Evans, Gabrielle - Monsters and Mayhem [Midnight Matings] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

Midnight Matings

Monsters and Mayhem

The Gathering is called. The spell is cast. There is no escaping the

Midnight Matings.

News anchor Samuel Anderson just landed the story of his career

and is damn glad he made the trip to Scotland. That is, until he

offends one of the elders and finds himself mated to an arrogant

and obnoxious shifter who can’t stand him.

Coby Pherson is pretty sure the elders have lost their minds.

Marching right up on stage, he has every intention of getting out

of this forced mating, but instead finds himself mated to a human

without his consent.

Once Samuel realizes that Coby is a well-known and high-profile

shifter, he’s determined to make the man the new face of the

paranormal world. During the long promotional tour, Samuel

learns more about the world Coby lives in, and it’s shattering all of

his preconceived notions. Can two inherently selfish personalities

learn to coexist? Or will their relationship self-destruct before it

can even begin?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 36,131 words

MONSTERS AND MAYHEM

Midnight Matings

Gabrielle Evans

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

MONSTERS AND MAYHEM
Copyright © 2012 by Gabrielle Evans
E-book ISBN: 1-61926-272-X

First E-book Publication: January 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
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express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Monsters and Mayhem by
Gabrielle Evans from BookStrand.com or its official distributors,
thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

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MONSTERS AND MAYHEM

Midnight Matings

GABRIELLE EVANS

Chapter One

Leaning his six-foot-two frame against the wall and crossing his

arms over his chest, Samuel Anderson smirked as he watched the
ballroom explode into a frenzy. This was only his second gathering,
and he’d done his level best to get out of it this year. After the elders’
announcement, however, he was damn glad he hadn’t missed this.

So, the little freaks had to take a mate—like animals. The ones

who were supposed to be leaders had even gone as far as to drug the
drinks to ensure their cooperation. Right, and they thought humans
were the crazy ones. Where Samuel came from, slipping something
into someone’s drink to make them pliable for sex pretty much
ensured that the offender had a nice cell with a roommate who owned
his ass.

Not only did the little vamps, weres, shifters, witches, and

whatever else need to find someone to force themselves on before the
stroke of midnight the next evening, but it had to be a paranormal of
another species. Oh, it just kept getting better and better.

And if drugging their subjects wasn’t enough, the elders then

added another clause. If these young ones failed to bring forward a
mate in the allotted time, they were just going to kill them. The

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fighting had to stop, so what was their answer? Slaughter everyone.
Yep, that made perfect sense.

The thing he couldn’t figure out was their insane reasoning behind

it. The elders claimed that if the fighting didn’t stop, the humans
would go to war with them and obliterate them all. Samuel thought
he’d piss himself with the effort it took to hold back his laughter when
the elders had said that. As far as he knew—and he probably knew
better than most—humans didn’t give a flying fuck what the
paranormal community was doing.

Hell, most humans were completely enamored by all things

supernatural. Since it was his job to ensure they felt exactly that way,
it wasn’t technically a bad thing. Samuel just didn’t share their views.

“Hi,” a small but confident voice said.
Samuel glanced up from the contemplation of his shoelaces and

looked into the brightest lime-green eyes he’d ever seen. “Hello,” he
said grudgingly. Samuel thought the person speaking to him was a
child at first but quickly realized it was just a very small man. He
doubted the top of the guy’s head even reached up to his pectorals
when he was standing straight.

“I’m Coby, Coby Pherson.” He held out one small, delicate-

looking hand.

Flashing his million-watt smile that he faked on a nightly basis,

Samuel took the hand, gave it a perfunctory squeeze, and released it
quickly. “Samuel Anderson. Nice to meet you.”

“Liar,” Coby said with a coy smile. “You would rather be

anywhere but here right now, and you can’t stand what we are.”

Samuel was stunned speechless for a second but quickly

recovered. He’d been grilled by some of the toughest lobbyists out
there. This little twerp with his dazzling smile and spikey black hair
wasn’t going to rattle him. “Things are a little insane right now.” He
dipped his head to indicate the chaos still swarming around them.
“I’m just trying to keep out of the way.”

Monsters and Mayhem

“Uh-huh.” Coby didn’t look like he was buying it for a second.

“And what about the hating us part?”

“I don’t hate anyone,” Samuel replied flatly.
“Honey, I get the impression that you hate everyone, including

yourself.” The little guy crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring
Samuel’s pose. “Deny it.”

That sounded like a challenge, but Samuel wasn’t going to rise to

the bait. Well, not much, anyway. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Samuel Anderson, Channel 9’s Paranormal Authority, leading

the way to acceptance through understanding. I have never heard a
bigger crock of shit in my life.”

“And just who the hell are you?” Samuel demanded, getting

angrier the longer he conversed with the little snot.

“Oh, Sammy, we mustn’t get angry.” He stuck his nose in the air

and sniffed haughtily before doubling over in laughter. “Why, I am
Coby Pherson, Shifter Extraordinaire!” He gave an extravagant bow
and twirled his hand showily.

Shifter? Samuel took in Coby’s tiny stature and tried not to snort.

If the guy was trying to impress him with the information, he hadn’t
succeeded. What the hell did he shift into anyway? A fucking
hamster?

“Well, I can’t say it was a pleasure to meet you, but it was

interesting. Good luck with whatever it is you’re doing here. I have to
go find a mate.”

“You mean you have to trap someone into a life that they

probably don’t want. Well, good luck with that as well.” Samuel
didn’t pretend to understand about the whole mating thing, but he did
know a thing or two about being forced to lead a life that he didn’t
want. He wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

Coby shrugged, wiggled in fingers in farewell, and drifted off into

the crowd of people. Samuel watched him go, his eyes zeroing in on
the tight little ass encased in dark denim. The guy might be an
arrogant prick, but he was a sexy one.

Gabrielle Evans

Pulling his voice recorder from his pocket, Samuel figured he

might as well get to work. He was being paid to cover the event, not
stand off to the side like a wallflower. Plastering a smile on his face
that he didn’t feel, he pushed out of his corner and strode forward just
as the elders emerged from the door off to the side of the dais.

“Good evening, gentlemen. I’m Samuel Anderson from Channel

9. I was wondering if you’d have time to answer a few questions for
me.”

One of the elders broke away from the group, greeting him with a

bright smile of his own. Falling into his routine, Samuel asked his
questions, nodded as though he was interested, and said all the things
that people liked to hear. While he performed flawlessly, he couldn’t
help but cast covert glances out into the throng of people.

Things had calmed down for the most part, and those who hadn’t

found a partner looked lost and afraid. He felt kind of sorry for them,
but not terribly so. He had no doubt that each of them would find
someone to accept them before their timeline expired. He still
believed the entire mess was irresponsible, reckless, and downright
tyrannical of the elders, but it was obvious that not everyone felt that
way.

Many couples happily approached the stage to record their names

in the large leather-bound book with smiles on their faces. Some were
a bit more reluctant, but Samuel could see the relief hidden beneath
their cynicism. And really, what was the alternative? Death? Given
the choice, Samuel knew he’d choose an unhappy life with a complete
stranger over utter annihilation.

“Tell me, sir,” Samuel said as he turned back to the elder. Damn,

had he even asked the man’s name? Surely he had. He was just
feeling a little…distracted.

“Yes?”
“What was the catalyst that made you decide to use death threats

as a scare tactic in forcing the members of your society to toe the
line? What about those who have just begun their lives?” Unbidden,

Monsters and Mayhem

his thoughts strayed to Coby. He doubted the man was even of legal
drinking age. “Will you really end their lives if they are unable to
successfully find a mate?”

The elder glared at him, clearly not liking the turn his line of

questioning had taken. “I—”

“And,” Samuel cut him off, “is it your opinion that a nineteen-

year-old is mature enough to enter into a forced marriage? Would you
also say that your plan to bring together the species is shaky at best?
How is it that you intend to put a stop to the fighting by essentially
forcing your underlings into a feral state?”

“Now, wait just a min—”
“Is it true that most paranormals are immortal?” He didn’t wait for

an answer before pushing on. “And is it not also true that the
provisions of this forced mating prevent each party from exiting the
contract by threat of execution?”

“The plan was carefully discussed and all possible nega—”
“So,” Samuel said loudly, interrupting the elder once again.

“While some appear almost eager, I have stood here and watched
numerous matings be recorded into your book where one or both
people were clearly against their pairing. Big, strong men have
dragged their chosen partners to this stage, and no one seems to have
a problem with that.”

The elder was catching on, because he kept his mouth closed this

time and simply continued to glare. God, they really needed to get a
better PR rep.

“So, essentially, you are condoning slavery. Or perhaps you’d like

to look at it as survival of the fittest. The strong take what they want
without consequence, while the smaller and weaker are given no
choice in the matter.” Samuel dropped all pretenses as the smile slid
from his face, and he took a step forward. “You condemn them to not
a lifetime but an eternity of possible misery, taking away any chance
that they could possibly find love in a healthy, monogamous
relationship. Now tell me, what is it that you hope to gain from this?”

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The elder might have answered him, but Samuel was no longer

paying attention. His full focus was pulled toward the center of the
stage where Coby strutted up to the table and thrust his hip out to the
side, waving his hand behind him wildly. Whatever was going on, he
didn’t look very happy about it.

“Do you wish to record your mating?”
Coby arched an eyebrow at the elder. “Do I look like I want to

record a mating?” He looked around him, exaggerating his
movements. “Do you see anyone standing here with me?”

Arrogant as hell, but Samuel found himself smiling. The guy was

feisty and had balls bigger than Texas. He could at least give him that
much.

“Then why are you here?” the elder asked in obvious

exasperation.

“Have you seen these men? Exactly what end of the gene pool did

they slither out of? And you want me to mate one of them? I’m sorry,
but that’s unacceptable. So, whatever it is that you gave me, just take
it back.”

“Coby, you’re going to have to find a mate the same as everyone

else. There are no exemptions.”

The man Samuel had been talking to—or talking at would

probably be more appropriate to say—walked behind the table, bent,
and whispered into the other elder’s ear. Samuel ignored them,
returning his gaze to Coby, only to find the man looking back at him.
What was it about the guy that held Samuel’s attention and prevented
him from looking away?

He didn’t have time to puzzle it out before white-hot pain lanced

across his wrist, causing him to hiss in air through his gritted teeth.
Coby gasped, clutched at his own wrist, and screwed his face up,
obviously trying not to cry out from the intensity of the burn.

When the pain disappeared, Samuel lifted his wrist, inspecting the

intricate brand that now adorned his skin. SA was obviously his
initials, but what the hell was CP?

Monsters and Mayhem

“What did you do?” Coby screeched, shaking his wrist in the

elders’ faces. “What the fuck is this?”

“You need a strong mate to keep your feet on the ground before

that overinflated ego carries you off into the wind,” the smaller of the
two men announced to Coby with a sardonic grin.

Samuel chuckled under his breath. It served the little bastard right.
“And you, Mr. Anderson,” the other elder called to him. “You

claim to know so much about our world. So much in fact, you are
prepared to judge and ridicule the way we govern it. Perhaps you need
to be completely submerged in the culture to fully understand our
ways.” He grinned widely and dipped his head before exiting the dais.

Samuel looked down at his wrist again, glanced up at the mating

book, and finally settled his gaze on Coby. The light clicked for both
of them, and he could read the distaste written across the shifter’s
face. It was most likely a mirror image of his own.

“No,” they each growled in unison.
The elder simply smirked at them, handed an official-looking

envelope to Coby, and nodded. “These are your mating instructions.
Don’t think about just tossing them in the garbage and going about
your way. I promise, you’ll want to read those and follow them to the
letter.” He stood and winked at Samuel. “Congratulations on your
new mating. I’m sure you two are going to be very happy together.”

Oh, yeah, they were going to be two peas in a pod. Samuel could

already see them braiding each other’s hair and having tickle fights on
the sofa. Maybe as an anniversary gift, he’d just cut his balls off and
offer them to the elders, along with any shred of dignity he had left
intact.

Coby whirled around on his heels, marched up to Samuel, and

poked him right in the midsection. “I don’t like you.” Then he
stomped down the steps and disappeared into the crowd again.

“Yeah,” Samuel muttered under his breath. “Join the fucking

club.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Two

Coby was pissed. He was more than pissed. He was goddamn

furious. Samuel Anderson was the sexiest thing he’d seen in his life,
and he’d been around long enough to see a lot. The guy was also rude,
abrasive, and self-centered. Why did someone so obnoxious have to
come in such an attractive package?

And why the hell did he now belong to Coby? What on earth was

he supposed to do with the human? The man thought himself
superior, which would become old in a hurry. His life had taken a
plunge into the shitter in the span of about seven minutes. How did
that even happen?

The elders thought him egotistical. That was rich, coming from a

couple of hammer-wielding dictators. Who did they think they were,
forcing everyone to mate? Who died and made them gods?

“Where are you going?” A big hand wrapped around his upper

arm and jerked him to a stop. “What the hell just happened?”

Coby glanced over his shoulder, giving Samuel the most scathing

look he could muster. “You know exactly what happened. Now go
away. I’d like to be alone for a little while.”

“I’m not going anywhere until I get some answers. I’m here

because of my job, and now I’m mated to some freakin’ rodent? I’m
human! How is that even possible?”

“Rodent?” Coby said dangerously, turning slowly and eyeing

Samuel up and down.

He really was breathtaking. His huge muscles rippled, straining

the fabric of his baby-blue shirt. His caramel-colored skin looked so
smooth, so soft. Coby had never seen eyes quite the shade of

Monsters and Mayhem

Samuel’s before. He’d thought they might be brown, but up close
there was just the barest tint of violet.

Too bad he was just another overgrown prick with a chip on his

shoulder. It just went to prove that you couldn’t judge a book by its
cover.

“Well, you’re so little. I can’t imagine you shift into anything

bigger than a gerbil.”

Coby laughed harshly and jerked his arm out of Samuel’s grasp.

“Fuck you.” He’d lived with the names, the taunts, and the ridicule his
entire life. He refused to put up with it from his new mate. “I can’t
help that I’m short any more than you can help that you’re a narrow-
minded douche bag. Maybe next time you want to insult me, you can
come up with something a bit more original, though.”

Before he had a chance to really lay into the man, muscled arms

wound around his waist and lifted him off his feet. “Hey, sugar,” a
smooth, rich voice whispered into his ear. “You sure are pretty.”

Next the guy was going to tell him that he smelled nice.
“And you smell so good.”
Coby rolled his eyes. Couldn’t these guys come up with anything

more original? He’d heard the same thing in numerous variations a
dozen times during the night. When had it become socially acceptable
to pick up a total stranger and lick him, anyway? Seriously, if the guy
didn’t get his tongue off the side of Coby’s neck, he was going to find
it detached from his mouth.

“Look, man, I’m already mated.” He wiggled his arm around,

trying to show off the mating seal on his wrist. “So, ya know, better
luck next time.”

“I think I’ll play with you for a while anyway.”
“I am not a fucking pet!” Coby threw his head back, but the guy

dodged him, chuckling as though he found Coby’s antics cute and
amusing.

“Oh, you’re a feisty one. Don’t worry. I like that.”

Gabrielle Evans

Yes, because he’d been so worried about pleasing the moron. “Put

me down,” he snarled dangerously. “You can’t mate me if I already
have a seal.”

“Who said anything about mating you?” The fucker laughed

again, low and easy. “I don’t want to keep you. I just think your firm
ass would look nice wrapped around my cock. You know you’ll like
it.”

Bile rose up in his throat, and Coby began to struggle in earnest.

He had absolutely no leverage lifted off the floor the way he was,
with his arms pinned to his sides, though. The familiar feeling of
helplessness washed over him, and his mind went blank, already
throwing up shields to block out the bad that would come.

“Hello, I’m from Channel 9 Paranormal News.” Samuel stepped

forward with a friendly smile on his face. Had he just been standing
there and watching the whole time? “I was wondering if I could do a
short interview with you. Maybe get your thoughts and opinions on
the elders’ announcement.”

The guy holding Coby loosed his grip a little, obviously taken

aback. “Oh, well, I guess that would be okay. Would I be on
television?”

“As long as you agree to it,” Samuel replied genially. “It’s a little

hard to hear with all the commotion going on, however. How about
you meet me in the library tomorrow morning? How does that
sound?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” The man sounded positively eager now.
“That’s great. I was just about to interview Mr. Pherson here. I

didn’t realize you two were together, though. Forgive me, but I’m not
very familiar with your customs. Should I ask your permission to
interview him?” He spoke calmly, and still had the smile on his face,
but Coby could see the muscle in his jaw tick and the way his eyes
narrowed marginally at the corners.

Monsters and Mayhem

“Oh, he’s not mine.” The shifter holding him chuckled as though

the idea was ludicrous. He did set Coby on his feet, though. “I’ll meet
you in the library tomorrow. Let’s say around ten o’clock?”

“I look forward to it.” Samuel dipped his head, even as his fingers

looped around Coby’s elbow and pulled him closer.

The big shifter drifted away, looking pleased as punch from the

attention. “Thank you,” Coby whispered as he stared at the floor. The
words tasted sour on his tongue, but the guy had helped him, and it
was only right.

“Are you okay?” His tone was softer and had lost some of its

bitterness.

Coby’s chest warmed a little at the concern in Samuel’s voice, and

he didn’t like it. He didn’t have a clue why the guy had stepped in like
that, but he imagined it was for purely selfish reasons. What kind of
game was Samuel playing with him? He’d made it perfectly clear that
he despised their world, and by association, Coby.

“I’m fine.” His emotional state was relative. He wasn’t going to

fall apart and start sniveling like some pansy. He was a little shaken
up, a little pissed off, and a whole lot confused about why Samuel had
even helped him in the first place. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t have to do anything.” Ah, there was that snarky tone

again. “I’m sorry if I interfered. I’ll remember to mind my own
business next time.”

Coby was tired. His head was beginning to hurt. All he wanted

was to be left alone. “Goodnight, Samuel.” Without looking back, he
squared his shoulders, lifted his head high, and headed for the double
doors across the room.

He made it no more than three steps before Samuel’s voice called

him back. “Coby…wait.”

It was spoken more as a request than a demand, so Coby paused

and glanced over his shoulder. “What do you want, Samuel?” he
asked wearily.

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“Can we talk?” It looked as though it cost him a great deal to utter

his next words. “I…I’m sorry.”

Hoping he wouldn’t regret it later but knowing that he probably

would, Coby sighed and jerked his head toward the exit. “Follow
me.”

He led the way, weaving through the multitude of bodies, and

slipped through the double doors. Not that he thought Samuel would
ever try anything dishonorable, but he really didn’t want to take the
man to his room. That seemed a little too intimate for someone he’d
known for only a few minutes and wasn’t even sure if he liked.

Navigating the stone corridors, he wracked his brain for where

they could meet. The library, as Samuel had suggested, would have
been his first choice, but as he rounded the corner, he saw two dark-
haired men slip in through the door.

Well, damn, what did he do now? Glancing out one of the

windows as he passed, his eyes light up when he noticed the small
courtyard beyond. Picking up his pace, he rounded another corner and
finally found the exit.

Stepping out into the damp night, he lifted his face toward the sky,

letting the light mist cool his overheated skin. After he’d taken several
deep, calming breaths and finally felt in control of himself, he turned
to face Samuel and cocked his head to the side. “So, what would you
like to talk about?”

“How old are you?”
That was his big question? “Older than you think, so no worries

about being a dirty old pedophile.”

“You don’t look any older than nineteen or twenty. I guess that’s

technically legal, but given that I just celebrated my thirty-first
birthday, it does make me a little uncomfortable.”

“Oh, I think you’re uncomfortable about a lot more than my age.”

Coby couldn’t resist teasing, but it wasn’t really getting them
anywhere. If he was going to be stuck mated to the man, he supposed

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the least he could do was give it the old college try. “I’ll be two
hundred and seven in May, so really, that makes me the pervert.”

Samuel swallowed hard, and his eyes rounded almost comically.

“I…oh,” he said lamely. “So, um, you’re a shifter?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Coby nodded slowly. “And I’m

not a freakin’ gerbil.”

“Okay, I get that. So.” He swung his arms at his side and looked

out over the courtyard, clearly uncomfortable. After several seconds
when Coby didn’t speak, Samuel finally huffed and threw his hands
in the air. “Look, I don’t know the rules, okay? I have no idea what’s
going on. Can I ask you what you shift into? Is that rude? I’m trying
here, but you’ve gotta give me something.”

“I’ll answer your questions, but we both know you’re not trying. I

can see the wheels turning in your head right now, trying to figure a
way out of this. Well, I’ve got news for you. For better or worse,
whether you like it or not, we’re stuck together. Despite what you
might think, the elders never do anything lightly. You can bet your
ass they thought long and hard and have covered every loophole.”

Samuel grimaced and looked away again. The man must be

horrible at poker, because he was damn easy to read.

“I’m not saying I agree with what they did. I’m not saying I like

being forced together with you. Some of the elders are assholes, sure,
but mostly they’re good people. They wouldn’t have done this
without good reason.”

“So you say.” Samuel grunted, shook his head, and began pacing.

“I don’t understand why you aren’t furious right now. Don’t you care
at all that you’ve had your choices taken away from you?”

“Maybe if I had been making the right choices in the first place, I

wouldn’t have needed someone to make them for me.”

“That doesn’t even make sense.”
His head was throbbing full force now. The muscles in his neck

ached painfully, and his eyes burned and itched. Coby was tired, both

Gabrielle Evans

physically and mentally, and all he wanted was to curl up under his
blankets and sleep. “I don’t want to argue with you, Samuel.”

“Sam. Just…My friends call me Sam.”
“Yeah, I don’t like that.” Coby wrinkled his nose. It sounded like

something he would name his dog—if he had a dog. “How about
Sammy? You look more like a Sammy anyway.”

“No.”
“Good, I’m glad we settled that. Now, if you’ll excuse me,

Sammy, I’m going to bed.”

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say? What about that envelope

they gave you? What’s in it?”

Coby had completely forgotten. Reaching into his back pocket, he

extracted the envelope and passed it over to his reluctant mate.
“Knock yourself out. I’m still going to bed.”

Sammy had the contents out and was scanning the piece of paper

in his hand before Coby had even finished speaking. Rolling his eyes,
he pushed past the larger man and headed back into the warmth of the
castle.

