overtime where you’re concerned.” Biting back a sigh, Seth told her everything that had happened. Even though she was his cousin, Sair had raised him from the age of two when his parents had been murdered alongside hers. Two years previously, Sair abandoned the McCallan pack and clan. She moved to Southern California, met her mate Marius Granville, and got mated and married. Now, she worked restoring old historic buildings, dabbled in painting, and interfered in Seth’s life as much as she wanted. “Give the man a break, Seth. He has a lot to process. I’d say the odds are in your favor. He’s still angry. Still needs to sort out his head, but he let you touch him. That’s a big deal. I bet he calls you soon,” she soothed. “If he doesn’t, I know where he lives, and I’m no longer afraid to go after what I want,” he growled. Sair laughed. “Now, that sounds like a McCallan! You are a predator, Seth. Never deny your wolf,” she told him approvingly. “So when are you coming home?”
“I’ll be back tomorrow night. Why?” Seth knew Sair wanted something from him. He also knew whatever it was, he’d probably not get out of it. “Good! Marius organized a little family barbeque for the night after next. I’ll expect you at our house no later than six pm.” Her tone brooked no quarter and Seth winced. “Who’s going to be there?” “Just family. Elysia and Declan. Colin and Eden. The rest of those Antaeus dragons and Alfred.” “Oh, good. Alfred will be there.” Seth sighed with relief. “All you couples make me feel like a fifth wheel.” “Next time, you’ll bring Corey,” his cousin said with quiet assurance. “We’ll see,” he replied cautiously. “Aside from a lover, should I bring anything this time?” She chuckled at his wry remark. “Just you. I’ve missed you.” Seth smiled even though Sair couldn’t see it. “I’ve missed you too.” For probably the thousandth time since he left Scotland, Seth sent up a thank you to the gods for Sair. Without her, he probably would have lost it and been locked up for going on some sort of rampage long ago. When he needed a sounding board or a hug, he went to Sair. She was mother and best friend all rolled into one. No one would understand his feelings for Corey better than Sair. Later, in bed, he stretched luxuriously on the sheets and grasped his stiff cock in his hand. Thoughts of Corey, delicious in the pink shirt with chocolate on his mouth, his cock poking up between his shirt tails, invaded his mind and set his body on fire. He lay there thinking of how Corey had tasted, what his cock had felt like on Seth’s tongue, and how damned much he wanted the fae man. He stroked harder, images of Corey naked, possessing him and being possessed by him, rushed through his head fueling the arousal he felt so strongly. His fist grew wet from the pre‐cum leaking from the tip of his cock. As he came, he cried out Corey’s name, his yearning to be with the wildling out of control, raging through his body with more force than the orgasm. After cleaning up, he drifted to sleep, the remembered scent of vetiver soothing him as thoughts of Corey lulled him into unconsciousness. ~ * * * ~ “This is going all wrong.” Marius’s frustrated words caused his best friend Sean Antaeus to lob the golf ball into a sand trap. Crude cursing erupted from the black dragon. “Why do you always wait until exactly the wrong moment to speak?” Sean growled and threw his club into the bag. “I’d say it’s exactly the right moment,” their other friend Alfred Stone chuckled. “Marius has done nothing but win until recently.” “Yeah, well I can’t fucking win while my mate chews her claws to nubs worrying over her cousin. And I can’t fucking win if my thoughts are cluttered with my brother’s anger at his best
friend’s situation,” Marius exclaimed. “What the hell, Al? Wilson North? Why the hell is Wilson North at Gargoyle Lodge?” Alfred shrugged. “He wanted a vacation? I don’t know.” “Just because Wilson is there doesn’t have to mean trouble for our lovebirds,” Sean pointed out as he got in the golf cart. Marius shot the dragon a dirty look. “He’s Corey’s ex‐lover. And that damned horndog Seth fucked him! What the hell is Corey supposed to think about that?” “People make mistakes?” Alfred offered. Not dignifying Alfred’s words with a reply, Marius got in the back of the golf cart. He knew any minute his eyes would start to glow red with vampiric fury. Alfred got in the cart and Sean sped across the green toward the clubhouse. Usually, once their game turned to a discussion of the latest mating in their families, their play was over for the day. Talking about matings tended to make them all need a drink. Or five. “Gods. I thought waiting out the three years it took Vahid to get his ass in gear and fuck Emily was tough. This has been hell,” Marius groused. “Sair adores Seth. Thinks of him as a son. She’s not very happy that he and Corey aren’t together yet. And you’ve no idea of the hell I’ve been through since we discovered Wilson North is up there and Corey came home.” “He just needs some space, Marius. Give the guy a break,” Sean said, his eyes meeting Marius’s in the tiny rear view mirror of the cart. “He loves Seth. And the kid apologized. How can Corey ignore that?” “Seth’s not a kid, Sean,” Marius protested. “He’s a man. A confused man. Who has no clue Corey is his mate.” Alfred shook his head slowly. “I don’t think he’s confused any longer, Marius. And I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Seth wants Corey. He won’t let Wilson North affect this. He won’t let Corey’s fears stand in his way. And he won’t let his own fears return to mess this up.” Sean wheeled the golf cart to a stop near their cars. “So you’re saying the only thing we have to worry about is the fact Seth hasn’t figured out the truth yet?” Alfred nodded. “I think so. The two of them are neck deep in love and lust. Corey knows the truth but for some reason, Seth hasn’t pegged it yet.” “Then how do we fix that?” Sean asked, a frown snapping his black brows together. Marius looked at his two best friends and felt the weight of his worry suddenly lift from him. He grinned, flashing his fangs. “I think I have the answer.” “You do?” Alfred blinked in surprise. He nodded as he thought about the uninhibited emotions of certain members of his immediate family. He let out a satisfied sigh. “Colin.” ~ * * * ~
A full day at home with nothing to do and nowhere to go at first irritated Corey. He’d arrived home the afternoon before and had spent the remainder of the day doing laundry. Then he’d spent a restless, sleepless night in his own bed. Now, faced with an entire day at home with no plans, he wondered why he’d bothered to come home at all. He couldn’t bring himself to even think of Seth yet let alone figure out his future. So he cleaned his house, although the cleaning lady had already left it spotless. He raked his yard, although the gardeners were due to come in just a few days. He organized his garage, a filthy task, but one he shouldn’t have put off so long. In the end, showered and pacing his house in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs, he decided that trying not to think about Seth was worse than actually thinking about him. He ate a frozen dinner, too enervated to actually cook, and compared it to the rich meal he’d had with Seth not twenty‐four hours before. Taking a pen out of a kitchen drawer he added chocolate, peanut butter cups, graham crackers, and marshmallows to the grocery list pinned to the refrigerator door. S’mores would forever remind him of Seth now. Still, he’d become addicted. To the treat and the man. When he went to bed, he tossed and turned. He replayed every moment of the day he and Seth had met in the cemetery and every moment of the night that followed. He replayed every moment of their time at Gargoyle Lodge. He tried to figure out just what he should do about the werewolf who consumed his every thought but answers were in short supply. By morning, Corey felt like a limp dishrag. He’d never been one of those people who could function without sleep. After two nights of no sleep, he felt like a zombie and looked like one too. Luckily, he had nowhere to go. He spent the day pretty much as he had the day before but instead of cleaning, he reorganized every drawer, closet, and shelf in the house. Then he washed and waxed his car. Exhausted, he sat on the front step of his porch and stared at his pretty blue Beemer without seeing it at all. Now that he had used up every bit of energy he had, he could analyze his emotions much more clearly. Probably because he had no strength to lie to himself any longer. When he thought about Seth leaving him it brought back the hurt and the anger. When he thought about how Seth had stayed away and not come back, his hurt became tempered with the knowledge that he should have known his mate was confused. He should have gone after him and helped him, not sat on his ass and felt sorry for himself. His anger at Seth turned to anger at himself. Seth had apologized – more than once – for leaving and not contacting Corey. But Seth wasn’t the only one who owed an apology. Corey owed Seth a big one. He should have realized Seth had fears that overwhelmed him. He should have gone looking for Seth so he could help him. He had treated Seth as if he were experienced in relationships with men. He had expected the impossible from him. And then he’d had the nerve to be angry with Seth for reacting normally. He’d been a fool. A fucking Pollyanna fool. The reasons for his heartache of the past eighteen months could be laid at his own door, not Seth’s. And he’d positively wallowed in his despair, thrusting it upon everyone around him. He marveled Colin had gone as long as he had without speaking up. He’d been pathetic. Now that he knew exactly what had happened and why, Corey wondered what he should do to rectify the situation. He knew Seth must be back from Gargoyle Lodge by now. He’d told Seth
he’d call. He smiled as he remembered Seth saying he would come after him if he didn’t. The werewolf had shown his true colors there. Aggressive. He felt badly that he’d snarked at Seth and told him not to disappoint him. If anyone had been disappointing in their relationship, it had been him. He was the experienced one, not Seth. He should have supported his lover, and he’d failed to do that. Yet Seth had never once mentioned Corey’s failure as a mentor and lover. With a sigh, Corey got up and put his car away in the garage. There wasn’t a thing he could do about Seth tonight. He badly needed a good night’s sleep. Before he tackled Seth and the fact that they were mates, he needed to get his ducks in a row starting with some much needed rest. Tomorrow he’d call Seth and invite him over for dinner. He’d make S’mores. Maybe not with a torch, but the effect would be the same. Chocolate and sex. An unbeatable combination to celebrate the next step of their lives. ~ * * * ~ Sair’s barbeque had not gone as Seth had thought it would. Normally, he planted himself in a deck chair and got up only to help Sair or grab another beer. Tonight, palpable, angry tension emanated from Marius’s brother Colin from the moment Seth walked in. Seth knew it had something to do with Corey because Colin was Corey’s boss. He just didn’t understand why Colin would be so crass as to be a prick at a family function, in his older brother’s house no less. Finally, after dinner, when everyone had mellowed and begun to mingle again, Seth approached the tall blond vampire who had been shooting deadly looks at him all evening. Colin stood alone near the kitchen door nursing a beer glass, his wife Eden nowhere in sight. “Would you like to go out front and talk about what’s bothering you?” Seth asked politely. Colin ground his teeth audibly and Seth’s brows rose. The vampire was pissed. No doubt about it. “I’d rather punch you in your pretty face,” he growled. A ripple of shock went through Seth. In the two years he’d known Colin he’d never known him to be angry or violent. His reputation in the Granville family was that of the easy going, fun guy. The fury currently blazing from his midnight blue eyes could never be labeled as easy going or fun. Pushing open the kitchen door, Seth led the way through the house and out the front door. The large wraparound porch of the Victorian house had stone pillars and a low stone wall surrounded it. A grouping of wicker furniture filled in the large space where the porch wrapped around the corner of the building. He moved to sit in one of the wicker chairs but stopped when Colin turned on him, eyes blazing. “What kind of animal are you?” he snapped. Surprised, Seth stopped himself from taking a step back. Show no weakness. Ruan’s words seared through his mind and for once Seth took heart in the take no prisoners attitude his cousin, the pack Alpha, had taught himself and Alastair, Ruan’s younger brother. He stiffened, his spine going rigid.
Colin turned away with a growl and paced to the edge of the porch. He gripped the stone surface of the low wall with both hands, his posture one of extreme anger. Confusion reigned inside Seth after he controlled his initial impulse to snap back at the vampire. He remembered that, unlike himself, Colin wasn’t the pissy type. Corey’s boss was usually as cheerful as Corey, which told Seth the out of character behavior Colin displayed had to be about what had happened between him and Corey. “You thrive on being the dark, broody, misunderstood wolf, don’t you?” Colin sneered as he turned back toward Seth, his handsome face twisting into an austere mask of anger and frustration. Seth cocked up a brow. It had been at least six months since someone had called him dark or broody. He readily admitted it had been a common enough appellation for most of his life though. “You’re wrong, Colin,” he said quietly, his gaze steadily holding the vampire’s. “I was that way for a long time, but I never enjoyed it as you seem to think. I hated that I had so little control over my own life and emotions.” Colin’s nostrils flared and his midnight blue eyes sparked with fury. “Yet you controlled others so easily with your whole ‘woe is me’ act.” Shaking his head, Seth stood his ground. “No. I controlled nothing. Not even myself. If you think I used my angst to control Corey, you’re wrong. I envied Corey and feared what he made me feel. His happy personality, his inner strength, his strong convictions, and his confidence in himself and his sexuality.” Seth clenched his fists as he recalled how weak he’d been when he met Corey. “He shone like a bright beacon of what a man could be if he believed in himself. I never understood what he saw in me that day in the cemetery, weak and stupid as I was. But I never regretted what happened between us. For nearly two years, I’ve compared every man I met to Corey and found them lacking.” “Forgive me if I don’t believe you. Actions speak louder than words. You left him, and you didn’t bother to come back,” Colin accused. “That sure as fuck doesn’t sound like you admired him.” Seth temper began to fray. He’d come a long way from that day in the cemetery, but he’d be damned if he’d turn the other cheek to Colin’s scathing indictment. His fists clenched and unclenched. “You know, not everyone is as fearless as you and Big Fang,” he snapped. “Some of us have spent our whole lives in fear.” “Oh, so you were afraid to go back to Corey.” Colin’s voice dripped icicles. “I was afraid of a lot of things!” Seth knew his voice had risen, driven by frustration and a host of emotions he couldn’t even begin to sort out let alone name. “And I knew Corey didn’t need me. How could someone like him ever need someone like me?” Colin’s midnight eyes darkened nearly to black. They narrowed as he leaned forward, getting right in Seth’s face with an aggressive stance that couldn’t be ignored. “How could he not? Everyone needs their mate,” he growled, his lips curling back from his fangs. Seth recoiled, shock reverberating through him as he stared at the angry vampire. From his peripheral vision he saw a big hand clamp down on Colin’s shoulder and spin him away.
“That’s enough, Colin.” Marius’s deep voice held not an iota of emotion in it, but his brother stiffened, then started to walk away. At the front door, he stopped. “If you break his heart any worse than it already is, I swear to the gods I’ll make you pay,” he promised with a low hiss. “Colin.” Seth still couldn’t pick out any inflection in Marius’s voice, yet his younger brother responded to it instantly, spinning on his heel and slamming into the house. Drawing a shaky breath, Seth turned his gaze toward his cousin’s mate. Marius had always been kind to him and had gone out of his way to try to make Seth feel a part of the Granville family. He’d never thought he’d be comfortable around them, but the last six months had definitely been easier. Now, everything had changed. Colin was angry with him, and Seth knew that would color how Marius treated him. “I apologize for Colin’s shitty behavior, Seth,” Marius said with a little sigh, leaning his hip against the low wall encircling the wraparound porch. Astonished, Seth stared at the big blond vampire. Compassion filled the older man’s pale blue eyes. Seth swallowed hard and gathered his courage. “What the hell did he mean, Marius? He as much as said I’m Corey’s mate.” Seth drew a shaky breath. His heart thundered, and he had the odd sensation he must be dreaming. The entire scene seemed surreal. “How can I be Corey’s mate? I was with Corey, and I didn’t know. How could Colin know when I don’t know?” Seth knew his voice sounded pleading, but he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t understand anything that had happened since he’d run into Corey at Gargoyle Lodge. Marius stared at him with the closest thing to a fatherly expression anyone had ever directed at him. “Colin and Corey are more than just boss and employee. They’re good friends and as much alike in nature as two men could be when one is a straight vampire and the other’s a gay wildling,” Marius explained quietly. “They both have this innate sense of joy in life that some of us don’t exactly understand. We’re too broody.” He gestured to himself and then to Seth and grimaced ruefully. “Colin discovered very quickly that Eden was his mate. He took the revelation in stride even as Eden struggled with it. Apparently, Corey knew almost instantly you were his mate. But what happened between the two of you sucked the joy right out of him. For more than a year, the Corey we all knew has been gone. Recently, Colin decided enough was enough and made Corey explain what had happened.” Stunned by Marius’s revelations, Seth grabbed a wicker chair and sat down with a thud. The man who had broken Corey’s heart was him. He’d just spent the last few days dying to pummel the man into the ground when all along it had been him. He stared up at Marius, knowing shock registered on his face. Marius gave him a small reassuring smile. “Corey doesn’t blame you, Seth. He blames himself. He feels he pushed you too far too fast, and that’s why you ran from him and didn’t come back. He thinks he screwed this up and might have damaged you in some way. It’s part of what fueled this depression he’s been in ever since.”
Seth drew a deep breath. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?” he asked, wondering why Sair hadn’t said something. No one could ever accuse his cousin of beating around the bush when something needed fixing. “Until Colin got it out of Corey a week ago, no one knew for sure.” Marius shrugged a little. “If you’d been here instead of up at Gargoyle Lodge, I’m sure Sair would have been at your house the day we found out the truth from Colin.” Frustrated, Seth ran his hands over his face, through his hair and around the back of his neck, trying to ease his tension and buy a moment to think. “I just don’t understand how I didn’t know,” he muttered. “Oh, it was probably stress.” The soft emphatic voice of Sair McCallan Granville preceded her hands descending to his shoulders. She kneaded his tight muscles for a moment, then leaned over to drop a kiss on his cheek before pulling up a chair beside him and taking one of his hands in hers. “You were too focused on you, and what was happening with your life, your body, your emotions. The signs were probably there, and you missed them.” “Vetiver.” Seth whispered the word as Corey’s scent filled his mind. “Gods. Corey smells like vetiver to me.” Sair smiled and hugged him with one arm. “Scent is probably the most important clue. Did I ever tell you Marius smells like butterscotch?” She grinned at him and he found himself returning it. “No. And I probably didn’t need to know Big Fang smells like a sundae.” He sobered for a moment. “I suppose if Corey had smelled like something out of the ordinary, I would have understood quicker. I just thought it was his cologne.” “Corey doesn’t wear scent,” Marius told him. “But it is true if our mate’s scent is something unusual, it’s easier to figure out. Sair smells of bayberry to me. Colin smells like sugar cookies to Eden.” Seth nodded. “I always wondered why she called him Sugar Cookie Man.” They fell into a brief silence, Sair and Marius gazing at him with a question in their eyes. Seth sighed. They wanted to know what he would do now he knew the truth about Corey. Seth wondered the same thing. His brain couldn’t wrap around anything yet. He was too shell shocked. However, his wolf told him clearly to find his mate. Find him and explain. Find him and mate him. Find him…and love him. He sighed again and stood up. “I need to talk to Corey. Can you tell Colin I’m sorry?” “No worries, man.” They all turned to find Colin standing in the open doorway with Eden gripping his bicep in her strong fingers. A sheepish smile curved the vampire’s lips. “Sorry I went off on you. It wasn’t fair of me. I should have asked instead of assumed,” Colin said. Eden released her grip on his arm, black scales rippling beneath her skin in a show of the force she’d used on her husband. Seth realized in that moment Eden must have gotten ticked off at Colin for flying off the handle. She’d dragged him back to apologize. He met her golden gaze, and she winked before bestowing a dazzling smile on him.
“It’s not the norm for Colin to do such a thing, but I know from experience that on occasion, he can act before he thinks,” she told Seth. “You so did not need to remind me of that little bit of stupidity,” Colin grumbled, his eyes flashing. His wife kissed him on the cheek. “At least you didn’t have to hold Seth’s head while he puked.” Seth stared at the two, not understanding their exchange in the least. Marius and Sair shook their heads at the younger couple and Seth wondered if they were just as in the dark as he was. “Look, I’m sorry for being a drag and all, but I need to go to Corey now.” Seth rose to his feet and drew a deep breath. Now he knew Corey held such an important key to his life and his future, he couldn’t wait to see the wildling again. After what had happened at Gargoyle Lodge, he’d known he would end up at Corey’s once the wildling had sorted out his feelings. Colin’s interference had just sped up the process because now that Seth knew the truth, there was no way he was sleeping alone tonight. Thinking of Corey as his mate felt right, and inside he had the distinct sensation that a puzzle piece had just fallen into place. He looked down at his cousin Sair to find her smiling at him gently. She reached up and touched his cheek. “Go find him. Be happy, Seth,” she said softly. Bending, he brushed a kiss to her cheek, thinking his own mother, whom he barely remembered, could not have loved him more than Sair. He’d lucked out being part of the McCallan clan if only because of the way Sair had taken him under her wing and raised him as if he were her own child. Impulsively, he hugged her. She returned the hug, her slender arms holding him with a fierce grip. Then she let go and stepped back into Marius’s waiting embrace. Seth stared at the Granvilles. Marius’s normally stern face held a warmth Seth usually saw directed at his siblings. Colin and Eden smiled at him encouragingly. And in the doorway, the cool, elegant Elysia watched him with violet eyes filled with emotion. “Corey’s been part of this family from the moment Colin hired him,” Marius told him. “Go make it official.” The smiles and warmth that flowed from the Granvilles showed Seth clearly they accepted him into their family. If – no, when – he mated Corey, they would both be part of the Granville clan, a family that put love before everything else. As he stared at the vampires, he realized this was his family now. The McCallans, other than Sair, had never accepted him, never loved him as these people did. They wanted him to be happy and by the gods, he was ready for it. He was ready to accept his mate and his future. He flashed them all a smile, feeling freer than he ever had in his life. “If he won’t take me back, I’ll count on you to back me, Colin,” he teased as he headed for the steps. Colin grinned broadly. “If he won’t take you back, I’ll kick his ass for turning his nose up at the chance to be a Granville!” His family laughed, and Seth bounded down the drive to his truck, eager to get to Corey. His wolf salivated at the thought of being with Corey again. And of course, Seth’s cock had his own welcome ready for the wildling. Now, all Seth had to do was convince Corey to let go of the past.
