What would you do to protect your family? For
Aden the answer is anything.

Aden Gale has always protected the boys he chose
as his. Gallen Theos refuses to become another one
of Aden’s projects. He might have been bespelled
by his father but he was Aden’s mate and he
refused to take anything less than a full
partnership. If the cool-eyed killer thought he
could wiggle away for Gallen’s own safety, well
he had a lot to learn about the tenacity of
sorcerers.

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fine of $250,000.

Please purchase only authorized electronic editions,
and do not participate in or encourage the electronic
piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the
author’s rights is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.

To Kiss a Killer

ISBN: 978-1-77111-647-3

Cover art by Angela Waters

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To Kiss a Killer

Banded Brothers Book Five

Amber Kell

For my fans who insisted Aden had a story to tell.

Chapter One

den Gale snuck into the mansion’s garden.
He’d stealthily visited Gallen Theos more

than once since the sorcerer had been put to sleep
by his father with a particularly vicious spell.
Gallen lay still and silent in his iron coffin. He
appeared to be napping as if one loud noise might
wake him up from his slumber. He was like Snow
White without the creepy dwarves.

Aden found it oddly restful to visit the

unconscious man. Even as he sent others to try
and wake the sorcerer up, Aden secretly hoped it
would take a while longer. He’d miss his one-
sided talks once Gallen awakened. Given his line
of work, Aden couldn’t confide in a lot of people,
and he scared the crap out of most of them.
Although he could share his adventures with his
son, he didn’t like to make Carey worry. Carey
had enough responsibility without fixating on
whether his dad would make it back alive from his
last mission.

“How are you doing, kid?” Aden popped the

cap off his beer with the bottle opener on his Swiss

Amber Kell

Army knife before settling on the giant rock beside
the filigree iron casket. “Anything new happen
since last time? I heard you didn’t like any of the
guys I sent to visit you. Are you playing hard to
get?”

No response.
Although logically he hadn’t expected Gallen to

sit up and talk, he still found himself leaning
closer. A glance revealed that the blond still lay
still as death, not twitching or moving an inch.

Aden sighed. “I can’t believe none of the men

did it for you.”

He took a sip as he contemplated his failure to

find the right partner to wake Gallen. “Maybe
you’re bi like me. I can always start finding
women. It’s not like they can do any worse than
the guys I sent your way.”

Over the past three months, Aden had sent at

least twenty men to the mansion to try and break
Gallen’s curse, but so far no luck. Carey had
reported no change after any of the men kissed
Gallen. Aden flinched at the thought of a whole
other group of people coming and touching
Gallen. Maybe he should stick around and
supervise, make sure they didn’t touch Gallen
inappropriately while he slept.

The sound of soft footsteps drew his attention

away from Gallen. “Hey, Dad, I didn’t know you
were here.” Carey sat down in the Adirondack

To Kiss a Killer

chair across from Aden. A semicircle of seating
decorated the garden and surrounded a fire pit.
They’d placed Gallen’s coffin to the right, so he’d
be included in any outdoor events. Aden
wondered if Gallen could hear anything, or if he
was as asleep as he appeared.

Aden smiled at his son. Since he’d first held

Carey in his arms, his son had never been
anything but a joy to Aden. He adored his son and
would take care of anyone who thought to harm
him. The number of bodies buried to keep Carey
alive would frighten a team of FBI investigators.

He tipped a head toward Gallen’s coffin. “I just

arrived, and I thought I’d check to see if there was
any change in his status.”

Carey shook his head. “Nope. Not that I’ve

noticed. A lot of guys marching through here,
though. I’ve lost count of the number of people
who thought they were going to get the chance to
mate with a hot sorcerer and went away crying.”
Carey’s mocking smile told Aden he’d not had a
lot of sympathy for the men.

Aden could mentally list each and every man

who walked through Carey’s gates, but he didn’t
want to reveal his obsession to his observant son.
Time for a bit of distraction.

“How are things going with you and Broden?”

He tried not to grin when his deflection worked.

Amber Kell

“Good.” Carey’s smile said all was right in his

world. Which was good. Aden would hate to
maim the jaguar shifter for upsetting Carey. He’d
become rather fond of Broden. However, affection
wouldn’t stop Aden from snapping the fucker’s
neck if he hurt Carey, but he might feel a little bad
afterward.

“When are you starting a family?” Aden

needed a project to distract him from his
impending retirement. What better than
grandchildren?

Carey made a choking, coughing noise as if he

were hacking up a fur ball. Aden barely resisted
teasing him about it.

“Kids?” Carey gasped.
“Yeah, you already have the until-death-do-us-

part down.”

“Just because I’m married doesn’t mean I’m

ready to start a family.” Carey shifted
uncomfortably in his chair as if uneasy about their
conversation.

Aden pinned Carey with his narrow-eyed stare.

“You need to think about your future.”

Carey folded his arms over his chest. “That

doesn’t mean I need to have kids.”

“You don’t plan to have children?” It had never

occurred to Aden that his son might bypass kids
altogether. Didn’t all shifters long to procreate?

To Kiss a Killer

“Broden and I haven’t discussed it yet!” Carey

glared at his father. “I figure I’d talk to my mate
about children before I plan our lives with my
father. Now, are you done plotting my future, or is
there something else you’d like to tell me about?”

“Nope, I’m good.” He loved to tease his son just

to watch his eyes flare up with annoyance.

Aden’s gaze drifted back to Gallen as if his eyes

couldn’t stay away from the sight of the beautiful
man for long.

“Maybe we should concentrate on your love life

instead of mine.”

“What love life?” Aden turned his attention

back to Carey. He should’ve known better than to
think he wouldn’t notice Aden’s staring.

“The one you deny having. Instead of sending

all these guys to Gallen, why don’t you kiss him?”
Carey folded his arms as if he could intimidate his
father with a steady, knowing stare. Damn kid
had learned too well.

Aden gave a forced laugh. “Why would I do

that? Unlike you, I’m no one’s fated mate.”

He ignored the twisting, churning, sick

sensation in his stomach as he shot down his son’s
idea. Aden’s fingers curled tightly around his beer
as he fought the urge to yank open the coffin and
free the young man imprisoned there.

Aden couldn’t afford to become involved with

anyone. He had too many enemies. The few

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people he allowed into his life could take care of
themselves. He should know. He’d taught them.
His current case—taking down a dangerous crime
family—didn’t allow for romantic involvements.

“I’ve seen you watching him,” Carey persisted.

“I don’t think your attention is all that parental.
Not like it is with my other friends. You watch
him like you’re hungry.”

Aden shook his head. If he denied the words

enough, maybe they would become true. “He’s
just a kid. He’s probably the same age as you.”

Aden’s mouth dried up as he thought about

touching Gallen. As much as he loudly objected to
the idea, deep inside he wondered how Gallen
would taste. The young man stuck in perpetual
sleep called to Aden as no one had since Carey’s
mother. He had all but closed himself off after his
wife’s death. Instead of mourning, he’d
concentrated on raising his son to be a happy and
well-adjusted man. He even collected Carey’s
friends as his own and did what he could to
provide for them by teaching his boys all they
needed to know to survive in a difficult world.

He ignored the ache in his heart and the voices

in his mind whispering that Gallen could be the
one to break him out of his icy shell. He’d put his
love life on hold while his son was young and
hadn’t met anyone since worth bringing home to
meet the kids. None of his hookups at the clubs

To Kiss a Killer

would be worthy of introducing to his son or the
others under his protection.

“Hey, what’s up?” Denton shuffled into view,

blinking at the bright sun.

“Dad’s too chicken to kiss Gallen,” Carey

teased.

“Hey!” Aden retorted. “I’m not afraid. Besides,

we were discussing how Carey doesn’t want
kids.”

Carey scowled at his father. “I didn’t say that.”
Aden grinned. At least he wasn’t the only one

in the hot seat. He barely held back a laugh when
Denton turned his attention to Carey.

“You should adopt or get a surrogate. Broden

would make a great dad.”

“What’s up with people and wanting me to

have kids?” Carey’s mouth tightened into a
mutinous line.

Denton ignored Carey’s ire.
“You should. Broden’s a high profile

businessman. If he gets starts a family, it will send
a message to the community what a stable family
man he is.” Denton warmed to his topic.

“I’ll talk to Broden about it,” Carey amended.

“But I’m not turning my relationship into some
sort of statement.”

“Fair enough.” Aden smiled in satisfaction.

He’d hold off on the children push again until the

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men were married a few years. He still had some
time to enjoy his grandkids.

“You should kiss Gallen,” Carey finished.

“There’s no need to be afraid of him, you know.
He’s relatively harmless.”

Aden’s heart pattered in his chest—a nervous

tattoo. Surely, a young man sleeping in the middle
of Aden’s mother’s flower garden shouldn’t be
that scary.

“Of course not. A big, bad soldier like you

wouldn’t be afraid of a tiny sorcerer. He’s
practically a midget,” Denton scoffed.

“He’s not a midget,” Aden snapped. “He’s a

perfectly acceptable height.”

“Pfft, I doubt he comes to my shoulder,”

Denton raised his hand to indicate how short he
thought Gallen would stand beside him.