Well, that was the plan anyway. He never quite made it, though.

“You have got to be fucking with me!” Sammy bellowed, waving the
parchment in his hand around like a crazy person. “Four years! I’m
stuck with you for four years?”

“How should I know?” Coby asked indignantly. Why the hell was

the guy shouting at him as though he’d caused this mess? He was just
as much a victim as Samuel was.

“Well, that’s what it says. And something about dying. If you die,

I die, and vice versa? What the hell kind of shit is that?”

“Well, it’s a mating bond.” For someone who claimed to be the

leading expert on all things paranormal, he really didn’t know very
much about their world at all.

“There’s a part here about going feral. I don’t think that applies to

me, though.”

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No, it probably didn’t, but it sure as hell applied to Coby. Jogging

back to his mate, his feet squishing across the soggy ground, he
snatched the paper from his hand and began reading it quickly.

“No, no, no,” he said with a pathetic moan, shaking his head with

each word. “Just kill me now.”

“According to that piece of paper, I go down with you. I’d

appreciate it if you didn’t die until we can find a way to undo this.”

“You don’t get it, do you? Have you listened to anything I’ve

said? There is no way out of this. We’re glued to the hip for the next
four years, so you better start trying to wrap your mind around it.”

Samuel growled, a very human, though impressive, sound. “What

else does it say?”

“Basically that my ass belongs to you.”
This caught the guy’s attention. Samuel straightened a little, and a

crooked smile pulled at one corner of his lips. “Is that so? So, you’re
going to be my little wifey?”

Coby curled his lip and snarled. “I dare you to say that again.”
Samuel chuckled, holding his hands up in surrender. The deep,

rumbling sound of his laughter made Coby’s belly flutter and his cock
twitch as it threatened to swell inside his slacks. He really didn’t want
to examine why that was. Hating the guy was a lot less complicated.

“Okay, so what did you mean about me owning your ass?”
“If we don’t consummate our relationship at least once every

twenty-four hours, guess who goes feral and gets up close and
personal with the executioner?”

“And if that happens, it’s curtains for me as well.” At least the

man was smart and seemed to have no trouble following Coby’s path
of logic. “Fantastic.”

While it wasn’t ideal, considering that neither of them could stand

the other one, Coby’s body had no such reservations about taking his
gorgeous new mate to bed and doing wickedly naughty things to him.
He might have all the social charm of a slug, but he was damn pretty
to look at.

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“Well, what do we do now?”
Samuel shrugged as he folded the piece of paper and tucked it into

his pocket. “I guess we find a flat surface.”

“How romantic. You do know just what to say to a guy.” Coby

rolled his eyes and began walking toward the castle again. This was
going to be harder than he thought. How was he supposed to have sex
with someone who said stupid shit like that?

“Coby?”
With a loud groan, he stopped yet again and turned. “What now?”
“I’m being a prick, aren’t I?”
“What was your first clue?” The fact that Samuel had admitted it

shocked the hell out of him, but he refused to let it show. Every time
the man had done something halfway civilized, he’d done something
equally as moronic within seconds. Coby started ticking off the
seconds inside his head.

Samuel came closer, his eyes boring into Coby’s. “That was a

shitty thing to say, and I’m sorry. That doesn’t change the facts,
though. You need me.”

“And you need me,” Coby shot back.
Samuel nodded. “I know. So, I figure we can be miserable for the

next four years, or we can figure out a way to make this work. I vote
for the second choice.”

Well, the man had already broken his previous record of longest

time gone without uttering something completely asinine. “What do
you propose?”

In answer, Samuel closed the small distance between them, lifted

Coby off his feet, and crushed their mouths together.

Monsters and Mayhem

Chapter Three

Okay, so it wasn’t an answer to their problems necessarily, but it

sure as hell felt like a good place to start. Every snide remark, every
smart-ass comment, and every murderous glare directed at him made
his heart pound and his cock ache.

It wasn’t logical or even rational, but he found Coby’s spitfire

attitude a huge turn-on. The man might be small, but he was no
pushover, and each time he’d put Samuel in his place, it had been like
a physical stroke to his raging libido.

Crushing Coby to his chest and plundering the depths of his

mouth, Samuel finally gave in to the desire that had been building
inside him from the moment Coby had strutted up on stage and more
or less told him to go fuck himself. He was in for a very long four
years if the guy had already managed to get under his skin. Just then,
Samuel really didn’t care.

“This doesn’t mean I like you,” Coby panted against his lips. Then

he wound his legs around Samuel’s waist, moaned softly, and
attacked his mouth again. His small fingers twined in Samuel’s short,
black hair, pulling him closer while Coby explored every crevice of
his mouth.

Stumbling across the sodden ground, Samuel managed to get them

inside and out of the drizzle, though he’d never remember how he’d
done it. Nor did he remember how he’d managed to get them all the
way to his room without killing them both. One minute they’d been
standing in the rain, hands groping and tongues dueling. The next
thing he knew, he was kicking the door to his room closed and tossing
Coby to the mattress.

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Considering how many times he’d gotten lost inside the castle

while he hadn’t been preoccupied, it had to be magic. “You make me
fucking crazy,” he growled into Coby’s ear as he covered the man’s
much smaller body with his own. Though mindless with lust, he
somehow remembered to keep most of his weight off his soon-to-be
lover. Again, call it magic, because he damn sure didn’t have a good
explanation for it.

“I still don’t like you,” Coby said breathlessly while he worked

Samuel’s shirt up his chest and over his head. “Oh, I’m in trouble.”
Another one of those sweet moans fell from his lips when his hands
came up to smooth over Samuel’s chest and down the cobblestone
expanse of his abs.

“You like muscles, Coby?” Samuel teased him.
Nodding in what could only be described as awe, Coby continued

to caress each individual brick of muscle of Samuel’s stomach. His
pink tongue darted out to lick his even pinker lips, and he lifted his
head to stare at Samuel. Need and desire darkened the green in his
eyes, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled rapidly through his nose.

“Do you still not like me?” he whispered huskily, skimming his

nose along Coby throat and under his chin.

“I can’t stand you,” Coby said around a groan. He arched his

back, pressing his chest to Samuel’s and writhing against him. “I can’t
be bribed with hard, sculpted, rippling—fuck it.” His hands fisted in
Samuel’s hair again and jerked him down so that their mouth crashed
together.

Samuel allowed him to control the kiss while he slipped an arm

beneath Coby’s hips and rolled to his back, pulling the smaller man
on top of him. He should stop. They were moving way too fast. Hell,
he couldn’t even remember the guy’s last name.

His throbbing dick shoved a gag in his mouth, however,

preventing him from uttering a single word in protest. There were a
million things that he still didn’t understand about what was going on,

Monsters and Mayhem

but he had no problem comprehending exactly where this little
episode was leading.

Pushing his doubts away and curling his fingers around the back

of Coby’s neck, Samuel took over the kiss, dominating his partner
while his other hand slipped beneath the hem of Coby’s shirt and
began working it up his slim chest.

Every time he tried to push the cotton over Coby’s head, the man

growled at him, refusing to relinquish his claim on Samuel’s lips.
Samuel wanted skin, though. Hoping the shirt wasn’t too expensive,
he gripped the collar in both hands and ripped it right down the
middle.

Coby gasped and shuddered while his eyes actually rolled back in

his head. Sitting up to strip away the tattered remains of his shirt, he
stared into Samuel’s eyes with a mix of passion and amazement. Then
he flopped over to the mattress and arched his hips, trying to wiggle
out of his slacks. “Hurry,” he begged.

Samuel had been with his share of both men and women, but none

of them had ever been so open in their wants and desires. It was
refreshing but also a bit disconcerting. What if he didn’t measure up
to Coby’s expectations? The man obviously had a thing for muscles
and strength. What if he had built up some preconceived notion in his
head that Samuel couldn’t live up to?

“Sammy!” Coby cried out. He’d managed to divest the rest of his

clothing, and bowed his back, pushing his long, hard cock through his
fist as he stroked himself quickly.

“We need stuff.”
Coby abandoned the jerking of his cock and flipped over to dig

through the drawer of the nightstand. He was back just a second later,
tossing a travel-size bottle of lube at Samuel. Had he put that there?
He couldn’t remember. Then Coby went right back to working his
dick but going a step further by spreading his legs and pulling his
knees back to his chest, and Samuel forgot to worry about anything.

Gabrielle Evans

Gulping loudly and trying not to swallow his tongue, he finished

disrobing, snatched up the lube, and moved in between Coby’s thighs.
If there was a time to stop and rethink the wisdom of this, it had long
since passed. He could no more walk away now than he could cut off
his own dick.

Pouring a generous amount of the slippery liquid into his palm, he

stroked his naked cock twice, and froze. “Condoms?”

“I don’t get sick,” Coby said breathlessly. “You’re safe with me.”
Some of Samuel’s ardor cooled with those words, and he sat back

on his heels, keeping a loose hold on his dick as if he were protecting
it. “When’s the last time you were tested?”

“I don’t get tested, because I don’t get sick. I’ve never even seen a

doctor.” He must have realized that Samuel wasn’t moving until he
received further explanation, because Coby released his erection with
a sigh and pushed up on his elbows. “It’s a paranormal thing. Don’t
ask me why, because I honestly have no idea. I just know that we
can’t receive or transmit diseases. I think it has something to do with
our rapid healing.”

Though his dick still throbbed inside his hand, Samuel wasn’t

buying it. Whatever else they were, paranormals were still partly
human. Humans got sick all the time. He’d indulged in a few back-
alley encounters in his time, but he’d always been safe about it.

Coby’s eyes softened, and he wiggled around until he was

kneeling in front of Samuel. “For all my faults and all of our
disagreements, I wouldn’t lie to you about this, Sammy. You can ask
anyone in this castle, and they’ll tell you the same.”

“I’m thinking you’d say anything to get my cock in your ass right

now.” Samuel regretted the words the second they were out of his
mouth, but it was too late to take them back. Surprisingly, he did
believe the guy. It was just such a foreign concept that he was having
a little trouble wrapping his mind around it. How many times had he
heard a similar line about not needing a condom from some random
hookup? He’d never believed it before, so why would he start now?

Monsters and Mayhem

Even more surprising was the fact that Coby actually grinned at

him. “You’re right about that.” He reached out boldly to caress
Samuel’s chest and abs. “I wouldn’t lie to you about something this
important, though.”

“I’ve known you for half an hour. Why should I believe you?”

And why don’t you shut the hell up? a loud voice in the back of his
head demanded. It was likely connected to the ache in his balls and
the pulsing of his trapped erection, so he swatted it away and ignored
it.

“You know I’m right, Sammy. Don’t be difficult.”
“I can’t do this.” It was too far out of his comfort zone to go

bareback with a man he barely knew. Death just simply wasn’t a risk
he was willing to take just to get his rocks off.

Coby huffed and flopped back to the mattress. “Let me guess. You

have a headache? You’re too tired? You started your period? It
figures I’d get stuck with a human.”

He said “human” like it was something nasty stuck to the bottom

of his shoe. Samuel tried not to be offended, but really! How else was
he supposed to take the comment? “Fuck you.”

“That’s all I was asking for, but I guess it was too much for your

fragile little brain.”

Motherfucker, the man was completely infuriating! No one on the

planet could get to Samuel the way Coby did. No one could
simultaneously make his blood boil in rage and his dick swell with
lust like the asshole smirking up at him.

“You can run along now.” Coby made a shooing gesture with his

hand and turned away from him.

Something snapped inside Samuel at the dismissal, and he

growled as he dove on top of Coby. Without a word, he grabbed the
man’s small wrists and held them together over his head while he
lined up the crown of his lubed cock with the man’s tight entrance.

Coby’s eyes went wide, and his eyebrows shot up toward his

hairline. The look lasted only a second before his head fell back on

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his shoulders, and he cried out to the ceiling when Samuel surged into
him, encasing his cock in Coby’s silky heat.

When his brain finally caught up with his actions, Samuel froze,

feeling like the biggest scum in the universe. “I’m so sorry,” he
whispered. It was so grossly inadequate that he barely got the words
through his lips.

He knew he was well endowed. Hell, it had even been a source of

pride for him in his younger days. That he could lose control the way
he had, taking Coby without properly stretching him first, was
unacceptable. There was absolutely no good excuse for it.

Pushing up on his hands, he tried to ease out of Coby’s hole as

gently as possible, but his lover was having none of it. His slender
legs locked around Samuel’s hips, holding him firmly in place with a
strength that belied his stature. “You didn’t hurt me,” he said
seriously. “Don’t leave.”

It was the first thing he’d said that didn’t sound like a thinly veiled

insult, and Samuel recognized the insecurity and vulnerability that
lurked within the softly spoken words. While the new understanding
didn’t instantly make everything okay, it did thaw some of the ice
surrounding Samuel’s heart.

“Please,” Coby whispered. “Move.”
Unable to resist the sweet pleading, Samuel settled himself over

his lover, bracing most of his weight on one hand while he used his
other to cup the back of Coby’s head, lifting the man to his mouth.

He’d meant to go slowly, to show Coby that he was indeed

capable of gentleness, but the first slide of his tongue over Coby’s
sent his good intentions right out the window. It was like sticking his
tongue to a battery or maybe grabbing a bolt of lightning with his bare
hands. His head spun, his balls rolled, and his cock swelled against
Coby’s inner walls.

It didn’t help that his lover threw himself into the mating of their

lips with enthusiasm and fervor. Moaning and writhing, he thrust back
on Samuel’s length, impaling himself over and over while his hands

Monsters and Mayhem

mapped out every dip, valley, and curve of Samuel’s shoulders, back,
and hips.

The velvety inferno encompassing his cock squeezed and relaxed,

massaging him in waves and making his eyes cross. Reason and good
sense abandoned him. Any misgivings fell to the wayside, and
Samuel groaned in pleasure with every hard snap of his hips.

It wasn’t enough, though. He need more…harder…deeper. He

wanted to possess Coby, dominate and own him. If the man did
indeed belong to him for at least the next four years, he wanted to
make damn sure that Coby didn’t forget it.

Pushing away from his lover, he sat up on his knees, gripped

Coby’s hips in a bruising hold, and levered his lower body up from
the mattress. Sweat glistened over Coby’s flushed face, his eyelids
squeezed together tightly, and his weeping cock slapped against his
lower abs, coating the clenching muscles with a smattering of pre-
cum.

Samuel thrust faster—harder—pistoning his hips and plunging

into Coby’s depths at a demanding tempo. The lust building inside of
him was raw, untamed, and bordering on animalistic, pushing him
into overdrive until his entire world narrowed to the place where their
bodies joined.

When his spine tingled, his balls tightened, and his dick pulsed,

signaling his impending climax, Samuel released Coby’s hips and
covered his smaller body once more. “Open your eyes,” he demanded.

Coby’s eyes flew open, wide and desperate.
“That’s it. Right here. Look right here at me.” When Coby found

his release, he’d know exactly who had given him such pleasure. “Are
you going to come for me?”

Coby nodded eagerly, sobbing moans pouring from his kiss-

swollen lips.

Insinuating a hand between them, Samuel palmed his lover’s

heavy erection and stroked it from base to tip in time with his

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demanding thrusts. “Then come for me, Coby.” He twisted his wrist
around the head and dipped his thumb into the slit. “Now.”

As if he’d pressed the button to detonate, Coby’s breath caught in

his chest, his mouth fell open in a silent scream, and ropes of cream
erupted from his engorged crown to soak the minimal space between
them.

The look on his face, the scent of his climax, and the tight,

unyielding grip on his cock pushed Samuel over the edge, pulling a
rumbling growl from his chest as he coated Coby’s inner walls with
his cum.

When he was finally spent, and feeling a hell of a lot more stable,

he eased his softening dick from Coby’s channel and rolled to the side
of the bed. Dipping into the private bathroom, he washed up quickly
and wetted a cloth with warm water to clean Coby as well. He figured
it was the least he could after he’d been such a bastard to the guy.

Coby looked confused and a little surprised when Samuel came

back with the cloth and began to clean him gently. “You’re not
leaving?”

“You asked me not to,” Samuel reminded him. Though he didn’t

think he could leave if he wanted to at this point. “I’m not saying this
is going to be easy, but we don’t have much of a choice. We’re going
to have to make it work.”

Sighing heavily, Coby squirmed around until he was under the

blankets and pulled them up around his shoulders. “Yeah, I guess
you’re right. Can we talk about it more in the morning?”

“Sure.” Samuel sat on the edge of the bed and smirked. “You’re in

my spot.”

“Huh?” Lifting his head, Coby looked around the room and

frowned. “Where am I?”

“In my room.”
He absorbed the information and nodded slowly. “Okay.

Goodnight.” Then he fell back to the mattress and snuggled into his
pillow.

Monsters and Mayhem

“I guess that means you’re staying,” Samuel mumbled under his

breath. He should probably be more upset about that than he was. It
was his room, though, and he wasn’t about to sleep on the floor.
“Scoot over.”

Coby didn’t comment, but he did wiggle across the mattress,

creating space for Samuel to slip under the blankets behind him. Still
feeling the postcoital high, Samuel slid right up behind Coby and
wrapped his arms around the man, pulling him close to his chest. The
guy was so warm, and he smelled like spring rain. He’d examine why
that made him smile after he slept.

“Sammy?”
“Yes?” He smiled into his lover’s short hair. Even the stupid

nickname was beginning to grow on him.

“I still can’t stand your ass.” There was a smile in his voice,

though, and he settled deeper into Samuel’s embrace.

“Okay.” Samuel kissed the top of his head. “Well, my ass can’t

stand you, either.” He smiled once more, sighed in his contentment of
the moment, and drifted off to sleep.

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Four

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” Coby shifted nervously in

the backseat of the cab as they headed toward Samuel’s house in
upstate Pennsylvania. They’d spent an extra day at the castle for his
mate to do his interviews, but they’d barely talked at all.

“I’m starting to feel like a broken record, but again, we don’t

really have a choice.” He sighed tiredly and looked over at Coby.
“Are you sure about this? My job and my life are here, but what about
you? Don’t you have somewhere that you call home?”

“My family died in the Great War, so no. I have a little place back

in Scotland, but it’s not home. I don’t have a job. I don’t have any
friends who will miss me.” He shrugged as if it was of no concern to
him, but laying everything out like that hurt when he realized exactly
how much his life was lacking. “As long as you’re not going to kick
me out on the street tomorrow, I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t
be here.”

Samuel was looking at him strangely, but Coby was too exhausted

to try and determine what it meant. “I’m not going to kick you out,”
his mate said quietly. “We’ll just have to learn to adjust.”

What exactly was Samuel going to adjust to other than sharing his

living space? It was his house, his belongings, his job, friends, and the
local bakery where he bought his Sunday morning scones. Or
whatever the hell he bought. He was in his element here, and Coby
was definitely feeling like a fish out of water.

“This it?” the driver asked, pulling up in front of a very suburban-

looking two-story home with a wraparound front porch and shutters
on the windows.

Monsters and Mayhem

“Yeah, this is it,” Samuel answered before opening his door and

sliding out of the vehicle.

Not knowing what else to do, Coby followed suit, exiting the cab

and standing just off to the side, wrapping his jacket around him and
trying to keep himself warm in the cold breeze that ruffled his hair
and chilled him to the bone.

Samuel laughed at something the driver said, handed over the

cash, and lifted both of their suitcases from the trunk. Then he turned
and jerked his head toward the front door, indicating silently that
Coby should lead the way.

Being with his mate really shouldn’t be so awkward, but it was.

No matter that he had no idea where exactly he was, and was moving
in with a man he knew very little about, he still wasn’t even sure that
he liked Samuel. After their first night together, he’d been a bit more
cordial, but it felt forced and fake. Coby would rather go back to
arguing. At least that had been real.

Ascending the front steps, he shuffled across the wooden planks to

the door and stepped to the side, waiting for Samuel to unlock the
door and let them in. “Is it okay if I have some of my things sent
here?”

“This is your home now,” Samuel responded, pushing open the

door and reaching inside to flip on the living room light. “You can
have whatever you want.” Again, his tone was a little too easy,
implying that he wasn’t overly excited about the idea but wasn’t
going to say so.

“Right,” Coby responded shortly, stepping into the warmth of the

house. It might be his new residence, but it definitely wasn’t home.
He wasn’t sure if it ever would be. “What time is it?”

The flight from Glasgow had been long and tedious, especially

since Samuel had buried his nose in his laptop, offering little in
reciprocal conversation. Coby was tired, drained both emotionally and
physically, and he just wanted to sleep.

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Samuel pointed to a clock over the mantel of his fireplace. “Ten in

the evening. I have to leave for work at six in the morning, so I think
I’m just going to shower and turn in for the night.”

“Yeah,” Coby replied lamely, shuffling his feet, unsure of what to

do next. Would he be sleeping on the sofa? Did he get his own room?
Fuck, he hated this!

“There’s a guest room upstairs with a private bath. I don’t have

many overnight visitors, so we’ll probably have to change the sheets
and get you some fresh towels, but it’s the best room in the house
other than mine.”

“Where is your room?” Coby blurted, unable to stop himself.
Samuel pointed to a hallway just between the living room and the

kitchen. “Back there, so you’ll have plenty of privacy. I rarely even
go upstairs.”

Well, if that didn’t speak volumes about the direction their

relationship was headed, Coby didn’t know what did. There was also
the little matter of their once-a-day consummation. How did he even
bring that up? Should they write out a schedule and stick it to the
refrigerator? Would it just become a daily chore like doing the
laundry or washing the dishes?

Since he didn’t have a job, would Samuel expect him to start

taking care of the household chores? Had he just essentially become
the man’s housewife? As his thoughts continued to rage out of
control, his breathing sped, his body trembled, and his heart pounded
in his ears, drowning out all other sounds, including his mate’s voice.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t spend the next four years

pretending to be someone he wasn’t just to appease a man who
despised everything about him. How the fuck had he got himself into
such a mess in the first place?

“Coby? Are you listening to me?”
Doing his best to pretend that he wasn’t freaking the fuck out,

Coby smiled and bobbed his head. “Bedroom upstairs with a private
bath, and you won’t be bothering me. I got it.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Samuel was giving him that strange look again that made him feel

funny, but he still couldn’t figure out what the look meant or why it
affected him like it did. “Do you need help with your suitcase?”