Part Two Into the Sun Chapter Six Leaning on Corey’s doorbell for the third time, Seth began to worry. A frisson of fear snaked down his spine as he realized he’d been ringing the doorbell and knocking for at least ten minutes. He knew Corey was home. He’d found the wildling’s car in the unlocked garage and a light was on in the bedroom. He began to wonder if Corey had company. Company of the male kind. The sexy kind. The kind that might make Corey forget about Seth…Someone like Wilson North… Shaking his head at his panicked thoughts, he left off the doorbell. Hands on hips, he contemplated the door, the lock, and the thickness of the wood, wondering if he could just kick in the damn thing. As he came to the conclusion he might have better luck with a rear entrance, the door opened. Corey stood in a circle of golden light from the porch lamp wearing only navy boxer briefs, his steel colored eyes clouded with a vague, confused expression. “Seth?” he mumbled with a frown, blinking rapidly as if trying to focus. Pushing easily past the wildling into the foyer, Seth growled as he noticed Corey trying to steady himself by clutching the door frame. Was he drunk? Seth sniffed the air. No alcohol. No scent of another man. Nothing that would explain why Corey seemed so out of it. Corey shut the door with unsteady hands, stumbling a little as he turned to face Seth. “Why’re you here?” he slurred and walked with slow, wobbly steps to the foot of the stairs. Seth’s fear kicked up a notch. “What the hell is wrong with you?” he asked as Corey’s trembling hands reached for the banister. The blond man pressed his forehead to the newel post and groaned. “S‐sleeping p‐pills.” Shock hit Seth like a lightning bolt. He strode over to Corey and grasped his drooping head, pulling up one eyelid. Despite the low light in the foyer, Corey’s pupils were blown wide. Shock bled into intense fear as Seth slipped his arms under the other man’s, pulling him close and holding up his limp body. “How many did you take?” he asked gruffly. He would never have expected the wildling to commit suicide. It didn’t seem at all like something Corey would do. Go home to the fae world sure, but kill himself? No way. Yet here he was, limp as a dishrag, barely coherent, and admitting he’d taken sleeping pills. Grimly, Seth wondered if he’d have to shove his fingers down Corey’s throat to make him puke. The thought was disgusting, but he’d do it if he had to. “Jus’ one, Seth. Haven’t slept in days. I’m soooo tired,” Corey whispered and leaned harder on Seth. “Can I go to s‐sleep now?”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Seth hoisted the wildling over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. He climbed the stairs easily and entered Corey’s bedroom, laying the man on the soft cotton sheets of the tumbled bed. “Thank you,” Corey said on a long gust of breath, his arms spreading wide across the mattress. “If I’d known I would dream about you like this I woulda taken the pills a long time ago.” Seth sucked in a breath. Corey thought he was dreaming. Shit! Bending, he tucked his lover into bed, pulling the sheet over him. His fingers lingered as they brushed against Corey’s nipple. A little moan escaped the wildling. “If you’re gonna be in my dreams the least you could do is get naked and f‐fuck me,” he mumbled into the pillow. Lust shot through Seth straight to his groin. Without a second thought, he stripped off his clothes and got into the wide bed, sliding over until he spooned Corey. The wildling snuggled back against him, grinding his ass into Seth’s hard cock. Even between the layers of their underwear, Seth could feel the heat they generated in each other. They were both scorching hot. “Go to sleep, Corey,” he whispered in his lover’s ear as he cradled the man close to his chest. “I’ll be here in the morning, and if I get my way, you won’t ever go bed without me again.” As Corey’s breathing settled into the rhythmic tones of sleep, Seth rubbed his cheek against the back of the wildling’s head, breathing deeply of the scent of vetiver, that uniquely Corey scent. His fears for the future, the fears that had driven him for most of his life, now coalesced into a fear that Corey would send him away when he awoke. After all, Seth had been a major asshole. He’d not recognized Corey for what he was, who he was. He’d hurt his mate deeply. Cradling Corey to him, Seth pressed light kisses to whatever part of the wildling he could reach without disturbing his sleep. The sense of rightness within him grew incrementally as the hours of the night passed. Finally, Seth drifted to sleep, content to hold Corey in his arms and know that the man belonged there forever. ~ * * * ~ The heat and weight of the man curled behind him woke Corey because normally, he woke alone. He could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times he’d actually slept with a man. He knew right off the arms that held him belonged to Seth. His mate’s scent gave him away. The intense smell of sage reminded Corey of the Thanksgiving Elysia had cooked the turkey unaided and overdone the spices. He smiled, content for the moment to let holiday memories and the warmth of Seth’s body against his back keep the darkness at bay. When his thoughts drifted to the only other night he’d spent in bed with Seth, he remembered the sense of loss that had struck him the instant he’d awakened and realized the werewolf had gone. The loss had grown inside him as time passed, and he’d had no contact from Seth. Of course, he’d known how to find the man, yet in an uncharacteristic move, he’d done nothing about it. Always he had taken control of his destiny and done whatever he could to forge his own happiness. When Seth had walked out on him, he’d lost that initiative. The unhappiness that had permeated his soul for nearly two years had been his choice.
Never in his life had Corey chosen the path of darkness over light. Something had pushed him to that edge when Seth had left without a backward glance. As he pondered his own actions and reactions, he decided he’d just had far too much faith in the mating process. He’d felt Seth should have known they were mates. He’d thought getting him in bed would show him how good they were together. He’d had the unrealistic expectation the sex alone would pull Seth from the closet so they could start their life together. When all of his expectations had crumbled to dust, Corey couldn’t take it and retreated to the darkness. He clearly saw now that he should have taken control of his life. He should have gone after Seth. He should have told him the truth and helped him overcome his problems and fears. Instead, he’d caused a whole battery of his own fears by sitting on his arse and moping. Awareness prickled in his body, heat rising within him in a split second as warm lips trailed his shoulders. A hot, open mouthed kiss graced the nape of his neck, and he shuddered at the pleasure. Without thought, his hips pressed backward, stopping the instant he felt a hard cock against the crease of his ass. “I’m sorry.” The soft whisper held a wealth of sorrow in it. The thick ridge of flesh ground against his buttocks. Seth’s arms tightened around him and Corey couldn’t help but feel like he’d finally come home. He wanted to turn and burrow into the warmth of Seth’s body. “I’m sorry too,” he rasped, surprised to find his voice choked with emotion. “I’ve been a stupid ass, feeling sorry for myself instead of going to you and helping you.” Hard, work roughened hands tightened on him. “This is all my fault, Corey. I should have known. You smell of vetiver to me, and I just thought it was a wildling thing or it was your cologne.” Seth sighed. “I didn’t know you were my mate. And truthfully, even if I had known it might have scared the piss out of me even more.” “Who told you?” Corey knew after what had passed between them at Gargoyle Lodge that despite how attracted Seth had been to him, despite the mating bonds tugging at him, the werewolf still hadn’t known the truth. Seth sighed again, deeper this time. “Colin. He went off on me, and I don’t blame him. I owe him an apology. And I owe you one too.” “You don’t owe me jack, Seth,” Corey said gruffly. “You’re wrong. I do. I owe you more than I can ever repay, and yet I don’t have the slightest urge to try. I want to be indebted to you forever. I don’t ever want to leave your side again.” A rain of soft kisses fell all over his back, shoulders and neck, reaching up as far as the underside of his jaw and behind his ears. The warmth in his body heated to boiling. Corey lay still, wondering where Seth was going both with his words, his hands, and his mouth. “I knew it at Gargoyle Lodge but I had a tough time accepting the truth. I love you, Corey.” The joy Corey had always found in life, the joy that had left him so abruptly when Seth had walked out all those months before, came rushing back. The darkness retreated as Corey stepped into the sunlight once more, this time with his mate at his side. He turned in Seth’s arms, his own arms coming up around his mate. The scent of sage wrapped itself around him, binding him to the man he loved. With one hand he cupped the side of Seth’s beard stubbled face.
“I love you, Seth McCallan,” he murmured, his gaze locking with Seth’s. “I saw you beneath the trees that first day in the cemetery, and your scent drifted toward me. I knew the instant I scented you that you were mine. I’d never been with a virgin before, never been with a man so consumed by anger and fear. But I loved you anyway. I took one look into those silver eyes filled with pain, and I loved you with everything I am. Being without you has been like being without my soul.” Seth’s eyes glittered, emotion darkening them to charcoal. “You are without a doubt the most amazing man I’ve ever met. You were so full of confidence, so joyous and happy. I didn’t think a man like you could need someone like me.” Corey pressed his body against Seth’s, rubbing his cloth confined erection against his mate’s. “Oh, I need you. I will always need you. Without you, I’m lost. No sunshine. No Corey. You are what brings out the best of me.” For a moment, Seth’s face hardened as he swallowed, a glint of fear in his gimlet eyes. And then the silvery gaze shimmered as tears glossed their surface. “No one has ever needed me before,” he rasped, his voice husky with the held back tears. “Despite having Sair, I’ve always been conscious of being alone. No one’s wanted me, needed me. I’ve never been essential to anyone.” A lump formed in Corey’s throat as he realized how emotionally bare Seth’s life had been. No wonder he’d been so dark and brooding, so angst ridden. Corey had the fleeting thought that his mate had probably never known true happiness. Resolve hardened within him. What Seth had never known would be given to him in abundance now. And in the giving, Corey would find his own bliss. He pushed Seth onto his back, for a moment admiring the contrast of his mate’s dark head against the white pillows. Then he sprawled on Seth’s wide chest. Stroking his hands down the werewolf’s hard, muscular arms, he reached for the work worn hands of his lover. He twined his fingers with Seth’s, bringing them up to his shoulders. Leaning down, he kissed Seth slowly, with a building passion. He let the heat rise between them but never let lust override the love he felt for his man. Each slow stroke of his tongue was designed to show Seth he loved him, wanted him, needed him…forever. Seth’s fingers squeezed Corey’s so hard, he thought his bones might snap. But the slight pain just told him how much Seth needed their connection. And now they had begun to open up to each other, Corey could sense Seth’s emotions clearly now. He knew their mental connection would quickly follow. The simple clasp of their hands and twining of their fingers made Corey’s chest ache with an overflow of emotion. Easing back on the kisses, Corey nibbled Seth’s full bottom lip. He gazed down into his mate’s face and saw wonder and love writ plainly on his handsome features. “I never knew it could be like this,” Seth murmured against Corey’s mouth. “Even when we were together before, as fantastic as the sex was, it can’t compare to this. It was nothing like what I feel now. This can’t ever end, Corey. If it did, I would die.” An explosion of tenderness rushed through Corey. What they had wasn’t about great sex although Corey was hoping for some of that too. But the sense that he had found his true place in the world permeated their coming together. Whatever else he did in his life, it was meant to be done with this man at his side as his partner, mate, and lover.
“I feel the same, you know. But what I thought this would be like when I first discovered you were my mate…well, it’s nothing like I imagined.” He smiled against Seth’s mouth. “It’s so rich, so beyond words. It’s more than happiness and love and lust. It’s…it’s…” Seth pulled his fingers free, his hands moving to cup Corey’s face. “It’s home,” he whispered. “This is the home of my heart. Right here. With your body pressed to mine.” With a grin, Corey rubbed his swollen cock against Seth’s through the layers of their briefs. “It could be even more like home with my cock in your ass,” he teased. Hard hands slid down his body to grip his buttocks. “Or mine in your ass.” “Fuck you. I called it first!” Corey protested, still grinning. Flames came to life in Seth’s eyes. His hands yanked at Corey’s boxer briefs. “Yes, you did call it. Fuck me. Fuck me hard.” The tenor of their breathing changed as they wriggled out of their underwear. Corey knew that this moment, the sex act they would share, was pivotal. They hadn’t been together in almost two years. In that time, Seth had not allowed another man into his body and neither had Corey. Instinctively, they’d each known that intimate right belonged only to each other. And while they wouldn’t mate yet – both of them knowing they’d need to discuss it beforehand – they both knew mating was imminent. “Gods. Get the lube, Corey. I can’t wait. I don’t want to wait,” Seth panted. “I dream of your cock in my ass, the pleasure of it. Nothing has ever felt so good. Not even when I take you.” “Trust a former straight guy to go gay for a little prostate lovin’,” Corey teased breathlessly as he reached over and pulled open the nightstand. A moment of scrabbling with his fingers produced a tube of lube, and when he held it up Seth caught his wrist in one big hand. “I was never straight, Corey. Get that clear. I was scared and pretending to be straight, but I have never wanted to be with a woman.” Seth’s words were soft, but harsh, his eyes diamond bright with fierce sincerity. Corey melted. He leaned down and kissed Seth’s sexy mouth. “I know. I was teasing,” he whispered. Seth stared up at him, his face serious. “I can’t joke about it yet. My fears are very real. They dogged me my entire life. But being with you, letting you into my body…” He broke off and drew a deep breath. “Nothing ever felt so right as you fucking me. The glide of your hard cock in my ass isn’t something I could forget. I dreamed of it every night after I left you. I ached for it. So stop making me wait. Open the lube and fuck me.” An invitation like that wasn’t something Corey could ignore. Besides, every atom in his body, especially the ones in his cock, wanted to fuck Seth so hard he’d know exactly to whom he belonged. The possessiveness that permeated his brain and took over his emotions was new to him, but he figured he’d never had a mate before either so it probably came as a package deal. As he flipped off the lid of the lube he noticed a fine tremor in his hands. This wasn’t their mating, and yet, he felt the importance of the moment just as keenly as if it were. For nearly two years he’d dreamed of this moment. He didn’t want to screw it up.
Warm fingers stroked his forearm, and he raised his attention from the tube of lubricant. Seth gazed at him with intense emotion on his face. His silver eyes glowed in the weak morning light. Corey gulped air. Seth’s hand stroked his arm soothingly again. “It’s okay. It will be perfect. We’re together now. Nothing else in this world matters,” Seth whispered. Corey nodded, his rising panic forestalled by Seth’s words. The connection between them grew, humming like a live wire. Corey couldn’t hear Seth’s thoughts yet, but he knew it was only a matter of time. At the very least, by the time they mated their thoughts would be one. For now, it seemed as if they’d grown exceptionally turned to each other’s emotions. Corey drew comfort from that. He squirted lube into his palm, letting it warm to his flesh. Reaching down, he wrapped his hand around his cock, stroking it slowly, spreading the lube from tip to base. He moved his hand away and watched Seth’s face as his lover stared at the glistening flesh. The tenor of Seth’s breathing roughened, and his eyes darkened. Corey used his knees to spread Seth’s thighs apart. He had a difficult time taking his eyes off the tight globes of Seth’s balls and the long, thick penis that rose above them, hugging Seth’s belly. He licked his suddenly dry lips. “Pillow?” he rasped. Seth grabbed one and tucked it beneath his hips. Corey tried to swallow around the tightness in this throat as Seth spread his legs wide, tucking his knees toward his shoulders. Faced with the rosy pucker of Seth’s anus, Corey thought his chest would explode from the frantic beating of his heart. He hadn’t been this nervous the night he’d taken Seth’s virginity. Carefully, he leaned forward and pressed his lube wet fingers to Seth’s anus. His lover sucked in a harsh breath. “I’m not made of glass, Corey!” he growled. Suddenly, Corey knew Seth could take whatever he gave him. He wouldn’t run this time. He wouldn’t leave. No matter what Corey did, Seth would be there the next day and the day after, every day of their lives. He slipped a fingertip into Seth’s ass. The werewolf hissed. “More!” With his free hand, Corey squirted lube onto the place where his finger pressed into Seth’s body. The rasp of their panting filled the room, and Corey fucked Seth with one finger, then pressed in another. He curved them, seeking Seth’s prostate. The instant he touched the bundle of nerves, Seth went rigid and a moan escaped him. “I don’t want to be finger fucked! I want your cock. I need it, Corey. Fuck me!” he pleaded, his silver eyes wild with passion. Corey slicked himself up again and tossed the tube of lube aside. Seth hooked his hands behind his knees, spreading himself open for Corey’s penetration. Carefully, Corey pressed the head of his cock against the wet pucker of Seth’s ass. There was a split second of resistance, but then his thick erection eased slowly but relentlessly into Seth. When his balls bumped up against Seth’s buttocks, Corey stilled. The last time he’d made love to Seth he’d felt a connection. Yet, he’d known Seth hadn’t felt it. His lover had been wide‐eyed with the unfamiliar sensation of being fucked. Now, Corey gazed
down at Seth and saw everything he’d wanted to see the last time they’d been in this position. The connection, the love, the passion, the unbridled lust…it was all there. As was the commitment. Canting his body forward, Corey kissed Seth. With a moan, Seth grabbed Corey’s head and kissed him back fiercely. He wrapped his legs around Corey and shuddered. The first shift of Corey’s hips pushed his cock deeper into Seth but then he flexed, pulling back before sinking in deeper and harder. They rocked together, Corey’s thrusts gaining momentum as the hot clasp of Seth’s channel on his cock caused the most delicious friction. Corey’s pelvis and lower abdomen ground against Seth’s thick erection as they moved more frantically together. Pre‐cum pooled in an ever expanding puddle on Seth’s belly with every pass of Corey’s ridged head over his prostate. They kissed roughly, biting at each other’s lips. Every movement they made had a raw, primal maleness to it. Corey hadn’t ever had such elemental sex, even his first time with Seth hadn’t been like this. Heat rushed over him, flushing his body. His balls tightened, and he knew his orgasm was close. He slipped a hand between their bodies and grasped Seth’s cock. Their eyes met and Corey could see the frantic lust on Seth’s face and the urgent need to come that filled his eyes. “I love you,” he whispered, his gaze never leaving Seth’s as he rammed his cock into his lover. With a loud cry, Seth came. His cock jetted hot spurts of come onto his belly, chest, and Corey’s stroking fingers. The clutch of his spasming ass on Corey’s cock proved to be too much stimulation when combined with the raw sensuality of his expression as he came. The combination of sights, sound, and sensation pushed Corey over the edge into the biggest orgasm of his life. A cry wrenched from him and he fumbled for balance as he pushed even deeper into Seth, filling his ass with hot cum. Shaking, his mind opened wide to Seth’s and he sensed the brush of their thoughts like a wild thing, touching tentatively, then with a sensation of intense joy. As he collapsed on Seth’s chest, gasping for air, he heard the first cautious thought. Corey? Is that you? Corey grinned although it took all his strength. No. It’s the milkman. Seth’s thoughts were tinged with astonishment and he totally ignored Corey’s joke. It happened. The connection. All it took was my cock in your ass, Corey teased. Seth grunted. Yeah, right. If that’s the case why didn’t it happen the first time? Corey lifted his head and winked. You were too busy thinking about losing your cherry. Fuck you. That’s not why. With a sigh, Corey eased his softening cock from Seth. Sez you. Why don’t we wash up and then we can do the post‐coital cuddle thing. After that, you can absolutely fuck me. Seth sighed too, but the sound held a monumental amount of contentment in it. Corey grinned again. For the first time in a long time, he felt true sunshine in his soul.
Chapter Seven Post‐coital bliss didn’t last long, Seth thought with an annoyed growl as he watched Corey make a stack of pancakes. Where’s the tit for tat? The reciprocity? He shot Corey a dirty look. His mate raised golden brows and smiled angelically. He set a plateful of pancakes in front of Seth. When did you become such a slutty boy? Seth rolled his eyes in disgust and cut into the syrup and butter laden pancakes. I was always a slutty boy, Corey. You’re the one who’s been celibate since the last time I was in this house. I’ve been bad. Very bad. Corey made a rude sound. Yeah, sure. I believe that, Mr. Saving My Ass For You. Left to your own devices you barely gave hand jobs and not a single blow job. You’re just a slutty boy for me. Admit it. Gods! I just cannot win with you! You take banter to a whole new level. Seth shot his mate another dirty look. Again, it was ignored. I’m at the top of my game. It’s hard to beat a man with quick wit when he’s at the top of his game. Corey cut into his own pancakes and crammed a huge bite in his mouth. You know, there’s something to be said for this whole mating mental connection thing. I can talk and eat at the same time. Where the hell are you putting all that food? Seth groused as he eyed Corey’s plate, which had twice as many pancakes as his plate in addition to a thick slice of ham and two eggs over easy. In my stomach, of course. Where I’ll promptly burn it off if we do every naughty thing I hear whirling in your head. Corey glanced up and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. I worked up an appetite, and if I’m going to engage in further slutty boy activities with you, I need fuel. I haven’t eaten much in the last few days, he pointed out. Seth sighed aloud. “Okay, okay. I get your point. Corey in depressed mode wasn’t eating. Happy Corey now wants to eat the whole cow.” “Pig. It’s a ham steak,” Corey corrected as he cut into the tender meat. “You need to slow down. You’re exceeding the speed limit for spitting out quips.” Seth stabbed a forkful of pancakes and stuck them in his mouth. Despite having his sexual plans disrupted by Corey’s need to eat, he had to admit the man whipped up a mean batch of buttermilk pancakes. “Hey! You made a joke!” Corey grinned. “This is great. Pretty soon I’ll have no one to pick on for being dour and depressed. Big Fang walks around with a perpetual smile these days and he makes jokes too.”
Seth closed his eyes for a moment, feeling his head swim. “What the hell have I let myself in for?” he muttered. A hand caught his chin and he opened his eyes. Two steel blue eyes stared at him intently. The cool air of the kitchen suddenly became a lot warmer. “You’ve let yourself in for a lifetime of being loved. Everything else including the oh so hot sex comes second, Seth.” Corey’s voice held a note of intensity that told Seth his words were no joke this time. “I can live without the sex but I cannot live without your love.” Seth leaned over and kissed the wildling, their lips clinging and tasting of maple syrup. After a moment, he pulled away and cut into his pancakes again. “I can’t live without you either,” he said in a low voice. He chewed slowly savoring the food his mate had made. Corey made a sound, and he raised his eyes from his plate. The food on the table had obviously been forgotten as his lover stared at him with eyes bright with lust. He felt his blood quicken. His fork clattered to the plate. “Shall we?” he asked, rising to his feet. Corey bolted from his chair. “Race you!” The wildling was quick. Seth would give him that. He made it to the stairs first. As he climbed, taking the treads two at a time, Seth watched him go. Once Corey made it to the top of the stairway, Seth shifted. In two leaps, he was on the stairs. In another two, he’d cleared the bedroom door. His next leap tackled Corey and they landed on the bed in a tangle of limbs and fur. “Bad dog!” Corey laughed as he spit out fur. Seth rubbed his furry belly against Corey’s for a moment, then shifted. On all fours above Corey, he stared into his mate’s eyes. “It’s time, Corey. I know we should probably talk about it, but I don’t want to. I just want to do it. My wolf wants to do it. I want to bind us together. I want to mate you,” he said roughly. For a moment, Corey just stared at him. Then he began to smile, a slow seductive smile that sent heat racing through Seth’s veins. “Then mate me. I want us bound to each other too. There’s nothing to talk about if you want it, and I want it. And the gods know, I want it so bad I can taste it.” Seth kissed him…hard. Their lips scraped over teeth and tongues rushed together. Seth couldn’t remember ever experiencing such a sense of excitement and anticipation. When they completed the act he would be mated. He would never be alone again. You’re not alone now. I’m never letting you go. Fuck me. Bite me. Let’s do this thing. Corey handed him the lube and then began to shove his jeans down. Seth couldn’t look away as every inch of the golden skinned wilding was bared to his appreciative gaze. The jeans were kicked to the floor as Corey stroked his hands up Seth’s arms. Are you sure you’re ready? Seth asked. A wry smiled quirked up Corey’s beautiful mouth. I thought you were Alpha. Where’s all your possessiveness? Did you lose your masculine mojo?