Aden narrowed his eyes at the croc shifter. “I

know you’re just trying to annoy me, croc.”

Denton shrugged. “I can’t help it if you’re

afraid of midgets.”

“Maybe he’s worried about man cooties,” Carey

offered.

Aden rolled his eyes. His son had known of

Aden’s bisexuality since Carey was old enough to
be aware of his own. While Aden had never
brought dates around Carey, he didn’t hide his
interests either. He might not have dated much
lately, but he was far from a monk.

To Kiss a Killer

“You both know I’m not afraid of men or

women cooties.” Aden smiled at their antics.
Visiting with the boy always cheered him up.
Lately, he’d been feeling his age.

With his forty-fifth birthday fast approaching,

Aden had decided it was time to retire and look
into another line of work. He had one more
mission next week, then he was done. The knife
wound he’d received on his last trip had almost
finished him off. His gash had required fifteen
stitches. He had them removed a few weeks ago.
Luckily, his son hadn’t known when Aden was
supposed to return, so Aden had been able to heal
before returning to Seattle.

The loud stomping of booted feet announced

the arrival of their next visitor.

“Hey, Harris,” Aden called out. Of all Carey’s

friends, Harris had the calmest temperament.
Aden had always thought Harris added a
soothing element to the more volatile members of
the group.

“What’s up?” Harris plopped down on the

chair beside Carey.

Aden raised an eyebrow at Harris. He rarely

spotted the bear shifter without his vampire lover
hovering nearby. “How did you escape your
man?”

Amber Kell

“He’s in the house talking to Marty about

security or something. I think he’s hiring more of
the hawks to be my bodyguards,” Harris offered.

“Really?” Denton asked. “Is he expecting

trouble?”

“I think he’s ready for everything short of a

zombie apocalypse, and maybe even that,” Harris
said, grimacing.

Aden laughed. Somehow he doubted Harris

exaggerated his mate’s dedication to keeping him
safe. Last Aden had heard, Rohan had hired half
of the kettle of hawk shifters and was eyeing the
pigeon shifter to carry notes back and forth. Harris
had come a long way from the sad, abused child
Aden had taken in years ago. Pride for his boys
swelled his chest.

He looked around, but didn’t see their missing

shifter. “Where’s Eaton?”

“Defending his thesis,” Carey said. “He didn’t

want us there. He said it would make him
nervous.”

“I’m sure he’ll do fine.” He’d forgotten today

was the day for Eaton’s presentation. Aden
already knew Eaton would pass with flying colors.
He’d unofficially spoken with all of Eaton’s
advisors and had been assured that the eagle
shifter would have no difficulty gaining his
doctorate degree. Of course, Eaton didn’t need to
ever know about that. The less his kids knew how

To Kiss a Killer

much Aden did for them in the background, the
better off they were.

“So what are we all doing in the garden?”

Harris asked. “I spotted you from the window,
which is why I came out.”

“Dad’s too chicken to kiss Gallen,” Carey

taunted.

Harris bit his lip, but Aden saw him hide a

smile before he quickly looked away.

“You have something to say, bear?” Aden

nudged Harris’s foot with his shoe.

“No, sir,” Harris examined the rose bush beside

him as if it would whisper to him the secrets of the
universe, or at least distract him from Aden’s
examination.

Carey and Denton continued to stare at Aden.

“You two think you’re going to double dog dare
me into kissing the kid?” Aden asked
incredulously.

Denton shook his head. “Nope. No dogs here.

But wouldn’t you feel horrible if you could free
Gallen from his frozen hell, but didn’t. I mean,
what if you are the one person who can break the
enchantment, but you failed to because you were
afraid. You’ve already sent tons of guys here. I’m
thinking you wouldn’t have bothered if you
weren’t attracted to him a bit yourself.”

Aden opened his mouth to protest, but Denton

had a point. If for some reason his kiss would free

Amber Kell

Gallen, it would be cruel not to try. Besides, if he
gave the kid a peck on the lips, then the boys
would leave him alone. Aden sighed. One quick
brush of lips wouldn’t be the end of the world. At
least then he’d stop wondering how Gallen would
taste.

He met the gaze of each of his boys in turn. “If I

kiss him, will you drop it?”

The trio nodded, freakishly in synch.
“I just know I’m going to regret this. How I let

you kids talk me into anything, I’ll never know.”

“It’s because you love us,” Denton replied

without hesitation.

“If I didn’t, I’d have killed you all years ago.”

He let the truth of that hang in the air as he stood
up. The metal container had been twisted and
hammered into an intricate design to both hide its
purpose and protect the man inside. At the time,
Harris had muttered about adding to the garden
while keeping Gallen protected, but Aden secretly
thought Harris just wanted to play with a torch
and a really big hammer.

Aden stared down at Gallen and tried to focus

his concentration on the kid below. With all of his
boys settled, Aden had to admit he felt a little
unneeded lately. His boisterous kids had turned
into self-sufficient grown men who now had their
own partners to watch out for them. They no
longer needed Aden to protect their backs in the

To Kiss a Killer

big, bad world. Aden had been the protective
training wheels of their life, and now they were
able to pedal on their own.

“I’ll get it.” Harris rushed forward to unlock the

padlock and lift the lid to the metal enclosure.

Aden wondered how much the lid weighed.

Harris was probably the only one strong enough
to shove it open.

Aden peered inside.
Harris could call it what he wanted, but Aden

saw it as a metal coffin. A pretty enough coffin,
but a decorative crypt, nevertheless.

Once Harris moved to the side, Aden got

another peek at the man he’d decided to kiss.

Aden caught his breath. Damn, Gallen was a

beautiful kid with icy blond hair and soft-looking,
kissable lips. He glanced over his shoulder at his
boys. “Here goes nothing.”

He’d stared down gun-wielding psychopaths

with less anxiety than he had over touching the
man lying still as death in a silk-lined bed.

Stalling, he turned to the bear shifter. “Nice

work, Harris.”

“Thanks,” Harris said. “I had a spell put on it so

water wouldn’t drip through and ruin the lining. I
wanted him to be comfortable. I’m not sure how
much he can feel.”

Aden didn’t even want to think about the

young man lying helpless, unable to move.

Amber Kell

Hopefully, Gallen was truly sleeping, and
everything would be fine whenever he woke up.
Gallen would be traumatized enough dealing with
being without a coven. Aden hoped he hadn’t
upset the sorcerer further by sending him to be
mauled by total strangers. If Aden’s kiss didn’t
free him, he’d definitely be more selective about
who he sent to kiss the young sorcerer in the
future.

To Kiss a Killer

Chapter Two

e was back.

Gallen could sense the golden light

coming nearer. He always knew when his mate
approached. His fingers and toes unfroze slightly
whenever his mate came close. Why didn’t he
come and kiss Gallen? Why did he hesitate while
those other men wasted Gallen’s time? He barely
felt the touch of the strangers who kissed him, but
he knew none of them had been his mate.

Maybe his mate didn’t want him? Sorcerers

were rarely lucky with their partners. They had to
bind them and take their will in order to get them
to stay. His father always told him that tradition
enabled sorcerers to survive. Of course, his father
was the reason he was here—wherever here was.
He didn’t know how much he could count on his
father having told him the truth. Maybe there
could be another way.

Although initially he had thought to take

Eaton’s will away, deep down he knew he

Amber Kell

wouldn’t have been able to keep the eagle shifter
bound. The vacant eyes of sorcerer mates had
always disturbed him. Taking some else’s will was
wrong, and now that he no longer needed to
please his father, Gallen eagerly anticipated
having a mate as his equal.

The golden glow brightened behind his eyes.

He wished he could say something to encourage
his mate closer, but he couldn’t talk, couldn’t
move, or even open his eyes.

His mate came nearer, and warmth coated his

right side like liquid sunshine pouring over him.
Gallen wished he could reach out and grab his
mate, to yank him close—do anything to
encourage his mate to touch him.

“Sorry about this, kid,” a husky voice

whispered.

He didn’t have time to wonder what the

apology was for.

Oh.
Lips. Soft. Warm.
Rough whiskers pricked his hands as he

mapped the stranger’s face, absorbing his mate’s
appearance with the pads of his fingers.

Wait. Fingers. He could move! Gallen’s eyes

fluttered open. The golden glow faded until he
looked into the eyes of a gorgeous human. Gallen
licked his lips. “Hi,” he said, his voice rough with
disuse.

To Kiss a Killer

“Hey there, kid.” The man’s voice, rich and

hard at the same time, like silk over stone,
caressed his ears.

“I’m not a kid.” He couldn’t let his mate think

Gallen was anything other than a full-grown man,
more than willing and able to prove that fact.

“You are to me,” his savior said. “I’ve got a boy

about the same age as you.”

Gallen mentally evaluated the man leaning over

him and decided he must’ve had his child super
young. “Unless he’s over a hundred, I doubt it.”

After years of living among them, Gallen knew

humans thought he was in his twenties. Gallen
had only been able to attend the human university
because his mother had interceded. Gallen had
already spent sixty years fine-tuning his magic
before his father reluctantly gave his permission.
Apparently, even an evil sorcerer couldn’t take his
wife’s nagging.