“I can get it.” If he smiled any bigger, his face was going to split

in two. If the smile was any faker, it would have been drawn on with
clown paint. “I don’t really know how to say this, so I’m just going to
put it out there. We have to have sex before you leave for work.”

“I remember,” Samuel snapped at him then pressed his lips

together and looked away. “Get some sleep. I’ll come find you in the
morning.”

Coby hadn’t expected anything less, so he simply dipped his head

once, picked up his suitcase, and walked to the stairs. “I’ll see you in
the morning.”

“I need to change the sheets and get you towels,” Samuel

reminded him. “Let me just grab them, and I’ll be upstairs in a
minute.”

“Whatever.” Coby was done being nice. Maybe after he’d gotten

some sleep he could go back to feigning geniality, but just then, he
didn’t have the energy for it.

Trudging up the staircase, he pushed open the first door he came

to and stepped inside. It was a little stuffy but clean and roomy with a
private bath just like Samuel had promised. If he was stuck there, at
least he had a nice room.

After placing his suitcase near the closet, he began stripping out of

his clothes, wanting a hot shower like he wanted his next breath. The
bathroom was just as spacious as the bedroom, with a large garden tub
and a jetted showerhead. Nice.

When he was finally beneath the heated spray of water, Coby

groaned in pleasure, dropping his head so that the jets pulsed against
the tense muscles in his neck and shoulders. As a rule, paranormals
didn’t die of things like heart disease, stroke, or cancer. The stress of
living with Samuel might just kill him, though.

“Coby?”

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He closed his eyes and didn’t answer, praying the man would just

leave him alone. He’d never been very lucky, though. The shower
curtain slid back, and there stood Samuel, completely nude and utterly
breathtaking. Coby had never seen so many muscles on one person
before, and he couldn’t stop his body’s reaction to the sight.

He’d always loved men with muscles. It drove him crazy and

made his cock hard as a diamond to witness a real man’s man
showing off his strength. When Samuel had ripped his shirt from his
body—and made it look easy—Coby had thought he would come on
the spot.

It had taken a little wheedling, but Samuel had eventually

admitted small, lean men like Coby were the type that usually
attracted him. So while they barely spoke outside of the bedroom,
there were no issues when it came to heating up the sheets. Other than
“yes, please, harder,” sex didn’t require much communication after
all.

“Can I join you?”
Coby’s dick was already hard, throbbing, and leaking from the

slit. The man was his walking fantasy physically. It was the other
stuff that Coby was having a hard time coming to terms with. Either
way, he couldn’t deny how much he wanted his mate in that very
moment, so he smiled invitingly and crooked his finger for the man to
join him.

“I’m sorry for earlier,” Samuel whispered, molding himself to

Coby’s back and winding his arms around him. Something soft,
gentle, and a lot less asshole-ish always seemed to come out when
they were naked together. Coby just wished it could extend to life
beyond the mattress.

“Don’t,” Coby whispered back. He couldn’t handle apologies just

then. He didn’t want Samuel to be nice to him or try to make up for
being a dick earlier. As long as he kept himself detached, it wouldn’t
matter that he was realistically little more than a live-in booty call.

Monsters and Mayhem

“I’m no good at this,” Samuel continued, ignoring his plea. “I’ve

spent my entire life being exactly who and what everyone expects me
to be. Being aloof and unfeeling was the only way to survive in my
house growing up, and it just spilled over into everyday life.”

It wasn’t right. How could he resist his mate when the sincerity in

Samuel’s voice was breaking his heart? They’d both come into their
relationship with some prejudices based on first impressions. He
hadn’t exactly been a barrel of sunshine, either. Samuel was
obviously trying, so Coby guessed it wasn’t too much to ask that he
meet him halfway.

“I don’t want to be that way with you, Coby, but I don’t know

how to be different.”

Sighing in defeat, Coby turned to face his lover, wrapped his arms

around Samuel’s waist, and placed a kiss on his chest. “Then just
relax and let me show you.”

* * * *

The sun on his face the next morning woke him, but the warm

body pressed along the length of his back made him want to go back
to sleep. Coby smiled to himself. Technically, their little romp in the
shower hadn’t fixed anything between them, but waking up to Samuel
in his bed was a good sign. It was too early to tell if the trend would
continue, but hopefully, things were about to start looking up.

Cracking on eyelid open, Coby peeked at the alarm clock on the

bedside table. Gasping loudly, he shot up in bed, whipping the
blankets off of him and turning to shake Samuel roughly. “You’re
late. Sammy, wake up!”

“What time is it?” Samuel murmured without opening his eyes.
“A little after seven. Get up!”
Samuel chuckled, wrapped an arm around Coby’s waist, and

pulled him back down to the mattress. “I don’t work today.”

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“But last night…you said…” Coby trailed off, his sleepy brain

having a hard time catching up to what his mate was saying.

“I lied.” Samuel kissed his temple, tucking him into his side. “I

did have plans to go out today, but it wasn’t for work.”

“Are you still going?” Coby didn’t want to spend his first day in a

new place all alone, but he wouldn’t stop his lover from leaving if
that’s what he wanted.

“Maybe.” Samuel’s lips stretched into a grin against his temple.

“Would you like to come with me?”

“No one is going to throw stones at me for being gay, right?”

Coby had been joking, but unease settled into him when he felt
Samuel tense around him. “What is it?”

“I’m not out here, Coby. It’s not that the town is unaccepting, but

it would be damaging to my career. No one wants to watch the gay
guy on the nightly news. There’s still a lot of hatred out there, and
you can just imagine how many interviews and events I’d be shunned
from because of who I choose to sleep with. I know it’s not fair or
right, but that’s just the way it is.”

Coby thought it over for a long time before he spoke again. While

he didn’t necessarily like it, he wasn’t stupid. He understood the need
for discretion, and however much it sucked, Samuel was right. It
would definitely have a negative impact on his career. “It’s just while
we’re in public right? And we can still be friends?”

“I’m not going to hide in my own home, Coby. So, yes, it’s just in

public.”

“Okay, then. I understand.”
Samuel gave him a little squeeze in what Coby took to be

gratitude. “So, if you’ve lived for more than two centuries, I’m going
to guess that you’re immortal. Is that right?”

“Technically, yes. I won’t die from illness or old age, but I can

still be killed.” He wasn’t sure how Samuel would take the next bit of
news, but it was only right to inform him. “As long as we’re bonded,
you’ll be immortal as well.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Samuel just shrugged. “I kind of figured that’s the way it worked

when you said that I’d die if you did. It just makes sense.” He paused
for a long time, drawing idle circles on Coby’s belly with his
fingertips before speaking again. “You never did tell me what you
shift into. Is that…Is that something that I might get to see one day?”

Coby snorted and rolled over so that he faced his mate. He really

didn’t want to miss the look on his face. “I’ll show you whenever you
want, but you really should have asked before we left Scotland. I can
shift as long as I have a body of water, but I’m rather partial to Loch
Ness.”

He stared right into his mate’s eyes, waiting while Samuel turned

the information around in his brain. Coby knew the exact moment that
the man figured it out, because his eyes went as round as saucers, and
his mouth hung open like a guppy. “Seriously?”

Coby nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “So you can understand

why I was a little peeved at being called a gerbil.”

“Holy shit! Seriously? I mean, you’re really…you…”
Chuckling at his lover’s shock, Coby cupped the side of Samuel’s

neck, tracing the jumping vein there. “Breathe, Sammy. Yes, I’m
really a water horse, the last of my kind, and better known as the Loch
Ness Monster.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Five

“Coby! Where are you?” Samuel draped his jacket over the back

of the armchair in the living room and loosened his tie. He was so
excited that he was practically vibrating with it. He had excellent
news to pass on to his lover, and it was a huge opportunity for both of
them.

“What are you shouting about?” Coby waltzed in from the kitchen

with a wooden spoon in his hand and pointed it right at Samuel.
“What did you do? I can see it on your face.”

It was a little disconcerting that Coby could read him so well after

only a week together. It was slow going, and they still snapped at each
other occasionally, but things were getting better. Samuel was making
a determined effort, and Coby had stopped trying to turn everything
into a fight. If they weren’t careful, they might actually start to like
each other.

“How would you like to be the new face of the paranormal

world?”

“No thanks.”
Samuel stopped and cocked his head to the side. “Just like that?

You don’t even want to hear what I have to say?”

“I’m not going to be your poster boy, so no. Whatever you’ve

cooked up inside that head of yours, you can just get rid of it right
now.”

“This is a good thing, Coby. You’re already high profile, only

most of the world believes that the Loch Ness Monster is a myth. We
do a couple of appearances, shake some hands, smile a lot, and maybe
give an interview or two. People will eat this up!”

Monsters and Mayhem

“It sounds a lot like exploitation to me. Give me one good reason

why I should go parading around the freakin’ country like some
goddamn carnival sideshow!”

This was not going at all the way Samuel had expected it would.

“Because despite the fact that most people fawn all over paranormals,
there are still those that think you’re nothing more than unholy
animals and need to be eradicated. This could change their minds.”

“Or get me killed,” Coby shot back. “Sorry, but I’m not interested.

The fun behind the myths and legends about Nessie is all in the
speculation. It’s like a magic trick. It’s not really so amazing once you
know how it’s done.”

“You’re being unreasonable. This could do a lot of good for your

kind. Won’t you at least think about it?”

Coby narrowed his eyes and jabbed his spoon in Samuel’s

direction again. “You already agreed to this, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Samuel mumbled, realizing that he had overstepped his

boundaries. It had been such an amazing opportunity for him
professionally, and he hadn’t even stopped to think about what Coby
might have to say on the matter. “They offered me a position as your
PR rep. I guess I got kind of carried away.”

Groaning loudly, Coby closed his eyes and dropped his head so

that his chin rested on his chest. “How many of these come-meet-the-
freak appearances have you already scheduled?”

“Four, but it’s not like that. I don’t think you’re a freak.” Samuel

paused and narrowed his eyes at the floor as he thought over his
words. It was the truth. He still didn’t understand nearly as much
about the paranormal world as he’d have his viewers believe. Living
with Coby, however, had given him a glimpse into that life, and he
found it not much different than his own.

While he’d spent the last few years trying to shape the public’s

opinion and convince them that supernatural beings were just as much
people as they were, it was all just propaganda, and he hadn’t
believed a word of it himself. Attending the UPAC conference and

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watching as they all growled, snarled, bit, kicked, and fought to find a
mate had only reinforced his beliefs that they were more beasts that
human beings.

Coby was slowly changing his way of thinking, though. The guy

was definitely a spitfire, and he didn’t take any of Samuel’s shit, but
he was in no way an animal. Well, maybe a little inside the bedroom,
but Samuel thought it was probably best to keep that to himself.

According to Coby, paranormals didn’t have true mates or

someone picked for them by fate, but once they did choose a partner,
the bond was for life. Of course, there were always the bad apples, but
mostly, they were loyal and fiercely possessive of their mates—far
more so than humans and their alarming divorce rate.

Maybe the elders were counting on that loyalty to see the couples

from the gathering through the next four years. It would certainly
diminish the squabbling between the species, and when he looked at it
that way, the plan was rather ingenious.

“I should punch you right in that big, interfering nose of yours,

but—”

“You can’t reach it?”
Coby stopped midsentence and sent Samuel an icy glare. “That

was below the belt.”

“And so are you.” He knew Coby was sensitive about his height,

and he really shouldn’t tease, but his lover was so damn sexy when he
got pissed—which usually led to some pretty hot sex.

“I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work,” Coby said

after a short pause. “Besides, insulting me is not really the way to get
in my pants.”

Samuel begged to differ, but he also did it silently. Pushing away

his lusty thoughts, he tried to steer them back to the conversation.
“Will you at least think about it? I’m not going to force you to do
anything, but please consider it.”

“If I asked for a different public relations rep, and this in no way

helped to further your career, would you still think I should do it?”

Monsters and Mayhem

It was like dry swallowing a huge, bitter-tasting pill, but Samuel

nodded reluctantly. “I would. I’ll even help you pick a different rep.”

Coby studied him for a long time without saying a word. The

muscles in his jaw twitched as though he was grinding his teeth
together, and his eyes tightened at the corners. Just when Samuel
couldn’t stand the silence any longer, Coby sucked in a deep breath,
let it out slowly, and bobbed his head. “I’ll do it.”

* * * *

“Coby, this is Cameron Michaels. She’ll be accompanying you to

the events as your personal assistant.”

“Please, call me Cami.” The long-legged blonde stepped forward

with her hand outstretched. “Anything you need, don’t hesitate to
ask.” She beamed at Coby, showing off every one of her blindingly
white teeth.

Coby took her hand, gave it a perfunctory shake, and released it

quickly. From the moment she’d walked into their living room with
her million-dollar smile and her voice dripping with honey, Coby
hadn’t liked her. Cameron Michaels was one of those women with
very few brains cells who used her body and good looks to get what
she wanted. From the looks of her, she always got what she wanted,
too.

“Yes, well, are you all packed?”
Coby pried his eyes from Cami and glanced at his mate. “I’m

ready. Where exactly are we going anyway?”

“It’s a gala in New York for the opening of the new

Cryptozoology Museum,” Cami answered perkily. “It’s not until this
evening, but we need to arrive early to get you a suit. Assuming you
don’t have one already.”

Instead of curling his lip at her like he wanted to do, Coby smiled

back just as sweetly and bobbed his head. “I think that’s a great idea.

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Everyone needs at least one special-occasion suit.” Yep, he could do
fake with the best of them.

The kicker was that he didn’t have a good reason to not like the

woman. There was just something about her that he didn’t trust.
Maybe it was the way the smile on her face didn’t reach her eyes.
Perhaps the reason for that was that she couldn’t seem to take those
baby blues off of Samuel.

While the man was gorgeous, he also belonged to Coby. Sure,

they had their issues. Neither of them had really embraced their
forced mating, but that didn’t change the fact that Samuel was his
mate. Of course, he couldn’t very well tell Cami that, though. Samuel
would probably have a freaking heart attack right there on the clean
rug.

“Reagan will meet us at the hotel just before the gala.” Cami eyed

Coby up and down. Apparently while he’d been lost in thought, she’d
been talking, because he had no clue who Reagan was. “She’s only a
bit taller than you, so I’ll tell her not to wear heels. You two will
make a smashing couple.”

“Excuse me? Couple? Just what the fuck gave you the idea that I

want to go parading some woman I’ve never met around as though
we’re a couple?” Coby took a step forward, his temper rising. It was
bad enough that he’d lost his mind and agreed to this, but now he had
to pretend he was straight. Well, they could just kiss his ass.

“Coby,” Samuel began.
“Don’t start,” he shot at his lover. “This is entirely your fault.

When did I ever give you the impression that this would be okay?”

Samuel sighed and scrubbed at his face. “Cami, thanks for

stopping by, but I’ve got it from here. We’ll meet you at the airport in
a couple of hours.”

Well, at least the wench had some intelligence, because she just

nodded and hurried out through the front door. Coby watched her go,
refusing to look at Samuel.

Monsters and Mayhem

“We’ve talked about this. You know that I can’t go as your date.

I’m not asking you to be someone you aren’t. I’m just asking you to
pretend for a couple of hours. Trust me when I say that the world is
more accepting of paranormals than they are of homosexuality.”

“More accepting, but not completely.” Coby arched one eyebrow

and crossed his arms over his chest. “Besides, we wouldn’t want the
world to know that the famous Nessie is actually a flaming faggot,
would we?”

“Stop putting words in my mouth,” Samuel yelled at him. “I’m

just trying to protect you!”

“I agreed to do this because you promised that you’d be right by

my side. I’m not good with people, Sammy, and it’s going to be
worse if I’m trying to be someone I’m not. I can’t do this!” Even there
in the safety of Samuel’s house, he was already beginning to panic.
Why the fuck had he thought he could do this?

“Stop,” Samuel said quietly. He moved closer, lifting his hands to

cradle Coby’s face in his palms. “Everyone is going to adore you. I’m
not saying to be someone else. I’m just saying that we shouldn’t
flaunt your sexual preferences to the world.”

“I can’t tell anyone that you’re mine.” Coby dropped his eyes and

tried to look away, but Samuel held him firmly.

“But I know. Isn’t that enough?”
“Yeah, but you hate me.” Coby bit his lips and closed his eyes on

a groan. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out. What did it even matter?
They hadn’t chosen each other. They were stuck together. So, why
did it matter?

Samuel chuckled and ducked low to press their lips together. “I

don’t hate you, Coby. You drive me insane, but I don’t hate you.”

“You’re going to fuck her, aren’t you?”
Straightening to his full height, Samuel tilted his head to the side

and smirked. “That’s what all this is about, isn’t it? You’re jealous.”

“Am not,” Coby mumbled under his breath. Samuel was perfectly

free to have sex with whoever he wanted. They hadn’t discussed

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monogamy or commitment. Just because they had to have sex every
day didn’t mean that they couldn’t have it with other people as well.

So, why did the thought of Samuel in the arms of someone else

feel like a white-hot poker to his gut?

“Coby, look at me.”
He didn’t want to, but he figured it would be childish if he didn’t.

So Coby lifted his head, meeting Samuel full-on. “What?”

“I’m not interested in having sex with anyone but you, okay?”

Coby’s insides warmed until Samuel spoke again. “I’m not a shifter
or anything like that, and I’m not a teenager anymore. Having sex
every day is exhausting.”

Great, so did that mean that Coby won by default? Samuel was

too tired to have sex with someone else, so therefore, he’d be faithful?
Well, that was just fucking depressing.

“And I’ll be right there with you during every event,” Samuel

continued, completely oblivious to the fact that he’d said anything
hurtful. “You’ll have me as a buffer, and if things get to be too much,
you just say the word, and I’ll make sure you get a little room to
breathe. Does that work?”

Coby sighed, and his shoulders sagged. What choice did he have?

He’d already committed to this endeavor. Samuel promised to have
his back and make sure that he didn’t look like a jackass in front of
the masses.

“Do you really think this will help shed some positive light on the

public’s opinion of my kind?”

“Absolutely. You know that I got a promotion and a pretty nice

raise because of this, but that’s not why I think it’s a good idea. I
already told you this, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember.” Coby tried to smile, but he just couldn’t

shake his melancholy mood. “I guess we need to get going. Security
is going to be a bitch at the airport.”

“Hey,” Samuel said quietly as he wrapped his fingers around the

back of Coby’s neck. “Everything is going to be fine.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Six

The plane ride was uneventful, a fact Samuel was grateful for.

Coby had been high-strung and wound tight since Cami left, and he
didn’t have a clue what to say to soothe his agitated lover. While his
jealousy was kind of cute, there was no need for it.

Just because Samuel didn’t broadcast the fact that he liked men,

he had no desire to sleep with women. He’d experimented when he
was in college and still trying to come to terms with his sexuality. It
hadn’t taken him long to realize that women just didn’t do it for him,
though.

Maybe he should tell Coby that. It might go a long way in

soothing some of his worries. It also revealed more about him than he
wanted to share just then. They hadn’t really delved into their pasts,
which was fine by him. As things stood, they were little more than
acquaintances who had sex on a nightly basis.

“So, what time is this museum thingy?” Coby asked as he flopped

down on the bed in their hotel room. “Do I have time for a nap?”

“Sure,” Samuel answered casually. “We don’t have to be there

until eight o’clock tonight, so catch a nap, and then we’ll see about
getting you that suit. Reagan should be arriving soon, if you’d like to
meet her before the gala.”

Coby wrinkled his nose as he kicked his shoes off and let them

fall to the carpeted floor with a muffled thump. “I’m not taking her as
a date, so I guess I’ll just meet her when we get there.”

“Coby,” Samuel said with a frustrated growl.

Monsters and Mayhem

“No,” Coby bit off. “I won’t scream it from the rooftops that I’m

gay, but I’m not taking a girl to show off how wonderfully
heterosexual I am. I’ll go alone.”

“Fine.” Samuel sighed as he tried to swallow back his irritation.

Things would go much more smoothly if Coby would lose the attitude
and try to be even a little cooperative. “I’ll come get you in a couple
of hours.”

“Where are you going?”
“I’m meeting Cami in the bar downstairs for a drink and to

discuss the schedule for the evening. Would you like me to bring you
some food?”

Coby eyed him for a long time before climbing under the blankets

and closing his eyes. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Fuck! He was trying so damn hard, but Coby wouldn’t even

budge an inch. Samuel had no clue what he’d said to piss the guy off
this time, and he was sick to death of walking on eggshells.

Without another word, he grabbed his room key and strode out of

the suite. He was just meeting a business partner for a drink. What the
hell was wrong with that? They’d be in a crowded bar. What did
Coby think he was going to do? Throw her across one of the tables
and fuck her right there in front of the patrons?

“Sam!” Cami walked briskly down the hall as she waved at him.

“It’s great that we were able to get rooms on the same floor. It
certainly makes things a lot easier and saves time.”

Samuel found himself smiling in return—the first real smile he’d

worn in hours. “Are you ready for that drink?”

“I’m starving,” Cami moaned, pulling another smile from him. He

loved a woman who could admit when she was hungry. He just hoped
that she ordered something more than a salad and a glass of water.

“So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?”
Cami lifted the leather-bound notebook clutched in her hand and

began flipping through the pages as they entered the elevator. “I have

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an appointment at two o’clock for Coby to get fitted for his suit.
Reagan will be arriving at four. Did he say if he wanted to meet her?”

“He said no,” Samuel answered with an irritated growl.
“Well, it’s up to him, but I think it would be best if he did. No one

is going to buy that they’re a couple if they’re introducing themselves
on the front steps of the museum.”

She had a point, but getting it through to Coby was another matter

entirely. “I’ll talk to him, but I can’t promise anything. He says he’d
rather go alone.”

“Okay.” Cami shrugged unconcernedly. “After the fitting, we

should have just enough time for dinner before we need to head to the
museum. They will be serving food there of course, but I’m always
worried about spilling something on my shirt, so I never eat at those
things. Besides, do you know how many people have their fingers in
that food?”

Samuel chuckled quietly and waved his hand forward, indicating

that she should precede him out of the elevator when the doors
opened on the ground floor. “I like you, Cami. You’re not like most
girls.”