Seth returned his mate’s smile. I’ve not lost anything. I have everything I need right here. He ran a hand down Corey’s chest, his fingers tracing the ridges of his abdomen while studiously avoiding his thickening cock. You’re on thin ice, mister. Corey’s eyes gleamed with arousal. Keep stroking me like that and I’ll come right now, long before you’re ready. It doesn’t matter if you do. I’ll just make you come again. When I’m inside you. Seth raised his brows. And you’ll howl like a wolf with pleasure. Corey burst out laughing. “So I’ll howl like a wolf? Does that mean you’ll hear the trees now as I do?” “Maybe. But it doesn’t matter. I already feel your power, Corey. The power you have over me.” Seth kissed him again, quickly this time. “Be my mate, Corey. Be mine.” The wildling grabbed him by the back of the neck and yanked him down. Their bare chests slammed together. Roughly, they rolled across the bed, nipping and licking and kissing each other. Low growls and moans punctuated the quiet room. Seth tried to get his legs into position so he could flip Corey onto his belly, but the wildling was too strong and kept knocking them away. They tussled, their bodies growing damp with sweat and the pre‐cum that leaked copiously from both their hard cocks. Corey rubbed against Seth provocatively. “Gods, Corey! You fucking tease,” he groaned. “You love it. You love me.” Corey pressed his cock to Seth’s. Do it. Take me. Mate me. I’ll do you, tree whisperer. Seth nipped at Corey’s collarbone then licked his stiff nipple. Make you mine. Seth scrambled with his fingers and found the lube lying on the sheets. He opened it and slicked his palm with the cool gel. Reaching between their bodies he grabbed Corey’s cock, stroking it roughly. They panted loudly and jostled some more on the bed, pushing and shoving each other as they kissed. They were tough, masculine kisses filled with the hard edge of teeth, the rasp of tongues and beards, and a fierceness borne of spiraling excitement. Shoving Corey onto his side, Seth lifted his lover’s thigh and found the tight rosette of his anus. With only a swipe of lube to ease the way, Seth pushed his fingers into Corey. A long, low moan of pleasure escaped the wildling. Love bites, nips and nibbles along Corey’s shoulders gave Seth a taste of his lover. But he wanted and needed more. He needed to release his inner wolf. He needed to fuck Corey in a primal way, giving in to the wolf within his soul. He jerked his fingers from Corey’s anus and pushed his cock against the tight pucker. He rubbed the head there, smearing the lube. A fierce, primitive need to assert himself took hold within him. His mate. His man. His Corey. Now. Forever. Mate him, his wolf howled. With a low growl, Seth thrust. He curled his body around Corey’s, his arms holding his mate still as he pushed harder, his hips powering his cock deep into the wildling. Whimpers of pleasure came from Corey and Seth stared at him. The wildling’s eyes were closed, his face a mask of pleasure so great he almost appeared in pain. More. Give me more, Seth. Make me yours!
The frantic thought seared Seth’s brain and his instincts took over, driving his body. He pressed Corey’s thigh forward as he rocked his hips, thrusting his cock deep into the tightest, hottest ass he’d ever been in. It almost felt as if he’d dipped his cock into molten metal. The heat and friction drove him wild with lust. He’d never treated Corey so roughly before but his wolf held sway and he couldn’t stop himself. He bucked against his mate, thrusting blindly. He held Corey in an iron grip, arms wrapped around him. The sensation of Corey’s body cradled to his chest drove Seth deeper into his mating lust. He licked the thick muscle that ran from Corey’s neck to his shoulder. His mouth filled with the long canines he’d use to bite his lover. Inarticulate sounds of pleasure escaped Corey as he reached for Seth’s hand. Roughly, he shoved Seth’s hand toward his cock. Primal growls rose from deep in Seth’s chest. A red haze of lust overcame him as he fondled Corey’s cock and balls. In the back of his mind, he knew his caresses were too harsh, but he couldn’t help himself. The more forceful he was with Corey, the hotter it made him. Corey put his hand over Seth’s, urging him to pump his cock. Seth complied, his body pinning his mate down as he fucked his ass and stroked his cock with long, hard pulls. And then it happened. Corey went rigid, his ass clamping down on Seth’s cock. Hot pulses of cum erupted onto Seth’s hand. The scent of vetiver, sex, and semen teased Seth’s nose and shattered his control. With a loud howl, he bit down on Corey’s shoulder, his fangs piercing the skin. His mate’s blood splashed onto his tongue. Swiftly, he rubbed his tongue against one sharp fang and cut it. His blood mingled with Corey’s and a wild sensation rushed through him. He heard a whistling sound in his head, whispers he couldn’t quite make out. Power lit him up like a neon sign from the inside out as he came deep in his mate’s ass. He felt like roaring his pleasure and wasn’t sure he hadn’t. He shook violently, his body out of control. The coppery taste of their mixed blood scorched his mouth, burning him. He retracted his fangs, releasing Corey’s shoulder. The whispers in his head lowered to a soothing inarticulate murmur. Seth collapsed on his newly bonded mate so stunned and shocked with sensory overload it didn’t even occur to him he might be crushing Corey with his weight. They lay unmoving for long minutes. The only sound Seth heard was the rapid sough of their breathing. As they gained control over themselves once more and muscles began to respond, they inched apart gingerly. Blood spattered Corey’s shoulder but the wound from Seth’s fangs had already begun to heal. The sheets lay wadded beneath them, the material cum stained and sticky. Their skin clung together adhered with mingled sweat. Seth pulled his cock free of Corey’s ass and let go of his lover’s now softened penis. Gently, they eased into a sitting position. Seth eyed Corey with questions burning in his mind. The wildling opened his mouth to speak then shut it. He tried again, but words wouldn’t come out. Seth began to smile. Finally, Corey smiled too. “I think I’m speechless,” he whispered. Seth cupped the side of his lover’s face, his fingers stroking lightly. “You’re not alone.” Corey’s smiled widened and he laced his fingers with Seth’s cum covered ones. “Not any more. Not ever again.”
“We need a shower, but I don’t know if my legs will work,” Seth admitted with a shaky laugh. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sit tomorrow.” Corey made a face then grinned. “I love it. Rough man sex. Wolf sex. Mating sex. Whatever. It was rough and totally masculine, and I loved it.” Seth raised one eyebrow. “But can your ass handle it?” An affronted expression settled on Corey’s handsome face. “It did. My ass totally took the pounding you gave it.” “I’ll remind you that you said that when you’re sitting on pillows,” Seth teased. They stared at each other for a moment and then Corey sighed. “I’m happy.” Warmth filled Seth. His heart turned over in his chest. “I am too.” With a grimace, Corey pulled away and stood. “Clean up, then bed. I think we both deserve a nap after that.” “Do you feel any different, Corey?” Seth asked curiously as he rose to his feet. The wildling looked thoughtful for a moment. “Not exactly. But I feel power running through me as if I was hooked to an electrical line.” Seth turned toward the bathroom, intent on turning on the shower. However, something outside the bedroom window caught his attention. He strode over and gasped in shock at what he saw outside. Corey’s once neat and tidy yard had become a jungle. Every tree and plant had grown tremendously. “In here too.” Corey’s voice drifted from the bathroom. Seth walked in and found the ivies Corey decorated his bathroom with had tripled in size, their vines filling the room. “What the fuck?” he gasped. Corey came up behind him and nodded. “It’s a wildling thing. If we’re very, very happy, we send out a vibe that makes the plants grow. Most mating sex results in huge plants.” “That’s just freaky.” Seth shook his head. Leaning over Corey kissed him and Seth felt his cock stir. Not that he had the energy to do a damn thing about it. They showered together, changed the sheets, and tumbled into bed. Seth held his new mate close to his heart and listened to the sounds of the trees whispering. He’d never expected to be so happy and content. All it had taken to give him a life was one golden man. A man with a happy, outgoing disposition. One who held him and made him feel good and who left him sunstroked, bathed in the warmth of his mate’s love. With a smile on his face, his mate tucked close to his body, happiness filling every part of him, Seth fell into the deepest most relaxing sleep he’d ever experienced.
Chapter Eight A few days later, after a night spent at his own house, in his own bed, the sound of the doorbell overrode the sound of his mate’s moans of pleasure and filled Seth with the urge to shift and scare off the offender. He yanked on a pair of sweats and strode to his front door, ready to snap off the head of the asshole who dared interrupt his morning in bed with Corey. When he jerked open the door, he blinked in shock, his gaze meeting the hooded gaze of his cousin Alastair. A horrible sense of reverse déjà vu came over him. “The gods are exacting their version of payback, aren’t they?” he muttered. Alastair’s frown deepened, dark brows shadowing his hazel eyes. A hand touched Seth’s shoulder and he turned his head to find Corey standing behind him wearing only a pair of jeans. “Payback?” his mate whispered, one golden brow winging up. Is he your ex or something? Seth snorted. Not at all. He’s my cousin. “I did the same thing when Ruan sent me to bring Sair home. I leaned on Marius’s doorbell at the ass crack of dawn and demanded Sair leave with me,” he explained aloud. Alastair McCallan grimaced. “I’m not you, Seth.” “Thank the gods for that. One Seth is more than enough in this realm,” Corey teased, bumping Seth with his elbow. “I’m not here to bring you home or ruin your…your…” Alastair snapped his mouth shut, his gold‐green eyes blazing with emotion. “Mating?” Corey offered helpfully, a grin teasing his lips. Seth suppressed the urge to burst out laughing as Alastair scowled darkly at them. “I’m not going back to Scotland. The pack is no longer my home. And you, them, and your brother no longer have any influence on me, Alastair McCallan. I don’t care if you or Ruan don’t like my lifestyle. I am what I am and I am happy here,” Seth stated, his words ringing emphatically. Alastair rolled his eyes. “What do ya take me for?” he complained. “I don’t care where ya stick yer dick, man! I’ve known since you grew your short hairs that ya didn’t like women.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just means lots more pussy for me.” Brushing past Seth and Corey, Alastair stepped into the house and unerringly headed for the kitchen. “Have ya no coffee, man?” he whined over his shoulder. “It’s past nine. Even nocturnals are awake at this hour.” Feeling as if he’d stepped into an episode of Saturday Night Live or the Twilight Zone, Seth stared at his mate’s glowing blue eyes. He could tell Corey tried his best to stifle his laughter and suppress his grin. However, he failed dismally and the bright, sunny Corey smile decorated his handsome face. Seth’s heart turned over. He leaned in and snatched a quick kiss from his mate, managing to get in a nip of his lower lip before turning away to follow Alastair into the kitchen.
“Why are you here?” he asked his cousin who had found the coffee and was determinedly filling the filter with grounds. “I’ve left Ruan and the pack. Fuck him. He ran Sair off and then you. I’m done with him and the dragon lady.” Seth would have liked to have been shocked, but he wasn’t. Sadness filled his soul instead. “I’m sorry, Alastair.” His cousin turned on the drip pot and then sighed deeply before dropping into a chair. He gazed up at Seth with angry eyes. “It’s not your fault. Ruan is who he is too. Not gay, but an asshole.” Alastair shook his head. “Something happened to him when our parents were killed, Seth. Sair said he visibly changed as he gazed upon their slaughtered bodies. I dunno if he just went mad or if the pain turned him into a monster with no emotions.” “He refuses to feel because if he does, if his emotions are vested, then his heart will break all over again if the ones he loves are hurt, die, or leave,” Corey said quietly. “His fear of being hurt pushes everyone away until one day he will stand alone and know true pain.” Alastair’s canny eyes gleamed. “Your mate is a smart man, cousin. Too bad he’s not a wolf.” “He can bend the trees and plants to his will, Alastair. He’s a wildling,” Seth told him. “Is he now?” Alastair looked Corey over more thoroughly. “I’ve heard tell they don’t come out from behind the Veil of the Jewel Box.” Corey shrugged. “Most don’t. There’s a few of us traipsing around the Dark Realms though.” Alastair nodded thoughtfully. “He’s a good match for you, Seth. He has strength and happiness in his soul. He’ll keep ya from trippin’ over yer damned dark emotions.” “I’m not depressed anymore. I’m mated now and quite happy thank you very much.” Seth pulled three coffee mugs from the cupboard. “So where are you staying?” His cousin turned placid hazel eyes on him. “Here.” Seth’s brows shot up. “Nice of you to ask.” “I figured it would be better here than with Sair and her biter,” he grunted. “Are ya sure ya like the man?” With a deep sigh, Seth poured the coffee and then he and Corey sat down at the table with his cousin. “I like the man. He’s been good to me. And more importantly, he’s good to Sair.” Alastair sipped his coffee and then sighed with satisfaction. “’Tis good he treats Sair well. She deserves happiness.” He glanced up over the rim of his mug. “You do too. You look good. I like that.” “Thank you. Coming here to California is the best thing I’ve ever done. I have a real home here, family, a mate. It feels right,” he said slowly, knowing every word he uttered had a profound truth behind it. “Seth? Now that we’re mated, what are we going to do with two houses?” Corey murmured, his steel colored eyes glinting in the early morning sun. “Spending two nights a week here and the rest at my house is going to get old, you know.” Seth saw Alastair perk up and somehow knew what was coming despite the fact that it was way too soon to making those sorts of decisions. “I suppose Alastair can stay here and take care of
this house, and I’ll move in with you. This one’s really only a cottage anyway. No yard to run in.” He gestured toward the window where the sun lit up the postage stamp sized yard in the back. “I can run with Sair at her house. I don’t need ta run here,” Alastair said quickly. “I’m adaptable.” Feeling the tiniest bit railroaded, Seth nodded his agreement. “Okay, you can stay here, but you have to help me move my stuff to Corey’s.” “My muscles are your muscles,” Alastair replied with a firm nod of his chestnut brown head. “Ya know, Seth, I think I’m gonna like that you’re mated and out of the closet now. Before, all the girlies were lookin’ at you before they’d look at me. Now, they ain’t gonna pay any attention to ya!” Seth finished his coffee and took the mug to the sink. “I’m going to take a shower. Bring your stuff in, Alastair. The guest room is the first one at the top of the stairs.” He left the kitchen and headed upstairs thinking how odd it was that things had shaken out so quickly and neatly. And painlessly too. No one had been emotional. Everyone had been rational. He went into the bathroom and stripped off his sweats. Oh, now there’s what I like to see. A nice tight ass on a naked man. Seth looked over his shoulder and found Corey leaning against the door frame. A loopy grin curved the wildling’s mouth. Are you just going to look or are you going to help me wash? Corey stepped into the bathroom and popped the buttons on his jeans. They sagged around his hips. He wiggled his ass and the soft, worn denim hit the floor. Big dog need a bath? He grinned at Seth, his eyes filled with humor and lust. Big dog needs his boyfriend to come over here and suck his dick. Corey took on a wounded expression. Seth knew it was bullshit though because Corey’s cock had filled and thickened into an impressive erection. Is that all I am to you? A cocksucker? Seth growled. No. You’re also my bitch when I want to fuck. A wide grin split Corey’s handsome face and he stepped into the shower with Seth. Oh, you are in for it now, girlfriend. For that sexist remark, I may have to turn you around and fuck your tight little ass right here in your pristine white shower. What do you think of that, big dog? Another growl emerged from Seth. I think you’d better get the lube. Corey laughed and dropped to his knees. I’ll use the soap, but first… Soft lips caressed the head of Seth’s penis. He groaned and his hands sought Corey’s head, caressing the silky prickles of his mate’s buzz cut. The hot water beat down on his back shielding Corey from the spray. Delicately, the wildling licked the length of Seth’s stiff cock without taking it into his mouth. The torturous foreplay sent Seth into a hot spiral of lust. Corey had the fine art of teasing down to a science, and he used it on Seth relentlessly, something Seth loved even while he groaned in protest.
Feet braced in a wide stance, Seth watched as Corey’s mobile mouth opened. The length of his cock disappeared into his lover’s mouth, and Seth’s fingers tightened on Corey’s head. He knew his sounds of pleasure grew louder as the hot suction of his mate’s mouth drove him crazy, but he didn’t really care if the shower didn’t drown them out. He didn’t care if Alastair heard him getting off with his mate. This is who he was now, Corey’s mate and lover, and it made him tremendously happy. “Suck me,” he growled, thrusting his hips as Corey’s cheeks hollowed with each glide of his lips along Seth’s hard shaft. I love sucking you. I love the feel of your cock in my mouth, in my throat. I love how it drives you nuts when I tease you, pull your balls and… Shut up, Corey. I’m going to come if you keep talking like that. You like it. You like dirty talk and raunchy man sex. You like it that your cousin knows the truth about you. You’re free now, aren’t you, Seth? “Gods, yes!” he exclaimed aloud, “I love you, Corey.” I love you too, my wolf. Now, shut up and let me make you come. Seth trembled as Corey’s long fingers cupped his balls. His lover’s free hand caressed his thigh, reaching to dig his fingers into the taut muscle of Seth’s buttock. Staring into Corey’s eyes, seeing the love there, the lust, Seth couldn’t hold back. Corey’s fingers stroked over his anus and Seth shuddered, an inarticulate shout of pleasure escaping him as his orgasm hit. His cock jerked as his ejaculate burst forth, filling Corey’s mouth. Watching his lover swallow his cum filled Seth with a sense of fierce satisfaction. He knew that Corey would stand in a few moments. They would kiss. Corey would press his thick erection against Seth and demand entrance to his ass. And Seth knew he would bend forward, thrust his hips back, and take the length of Corey’s cock into his body. He would revel in the sensation of being fucked by his mate while knowing that the act was more than just sex. Corey stood and took Seth in his arms, caressing his back. Seth’s wolf preened, loving Corey’s touch. The wildling smiled, the sun shining gloriously from his face. “It’s not fucking. It’s making love,” he murmured as they stared into each other’s eyes. “It will never be anything else between us.” Seth kissed him, open mouthed, lips slanting over Corey’s, tongues brushing. His chest ached with the emotions welling inside him. Love me, he thought, pushing his wet body closer to Corey’s. I do, Seth. I will. Forever. They clung together with the water falling on them, oblivious to Alastair’s presence in the house, as they reaffirmed their love. And Seth loved every moment of his lover’s possession of his body, knowing it for the physical expression of what now resided in their hearts and souls. ~ * * * ~ Alastair settled into Seth’s cottage as if he’d always lived there. He brushed off Seth’s offer of a job, saying he already had one lined up. He lent his muscles to moving Seth’s stuff into Corey’s
house and seemed genuinely happy his cousin was happy. For Seth’s sake, Corey heaved a sigh of relief that everything had gone so smoothly. Sair had been delighted to have both her boys nearby, and she, Seth, and Alastair set a standing date to run the woods on the Granville land three times a week. Other than Seth keeping what Corey called ungodly hours, their transition to a mated couple went without a hitch. Seth rising at first light made Corey crawl beneath his pillow more often than not, but on occasion he could be roused from sleep that early. Usually by Seth’s hard cock pressing against his ass. After a few weeks went by, Corey stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop. And then it did. On an evening when Seth had gone for a run with Sair and Alastair, Corey sat on the deck munching potato chips and sipping a Boddington’s Ale while checking email on his iPhone. The last rays of the sun speared through his glass catching the golden color of the ale and making it appear like molten metal. As he admired the light effect in his beer, his cell phone rang. A glance at the caller ID showed him Wilson North’s name. With a frown, he answered the call, wondering what Will wanted. “Hey, Will. What’s up?” The rasp of machines met his ear, the sound very like Darth Vader’s breathing. For a moment, fear flickered inside him. Then Will’s voice came on the line, weak and shaky but definitely Will and not James Earl Jones as Vader. “Corey. Hi. I’m not interrupting anything am I?” The lack of breeziness in Will’s voice coupled with the obvious shaking in his tone had Corey’s radar on alert. “No, you aren’t. What’s wrong Will? You don’t sound like your usual self.” A short, pained laugh came through the line. “I don’t suppose I do sound myself,” the vampire said, his tone ironic. “Corey, I’m in the hospital.” Shock thrust Corey bolt upright in his chair, potato chips spilling across the table and onto the deck. “What the fuck? Will, what’s wrong? What happened?” Will sighed, a shuddering sound that chilled Corey to the bone. “I was on my way home from the lodge. A truck lost control coming down the grade. I was in his path.” The fear that had flickered in Corey became a raging torrent. “Geez, Will! Fuck! Tell me you’re okay,” he demanded. Again, Will laughed, the weak, pain‐filled sound tearing at Corey’s emotions. He might love Seth with everything he was but he cared about his friends deeply and Will, despite his status as ex‐lover, was most definitely a friend. “I’m alive and very, very glad that I am.” He paused for a moment, then said in a voice that shook hard, “I almost wasn’t, Corey. I laid there on the pavement, trapped under my car, bleeding out, and I thought I was headed for the Afterworld.” Corey closed his eyes and swallowed hard. The visual from Will’s words ripped at him. No vampire deserved to die from a bleed out. It was supposedly a very painful and wretched death for them because of their race’s innate need for blood. His eyes popped open.
“Tell me you’re okay, Will. Tell me they got to you in time and you’re not calling me from the hospital because you’re dying,” he demanded, completely shaken by the thought of a losing a friend. “I’ll be okay. Maybe not for a few weeks or maybe even months, but I’ll live,” Will assured him. “Look, the reason I’m calling is because I need to ask you something.” “Anything. Do you need me to bring you something? Want me to check on your plants or feed your cat ? You name it, I’ll take care of it,” Corey replied promptly. “Corey, have you mated with Seth yet? You can’t let the situation go unresolved. You two belong together,” Will rasped, his voice urgent. For the second time since he’d answered the phone Corey felt shock ripple through him. Obviously, Seth had told Will about them even though Seth hadn’t known they were mates at the time. And just as obviously, Will put two and two together and came out with the truth. “Don’t let anger or hurt get in the way, Corey. Forgive him for walking out on you. Mate him.” Corey heaved a deep sigh. “I did. We did. Everything is okay, Will,” he said softly. “And you have no idea how much I appreciate you caring.” “You’re a good man, Corey. So is Seth. The two of you deserve to be happy. When I was lying there dying I thought about a lot of things,” Will admitted. “My life hasn’t been focused on what’s important. I’m making changes once I’m out of here. But my friends are important to me too, more than I’d thought. I needed to call and make sure you didn’t waste time over this. Life is too precious. You need to live it now before it’s gone.” “You’re right. And what’s happened to you makes me treasure Seth even more.” Corey paused. There didn’t seem to be any point in dissembling. The truth was the truth. “It makes me treasure you more too, Will. You’re a good friend. It would have been devastating to lose you. I’m glad you’re going to be okay. Now, tell me what hospital you’re in. Seth and I will sneak you in some chocolate.” Will chuckled and Corey grinned, knowing his former lover appreciated him remembering the vampire’s sweet tooth. The spoke for a few more minutes and Will gave Corey the name of the hospital. After that, the vampire’s voice flagged, and Corey cut the conversation short, sensing that Will had worn himself out. By the time Seth got home, Corey had put some cookies and chocolate bars into a zip lock bag for sneaking into the hospital. He’d checked on visiting hours and determined when he and Seth could go by the next day. Will’s words brought home to Corey how much time he and Seth had already lost and how important it was to make each day count. With that in mind, he settled on a plan. ~ * * * ~ The instant Seth walked in the door, Corey pounced on him. “Woah.” Seth grinned, amused at having his arms full of wildling almost before he’d shut the door.