“You don’t look it.”
“I know.” Gallen decided to drop the subject.

More important things needed to be discussed.
“Who are you?”

“Aden Gale. Here, let’s get you sitting up.

You’ve been lying there for a while. Your
circulation is probably shot to hell.” Aden’s strong
grip helped Gallen into an upright position. His
big hands rubbed Gallen’s back, working out the
kinks.

Amber Kell

“Thanks.”
“Way to go, Dad. I knew you could do it.”
Carey’s familiar voice had Gallen peeking over

his mate’s shoulder. “Dad?”

“I believe you’ve met my son.”
Gallen checked out Aden more carefully, re-

evaluating his age. Not that it mattered, but he’d
pegged the man in his thirties. Although, he knew
Carey was easily in his mid-twenties.

On closer examination, he saw crow’s feet

decorated Aden’s eyes, and bits of silver shone
through his blond hair. Gallen had never seen
anyone sexier in his life. A quick glance across
Aden’s body revealed a man in his physical prime.

Gallen licked his lips. “I guess this means

you’re my mate.”

All his suffering had apparently been more

than worth the wait. If he’d known this guy was in
his future, he’d never have stolen Eaton. He’d
have kidnapped Aden and chained him to his bed
for the next century or two.

Aden straightened and stepped away from

Gallen. “I don’t know about that. It could’ve been
a fluke or something. Maybe you were just ready
to wake up, or the spell was fading.”

Aden’s panicked denial turned his blue eyes an

almost silvery gray. Delicious. Gallen could tell his
mate needed to be coaxed into accepting the bond
between them, but Gallen hadn’t survived his

To Kiss a Killer

childhood without knowing how to manipulate
someone. Aden had a surprise coming if he
thought he could brush off his responsibilities as
Gallen’s mate.

If Aden wanted to wiggle like a fish on the end

of a line first, Gallen would give him the room to
fight. He turned his attention to the other men
surrounding him. “So what’s been going on?”

Carey scowled. “Your father has been a very

bad man.”

“So what else is new?” Gallen shrugged. He

gasped as a jolt of pain shot through his shoulder.

“Hey, take it easy, you’ve been frozen for

several weeks.” Aden’s warm hand massaged
Gallen’s muscle, easing the strain.

Gallen held back the moan that yearned to pour

out of him. He’d heard Aden talking to him
before. Everyone else had just sounded like
murmurs in the distance, but Aden’s voice had
sounded clear as if he had been whispering into
Gallen’s ear. He wondered how much experience
his self-avowed bisexual mate had with men. He’d
love to teach him anything he needed to know.

“Thank you. That feels good.” Aden’s touch

oozed through his skin, soaking into Gallen’s
muscles, easing him.

“Better?” Aden asked, rubbing Gallen’s back in

slow circles, soothing him through his touch.

Amber Kell

Gallen gave his mate a shy smile, pleased when

Aden’s blue eyes darkened. “Much better. Thank
you.”

Gotcha.
He gathered the memories he had of Eaton

talking about Aden. According to the eagle shifter,
Aden had a protective streak a mile wide. It
should be easy for Gallen to keep his mate nearby.

Gallen was the perfect mate for a killer with a

mother hen complex. He had no doubt his father
would come after him, and he’d need a strong
mate at his side. The fates knew what they were
doing when they matched Gallen up with his
delicious mate.

“Could you help me up?” Gallen made sure his

tone sounded frail. He heard a muffled laugh from
one of the men, but didn’t let it distract him. Let
them chuckle all they wanted, as long as they
didn’t expose his tactics to Aden.

“Of course.” Aden lifted Gallen up and out of

the metal cage with an easy flex of muscles before
setting him gently on the ground. He yearned to
explore Aden’s strong body with his tongue. He
bet a six-pack lurked beneath his mate’s loose t-
shirt.

In time, he vowed silently.
Aden hovered as Gallen stepped forward,

trying to remind his muscles how to move. Even
though he didn’t try to rush it, his joints still

To Kiss a Killer

screamed their protest. He only took a few steps
before collapsing in the closest chair.

“How are you feeling?” Harris asked.
Gallen gave the bear shifter a grateful smile.

They could’ve left him at the sorcerer enclave after
what he’d done to Eaton, but instead, they’d
rescued him. “Better, thanks. It was horrible
trapped in my own body without being able to
communicate. Aden is the only person I could
hear.”

“Really?” Aden settled in the seat beside him,

his hand unconsciously resting along the nape of
Gallen’s neck.

Gallen leaned back a bit to encourage further

contact.

“What are your plans?” Carey asked. He

seemed to be the leader of his little group. The
others deferred to him instead of asking questions.

“I don’t know.” He slumped in his chair as

reality hit him. “I guess as of now, I’m homeless. I
certainly don’t want to go back to father.”

Not to mention he had no money and no way to

finish school without his father’s financing.
Gallen’s father had kept a tight fist on all the
coven’s finances and hadn’t allowed Gallen to
work to make any cash for himself. Gallen knew it
was just another of his father’s ways of controlling
him. Most of the people in their coven had
depended on Gallen’s father for their money. Even

Amber Kell

those who had their own jobs had to hand over
their pay for the good of the coven. How his father
convinced everyone to let him rule their lives,
Gallen didn’t know, but he suspected it involved
some magical coercion.

Aden squeezed Gallen’s shoulder. “Nonsense,

you can stay here until you get on your feet. You
don’t mind, do you, Carey?”

Carey shrugged. “It’s not like we’ll notice one

more person, and you did try to save Eaton in the
end.”

Gallen looked up at his gorgeous mate through

his lashes. “Will you be here?”

Eaton had never mentioned where Aden might

live, or if he did, Gallen hadn’t been paying
enough attention. At the time, he’d been
infatuated with Eaton and not concerned about
some guy who watched over the group like a
father figure. Gallen narrowed his eyes at Aden.
He’d best think of the beautiful eagle shifter as a
son, or Gallen would be doing some plucking.

Aden stroked a finger along Gallen’s

cheekbone. “I don’t live here, but Carey has extra
rooms now, since a few of the hawks are moving
to stay with Harris.”

“Hey, how do you know that? I didn’t even

know that,” Harris objected. “I thought they were
just going watch me during the daytime.”

To Kiss a Killer

Gallen ignored the growling bear shifter as he

leaned into Aden’s touch.

“What do you think? You’ll be well-protected

from your father here,” Aden persisted. “I added
safeguards. The house has quite a few wards to
keep bad people out.”

“Yeah, your father is creepy, dude,” Harris

said. “I’d stay out of his reach, if I were you.”

“Where do you live?” Gallen asked when Aden

didn’t offer the information.

“I have an apartment by Alki Beach.”
“Water view?” Gallen adored the water. It

matched his magic. He could manipulate it with
his powers. Along with healing, it was his best
ability.

“A bit of one,” Aden said guardedly.
“Dad’s view is amazing,” Carey praised. “Let’s

get you inside and find you some food. You must
be starving. I’m sure I can find you a change of
clothes, if you’d like to take a shower.”

Gallen’s stomach grumbled as if on cue, and he

suddenly felt grungy instead of liberated from his
semi-sleep. “I’d like to take advantage of both,” he
declared.

Everything would feel better after a shower and

food.

Aden offered him a hand to help him up.

Gallen gratefully accepted the assistance—any

Amber Kell

excuse to touch his mate. The more contact, the
tighter their bond would grow.

Gallen kept a hold on Aden’s hand as they

walked toward the house. As they turned the
corner, he caught sight of the filigree casket. He
shuddered. “Whose idea was it to put me in that
thing?”

Harris raised his hand. “Mine! I wanted a glass

one, but Aden said it would attract the cops.”

“Um, thanks, I guess.” He’d rather not have

been put in anything, but if it kept him away from
his father, they could’ve put him in a cement hole
and he would’ve been happy.

“You’re welcome.” Harris offered him a

friendly smile before rushing off after his friends.

Aden removed his hand from Gallen’s, but

placed it at the small of his back instead. The
reassuring touch sent tingles through his system.
Gallen only held back a moan through rigid self-
control. It wouldn’t do for the sexy human to
know how much he affected Gallen. As it was, he
had to try and figure out how to bind Aden to him
without taking over his willpower. Sorcerers told
everyone that using the Venus necklace to mind
control their mates was to prevent their partners
from betraying them, but that was a lie. The Venus
necklace was designed to hold back the fear. If a
sorcerer lost his or her mate, they were doomed to
a half-life forever.

To Kiss a Killer

Finding their true mates was a mixed blessing

for sorcerers. Gallen would have to make another
necklace to show Aden had bonded, or someone
else might think Aden was available. A fierce need
to claim the sexy human burned through Gallen
like sorcerer fire. He needed to find a way to
entwine their lives without taking over Aden’s
mind.