“Shh,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper but ruined it by

winking at him. “Don’t tell anyone. It might ruin my reputation.”

They chose a table in the back corner, and Samuel went to the bar

to order their drinks and Cami’s lunch. She’d requested a
cheeseburger with everything, French fries, and beer—not even a
light one. Yep, he definitely liked this girl.

They talked a little about Coby, the gala, and the other events

lined up over the next six weeks. When they’d exhausted the topic,
they moved on to lighter conversation, and Samuel found himself
laughing more than he could remember doing in years. Cami was
smart, witty, completely uncensored, and just genuinely fun to be
around.

She was a beautiful woman as well, with her sun-bronzed skin,

baby-blue eyes, and long blonde curls. Her smile was dazzling as well

Monsters and Mayhem

as infectious. While she was extremely attractive, Samuel didn’t feel
anything sexual toward her, and he often found himself making
comparisons with Coby.

Coby’s skin was creamy, soft, supple, and Samuel loved running

his hands over it, feeling the silkiness beneath his palms. Coby’s hair
was short, spikey, and black as night, and sexy as hell in contrast to
his milky skin tone. His eyes were what drew Samuel in, though.
Those pools of lime green always seemed to cut right through him,
making his heart pound faster and his belly flutter.

“Sam?” Cami asked around a giggle. “Are you even listening to

me?”

“Sorry.” Samuel smiled in apology. “You were saying?”
“I was asking what color your suit is. I know it sounds silly, but

it’s my one girly trait. I like to coordinate.” She gave him a winsome
smile and batted her lashes playfully. “I’ll have the best-looking date
there, and I want to look perfect.”

“I’m sure you’ll look beautiful in whatever you decide on, but my

suit is gray.”

“Smoke-gray, charcoal-gray?”
Samuel frowned, his brow furrowing. “What’s the difference?”
Cami huffed and rolled her eyes. “Is it dark or light?”
“Dark, I suppose.”
“Men,” she mumbled under her breath. “I have no idea how any

of you survive on your own.” She leaned forward and tapped him on
the end of the nose. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you, honey.”

Samuel cleared his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He wasn’t doing anything wrong, so why did he all of the sudden feel
guilty? “I better get back to the room and wake Coby up for his
fitting.”

“Oh, crap,” Cami blurted, glancing down at her watch. “I hope

he’s already up, because we’re going to be late.”

He’d left the room just shortly before noon. How long had he been

in the bar anyway? Checking his own watch, Samuel’s gut clenched,

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and he grimaced. They had approximately twenty minutes to make
their two o’clock appointment. He didn’t know where the time had
gone or how it had gotten away from him like that, but he did know
that Coby wasn’t going to be happy about it.

“We’ll meet you there.” He pulled his wallet from his pocket,

deposited a couple of twenties on the table, and hurried out of the bar
without a backward glance.

“Mr. Anderson.” A petite brunette hailed him from the front desk.

“I have a message for you.”

Choking down his annoyance and plastering a smile on his face,

Samuel jogged over to the counter and nodded that he was listening.

“Mr. Pherson wanted you to know that he’s already left and won’t

be needing assistance. He also says that he would have told you
himself, but he didn’t want to interrupt your lunch date.”

Samuel closed his eyes and groaned. “Is there anything else?”
“That’s it, sir.”
“Do you think I should go get him?”
The lady behind the counter looked startled at being asked her

opinion on something so personal. “Well…” She trailed off, took a
deep breath, and let it out in a rush. “He didn’t look angry, if that’s
what you’re asking.”

That was essentially what he’d wanted to know, and a bit of relief

washed over him.

“He just looked really sad.”
And that relief died a painful death. “Thank you.” He’d never had

a real relationship before, and therefore, had no reference point as to
what his next move should be. Did he go after Coby and explain? Did
he apologize? But what did he have to be sorry for? Maybe he’d just
go back to the room and wait.

At that point, no matter what he did, it was going to be wrong.

* * * *

Monsters and Mayhem

Coby unlocked the door to his suite and limped inside. It would

heal soon, but just then, his knee throbbed like a bitch.

“Coby?” Samuel shot to his feet, alarm written all over his face.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“Nothing.”
“Stop with the bullshit, Coby. You’ve been gone for hours, and

then you come limping in here, looking like you got hit by a fucking
bus, and you’re going to tell me that nothing happened?”

Coby sighed tiredly. He was having the worst day ever, and he

just didn’t have it in him to fight back. “I got lost, panicked, and fell
down the stairs that lead to the subway. I’ll be fine in time for the
opening gala.”

Samuel growled, stomped forward, and scooped Coby off his feet.

It was obvious he was angry about something, but he was gentle, not
jostling him at all as he placed Coby in the center of the bed and
stretched out beside him. “Don’t leave without me again.”

“You looked like you were having fun. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

That wasn’t strictly true. He’s wanted to do a hell of a lot more than
interrupt, but his pride overrode his temper in the end.

“So said the girl at the front desk. Nothing is going on between

me and Cami, and nothing will.”

Coby didn’t believe it for a second, but he didn’t want to argue,

either. “We need to get ready. Someone should be delivering my suit
soon.”

“Fuck the suit.” Samuel’s arms tightened around him, pulling him

closer to his chest. “You need to be still and rest.”

“We’ll be late,” Coby argued, but made no effort to move out of

his mate’s embrace. Samuel was so warm, and he always smelled like
heaven.

“We can miss the entire thing for all I care. You’re more

important than some stupid museum.”

Coby sighed and snuggled in closer. The man had an uncanny

ability to always say exactly the right thing—usually just after he’d

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fucked up. And just like always, Coby forgave him. Samuel had met
with a pretty girl to have a drink and a couple of laughs. They hadn’t
been sitting too close together. There hadn’t been any grab-ass going
on.

“I overreacted.”
“A little,” Samuel teased. “I think I get it, though, and I’m sorry.”
“Why didn’t you come find me?” Coby wouldn’t admit it, but

he’d been nervous trying to navigate the big city on his own. Samuel
was supposed to be there for him.

“I don’t have any experience with relationships, and I have no

idea how to deal with a peeved lover. I figured you needed time to
cool off and if you wanted me to meet you somewhere, you would
have said so. I’ll know better next time.”

“So, we’re okay, right?” As much as he tried to stay aloof, there

was a part deep inside of him that longed for acceptance. He hadn’t
asked to be thrust together with Samuel, and the constant hot and cold
was draining. Something had to give and soon, or there was no way
they were going to survive until the next gathering.

“I don’t know,” Samuel said quietly, thoughtfully. “I don’t think

we’re there yet, but I see us headed in that direction.”

It wasn’t exactly what Coby wanted to hear, but he understood

what his mate was saying. Their relationship teetered precariously on
the edge of…something. One little nudge would send them into free
fall.

Only time would tell in which direction that fall would be.

Monsters and Mayhem

Chapter Seven

“Why should we believe you?” a reporter called from the crowd

that had gathered around the front steps of the museum. “I mean, I can
believe that you’re a paranormal and a shifter, but you claim to be the
Loch Ness Monster. Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical.” He laughed
harshly and shook his head.

“Yes,” called another reporter. “If you are who you claim to be,

prove it!”

And on and on it went with Coby looking on like a deer in the

headlights. He shouldn’t have been surprised. He’d known exactly
what was going to happen, but being thrown into the middle of the
shark tank to fend for himself was scary as hell.

“Easy,” Samuel whispered in his ear as he moved to stand behind

Coby at the podium. He straightened his shoulders and smiled as he
addressed the crowd. “Mr. Pherson is very much who he claims to be,
but you’ll all have to wait until Tuesday to see it for yourselves. I
invite you all to Blue Lake to witness his amazing transformation and
put all speculation to rest.”

That wasn’t what Coby had expected hear. Exactly when had he

agreed to shift in front of the entire world? Hell, he didn’t even
remember being asked. What was happening Tuesday? No one shared
any details with him about the events and changes they planned for
his life. They simply told him when and where to show up.

There were more questions and shouted comments, but Coby

tuned them all out. Camera lights flashed in his face, making spots
dance in his vision, but he ignored that as well. The night was cold,
and the wind whipped around him fiercely, but he barely noticed it.

Gabrielle Evans

How was this supposed to help his kind? These people hurled

insults at him, viciously attacked his credibility, and made him feel
like a second-class citizen. He hadn’t missed the way the word
“paranormal” was sneered like an insult. The hostile glares from the
reporters and bystanders were almost physical, wrapping around him
and suffocating him.

And they thought he was the monster.
“Smile and wave,” Samuel said out of the corner of his mouth,

giving Coby a little nudge with his elbow.

Moving on autopilot, Coby did as he was asked, waving and

smiling at the group of people that would probably be sharpening
their stakes and lighting torches the instant his back was turned. The
elders were right to fear these humans.

The party moved inside, and as the night progressed, Coby found

himself alone more often than not. Reagan had supposedly missed her
flight and hadn’t been able to get another that would allow her to
make it to New York in time for the party. Coby didn’t really care,
but he figured the girl could have come up with a better excuse than
that.

Samuel was supposed to be his buffer and his support system, but

it seemed like every five minutes, Cami had something that she
needed him to do or people she needed him to meet. And wasn’t she
supposed to be his assistant? So far, she was doing a pretty shitty job
of assisting him with anything.

People huddled around him, much too close for his comfort. They

asked him a slew of questions that he couldn’t answer. Not that it
would have mattered because they never waited for an answer before
moving right on to the next inquiry. He wasn’t sure which group was
worse—those who wanted to mount his head on a wall or the group of
fan girls that fawned all over him. Both were intense, and both made
him want to crawl into a hole and hide.

“I hate to interrupt,” came a deep, smooth voice from behind him.

“I’m afraid that I need to speak with Mr. Pherson privately, though.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Long fingers wound around his elbow and tugged gently. Coby

dipped his head and offered a hurried good-bye as he allowed his
mate to lead him through the crowd and up a flight of stairs. He had
no idea where they were going, but as long as it didn’t involve more
hand shaking and smiling, he was all for it.

The upper floor of the museum was dark, cool, and blissfully free

of partygoers. Coby closed his eyes, sighing in relief and just letting
the quiet wash over him like a soothing balm. “Thank you,” he
whispered.

Samuel chuckled in that special way that made Coby’s heart

flutter and his belly knot. “You looked a little flustered, so I figured
you could use a break.” Two fingers slid under Coby’s chin and tilted
his head up with gentle pressure. “Open your eyes.”

Coby obliged, blinking open his eyelids, and was immediately

rewarded with a slow, sweet kiss. “What was that for?”

“You’re doing amazing,” Samuel said as he straightened. “I

wanted to deck some of those reporters, but you were completely cool
about it. The kiss, though? That’s just because I wanted to.”

The easy smile that covered his lips was confident and sexy. The

little twinkle in his violet-colored eyes was downright mischievous,
though. “What are you doing?” Coby walked backward, holding his
hands up while his mate stalked him.

“Do you really need me to answer that?” Samuel lunged forward

and caught Coby around the waist, lifting him off his feet so that he
had no choice but to clutch at his lover to keep from falling.

His back met with the wall, and he found himself anchored there

by Samuel’s huge body. Every hard, rippling muscle pressed against
him, making his head spin with desire. They couldn’t do this, though.
Not right there in the museum where anyone could walk up the stairs
and catch them.

“Sammy, don’t. What if someone sees us?”
“No one will see us.”

Gabrielle Evans

Warm, moist lips traveled up the column of his throat, making it

almost impossible for him to think straight. What the hell had gotten
into his very straitlaced and uptight mate? “Sammy, you’re supposed
to be here with Cami. Remember your job?”

“I don’t care,” Samuel murmured distractedly before sucking

Coby’s earlobe into his mouth. “I want you. Did I tell you how
fucking hot you look in this suit?” Then his mouth attacked Coby’s
before he even had a chance to answer.

The taste of champagne lingered on Samuel’s tongue as it swept

across Coby’s. Maybe he was drunk. It was the only explanation
Coby could come up with for the man’s uncharacteristic behavior.

While the things Samuel was doing to his body felt amazing,

Coby would never forgive himself if this jeopardized his lover’s
career. “Stop,” he panted after jerking his mouth away. “We can go
back to the hotel, but not here. I’m not going to let you mess up your
life.”

Samuel finally stopped trying to chase Coby’s lips and just stared

into his eyes for a long time. “You are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

Coby couldn’t tell if that was a good thing or not, so he ignored it.

“Put me down, and let’s get back to the party. Cami will be climbing
the walls looking for you.”

“I don’t care about Cami. She’s a big girl, and she can take care of

herself.”

Coby bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling a mile wide

at the declaration. The words please him a lot more than they should
have, though. “Yes, but it will look suspicious if you’re hovering
around me instead of mingling with your date.”

“I don’t care,” Samuel repeated, unbuttoning Coby’s jacket and

pulling the hem of his shirt from his waistband. His palm was warm,
soft, and confident as his hand stretched the expanse of Coby’s belly
and began to slide upward.

A soft groan fell from his slightly parted lips, and the hunger

flashing in his eyes was almost Coby’s undoing. His other hand

Monsters and Mayhem

caressed over Coby’s hip and down his thigh before reaching around
to knead the muscles in his ass. Pressing him more firmly into the
wall, Samuel rocked against him, trapping Coby’s cotton-covered
cock between their bodies.

“God, baby, just look at your mouth,” Samuel breathed huskily.
Coby whimpered pathetically at the endearment and the desire in

Samuel’s voice. His brain short-circuited, and instead of pushing his
lover away as he’d meant to, his fingers gripped Samuel’s lapels and
pulled him closer. “We can’t,” he said, but it lacked any conviction.
How could he resist when he wanted the man so much?

“We can,” Samuel countered, freeing his hand from Coby’s shirt

and running the pad of his thumb across Coby’s bottom lip. “I don’t
like that I can’t touch you whenever I want.” His thumb traced Coby’s
lip again and then dipped into his mouth to rub across his tongue.

Closing his lips around the digit and nipping it lightly, Coby then

swirled his tongue around Samuel’s thumb and sucked on it. The soft
growl that rumbled in Samuel’s chest made his heart beat faster and
his cock swell painfully as it pushed against his zipper. Were they
really going to do this? Right there in the museum with hundreds of
people milling around on the floor just below them?

When Samuel’s other hand returned to Coby’s waistband and

began fumbling with the clasp, he guessed he had his answer. Coby
had been alive for a long time, but he’d never done anything like this.
Never once had he met with a lover for a little carnal delight in an
even semipublic place. The act was so deliciously naughty, making
him hot and desperate, and he was having a hard time saying no.

The rasp of his zipper sounded loud there in the dark. His mate

reached into Coby’s boxers, pulling his aching cock free of its
confinement, and Coby no longer even thought of stopping. Samuel’s
fist traveled up and down his cock from base to tip in long, languid
movements, and he brushed his thumb over the slit to smear the pre-
cum that had gathered there.

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“Your choice,” Samuel murmured against the side of Coby’s neck

before sucking the flesh into his mouth and biting down on it. Then
his tongue snaked out, licking over his skin to soothe the burn. “We
can stop now if that’s what you really want, but I hope you say yes.”

How could he give any other answer with his body on fire and his

brain melting into lust-filled goo? “Yes.”

“Mmm,” Samuel purred. “Good, baby.” His grip tightened around

Coby’s length, jerking him harder, faster.

Pinned against the wall, Coby was completely helpless, unable to

move or escape. For once, he wasn’t afraid, though. He trusted that
Samuel would catch him if he fell.

* * * *

Samuel would be lying if he said that he didn’t know what had

come over him. It had taken him a while to name the emotion that
swirled inside him as he watched men and women alike paw at Coby
from across the room.

And he’d been watching all night. No matter what he was doing or

who he spoke to, half of his attention was always following Coby’s
movements. His black suit fit him snugly, hugging all the right parts
of his body. His creamy skin glowed in contrast to the dark material,
and his eyes popped so that even from a distance, Samuel could still
distinguish their unique color.

The giggling women who followed Coby around seemed to make

him nervous. He’d appeared completely clueless to every subtle touch
from his more masculine admirers, though. Well, Samuel hadn’t
missed it, and every stroke to his lover’s arm, every pat on his back,
and every handshake that lasted a little too long made him see red
until he couldn’t take it anymore.

Envy, he knew. Many times he’d coveted something that someone

else had, usually in the form of promotions or special assignments at
work. He’d never had something or someone he felt the need to place

Monsters and Mayhem

a claim on, though, so it had taken him most of the night to work out
that what he was feeling was jealousy.

Is this how Coby felt when he watched him and Cami together? If

so, it sucked, and Samuel made a silent promise that Coby would
never wonder or worry again.

“Did I lose you?” Coby asked breathlessly, his tiny hand cupping

the side of Samuel’s face. “We don’t have to do this here.”

He was worried about Samuel’s job. His cock pulsed inside

Samuel’s hand, leaking freely from the tip, and he was practically
vibrating with need. Still, his first concern was the impact it would
have on Samuel’s career if they were caught.

“I’m right here.” He hadn’t been. Since their first meeting, he’d

been holding a big part of himself back. It wasn’t that he’d been
purposely sabotaging their relationship, but just because he hadn’t set
out to do it didn’t mean that wasn’t exactly what was happening.

His jealousy and desire to reestablish his claim on Coby—even if

no one else knew—had been the catalyst that forced him to seek his
lover out and drag him up the stairs. None of his insecurities or
uncertainties mattered anymore. Not even his own clawing need or
throbbing cock was important.

He couldn’t count the number of ways he’d screwed up where

Coby was concerned. That wasn’t to say that his lover was completely
innocent or without his faults, but the majority of the blame for their
lack of progress rested squarely on Samuel’s shoulders.

Sex wouldn’t make up for it, especially since they’d never had

problems heating up the sheets. It was all the outside stuff that kept
tripping them up. Samuel figured putting Coby’s needs before his
own was a good way to turn them down the right path, though.

Pushing everything else away, he focused all of his attention on

the man in his arms and bringing him as much pleasure as he could.
Tightening his grip on Coby’s shaft, he stroked him hard and fast
while his other hand skimmed along the crease of his lover’s ass
through the material of his slacks.

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Coby moaned and squirmed against him, humping his hips as

much as his position would allow, fucking Samuel’s hand with wild,
jerky movements. His slender fingers dug into Samuel’s shoulders,
clutching at them while he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth,
obviously trying to muffle the sounds of his pleasure.

Samuel wanted to hear it all, though—every moan, growl,

whimper, and mewl. He wanted to hear his name burst from Coby’s
lips on a strangled groan and watch as his eyes glazed over with his
orgasm. Memories of their lovemaking infiltrated the moment,
stabbing Samuel right between the eyes and making him wince at how
selfish he’d been.

Hooking both arms under Coby’s knees, he used his upper body

strength to lift the man higher up the wall until his gorgeous cock
bounced in front of his face. Long and slender with a perfect,
mushroom-shaped crown, it was made to be worshipped, and that’s
exactly what Samuel intended to do.

“Sammy!”
Ah, there was that sound he was looking for, the perfect mixture

of pleasure and surprise. Samuel smiled around the turgid flesh in his
mouth and flicked his tongue along the underside of Coby’s cock. His
lover went wild, arching his back and pressing his shoulders into the
wall so that his cock slid farther into Samuel’s mouth.

It had been a while since he’d sucked someone off, but there were

just some things that couldn’t be forgotten. He gagged only once but
quickly relaxed his throat, clamped his lips down on Coby’s length,
and sucked hard.

The smaller man bucked, dropping his head back to the wall with

a thud while his fingers twined in Samuel’s hair, pulling hard enough
to remove several strands from their roots. Samuel didn’t give a rip,
though. If anything, it only spurred him on, causing him to groan,
which in turn pulled another garbled gasp from Coby.

His lover was close. He could hear it in the choppy sound of his

breathing and feel it in the tightening of his lean muscles. It wouldn’t

Monsters and Mayhem

take much to push him over the edge, but Samuel had never been one
to do things the easy way. Burying his nose in Coby’s groin, he
opened his mouth wide, stretched out his tongue, and licked a wet
path up his lover’s tight sac.

One of Coby’s hands released its death grip on his hair, and

Samuel glanced up his slim body to see him bite down hard on his
knuckles to muffle the scream that exploded from him. His entire
body went rigid, his legs straightening and his back bowing.

Samuel backed off, sucking on just the tip as salty, hot semen

erupted from Coby’s slit, bathing his tongue and filling his mouth.
Swallowing greedily, Samuel moaned as he continued milking his
lover, demanding every drop that Coby had to give him.

When Coby was finally limp and sated, sagging in his arms,

Samuel licked him clean and kissed the crown of his dick before
carefully easing him to his feet. Coby just looked up at him with a
goofy smile on his lips as he leaned back against the wall for support.
As far as compliments went, Samuel figured the dazed expression on
his man’s face was a damn good one.

Bending over him, he tucked Coby’s flagging erection back into

his boxers and began setting his clothes to rights. Then he brushed
their lips together, lingering longer than he’d intended and delving his
tongue inside Coby’s mouth, wanting just one more taste of him
before the world imposed on their little bubble of happiness once
more.

“I can’t believe we did that,” Coby whispered when Samuel

pulled away. “Thank you.”

Skimming his knuckles down the side of Coby’s throat, Samuel

dropped his guard, allowing every emotion he felt to play over his
face for his lover to see. “Things are going to be different.”

Coby didn’t really look like he believed him, and why should he?

It wasn’t the first time Samuel had promised something similar and
then failed to deliver. He meant it this time, though. Something had
happened to him that night, something he couldn’t really explain. All

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he knew was that whatever it took, he was determined to make things
work between them.

“We should get back to the party.”
Nodding reluctantly, Samuel held his hand out, but Coby shook

his head, his eyes darting toward the staircase. What they’d shared
was already slipping away from him, replaced by worries and doubts
about what other people would think of their relationship.

“We can’t,” Coby whispered. “I’ll go down first, and you follow

me in a minute.” He didn’t wait for an answer before smoothing the
wrinkles from his shirt and buttoning his jacket. Then he was gone,
leaving Samuel standing there with a frown on his face.

He hated the secrecy and the sneaking around, but what was the

alternative? He loved his job, and the minute everyone knew that he
preferred cock to pussy, his world would come crashing down around
him. It wasn’t fair to Coby, but Samuel couldn’t risk losing
everything for someone who he barely knew.