Corey peppered his jaw and throat with kisses, ignoring Seth’s comment. Normally, Corey was the most affectionate man Seth had ever seen, but tonight’s behavior took it a step farther. Seth knew something had happened to trigger the fervor with which Corey held him and touched him. “Slow down, tiger. What the hell happened while I was gone?” he asked, forcibly pushing Corey back a few inches. Pain spilled from steel blue eyes. “I got a phone call from Will.” Instantly, Seth tensed. “Why?” Corey leaned in and kissed the corner of Seth’s mouth. “He’s in the hospital. An out of control truck crashed into him on his way home from Gargoyle Lodge a few weeks ago.” “Shit!” Seth remembered hearing about a bad crash on the mountain, but he’d had no idea Wilson North had been involved. “That was Will? How bad is he?” Corey stared at him solemnly. “Bad enough. He almost died. He’s only now strong enough to use the phone. He called to tell me to mate you and not waste what life has given us.” This time Seth let Corey engulf him in a huge hug. He held his mate tightly, his face pressed to Corey’s neck. They might be immortals but they could be killed under the right circumstances, and a brush with death affected them profoundly. Seth liked Will a lot and considered him a friend despite their inauspicious beginnings. To think of him lying on the side of the freeway dying made him nauseous. “Let’s go upstairs,” he murmured, kissing Corey’s cheek softly. Together, they turned out the lights and locked up the house. When they reached their bedroom, Seth stripped off his clothes. “I need a shower. Running with Sair and Alastair is a serious workout. I can’t smell very good right now.” He stepped into the bathroom. After a quick, hot shower, he walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around his hips. Corey had turned out the lights and opened the blinds to let in the moonlight. On the bedside table, three fat candles gave off a golden glow. And lying on the dark blue sheet was a naked Corey, stroking his already erect cock. “Is all this for me?” Seth questioned, unhitching the towel and letting it fall as he knelt at the edge of the mattress. “It’s always for you, my wolf. Always.” Corey’s eyes glowed with an intensity Seth didn’t see very often. His mate liked things light and fun. He liked it too now he’d shaken off the darkness he’d worn like protective armor for most of his life. But every now and again, they became more serious, and that’s when Seth felt the true depth of Corey’s love for him. Sliding one hand along Corey’s hair roughed calf, Seth eased himself onto the bed. As he reached the hard muscle of his mate’s thigh, Corey shifted. Like the gates of the Afterworld opening before him, Corey’s thighs parted, spreading wide. Seth sucked in a breath as he stared at the hairless scrotum hiding the puckered opening he loved so well. His hands caressed Corey’s hard thighs as knelt between them, his eyes focused on his mate’s thick erection. “I am never so happy to be gay as when faced with your cock,” he murmured to his lover.
Corey chuckled and let go of his dick, sinking his fingers into Seth’s hair. He moaned as Seth leaned forward and licked along his scrotum’s rache and up the underside of his cock. “I’m just happy,” Corey groaned, his hips thrusting upward. As Seth licked the pre‐cum from the tip of his penis, he groaned again. “Really, really happy.” With a laugh, Seth settled his mouth over Corey’s cock. The taste of his lover filled his mouth even as the musky, sex laden scent of him filled his nostrils. In all the time they’d been apart, Seth had not once wanted to suck cock. Deep inside, he knew that intimacy was only for Corey. The very act of having his lover’s penis in his mouth spoke volumes about his trust in the wildling and what they had together. Carefully, he took Corey’s cock all the way to the back of his throat, letting his throat muscles caress the hard flesh. He swirled his tongue, licking and tasting as he sucked. Corey groaned louder and louder. Seth cupped his lover’s tight balls, squeezing them lightly, pulling slightly, his fingertips reaching beneath to brush the sensitive flesh of his anus. “Gods, Seth! I need you to fuck me. I need you inside me.” Corey’s hand scrabbled beneath the pillows and he pulled out the lube. Slowly, Seth eased off the wildling’s cock, sucking and licking his way to the tip. When it slipped from his mouth, he stroked it briefly before reaching for the lube. The gush of the cool gel over his own heated erection just made him harder. Panting, he sat back on his heels. “Turn over,” he ordered gruffly. Without hesitation, Corey turned and got on his knees, presenting Seth with his taut buttocks, his cock and balls swinging heavily as he widened his stance. Seth squirted a glob of lube on Corey’s anus and rubbed it over the pink flesh. Corey buried his face in his arms and moaned, thrusting back toward Seth’s now invading fingers. Fucking his lover slowly with two fingers, Seth prepared Corey to take him. He tossed aside the lube and scooted close to Corey, the head of his cock brushing the wildling’s pucker. He watched the flex of hot flesh as Corey waited to be penetrated. “You tease. Just put it in me!” Corey cried out in frustration. With a grin, Seth thrust. Corey cried out again, but this time in satisfaction as Seth pushed his thick cock into the tight passage. Once seated deeply inside his lover’s ass, Seth leaned over and planted a few kisses on Corey’s spine. “I love you,” he whispered. “I love, love, love you.” He punctuated each “love” with a hot, wet kiss. Then he grasped Corey’s hip in one hand and reached around his thigh to curl his fingers around Corey’s cock. As he stroked into his lover’s ass, he also stroked the erection bobbing between Corey’s thighs. He closed his eyes. The heated passage clutched his cock and he clutched the one in his hand, finding a rhythm that matched both. Intense pleasure spread throughout his body centering with fiery fury in his groin. “Gods! Harder!” Corey moaned, pushing back into Seth’s thrusts. With each subsequent push of his cock into Corey’s ass, Seth felt little spurts of pre‐cum lubricating the passage of his hand along his lover’s erection. Corey’s skin heated, a flush staining his torso. Seth swallowed hard, trying to catch his breath but unable to. His love driven lust had him fucking Corey with relentless thrusts, unable to think, only able to feel.
And then with a strangled cry, Corey came. His cock jerked in Seth’s grasp, cum spurting from the tip. Seth’s rhythm never changed but he could feel the tight clamping of Corey’s muscles on his dick as he pounded into him. The vise like hold on his cock and the feel of hot cum on his hand sent him over the edge. He grunted, thrust, and came, his cum jetting deep into Corey’s body. They collapsed together on the bed, avoiding the wet spot by lucky happenstance. Corey turned his head and kissed Seth. “I could never lose you. Once was enough. I would not survive a second time,” he whispered. Seth tightened his arms around his mate. “If something happened to you, I would follow you to the Afterlife. I couldn’t stay here without you,” he admitted, a little shocked at how intensely he felt about life without Corey. It wasn’t something he could ever do. Not now they’d mated. “Hang on. I’ll be right back,” he said and kissed Corey lightly. He cleaned up in the bathroom and rushed back to find Corey had wiped up the wet spot which was still damp, but no longer sticky. They curled together on one side of the bed, away from the spot. “I want to go see Will tomorrow. He called to tell me to mate you, to not waste any more time. He said life is too precious,” Corey murmured as he pressed against Seth. “It is. You never know what the gods may have in store for you,” Seth agreed. “I don’t remember my parents. Only that they loved me. I’ve always known even an immortal can lose their life and leaving this realm is not what I want right now. Right now, I have you and I could never leave you behind and be happy. Never, Corey.” The moment he said the words, Seth knew his soul belonged with Corey’s, not just his body and heart. That soul deep commitment had him rising up on one elbow. He stared down into Corey’s steel blue eyes. “I want to marry you, Corey.” His words caused Corey’s eyes to widen in shock. “You don’t have to. You mated me.” Seth shook his head. “I want more. I want the other commitment as well. The cultural one. It means something or people wouldn’t do it. I want it with you. Will you marry me?” Bright joy suffused Corey’s handsome face. “Yes. Absolutely. I love you so much.” Seth took Corey in his arms and kissed him, their tongues reaching for each other. They held each other tightly and Seth could sense how right things were between them, how in tune they were with each other. Now, all they had to do was plan a wedding.
Chapter Nine Planning a wedding with a man who wanted to be married but didn’t really want a wedding sucked, Corey thought as he chewed on a pen. For the past few weeks, every suggestion Corey had come up with for their wedding had met with a shake of Seth’s head. He didn’t like any of the venues, the dates, and really didn’t like any of the rings Corey showed him. Dry of ideas, Corey looked at his blank notepad and sighed. Eloping to Vegas was out of the question. Seth’s biggest issue was fuss. He wanted none. Corey got up from his desk and slipped out the back door of the office building into the cemetery. As he paced across the lawns, trying to come up with an idea his mate would like, he found himself near the little stone church where Marius and Sair had wed on the day Corey had met Seth. He stopped and stared incredulously at the quaint building. The answer to his dilemma had been right in front of him, literally, all along. He pulled out his cell phone and called Seth. “What’s up?” his mate asked. “I found the venue!” Corey exclaimed. Seth growled a little. “Not the beach. No way.” Corey laughed. “Okay. How about the church where Marius and Sair married?” Two beats of silence followed his words. Then Seth said, “The one at the cemetery? On the lawn where we met?” A smug grin curved Corey’s mouth. He could tell Seth liked the idea. “That’s the one.” “Book it.” Corey could have danced with joy. “It’s perfect isn’t it?” “Why the hell didn’t we think of it sooner?” Seth’s voice held a note of irony that Corey echoed. “’Cause we’re dumbasses trying to make the event special when really, it just needs to be us and the guy who gets us to say ‘I do’.” A sigh escaped Seth and Corey heard the relief in it. “That’s what I want. You, me, the dude, and our family. Nothing else. No reception. No fuss. And Corey…I think…no rings.” “No rings?” Corey asked as he turned back toward his office. “No. Are you disappointed?” Corey could hear the worry in Seth’s voice. He rushed to soothe him. “Not at all. I’m not a jewelry guy.” “Me either.”
This time the relief in his mate’s voice was palpable. “Was there something else you maybe had in mind in place of rings?” he asked, knowing that Seth did indeed have something in mind. He’d gotten snippets of thought from his mate over the past few days that indicated he wanted something to show they belonged to each other. “You know how dragons have a clan mark that changes when they mate?” Seth asked cautiously. “Yeah. Elysia has one on her shoulder that matches Declan’s. What about it?” “Wolves don’t have anything like that and neither do the fae, but I really like the idea of it. I thought maybe we could get matching tattoos. Sort of like a clan mark. Something that incorporates who we are. A tree or something.” Corey smiled to himself. Seth had really put some thought into his idea. And Corey liked it a lot in spite of the fact he’d never had a tattoo. “I’m up for whatever you have in mind. My skin is yours, babe,” he said with a chuckle. “Are you sure, Corey? It’s permanent. You can’t take it off like you would a ring,” Seth warned. “Trust me, love. I’m good with this. I want the whole world to know I belong to you and you to me. As long as you don’t turn me into the illustrated man, I’m good with a tattoo.” “I wouldn’t want every inch of your skin covered. I love your skin.” Seth’s voice lowered to a seductive growl. “We’ll go over some ideas tonight. Would that be okay?” “Absolutely,” Corey assured him. “Meanwhile, I’ll work on securing the church.” “Perfect. I’ve gotta go, babe, but one last thing…” “Yeah?” “Leave the honeymoon to me. I’ve got it covered,” Seth said smugly. Corey chuckled happily once more. “As long as it includes a lot of time in bed, I’m down with whatever you have in mind.” “Don’t worry, Corey. My mind is a very dirty place and you’ll love what I’ve got cooked up. Trust me.” Corey closed his phone, thinking he did trust Seth. With his happiness, with his life. And thus far, the start of their life together had been damned good with the promise of only getting better. He winked up at the sun, figuratively consigning the darkness he and Seth had both experienced to the past where it belonged. ~ * * * ~ Two weeks later, Seth walked into the office building at Granville Cemetery, looking around at the elegant, but warm interior. The Granvilles had decorated using natural woods and stone, the colors of the décor reflecting the choice with creams, tans, shades of gray, and a touch of sage green. He crossed the flagstone entryway to the reception desk and flashed the receptionist a half‐ smile.
“I’m here to see Corey Green.” The woman’s brows rose a little as she looked him over, taking in his faded jeans, work boots, and untucked black polo shirt. He rocked back on his heels, putting his hands in his pockets and letting her vet him. He watched as her eyes caught the flex of his bicep when he moved his arm. He knew the spiral bands of black tattooed vines showed clearly beneath the sleeve of his shirt. She caught her breath. “You must be Seth Dylan. I’m Marnie,” she told him extending her hand over the countertop of the desk. He pulled his hand from his pocket and shook her hand. “Good to meet you, Marnie.” She smiled at him serenely. “You don’t need to stand on ceremony here. You’re family, so feel free to just go on back to Corey’s office.” She gestured toward an archway. “Take the right side corridor. It’s the first door on the left. Your cousin’s mate is at the end of the hall.” Seth grinned broadly. “Is Big Fang in today?” Marnie returned the grin. “Yes, but it’s golfing day so he’ll be leaving soon to meet Sean Antaeus and Alfred Stone. Oh, by the way, congratulations.” Offering the receptionist a murmured thanks, Seth turned down the hallway she’d indicated. The first door on the left didn’t have a name on it, but he pushed it open anyway. Steel blue eyes met his. Happiness rushed through him and his cock stirred. Corey chuckled as he rose from his desk, coming around the end of it to step into Seth’s personal space. “Oh baby, you are a sight for sore eyes,” he murmured teasingly as he slid his arms around Seth’s waist. Seth raised a brow at him. “You saw me five hours ago at breakfast.” “Five hours is too long. A man could waste away from need in five hours.” Corey sighed dramatically. “I keep telling Eden that and she keeps telling me I have no stamina,” quipped Colin from an open doorway. “Hey, Colin,” Seth greeted the vampire with a smile as he hugged Corey with one arm. “You look good, man. Being mated agrees with you.” Colin gestured toward Corey with a tilt of his head. “Have you come to drag my assistant to lunch?” Corey made a rude sound and looked over his shoulder at Colin, rolling his eyes comically. “He’s come to make lunch out of me,” he corrected. A laugh escaped Colin. “Well, don’t let me keep you newlyweds from your lunch hour amours.” He wiggled his brows suggestively before turning back to his office. “Just don’t forget I need that speech done before you go home, Corey.” “I won’t forget.” Once Colin had gone, Corey leaned in and kissed Seth briefly on the lips. “I wasn’t kidding about lunch,” he murmured. Seth caught his mate’s wandering hands just before they delved beneath the waistband of his jeans. “Oh, I know you weren’t. But we have something to do in the park so let’s get out of here.”
When they stepped outside into the sun, Seth caught Corey’s hand, hooking the first two fingers of his right hand with Corey’s. They walked across the cemetery toward the church, hands swinging slightly with the movement of their hips but their entwined fingers never broke apart. A week earlier, they’d had a very small wedding in the cemetery’s church, the same church where Sair and Marius had married on the day Corey and Seth met. They both sported their new tattoos, matching tribal vines swirling from shoulder to elbow with a stylized wolf in the center. Their vows had been the most important thing to either of them and speaking the words of commitment in front of the officiant and their family had meant the world to them. Their guest list consisted of Marius and Sair, Colin and Eden, Elysia and her husband Declan, and Alastair. Instead of a reception, they’d had a barbeque at Marius and Sair’s house. For a honeymoon, Seth had surprised Corey with a weekend spent at Gargoyle Lodge eating S’mores in bed. Seth couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to cap their wedding. Now, after the dust of the festivities had settled, they’d come to the cemetery to the place where they’d met. They sat on the bench beneath the trees and listened to the whispering sounds of the oaks and willows as they reacted to Corey’s presence. “You know, I never thought I’d get married.” Seth squeezed Corey’s fingers. “I actually never thought about it at all,” Corey admitted. “I mean, a lot of people don’t. When there are mating bonds and those bonds are more important than anything else, speaking a clutch of words in front of a priest doesn’t have much weight.” “I know what you mean. But it meant something to me that we did this.” Seth turned his head and kissed Corey softly. “I look at Holden Antaeus and his mate and I know they aren’t married, but their mating bond is one of the strongest I’ve ever seen. They’ve spoken words between them that mean as much if not more than a ceremony.” Corey nodded. “I agree. I’ve rarely seen a closer couple.” “Aside from us, of course,” Seth teased with a chuckle. A shadow passed over Corey’s face. “But it took losing me and finding you for us to get here. It wasn’t pretty and I cherish what we have so much more because I understand the fragility of relationships now. I didn’t the day we met.” “You understood this.” Seth pulled Corey’s hand to the crotch of his jeans where his cock had begun to swell beneath the denim. “Horn dog,” Corey muttered, but stroked Seth just the same. Pulling away, Seth stood up, glad the low hanging branches hid them from the rest of the cemetery. He yanked his shirt over his head, kicked off his foot gear and shoved his jeans down. Commando beneath the denim, his cock sprang free and Corey’s eyes lit up with lust. In moments, Seth had shifted and his wolf circled the bench yipping at Corey. The big, bad black wolf. Corey laughed aloud. I should have worn red. Then you could have eaten Little Red Riding Hood. The color of your shirt doesn’t matter. I’ll eat you just the same, my mate. Seth bumped his head against Corey’s thigh. The wildling reached out and sank his fingers into Seth’s fur, stroking him with rough caresses. Just as quickly as he’d shifted to his wolf form, Seth shifted back, grabbing Corey’s hand and pulling him down onto the grass.
“Hey! I don’t need grass stains on my work clothes,” he laughed. “I still have a speech to write today.” Seth nuzzled Corey’s neck, breathing in the scent of vetiver that marked the wildling as his mate. “Take the clothes off or there will be more than grass stains on them,” he growled, tugging at Corey’s belt. Laughing softly, they both divested Corey of his clothes. Then Seth pushed his mate back on the grass. “The day we met you gave me more pleasure than I’d ever known before right here on this spot. A week ago here in this cemetery, you made my life complete by marrying me,” Seth murmured against Corey’s throat. “Today, I want to show you the darkness is gone. Your heat, your sun has driven it from my soul and I lie here before you the man I am supposed to be. Unafraid of my sexuality. Unafraid of my need for you. This is who I am, Corey Green and I love you. In sun or shadow.” Deep emotion colored Corey’s eyes as he sank his fingers into Seth’s hair. “I love you too, Seth Dylan. I will always love you. We’ve had our time of darkness and stepped into the light together. That’s all I ever wanted. Us together.” Smiling into each other’s eyes, their lips met in a deep kiss of fulfilled love and as their bodies cleaved together, the trees above them whispered. The branches moved, lowering to shield the lovers from the eyes of any who might pass by as they honored their commitment to each other in the same manner as they had that very first day beneath the trees.
Epilogue McCallan House Scottish Highlands “He’s not there.” Ruan McCallan spun on the balls of his feet and met the cool amber gaze of his mate. “What do you mean? He was due back from London today.” Diandra Antaeus McCallan shook her dark head. “He sent me a text earlier. Instead of a plane to Edinburgh, he hopped a plane for Los Angeles.” Pain ripped through Ruan, but he ruthlessly contained it, letting it fuel his fury. “He can never come home then,” he growled as he paced across his younger brother Alastair’s room. He grabbed a trophy from atop the dresser. His big hand curled around it, crushing the metal easily. Then he flung it across the room. It crashed into the wall with such force it broke the drywall, sending a chunk hurtling to the carpet along with the mangled trophy. “He is dead to me now.” For a moment, his mate said nothing. When she spoke, her voice held a cold, harsh note he’d never heard from her before. “Everyone is dead to you, Ruan. Your sister, your brother, your cousin. They might as well have been ripped to shreds just like your parents and your aunt and uncle.” Ruan stared at the woman he loved, his wife and mate, and saw none of the heated emotion that usually graced her beautiful features when she looked at him. Instead, he saw icy cold resolve. The lust that always arced between them seemed to have disappeared as well. Fear licked at his soul and as usual when he felt an emotion he categorized as weak, he turned it into anger. “You dare speak of them?” he howled, his rage bringing forth his wolf in a rush of preternatural power. Diandra nodded slowly, the black silk of her hair spilling over her slender shoulders. “I do.” She pushed away from the door frame she leaned against, her posture becoming ramrod straight, her full height nearly matching his. “You could not help your parents. You couldn’t control what happened. You couldn’t stop it nor change it. By the time you arrived, they were gone and you could not bear the pain.” Diandra’s gaze bore into his, unrelenting and fierce. “But what you’ve done to Sair, Seth, and Alastair didn’t have to happen. You didn’t have to lose them, Ruan.” “They do not wish to be McCallans. They do not wish to live with the pack and be one of us,” he snarled, his wolf pushing closer to the surface because of his anger. “You’re wrong. They did want to be here. They withstood your unreasonable demands for many years because they loved you, and they loved it here.” She shook her head again. “You
chased them away because you refuse to see them as they truly are. You refuse to let them live their own lives. You refuse to let them love you, and you refuse to love them back. You have to control everything including the emotions of everyone around you.” Ruan stared at his wife, shocked to the core at the words she threw at him like daggers, words that wounded his heart. Not that he’d never admit or submit to the pain. “You dare speak to me like this? You are my mate. Mother of my children. I rule this clan and that includes you and my sons!” “No. It doesn’t, Ruan. Not anymore. I let you rule me all these years because I believed that one day the love we share would soften your need to control me.” Sadness flickered in her amber eyes, but then they hardened once more. Again, fear wrapped itself around him. He struggled to shake it off, but it got a toehold inside him and wouldn’t let go, growing with every word his mate spoke. “I was wrong. You cannot love me as I love you. You cannot love anyone. You won’t let yourself love,” she hissed angrily. “I won’t subject my sons to this kind of existence with a father who cannot show them love. You chased away your own brother and sister. You did the same to your cousin Seth. You treated them cruelly by not listening to them, by brushing aside their wants and desires as if they didn’t matter. Only your wants and desires mattered.” “I love you. You know I love you!” he shouted. “You don’t show it, Ruan. Not any more. Not to me nor the twins. And I’m done with living this way. You are so afraid if you love someone you will experience pain when you lose them. Well, guess what? By refusing to love us, you’ve chased us all away,” she told him boldly. “What are you talking about?” He crossed the room toward her only to have her back away from him into the hall. Despite her retreat, she showed him no fear, only a steely resolve. “I’m leaving. I’ll file for divorce when I get home to California. You can have everything exactly as you want, Ruan. You won’t lose anyone because there will be no one left for you to lose.” The coldest fear he had ever felt, colder even than the fear and pain he’d experienced upon seeing his parents’ mangled bodies, crept through him. Lose Diandra? Lose his mate? Divorce? No! It could not happen! “We’re mated. You cannot leave me,” he asserted arrogantly. “Watch me.” She turned and walked away from him. Anger and fear propelled him forward, his wolf in control as he caught her arm in a bruising grip. Before his eyes, the woman he’d loved for years became a fierce adversary. Her pupils elongated and beneath his fingers he could feel the ripple of her skin. He glanced down and saw black scales emerge. Smoke rolled from her flared nostrils in a thick cloud. “Take your hands off me or I’ll shift right here, Ruan. You may be a wolf, the Alpha, but you cannot best a dragon,” she growled, her voice deeper than he’d ever heard it. “All these years, I stayed by your side because it was my choice. Not yours. I am a dragon. You cannot chain me. You do not have that kind of power. You held me because I wanted you to. And now I do not want it anymore.”