Gallen hated the idea of a turning Aden into a

mindless zombie. After all, the man had just
rescued him from his father’s spell. One of the
benefits of bonding with a sorcerer was increased
lifespan, and with a human, every year was
precious. Gallen refused to let his mate die.
Unfortunately, the people who might know the
answer to Gallen’s dilemma either thought he was
dead or still frozen. He didn’t plan on letting
anyone know he’d woken until he had to. As soon
as his father discovered Gallen had broken the
spell, he’d hunt down Aden. Gallen had no doubt
his father would gleefully hold Aden captive if it
would keep Gallen under his thumb.

When they reached the house, Aden stepped to

the side and scooped Gallen through the door.
Gallen looked over his shoulder to see Aden
sweep an assessing gaze across the yard before
following him inside.

A cold chill shimmered down Gallen’s spine.

“Did you see something?”

Amber Kell

Aden shook his head. “No. I just like to keep an

eye out. You never know who might be
watching.”

Gallen had a feeling Aden had a tendency to be

extra cautious. There was a guarded intensity in
his eyes, as if he had spent a long time watching
his back.

In the future, Gallen would make sure Aden

didn’t guard alone. What good was a mate if they
couldn’t help each other out? While they followed
Harris down the hall, Gallen ran through all the
protection spells he knew in his head. He had a
feeling he’d have to brush up on that particular
skill if he planned to keep his gorgeous partner
alive.

They entered a lovely dining room with a long

table covered in fine linen. A buffet on the side
held plates, utensils and a surprising array of
food. Gallen smiled at the selection. The vast piles
of food would feed a lot more shifters than the
handful sitting around the table.

“A few of the hawks have learned how to cook

surprisingly well,” Carey commented at Gallen’s
surprised expression. “They’ll come in later and
eat. They like to avoid me when they can, in case I
send them to do more work.”

From the smirk on his face, Gallen guessed

Carey didn’t find the hawks’ avoidance of him
anything but amusing.

To Kiss a Killer

“Looks good.” Gallen grabbed a plate and piled

it high with food. It had been so long since he ate,
and his body yearned for sustenance.

“Eat slowly and give your body time to adjust

to solids again,” Aden advised. “You don’t want
to be sick.”

“I will.” Gallen found a spot with another

empty seat beside him, hoping Aden would sit
next to him.

Instead, Aden sat at the head of the table, with

Carey on the other end. The men didn’t say much
while they ate, but Gallen couldn’t resist glancing
at Aden from time to time through his lashes. He
hid his smile when he found Aden watching back.
His mate would be a difficult man to manipulate,
but Gallen was confident he had the skills. He’d
spent his childhood with a dangerous, volatile
man, and Aden appeared much less psychotic, at
least on the surface.

“You’re going to have to be persistent with

Aden. He’s going to try to convince you that it’s
too dangerous to be his mate. Don’t take that crap.
He needs someone. He’s been alone for too long,”
Denton said.

Gallen turned to give the croc shifter his

complete attention. Out of all of them, he hadn’t
pegged Denton as being the insightful one.
“Thanks for the tip.”

Amber Kell

Denton shrugged. “It doesn’t help that you look

younger than Carey. Aden’s going through some
sort of midlife crisis where he thinks he’s old or
something. We’ve tried to convince him otherwise.
I mean, look at him. If he were anyone but Carey’s
dad, he’d be a DILF.”

Gallen resisted the urge to punch Denton. He

didn’t want anyone looking at his mate with lust.
Good thing Denton’s gaze was more admiring
than hungry, or Gallen would be dusting off some
of his more dangerous spells to see if his magic
still worked.

“How old is he?” Once they bonded, Aden

would stay at his current level of beauty, but he
had to admit, he was curious about anything to do
with his mate.

Denton tilted his head as he considered the

question. “Well, Carey is twenty-five, and he was
born when Aden was twenty, so that would make
him forty-five.”

“Wow, he looks younger.” Aden appealed to

Gallen much more than any of the fresh-faced kids
in college who always hit on him. He suspected
Aden knew his way around a sexual partner, male
or female.

“He takes good care of himself,” Denton said.

“But I hope he’s going to retire soon, like he told
Carey.”

To Kiss a Killer

“Retire from what?” Gallen suspected he knew

what his mate did for a living, but he didn’t know
for sure. Aden had an air of danger about him that
screamed he didn’t have even a nodding
acquaintance with a desk job. However, Gallen
preferred facts, not supposition.

Denton

shrugged.

“Whatever

paranoid

assassins retire from. Truthfully, I’ve never been
certain who he works for. He’s not exactly open
with that information. Sort of the I’d-tell-you-but-
then-I’d-have-to-kill-you kind of job.”

“Hey, don’t talk about him like that. I know

what paranoid looks like.” His father was the king
of paranoia and self-delusion. That didn’t stop
him from being one of the most powerful
sorcerers.

Denton raised his hands. “I mean no disrespect.

No one adores Aden as much as we do, but the
guy is dangerous. Who knows what he considers a
retiring hobby? It’s not like he’s going to pick up
knitting or something. I’m thinking since you’re
his mate, you should help him think of something
to keep him entertained. Trust me when I say a
bored Aden is a scary Aden.”

Gallen tilted his chin up. “I’ll keep that in

mind.”

He doubted Aden would be much of a problem.

His mate didn’t strike Gallen as the sort to sit
around and wait for someone to find him

Amber Kell

something to do. If Aden became bored, there
were quite a few things Gallen could think of to
entertain a restless mate.

Aden finished eating, then stood. Gallen

quickly followed him to the kitchen to set his dish
in the sink. Aden spun around, and Gallen
stepped forward instead of backward like his
instincts insisted. He wondered how long he’d
have to wait before he could have Aden naked in
his arms.

“What are you going to do now that you’re not

frozen in a box anymore?” Aden asked.

Gallen stood taller beneath Aden’s attention.

He enjoyed being the focus of those piercing blue
eyes. He felt as if Aden could see into his soul and
liked what he found there.

“I have to go to my school and make up an

excuse as to why I missed so many classes.
Somehow, I doubt they’ll believe the I-was-cursed-
and-waiting-for-Prince-Charming excuse. I’m sure
I’ll have to retake a few classes.” Luckily, he
hadn’t been taking very many credits when his
father sent him to sleep.

“You could take them in summer session if they

aren’t already filled. I think it starts in a few
weeks.”

“Maybe.” Gallen nodded. Inwardly, he

wondered if he should bother. The only reason he
was taking classes was to escape his father’s

To Kiss a Killer

tyranny a few hours a day. He’d rather stay and
take care of his mate than spend his days in
worthless classes. Not to mention, he didn’t have
the money to continue anymore.

“I don’t really know what I want to do or what

degree to pursue.”

Aden squeezed his shoulder. “Take your time

to decide. What you decide to do with your life
today could change tomorrow. Most people don’t
end up doing what they started out planning to do
with their life.”

Gallen took a moment to consider Aden’s

words.

“What I want to do with my life might change,

but who I want to share it with won’t.” He made
sure to meet Aden’s eyes. He stepped closer to the
sexy human until they were only a breath apart. “I
want you, and I will have you for my mate.”

Better to state his goals. He doubted Aden liked

surprises.

Aden’s cheeks turned a pretty pink. “I know

you think I’m your mate, but it could be a fluke.
I’m too old for you. Chronologically, you might be
older, but you look younger than my son.”

“Age doesn’t matter, and I turn a hundred and

one next month.” Gallen wouldn’t lose his mate
because of a misunderstanding.

“What?”

Amber Kell

“I told you, I’m older than I look. Besides, once

we’re bonded, you’ll live the same number of
years as I do. Our souls will be entwined.”

“And if I die?” Aden cupped Gallen’s face. “If I

get killed, will it kill you, too?”

Gallen nodded. “Sometimes mates can survive

the death of their other half, but not often.”

He’d seen the shell-like emptiness of those who

survived their mate’s death. It would’ve been
better to die.

“If you’re right and we are truly mates, it

would be wiser not to complete the bond. I
wouldn’t want you to follow me into death. I live
a dangerous life, and I don’t want to pull you into
it.”

Gallen frowned. “You can’t escape from this.

Now that we’ve met, the bonding process has
already begun.”

The fear on Aden’s face didn’t reassure Gallen

that they were on the same page.

“Plan on dying soon, Dad?” Carey entered the

kitchen. Gallen saw the younger man raise an
eyebrow at his father.

Aden took a step away from Gallen. He had to

bite his lip to hold back a protest.

“No, but I have a dangerous job, and if Gallen

truly is my mate, I don’t want him to be hurt, or
even worse, die through our connection.” Aden

To Kiss a Killer

narrowed his eyes as if he could get Gallen to
rescind his mate statement with a glare.

Gallen kissed Aden’s jaw, smiling when Aden

tensed beneath his touch. If there had been no
reaction at all, he would’ve been insulted. “What
is it you do?”

Aden slid his fingers up the back of Gallen’s

neck and caressed the bared skin there. “I take
care of problems when other people have run out
of options.”

“He kills people,” Denton offered helpfully.
When had the croc shifter entered the kitchen?
Gallen frowned. “What kind of people?” Was

he hitching his life force to a cold-hearted killer?
Somehow, he couldn’t reconcile that person with
the guy who sat by Gallen’s coffin to keep him
company.