Maybe you’ll gain something better, a voice whispered in the back

of his mind. Yeah, maybe, but he wasn’t ready to test that theory just
yet.

Straightening his tie and readjusting his jacket, Samuel strode

toward the stairs with a smile on his face, ready to fool the world for a
little longer until he could be alone with Coby again. As he stepped
down on the landing and was immediately accosted by Cami with a
barrage of questions, the smile slid off his lips, and his eyes darted
about the room, seeking out his lover.

It wasn’t only the world he was fooling. He just didn’t know what

to do about it.

Monsters and Mayhem

Chapter Eight

“I don’t remember agreeing to this.” They were back in

Pennsylvania, standing beside Blue Lake as the cold wind howled
through the trees. The icy water wouldn’t affect him once he shifted,
but he’d have to wade out there butt naked before that could happen.

“Coby, don’t be this way. You know that you’re going to have to

prove what you are, or no one is ever going to believe it. Then all this
will have been for nothing.” Samuel wasn’t being condescending or
reprimanding. He was simply stating a fact.

“Yeah.” Coby sighed and looked out over the water. “I know, but

it doesn’t mean I’m not nervous about it.”

Samuel moved a little closer but stopped before they actually

touched. His hand twitched as if he wanted to reach out but then fisted
at his side, and he shoved it into his jacket pocket. Couldn’t have the
camera crew seeing something like that, could they?

Coby swallowed back his bitterness because he knew he wasn’t

being fair. In the days following their little interlude at the museum,
Samuel had gone out of his way to be caring and attentive to Coby’s
needs. He was trying so hard, really trying, and Coby adored him for
it.

Not being able to touch his mate whenever he wanted was eating

away at him, though. He’d been just as adamant about hiding their
relationship as Samuel—maybe even more so. The idea of his lover
resenting him if word leaked out was more than Coby could handle. If
he could only have his Sammy in secrecy, well, it was better than
nothing.

“Hey,” Samuel whispered quietly. “Look at me.”

Gabrielle Evans

He didn’t want to, though. Every time he looked into the man’s

eyes, he completely lost all resistance to anything Samuel wanted
from him. “What?” he asked instead, still staring out over the lake,
watching the morning sun glisten off the top of the ripples.

“Look at me,” Samuel repeated, stepping closer to crowd him

until he had no choice but to step back or bump against him.

With an annoyed huff, Coby tilted his head back on his shoulder

and looked at his mate. “What?” he asked a bit more tartly this time.

“I’m right here, remember? You don’t have to do this on your

own. I’m not going to let anyone hurt you.”

He hadn’t been worried about someone trying to hurt him, but

now that Samuel had brought it up, it was the only thought in his
head. “Do you think that’s likely?”

Samuel chuckled and reached out, looped his fingers in the pocket

of Coby’s jacket, and tugged him closer. “No, but I see how you get
sometimes, and I know that sharp tongue of yours is all for show.
You’re pretty good at hiding it, but I know you’re always a little
scared that something bad will happen. I’m just letting you know that
it won’t. I won’t let it. Okay?”

“Why are you being so nice to me?” It was a welcomed change,

but Coby wasn’t sure he could trust it. What game was Samuel
playing? What was it that he wanted?

“Believe it or not, I like being around you.”
Coby tried to take a step back, realizing he was standing much too

close to Samuel for a casual conversation. The man really shouldn’t
be looking at him that way, either. “Sammy, people are watching, and
you look like you’re about to eat me. People are going to talk.”

His nostrils flared, and his tongue shot out to wet his lips. Samuel

opened his mouth to say something, and judging by the way he was
leaning closer, Coby didn’t think it was going to be an agreement that
they should cool it. Whatever it was, Coby didn’t get to find out,
because someone called Samuel’s name, and his mate jerked upright
as if coming out of a trance.

Monsters and Mayhem

“Let me see what she wants, and I’ll be right back. Don’t go

anywhere.”

She? Checking over his shoulder, Coby rolled his eyes, not

bothering to hide his irritation with his assistant. He’d never had one
before, but as far as he could tell, the woman needed to find a new
profession. About the only thing she’d assisted him with was Samuel,
and he definitely didn’t need help with that.

“Can she be any more obvious?” someone said from his side,

causing him to jump.

The guy was small like him, though a little rounder. His sandy-

brown curls whipped all around his face in the wind, but his smile
was inviting and his eyes kind. Plus, he was a paranormal as well. The
smell of damp fur permeated the air around him so thickly he was
surprised the humans couldn’t smell it as well.

“Werewolf?”
The guy winked and held out a hand. “Brandon Perkins. So, is it

true what they’re saying?”

Coby shook the guy’s hand and nodded. “Well, I guess you’re

about to find out. That big ape over there says I’m going to shift for a
national audience.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder toward his
mate.

“I didn’t know Sam was gay.”
“He’s not.”
“He’s your mate,” Brandon countered. “You don’t have to pretend

with me. I guess I know why he’d want to keep it a secret, though.
This might not be Hollywood, but people still wouldn’t hesitate to
stab you in the back. I won’t say anything.”

Coby sighed in relief and offered the guy a genuine smile. “I

appreciate that. Things are rocky enough as it is.”

“I take it he wasn’t your first choice at the gathering.”
Coby thought it over for a moment. His cock had gone rock hard,

and he’d wanted to jump Samuel and lick him from head to toe the
minute he set eyes on him. Then the guy had to go and open his stupid

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mouth and spew out all that garbage. Still… “I didn’t say that,” he
replied coyly.

“Well, you might want to tell Cami that. She looks like she’d like

to sink her fire-engine-red claws into him.”

“Believe me, I’d love to tell her where to jump off, but I can’t

really stake my claim if Sammy’s not out at work.”

“I get that.” Brandon pushed his flyaway locks out of his face. “I

wouldn’t leave them alone together, though.”

“Hello, Brandon,” Samuel said frostily as he wrapped a possessive

hand around the back of Coby’s neck. “Shouldn’t you be setting up?”

Coby dropped his head to hide his smile, but gave Brandon a little

wave as the guy hurried off to do whatever it was he did. “We were
just talking.”

“Do you really need to stand that close together to talk?”
The jealousy was cute at first, but now it was getting on Coby’s

nerves. Spinning around and knocking his mate’s hand away, he
crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “What did Cami want?”

“She asked about—” Samuel cut himself off and mirrored Coby’s

stance. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I was just talking to one of your coworkers, and you act like I

was about to suck his dick right here in the middle of everyone. Yet
I’m just supposed to smile and nod when Cami calls and you run to
her like a trained puppy.”

“It’s not like that.”
“Well, then tell me what it’s like, because from where I’m

standing, that it’s exactly what it is.” Coby wasn’t backing down this
time. He was tired of Samuel disappearing with that woman every
time she snapped her fingers.

“We need to take our places. Can we talk about this later?”
“Fine,” Coby snapped. “Are the cameras rolling?”
“Not yet. We’ve got five minutes.”
“Places!” someone called right on cue.

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Samuel jerked his head, indicating that Coby should follow him to

the edge of the water where the cameras were set up. Coby followed,
but Samuel had another thing coming if he thought the conversation
was over. The big, muscle-bound jerk belonged to him, and he’d get
that through to his mate if he had to club him over the head with it.

People messed with his hair, his clothes, and powered his nose.

Coby stood perfectly still and let them do their jobs, though he wanted
to growl at all of them. He was so over this shit. His life had turned
into total mayhem since Samuel had blown into his life, and he just
wanted things to go back to normal.

“In five…four…three…”
“Good luck, Sam,” Cami said with a cheery wave.
Coby lost it. He was going to rip her hair out and strangle her with

it. As the rage and indignation built inside of him, his muscles began
to quiver, his heart beat faster, and a red haze settled over his vision.
He’d played nice, been the understanding partner, but no more.

They must have been rolling live, because Samuel beamed at the

camera and began speaking. Coby didn’t hear a word of it, though.
His eyes were locked on Cami, pouring as much hatred as he could
into his glare.

Fuck it. He just wanted to get this over with and get as far away

from everyone as possible—including Samuel. His lover was
supposed to ask him a few questions, let Coby have his say, and then
he was to shift. Well, they were rearranging the schedule a bit.

While Samuel continued his lead in, Coby started stripping,

ignoring the surprised looks and hand motions coming from the rest
of the crew. They could all go to hell for all he cared. Once he was
completely naked, he turned his back on everyone and strode out into
the lake.

He’d been right. The water was absolutely frigid, and goose

bumps broke out over his skin. Shivering violently with his teeth
clacking together so hard he thought they’d shatter, he continued
toward the middle of the lake until he was chest deep.

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Wanting only a little peace and for everyone to leave him the fuck

alone, he closed his eyes and let the transformation come. As small as
he was in human form, it hurt like hell to shift into something easily a
hundred times his size. It was almost like bursting out of his skin, and
he dared anyone to say that felt good.

As his body grew and he rose up over the water, the pain

disappeared, and Coby felt free for the first time in weeks. It didn’t
matter that millions of people were watching him on their televisions.
Cami didn’t matter. Samuel didn’t matter. There was only him and the
water.

Wading farther out toward the middle of the lake, searching for

the drop-off where he could finally submerge himself, Coby craned
his long neck toward the sky and bellowed loud enough to chase the
birds from the trees. His tough, leathery skin protected him from the
icy chill, and the adrenaline from his shift warmed him on the inside.

Finally, the sandy lake bottom disappeared from beneath his

flippers, and Coby propelled himself forward, diving deep down into
the murky depths of Blue Lake. It wasn’t a large lake, but it was big
enough to serve his purpose just then.

Turning on a burst of speed, he rocketed along the lake floor,

laughing inside his head with the sheer joy of it. There were no
problems here. No one wanted anything from him. No one tried to
hurt him. There weren’t a thousand different things to worry about,
and he didn’t feel like his heart was breaking because his mate
couldn’t pull his head out of his ass and see what was happening right
in front of him.

He couldn’t stay forever, but just then, there wasn’t anywhere else

he wanted to be. So, that’s what he did. All day and well into the
evening, he swam from one end of the lake to the other until he was
so exhausted that he could barely move.

It had all seemed like a good idea at the time, but now he had no

idea how he was going to get back to Samuel’s house. Maybe there
was a house nearby with a nice couple who’d let him use their phone.

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Hopefully, no one had taken his clothes. He figured it would be a little
harder to convince people that he was harmless if he showed up naked
and half frozen on their doorstep.

Swimming upward, Coby broke the surface of the water and

floated there, looking up at the stars. It was beautiful, peaceful, and he
wasn’t ready to go back to all of his problems just yet.

“Coby?”
Whipping his long neck around, Coby couldn’t believe what he

was seeing. Samuel sat on the eastern bank with his jacket wrapped
around him and a blanket in his hands. As Coby moved closer to him,
he rose to his feet and spread the blanket open in silent invitation.

Swimming right up to the shore, Coby closed his eyes and

dropped his head, waiting for his body to shrink back to normal. Once
the shift was complete, he curled on his side and shivered, too tired to
move.

“C’mon, baby,” Samuel said quietly, scooping him up in his arms

and wrapping the blanket around him. “You ready to go home?”

Coby nodded and pressed his face into his mate’s neck, inhaling

the rich, earthy scent. “You came back for me.”

“I never left.”
Tears welled in Coby’s eyes, and he blinked rapidly to dispel

them. “Why would you do that?” Okay, he was fishing now, but his
emotions were all over the map, and he didn’t think it was too much
to ask for a little reassurance.

“I didn’t want you to be alone.” It was sweet, but not exactly what

he’d wanted to hear. “I thought about going home, but what the hell
would I do there without you?”

It was the first time they’d spent any real time apart since the

gathering, and Coby thought it would have been a relief for his mate.
He was pleased to hear that hadn’t been the case at all. “So, you
missed me just a little?” he teased.

“I didn’t like being away from you. I felt…wrong.”

Gabrielle Evans

Just that quick, Coby’s eyes started to leak again. He was going to

have that looked at. “I missed you, too. Sorry if I messed up your
show.”

Samuel grunted as he placed Coby into the passenger seat of his

pickup and buckled the seatbelt around him. “I don’t give a fuck
about the show. You scared the hell out of me when you didn’t come
back, though.”

“Aww, you do care.” Coby batted his lashes innocently, but

Samuel’s words and attitude were doing a lot more to warm him than
the blanket he was covered with.

“Knock it off,” Samuel replied gruffly. “Are you hungry?” He

didn’t give Coby a chance to respond before slamming the door shut
and hurrying around the truck to climb behind the wheel. Once inside
with the motor running, he turned a little in his seat and arched an
eyebrow. “Food?”

Coby freed one of his hands and crooked his finger at his mate,

beckoning him closer. “C’mere.”

Samuel gave him a slow, sexy grin and leaned across the seat to

receive the kiss that Coby bestowed on him. “What was that for?”

“Thanks for worrying about me,” Coby whispered before kissing

his lover’s lips again.

“Yeah, well.” Samuel cleared his throat and settled back in his

seat. “This doesn’t mean I like you.”

Looking out his window, Coby grinned from ear to ear. “I never

said it did.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Chapter Nine

“Sammy, I hurt.”
“Well, you’re the one that decided it would be a good idea to

spend the whole day swimming from one end of Blue Lake to the
other,” Samuel said playfully as he rolled to his side and tapped the
tip of Coby’s nose.

Coby shook his head. “That’s not it. My head hurts, and I feel too

hot.”

“Are you getting sick?” Samuel started to roll away, but Coby

caught him by the wrist and held him in place. “What do you need,
baby? Tell me what I can do.”

Coby laughed softly. “I don’t get sick, remember?” He ducked his

head, and his cheeks tinted an adorable shade of pink. “I like when
you call me that,” he confessed.

Pursing his lips, Samuel felt his brow wrinkle at the statement.

What had he called him? When the answer finally came, he wanted to
smack himself. The endearment rolled off his tongue so naturally,
until Coby pointed it out, he hadn’t even realized he’d said it.
Thinking back over the last couple of weeks, he realized he’d said it
more than once, too.

“I like when you call me Sammy,” he said, offering his own

admission. “No one else does.” That was mostly because he refused to
answer to such a ridiculous nickname. He wasn’t four, a woman, or a
puppy. He liked the way it sounded when Coby said it, though. It just
sounded right and made him feel warm inside.

Coby groaned and began kicking at the blanket, pushing it off of

him and onto the floor. “What’s wrong with me?”

Gabrielle Evans

He didn’t know, but it was starting to worry him. “Do I need to

call a doctor? You know, like one of your kind of doctors?” Samuel
didn’t know who the hell to get in touch with, but he’d find someone
who could help his mate.

The last thought paused him in his tracks as he was pushing up

from the mattress. Mate? He was full-blooded, one hundred percent
human. He didn’t have a mate. Coby was his lover, maybe even his
partner, but…

“Oh, gods,” Coby groaned loudly, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Samuel almost swallowed his tongue when he looked back to the

man and found him jerking roughly on his cock. The entire shaft was
a deep red, the crown almost purple it was so engorged. One long vein
ran along the top of his length, pulsing with every rapid beat of
Coby’s heart.

Sweat beaded over his flushed skin. His balls drew tight to his

body. Coby was something straight from Samuel’s wet dreams, all
spread out for him like an erotic buffet. There was something wrong,
though. That pleasure-pain look he loved to watch play over Coby’s
features held a little too much of the pain part for his liking.

Mentally calculating the last time they’d been together, he

realized they were well past the twenty-four hour mark. So much had
happened that day, it had slipped his mind, and now Coby was paying
the price.

Determined to make things right, he reached for the lube on the

nightstand, quickly coated his fingers, and wiggled around on the
mattress until he could kneel between Coby’s thighs. Without a word,
he lifted one of his lover’s legs, spreading him open to reveal his
clenching hole. He didn’t tease or play, but slicked the greedy
opening and pushed in hard with two fingers.

Coby screamed, his hips came up off the bed, and a torrent of cum

exploded from his cock to drench his chest and abs. It was the hottest
thing Samuel had ever witnessed, and it made him feel like a king that
he could bring his partner such pleasure.

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“More,” Coby begged, whipping his head back and forth on the

pillow. His slender legs shot out, his feet hooked around Samuel’s
hips, and he jerked him forward until Samuel had no choice but to
extract his fingers or risk hurting his lover as he fell over top of him.

“Easy, baby. I gotta stretch you.”
“No.” Coby shook his head firmly. “Just fuck me.”
There was no getting through to the man when he was like this.

Samuel knew from experience. Sliding one arm under Coby’s lower
back, he rolled them so that Coby straddled his thighs. His fumbling
fingers found the lube, and he used it to quickly oil his aching cock
before discarding it again.

“It’s all you, Coby. Take what you need.”
Apparently, Coby needed no more invitation than that. Samuel

had barely removed his hand from his shaft before his mate was
gripping the base and lowering himself over the crown.

There was the damn word again. How could Coby be his mate

when nothing of the sort existed in his world? As Coby dropped his
hips, impaling himself to the root in one quick motion, Samuel forgot
to worry about it, focusing purely on the tight, wet heat surrounding
his dick.

Sex with this man was probably going to kill him, but at least he’d

enjoy every second of it.

* * * *

It had to be the mating heat. It was the only reason Coby could

think that he’d lost his fucking mind. Every nerve ending in his body
cracked and sizzled like lightning. His cock leaked from the slit,
slapping against Samuel’s lower belly and coating it in pre-cum as he
rose and fell over the man’s length.

The burn he’d first felt was now non-existent, leaving only a

pleasure that raged through him like wildfire, stoking the flames in his
belly until his body blazed with need and passion. Bracing both hands

Gabrielle Evans

flat against Samuel’s chest, he squeezed the rock-hard pectorals,
loving the way they refused to yield to his fingers.

His ass clenched hungrily, sucking Samuel’s cock into his body

and refusing to let go until he’d wrung every ounce of pleasure from
them both. His mate’s eyes were locked on him, darkened by his
desire, but there was also a softness around the edges that Coby didn’t
want to contemplate just then.

“I can’t…need…ugh!” Coby growled, snapping his hips in rapid-

fire succession, but it wasn’t enough. He couldn’t get the right angle.
No matter how hard he jammed his ass down on Samuel’s cock, it
wasn’t hard enough. “Please,” he begged, dropping his chin to his
chest and practically whimpering in frustration.

Samuel grabbed him by the hips, lifting him off his slippery

erection. Before Cody could cry out in protest, he was flipped over,
his face and chest pressed firmly into the mattress while his ass was
jerked into the air. A blunt pressure pushed against his hole as Samuel
covered his back and raked his teeth over the nape of Coby’s neck.

“Is this what you want?” Then he surged forward, slamming his

cock into Coby’s ass hard enough to rattle his bones.

“Yes!” Coby screamed, clutching at the sheets and fisting them in

his hands. Every hard thrust stretched him wider, and the new angle
allowed Samuel to nail his prostate on every inward plunge.

Strong, warm arms slipped around his midsection, and Coby

found himself lifted from the bed and his back pressed flush with
Samuel’s chest. His mate’s right arm crossed over him and gripped
his left shoulder while the other held a bruising hold on Coby’s hip.
With every forceful upward thrust, Samuel pulled Coby down, driving
into him hard enough to make their skin slap together and the sound
echo around the room.

Coby’s dick bounced between his legs with every thrust, his head

fell back on Samuel’s shoulder, and his eyes actually crossed at the
ecstasy that enveloped his body. Everything else in the world ceased
to exist, and as he lifted his arms to loop them around his lover’s

Monsters and Mayhem

neck, he hoped it never ended. This is where their relationship
excelled, where they found common ground, and this is where he
wanted to stay.

“I want you to scream, Coby,” Samuel panted into his ear. “I want

you to cum on my cock and scream my name so loud that the entire
neighborhood knows who you belong to.”

Just knowing that Samuel was staking a claim was enough to send

him over the edge, but he didn’t quite make the leap before his mate
was moving them again. When he leaned forward, Coby released his
hold on Samuel’s neck and gripped the headboard until his knuckles
turned white.

His knees clamped down on the outsides of Samuel’s thighs, his

lover’s cock still buried in his ass, and it was the strangest position
he’d ever been in, almost like a half push-up. Samuel rose up on his
knees, grabbed Coby’s hips in both hands, and began an all-out
assault, slamming into him and pulling him back with enough force to
bang the headboard against the wall.

Just when Coby thought it couldn’t get any better, Samuel palmed

his bouncing cock and stroked him in time with every demanding
snap of his hips. “Scream for me, baby.”

Like he had a choice. Coby threw his head back and screamed his

lover’s name loud enough to make his own ears ring as his climax
exploded within him. “Sammy!” Jets of sticky cream blasted from his
cock, painting the headboard and the sheets beneath him.

Two more quick jabs, and Samuel froze, his fingers digging into

Coby’s flesh as he growled through his own release, filling Coby to
the brim with scorching lava.

Utterly content and still floating on a cloud of euphoria, Coby’s

arms gave out, and he sagged forward. He realized his mistake
immediately, but it was too late to stop himself from falling. Luckily,
he had a big, strong, protective mate to save him from…well, himself.

Samuel caught him with an arm around his chest and gently eased

him to the mattress. His softening cock slipped from Coby’s hole, and

Gabrielle Evans

warm cum dribbled down his crease, making him squirm and
grimace. “I need a shower.”

“You’re covered in more jizz than a porn star. I’d say that’s a

given.” Samuel chuckled breathlessly as he smoothed a palm down
Coby’s spine. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s get you cleaned up and
tucked in.”

“M’kay.” Coby’s brain still wasn’t functioning properly, and it

was hard to force words through his lips. He tucked his arms under
him and snuggled into his pillow with a huge yawn. “So tired.”

Samuel didn’t respond, and the bed moved as he pushed himself

off the mattress. He padded into the bathroom, and Coby heard the
water running, but he just couldn’t make his body move. His mate
was back a minute later, though, rolling him to his side. Then a warm,
wet cloth cleaned his face, down his chest, over his cock and balls,
and finally along his crease.

His Sammy really was a good mate. Coby didn’t give him nearly

enough credit, but he vowed to change that. The washcloth
disappeared, and a warm blanket settled over him just before the bed
dipped and an even warmer body molded around him.