She pulled her arm from his grasp, and he felt the enormous physical power she wielded. Her form shimmered for a moment and he wondered if she would shift to her dragon form anyway, despite the fact he’d let go. “Diandra, please. My sons…You cannot do this,” he pleaded roughly, the words sounding rusty and grudging even to himself. “Like I said, watch me.” She turned away from him and marched down the wide carved wood staircase that graced the four hundred year old house. He heard the front door slam and the roar of a car engine. Moments later, the cold fear inside him became an icy despair as his mate left McCallan land. Loud growling rose from the center of his chest and became a preternatural roar that shook the beams of the old house. He sank to knees, pain ripping him with red hot pincers and claws. He roared once more and the walls shook, knocking a mirror to the floor with a resounding crash. Silence fell. No one came to investigate the roars or the crash. For years, Ruan had told himself he needed no one. And now, that resolve would be put to the test. Everyone had gone. Ruan McCallan was alone. To be continued in Thunder and Myth, Tales of the Darkworld Book 8
About the Author Lex has been writing stories and poems ever since she could hold a pencil. A few years ago, she got caught up writing in an online paranormal serial story. The story was very intense and a challenge to her writing skills. As she began to write more and more, fans of the story and her blog readers began to encourage her to submit her writing. Lex lives in Orange County, California with her long haired musician husband and her teen aged daughter. Lex loves loud music, reading hot stories, reading her friends’ blogs and hanging out with them, enjoys building her own computers, and has a propensity for having very weird vivid dreams about Nikki Sixx. Author Website –http://www.lexvalentine.com Series Website: http://www.talesofthedarkworld.com Author Blog – http://www.sunlightsucks.com
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Tales of the Dark World Book 1: Shifting Winds by Lex Valentine Chapter One The huge vase of tulips hid the face of Granville Cemetery’s receptionist as she carried the flowers into the elegant office of the Chief Financial Officer. At least they weren’t red roses, Elysia thought as Marnie set the vase on the corner of the rosewood executive desk, pushing it closer to Elysia’s morning cup of coffee. “You’d think they’d be roses,” the receptionist sniffed, unknowingly echoing her boss’s thoughts. “You’re the CFO here, Miss E. You deserve the best.” A choked chuckle emerged from one of two leather wingback chairs across the desk from Elysia. Marnie stepped closer to the occupied chair and swatted the tall blonde man on the back of the head. “That’s what you deserve, Mr. Colin. You’re always in here bothering her. Don’t you ever work?” she hissed at him sarcastically before walking out. The door shut softly behind her. Instead of smirking at the way their receptionist goaded her younger brother, Elysia turned an evil look on Colin. “Don’t say a word,” she ground out, shifting her glare from her sibling to the card peeking from between a couple of purple tulip buds. “Obviously, you know who they’re from without opening the card,” Colin observed. “Yeah, I know who sent them.” Elysia snatched up the card before Colin leaned over the desk and grabbed it. She stared at the expensive vellum, afraid to open the small envelope and have the sender confirmed. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Leather creaked as Colin sat forward in his chair. “C’mon, Lys. You always tell me your secrets. I never spill them to Marius.” Elysia winced at the mention of their older brother. The last thing she needed was for Marius to find out about the flowers. Not that Colin would tell. She always confided in him and he always kept it to himself. If not for Colin, she probably would have died of stress years ago. She had difficulty keeping her emotions bottled up inside her. This time, what bothered her was something Marius would want to know… and exploit. And since it was something intensely personal, Elysia didn’t want Marius to have even the tiniest inkling. “Lock the door,” she muttered grimly, turning the small cream‐colored envelope over in her hands. She recognized the florist. They were the best in the county. “I can’t have Marius walk in on this conversation.” Colin shot out of his chair with lightning fast reflexes that were a blur to human eyes. Fortunately, Elysia was no more human than Colin. In the blink of an eye, he returned to his chair, his mouth quirked in a grin that showed off the white points of his fangs. He must really be excited to hear her gossip if his fangs were out. “So where were you last night?” he asked. “Is it related to the flowers?” Elysia nodded. “I went to the Undertaker’s Ball.”
Colin’s dark blue eyes widened. “You’re shitting me. You really went to that thing?” She sighed and ran a hand through her long honey blonde hair. “Yes. Marius bugged me about it for a solid week. I agreed to go just to get him off my back. I don’t know why he couldn’t have sent you. I’m sure you would have enjoyed it much more than me. You like dressing up on Halloween.” Colin laughed. “Of course, I do. I find it ironic to dress as Dracula or Nosferatu on Halloween. Last night, I did Nosferatu. I was scarier than Max Schreck, but that skull cap thing itched. And I had trouble getting the makeup off.” Elysia cocked an eyebrow up as her brother ruffled his dark blonde curls. She noticed tiny little bits of latex and glue in his hairline along with faint smudges of grey white makeup. “You’ve still got some on your face. Go upstairs and use that stuff Callie has in the prep room,” she said. “That will take it off.” Colin nodded absently, his envious eyes on her coffee cup. “Yeah, I planned on it, but I had to stop here first to find out where you disappeared to last night. It’s not like you to miss my Halloween party.” He shook his head. “I can’t believe you went to the Undertaker’s Ball. For one, it’s an industry thing. You don’t like industry events. For another, I can’t believe you caved in to Marius. You never do.” “I know. I know. Believe me; I hadn’t intended to give in.” Elysia sat back in her chair, placing her hands flat on the leather blotter on her desk. She stared at her long fingers for a moment, their plain unadorned expanse, short oval nails, uncolored, unexciting… except that last night they had been excited… in a frenzy of touching… She jerked her mind away from those thoughts and looked up, meeting her brother’s eyes. “Declan Antaeus was there.” She said the words casually and watched her brother’s eyes widen. “Really?” Colin sat forward a little. “Did he talk to you about business? Marius said he’s been angling for a meeting for six months.” “We didn’t talk about work much,” she mumbled, thinking they hadn’t talked much at all. “So what did you go as?” Elysia rolled her eyes. “Elvira. I know, I know. Predictable and boring, but you should have seen Declan. He was worse.” Colin began to laugh. “Oh, no. He didn’t. Tell me he didn’t.” Elysia nodded. “He did. It was an obvious choice for a man of his height, but still, coming as the Grim Reaper was totally predictable and dull.” She smiled at her brother as she recalled Declan stalking through the crowds dressed in the long black robe. “He was the only Reaper too.” Colin snorted derisively. “Of course. Everyone else had more creative costumes, didn’t they?” “Yes. He and I were probably the most boring costumes there, barring Alfred in a white sheet,” she told him with a reminiscent smile. “You’re kidding. Alfred Stone wore a white sheet?” Colin’s eyes danced with laughter at the thought of the head of the Funeral Director’s Guild dressed as a ghost in a plain white sheet. “He did. And he had that same shiny black suit on underneath. You know, the one you call his undertaker’s suit.”
The two of them laughed at the old‐fashioned way of dressing that Alfred Stone of Stone Mortuary Services had cultivated. Alfred was a techie. He loved all things technology based, but when it came to clothes, he always looked like an undertaker from 1900. Elysia usually loved talking to Alfred because she was the computer geek at Granville Cemetery and they had a lot in common. However, she didn’t like industry events. At least, not since she’d been rather spectacularly dumped by Alfred’s brother Austin at the Darkworld’s annual Funeral Director’s convention three years ago. That experience taught her that the immortal world was just as hungry for gossip as the human world. Their hunger meant no one ever forgot the most humiliating and painful moment of her life. Colin let out a sigh, his eyes meeting Elysia’s. “So the tulips are from Declan Antaeus?” “I think so.” She opened the card that lay on her desk. You are so much more beautiful than these flowers, but the texture of their petals reminded me of your skin. Dinner tonight? You and me and that gorgeous skin of yours… I’ll call you. Declan Elysia sucked in a shaky breath. The man definitely had a way with words. Her heart pounded so hard that she wondered if Colin could hear it. He stared at her with an arrested expression. “Holy shit, Lys. Don’t tell me you slept with Declan Antaeus!” he said in a low, astonished voice. Her lips tightened in annoyance. “Okay, I won’t.” Colin flopped back in his chair, his expression concerned. “What possessed you to do such a thing?” “Oh, I dunno, Colin. Hormones?” she quipped, her words just a touch angry. Her irritation grew. Colin acted as if she’d done something completely out of character. Declan Antaeus wasn’t the first man she’d had a one night stand with, and he probably wouldn’t be the last either. Although, as far as Colin knew, he was the first man she’d been with since Austin had dumped her three years before. Maybe that was what had Colin’s briefs in a bunch. Luckily, the two other quick encounters she’d had in the last year hadn’t been with anyone her brothers knew. “Declan is a good looking man,” she admitted with a nonchalant shrug. “He’s a freaking shifter, Lys. A dragon. Not one of us.” Colin’s words were exasperated. She gave him a sour look from her violet eyes. “I never realized what a prejudiced snob you are,” she said stiffly, still wondering where her brother’s weird attitude came from. She’d never noticed that he disliked dragons before. Colin ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the golden curls. “I’m not! I swear I’m not. It’s just that Marius has this fucked up notion that the reason Declan wants to meet with him is that Antaeus International intends to suck us up.” Elysia’s eyes widened in surprise. Antaeus International was a huge conglomerate. They bought all of the little mom and pop mortuary and cemetery operations they could get their hands on. Afterward, they turned them all into highly profitable cremation based ventures. Granville Cemetery was very old and catered to the elite in the vampire world. They offered cremation, but vampires tended to not go that route. There was something about being reduced
to a pile of ash that vamps didn’t care for. They were influenced by too many cheesy movies about the undead, Elysia thought wryly. “So Marius thinks AI is after us?” she asked aloud. Colin nodded. “He said the only reason Declan would want a meeting is because AI wants to buy us out.” Her brother frowned ferociously. Obviously, Colin didn’t favor the idea of being bought out. She didn’t either, but unlike Colin, who rarely stuck his head into anything related to financials, she knew that the company’s fiscal strength would withstand any buyout attempt by AI. However, she now wondered if Declan’s plans for Granville Cemetery had fueled his easy acquiescence to her come on last night. She bit her lip. Colin, seeing her expression and knowing her better than anyone, leaned forward and grabbed her hand. “I’m sure that’s not why he slept with you, Lys,” he said gently. “Every man in the Funeral Director’s Guild, married or single or gay, wants to fuck you.” Elysia smiled. Colin exaggerated, but not by much unfortunately. It was one of the reasons Marius dealt with industry stuff instead of her, even though finance was her area. The fact that men didn’t take her business acumen seriously had always been annoying in the past. For some reason, last night at the Undertaker’s Ball, she just hadn’t cared. She’d wanted to find someone who could take away the ache in her gut and Declan Antaeus fit the bill perfectly. Now, however, she had to figure out what to do about him. Obviously, he wanted to continue on from where they’d left off, but Elysia just wanted to forget it happened. “It’s hard to fake a hard on,” she joked. “I’m pretty sure he wasn’t thinking about mergers last night.” Colin let go of her hand and sat back, looking at the tulips. “Did you go to his place?” Elysia made a face. “Yeah, after the first time.” Her brother’s eyes registered shock. “Don’t tell me you fucked him in the cemetery, Lys. That’s just… just…” “Too Halloween‐ish even for you?” Elysia’s expression turned wry. “Well, yeah.” Colin let out a deep sigh. “I know you don’t listen to my advice very often, but Lys, have you thought about what you’re getting into here? Declan Antaeus isn’t the kind of guy you just have fun with.” “No worries, Colin. I’m not seeing him again.” Now, Colin gazed at her stupefied. “You’re completely off your rocker, Elysia. You want a one nighter, but you pick up the man least likely to be interested in one? On top of that, the man is interested in buying us out. He’s ruthless, dear sister, with a reputation for always getting what he wants. And you’ve now stepped right into his cross hairs. This is not going to go well.” Elysia bit back a sigh. She had a bad feeling that Colin was right. She glanced down at the card again and suppressed a shiver. She looked up into Colin’s worried midnight blue eyes. She loved him to death, but she needed to think without the distraction of his questions and concerns. She pushed the vase of tulips toward him. “Put that in the small visitation room,” she ordered. “That old vamp is in there. The one with no family.” Colin’s voice sounded puzzled.
“Exactly. No one sent any flowers. He pre‐paid for his visitation and service and no one’s come. Put the flowers in there. It won’t look so sad then,” she explained. Her brother got up and picked up the vase. “You’re making a big mistake with Declan Antaeus,” he warned her as he strode to the door. “You have no idea what I’m going to do, Colin.” Colin snorted in disgust. “Doesn’t matter what you do. It’s all a mistake. There is no winning with a man like him. Mark my words.” After Colin left, Elysia spun around in her chair, to gaze out the window at the expanse of green grass marked with upright tombstones. She didn’t want to replay the night before, but after her conversation with Colin it was inevitable…
Tales of the Darkworld Book 2: Hot Water By Lex Valentine Available Now from Pink Petal Books
Chapter One Eden walked into Carpe Noctem wearing a short black dress and thigh high boots. The outfit, along with her long shaggy ‘scene’ haircut, made her seem nearly as young as the crowd that filled the trendy vampire themed nightclub. In truth, as an immortal, she looked younger than her actual years, appearing to be in her late twenties. Her tight, sexually provocative clothing had been chosen to aid the illusion of youth. Trolling was tough business. Eden knew this from experience. With throngs of beautiful young things packing the clubs, finding someone to fuck could be a major undertaking if you didn’t do something to set yourself above all the other immortals. Everyone wanted to get laid and available partners could be in short supply, especially when it came to vanilla sex. Despite what her older brother Sean thought, she figured her luck would hold better in the vampire bar than the ones she usually frequented. The cheesy vampire paraphernalia, the coffins, stakes and bats couldn’t disguise the club’s sophistication or fun factor. A sea of people, mostly humans dressed as vampires and true immortal Acerbian vampires, filled the club. Proving Sean wrong when he said the “Queen of Kink” would never go to Carpe Noctem, would give her immense satisfaction. Ignoring the snarl that begged to get out whenever she thought of her elder brother, Eden turned toward the neon lit bar. She needed a drink before she contemplated the choice of partners offered by the club’s patrons. As she elbowed herself a space at the end, her nose twitched. The scent of vanilla filled her senses, and her dragon suddenly itched to break free. Holy shit. Who the hell would walk into a social meat market smelling so innocent? The smell came from her right. She wriggled in the tight quarters, trying to turn. Based on the sweet scent, she expected to see a woman. Instead, she found a tall man with midnight blue eyes smiling down at her.
“You just go right on trying to move,” he quipped. “I’m enjoying it tremendously.” Eden’s eyes narrowed. Every time she moved, her body rubbed up against his. Her hip dug into his groin and she could feel a slight telltale swelling there. Despite the fact that the man smelled all girly like a sugar cookie, the bulge held promise. She sniffed again. Sweet smelling. Smiling easily. No display of arrogance. A mellow and amused expression, eyes dancing with humor. Beta. He had to be. Her dragon stretched inside her, urging her to take him. “Oh, really?” She raised one brow and wriggled against him again. The size of the ridge against her hip increased. Oh, yeah. He just might work out after all, she thought as she realized his more than adequate proportions weren’t fully erect yet. He nodded, his dark blue eyes gleaming as they raked over her from the top of her raven head to the tips of her designer boots. “Of course, we’d both enjoy it a lot more naked in my bed,” he told her candidly. Eden’s pupils elongated as Blue Eyes roused her dragon. The scent of vanilla intensified. “You don’t believe in wasting time, I see.” She turned, deliberately rubbing against him, breast to chest. In her boots, she almost matched his height. He quirked a dark blond brow at her. “And you do? You can’t tell me that the dragon in you isn’t clawing to get at my cock.” Eden began to smile. He might not be a dragon, but he obviously knew them intimately. Good. One less thing she’d have to train him on. “You’re a bold young thing, aren’t you?” He laughed. “I’m not as young as you think.” His smile revealed vampire fangs. She pondered the fangs for a moment. People often pretended to be vampires at Carpe Noctem. He could well be one of the wannabes. After all, she’d never met a vampire who smelt of vanilla before. Usually, the real ones smelled of blood. He didn’t smell like a human either though. That vanilla scent masked his true nature and it annoyed her a little. He shifted his hips against her and the hard ridge of his cock bumped against her belly. Her dragon poked her with its claws. Her thong grew damp as she rubbed against his erection. She finally decided he must be a real immortal, an Acerbian vampire. “I just have a feeling I’m older than you. Indulge me,” she said. “I like being a cougar.” She reached down and boldly stroked the front of his jeans. His engaging smile widened. “I’ll be teacher’s pet, I promise,” he joked. Her eyes narrowed. “Not a bad game. Have you been bad today? Do you need a spanking?” As the words fell from her lips, she could have kicked herself. Tonight was supposed to be about vanilla sex, not toys or fetishes. However, the blond man just shrugged. “I’d rather just fuck you. All that other crap isn’t necessary for me. As you can tell, I’m pretty much good to go.”
His eyes gleamed preternaturally, answering her earlier questions about his status as an immortal. One hand cupped the side of her face, the long elegant fingers sliding into her dark hair. Angling his head toward hers, he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. An electric tingle went through Eden’s body and her dragon came rushing to the surface of her skin. When he deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue, she sighed into his mouth. His free hand slid over her hip and curved over her taut buttock. She rubbed herself against him again as that sugar cookie scent grew stronger. Lifting her arms, she draped them over his broad shoulders, feeling the hard muscle and bone beneath his silk shirt. He sucked on her tongue and heat pooled deliciously between her thighs. Gods, he was hot! “You know, at your ages, you should really get a room,” a snarky voice spoke behind Eden. The blond man lifted his head, his expression tinged with annoyance that only lasted a moment. Recognition bloomed in the midnight blue depths of his eyes and his lips twitched into a smile. “Hey, I know you. You’re…” “Karl with a K… that elf with the internet gossip show… yeah, yeah,” the elf said with a sarcastic laugh. “Everyone knows me, kid. Especially here.” Eden turned and looked at the man on the bar stool behind her. He had a half empty glass of Guinness in front of him and a bowl of bat‐shaped pretzels. His grey‐green eyes stared at her unblinkingly from behind wire‐rimmed glasses. She frowned. “You’re immortal. Why are you wearing glasses?” Karl gave her a look that would have withered most people. “I’m told wearing glasses gives you character. Since I don’t have any character, I figured I’d manufacture some,” he drawled. Her blond hunk openly grinned now. Apparently, he found Karl’s snarky sarcasm amusing. “I watch your show all the time. You have plenty of character. You’re funnier than all the shows on TV.” “Tell that to my producer. He bitches daily that he’s gonna fire me.” Karl took a sip of his ale. “I meant what I said, you know. Get a room. All this grinding and humping is for the kids who got nowhere to go. You two are obviously old enough and wealthy enough to afford the room. So go there and grind. I don’t like having to protect my drink from elbows that are in the throes of lust,” he complained. Mr. Sugar Cookie Scent chuckled. “Sure, Karl. Nice meeting you.” He took hold of Eden’s elbow. Karl raised one brow at them. “We haven’t been formally introduced, but I know who you are. And more importantly, I know who you are,” he said, his eyes landing on Eden with a wicked gleam. She opened her mouth to tell him to shut up when he waved a hand at her in a shooing motion. “I’m not telling. Names or lack of them is strictly between you two grinders. Now, would you mind letting me get back to my drinking here? Fucking horny immortals,” he grumbled, turning away from them. The blond man pulled her away from the bar toward the exit. “Where to?” he asked as they stepped out onto the street.