Aden shrugged. “The kind who need killing.”
“Cool.” Gallen dared to stand on his tiptoes and

pressed a quick kiss on Aden’s mouth. The man
wasn’t super tall, but he was definitely taller than
Gallen. His lips tingled from the contact, and
Aden’s eyes widened in surprise.

Amber Kell

Chapter Three

den wrapped an arm around Gallen,
preventing the young man from escaping. No

way would he let him rush off after a little peck on
the lips. “What are you doing?”

“Um, kissing you.” Gallen smiled, but Aden

could spot the nervousness in his eyes. Aden
shook his head at him.

“I think we’ll be on our way,” Carey muttered.

Aden barely acknowledged his son leaving. To do
it properly, he’d have to tear his gaze away from
the pretty sorcerer, an act he found himself
unwilling to do.

“If you’re going to kiss me, don’t do it

halfway.” Before he could change his mind, Aden
pulled Gallen close, then cupped his face. Surely a
kiss would put Gallen’s foolish ideas of their being
mates out of his mind, and he’d realize Aden
wasn’t what he needed.

Except it wasn’t like any kiss he’d exchanged

with a man before. Gallen’s lips, softer than any

To Kiss a Killer

other, brushed Aden’s with a worshipful touch, as
if he cherished the encounter. For the first time,
Aden didn’t feel as if he’d be interchangeable with
any other warm body. Gallen’s touch had a
caressing quality. A warm ball of need unfurled
from Aden’s gut and poured through his body.
Desire pulsed through him like a hot flame,
burning him from the inside out and leaving him
yearning for more contact. He ached to wrap
himself around Gallen until they became one.

Gallen’s soft moan encouraged Aden’s touch.

He slid his hands down Gallen’s spine until he
could cup the sorcerer’s pert ass. Squeezing the
round orbs, he relished the contact. He pressed
Gallen tighter, until their bodies rubbed together
with little space in between while he deepened
their kiss. Tangling his tongue with Gallen’s,
tasting, devouring. He couldn’t get enough.
Aden’s cock hardened in his pants. Desire knifed
through him, sharp and aching.

Eventually, the need for oxygen won out, and

Aden broke the kiss to gasp for air. Looking into
Gallen’s lust-filled eyes boosted his self-
confidence. Aden’s age meant nothing to the
gorgeous sorcerer staring at him with want and
need.

“I think we scared everyone away.” Gallen

licked his lips, leaving a shiny trail behind.

Amber Kell

Unable to resist the invitation, Aden sucked on

Gallen’s lower lip, biting the plush shape before
tugging on the bit of flesh between his teeth.

Gallen’s gasp and the press of his erection

against Aden’s thigh told him that Gallen was a
more than a willing partner in their embrace.

Aden’s jeans were becoming uncomfortable. He

stepped back and removed Gallen’s hands from
behind his neck. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done
that.”

Regret twisted him in knots. He clenched his

fists to disguise the shaking of his hands. Never
had anyone turned him inside-out before. Aden
didn’t know what to do next.

Kissing a guy with such intensity and not

fucking him made Aden a cock tease of the worse
sort. However, his body hadn’t received notice
that Gallen couldn’t belong to him. He clenched
his hands to hold back the urge to grab Gallen
again. He had to remind himself that sorcerers
were dangerous, and he was an idiot if he thought
Gallen’s age prevented him from being a possible
threat. Gallen had kidnapped Eaton before. He
wasn’t completely innocent.

Gallen sighed before folding his arms across his

chest. “I am your mate. Whether you acknowledge
it or not won’t make that fact go away.” The
defensive gesture twisted Aden’s insides like a
punch in the gut. He’d never met anyone who

To Kiss a Killer

wanted to keep him before. Aden didn’t do
relationships. Hard, quick fucks in dark clubs or
dirty alleys were how he got off.

“I can’t be your mate, sweetheart.” Aden

sought to convey the many completely logical
reasons why a bond between them would be a
horrible idea, but the words wouldn’t come.

A gentle touch swept Aden’s hair from his eyes.
“I like your hair,” Gallen said. The vulnerable

look in the sorcerer’s eyes entrapped Aden quicker
than any spell.

“I need to get it cut before I go.” Nothing threw

off a good sniper shot like hair in his face at the
wrong time, and he had people to kill.

A panicked expression crossed Gallen’s face.

“Go where?”

“I have a job out of town in two days.” Aden

gripped Gallen’s hand, trying to comfort the
younger man with his touch. The terror in Gallen’s
eyes didn’t seem to fade with Aden’s weak
reassurance. He knew he’d be a poor mate. Hell,
even if he wanted to, he’d never be the comforting
type.

“When are you coming back? You are coming

back, aren’t you?”

Gallen’s panicked tone had Aden wrapping

him back in his arms. Soothing sounds poured out
of him, noises without words, until he could feel
Gallen’s heartbeat slowing again.

Amber Kell

“Of course I’m coming back. I’ll return when

the job is finished. I’ve never failed yet.”
Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell Gallen when he’d
be returning. He couldn’t put a timeline on a
project when he didn’t know how long it would
take to track down his man.

“You don’t understand,” Gallen gripped

Aden’s arms. “I can’t survive without you. If you
die, so will I.”

“Hey, easy, that’s why we aren’t bonding.”

Aden patted Gallen’s hand. “If we don’t bond and
something happens, you’ll still be all right.”

It made perfect sense to Aden, but Gallen’s

expression didn’t improve. If anything, his
expression turned grimmer.

“Take me with you.” Gallen gripped Aden’s

shirt as if he thought physically holding onto
Aden would prevent him from leaving for his job.

“Sorry, Gallen. I can’t watch over you and do

my job. Where I’m going isn’t a good place for
you.” Aden released Gallen before prying the
sorcerer’s fingers from his clothing. He hated to
break the kid’s heart, but worrying about someone
taking Gallen out would definitely detract from
his concentration. He couldn’t afford to be
distracted, especially on his last job. More than
one agent had died with only a few days until
retirement because they got sloppy.

“Promise you’ll come back to me!”

To Kiss a Killer

Aden smiled. Gallen was a persistent young

man. “I said I’ll be back. I always keep my word.
Carey can tell you that.”

No way would he leave Carey alone,

wondering what happened to his father. Years ago
he’d promised his son that he would always
return to him. He wouldn’t break it on his last
time out, especially if Gallen was also waiting for
him.

“Of course, your son.” Gallen stepped back.

“I’ll let you get going.”

The hurt on Gallen’s face unnerved Aden. He

silently reviewed what he said in his mind. “Hey, I
didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t mean you weren’t
important. I’m just not used to anyone else
worrying about me.”

He cupped Gallen’s cheek, but the hurt

expression in the sorcerer’s eyes didn’t go away.

“No.” Gallen turned his face from Aden’s touch

and raised a hand as if to ward off further
statements. “You don’t need to explain. We barely
know each other. I guess I thought our being
mates would have more of an effect on you.
Apparently, it affects humans differently than
sorcerers.”

Aden didn’t know if that were true or not.

None of his boys had mated with a non-para.

“Hey, when I return, we can talk. Right now,

my life is dangerous, but this is my last

Amber Kell

assignment. I just don’t want to endanger you. If
we truly are mates, it is better we don’t bond yet.
When I get back into town, we can talk about what
we are looking for in mates. Okay?” Aden’s heart
pounded erratically in his chest as he spoke those
words. He didn’t really know what to expect.
Long-term romantic relationships didn’t fall into
any of his experiences. For Gallen, he’d give it a
try.

Something about the need in the Gallen’s eyes

told Aden that if he turned his back on the
sorcerer, Gallen wouldn’t survive the devastation.
A frailty of spirit lived in Gallen’s expression, as if
life had already given him so many hard knocks,
one more would be the last one he could take.

Aden might be a killer, but he’d never been

sadistic. Needlessly hurting a vulnerable young
man—even one who claimed to be much older—
was not something he could do.

“Hey.” He cupped Gallen’s face between his

hands. “I’ll come back to you. We’re not done yet.
I promise.”

The scent of Gallen standing close, the feel of

his skin beneath Aden’s fingertips all threatened
to overwhelm his usual common sense.

Resisting the urge to slam Gallen against the

wall, fuck him, and damn the consequences tested
Aden’s well-vaunted control.

Crap.

To Kiss a Killer

Aden had dangerous enemies who would love

getting their hands on anyone Aden called his. He
couldn’t do anything to bring attention to Gallen.
Human attention. He’d barely kept Carey and his
friends out of the slimy underworld Aden worked
in, and only by booby-trapping the mansion and
making the boys as skilled as him did he feel free
to let them live on their own without him
watching their every step. Another reason he
wanted Gallen to stay with Carey while he was
gone. If Gallen stayed in the mansion, he’d be safe
from his father. Magic attacks couldn’t penetrate
the invisible shield around the mansion.

“I will try to be patient until you return.”

Gallen broke into Aden’s increasingly worried
thoughts. “I’d feel better if you wore this.”

Gallen took off a medallion from around his

neck and handed it over. A flat circle, it
shimmered with gold and sparkled with magic.