Sighing happily, Coby cuddled into his lover’s embrace, rubbing

his cheek over Samuel’s chest as he looped an arm over his hip. “I
think I kind of like you,” he mumbled, already half asleep.

Samuel held him closer and kissed the top of his head. He was

quiet for so long that Coby had nearly drifted off to sleep. When he
did finally speak, it was so quietly Coby couldn’t be sure he’d heard
him right. “I think I more than like you.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Chapter Ten

“Are you excited to be on the show?”
Samuel stood off to the side of the set and smiled to himself as the

news anchor fawned all over Coby. He could tell his little man was
nervous, but he was handling himself well. The news station in
Birmingham, Alabama wasn’t as large or as well watched as Channel
9, but it did reach their target audience—those naysayers who still felt
that the paranormal world should be obliterated.

As they progressed on their little promotional tour, Samuel was

beginning to realize that there were a lot more people out there that
felt that way than he’d thought. As far as he’d known, the entire world
was enamored with the idea that the monsters from their fairy tales
existed—and weren’t really monsters. Unfortunately, he was learning
that while that may be the majority opinion, it was far from exclusive.

Glancing back at Coby, Samuel gritted his teeth and forced

himself to remain still while he watched the anchorman laugh and
squeeze Coby’s shoulder. It was completely innocent, but he didn’t
like the idea of another man touching his mate.

Sometime during that fourth week together, Samuel had finally

accepted that the term did indeed apply to what Coby represented in
his life. Perhaps it wasn’t the same thing as what it meant in the
paranormal world, but however he sliced it, Coby was his partner, his
lover, and his mate. He was that something in Samuel’s life that had
been missing, but he’d never bothered to search for.

And if the asshole groping Coby’s arm didn’t remove his hand, he

was going to lose it permanently.

Gabrielle Evans

“I can’t believe I’m actually meeting the Loch Ness Monster,” the

guy gushed. “So, should I call you Nessie, or Nester? Or maybe just
Ness?”

Coby cocked his head to the side, and Samuel saw the temper

flare in his eyes before he ever opened his mouth. “How about you
just fucking call me Coby?”

Though he should have been groaning because it was a horrible

PR move, Samuel found himself pressing his lips together into a thin
line to keep from laughing. Coby’s feisty little attitude had been what
had first drawn him to the man, and he still loved it every time he
unleashed it.

The anchorman’s eyes rounded, and he finally released his hold

on Coby’s arm, taking a step back and clearing his throat. “Okay,
then, Coby. We need to take our seats now.” He was all business, and
that was just fine with Samuel.

Coby glanced over his shoulder before following the guy up on

stage and made a face at Samuel. “Sorry,” he mouthed.

Samuel smiled back and shrugged before nodding toward the

raised platform, indicating that Coby should take his place. Coby
winked, gave him a little wave, and jogged over to plop down in his
seat, tucking his feet under him as if they were at home on the sofa.
God, he was adorable.

“He shouldn’t have said that,” a quiet voice whispered in his ear.
“He also shouldn’t have had to call his own cab,” Samuel shot

back. The more time he spent with Cami, the less he liked her. She’d
been fun and charming in the beginning, but her complete disregard
of Coby was beginning to grate on his nerves.

“I’m sorry. My alarm didn’t go off, and I overslept. It won’t

happen again.” She looped her arm through Samuel’s and bumped
against him. “You’re not really mad about that, are you?” He wasn’t
looking at her, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

Coby chose that moment to glance over at him, and if looks could

kill, he had no doubt that he’d be planning Cami’s funeral. Extracting

Monsters and Mayhem

his arm from her grip, he sidestepped to put some distance between
them, keeping his eyes on Coby the entire time.

When his lover finally pried his eyes away from Cami and looked

at him, Samuel subtly brushed his hand over his zipper and wiggled
his eyebrows playfully. “Later,” he mouthed silently.

The murderous expression on Coby’s face cleared instantly, and

he shook his head while chuckling under his breath. Crisis averted for
the moment, Samuel slid his jacket off and folded it over his arm as
he relaxed and prepared to enjoy the show.

“What’s that?” Cami asked, pouncing on him and grabbing his

hand. She flipped it over and ran her fingertips over the mating seal
on his wrist.

Samuel cringed internally as he tried to remove his hand from her

grasp. It was still winter, and both he and Coby had been able to hide
the marks with jackets or long sleeves. What was he supposed to say
now?

“C,” Cami whispered. “And a P. Coby Pherson?” Her gasp of

surprise was almost comical—almost. “You…I mean, you and
Coby?”

Samuel didn’t want to lie, but fear of losing his job kept his mouth

closed. Legally, they couldn’t terminate his employment just because
he was gay, but they could make his life miserable until he either
cracked and did something stupid or just up and quit.

“That’s why you haven’t made a move on me,” she persisted.

“You’re gay.” The accusation in her voice was not lost on him.

“But we’re about to begin,” the anchorman yelled, pulling

Samuel’s attention to the stage.

Coby bounded down the steps and right up to them with a bright

smile on his face. “Cami, they didn’t get me any water, and my throat
is killing me. Would you mind grabbing me a bottle out of the
greenroom?”

Cami still looked shocked, but she nodded and hurried off.

Gabrielle Evans

“What happened?” Coby asked the minute she left. “You look like

you saw a ghost.”

In answer, Samuel lifted his arm and turned his wrist to face

Coby. “She saw this and kind of pieced two and two together.”

Coby’s face paled, and he started shaking his head. “No. I am not

going to let that cow screw this up for you. What did you tell her?”

“I didn’t tell her anything.”
“Well, you just tell her that’s it’s a tattoo, and you got it long

before you met me.” He tugged on his long sleeves, making sure to
hide his own seal.

“She asked if me being gay is why I haven’t made a move on

her,” Samuel confessed, feeling like a complete idiot for not seeing it
sooner. He had no interest in the woman beyond friendship, so maybe
that’s why he’d chosen to ignore the signals. Looking back on it, she
had been oh so obvious in her attempts to seduce him.

“I knew it,” Coby said with a rude snort. “You’re such an idiot.”
“Five minutes!” someone called, causing them both to jump.
“Yeah, I get that, but I don’t know what to do now.” Samuel

sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “Maybe I should just come
clean and get it over with.”

“Don’t you dare, Sammy. You love your job, and you worked

damn hard to make it to where you are. Just…” He trailed off, sucked
in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Just flirt with her a little, act
like you’re interested.”

“Ba—Coby, I don’t like this.”
“Three minutes!”
“Oh, don’t get your panties in a bunch,” Coby shot over his

shoulder. Then he turned back to Samuel and huffed. “Just smile, act
friendly, and I don’t know, let her grab your dick or something.”

Samuel nearly choked. “Excuse me?”
“Look, I don’t like it, and I want to claw her eyes out, but you’re a

lot more important to me. I know you’re going home with me at the
end of the day, so, yeah,” he finished lamely.

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“Mr. Pherson!”
“I’m coming!” Coby growled and cursed under his breath. “Okay,

I have to go be famous, but go find her and turn on the charm.” He
pointed a finger in Samuel’s face and glared. “Don’t fucking touch
her, or I’ll castrate you. Clear?”

Samuel had no intentions of touching the woman or letting her

touch him. “Crystal,” he said around a chuckle. “Go be amazing.”

“You make my head hurt,” Coby mumbled before turning and

bouncing back up to his chair.

Samuel watched him for just a minute, and then disappeared to

find Cami. He wasn’t about to let her grope his cock, but he could be
charming. All the secrecy and pretending was getting to be more
hassle than it was worth, though. Sure, he loved his job, but he could
always find another one. Once upon a time, it had been the only thing
that made him happy. Now, he had Coby, though.

All those things that had once seemed important to him were just

things now. None of them mattered as much as the feisty little runt
sitting on stage who made his heart swell every time their eyes met.
He’d play it Coby’s way this time, but once the interview was over,
he planned to have a good long talk with his lover, because he was
done hiding.

“Sam,” Cami gasped when she darted out of the room and nearly

barreled into him. “What are you doing here?”

“This part of the world isn’t exactly onboard with the paranormal

agenda,” he lied smoothly. “I just wanted to make sure that no one
was giving you a hard time.”

She smiled at him, but it lacked some of its usual warmth. “No

one has bothered me.” There was a long pregnant pause before she
finally blurted what was on her mind. “Are you really gay?”

Samuel chuckled and shook his head, even as bile rose up in his

throat. “How can you ask me that?” Well, at least it wasn’t a lie.

“What about your wrist?”

Gabrielle Evans

“This?” Samuel held his arm up. “I’ve had this since I was

nineteen. The initials stand for Chris Planters and Seth Andrews.
They were friends of mine in college who died in a car crash.” Again,
it wasn’t a complete lie. Chris and Seth had died in a car crash their
freshman year at Penn State, but he might have fudged a little on their
last names.

“Oh,” Cami breathed. “I’m sorry, Sam. I didn’t realize.”
Samuel shrugged. “It was a long time ago.” He cranked his smile

up a notch and offered his arm to her. “Are you ready?”

As expected, her entire demeanor changed as she wrapped her arm

around his and leaned against him. “Would you like to have dinner
tonight?”

“I’ll have to ask Coby,” Samuel responded without thought.
Cami just giggled and slapped at his chest. “I didn’t mean a

business dinner. I’m asking you out on a date.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, and any man would be lucky to have

you. I don’t date coworkers, though.”

“Then how about just dinner with a friend?” she pressed on,

undeterred. “You can do that, can’t you?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. After your first offer, I already

know that you’re expecting more from me than just friendship.”
Maybe he wasn’t as good at being charming as he thought. He didn’t
want to lead her on, though, when he knew damn well nothing would
ever happen between them.

“Believe it or not, I understand perfectly, and I respect that. I

would still like to be friends, though.” Her tone was a bit clipped, but
she still held on to his arm, so Samuel took that as a good sign that he
hadn’t completely fucked up.

With no way to decline her offer for a third time without drawing

suspicion, he offered her a smile and dipped his head. “I’ll meet you
in the hotel lobby at six.”

She smiled in return and squeezed his arm. “Good.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Eleven

“I told you to flirt with her, not ask her on a goddamn date!” Coby

stomped back and forth across the carpeted floor of their hotel suite
and seethed.

“She asked me. What was I supposed to say? I told her no twice,

but she wasn’t having it.”

“Well, you tell her no a third time,” Coby shot back. “You’re not

going.”

“You’re the one that told me to let her molest me.”
Coby stopped dead in his tracks and turned to glare at his mate.

“Did you?”

“No!” Samuel erupted. “I’m just saying that it’s going to be kind

of suspicious if I tell her that I can’t go now that I’ve talked to you.”

Yeah, he knew that, but damn it! “I don’t like this, Sammy. She

wants you, and I think she intends to have you.” And there wasn’t a
thing Coby could do about it without outing Samuel. “Tell her you’re
seeing someone.”

“I’ve already agreed to meet her for dinner. Plus, I told her that I

don’t date coworkers. If I was seeing someone, why wouldn’t I just
tell her that in the first place?”

“Stop making sense!” Coby groaned and rubbed roughly at his

face with both hands. “Fine, just go to dinner with her.” He wasn’t
completely unreasonable. He didn’t mind Samuel having friends,
even hot female friends. Why did said hot female have to want his
man, though?

“How about I just tell her the truth?”
“No.”

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“Coby, this is getting to be ridiculous. I’m not ashamed to be with

you, and I’m tired of hiding it. I can find another job.”

“No.” Coby shook his head firmly. Samuel had worked too long

and too hard to lose it all now because of some conniving sow. He
adored Samuel for what he’d said and the conviction in which he’d
said it. Still, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy to find another job as his
lover made it sound. “Just have dinner with her. Friends do that all the
time.”

“I’ll make an excuse and leave early,” Samuel declared. “Then we

can order room service and watch something stupid on the television.”
He didn’t look happy as he crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
“I don’t like this, though.”

Coby let his breath out on a whoosh, and his shoulders sagged, the

fight leaving him completely. “Okay,” he mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop it. You didn’t do any of this, so just…don’t.” Samuel

looked tired, frustrated, and thoughtful all at once.

“What’s next on the tour?” Coby changed the subject, not wanting

to discuss Cami and the problems she represented any longer.

“We leave straight from here for Massachusetts. It’s some annual

party in Salem.”

“I’m not a witch,” Coby teased.
“I know, but you’re big news right now. They’ve asked you to

attend as the guest of honor.”

“How many more of these things do we have?”
“One more after that, and then we can go home.” Samuel plopped

down on the sofa and patted the cushion beside him. “I have some
time before I have to meet Cami.” His upper lip curled as he said her
name. “Want to see if there’s a movie on?”

He didn’t care about a movie, but he wasn’t going to pass up an

opportunity to snuggle with his mate. Kicking his shoes off, he curled
into Samuel’s side and rested his head over the man’s heart. It had
become his favorite pastime, and he doubted that he’d ever tire of it.

Gabrielle Evans

“Easter is next Sunday,” he said casually. “Will you be spending it

with your family?”

“No,” Samuel answered shortly. “We’ll be in Tennessee, hiding

eggs at the park.”

Coby lifted his head so that he could look at his lover. “Why do I

get the feeling that you’re not very close to your family?”

“Because I’m not.” Samuel huffed and clicked the mute button on

the remote. “My dad is a drunk and a no-good bastard. My mom put
up with it for a while, but in the end, it was just too much for her. So,
she left when I was twelve, and I haven’t heard from her since. I have
no siblings. My mother’s side of the family doesn’t speak to me, and I
wouldn’t go near my dad’s side with a ten-foot pole.”

“So, you’re alone like me.” The significant difference was that

Coby’s orphaned status wasn’t by choice on either his part or his
parents’. “I’m sorry that things were hard for you growing up.”

“I survived.” Samuel draped his arm around Coby and shrugged.

“I moved out when I was seventeen. I worked two jobs to pay the rent
on a rat-infested apartment and finished out my senior year. Penn
State offered me an academic scholarship, so I moved across the
country, and that’s where I stayed.”

“So, you’re not from Pennsylvania?”
“Nope. I’m from a little town in Arizona. I haven’t been back

there since I graduated from high school, though. Hell, I don’t even
know if my dad is still alive.” He didn’t sound particularly concerned
about it, either. “What about you? Didn’t you say that your parents
died in the war?”

Coby rested his head on Samuel’s chest again. “Well, they died

during the war. It’s not like we were personally fighting anyone. They
just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Dad had
taken Mom out for their anniversary, and as they were walking home,
they passed an alley where some woman was sobbing for help.”

Samuel caressed Coby’s arm in comfort. “You don’t have to talk

about it.”

Monsters and Mayhem

“No, I’m fine. Anyway, Dad told my mom to stay there on the

sidewalk while he went to see if he could help. Well, like all stubborn
women, I guess my mother didn’t listen. They were both shot in the
head and robbed for their wedding rings and the twenty bucks my
father had in his wallet.” Tears burned at the back of his eyes, but he
refused to let them fall. He missed his parents, but it had been a long
time ago.

“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.” Samuel gathered him in his lap and

wrapped him in the warmth and safety of his arms. “So, you’ve been
alone since then?”

“Yeah, but I prefer it that way. I’m not so good with people.”
“I never would have guessed,” his mate teased him, drawing a

small chuckle from Coby. “You said you’re the last of your kind.
What happened to all of the others?”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t there,” Coby answered sarcastically.

Really, how was he supposed to know what had killed off the other
water horses? By the time he was born, it had only been his father.
“It’s not like I have superpowers or can see into the past.”

Samuel chuckled and kissed the top of Coby’s head. “Okay, I get

it. Dumb question. So, how did you end up at the gathering?”

“Everyone of mating age received an invitation, though it was

really more of a summons.” He wiggled around so he could get closer
to his lover. “I know you think what they did was wrong, and part of
me agrees, but if it helps avoid another war, I can’t argue with it.”

“It was really that bad?” Samuel whispered.
“Yeah, it was that bad. The bickering and fighting hasn’t stopped,

either. It’s escalating, and unless we start getting along, it’s all going
to blow up eventually.”

“But forcing people to mate against their will—don’t you think

that’s a bit extreme? It could cause more problems than solve them.”

Coby shrugged. He doubted every pairing would end in a happily

ever after. Four years was a long time to be fucking someone without

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emotions getting tangled up in the mix, though. “I think we’re doing
okay, and I couldn’t stand your stupid ass when we first met.”

Samuel let out a deep, belly-rumbling laugh that shook his whole

body and made Coby smile. Then he kissed the top of Coby’s head
and squeezed him tightly. “I still can’t stand you.”

“Oh, you love me. Just admit it.” He’d said it teasingly, but

Samuel stilled beneath him and his laughter cut off abruptly. Afraid of
what he might see in the man’s expression, Coby tucked his face into
his mate’s neck and stayed that way for a long time.

Joking around about not liking each other was all well and good

because he knew it was just playful banter. They hadn’t discussed real
feelings or emotions, though. He knew he was happier when he was
with Samuel, but he hadn’t worked out exactly what that meant yet.

* * * *

Coby had given him a lot of stuff to think about. In the last several

weeks, the man had slowly begun to change his way of thinking about
the paranormal world. He’d never been one to hate the supes, but he
hadn’t exactly been a big fan, either. He was just more or less
indifferent.

Until they’d started their cross-country promotional tour, he’d

never realized how much prejudice there was against people like
Coby. He’d been only seven when The Great War had happened, and
he had still believed that vampires and werewolves were as fictional
as the boogeyman in his closet.

Hearing Coby describe it and declare that it could happen again

finally drove home how horrible it had been. He’d gone to that UPAC
meeting to do his job and left with a chip on his shoulder, convinced
that the elders of that community had lost their minds. How could
anyone coexist with someone who’d been forced upon them? If the
races were already warring amongst themselves, wouldn’t it only
cause more drama by pushing them on one another?

Monsters and Mayhem

Well, that’s what he’d thought then. Now, he wasn’t sure what to

think. To say his relationship with Coby had started off rocky was a
gross understatement. The sex had been phenomenal, but really, that’s
all they’d had in common. Now, he couldn’t even remember what life
was like without the little man in his arms. So maybe, just maybe, the
elders were on to something.

If he and Coby could put aside their differences and learn to co-

inhabit the same space, and maybe even develop a liking for one
another, what was to say that the other couples wouldn’t do the same?
Realistically, he knew that not everyone would make it work, but fear
of not only death, but being alone for the rest of their lives, was
probably a pretty strong motivational factor in their willingness to try.

As he stroked Coby’s back and listened to his soft snoring, he

thought about the last thing his mate had said to him. He knew Coby
had only been playing around, but his teasing about Samuel loving
him had struck a little too close to home.

He was glad Coby hadn’t pushed the issue, because he honestly

had no idea what he would have said. The man was smart and funny,
with a wicked temper when crossed. He had a sharp tongue and a
gentle heart. Samuel couldn’t believe that he’d once thought Coby
selfish. He was more giving than anyone Samuel had ever met.

The whole reason he was supposed to be going on this ridiculous

pseudo-date was because Coby had put his own wants and needs on
the back burner to ensure that Samuel could continue hiding who he
really was. He’d been more understanding and supportive than
anyone else would have been in his position, and what had Samuel
given him in return?

The only answer he could come up with was not enough. So, how

did he make it up to him? The obvious answer was to pull his head
out of his ass and stop lying to everyone. While part of him
desperately wanted that, there was still a small, scared part of him that
worried what would happen if he did. Would he sacrifice everything
just to have Coby leave him when their four years were up?

Gabrielle Evans

Samuel wasn’t sure how long he sat there, just holding Coby and

thinking of ways to show the man how much he meant to him without
proclaiming to the world that he was gay. Nothing came to him,
though, and when the ringing phone interrupted his inner musings, he
was actually grateful for the reprieve.

Grabbing his cell phone from the end table, he answered it quickly

so the ringtone wouldn’t wake Coby. “Hello?” he said quietly.

“Sam, where are you? It’s almost six-thirty.” Cami sounded put

out.

Looking down at the top of Coby’s head, Samuel closed his eyes

and sighed. Things had gone too far, and there was only one way to
make it right. If he was going to turn his world inside out and possibly
destroy everything that he’d worked for, he was going to go out with
a bang.

“Sorry, Cami. I had a headache, so I took some aspirin and passed

out. I’ll have to give you a rain check on dinner. Maybe we can try
again in Salem.” Then he hung up before she had a chance to argue.

He had everything he needed in his arms, and it was time

everyone knew it. Gay or straight, no one had any guarantees in life.
People took what fate handed them and made the best of it. For better
or worse, fate had thrown Coby Pherson in his path, and Samuel had
never been more grateful. Now, he just had to prove it and make Coby
believe him.

“You missed your date,” Coby mumbled sleepily. “You could

have just tossed me on the couch. You didn’t have to sit here this
whole time.”

“It wasn’t a hardship.” He slid his fingers under Coby’s chin and

tilted his head up to kiss his lips. “You snore. It’s kind of cute.”

Coby wrinkled his nose like a bunny. “I don’t snore.”
“Whatever you say, baby.”
“Well, I like how that sounds.” He tilted his head to the side and

eyed Samuel with a curious expression on his face. “You seem
different.”

Monsters and Mayhem

Well, it made sense. He felt different. “Different how?”
“I don’t know. Happier maybe?”
Samuel smiled and pecked the tip of Coby’s nose. “I am happy.”

He kissed Coby’s forehead, his cheeks, and finally his lips. “Good
nap?”

“Yeah, but I’m starving. You still up for dinner out on the town,

or would you rather order room service?”

“Whatever you want.”
Coby arched an eyebrow at him and smirked. “I don’t know

what’s gotten into you, but I like it. Let’s order in. I can’t cuddle with
you in a restaurant.”

No, he couldn’t, but unless Samuel lost his nerve, that was all

going to change very soon.

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Twelve

“Coby, be a dear and run this to the front desk.”
Why the hell the bitch was in his hotel room ordering him around,

he didn’t know. And why was he taking something to the front desk
like he was her assistant? And why was she handing him a huge box
when he was obviously the smallest person in the room?

“Here, I’ll take it,” Samuel said, hurrying to lift the box out of her

arms.