A cab whooshed up to the curb beside them and she opened the door, getting in. The blond man followed her. She gave the cabbie the name of a posh hotel on Park Avenue. As the cab took off, the blond man smiled. “From out of town? Me too.” Eden shrugged. “I’m here more than anywhere else. I travel almost constantly for work so I don’t have a permanent place to live unless you count a dozen boxes of crap at my brother’s house,” she said in a dismissive tone. “I can’t imagine not having a home. I’m from the west coast myself.” Tall, blond, and vanilla’s chatty behavior started to annoy her so she slid her hand up his jean‐clad thigh and squeezed his half hard dick. It responded instantly to her touch. She smiled at him, her curved dragon fangs showing. He sucked in a breath, his hand coming up to cup her breast. “I gather you’re not much for chitchat,” he said, his thumb teasing her nipple through the soft material of her dress. “Nope,” she replied. Naturally reticent, when her horny dragon raged, she was even less inclined to words. Only action of a sexual nature would calm the beast inside her. “Just looking for some vanilla sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.” “Well, just in case you feel the urge to shout my name later, it’s Colin,” he said and grabbed her by the back of the head. Shock rippled through Eden as he held her firmly. He kissed her deeply, ravaging her mouth with the kind of kiss she’d expect from an Alpha, not a Beta like Colin. If his kiss hadn’t completely overwhelmed her and made thinking next to impossible, she would have wondered if she had pegged him wrong. Where his kiss had been leisurely before, now it burned hot and urgent, demanding a response from her rather than accepting what she doled out to him. Abruptly, he let her go. Her chest heaved as she sucked in great gulps of air. Colin’s eyes glinted enigmatically at her in the dim light of the cab. “You gotta be more careful about judging a book by its cover,” he growled. She blinked. He looked at her with a feral light in his eyes. Ho‐ly shit. She’d never misjudged an Alpha before. Of course, her familiarity with vampires fell far below that of dragons and fae men. She’d always been rather skittish around vamps. All that biting and blood sucking… Colin took her chin in his hand, forcing her to meet his gaze. The midnight blue irises glowed preternaturally again, and she could feel the steely strength in his long elegant fingers. “You’re lucky I’m a nice guy and all I want is to fuck your pretty pink pussy,” he whispered. “Walking into a vampire club and making snap judgments about my kind can get you drained, despite the fact that you’re a dragon.” Her eyes widened a little. He smiled then, and the sunny, amusing persona he’d displayed at the club, the persona that had shouted Beta to her, snapped back into place. “You are going to let me fuck your pretty pink pussy, aren’t you?” he asked as his fingers turned from steel to silk, sliding warmly across her skin. Eden nodded. Several strands of her raven hair caught in the golden stubble that covered his jaw. His vanilla, sugar cookie scent grew stronger and she realized his arousal intensified it. The more aroused he became, the stronger the scent grew. The sweet smell flooded her entire being, making her mouth water. She wondered what he tasted like…
In a split second, the dragon within her roared to life. She pushed Colin against the back of the cab’s seat and kissed him hard, her lips and tongue sucking urgently at his. The heat and depth of the kiss pushed her arousal up several notches. It had been a long time since a man had affected her so strongly, and never had one’s scent overpowered her as Colin’s did. Potent and distinctive, she would have been able to find him in a crowd of thousands at Madison Square Garden. Definitely something to remember if she ever had to hunt for him. Colin’s hands slid up under the hem of her mini dress, his fingers digging into her ass. She rubbed herself against him and he rewarded her with another growl. Pure sex emanated from the sound, with none of the male fierceness that had colored it previously. The sound skittered along her nerve endings, reaching her inner dragon and rousing the beast’s tremendous sexual appetite. Heat and wetness rushed to the sensitive flesh between her thighs. Colin’s nostrils flared and she knew he had caught the scent of her sex. Beneath her hand, his cock had swollen to a satisfying proportion. The long thick ridge behind the zipper of his jeans promised to fill her as no one had before. Size had never mattered to her, but then, she’d never had someone as big as Colin promised to be. The cab screeched to a stop, the centrifugal force pushing her back against the seat and away from the press of Colin’s body. She sprawled awkwardly; her skirt hitched up so far her thong showed. The driver didn’t even bother to look in the rear view mirror at her. Colin ran his hands over his face, then opened the door and got out. He reached in, holding out a hand for her. She put hers in it and let him pull her out of the cab. Tugging her dress down, she waited as he paid the driver. When Colin turned toward her, she saw the feverish glitter in his eyes. He apparently didn’t care that anyone who chose to look at his crotch would see the bulge of his erection. He took her arm and they walked boldly into the lobby of the expensive hotel. Exhilaration swept through Eden as they headed toward the elevator. Once in the car, she pushed the six and the car swept upward. Her dragon clawed at her insides. She was so aroused, she expected her cream to drip down her bare thighs any moment. At her floor, they got off the elevator, and she turned down the plushly carpeted corridor, her long legs eating up the distance to her room. As she neared it, she took out her keycard. She stopped in front of 669, slipping the keycard in the slot. Colin chuckled at the room number. Moments later, he closed the door, sticking the Do Not Disturb sign on it. When he turned toward her, she reached back and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. Standing in front of Colin in her black silk thong and leather boots, a sense of empowerment filled her. Her fingers twitched, aching for the thick handle of her whip. Colin looked at her hand and arched one blond brow in amusement, almost as if he could read her thoughts. He casually pulled off his jacket and tossed it on the chair, following it with his shirt. Eden’s eyes raked over the muscles of his arms and chest. He had a fine boned aristocratic caste to his build, with pale gold skin, a shade or two lighter than her own tan. The muscles of his arms, pecs, and shoulders were sculpted and well defined, but not bulky. His rock hard abs had classic six pack ridges. A fine dust of blond hair encircled each of his pale brown nipples… pale brown pierced nipples. Her lips quirked in a smile. He really wasn’t what he appeared to be, she thought as he bent and removed his shoes and socks. When he straightened, she briefly eyed his long narrow feet. Elegant like his hands. Her gaze shifted to those hands. They pulled down the zipper of his jeans,
pushing the denim down his muscular thighs. He kicked the jeans away and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his boxers. She stared at him thoughtfully, deciding that he had predictable taste in underwear. He seemed like a boxers kind of guy. With a practiced flick, the garment in question hit the floor and he kicked them in the same direction as the jeans. “Will I do?” he asked, as her eyes wandered his hard body. Dark gold hair arrowed from his navel to his groin. She saw that he kept himself well trimmed and thought that it extended to his balls too. Even from a distance, they seemed smooth. He had a larger cock than the bulge in his jeans had given away, she noted, taking in his girth and length. Her mouth watered at the thought of licking him. “I believe you will.” Desire turned her voice husky and unconsciously, her fingers reached down to her panty line to stroke over her clan mark. The dragon inside her began to pace. Touching the swirling lines of the clan mark that covered the soft skin inside her hipbone made her even hornier. “Your clan mark?” he asked quietly, watching her stroke it. She nodded and he walked toward her, reaching out to brush one long finger over the mark. Her inner dragon preened at his touch. She knew the mark just looked like a tribal dragon tattoo to the uninitiated. However, Colin seemed to know about clan marks and how they reacted to touch. “You’re a black dragon. I’m not sure I recognize the clan though,” he murmured, circling her and looking up and down her body. “It doesn’t matter. All you really want is to fuck my pretty pink pussy, right?” she reminded him with a lift of her brows. Colin smiled angelically. “For now, yes, although, you have yet to show it to me…” As his voice trailed away, Eden bent over and unzipped her boots. She could feel Colin’s eyes on her breasts as if he touched her. The weight of his gaze made her rush and she kicked the expensive designer footwear off, something she never did. She lifted her head, her eyes holding his as she shimmied out of the black silk thong. Inside her, the dragon roared, knowing that the tension they shared would soon be released. Eden walked over to the bed and ripped the covers back. Lying on the sheets, she spread her legs so that Colin could see the pussy he’d promised to fuck. She didn’t need a mirror to know that her flesh glistened wetly in the low light. She could feel her swollen, sensitive lips throbbing. She stroked her hand over the clan mark and her nipples tightened painfully. If you want it, come and get it, bite boy. Standing there staring at it, doesn’t do either of us any good. Colin’s eyes jerked to hers and for a split second she had the weird sense that he had heard her thoughts, something that sent fear arcing through her. But then he flashed a seductive smile that widened as he started toward her. In a flood of lust that drowned her momentary fear, she gazed mesmerized at the thick erection that bobbed with each of his steps. “It really is very pink and very pretty,” he said softly, his tone filled with satisfaction. When he reached the side of the bed, his long fingers trailed over her knee and up the inside of her thigh. Her heart thundered in her chest and her dragon’s harsh breathing sent a trail of smoke from her nostrils.
Colin leaned over her, his hands denting the mattress on either side of her hips as he sat on the edge of the bed. “How much foreplay do you want, baby? Because as far as I’m concerned, what happened in the cab was all I need.” Eden licked her lips, watching as Colin’s eyes darkened even more. “I don’t need any more teasing. Just fuck me hard and fast before I explode from looking at you.” She didn’t know what to expect, but what happened next still surprised her. With an economy of movement that made it all seem like a single smooth move, Colin reached out, flipped her onto her belly, pulled her hips back against his and thrust the entire length of his cock into her throbbing wetness. She let out a startled half yelp, half moan. He filled her so tightly it bordered on pain. Taking someone as big as him without any warning had driven every ounce of air from her lungs. Colin’s fingers roughly pinched and twisted her hard nipples. Pleasure ripped through her in a great wave. She had no idea how he knew what she liked. He certainly didn’t look like a rough sex sorta guy. He looked cultured and refined, the elegant and arrogant sort who liked to order women to service him. He jerked her up off her hands, his chest cradling and supporting her torso. His hips stilled as his hands swept over her body, finding all the places she most liked to be touched. When she moaned uncontrollably, he licked her neck and she shivered. The most incredible sensations buffeted her body when his tongue stroked over her skin. She almost asked him to bite her, but he bent her over again. Her palms hit the mattress as his hips slammed into her ass. He pulled back and thrust into her forcefully. Eden’s pussy stretched to accommodate him while clinging to his thickness. He fucked her harder than she’d ever been fucked before. The head of his cock battered her G‐spot with every thrust. Shivers of pleasure racked her body. Her orgasm crested and she cried out, tossing her head. Colin chuckled but his tempo didn’t lessen. He gave her exactly what she’d asked for. She shuddered and gasped for air, her heart racing thunderously. Unbelievably, as one long finger flicked over her clit, she found herself coming again. She knew he could feel her spasms, feel her pussy clamping down on his thick cock. His strokes became shorter. The slap of his hips against her ass grew more frantic. His teeth nipped the back of her neck as his hands tightened on her thighs. “Oh, baby. Come for me one more time. You can do it,” he growled. His tongue licked at her neck in time to the glide of his fingers against her clit. His cock filled her so full he could barely press inside her despite the fact that she was wetter than she had ever been. His thumb stroked over her mark and inside her, the dragon roared as heat flooded her veins. Her pussy clutched his cock as her whole body vibrated in a third orgasm. With a muffled cry, Colin came. His cock jerked inside her and she could feel the gush of hot seed that filled her. Shaking uncontrollably, her arms gave out and her face landed on the sheet, her ass still in the air as Colin’s cock throbbed inside her, spurts of cum still erupting from him. Finally, he pulled out of her. She moaned at the feel of his flesh separating from hers, leaving her sensitive, open and exposed.
Colin flopped onto his back beside her and her knees gave out, her lower body sprawling bonelessly on the bed. They looked at each other, both of them gasping for air. Then Colin reached out and brushed a lock of hair off her face. “I’ll give you fifteen minutes to recover. Then I’m pounding that pretty pink pussy again after I lick it into submission.” Eden’s eyes popped open in astonishment. She didn’t know what astonished her more, the fact that he would be ready again so soon or the way he took control. His lips curved in a grin. “I don’t think you’ll need any of the toys I’m sure you have here. We’ll just fuck. I’m good at it and I like to do it for hours.” His midnight blue eyes twinkled at her. “Unless you’re sending me away now that you’ve come.” Although he hadn’t framed his words as a question, she shook her head anyway. “I don’t think I can send you away. At least, not until I’m worn out and can’t walk,” she replied, her own smile growing as approval flashed across his face. “Good.” He leaned over and kissed her hard. “Time for tongues and fingers to discover cocks and pussies.” He grabbed her hand and placed it on his half‐hard cock, still wet with her juice and his seed. She stroked him, wondering why she’d never been into biters before. Unbidden, her mind went back the phone call that had sent her storming into Carpe Noctem looking to get laid. An outcast to her family, she rarely went home, rarely participated in family events. Even so, she loved her siblings. When one of them had accused her of being the Queen of Kink, an unfeeling bitch of a slut who lived to get off, it stung. Those words from someone she had looked up to her entire life, struck deeply into emotions she struggled daily to control. To survive the pain, she’d retreated into the cold bitch persona she’d been accused of. Now, that same self‐preservation kept the lid on her emotions, when she looked at Colin. The core of her wanted to know him, but the icy bitch who’d taken control of her during that painful phone call refused to let go. The bitch coolly surveyed Colin, wondering why she hadn’t hit on vampires before. She snarkily thought that if she had known biters were this good, she would have been picking them up regularly from Carpe Noctem. And that same cold bitch decided that she had more one item she could add to her sexual buffet menu now that she knew about vampires’ stamina. Inside her, behind the icy bitch, the real Eden gazed at Colin’s beautiful face and wished her life was different.
Tales of the Darkworld Book 3: Fire Season By Lex Valentine Available Now from Pink Petal Books
Prologue Alfred Stone leaned back in the sauna, casually adjusting a white towel over his naked lap. His voice sounded as casual as his demeanor, but to his one man audience, the tone rang more warning bells than a three alarm fire. “I am Magia. My job is to ensure that nature’s intended matings actually occur.” Sean Antaeus stared at his best friend in shock. “You have got to be joking.” Nothing in his life had prepared him for the words Alfred had spoken. It wasn’t so much what Alfred had said about Sean’s younger brother, it was what Alfred had revealed about himself. The Darkworld held people with power and powerful people. Sean had been living in a dream world thinking that Alfred, as the head of the Funeral Directors Guild, was merely a powerful person. Now, he knew the truth. “Sean, I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think you could handle the information. My job isn’t always easy. Your family has been especially hard. In fact, I need Marius’ help too. His family is going be just as tough.” Alfred’s brow crinkled with worry as he spoke. Sean arched a sardonic brow at him. “So you’re letting Marius in on the secret too?” A sigh escaped Alfred. Sean thought it sounded rather dramatic and long suffering, which made him feel like he’d walked into some kind of set up. “If you knew what I was up against, you wouldn’t ask me that,” Alfred replied in a morose voice. Now, Sean knew he’d been played. Maybe not a lot, because at the core of it all, he knew instinctively that Alfred had spoken the truth, but Sean also could tell when he’d been manipulated. After all, he was a master of manipulation himself. Took one to know one. “So you’re telling me that both Diandra and I were the victims of your…gift?” Sean put his friend on the spot. Alfred shifted uncomfortably on the sauna’s seat. “Not victims, Sean. Recipients of a power that managed to keep you from fucking up your life. If it weren’t for me, do you think either you or your sister would have ended up mated? Both of you were so stubborn and arrogant, refusing to see the truth, not wanting to be seen as weak.” Alfred made a rude sound and his gaze locked with Sean’s. “If I hadn’t butted in and used my gift to help you, both you and Diandra would be single today and unhappier than you could ever imagine,” he said solemnly. Sean bit back his own sigh. He couldn’t imagine. His life would be awful if he didn’t have his mate and wife, Careen. Yet, getting to the place where he’d accepted that he had a mate, a woman he loved beyond everything else in his life, had been a particularly rough road. The same had held
true for his sister Diandra. Her path to love and marriage had been every bit as rocky. Now, Alfred made it seem like neither he nor Diandra would have managed to mate without a nudge from Alfred’s power. “Please tell me that you didn’t pick our mates,” he growled, feeling unnerved by everything Alfred had told him. “Of course not. Those are nature chosen. But it’s my job to ensure that those who are resistant become…more amenable to having a mate.” Alfred smiled, something Sean knew he rarely did. “I smooth the path in any way I can without disrupting the natural flow of a mating.” Sean’s brain raced as he absorbed Alfred’s words. “And now you’re telling me that Holden is in trouble?” Alfred nodded solemnly. “A lot more trouble than you and Diandra put together. I need your help, Sean, or your brother will be unhappy until the day he passes to the Afterlife.” “Fuck.” Alfred had him. Sean loved his younger siblings fiercely. He would fight anything that threatened their lives and happiness. “So you’re in.” Alfred looked at him expectantly, triumph already shining in his eyes. This time Sean did sigh. “Yeah. I’m in.” He shook hands with Alfred and realized that he’d sealed a pact of duplicity and manipulation as he did so. Luckily, being Machiavellian was second nature to Sean, and he bet Alfred knew that fact quite well.
Chapter One The first to arrive, Holden slipped into his seat and opened his leather covered notepad with irritation. He disliked rah rah meetings. Despite all the team building pep talks, things always went back to the way they had always been…with his oldest brother Sean wielding his iron fist and micro‐managing while he and his other brother Declan struggled not to let Sean overwhelm them. In Holden’s opinion, corporate life had been worse while Declan had been gone. During Declan’s tenure at a European conglomerate, Sean had refused to replace him. Instead, Holden’s oldest brother had taken on acquisitions himself in his brother’s absence. Sean had gone crazy buying up whatever he could. Declan had a lot more finesse and savvy when it came to choosing the funeral homes and cemeteries that offered the best value. The company needed Declan’s firm hand and cool head when it came to acquiring new businesses and Holden had been relieved when his brother returned to Antaeus International. Declan’s return to the company heralded the end of their sister Eden’s term of employment in the corporate world. Her contributions to the company were myriad, but all of them had been tainted by her unhappiness in that environment and Sean’s determination to keep her there. It had all come to a head not long after Declan’s return. Eden had ditched her marketing job at Antaeus International, packed up her cameras, and headed to New York City. Within a few months, she’d become the fashion industry’s new hot photographer, making her name shooting
nearly naked men in designer underwear. Sean’s fury knew no bounds over her defection and both Holden and Declan had borne the brunt of it. The door opened and a muscular man with unruly black curls entered the room. Holden cocked one brow up at Vahid Delrey, his brother Sean’s right hand man and the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Vahid had also been Eden’s live‐in boyfriend for two years prior to her departure from all things Antaeus. Holden had always been amazed that Vahid had retained his cool demeanor, his deepest emotions, if he had any, masked from everyone when Eden had dumped him. Not for the first time, Holden wondered how Vahid had ever gotten together with his free‐spirited sister. They seemed like such polar opposites. “This is another attempt at a team building meeting, isn’t it?” Holden asked as Vahid took the chair opposite him. A dry chuckle escaped Vahid. “You know Sean. He may suck at something, but his determination won’t let him stop trying to master it anyway.” Holden felt his lips curl in a derisive smile. “My brother is a force unto himself that’s for sure.” Now, Vahid’s brows rose. “Nice way of saying he’s an arrogant ass.” The door whooshed open and the subject of their conversation strode in with Declan and another man behind him. Holden’s nose twitched. The scent of spearmint assailed him. “Thanks for the compliment, Vahid,” Sean said smoothly, a sardonic expression on his hawkish features. Declan took the chair at the foot of the table, seating himself on Holden’s left. Sean took the chair at the head of the table. The spearmint scent intensified as a man Holden didn’t know took the seat beside Vahid. More staff rushed in to join the meeting, but Holden found his gaze caught by the newcomer. Intense green eyes gazed back him, an indefinable emotion churning within them. Holden had no clue as to the man’s identity, but an odd sense of familiarity pricked his awareness as he stared into those enigmatic eyes. It was as if knew the man, but couldn’t place where or how. The green gaze shifted as a tall, blonde woman strode into the room. Dressed in an unrelenting black suit and matching silk shirt, her pale hair twisted into a neat chignon, Emily Carrington looked like a fashion model until one noticed her stern visage. As one of the most powerful people at Antaeus International, she held the company’s purse strings in her long‐ fingered, capable hands. The new man smiled at her as she took a seat beside him. Her expression turned smug and the new guy’s identity dawned on Holden. The wunderkind of the death care industry’s financial sector, Garret Renquist. Sean and Emily had somehow managed to lure Garret from his position as the head of finance for Stone Mortuary Services, a job he hadn’t even held very long. Alfred Stone had hired him away from the biggest British mortuary conglomerate in the hope of turning him loose on the Funeral Director’s Guild’s financials, a big project that Alfred had spearheaded as the head of the FDG. Instead, Sean and Emily had whisked the whiz kid to Antaeus International. With an internal smirk, Holden briefly imagined the acquisition of the stock market genius taking place over a round of golf. His brother Sean golfed regularly with Alfred and Marius Granville of Granville Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in their part of the Darkworld. Holden figured the three
powerful men brokered all kinds of industry related deals during those golf games. Something told him that Garret Renquist might just have been one of those deals. “Let’s get started,” Sean said from the head of the table. “This will be a short meeting anyway since we’re all leaving.” “Leaving?” Holden asked, startled. What the hell was his brother up to now? Sean’s intense golden stare turned on Holden. “Yes. Leaving. I’ll get to that in a minute.” Holden watched as his older brother’s hawk‐like gaze settled on the new guy. “Has everyone met Garret? Garret Renquist is our new Chief Investment Officer. He’ll also be working in the capacity of Budget Director under Emily, which means he’ll be working with all of you on your budgets. He comes highly recommended and has a great reputation for increasing a company’s investment returns. If you haven’t had an opportunity to introduce yourself to him, I suggest you do so over the next four days…” Sean’s voice trailed away and Holden mentally braced himself. He knew that tone. Sean was up to something that would probably irritate the hell out of him. His brother’s suggestion that everyone introduce themselves to Garret was a thinly veiled order. Since Eden’s departure, Sean regularly did things that he knew would force his younger brother out of his comfort zone and push the limits of his patience. In the past, Holden had always bounced back from Sean’s Machiavellian power trips. Lately, he found himself beyond angry when his brother’s machinations involved him. Turning his gaze to his notepad so his brothers wouldn’t see the anger beginning to simmer inside him, his nostrils flared as the scent of spearmint wafted toward him again. Who the hell smelled like mouthwash? “I’ll be closing this meeting in a few minutes, but we will reconvene tonight at six over dinner at the Gargoyle Resort. You are all to go home and pack. We’re headed out to the mountains for a retreat.” Holden’s head shot up and his eyes met his older brother’s. A gleam of triumph lit Sean’s amber eyes. Holden’s jaw tightened. Sean had made his feelings clear a few weeks before regarding the woman Holden had been dating. Since Sean had never interfered in his sex life before, Holden had been surprised that he’d even mentioned her. He’d brushed off his older brother at the time. Holden really didn’t give a shit whether Sean liked who he was fucking. It was none of Sean’s business and it wasn’t serious anyway. Now, however, Sean’s machinations had pissed him off and cost him money. Holden had cleared his calendar for two days so he could have a long four day weekend. His intent had been to spend those days in a sexual stupor at an exclusive spa in Santa Barbara. The steep deposit he’d put down with his reservations for two would now be lost, and the woman he was seeing would require placating. Fury rose within him. The loss of the money didn’t irritate him so much, but the thought of having to soothe Gina’s ruffled feathers made Holden furious with his oldest brother. Even though Gina had a tongue that could lick all day, she also had a rather bitchy attitude that showed up when she didn’t get her way. Thanks to Sean, Holden would now be the recipient of the bitching rather than the licking. “This will be an opportunity for us to work on some team building and strategizing. It will also give you all a chance to spend some time with Garret to see how he can help each of your departments maximize your budgets.”