“My mother gave this to me when I came into

my abilities. I’ve always worn it for good luck,” he
gave Aden a wry grin. “With mixed results, but
I’d feel better if you wore it for me. It’s not a
Venus necklace, in case you’re worried.”

“What’s a Venus necklace?”
Gallen sighed. “It’s a piece of sorcerer jewelry

to keep a mate under our control. Mine didn’t
work on Eaton, anyway.”

Amber Kell

“That’s because of the inoculation,” Aden

confessed. “I had everyone given an anti-magic
shot.”

Gallen’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t think

those things existed.”

“It was experimental.”
“Well, it worked. Eaton wasn’t the least bit

persuaded by my magic.”

“Good.” Aden shrugged. “I mean, it worked

out for the best. If I’d been around when they
went to retrieve Eaton, you might have been
injured.”

He would’ve been dead, but Aden didn’t think

that needed to be mentioned.

Gallen dangled his necklace at Aden again.

“Please wear this. I promise it doesn’t have any
magic that will harm you.”

Aden appreciated the carefully worded

warning. Still…

“Kid, I can’t take your necklace.” The charm

glowed faintly blue in the daylight. One side had
some writing Aden couldn’t read, the other the
symbol of a dragon.

“Please.” Damn, the sad, silvery eyes cut Aden

to the core. He could almost feel his resolve
crumbling like one of those piles of saltines Carey
used to run over with his toy truck. “I’ll worry less
if I think I’ve helped provide for your safety in
some way.”

To Kiss a Killer

“You’ll feel better?” Aden checked. He’d do

anything to lower Gallen’s anxiety. As it was, he
felt guilty for leaving his mate so soon after Gallen
woke up from his spell.

Gallen nodded. “I’d worry less if I knew you

were safe.”

Aden’s resistance folded beneath Gallen’s sad

expression. He’d never had anyone worry over his
safety before. Carey knew Aden could take care of
himself, and years of having his father go off on
trips and come back without a scratch had
lowered his level of alarm whenever Aden
traveled. Gallen’s lack of experience with Aden’s
abilities no doubt led to his concern.

“Fine, but you’re worrying for no reason.”
Gallen gave a sexy growl and stood on his

tiptoes to fasten the chain around Aden’s neck.
“You’d better come back to me. If I have to go to
wherever you are and fetch you, I will be very
upset.”

“You like giving men necklaces,” Aden

remarked, fingering the fine talisman. He
remembered Eaton telling him a necklace had
almost sapped his will.

Gallen winced. “I guess I should apologize to

Eaton properly for kidnapping him.”

Aden smiled. “Nah, he got to have his mate

rush in and save him like Prince Charming, so he’s

Amber Kell

good. I think everyone is willing to move on, as
long as you’re over your infatuation with Eaton.”

He barely kept the growl out of his voice over

the thought of Gallen still drooling over the eagle
shifter. Aden knew he couldn’t compete with the
younger, sexier man.

Gallen’s quick nod eased his fears. “Yeah, I’m

over that. I can’t believe I let it get that far. I
should’ve known Eaton wasn’t my mate. I think
maybe it was you being around him that caused
my confusion. Do you hug him?”

Aden shrugged. “Sometimes. He’s one of my

boys.”

Gallen frowned. “Well, don’t go thinking I’m

another one, because I won’t be lumped into the
category of men you look out for. I expect you to
treat me like you would any other lover.”

As if he had a frame of reference for that. “I

don’t have lovers. I have hookups that leave the
next morning.” Aden couldn’t remember the last
time he dated someone for more than a few nights.
A repeat with the same person didn’t happen
often. He had a few friends that came with
benefits, but usually, he stuck with the random
sexual partners. A person who became attached
inevitably asked questions Aden couldn’t answer.
Simple questions, like what he did for a living and
when he would be back from a job.

To Kiss a Killer

Relationships led to expectations, and Aden

couldn’t afford to have someone depend on him to
make a dinner reservation, much less be there
when his potential lover wanted him to be. The
only people Aden allowed to rely on him were
Carey and his friends. His life revolved around
making sure his boys had whatever they needed.
Now with partners of their own, they were
beginning to need him less every day. He told
himself it was a natural evolution of the kids
growing older, but it didn’t stop the encroaching
loneliness.

“Hey.” Gallen slid a hand down Aden’s arm.

“Come back to me.”

Aden kissed Gallen hard. “I always come back.

That’s one thing I’ll guarantee.”

Amber Kell

Chapter Four

allen paced back and forth before the window.
After three weeks, he was still trying to put his

life back together. He’d missed the deadline for
both student loans and restarting his classes, so
he’d have to wait another two months before he
could apply. The tension of waiting to find out if
he could qualify for student loans grated. If he
didn’t go back to school, what would he do?
Searching his mind, he didn’t come up with many
alternatives. Maybe he needed to go see a magical
life coach? Unfortunately, he didn’t know any
who wouldn’t report back to his father. Right now,
he wanted to remain beneath his father’s radar as
long as he could.

Did his father know yet that Gallen had broken

the spell? Gallen wondered if his father had put a
tracker on the spell. Since it had been thrown
recklessly at Eaton, he doubted his father had had
the time. If his dad knew Gallen had awakened, so
far he showed no interest in retrieving him.

To Kiss a Killer

Gallen hadn’t seen any signs of other sorcerers

in the area or detected any magical signatures
nearby. Somehow, he doubted his father would
give up the city he considered his own. The lack of
spotting them didn’t mean they weren’t around
somewhere.

While he waited for Aden to return, Gallen

learned some everyday chores. Things he’d
always relied on servants to do were now
suddenly necessary to learn. Harris had taken to
teaching Gallen how to cook whenever he visited
the house, but his visits were sporadic and
depended on whether his overprotective vampire
mate let him out of his sight. Denton taught him
how to wash dishes and had made some inroads
in showing Gallen how to play the guitar.

The lack of any news from Aden had Gallen’s

nerves on edge more than anything else. Unable to
take it anymore, he went to talk to the one person
who might have heard from his mate.

“Why can’t he just call?”
Carey looked up from his piles of paperwork.

Apparently, working for his mate and running the
household took a lot of tree killing. “Can I help
you with something, Gallen?”

“Doesn’t it bother you to not hear from your

father for so long?”

Carey frowned. “What are you talking about? I

heard from him yesterday.”

Amber Kell

Gallen sat down in a visitor’s chair, his knees

too weak to support him. “He called you?”

How could Aden contact his son and

completely ignore his mate? His chest ached with
the hollowness echoing inside. Did he mean so
little to Aden? He’d thought they had connected
emotionally before Aden had left. Maybe he’d
been fooling himself all along. No. It wasn’t like
with Eaton. Aden woke Gallen from his spell. The
man was definitely his mate. All the signs pointed
to it.

“Dad calls me every three days like clockwork.

Oh, don’t tell me he hasn’t called you.” Carey’s
mouth dropped open. “He’s going to hear about
that!”

“No. Don’t.” Gallen blinked back tears. “I don’t

want him to think I was whining.”

“You aren’t whining. You have every right to

expect your mate to call you.”

“But we haven’t officially bonded. He can still

deny the mating.” Gallen couldn’t blame Aden if
he had changed his mind. No one really wanted to
be the bonded mate of a sorcerer. Sorcerers
weren’t exactly the good guys of the magical
world.

“He knows it. He’s just stubborn,” Carey

assured him. “My dad is great, don’t get me
wrong, but he doesn’t like it when things don’t go

To Kiss a Killer

according to plan. You are the perfect example of
things not going according to plan.”

Gallen bit his lip before confessing. “I’m

supposed to take his will in order for us to bond
properly.”

Carey shook his head and set down his papers.

“You can’t take his will. He’s inoculated like
Eaton.”

“I know. He told me.” Gallen didn’t know what

to do. Nothing in this mating had gone right. Sure,
Aden fulfilled every fantasy of the physicality of
the perfect mate, but the man’s independence
could prove a barrier to their life together.
Sorcerers didn’t do well if they didn’t have their
mate close by.

“Gallen, don’t take this the wrong way, but

who is it that told you that you have to take
someone’s will to properly mate with them?”
Carey trained his brilliant eyes—so like Aden’s—
on Gallen.

“My father.” Gallen swallowed several times to

wet his dry throat. He didn’t know how he felt
about Carey asking questions. Sorcerers were
trained since birth to keep their secrets. It went
against everything he believed to tell Carey the
truth. “If we don’t have complete control of our
mates, we won’t completely bind.”

“And do you wonder if it is really true or if

your dad is a just controlling bastard who wants

Amber Kell

to make sure no one can take over his coven? I
mean, if only half of your people have a will of
their own, it’s not like they can band together and
overthrow him. Right?”

Gallen spun the idea around in his mind like a

shiny metal top, trying to spot the bits of
corrosion. “I’ve never talked to any sorcerers
outside out coven,” he said finally.

Sorcerers inside the coven wouldn’t dare speak

against Gallen’s father. He had spies everywhere.
The more he thought about it, the more he
wondered. Carey could have a valid point. No one
had ever questioned Gallen’s father about his
beliefs. To doubt him would’ve been seen as a sign
of dissention and possible grounds for being
tossed out of the coven. Sorcerers didn’t fare well
alone. They needed others of their kind to share
their energy, and most didn’t have enough power
to protect themselves against their enemies. Odd.
He’d felt amazing since he’d woken up. Deciding
he’d worry about his own health later, Gallen
focused on Carey.