She pulled it out of his reach, though, and shook her head. “I need

to talk to you about the Peabody Awards. Coby doesn’t mind, do
you?”

He damn well did mind, but it wasn’t like he could say so. “Yeah,

I got it.” Taking the box with a grunt, he waited for her to open the
door for him, but she just stood there, staring intently at Samuel.
“Could you get the door?” he asked through clenched teeth.

She still didn’t move, but Samuel pushed past her, lifted the box

out of Coby’s arms, and nodded toward the door. “We can talk later,”
he said, irritation evident in his tone. “The Peabody Awards aren’t
until next month.”

Busted. She really would try anything to get Samuel alone. Coby

smirked to himself as he hurried to open the door for his mate. He still
didn’t know what had happened the previous night, but he liked the
changes he saw in Samuel. Hopefully, the trend would continue.

“Well?” Samuel stood in the hallway and arched one dark

eyebrow. “Are you coming?”

Too shocked to think better of it, Coby hurried out of the room,

leaving Cami huffing behind him. As they strolled to the elevator, his

Monsters and Mayhem

actions finally caught up with him, and he smacked himself in the
forehead. “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Samuel asked innocently.
“Are you trying to out yourself?”
Samuel just shrugged. “I asked you to come to the front desk with

me. It wasn’t a proposal of marriage. If she doesn’t like it, she can
kiss my ass. I’m not playing these stupid games with her anymore.”

“She’s supposed to be your date for the party tonight.” Coby had

steadfastly refused to be set up with anyone. He was used to being
alone. In fact, until recently, he preferred it. If he couldn’t attend the
party with his mate by his side, then he’d rather just go by himself.

“We’ll walk in together. That’s where the date ends.”
Coby really liked this side of Samuel, and it was making him

hard. He might be getting ahead of himself, though. Maybe Samuel
was beginning to see what a manipulative skank Cami really was and
his new attitude had nothing to do with Coby.

“You don’t have to do that for me.” There, that wasn’t too

obvious that he was fishing for information.

“Yes, I do.” That’s all he said, but he might as well have written

Coby a love song for the way it made his legs wobbly and a goofy
smile spread across his face. They were getting pretty good at this
mating thing.

“Thank you.” He didn’t know what else to say, and that seemed to

sum it up. While he understood the need for discretion and keeping up
appearances, it meant a lot to him that Samuel was putting him first.

It was also having a direct effect on his libido. As they entered the

elevator, he pressed the heel of his hand against the hard mound
pushing at his zipper and groaned. “When does this party start?” With
any luck they’d have time for a long, steamy shower together before
they had to leave.

When he didn’t immediately receive an answer, Coby turned to

look up at his mate, only to be scooped off his feet and pressed

Gabrielle Evans

against the mirrored wall of the elevator. Samuel’s mouth crashed
down on his, hot, hungry, and searching.

He must have found whatever he was looking for, because a deep

groan rumbled through him, vibrating against Coby’s lips. Samuel’s
fingers twisted in his hair, jerking his head back on his shoulders and
exposing his neck. Coby shuddered and moaned when his mate’s lips
ghosted up the side of his throat and his teeth scraped back down the
same path.

There was a quiet ding, signaling their arrival on the ground floor.

Samuel growled, but eased Coby to his feet and kissed his lips once
more before the elevator doors slid open. “Later.”

“Later” had better be in the next five minutes, or Coby was going

to explode. Who did the man think he was, kissing him like that when
he knew they couldn’t take it any further? Still disoriented from the
attack to his senses, and partly because all the blood in his body had
rushed straight to his groin, it took Coby a minute to realize that
Samuel was gone.

By the time he stepped off the elevator, his lover was already

striding back toward him, sans the box they’d been sent to deliver.
His lips were pink and kiss-swollen, his clothes were mussed, and
there was an unmistakable heat in his eyes. Coby wanted to jump him
right there in the lobby and damn anyone who wanted to watch.

“Move it,” Samuel demanded, pushing Coby back into the

elevator before the doors could close. He punched the button for the
fourth floor and spun around, pressing Coby against the wall again.
Those sweet, plump lips were on him just as the elevator started
moving.

Holy shit, Coby was going to come in his jeans if they didn’t slow

down. Samuel seemed to have eight hands as he stroked every inch of
Coby he could reach while plundering the depths of his mouth. When
they arrived on their floor, he expected Samuel to release him, but his
mate never did what Coby expected.

Monsters and Mayhem

Those strong arms that always made him feel so safe when he was

in them wrapped around his waist and hauled him against Samuel’s
chest. Coby had no idea how they made it to their room without
breaking their damn necks, but Samuel finally relinquished his claim
to Coby’s lips as he fumbled in his pocket for the room key.

Staring at the numbers on the door, sense and reason filtered

through the haze surrounding Coby’s brain, and he began to squirm.
“Put me down, you idiot. Cami’s probably still in there.”

“Be still,” Samuel ordered as he slid the keycard into the little slot

and waited for the light to flash green.

“Damn it, Sammy. We can’t do this.”
“I don’t fucking care,” Samuel snapped at him, pushing open the

door and carrying Coby inside.

To his intense relief, the room was empty. “You’re going to give

me a coronary.”

“Shifters don’t get those.” Samuel set him on his feet. “Strip and

get in the shower.” He arched an eyebrow when Coby didn’t move.
“Now.”

A shiver raced up Coby’s spine, and his cock jerked inside his

jeans. Oh, he was in so much trouble. Whipping around, he began
disrobing, leaving a trail of clothing behind him as he raced to the
bathroom and turned on the shower. Dancing from foot to foot as he
kept a hand under the spray, his entire body tingled with anticipation.

Once the water had warmed, he jumped in and began soaping his

body, wanting to be squeaky clean for whatever erotic adventure
Samuel had in store for him. He was just rinsing the shampoo from
his hair when his lover stepped into the stall behind him and pressed
against his back.

If he’d expected Samuel to say something, he’d have been

disappointed. Being flipped around and pushed against the shower
tiles was a hell of an alternative, though. Samuel took each one of his
hands, pressed them flat against the wall, and then jerked his hips
back so that his ass tilted upward.

Gabrielle Evans

Coby dropped his head and moaned, his body vibrating with need.

Samuel’s hands caressed his upturned cheeks in featherlight touches
before gripping both rounded hills and squeezing firmly. Then he
went back to the barely there touches, even skimming one finger
down Coby’s crease before going back to drawing little circles on his
ass.

The abrupt change in tempo left Coby confused and a little bit

frustrated. Lifting his head with the intentions of telling the man to get
the hell on with it already, his next breath caught in his throat when
Samuel’s hand landed on his butt with a hard smack. The sting of the
swat radiated straight to his dick, making it flex as pre-cum seeped
from the tip.

“Don’t move,” Samuel commanded in that deep, sultry voice of

his. There was no need, though. Coby wasn’t going anywhere.

Samuel toyed with him some more, just barely brushing his

fingertips over Coby’s skin until it was all he could do to keep from
thrusting back into the touch. Then another stinging swat landed on
his left cheek, harder than the first. Before he could so much as gasp,
Samuel’s broad hand connected three more times, no doubt turning
Coby’s pale skin to a bright, burning crimson.

Curling his fingers and struggling to breathe, Coby rested his

forehead against the cool tiles while his body quivered with barely
suppressed need. The pressure in his sac built, making his balls ache
and his dick throb.

Bracing himself for the spanking to continue, he was suddenly

thrown off-kilter once again when Samuel removed both hands from
his body and took a step back. He’d been ordered not to move, so as
much as he wanted to look over his shoulder, he remained perfectly
still.

“So gorgeous,” Samuel praised him, gripping Coby’s hills in his

hands and spreading them apart so that cool air rushed over his
fluttering hole.

Monsters and Mayhem

His mate’s hold was different, but Coby couldn’t figure out

exactly how until a warm, slippery tongue swirled around his entrance
and prodded against the tight muscles. “Oh, fuck,” he whimpered,
practically sobbing as his cock almost erupted right then and there.

Forgetting everything but the incredible feel of his mate’s mouth

on him, Coby shoved against the wall, rocking back, trying to push
the slippery appendage deeper. Samuel’s hand landed on his butt
again, the sound reverberating off the shower walls. “Don’t. Move.”
The feral, animalistic quality of his voice had Coby’s legs shaking
and his gut clenching as he fought to stave off his orgasm.

Samuel spread him open once more and licked at his hole,

swirling his tongue around it before pointing his tongue and jabbing
inside. On and on it went until Coby was leaning heavily on the wall
to keep from falling while loud, needy moans streamed from his
panting lips.

When he thought he couldn’t take anymore, Samuel proved him

wrong by pulling away and inserting two fingers into his hungry
opening. He pumped in and out in slow, lazy movements, twisting his
wrist and curling his fingers so that he brushed over Coby’s sweet
spot.

Coby couldn’t stop the climax that slammed into him. Groaning

loudly as scorching semen shot from his dick and his inner walls
clamped down on Samuel’s fingers, Coby swore he saw stars behind
his closed eyelids.

“God, I love the sounds you make.” Samuel rose to his feet,

keeping one arm securely around Coby’s waist to hold him up while
his legs shook violently. “Are you ready for another, baby?”

Coby nodded, though he doubted he’d survive another orgasm

like that. There was the snick of a bottle cap somewhere in the
background, a moment of pause, and then Coby was spun around and
lifted, his back sliding up the cool tiles. His lover’s hard cock pressed
against his entrance, but didn’t enter.

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Opening his eyes to see what Samuel was waiting for, he gasped

loudly, ending it on a strangled moan when his mate thrust forward,
seating himself to the base in one powerful plunge. The burn was
minimal and only served to ratchet his pleasure to the next level. How
quickly his mate had learned exactly what he liked, and how amazing
that he was always willing to provide what Coby needed.

“You’re going to come for me again.” It wasn’t a question. There

was a cockiness in Samuel’s voice that should have pissed him off but
only made his dick jerk in renewed interest.

The tempo remained slow and easy as Samuel sank and retreated

in languid strokes of his hips. It didn’t take long for Coby’s cock to
rise to full mast once more and lightning to race up and down his
spine. When he was panting and writhing, moving his body to meet
each thrust, Samuel picked up the pace, driving into him hard and
fast.

When his second release was ripped from him, it felt like a million

tiny explosions inside his body, and Coby was pretty sure he actually
died. No one could feel that much pleasure and live to tell about it.
Samuel’s loud roar and the molten lava that filled his channel proved
otherwise, though, and Coby sighed as he dropped his forehead to
Samuel’s chest.

He couldn’t move. Every bone and muscle in his body had melted,

but it didn’t matter. He was in the arms of the man he loved, and his
Sammy would never let him fall.

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101

Chapter Thirteen

Samuel watched as the blood drained from Coby’s face, and he

looked like he would pass out when they stepped out of the bathroom
and found Cami sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I called Jim.”
“How kind of you,” he replied coldly.
“Who’s Jim?” Coby whispered shakily. “Is that your boss?”
“Yeah, he’s my boss.”
“You bitch,” Coby said to Cami just as quietly. “What did we ever

do to you?”

She just smiled sweetly and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

“Relax, I didn’t tell him anything important. You do have a meeting
in his office Wednesday morning, however.” She pierced Samuel with
her stare. “You could have told me.”

“Why would we?” Coby demanded, his usual temper rising. “I

knew this was exactly what you would do.”

“The meeting is about the Peabody Awards,” she replied, still

smiling from ear to ear. “I don’t care that Sam is gay. I just think it’s
disgusting that he’s fucking an animal.” She rose from the bed and
brushed her hands over her blood-red, form-fitting dress. “However, I
am reasonable. If Sam escorts me to the party tonight, and I don’t just
mean through the doors,” she added as though she’d heard their
earlier conversation, “then I won’t breathe a word to anyone. Oh, and
I want a goodnight kiss. That’s all.”

Samuel was all ready to tell her exactly what she could kiss, but

Coby stepped forward and cocked his head to the side. “That’s all?
Just a few dances and one kiss, and you’ll leave us alone?”

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“That’s all,” Cami repeated, pushing one hip out to the side and

resting her hand on it. “And you to disappear for the night. None of
your whining that people make you nervous and you need Sam by
your side. Got it?”

“No,” Samuel said at the same time Coby said, “Okay.”
Cami eyed them both and smirked. “In that case, I’ll meet you in

the lobby in twenty minutes. Don’t be late.” She wiggled her fingers
at them and sashayed out of the room like a pageant queen.

“I’m not doing it.”
“Sammy, it’s one night and a little kiss to save your career.” Coby

dropped his head and sighed. “I can deal with it if it means getting rid
of her and you keep your job.”

“No.” How he had ever thought he could be friends with that

tramp was beyond him. It was sickening how easily she’d been able to
fool him. “I don’t give a fuck about my job.”

“Well, I do,” Coby whispered. “You say that now, but what

happens tomorrow, or next week? What happens when you wake up
and realize that everything you had is gone, and it’s all because of
me? I can’t have you hate me, Sammy.”

Moving around his lover to ease down to the mattress, he reached

out, took Coby’s wrist, and pulled the man between his legs. “Look at
me, Coby.” It took a few more coaxing words, but eventually Coby
lifted his head and looked into Samuel’s eyes. “When I wake up
tomorrow, I’m going to have everything I need because you’ll be
right beside me. My job? It’s just a job, baby. I’ll find another one. I
don’t talk to my family, and I don’t really have friends. What else am
I going to lose?”

Coby’s eyes misted, and he swallowed audibly. “I don’t know, but

I’m scared. It’s easy to say that now, but how do you know you’ll feel
the same way when it actually happens?”

Samuel knew how hard it was for his lover to admit to his fear.

Thankfully, he finally had the words to ease Coby’s worries. “I
know—hey, look at me, baby.” Coby lifted his eyes again, teardrops

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103

clinging to his long eyelashes. Sliding his hands up his mate’s arms,
Samuel cradled his delicate cheekbones in his palms. “Do you
remember what you said to me when we first met?”

“I said a lot of things,” Coby replied with a sniffle. “Which thing

are you referring to?”

Smiling softly, Samuel bent forward and brushed his lips across

Coby’s. “You said I hated everyone, including myself, and you were
right. I’ve lived a lie my entire life for one reason or another, and it
made me into a bitter, cold bastard. I hated myself, but I didn’t have
any reason to change, so I didn’t.”

“Why are you telling me this?”
“I don’t hate myself anymore, Coby. I don’t know what the hell

you see in me, but I’m going to try like hell every day to keep being
that man. You were wrong about one thing, though. I never hated you.
I just didn’t understand you.”

“You do now?” It was easy to see that Coby was getting confused,

so Samuel decided to just cut to the chase.

“You’ve taught me a lot about you and your world, and I get it

now. I know that I’m not going miss anything in a day, a week, or
even a year, because I have the best part of my life right here.” He
brushed the pad of his thumb over Coby’s cheek, wiping away a stray
tear. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Coby nodded once, and then shook his head.
Samuel chuckled and rolled his eyes before pulling Coby to him

and claiming his mouth in slow, tantalizing kiss. “I’m saying that
even though I can’t stand your ass”—he smiled when Coby chuckled
wetly—“I love you, Coby Pherson, and I hope you love me back.”

In reply, Coby jumped into his lap, threw his arms around

Samuel’s neck, and squeezed him until he couldn’t breathe. “You are
the most stubborn, irritating, and headache-inducing man I have ever
met, and I love you so much it makes me crazy sometimes.”

It was the strangest declaration of love he’d ever heard, but it was

so Coby, and therefore perfect. “No more worrying about my job or

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trying to make me kiss Cami.” He gave a mock shudder before easing
Coby away from him and rising to his feet. “Now, I find myself in
need of a date for this evening’s festivities,” he said formally. “Would
you do me the grand honor of accompanying me to the witch party?”

Coby just slapped him in the chest and snorted. “Shut up and get

dressed. My adoring public is waiting for me.” Then he turned and
walked away, shaking his ass invitingly.

“You keep wiggling that tight ass at me and we’re never going to

make it to the party.”

Blowing a kiss over his shoulder, Coby winked. “Why do you

think I’m doing it?”

* * * *

“We’re so honored that you could take time to be here.” A large,

voluptuous woman clasped her hands together over her breasts and
bounced on her toes.

“It’s my pleasure to be here.” Coby pushed up on his toes and

kissed her cheek. “Your dress is beautiful. I love this color.”

The woman giggled and blushed right to the tips of her ears. Coby

thought if he’d kissed her on the lips she might have actually wet
herself. Chuckling at her delighted response, he just happened to
glance to his left and went from charmed to pissed off in an instant.

“Will you excuse me for a minute?” He offered her another smile.

After all, his sudden shift in mood wasn’t her fault.

“Oh, yes, of course, but I do hope you’ll save a dance for me.”
“You’ve got it, beautiful.” Then he spun around and marched

through the manicured grass of the park. He’d thought it odd to have a
party of this magnitude outdoors, but once he’d arrived, he decided it
definitely fit the theme.

Samuel was standing off to the side of the small, temporary dance

floor, obviously in the middle of a heated discussion with Coby’s
former assistant. Samuel seemed to have things under control and

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definitely didn’t need Coby to swoop in and save the day for him. A
little support never hurt, though, so Coby stepped up to his mate’s
side, slid his hand into Samuel’s, and glared quietly at Cami.

“You humiliated me in front everyone.”
“I don’t care what Coby said. I never agreed to be your date

tonight.”

Ah, so she was upset that she wouldn’t be getting her lips on Mr.

Samuel Anderson. In some small regard, Coby couldn’t blame her.
His mate’s lips were very kissable. On the other hand, he kind of just
wanted to shift and eat her. It would probably cause more problems
than it would solve, but at least he’d feel better.

“Don’t mess with me, Sam. I’ll have your job faster than you can

blink, and you’ll never get another position in broadcasting.”

Did she really have that kind of power? Or was she just spouting

off at the mouth because she hadn’t gotten her way? Whatever it was,
Coby didn’t like it.

“Don’t threaten me,” Samuel warned, his tone going frigid. “Just

because your father is the president of NNN doesn’t mean I’m going
to bow down and lick your shoes. I love Coby, and I don’t give a
damn who knows it. So, go ahead. You think you’re ruining my life
by running to Daddy, but you’d just be doing me a favor. You have so
much bitterness inside of you, and you know something? I feel sorry
for you.”

“You’ll regret this.” She drew herself up to her full height, turned

her nose to the sky, and stomped off in a huff, just like a scorned
lover.

“Can I eat her now?”
Samuel watched her go with a sad look on his face. Was he

already regretting his decision? “Let her go.”

“Are you sure about this? You can still go get her.” It killed him

to say it, but Samuel’s happiness was more important than his own.

Samuel turned to face him, a gentle smile ghosting over his lips.

“Stop being a pain in the ass. I think it’s sad that she has so much

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anger and hatred in her heart, but you’re the only one I want.” His
hand came up to rest against the side of Coby’s neck and traced the
vein there with his thumb as his eyes darkened with desire.

Having seen that look before, Coby knew he was moments away

from being jerked off his feet and kissed until his toes curled. They
couldn’t do that here, though. Just because Samuel had decided to
charge headfirst out of the proverbial closet didn’t mean that they had
to go flaunting their attraction to one another.

Shaking his head, he took a step back until Samuel’s hand fell to

his side, and he looked at Coby in confusion. “What are you doing?”

“I love you, big guy, but there are people watching. You can keep

it in your pants for another hour until we get back to the hotel room.”

His mate looked out over the guests and pointed to a couple on the

dance floor. “No one is gathering a mob to run them out of town.”

The couple he spoke of were curled around each other tightly,

their lips locked in an intimate way reserved especially for lovers.
Coby rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and one of them happens to be a girl. It’s
just the world we live in, Sammy. You should know that better than
anyone.”

“I want to kiss you.” Aww, his big, muscled lover sounded more

like a petulant child. It was kind of cute.

“You can have all the kisses you want in the car. I love that you

want everyone to know I’m yours, but we can’t make them accept us
by rubbing their noses in it.” It sucked, but it was the nature of the
beast.

Samuel opened his mouth, probably to argue again, but he

snapped it closed when someone called Coby’s name. Looking over
his shoulder, Coby smiled brightly at the woman he’d promised a
dance to. Crap, what was her name?

“Sylvia,” he cooed. “You’ve found me. Are you ready for that

dance?”

She giggled again, and Coby looked over his shoulder to wink up

at Samuel. His lover gave him an indulgent grin and nodded. He

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moved closer to the blushing female and bent his head so that he
could whisper in her ear. “Go easy on him. He’s a horrible dancer.”

“Hey!” Coby crossed his arms over his chest and glared. Samuel

blew him air kisses behind Sylvia’s back and then turned and
disappeared into the crowd.

The man was so getting it when they got back to the hotel. As he

led Sylvia out onto the dance floor, Coby realized he’d just been
played, because that’s exactly what his mate had been hoping for.

Sneaky bastard.
When the song ended, he kissed Sylvia’s hand and started to leave

the dance floor but was accosted by three more women, each wanting
a dance with him. So, while he really just wanted to find Samuel and
get the hell out of there, he ended up dancing with an endless line of
giggling women.

They were sweet, and he was actually having fun, but he hadn’t

seen his lover since Samuel had meandered off into the horde of
people swarming around the park. He didn’t think his mate would
actually leave him, but Cami was still there somewhere, and he didn’t
trust that hooker as far as he could throw her.

When four more songs came and went without any sign of

Samuel, Coby started to panic. What if something had happened to
him? What if he finally realized what he’d done and was off
somewhere breathing into a paper bag and freaking out about it?

“I have to go,” he told the woman pressed against him. He kissed

her cheek to take some of the sting out of his words and eased her
away from him. His head whipped one way and then the other,
searching through the multitude of bodies for Samuel.

He’d just reached the edge of the dance floor when the song that

had been playing cut off abruptly and something much slower began
playing in its place.

It was a little eerie how everyone quieted, leaving only the soft

music of the piano to drift on the night breeze. Turning slowly,

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Coby’s mouth fell open, and he was frozen in place as he watched
Samuel take the microphone and lift it to his mouth.

Then he began to sing.
His voice was more beautiful than any angel, and the words were

ones that Coby knew well. When he reached the chorus of Brian
McKnight’s “Back At One,” he looked right into Coby’s eyes as he
made his way down the steps of the stage and began walking across
the small, wooden dance floor.