Sean’s smile widened as Vahid got up and handed out brochures and packets to everyone. Holden opened his folder and stiffened. Sean had paired everyone up, forcing them to share rooms. Sean and Declan were together. Vahid shared with Todd Ryan, the Chief Technology Officer and Holden’s draw was…the new guy. His head shot up and his gaze collided with Garret’s intense stare. A little smile quirked up one corner of the man’s mouth. That little smile kicked Holden’s irritation up a notch. He frowned, wondering what it would take to get Vahid to trade with him. Holden’s eyes tracked Vahid around the table. When the head of Operations returned to his seat, he cocked a brow up at Holden. His smirky expression dashed Holden’s hopes for a trade. Vahid obviously knew that Sean had put the new executive with his youngest brother for a reason. Fuck! Anger tore through Holden at his brother’s little games. Grinding his teeth together, he eyed the itinerary included in the packet. All the rah rah stuff was there and, even worse, there were scheduled strategizing sessions between each set of partners. Great, now he had to talk business with the finance geek all weekend instead of spending his time getting blown and fucked by the hottest woman he’d dated in a year. The law degree and MBA hanging on his office wall had made Holden the company’s General Consul and Chief Legal Officer. He dealt mostly with contracts and the mergers that Declan arranged. Anything related to litigation got shuffled off to a firm on retainer. Holden answered directly to Sean, but spent most of his time working with Declan. Looking at the itinerary for the next four days he couldn’t believe Sean hadn’t paired him with Declan. It made better sense to him because he and Declan were in the middle of some delicate takeover negotiations with an Australian company. He didn’t have any strategizing to do with the bean counter, Holden thought with annoyance. Pairing him with the whiz kid had to be yet another Sean Antaeus production. Holden watched Sean close the meeting. An odd glow of triumph lurked in the golden depths of Sean’s eyes. Holden’s dragon senses pinged. A triumphant Sean wasn’t necessarily a good thing for the members of his family. He jerked his attention from his brother and gathered up his things, fury propelling him out of the board room. Fuck Sean. Maybe he’d just not show up at the retreat. That would teach his brother. The scent of spearmint caused his nostrils to flare. He turned his head to find that Garret Renquist had followed him out of the board room. His frown deepened. “I gather you’re unhappy about being paired with me.” Visions of a cool woodland waterfall flitted through Holden’s mind at the sound of the British accented baritone. Holden didn’t know why it hadn’t dawned on him that Garret was British. The man had come from a British based company. Holden stepped into his office and Garret followed. Holden shut the door and waved the financial whiz kid toward a chair. As he sat down behind his desk he noticed that Garret’s green eyes flickered over the wall of certificates, awards, and degrees. For a moment, Holden again had the sense that he knew the man. The spearmint scent apparently came from Garret. Holden’s office smelled like a bottle of mouthwash. “You’re the General Consul.” Garret’s clipped British accent made the words sound almost accusatory, though Holden knew that wasn’t his intent.
With a nod, he gestured toward the wall of plaques. “I went to Harvard Law School. I wasn’t top of my class, but close.” He smiled a little and joked, “All the Boston beauties kept me from studying too hard so I missed out on the top three spots.” Garret’s eyes glowed a little and his mouth quirked up in the same smile he’d displayed in the board room. “I’ve been to Boston. There are a lot of good looking women there. It’s a very academic town, isn’t it?” Holden nodded absently. Something about the spearmint scent bothered him, but like the sense of familiarity he had when he looked in Garret’s eyes, he couldn’t quite place it. He studied the man before him more closely. They had similar builds and were about the same height. Garret stood perhaps an inch taller and he appeared to be a little leaner than Holden. His chestnut brown hair was cropped close around the back of his neck but fell over his forehead with a wave in front. He had a boyishly handsome face, but his reserved demeanor made him look rather stern. Holden wondered if the golden boy of the stock market ever had any fun. He certainly looked all business. With a mental shrug, Holden studied the man’s very green eyes. They held an open expression, but Holden felt sure that behind that expression, Garret Renquist was quite guarded. Had he been the new guy, he’d be totally on his guard. “I’m not unhappy about being paired with you. I’m unhappy about the whole weekend,” he explained, reaching out to grasp his pen, twirling it absently in his fingers. “For one, my brother Sean likes to play at being the puppet master, making us all dance on strings. For another, I had plans.” Two beats of silence followed his words. Then Garret’s eyes clouded, the emerald green irises darkening. Holden figured the man didn’t like the idea of Sean being a manipulator. It sure as heck wasn’t something he’d want to know about his boss’s boss on the first day of a new job. He felt a little sorry for Garret now. He’d obviously had no idea what Sean Antaeus was like when he accepted the position at Antaeus International. “Look, we’ll just have to make the best of it, as we do with any of these team building things Sean springs on us. I’m sure we’ll find something to work on during the strategy sessions,” he said easily, hoping he hadn’t scared off the new guy. Sean would kill him if he did. One of Garret’s brown brows arched up. “You don’t think we’re a good match?” Holden blinked at the man’s odd choice of words. “There’s not a lot of interaction between my department and yours. I work more closely with my brother Declan. Declan works with Emily. I’m not sure why Sean put us together.” Garret’s mouth quirked knowingly as if he had knowledge Holden didn’t. Resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably in his chair, Holden snuck a glance at the guy. He sat there cool as a cucumber, his expression enigmatic, while Holden could barely keep from fidgeting. Holden looked down at his hands then and dropped the pen he’d been twirling. When he raised his head, his gaze collided with Garret’s. The scent of spearmint intensified and a nervous sweat broke out on the skin between Holden’s shoulder blades, making his clan mark itch. He sucked in a breath as realization hit him. “You’re a dragon.”
Garret nodded, the enigmatic expression giving way to amusement. “Your natural enemy. I’m a green.” Holden made a rude sound. “The dragon clans haven’t fought in a millennia. And even then, there was nothing natural about it. All the wars were about power. Not color or clan. Legend says we were all one color in the beginning. Our natural enemies were humans, not each other.” A huge smile broke out on Garret’s face. “You’re a purist.” Holden’s stomach lurched. Geez, the man had the most brilliant smile he’d ever seen. He shook his head. “I’m a realist. Dragons were not born to kill each other. We were never each other’s natural enemies. Humans on the other hand instinctively want to be rid of any being stronger than themselves. Their fear drives them.” Both of Garret’s brows rose, but his smile stayed intact. “A psychology major.” “Biological Anthropology.” Holden grinned, beginning to relax. Maybe the weekend wouldn’t be so bad after all. In fact, it would be perfect if he had a victim. “Hey! Do you play…?” “Tennis,” Garret finished for him with a nod toward Holden’s college trophies. “Although not in your league.” “That was years ago. My reflexes aren’t so fast anymore. I sit at a desk all day after all.” Garret’s brow cocked up again. “You don’t look so out of shape.” Holden shrugged. “I’m not, but I don’t play much anymore and to stay at the top of your form you have to play every day. I had the skill to go pro, but not the drive. I like working for my family.” He grimaced. “My brother is a pain in the ass, but I wouldn’t work for any other company.” “Your brothers, this company…Antaeus is a powerful name in this industry,” Garret said quietly. “I was flattered that Alfred wanted me for the FDG and Stone. I was floored when Sean said he’d pay me more to come here.” Holden laughed. “I’ll bet Alfred was tweaked. He’s one of Sean’s closest friends so I’m sure he gave my brother an earful, but the rest of us would never know it.” “Strangely, Alfred took it all very calmly, as if he had expected it to happen.” Holden prepared himself for the sense of familiarity when he met Garrett’s gaze. “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression I was pissed at having to share a room with you.” Something indefinable flickered in Garret’s eyes. He rose from his chair. “It’s all right. I’ve been feeling a bit out of my element today so I overreacted.” He turned toward the door. “I’ll see you up at the resort. Maybe we can get in a couple of rounds of tennis while we’re there.” Holden smiled. “I’d like that. Welcome to Antaeus International, Garret.” The other man looked back over his shoulder. “Thank you.” A brief smile flashed across his face and then he was gone. Holden sat staring at the closed door for long minutes, the scent of spearmint lingering faintly in the office. The anger he’d felt at Sean’s manipulations had fizzled during his conversation with Garret. He should know better than to get pissed anyway. It never changed anything. Holden had never known anyone to get his way more than Sean. On his way to the elevator, he ran into Declan. “Nothing from Australia?” he asked.
His brother shook his head. “Not yet.” They both stepped into the elevator. As the door closed, Holden said, “Why did Sean stick me with the new guy?” Declan shrugged. “Why does Sean do anything? Everything is about control with him.” “Has he messed with your private life too?” Holden’s gaze sharpened as he looked at his older brother. “What private life?” The words were cool and sardonic with a bitter edge. Sympathy washed over Holden. His older brother had a huge thing for Elysia Granville, one of the most powerful women in their industry. However, she was engaged to the industry’s biggest asshole, Austin Stone. Holden didn’t understand how such a smart woman had ended up with such a monumental jackass. A woman like her belonged with a man like his brother, not a weasel like Austin. “I gather Sean’s little jaunt to the mountains is interfering with your plans,” Declan said, his voice rumbling out of his broad chest. Holden looked up to find his brother’s expression filled with understanding. “Yeah. It’s gonna cost me a bundle too between the deposit on the suite at the spa and keeping Gina from being disappointed.” Declan’s eyes twinkled. “Buy her an expensive bracelet. She’s mercenary enough to be placated by rocks.” The elevator stopped at the underground garage and they headed toward their assigned parking spots. “Why do you and Sean think that’s all Gina wants from me?” Holden grumbled as he watched his brother’s tall form move toward his Mercedes. Declan shot him an amused glance over the roof of the car. “Because it’s obvious?” Holden grimaced. “Money isn’t the only thing she wants. She likes my cock too.” His brother grinned, white teeth flashing in his tanned face. “Well, she should. Especially when the man attached to the cock buys expensive presents. Just watch it with her, little brother. She wants the gold ring with rocks and you just want to get your rocks off.” Holden walked over to his SUV. “Yeah, well, she can want the ring, but that doesn’t mean she’ll get it. I’m not the marrying type.” “Neither was Sean.” Declan laughed and unlocked his car, the headlights flashing as the alarm disarmed. “I’ll see you at the resort. Good luck appeasing Gina.” As Holden drove to his condo, he pondered his brother’s words. He knew Gina wanted to marry him. He knew she was dazzled by his job, his money, and his good looks. He also knew that a woman like her would never fit in his family. For all their money, the Antaeus siblings were all about home and hearth and true mates. Holden wouldn’t dream of marrying a social climber like Gina. A woman like her could never be his mate. Maybe Sean’s interference wasn’t such an inconvenience after all. Although left with only his hand to see to his sexual satisfaction, being rid of Gina and her demands was more of a relief than he’d wanted to admit. Holden’s condo was in a high rise condominium complex only two blocks from the beach. He drove into the underground garage and parked in the space reserved for the penthouse. His footsteps echoed in the cement structure as he walked to the elevator. Thoughts echoed in his
head too. Everything from Declan’s bitterness to Sean’s manipulations to the prospect of kicking Garret’s ass at tennis. The weekend was starting to look up. In the elevator, he punched in the security code that took him to the penthouse level. The elevator opened onto a foyer that had but one door, his. Unlocking the penthouse door and automatically disarming the alarm, Holden stepped into his home. From his living room, he had an unparalleled view of the coast in both directions. His expensive, but comfortable furniture softened the starkly modern architecture. It was a bachelor’s home, not meant for entertaining in spite of its size. Holden jerked off his tie and jacket, tossing them on the brown leather couch. In the kitchen, he pulled open one side of the huge brushed aluminum refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. As he drank, he eyed the crayon drawings stuck to the refrigerator with magnets. His sister Diandra’s twins were the only Antaeus offspring. He, Declan, and Eden were unmated. Sean and Careen hadn’t had any children yet. Holden figured his brother wouldn’t have kids until all his siblings were mated. It was a very Sean way to go about things. For himself, he didn’t even wonder if he had a mate. He didn’t particularly care. Kids and a white picket fence and the kind of woman who would want that life were so not his style. On the other hand, society type women and career women weren’t really his type either. People with that kind of driven personality irritated him which is why he was no longer pissed at missing his weekend with Gina. He really only had one use for her and now that he realized it, he was too nice a guy to continue fucking her when he didn’t even like her. As he headed for his bedroom, Holden wondered if Garret Renquist was the driven type. He didn’t seem that way, but it was tough to tell with wonder boys. Things seemed to come so easily to them that if they were driven, those around them never noticed. Holden opened his packed suitcase and changed some of the items so that now his clothing was more suited to a mountain business retreat rather than a beachside spa. Once the suitcase was ready to go, Holden picked up the phone and called the exclusive jeweler his family always used. He ordered an elegant ruby bracelet to be delivered to Gina that evening and headed down to his car. He figured he’d call Gina while he drove so she’d know he wasn’t lying to her about having to go to the mountains. It was going to be an uncomfortable call, so doing it while driving also gave him the excuse of the call dropping if he got tired of listening to her rage or whine. The more he thought about how unpleasant the call would probably be, the more he just wanted to be rid of her. And so, when he was halfway up the mountain pass on the way to Gargoyle Resort, Holden found himself breaking up with Gina over the phone. She whined. She raged. She cursed him in Italian. And then he hit a dead spot and the call dropped. Sighing with relief, he shut off his cell phone. The remainder of the drive to the resort relaxed him and by the time he arrived, Holden looked forward to playing tennis with Garret. He loved tennis and rarely got the opportunity to play anymore. He hoped Garret played well enough to challenge him. Holden’s shared suite turned out to have two bedrooms and a well stocked wet bar in the sitting room between the two rooms. Since he was the first one there, he picked one of the rooms and unpacked. As he stowed away his suitcase, he heard the door open. He walked into the sitting room to find Garret standing in front of the door, taking in his surroundings. “It’s a two bedroom suite,” Holden said with a grin. He gestured toward the door across from him. “That one’s yours.”
Garret returned his smile and picked up his suitcase. “Thanks.” “Can I get you a drink while you unpack? It’s an hour until dinner and there’s a fully stocked bar here. No mini bottles.” Holden’s nose twitched as the spearmint scent reached him. He’d never smelled cologne like that before. “That would be great. Just a glass of red wine if they have it, please,” Garret replied as he walked toward his room. Holden heard the sound of Garret opening his suitcase and then the closet door. He searched through the wet bar’s stock of alcohol looking for wine and found a full size bottle of Merlot and one of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was a decent vintage and he decided he’d have a glass. He pulled out a corkscrew, expertly removed the cork, and poured two glasses before ambling over to Garret’s bedroom door. The British man had his back to Holden, putting folded shirts in the dresser. Holden noticed absently that they were dressed similarly in khaki slacks and polo shirts. Without the suit jacket covering his torso, it was obvious that Garret was taller, yet leaner, with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. “Here’s your wine. They had a decent vintage of Merlot. Surprised me,” Holden said as he watched Garret finish unpacking. The whiz kid had an elegance of movement that was graceful in its economy. Certainly not what he expected of a bean counter. Garret stowed his suitcase, turned, and took the glass of wine from Holden, their fingers brushing briefly. A frisson of awareness trickled down Holden’s spine at the touch of Garret’s warm hand. Something about him affected Holden physically. First, there was that odd prickling of his clan mark that he’d felt earlier and now the touch of their hands made him feel flushed. Not to mention that damned spearmint scent that assailed his nose. Magia. The thought flashed through Holden’s mind and he wondered if Garret was more than just a green dragon. Sometimes dragons had magical abilities, but usually those that did belonged to the community of Magia rather than the dragons. He wished he understood what unsettled him so much about the other man. Abruptly, he turned and walked back into the sitting room, opening the slider to the balcony. He stepped outside into the crisp mountain air and sat down on a comfortable patio chair. Garret followed him and took the chair on the other side of the small table. “This is a very tolerable Merlot.” The smooth British accent caused Holden’s clan mark to prickle yet again and even though they were outside, the spearmint scent was just as strong as it had been inside. Holden didn’t understand why the man had such an odd impact on him. Again, he wondered whether Garret was Magia. It would certainly explain his reactions to the guy. His annoyance at being unable to figure out Garret rose. “So how are you settling in?” he asked abruptly. “Are you looking for a place to live?” Garret nodded, his eyes twinkling a little as if he had a secret. “Yes. Something with a view of the coastline, rather more modern than not. Nothing I need to spend time keeping up…that sort of place,” he replied. “You should look around my neighborhood. There are lots of very nice condo complexes like that. In fact, I can ask my association manager for a list of availabilities if you’d like.” Holden
couldn’t believe what had just come out of his mouth. He didn’t need the new guy living in the same building! Not that he could take the words back now… “Thank you. I would appreciate that very much.” Garret’s cool, even tones set Holden’s back teeth to grinding silently, although for the life of him, he didn’t know why. “I’ll call her this weekend and have her fax a list to you at the office,” he muttered, lifting his wine glass to his mouth and gulping down half the contents. The emerald eyes of his companion glittered knowingly. Frustrated by how the man unsettled him, Holden knocked back the rest of his wine and rose to his feet. “It’s almost time for dinner. I’m going down to the restaurant.” Garret’s expression turned sympathetic as if he knew how Holden felt. He didn’t speak, but those uncanny eyes watched him like a hawk. A muffled sound of exasperation escaped Holden. “I don’t get you,” he ground out in a low tone that expressed his frustration. “Are you Magia or what? Cause I’m all edgy and weird around you and I don’t know why. My clan mark is prickling. You smell like a pack of spearmint gum. Every time I look at you, I think I know you from somewhere, but I can’t place where! What the hell is going on?” The glow in Garret’s eyes intensified as he rose to his feet, facing Holden. “Think about what you just said to me, Holden,” he said quietly. “Think about what those things might signify. I’m not Magia, but as far as you’re concerned, I’m something far more rare and important.” He walked over to the sliding door and then stopped, looking back at Holden. “Open your mind, Holden Antaeus. Life doesn’t always fit in neat little boxes or compartments. Things happen for a reason.” Garret stepped into the sitting room, disappearing behind the blinds. Holden stared at the empty doorway for long moments. Emotions tugged inside him. Even though Garret had gone inside, Holden could still smell his spearmint scent. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. That scent…his dragon lore came rushing back to him and his jaw went slack with shock. Holy shit! No fucking way! He shook with reaction, his fingers clutching the empty wine glass convulsively. It couldn’t be true. It wasn’t possible. Somehow Sean had set him up. His brothers were punking him, playing him off against the British man somehow. The guy was probably some tennis stud who would kick his ass six ways from Sunday the moment they took their rackets out. Yet, how could they have manufactured his scent and Holden’s reaction to that scent? Holden stormed into the suite, fumbling a little with the door and the blinds. As he stumbled into the sitting room, Garret turned, his hand dropping from the handle of the suite’s door. Their eyes met, Garret’s sympathetic. Holden knew his expression was wild with disbelief. This couldn’t be happening! Garret sighed loudly and turned his back on the door, facing Holden fully. “It’s not as complicated as you think, Holden,” he said quietly. “I don’t know why either. I just know it is and I recognized you right away. What you do with the knowledge, how you deal with it, is up to you, but you cannot change it unless one of us dies.” A growl began deep in Holden’s chest as fear took hold of him. “Something’s wrong!” he burst out, his emotions wildly overwrought.
Garret shook his head. “No. Something’s very right.” He moved, crossing the room swiftly to stop a few inches from Holden who wanted to recoil but somehow managed not to. His voice when he spoke was soft, but firm. “Holden, you’re my mate.” Tales of the Darkworld Book 4: Ride The Lightning By Lex Valentine Available Now from Pink Petal Books
PART ONE Three Years Ago Chapter One On the second day of the second week of her new job, Emily got a whiff of allspice. Her nose twitched as the scent grew stronger, smelling like a freshly baked pumpkin pie. She knew what day it was, but glanced at the calendar anyway. July third. Hot dogs and barbeque ribs season, not pumpkin pie. Two deep voices rumbled in the corridor outside her office. She tensed. She had yet to meet her cousin and new boss, Sean Antaeus. They had corresponded and spoken on the phone numerous times over the past few years, but had never met. So far, she had met both of his brothers, but not his sister. The younger Antaeus men were highly intelligent, obviously talented, and beyond good looking. She could only imagine how gorgeous the oldest Antaeus was. Their dark beauty made her feel pale and insignificant. Swallowing hard, she fought back her fear and self doubt, armoring herself with a cool façade. She stepped to her office door and peeked out. Two men stood about five feet from her door with their backs to her. Both had black hair. One was tall and lean with a hawk like profile. The other man seemed built like a tank. His head was some three or four inches below the tall man’s yet his shoulders were just as wide if not wider. Emily could sense the thick muscles bunching and rippling beneath his clothes as he moved. Riveted, she stared at them, the scent of allspice growing stronger by the second. Her pulse began to race and her heart pounded. Dear gods. Something inside her went completely haywire. The taller man spoke and his words caused her spine to stiffen. “Have you met our new head of finance? Alfred swears she’s a genius.” The shorter man snorted rudely. “I haven’t met her, but her reputation precedes her,” he replied in a nasty tone. His voice wafted over her like a fingertip stroking her pulse points. She shivered. He had the most beautiful voice. It slipped along her skin like a silk shift, cool and rich, evocative… Something inside her snapped and she felt an insistent tugging as she breathed in the allspice scent. It came from him… the man with the voice… the shorter one… “I’ve heard she could freeze the balls off a brass monkey,” he went on. “No emotion. No personality. No tits.”