“So you don’t know if what he said is true?”

Carey persisted.

Gallen shook his head feeling foolish.
“You are also half fae. What do fae do to bond

with their mates?”

Gallen reviewed all the stories his mother used

to share, but came up empty. “I don’t know.”

To Kiss a Killer

“Think about it,” Carey advised. “You aren’t

going to be able to bind my dad’s mind any more
than you did Eaton’s, so you’ll need a different
tactic.”

“I know.” He shoved his fingers through his

hair. “I don’t want to control anyone, anyway.”

The thought of Aden being a mindless zombie

had Gallen’s stomach churning. Even if he could
bring it off, he had only tried to brainwash Eaton
because Gallen had had a crush on the guy and
wanted to make his father proud. Now he didn’t
care about pleasing his father. He only wanted to
make Aden happy. He wondered if he could get
hold of his mother in order to ask her some
questions. Bellion hadn’t contacted him since she
left, and he had no idea of how to call her. It
wasn’t like she carried a cell phone around.

“I’ll think about it,” he promised Carey.

* * * *

Aden wondered if he’d be able to keep his word.
The bullet wound in his shoulder wouldn’t stop
bleeding, and although he was in a safe spot for
the moment, he doubted the people hunting him
would stop anytime soon.

His intel had been so wrong, it might as well

have been a fairy tale created from clouds and
wishes. Aden wondered who’d been the one to

Amber Kell

compile the information, because if he got out of
this alive, he was going to hunt them down and
bury his Bowie knife in their throat. He smiled at
the visual.

Another shower of bullets spat way too close,

breaking chips off the roof he perched behind.

Fuck.
Aden lifted his head long enough to take out

the sharpshooter firing from the building across
from him.

Bastard.
The gunman had been the one who pegged

Aden’s shoulder with a bullet that felt as big as a
boulder, moving around under his skin and
pushing out blood. Thoughts of Gallen firmed his
resolve. He’d told the sweet sorcerer that he’d be
back. No way would he lie to his mate.

Mate.
The word settled deep in his bones, an added

responsibility he couldn’t deny. He promised
Gallen he’d return to him, and even if he had
doubts about their mating, he wouldn’t break his
word. He never broke his word. He didn’t give it
often either.

Sliding across the rough roof on his belly, Aden

ignored the bits of gravel embedding in his flesh
and scraping it away. It wouldn’t be the first time
he gave up a bit of skin to stay alive, but hopefully
it would be the last. Damn, he knew this job

To Kiss a Killer

would suck. Was it too much to ask that he retire
with balloons, candy, maybe a big-ass cake?

Aden pulled out his semi-automatic pistol and

fired a quick burst of bullets. He smiled as two
more drug dealers toppled to the ground. They
wouldn’t be getting back up. Aden would be
happy if he never saw another bastard carrying a
briefcase full of cash or government secrets or
whatever illegal thing crooks hauled around with
them again. They thought they were above the
law, but they weren’t above Aden.

This particular group of drug smugglers was

getting on his very last nerve. They were cousins
in a crime cartel that Aden had worked hard the
past three years to bring down. Destroying their
family business was his last bad guy fuck-you
before he left the field.

Screams of terror pierced the air.
What the hell?
Aden dared to peek up from around the roof air

conditioner unit. A winged serpent swooped out
of the sky and snatched the drug dealer off the
ground. Aden’s mouth dried up with fear, and his
heart slammed against his chest. He ducked back
behind the metal barrier.

Where the fuck did the dragon come from? Were

there more?

He had thought the rumors about dragon

shifters were just that—rumors.

Amber Kell

Crap.
He ducked back behind his shelter as he

contemplated what to do. With so many shifters in
his life, he had a rule about not killing them unless
they attacked him or someone he loved. He only
made an exception with the Seattle wolves. Those
shifters were so stupid they deserved a bit of
killing.

But a dragon—shit. He didn’t have the

firepower to deal with a dragon. He didn’t know
anyone who did. Dragons were so rare, Aden had
thought they were only something other
paranormals told their kids about to keep them on
the straight and narrow. “Be good, or the dragon
will get you.”

Aden had dealt with some big paranormals in

his time, but dragons were an entirely different
situation. He’d never seen anything so fucking big
in his life. Gunfire popped like fireworks below
him as the criminals tried to kill off the winged
beast. Aden wondered if the gold-and-black
dragon was a shifter or only a creature. From the
shape, it appeared to be of Chinese origin,
however, Aden had to admit his dragon lore was
kind of sketchy. Eaton would know. That kid
knew everything.

Screams continued to echo between the

buildings. Aden took a deep breath, then peeked
around the unit again. Yep, still a dragon. His

To Kiss a Killer

gunshot wound wasn’t making him delusional.
Aden was used to normal shifters. Hawks, eagles,
bears, crocodiles—dragons were an entirely
different category. Where the hell had it come
from?

Aden mentally noted that the creature was

about the size of one of the construction trailers
they always had on sites. Its black and gold scales
gleamed beneath the bright sun. It didn’t appear
overly friendly if the decimated remained of the
drug dealer was any indication of its intent.
Damn! He’d left his rocket launcher at the hotel.

Aden didn’t see any signs of the remaining

drug dealers. Did they run off, or had the dragon
eaten them? Aden couldn’t tell from his spot. The
dragon sniffed the air, and Aden knew he was
busted.

He froze.
Maybe the beast would only see him if he

moved. Aden had no idea about dragon vision,
but he had little other hope of avoiding death or
being eaten. He remained still in his spot, not
daring to twitch.

A low growl emitted from the creature. Nerves

swirled Aden’s stomach. His rifle wouldn’t even
put a dent in the beast. The dragon’s head dipped
as if in a nod before it jumped up and flew away.
Aden slumped against the building.

“What the fuck was that about?”

Amber Kell

Aden snatched up all his weapons, then walked

down the fire escape. After a quick sweep of the
area, he limped over to the drug dealer’s car. A
duffle bag and a briefcase sat in the open trunk,
mute evidence to the deal that didn’t go down. A
quick check proved one contained drugs, the other
cash.

Another cautious look around didn’t reveal

anyone else in the immediate area. He slammed
the trunk closed, then walked around and slid into
the driver’s seat. He carefully shut the door
behind him as his strength began to fade along
with his adrenaline rush. Aches, pains, and bullet
wounds were always worse after the excitement
wore down.

Luckily, the keys were still in the car, because

he didn’t have the patience to hotwire anything.

A quick trip to the hospital to seal up his

wounds, then he’d head home and straighten out
the mess of his future relationship with a hot
sorcerer. Aden wasn’t sure if he should be excited
about this turn of events or be making plans to run
away.

It took a week before Aden was allowed to fly.

Even then, the doctor hadn’t approved his quick
exit from the hospital. In Aden’s opinion, he’d
already taken a week too long. He hated hospitals,
doctors, and nurses even, to be fair. Anyone

To Kiss a Killer

whose idea of a good job involved stabbing him
with needles obviously had serious sadistic issues.
His last nurse unnervingly resembled a torturer
Aden had been unfortunate enough to spend
some with.

Suppressing a shudder, Aden looked out the

window and watched the endless white of the
cloud cover floating below him. He wondered
how Gallen was doing. He’d missed the sorcerer
while he’d been gone. He probably should’ve
made a phone call, but surely Carey would’ve told
Gallen about Aden’s imminent return.

Aden sighed. Already the relationship was

complicated, and they didn’t even technically
have one. Gallen might consider Aden his mate,
but Aden still had reservations about their future.
He didn’t like sorcerers as a species. They trapped
their mates to be mindless zombies. Gallen might
be different, but from what Aden had learned,
Gallen’s father had brainwashed him for years. He
wondered how much emotional damage the older
sorcerer had done to his son. He’d have to talk to
Gallen and explain how they couldn’t work as a
couple. Aden’s heart ached for the young man, but
what kind of future did they have? Aden would
die in a few more decades, barring getting himself
killed before then. Even with his retirement, Aden
didn’t foolishly believe his handlers would leave
him completely alone to go fishing or some shit

Amber Kell

like that. They’d give him a few months before
they began sniffing around again. Aden knew his
skills weren’t easy to find.

Not to mention his enemies wouldn’t magically

disappear because Aden decided to quit. They’d
still hunt him when they could, and although
Carey and his friends could protect themselves, he
had no idea about Gallen’s abilities. How could he
endanger his mate like that? Maybe if he avoided
the final bonding, they could live separate lives.
His heart ached a bit at that thought, but he
refused to back down. He’d do the right thing and
let Gallen go.

His resolve lasted up to the minute he arrived

at the airport and spotted Gallen standing on the
other side of the security area.

Oh, crap.
“Hey,” Aden approached the sorcerer slowly,

not sure of the proper greeting for almost mates.
Besides, it might not be the smoothest line ever,
but being able to speak to the beautiful sorcerer
was an achievement in itself.