Removing all instances of the word “girl” was a nice touch, but

Coby didn’t need it. He understood the meaning loud and clear. Tears
sprang to his eyes, his throat constricted, and he began to tremble as
he waited there in the grass for his mate to reach him.

It was without a doubt the most perfect, most romantic thing

anyone had never done for him. It was so dramatic, so out of character
for his lover, and Coby understood exactly how huge the moment
was. And when Samuel stopped right in front of him and held open
one arm, Coby couldn’t stop himself from stepping right into his
mate’s embrace. Samuel swayed them gently as he continued to sing.
His free hand cradled the back of Coby’s head, massaging his scalp
and making his body tingle.

The song ended far too soon for Coby’s liking, and he started to

move away. Samuel, however, handed the microphone to a bystander,
grabbed Coby’s ass in both hands, and lifted him until they were nose
to nose.

“I love you, Coby Pherson, so get this through your thick head. I

don’t give a fuck who knows it or what they think about it. I’m
keeping you, and the rest of the world can go to rot for all I care.
Now, dry your eyes, wipe that shocked look off your face, and kiss
me like you mean it.”

He was still nervous, still having trouble swallowing past the lump

in his throat, but he took courage from the wolf whistles and applause
that went up around them as he bent his mouth to Samuel’s. “Well,
since you put it that way…”

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The crack of gunfire ripped through the night a fraction of a

second before horrible, sickening heat exploded in Coby’s shoulder.
In the next few moments, he could tell exactly who the humans were
and who the paranormals were.

While the humans were screaming and running for their lives, the

supes gathered at the party were watchful and alert, sniffing the air,
scanning the crowd, and searching for the gunman.

“Coby!” Samuel crouched down low and tilted Coby’s head back

on his shoulders. “Oh, baby. Keep your eyes open.”

His eyes were closing? He hadn’t realized. “I’ll try to do better.”
“What?” Samuel shook his head as though the answer didn’t

matter, which was a good thing, because Coby honestly didn’t know
what he was talking about. “Coby, look at me. Look at me!” Samuel
shouted when Coby’s eyes started drifting shut again. Hey, at least he
knew it that time.

Maybe the pain was making him delirious. His shoulder throbbed

and burned, and he was pretty sure his white button-down shirt was
ruined. It felt warm, wet, and sticky as it clung to him, saturated with
his blood. “Where’s a vampire when you need one?”

“Fuck,” Samuel groaned, his eyes darting about the crowd. “Hold

on, baby. We’re going to get you to a hospital.”

“I’ll heal.” Pain meds might be kind of nice, but his high

metabolism would probably just burn right through them, so what was
the point?

“Can you not fight with me? Just this once?”
“Let me,” a soft feminine voice replied as another face swam into

Coby’s view.

“Sylvia, my love, you look exquisite.” He watched as the woman

and his lover exchanged a startled look. Oh, he was scaring them.
Oops.

“Lift him up a little,” Sylvia instructed.
Samuel pressed his palm flat against Coby’s lower back, the other

around the back of his neck, and pulled him tight to his chest. His

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fingers curled a little, caressing the hair at his nape, and his chest
shook violently as he struggled to breath. “Just hold on, baby. You’re
going to be okay. I promise.”

“He’ll be fine,” Sylvia said confidently, and then her hands were

pressing hard at the wound on Coby’s back.

Coby’s stomach rolled, and his vision dimmed. He wasn’t sure if

he was going to throw up or pass out, but neither sounded very manly.
The fire that shot through his shoulder and down his arm made it
nearly impossible for him to keep quiet, but he bit down on his tongue
and did his best.

“Almost out,” the woman mumbled, then went back to chanting

non-intelligible words under her breath. How could he have not
realized she was a witch? They were in freaking Salem after all. Even
her name sounded witchy. “Ah, there it is.”

Some of the pressure eased, and the pain subsided marginally. Her

touch was lighter, more gentle this time, and the words flowed more
quickly from her lips. The fire remained but was more like low,
smoldering embers than the firestorm that had gripped his body a
moment before.

“That should do it,” she said brightly as she patted Samuel on the

cheek. “He’ll heal the rest on his own in a couple of hours. He’ll
probably be extra tired tomorrow, but then should be good as new
after that. Don’t worry, honey. Coby’s going to be just fine.”

Samuel nodded, the stubble on his jaw rubbing across Coby’s

cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered thickly, clutching Coby to him as
if he’d disappear. “I don’t know what I’d do without him.”

Coby was getting damn tired of everyone talking about him like

he wasn’t there, but he couldn’t open his eyes, move, or even form
words to tell them to knock it off. His mate was warm as always, and
he smelled so damn good.

With a deep, heavy sigh, Coby let go and stopped trying to be so

brave. He’d been shot, for crying out loud. He was entitled to be a bit

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Chapter Fourteen

“Jim.”
“Samuel.” The station head leaned forward in his chair and tapped

his pen against the top of his desk. “Sit down.”

Samuel did as directed, easing into the straight-backed chair and

folding his hands in his lap. He stared back at his boss calmly, ready
to accept whatever was tossed at him.

Oddly, the first thing tossed at him was a newspaper. A picture of

him and Coby, locked in an intimate embrace with their lips molded
together took up the majority of the front page. It was a pretty good
picture of him, and Coby looked gorgeous as always. “And?”

“Do you care to explain yourself?”
“Seems pretty self-explanatory to me. I took my partner to a party

and kissed him. Have you ever kissed your wife at a party before?”

Jim threw his pen down on the table and growled. “You know it’s

not the same thing! Now, me personally, I don’t care who you screw,
but you’re not going to drag this station’s name through the mud by
flaunting it all over the fucking front pages of every backwoods
newspaper in the goddamn country!”

Samuel waited for the man to run down before he placed the

newspaper on the desk and tapped the picture. “I see that it doesn’t
say anything about the fact that Coby was shot.” Just the memory still
had the ability to make his blood run cold with fear. He’d almost lost
everything in the blink of an eye. It had all happened just that quickly.

“That nut job was apprehended,” Jim said airily as if it was of

little importance.

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“So, let me get this straight. My partner, the man I love, was shot

and almost died, and you called me in here to chew my ass out about
a fucking kiss?” All of his good intentions of remaining calm and
aloof flew right out the window as his blood pressure soared. “He was
there on Channel 9’s behalf. It’s been three days, and he hasn’t even
received so much as a piece of fruit. Maybe you care to explain
yourself.”

“Look, I’m sorry he was hurt, but I can’t control every crazy,

right-wing lunatic out there. You knew it was a possibility that
something like this could happen. He’s alive, and from what I
understand, completely healed. Kissing his ass and showering him in
gifts is not my job. Fielding phone calls from outraged viewers about
this fucking kiss, unfortunately, is!”

“Don’t answer the phone,” Samuel replied with a shrug. “I did

nothing wrong, and I’m not going to apologize for it.”

“I was afraid you were going to say something like that. Sam,

ratings have been steadily dropping since this paper hit the
newsstands yesterday morning. I can’t drag the entire station down
just to save your ass.”

“You don’t have to.” Samuel offered the man a tight smile and

pushed to his feet. “I quit.”

“Hold on.” Jim jumped to his feet as well and hurried around the

desk. “No one is saying that you have to quit. You just go on record
denying that is you in the photo. We’ll get some expert to claim that it
was Photoshopped. Then you offer a public apology for any confusion
or hard feelings this may have caused. Things go back to normal, and
everyone is happy.”

Everyone but him. Samuel didn’t want to go back to the way

things used to be. He’d hated his life, and he hadn’t liked himself very
much, either. Nothing anyone could say was going to make him hide
the most important part of his life just so they could feel comfortable
with watching him on the nightly news.

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“You asking me to lie is disrespectful to not only me but Coby as

well. I won’t do it. Again, I won’t apologize, because I did nothing
wrong. I also won’t discredit that newspaper with allegations of fake
photos just so you can sleep better at night.” Coby had opened his
eyes to a whole other way of life, and there was no going back.
“Good-bye, Jim.”

“So, that’s it? You’re just going to quit?”
Samuel shrugged. He didn’t see it as quitting or giving up. He was

simply making a choice to walk away from the bullshit. “Good luck
finding someone to replace me.” There was no cockiness in his voice.
He really wished the station well.

He didn’t keep many belongings at work, so it took only a couple

of minutes to gather everything. Then he went around saying his
good-byes. Some of his coworkers were sad to see him leave and
didn’t give a rip if he was gay or not. Others were indifferent one way
or another, and only two people actually walked out of the room when
he entered. All in all, it could have gone worse.

There was a nice little nest egg in his bank account, and Coby

assured him that he had more money than he knew what to do with.
They’d be able to live comfortably for a long time to come, but it
wasn’t about the funds. Samuel truly loved what he did, and he hoped
he’d be able to keep doing it for another station.

Before he made it through the station doors, he was stopped once

more by a hand on his arm. Looking up, he barely suppressed his
snarl when he found Cami standing there, blocking his path. “What do
you want?”

“I’m sorry about Coby and about the way I acted. I was being a

spoiled little bitch.”

Samuel didn’t comment. She’d already said exactly what he was

thinking.

“Anyway, so maybe we could get a drink or something.”
Samuel looked down at the box of his belongings, then back up

and arched one eyebrow. “You’re not very bright, are you?”

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Cami recoiled as though he’d struck her. “Sam!”
“Since you aren’t very good with subtle hints, let me be very

clear. We will never—and I do mean never—be friends. I don’t want
to have a lunch, dinner, or even a drink with you. Now, please move.”

“Sam!” she gasped. “Why are you being so hateful? I said I was

sorry.”

Samuel sighed and shook his head. “Look me right in the eyes and

tell me that you didn’t send that photo of me and Coby to the
newspapers. If you can do it, I’ll reconsider that drink.”

When she merely pressed her lips together and darted her eyes to

the side, Samuel snorted and stepped past her. “That’s what I thought.
Just leave us alone, Cami.”

Pushing through the double doors at the exit, he walked across the

parking lot toward his pickup. A man about his size approached him
out of nowhere and held out his hand. “Archie Galveston, Action 12
Paranormal Investigative News. I was wondering if you had a minute
to talk.”

“No comment,” Samuel said instantly, trying to sidestep the man.

He really didn’t want yet another confrontation. Two in twenty
minutes was enough to last him for a year.

“I’m not here about that kiss, though it was damn hot.” Archie

lifted an eyebrow at him, his hand still extended. “I’d like to talk
about what happened to your partner and how you feel it could have
been prevented.”

Samuel shifted the box he was carrying under one arm and took

the guy’s hand. “Not to be blunt, but are you a supe?”

“Werewolf,” Archie responded without any shame in his voice.

“Everyone at Action 12 is one kind of paranormal or another. We take
care of our own.”

“Then you’ll probably want to talk to Coby about what happened.

I’m just a regular old human.”

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Archie smiled and motioned for Samuel to follow him. “Coby’s

not a reporter, though. I like your style, Mr. Anderson. I’d like to
offer you a job.”

* * * *

“Wow,” Coby breathed when Samuel had finished telling him the

great news. “That’s awesome. All I did today was bake pumpkin
bread and wash a load of laundry.”

“You made pumpkin bread?” Samuel’s face lit up, and he started

toward the kitchen.

Coby snorted and rolled his eyes. “Sammy! Can you focus,

please?” It was too late, though. The man had already disappeared. A
moment later the sounds of his happy moans reached Coby’s ears,
signaling he’d found his prize.

He was back within seconds, leaning against one side of the

doorway with his mouth crammed full and a piece of the sweet bread
in each hand. “I already told you,” he said when he’d finished
swallowing. “I quit Channel 9, and I start for Action 12 next Monday.
The station is just across the border in New York, so it’s a little longer
commute, but it won’t be an issue. They want to do an interview with
you about the shooting and how paranormals can protect themselves
against future attacks.”

“I’m really not the person they should be talking to. Sylvia healed

me, and her circle caught that idiot with the gun. If anyone knows
how keep people safe, it’s witches.”

Samuel shrugged. “It’s up to you. Maybe you could give Sylvia a

call and see what she thinks about it. I can almost guarantee that this
won’t be the last time something like this happens. People should
know how to protect themselves.”

The witch had called him twice a day since he’d left Salem, just to

check and see how he was feeling. Coby liked her immensely and
after speaking with his mate had even asked her to come visit him

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during the summer. “Yeah, I definitely think this one should be
Sylvia’s call. I mean, I actually got shot. I don’t think I’m exactly an
expert on how to not get injured.”

Samuel shook his head as if he found Coby exasperating and

crammed another piece of pumpkin bread into his wide-open mouth.
They’d come a long way and had overcome a lot of obstacles in their
relationship. His mate’s affinity for stuffing his face like a
Neanderthal was something they were going to have to work on,
though.

“When you’re done being a pig, I have a surprise for you.”
Samuel’s eyes narrowed, and he swallowed audibly. “Does this

surprise involve nudity?”

“Is there any other kind?” Coby teased as he batted his lashes

playfully.

Ah, there was that heat he’d been looking for in his lover’s eyes.

Samuel tossed the remaining piece of bread over his shoulder, where
it fell to the floor with a soft plop, and stalked forward. Coby
squeaked and jumped out of the way, crawling up on the sofa and
flipping over the back of it to get away from his mate.

“Where are you going?” Samuel asked, his voice dangerous and

sexy. “There’s nowhere to run, Coby. You know that I’m just going to
catch you.”

Of course he knew that. He wasn’t stupid. That was the whole

idea. There had to be a chase before the catching could commence,
however. Stripping out of his clothes as he went, Coby darted down
the hallway to the bedroom they now shared.

Once inside and totally naked, he dove onto the bed and crawled

up to the headboard. Resting on his knees, he worked quickly to
secure both wrists into the handcuffs connected to the center-most
slat, checking over his shoulder often, watching for his mate.

When both sets of handcuffs were locked into place, he wiggled

back on the mattress until he could push his naked ass into the
air…and waited.

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Even if he hadn’t heard the heavy thuds of Samuel’s boots against

the floorboards, he’d have known the exact moment that his lover
walked into the room because a loud, tortured groan bounced off the
walls, making Coby have to drop his head to hide his smile of victory.

There was a long pause where the only noise was the sounds of

their breathing and the rustling of fabric as Samuel removed his
clothes. Then the foot of the bed dipped, jostling Coby around as his
mate crawled toward him. Just like he planned, those powerful hands
landed on his ass, caressing each globe in slow, loving strokes.

“What am I going to do with you?” Samuel asked hoarsely.
Coby could make the man a list if he really needed the guidance,

but he bit his lip and said nothing. Samuel was a smart man and an
amazing lover. He’d figure it out eventually, and Coby’s ass clenched
greedily in anticipation, sucking the butt plug he’d inserted before
Samuel arrived home deeper into his channel.

“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine, Sammy.” Coby rolled his eyes. He should probably cut

the guy some slack. When humans were shot, they didn’t recover
from it almost instantly. Hell, he probably wouldn’t have, either, if
not for the help from his new friend. As it was, though, he’d never felt
better. There was no soreness, no pain, not even a mark to prove that
there had ever been anything wrong.

“You are a very, very naughty little mate.”
Coby gasped when Samuel gripped the base of the large, purple

butt plug and twisted. The sensations to his stretched hole felt
amazing, but that hadn’t been why he’d gasped. It was the first time
Samuel had referred to Coby as his mate, and the emotions it invoked
in him were overwhelming.

“You know what, baby?”
Coby could only grunt in response as Samuel began pumping the

silicone toy in and out of his hole. The man knew just the right
buttons to push as he played Coby like a fiddle. Was it any wonder
that he loved the man?

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His teeth grazed over one of Coby’s upturned cheeks, pulling a

full-body shiver from him. “I really love my surprise.”

“Nightstand,” Coby gasped, arching his back and moaning like a

wanton slut when his lover pulled the plug out until only the slim tip
remained and then shoved it back in roughly. His cock was hard
enough to pound nails, bouncing between his thighs and leaking
copious amounts of pre-cum, coating the inside of his thigh with the
sticky substance every time he jerked or bucked.

“Oh, you have been busy, haven’t you?” There was a smile in his

voice, and Coby could just picture the wicked gleam in his eyes.
Though they’d never really talked about it in depth, he knew that
Samuel enjoyed Coby’s smaller size and his willingness to submit to
his lover’s wants and needs.

Coby had made no secret of his adoration for Samuel’s rippling,

sculpted muscles. He could be doing something as simple as strolling
down the aisle of the supermarket when a passing thought of
Samuel’s nude body would flitter through his mind. Then his cock
would swell and thicken in the span of seconds, leaving him
uncomfortable and a little embarrassed.

Though he found his mate’s physique indescribably delicious, it

was Samuel’s inner strength that he craved the most. He was always
calm, composed, and could handle any situation thrown at him with a
grace that Coby could never hope to imitate. Samuel was his home,
his safe harbor, and within the circle of his arms, Coby could conquer
the world.

“Is this what my very kinky mate wants?” While Coby had been

lost in thought, Samuel had apparently been exploring his other gifts.
Something soft but rigid smoothed down the crease of Coby’s ass,
quickening his breath as his excitement built.

“Please,” he whispered. He’d never explored the more

unconventional side of his desires before, but he knew he could ask
Samuel for anything, and the man would give it to him and then some.

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That one softly spoken plea was all it took. The paddle

disappeared but was back quickly to smack against his skin in a
stinging swat. Samuel didn’t tease him like he had before but set up a
steady rhythm, spanking Coby’s bottom over and over, alternating
sides until his entire ass was one deep ache.

With each swat to his overheated skin, Coby’s cock jerked and his

balls drew tighter. Lightning bolts of pleasure ricocheted through his
body until every inch of him was over-sensitized with intense, mind-
blowing pleasure.

“Do not come until I tell you,” Samuel ordered, tossing the paddle

to the mattress and continuing Coby’s spanking with his bare hand.
The sting was more superficial now instead of the deep-down burn,
but Coby loved it just as much.

His fingers gripped tighter at the slats of the headboard until he

thought they would be forever frozen in the position. Samuel had told
him not to come, and he wanted to be good and obey, but he was so
fucking close.

“Please, Sammy,” he sobbed. “I need you.”
“Okay, baby, okay.” Samuel rubbed his hands over Coby’s

burning ass and down the back of his thighs. “Tell me what you want,
Coby.”

“Fuck me. I need you to fuck me.”
Samuel growled, a deep feral sound that almost made Coby forget

his orders not to come. His mate gripped the toy once more, pumped
it a couple of times, then pulled it free of Coby’s convulsing channel,
replacing it immediately with the engorged head of his cock.

His long arm looped under Coby’s chest as Samuel covered his

back, surrounding him in warmth and muscle. “Deep breath, baby.”
Coby did as instructed, shuddering violently when Samuel’s thick
length penetrated him, straining his inner walls to the limit. He loved
being filled so completely by his mate and knew he’d always crave it.

The tempo was slow, gentle, and undemanding as Samuel stroked

in and out of him, allowing Coby to feel every ridge and vein against

Monsters and Mayhem

121

his stretched opening. While Coby tried to remember how to breathe,
Samuel reached around him and unclasped the latch on the toy
handcuffs, freeing Coby from the headboard so that he could pull him
back into his lap.

Coby’s back met with Samuel’s sweat-slicked chest, and he

groaned at the contact. One arm locked around his waist, holding him
steady while Samuel explored his chest, abs, and hips with the other.
His lover’s lips trailed up and down his neck, laving wet kisses along
the column of his throat.

Coby could do nothing but stretch his arms over his head and

around Samuel’s neck, praying that he wouldn’t shatter into a million
pieces when he finally found his release. The pace never increased,
but the intensity built as Samuel made love to his body, his mind, and
his soul.

“Come for me, baby,” Samuel whispered in his ear before tracing

the outer shell with his tongue. His huge hand palmed Coby’s dick
and stroked it in the same languid movements he used to surge in and
out of Coby’s body. “I love you so much.”

With his heart swelling big enough to burst, Coby dropped his

head back on Samuel’s shoulder and whimpered as his cock
discharged, spraying semen from the tip so that it spilled over his
partner’s hand and wrist.

Samuel’s arm around his waist tightened, and he buried his face

into the side of Coby’s neck as he grunted through his own release
and warm wetness filled Coby, branding him from the inside out.

“You can surprise me whenever you want,” Samuel mumbled a

moment later as they held on to each other and tried to catch their
breath.

Coby smiled, turning his head so that he could kiss his lover’s

jaw. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He didn’t know if he’d be able to
survive it more than once a month, but already, ideas were spinning
inside his head for their next little adventure.

“We should probably get cleaned up.”

122

Gabrielle Evans

“Definitely.” Coby grimaced when Samuel’s cock slipped from

his ass. “How the hell do we always get cum everywhere?” Then he
waved his hand around to cut off Samuel’s reply. “Never mind.
You’re like a porn star and Houdini all rolled into one.”

Samuel chuckled and patted him on the hip to get him moving. “If

I didn’t know better, I’d think that you didn’t like me very much.”

Coby flipped around and kissed his mate full on the mouth,

dipping his tongue inside to explore for just a moment before pulling
away. Then he smiled mischievously and jumped off the bed. “I love
you, Sammy, but I still can’t stand your ass.”

Then he yelped and giggled as he sprinted into the bathroom when

Samuel growled and lunged for him. There were lots of changes
coming in their lives, but some things would always remain constant.

The sun rose in the east.
The rain fell from the sky.
And he was in love with a big, hunky human who thought he hung

the moon and stars. Life really didn’t get better than that.

THE END

WWW.GABRIELLEEVANS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gabrielle Evans grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma.

We are talking one red light that may or may not work depending on
the day of the week. She married her high school sweetheart, and the
rest is pretty much history. They have two very active boys and one
high-strung wiener dog that keeps her constantly on the go. For now,
she parks her car in central Indiana, but who knows what tomorrow
will bring.

Gabrielle believes in love at first sight, falling hard and fast,

taking chances, and grabbing your happy-ever-after with both hands.
Most importantly, she believes that a great cup of coffee can cure
anything.

Also by Gabrielle Evans

Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Fire and Ash

Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Myth and Mischief

Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings:

Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian

Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Howl and Harmony

Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Splash and Elegance

Available at

BOOKSTRAND.COM

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