A stabbing pain ripped through Emily’s chest. The man whose rich scent roused every cell in her body thought she had no personality or emotion. She almost choked on the gall that rose in her throat. Thoughtless words. Cruel words. By the gods, he didn’t even know her! “Stop it, Vahid. That’s no way to talk about a colleague you haven’t even met yet,” the tall man admonished sternly. “Listening to gossip doesn’t become you either. You’ll get farther in this world making your own judgment calls rather than relying on the observations of secretaries and clerks.” The muscular man made another rude sound. “Yeah, well, I’ve heard enough to know that Miss Emily Carrington from her rich, red dragon family is just as stuck up as I thought she’d be,” he countered. “Maire dropped something in front of her and she just stepped over it and kept on walking. What a fucking stick up her ass popsicle. She probably has no mate because no man’s willing to risk sticking his cock into a block of dry ice.” The instant the man said ‘mate’, Emily froze. Pain exploded in her chest and her head. With a little cry, she turned from the door, pushing it shut and stumbling across the huge corner office to the plate glass window. She stared unseeingly at the coastline that stretched for miles in either direction. Her eyes filled with tears; she willed them back, struggling to regain the cool, haughty expression she usually hid behind. The scent of allspice had been so strong! That alone should have given the truth away. The tugging in her chest. The way his voice sent her senses into a tailspin… The man in the corridor was her mate. Vahid— the shorter one who had been so scathing— not the tall one. The taller man must have been Sean Antaeus. The other man could only be his Chief Operating Officer, Vahid Delrey. Emily drew a shuddering breath. She’d cultivated the cold, businesslike exterior for a reason. No one had ever penetrated her armor and discovered the reason for its presence. She had always thought one day she would meet her mate, and he would take one look at her and know what she hid in her heart, despite her icy exterior. She blinked back tears as her dreams shattered. Vahid Delrey might be her mate, but he had no clue who she was. He wasn’t even open‐minded enough to listen to his boss about her. She stared out the window at the marine layer blanketing the coastline. She leaned her face against the glass, a chill settling into her. Her future lay with a man who would never appreciate her, never be able to see beyond the façade she showed the world. Why had Fate dealt her yet another painful blow? Didn’t she warrant even one of her dreams coming true? A knock sounded on her door and she forced the icy mask of her public demeanor into place as she swallowed her sobs and turned around. Sean and Vahid entered, polite smiles on their faces. Actually, Sean’s smile was more than polite. The black dragon seemed especially pleased to meet her. “You must be Emily,” he said striding forward to shake her hand briskly. His amber eyes flashed with pleasure. “Alfred’s told me so much about you. Welcome to Antaeus International.” “You’re Sean Antaeus.” She smiled, knowing the movement of her mouth didn’t match the expression in her eyes. She kept herself firmly guarded against both men. Her new boss nodded, ignoring her coolness. He gestured toward the shorter man. “This is Vahid Delrey, the Chief Operating Officer. Officially, I am your boss and you report to me. If I’m not available, you go to Vahid or my brother Declan,” Sean told her.
She inclined her head, knowing that the movement seemed arrogant and regal. Her eyes met Vahid’s and he murmured a greeting, as he raised his hand to meet hers. The instant their palms met, fire rippled through Emily, threatening her icy outward calm. Her dragon clawed at her, wanting Vahid. In his ink dark eyes, she saw a recognition, a spark. His warm fingers caressed her hand. She fought her dragon for control, ruthlessly taking it from the beast who wanted to pounce on Vahid and bathe him in her dragonfire. “How nice to meet you, Mr. Delrey,” she murmured and pulled her hand free of his. A slightly bereft expression flickered in his eyes. “Vahid,” he said absently, his nostrils flaring. She wondered how she smelled to him. Every dragon’s mate had a unique scent. For Emily, Vahid smelled of allspice. She could tell he’d scented her, knew she was his mate. She wished she knew how she smelled to him. “Baby powder,” he murmured softly as if he’d heard her thoughts. She jerked, taking a step back. Turning her attention to Sean, she spent the next ten minutes discussing her new duties with him while Vahid stood just out of her range of vision, completely silent. When they turned to leave, Vahid glanced at her, and she saw the question in his black eyes. I’m not what you want or need, Vahid Delrey. You said it yourself. I have no tits, nor warmth. And no interest whatsoever in being the mate of a man with such narrow‐minded views. On the other hand, you’re going to have to learn to work with me no matter how much your dragon wants me. I’m just bitch enough to be amused watching you work on that. Vahid’s eyes widened as he heard her thoughts. Cruelly, she turned her back on him, and shut him out of her head, the shards of her shattered heart ripping at her from the inside. Now, that her dreams of one day finding happiness had been ground into dust, she had to figure out how to survive because she knew the pain of being without her mate would grow with each passing day. As the door closed behind Vahid, Emily slumped against the cold glass of the big window. Palms and face pressed to the smooth coolness, she stared down a dozen floors to the street below. If she didn’t think her dragon would shift and save her, she’d just jump. She laughed softly. Today was nothing. She hurt, mostly from the loss of her illusions, but it was minor compared to what she now faced and what she had condemned Vahid to. In a few years, when the pain became unbearable, she might have to seek the option of suicide. It might be better than letting circumstances drive her slowly insane. Pushing off from the glass, she went to her desk and pulled out her cell phone. She stared at the contact list, her chest aching. Then she dialed. Shaking, she fought for control as a click indicated that the call had been picked up on the other end. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you here again.” The man’s voice was dispassionate, cool, yet held a note of curiosity. “I just found my mate and blew him off,” she said tersely, trying to keep her voice from shaking with fear and pain. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me now.” The man on the other end of the line sighed heavily, his regret palpable. “Em, I don’t advise this. Make up with him and mate. You really don’t want to travel this path.”
The soft warning hardened Emily’s resolve. “I was meant to fuck up my life. You already knew this about me, Dave,” she growled harshly, a little laugh escaping her. “What’s one more punishment in a lifetime of them?” “Em, you’re not thinking. This isn’t right. You shouldn’t come back here.” Dave’s voice sounded urgent. “It’s where I belong, Dave. I was wrong to think I could ever escape. I’m damaged goods and I always will be.” Her voice was a soft whisper, a bare thread of sound. “Make sure there is someone who can accommodate me. I’ll see you at seven.” Emily hung up and glanced out the window again. This time she could see her reflection, beautiful, cool, poised. Every inch the executive. Inside, her dragon moaned in pain Tales of the Darkworld Book 5: Common Ground By Lex Valentine Available Now from Pink Petal Books
Chapter One At dusk, Marius locked his door and headed over to his window. Outside, the hottest woman he’d seen in a century bent over a grave, putting flowers in a vase. The curves of her ass teased him as they had every afternoon for the past two weeks. His cock stiffened and he unzipped his slacks, pulling his erection free of his boxers. Gods, he was an asshole for staring at her as he stroked his cock, but he couldn’t help himself. She made him drool. Every. Fucking. Day. She straightened and her round, full breasts strained at the front of the apricot halter top. A belly button jewel winked at him from her taut, exposed midriff. Low cut jeans slung around her hips, the tight denim showing off her slender legs. When she bent again, they rode low, revealing the pale peach strap of her thong curving over her hipbone. His hand quickened on his cock as he gazed at her longingly. He wished he had the guts to walk down there and introduce himself. For the last couple of weeks, she’d come to that grave every day to put fresh flowers and wipe off the headstone. Jonathan Butler, Beloved Husband, it said. The man had been only thirty years old when he’d died a few months back. Marius figured the woman to be his young widow. After all, he’d caught her wiping a tear away once or twice. Now, she stretched in the dying rays of the sun, and her head turned toward his window. He sucked in a breath. There was no way she could see him, but he still pulled back a little. She lay down on the grass, her head still canted toward his window. His hand glided easily along the length of his erection. In his mind’s eye, he saw himself touching that expanse of toned belly, stroking the soft skin, his fingers slipping under the hem of the halter top. His fingertips grazed her nipples, and she moaned, staring at him with the most amazing brown eyes. Marius sucked in a breath. Out on the grass, the woman moved restlessly, her thighs rubbing together. Her movements betrayed an arousal that Marius wished he could satisfy. The gods knew that he was pretty well lit sexually just from looking at her. Imagining the texture of her skin and the taste of her tongue made him moan. He bit it back, trying to stay silent as he reached down to cup his balls, his mind going back to the fantasy…
He squeezed her breasts, leaning over her to capture her rosy mouth. Their tongues tangled languidly at first, then more urgently. Her fingers wrapped around his cock, rubbing the oozing pre‐cum over his hard flesh. He pulled the zipper of her jeans down, his hand pressing downward over her flat belly and silken skin. He dipped beneath the edge of her thong, and his fingertips found her wet slit. He rubbed and her thighs shifted, giving him better access. Two fingers pressed within her, this thumb circling her clit. Her head thrashed on the grass as her hands stoked him harder. Oh yeah, baby. Harder. I’m almost there, he thought urgently. Soaked with her juices, his thumb slipped easily over her swollen clit as his fingers rhythmically pressed deeper, reaching for her sweetest spot. She sucked in a breath as he hit it, her body going rigid. He wiggled his fingers against it and she jerked. He stroked the spot with hard little thrusts and her hips pressed upward. He bent and sucked hard on her nipple. She crested, her body shuddering against his. Convulsively, her hand squeezed his cock, her thumb grazing the spot beneath the head that drove him mad with lust. With a choked cry he came, his ejaculate spewing over her fingers. Through the window, Marius saw the woman jerk, her thighs pressing together. With her head angled toward his window and her expression intense, he could swear her eyes met his through the black tinted pane. He leaned his damp forehead against the glass. Although his hand was wet and sticky with cum, he didn’t reach for the box of tissues nearby. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She briefly touched her breasts and his mouth watered at the sight of her stiff nipples. In his head, he heard the whisper of a female voice… Mine. You are mine now, Marius. Soon you will take me and eventually we will bond. You’ll be mine forever… The woman stood up, brushing off her clothes. Her nipples were hard points pressing against the fabric of the halter top. She looked directly at his window, and Marius hissed in a breath. Soon, Marius. Very soon, it will be my hand and not your own that strokes your hard flesh. As the sun dipped below the horizon, she turned and walked away, out of his line of sight. With a shaking hand, Marius grabbed the box of tissues and hurriedly cleaned himself. He righted his clothes and bolted from his office. He slammed out the side door of the cemetery administration building, racing in the direction the woman had gone. Skidding to a stop in the parking lot, chest heaving, he saw that the only cars in the cemetery were his, his siblings’, and their staff’s. He stared toward the ornate, wrought iron gates of Granville Cemetery, his mind shocked and his heart thudding painfully. He’d heard her voice in his head. He hadn’t imagined it. Turning away from the parking lot, he strode into the building and back to his office. He snatched up the phone and hit the speed dial. Alfred Stone picked up on the first ring. “Hey, Marius.” “Al, I heard her. In my head. In my fucking head, Al! What do you think that means?” he ground out as he sank down on his chair, his legs distinctly shaky. Silence met his words. The line crackled slightly. “Al?” Marius’s voice cracked as fear trickled down his spine. “Your bloodmate, Marius. She’s your bloodmate.” Alfred’s words were cool and unemotional, yet Marius found them soothing nonetheless. He closed his eyes. Alfred had hinted at Christmas about his destiny. Marius had chosen to believe that there was nothing left for him in the universe when it came to love. Alfred had told him not to worry. Now, Marius knew he was a fool for ever having doubted his friend. “Who is she?”
Alfred sighed. “I can’t tell you. You’ll have to find out on your own.” Marius ran his hand through his hair. “Alfred, sometimes you are such an asshole.” “I know. And this is one of those things I just have to leave in your hands, Marius.” Laughter lurked in Alfred’s voice, and for a moment Marius wondered if his friend knew he’d just had his dick in his hand, jerking off as he watched the woman, but then he dismissed the notion. Even if Alfred knew, Marius didn’t want to know that he knew. He felt voyeuristic enough without knowing someone had watched him watching her. At any rate, Marius knew Alfred only had his best interests at heart despite his refusal to tell him about the woman. He hung up the phone and stared at his dark window. Who the fuck was she? Resigned to a restless night, Marius grabbed his briefcase and suit jacket, before heading out of the office. On his way to the lobby, he passed his younger brother Colin’s assistant. Corey Green had a knowing way about him that unnerved pretty much everyone. Marius knew the man teasingly called him “The Big Fang”, but he didn’t mind. He privately thought it flattering. His gaze flicked over Colin’s assistant, noting the slightly pointed fae ears and wide blue grey eyes that always twinkled with good humor. Marius had never known anyone who was as happy as Corey. The aura of confidence and cheer that the wildling gave off freaked people out, including Marius. Not that he’d ever let on to anyone that Corey gave him the heebie jeebies. “Night, Bossman,” the wildling called out, his lips twitching into a grin as if he knew that he weirded Marius out. “Sweet dreams!” Corey’s taunting tone gave Marius pause. For a split second, he wondered if Corey somehow knew what he’d been doing earlier, but the wildling didn’t look any different than he usually did. Dressed in khakis and a polo shirt bearing the cemetery’s logo, Corey’s clothes and expression reflected Colin’s relaxed attitude about work. As long as Corey produced well, Colin wouldn’t make him behave or wear a suit and tie. Marius, on the other hand, happened to find suits liberating. He enjoyed looking and acting the power broker. One of Corey’s brows flicked upward as Marius continued to eye him thoughtfully. “Did you need something, sir?” he asked politely. Marius shook himself from his reverie and decided he was being paranoid. First Alfred, now Corey. No one knew what he’d done except the mysterious woman. “No, I’m fine. But thanks, Corey. I’m heading home now. Tell Colin we’ll walk the grounds tomorrow. The weather should be perfect for a day on the lawns,” he said, his head spinning with plans to catch the woman whose thoughts had invaded his head. Corey nodded. “Overcast. Gotcha. I’ll let Colin know. He has a lunch date with Eden but he’s free after one‐thirty.” Marius thought it strange to make a date with your spouse, but since his brother did it regularly he didn’t say anything. Colin loved his wife fiercely, and they had a great relationship. Marius was happy for both his married siblings. They’d found love with the younger brother and sister of Marius’s best friend Sean Antaeus. Eden Antaeus was the only Antaeus woman left in the black dragon clan if you didn’t count Sean’s green dragon wife Careen and their red dragon cousin Emily Delrey. Their oldest sister Diandra had taken herself off to the highlands of Scotland and left the dragon life behind. As he got in his car, Marius’s thoughts drifted to what would make a dragon leave their clan behind. In Diandra’s case, the death of their parents had been traumatizing. Having to take over the company business had been stressful for her. Then her relationship with Sean deteriorated rapidly at the same time that she’d met her mate. And worst of all—at least to hear Sean tell it— her mate had been a werewolf. Marius pulled out of the cemetery’s gates and headed inland to the foothills. Being a vampire, he’d always sort of lumped all shifters together. It made no difference to him if they were
werewolves, werecats, dragons, or merfolk. They could all change their shape from a human form to the form of an animal. Or fish in the case of the merfolk. Despite what the movies and books said about vampires, the truth in the Darkworld was that they were not the undead and could not shape‐shift into bats. The very thought of being either of those things privately creeped Marius out. He drove down the freeway, glad the rush hour traffic seemed to be headed in the opposite direction, toward the coastline and beaches. As he drove, he realized a lot of stuff squicked him out these days. He wondered when he’d gotten so fussy and narrow minded, bordering on the neurotic. He hadn’t always been so stiff rumped, had he? The more he thought about it, the more he saw himself as others must see him. Overly fastidious. Serious. Never smiling. Never enjoying himself. In that moment, Marius saw how incredibly unhappy he really was. His weekly golf date with Alfred and Sean seemed to be the only thing he enjoyed anymore. He exited the freeway, frowning fiercely as he drove toward his hillside home. His dissatisfaction with life had to be obvious to everyone. No wonder they always walked on eggshells around him. Only Sean and Alfred had the balls to ever bring up his unhappy romantic past. They were the only ones to ever tell him it wasn’t important to his future. As he pulled into the drive of his restored Victorian, Marius sighed. The sight of the grey stone exterior always made him feel content and happy. Unlike Colin who had a love of all things modern, Marius loved the past. He loved antiques and things with history. He’d always felt that he should have been born many centuries before. To him a horse was a creature of beauty and elegance, while a car was a utilitarian hunk of metal. Parking in the garage at the back of the house, he got out and eyed his expensive hunk of metal. Colin had chosen the Jaguar for him saying it suited his image. Marius couldn’t tell the difference between a Jag and Toyota. He would have been happy with the Toyota, and his wallet wouldn’t have screamed so much at the purchase. Not that he cared about the money. On a personal level, money’s only meaning related to his comfort. If he wanted a Jaguar, he wanted to have the funds to buy it. He liked being able to do whatever he wanted. Mostly. He entered his kitchen, his gaze taking in the gleaming granite countertops and shiny appliances. The house might look historic on the outside, but inside it had all the amenities. He enjoyed them despite his lack of enthusiasm for status symbols and modern things. After a hot shower, dressed only in a pair of boxer briefs, his hair still damp, Marius padded barefoot down the stairs to the kitchen. He tossed a frozen gourmet dinner into the microwave and leaned against the counter, watching the plastic carton spin. He could cook, and he had groceries, but tonight he just didn’t have the patience. He ate standing at the counter, wolfing down the meat and potatoes without tasting them. His mind kept wandering back to the sound of the woman’s voice in his head. Her sexy tone caused goose bumps to rise on his arms. For all he’d thought he’d been in love before, no woman had ever given him such a reaction. And Alfred had been no fucking help whatsoever. The man’s job as a Magia was to assist matings. Yet he refused to tell Marius anything about the woman he’d heard in his head. What the hell was the point in holding back? Marius tossed the plastic tray into the trash and took out a container of blood. Much as he’d rather bite someone and drink from a free flowing vein, without a mate or even a girlfriend, that wouldn’t happen, so the bag o’ blood as Colin called it was his only choice. He nuked the bag a few seconds to make it room temp then held it to his mouth.
Closing his eyes, Marius thought of the smooth skin on the neck of the woman who currently made him hotter than a two dollar pistol. His fangs dropped. He imagined how it would feel to scrape the tender points over her flesh and sink them into the throbbing pulse of her vein… His fangs punctured the bag and he drank quickly, assuaging the hunger that gnawed at his gut. As the hunger waned, his dissatisfaction grew. Being unhappy all the time wasn’t how he’d envisioned his life. He had pride in his work. It satisfied him and made him happy, but he couldn’t live at the office. He needed more in his life. Going to bed at the incredibly early hour of 9 pm, Marius lay on the soft mattress of his king sized bed and frowned up at the moonlight dappled ceiling. If he needed more in his life, what exactly did he need? A girlfriend? A wife? A bloodmate? Every Acerbian vampire needed a bloodmate, but Marius had the niggling sense that he needed something even beyond that bond. Yet he couldn’t figure out what that something could be. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep. As his body went lax, the woman who haunted him appeared. Her naked body gleamed in the low light. She moved toward him, one hand outstretched. When her hand delved beneath the covers of his bed, Marius held his breath. Her palm slid along his hard thigh. “Let’s have some fun, Marius,” she whispered. “Who are you? Why are you in my dreams? Why do you come to my cemetery?” he asked, trying to see her eyes more clearly. She caressed him slowly, the movement of her hand seductive. “You know why I’m in your dreams. For one, you can’t get me out of your head. For another, I’m your bloodmate. Bloodmates have the unique ability to share dreams.” “Is that what we’re doing? Sharing dreams?” he demanded, wondering why he’d never known that before. “Yes. It’s a little early for me to be in bed, but I knew you’d be sleeping soon and I wanted to speak with you.” Her husky voice sent shivers through him. “Speak with me? Why don’t you tell me your name first?” “Sair.” A jolt of electricity went through Marius; although, he couldn’t understand how that could happen while he slept. He let her name roll over him. It fit the taut body he’d seen out his window, and the lilting accented tones of her voice. She obviously wasn’t from California. “I’m Scottish.” Her words reminded him that she could hear his thoughts if he didn’t shield them. “I’ll tell you my surname another time. It’s not important tonight. Tonight, I want to see what you do for fun.” “Fun? I play golf with my best friends.” Sair snorted. Or, at least, Marius thought it was a snort. “That’s not fun. That’s boring,” she pronounced, her hand stilling on his thigh. “Do you ever go to the beach?” “No. It’s too dirty, and the water is polluted.” Marius didn’t have good memories of the beach. His sister Elysia often swam in a secluded cove with her husband Declan Antaeus. Marius had never seen the appeal. His brother Colin lived right on the beach but the thought of sand constantly invading his home turned him right off. He had no affinity for the ocean at all. He was more of a forest kind of guy. “You don’t swim?” she asked curiously. “I swim.” Marius struggled to keep from feeling offended. She didn’t know him, but at least she tried to dig beneath the surface a little he reasoned with himself. He appreciated that, despite how it made him feel. “Sometimes I swim at Colin’s house. He has an infinity pool.”
Sair chuckled, and her hand resumed stroking his thigh. Marius relaxed. Her touch soothed his ruffled nerves. “Swimming is fun. Have you ever cannonballed into the pool? Or had sex in the Jacuzzi?” Shifting uncomfortably, Marius realized that her grilling starkly exposed his unhappy life. He couldn’t very well deny he lived a mundane existence when he’d already acknowledged it to himself earlier. He didn’t like revealing it to Sair, however. What if she didn’t like him? “Does it matter? Your bloodmate isn’t something you can change, is it?” she inquired. He wished he could see her better. Dream chats sucked for visuals, he thought sourly. A musical laugh sounded. “Why do you think I’m touching you? Aside from the fact that I seem to enjoy caressing you, it helps to have a connection,” Sair said in an amused voice. “I can’t see you very well, but I sure can touch you.” To underscore her words, Sair’s fingers stroked over his cock. Marius jumped, and she laughed again, her warm hand cupping his balls. His cock began to thicken. “You have a nice penis,” she told him matter‐of‐factly. “I loved it that you were masturbating at work. It was so wicked and fun.” He wasn’t surprised that she knew what he’d done. He’d suspected it when he’d heard her voice in his head afterward. He loved that she thought him wicked. “Oh, you’re not wicked, but that act today was,” she said with a little laugh. “You have to be the least wicked person I’ve ever met.” “We haven’t met,” he muttered in a disgruntled tone. How dare she think he wasn’t wicked? He could be wicked! She stroked his now erect cock. “You aren’t wicked. You couldn’t ever be. You’re a nice guy, Marius. But I bet I can bring out the wicked in you.” “I want to be wicked for you, but I am who I am. I’m not fun,” he admitted, his chest aching with an emotion he couldn’t name. She sighed and her hand slipped from his cock. “No, you’re not. I can see that clearly. I guess you need to think about what you want, Marius. I’m not the kind of woman who would fit in your life. I’d probably embarrass you in front of your friends.” Her voice lowered and the tone became inexpressibly sad. “I wish you would just let go and give yourself the freedom to enjoy life. Maybe then we’d have a chance.” Marius reached out and grabbed her wrist as panic descended. “Wait! You can’t give up on me before we’ve even met! That’s not right!” he protested. She shook her head and pulled her hand free. “Maybe not, but I am who I am too, Marius. Good night.” With a gasp, Marius awoke. His heart thundered and sweat poured off him. The dream had been scary. Scary as in, “Am I going mad?” scary. The very thought of losing his bloodmate before he’d even met her simply because he liked his life neat and orderly had him in a full blown panic. He reached for the phone on the night stand. This time, Alfred better have some answers for him, he thought grimly.