Gallen’s eyes lit up at the sight of Aden, but his

mouth remained in a straight line. “You didn’t call
me,” he said in a flat tone.

Aden froze. “I don’t usually contact people

while I’m out.”

“You called Carey.” Gallen’s eyes narrowed

with accusation.

To Kiss a Killer

“He’s my son.” Years of habit had him

automatically calling his son when he was out in
the field. “I always call him.”

Gallen sighed. “I didn’t mean not to call Carey.

It just would’ve been nice if you’d at least sent me
a text.”

“I don’t have your number.”
There, that was a rational explanation. A much

better one than he’d be terrified to contact the
sorcerer. Or that he’d been unsure what to say.

Gallen grinned. “I’ll let you off this time, but

next time, I expect a phone call.”

“There won’t be a next time.” Aden grabbed

Gallen’s arm and dragged him along with one
hand as he pulled his carryon suitcase with the
other. He didn’t loiter in airports. Too many places
a person could be taken down. He knew from
experience the ease of poisoning a person in a
crowd.

“In a hurry?”
“Yes.”
“Any other luggage?”
“Never.” He kept his movements slow and

steady. He automatically scanned the airport,
verifying nothing stood out. “How did you get
here?”

“I drove. I’m parked in short term.”
No one ought to be able to connect Gallen to

Aden yet, so his car should be safe. Aden didn’t

Amber Kell

trust leaving his vehicle where anyone could fuck
with it, so he always took a taxi to the airport.
Only once had to needed to kill his driver. Aden
considered those good odds. “Lead the way,
sweetheart.”

Gallen grinned. “I like that.”
“What?”
“When you call me sweetheart.”

Fuck.
He hadn’t even thought out the pet name. Even

though he knew Gallen didn’t have a spotless
background, the sorcerer always struck Aden as
sweet. They didn’t speak as they made their way
to the parking garage until they stopped in front
of a familiar vehicle.

“This is Carey’s car.”
Gallen nodded. “I don’t have access to any

money. Until I get a job, I’m pretty much living off
Carey.” Embarrassment flushed his cheeks pink.

“Hey.” Aden cupped Gallen’s cheek. “You have

nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone has a rough
patch sometimes.”

Gallen gave a bitter laugh. “My whole life has

been a rough patch.”

“Then it’s time to change that.” Even if they

weren’t going to be mates, Aden could help Gallen
out. He had a good track record for helping young
men get on their feet.

To Kiss a Killer

Gallen jerked his head back. “Oh, no. You don’t

get to make me another one of your projects. I’m
not one of those kids you save from their bad
home life. I’m your mate.”

“Is he now? That’ll be interesting to tell the

others,” a silky voice spoke behind them.

Aden spun around, and before Gallen could say

anything, he pinned the speaker to the car by his
throat. “I don’t think you’ll be around to tell
anyone anything,” Aden said.

“Whoa, babe, you don’t have to kill him,”

Gallen said.

“Yes, I do. He’s a scumbag, and he’ll paint a big

X on your back. I can’t chance that. You have
enough to worry about with your father. You
don’t need scum crawling out of the ground to
bother you. Not to mention, he’ll go back home
and tell his family everything.” There were still a
few in the family who cared enough to hunt Carey
down.

“He won’t,” Gallen protested.
Aden shook his head “You don’t know men

like this. He won’t stop until he makes me pay for
killing his brother.”

Ren Holver was a member of a Chicago crime

family. Aden didn’t know why he was in Seattle,
but the sight of him never meant anything good.
Three years ago, Aden had killed Paul Holver in a
shootout while rescuing a kidnapped senator’s

Amber Kell

daughter. Paul had been holding her hostage, and
Aden had killed him while saving the girl. Since
then, Aden had killed several members of the
organization. For a while, they had a hit on him,
until hit men stopped taking the bounty after
Aden picked most of them off.

“He’ll leave you alone if he can’t remember.”
“What?”
“I can take away his memories of you.”
Aden stared at his mate with new respect.

“Really?”

“Yep.”
“And he won’t remember you at all?”
“No.”
“Okay, do it.”
“You have to remove your hand.”
Aden patted Ren down, taking the gun out of

his inner pocket before releasing him.

Ren curled his lip as he regarded Aden with

disdain. “No way am I going to forget this,
asshole.”

“Look at me,” Gallen ordered.
Ren turned to face the sorcerer. Aden watched

with amazement as the hit man’s face went slack.

“You will forget you ever met me or Aden Gale.

You will return home and forget all about us. If
anyone mentions Aden, your mind will go
completely blank, and you will change the
subject.”

To Kiss a Killer

“I will forget you,” Ren said in a wooden tone.
“Yes, now go.”
Ren turned and walked away in a slow,

stumbling gait as if he were dreaming.

“How long will that last?” Aden asked.
“If I did it right, forever. I created a blank spot

where his memory of you existed. I don’t know if I
wiped out the memory of his brother, too, but it’s
possible. This way, whatever he has against you
can’t fester.”

“Huh,” Aden almost felt sorry for the asshole.

However, he quickly got over it. He couldn’t let
any dangers affect his mate. No one got to touch
Gallen. He hoped the memory erasure held. Right
now, Ren was the only one who blamed him for
his brother’s death. The others considered it part
of the price of crime. If Ren conveniently forgot
Aden, life would be a little easier.

“Here.” Gallen gave Aden the keys.
Aden grinned. His mate understood Aden’s

need for control. Aden tossed his bag in the trunk
before climbing in and starting the car. The engine
engaged smoothly. He’d bought Carey the SUV a
few months ago after his son got a new job and
had more people occupying his house. Carey
needed better transportation than the kid’s music
van.

Aden fastened his seatbelt, then waited until

Gallen had buckled in before starting.

Amber Kell

“All set?”
Gallen nodded. “Yeah. This feels good.”
“What does?”
“Coming to meet you at the airport like we’re a

couple.”

Aden didn’t swerve into the column as he

turned the corner, but it was close. “I have to tell
you, I’ve never been a couple with anyone but
Carey’s mother before.”

“Neither have I. We can learn together.”
For someone who had a pretty tragic childhood

with a controlling asshole, Gallen had a positive
attitude. “I’ll protect you, you know. I won’t let
your father get you back.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”
“Why not?” Aden pulled up to the payment

booth and paid for the parking.

“Because I don’t think he wants me. I mean, he

cursed me thinking I would never wake up. What
kind of father does that to his child?”

“A poor one,” Aden said. He’d never abandon

his child. If it were Carey who became cursed,
Aden would’ve dragged every gay man in the
world to kiss his son. However, he would never
shove his father’s errors at Gallen. Gallen knew his
father didn’t care about him like a parent should.

“Have you ever thought about having more

kids?”

To Kiss a Killer

Aden swerved again, almost sideswiping a

minivan. “Maybe I shouldn’t talk and drive at the
same time.”

“What? It’s obvious you enjoy being a father.

Why wouldn’t you have more kids?”

The hospital. Laura’s dead eyes looking back at him.
Aden shuddered.
“I don’t know that I enjoy being a father. I enjoy

my son, but most of the time while Carey was
growing up, I was terrified I’d do something
wrong, first by not being around enough for him,
then by being a bad influence. My mother helped
out a lot while he was growing up, helping to
provide a stable home while I worked. When I
was home, I taught him how to protect himself
against anyone. Most kids aren’t taught like
Carey.”

Knowing how to take down a person three

times your size with nothing but a pocketknife
and a shoelace didn’t fit into most six-year-old’s
lesson plans. Carey might look like Aden, but he
had more delicate features and gentle ways, and
Aden had refused to let his son be a victim to any
bully. Any fucker started crap with his son, and
they’d leave screaming.

“Carey is a strong human who can hold his

own against any shifter. If that’s what you were
going for, you did a great job.”

Amber Kell

Aden laughed. “I didn’t even know there were

shifters until we met Harris. I freed a bear being
tortured, only to find out he was really a kid.
Imagine my surprise.”

“And yet you still kept him.”
“What the fuck else would I do? I’m not going

to turn him over to child services. Who knows
what would happen to him?” Memories of the
whip marks and open sores covering Harris’ body
still haunted his dream.

“What happened to Harris’ owner?”
Aden grinned. “I made him understand the

error of his ways.” The man had died crying and
begging for forgiveness. He hadn’t known Aden
didn’t have any.

“You can be a really scary man, Aden Gale.”

Gallen’s voice didn’t sound scared. He sounded
admiring.

“I’ve been told that once or twice,” Aden

admitted. He didn’t try to be scary. He just didn’t
see anything wrong with killing people who
needed to be killed.

They pulled up to the mansion gates. Aden

punched in his code and waited for them to slide
open.

“Why is there so much security here? Don’t you

think it’s a little overkill?”

“No. I’ve made some dangerous enemies. Most

of them don’t know who I am or where I live, or

To Kiss a Killer

even that I have a child, but if one of them does,
I’m not going to sit around and let them attack
Carey. If they come here, there are a lot of ways
for them to die before they even get to my son.”

Amber Kell

Chapter Five

allen watched Aden maneuver the SUV into the
mansion’s garage bay. He knew Aden had left

his car at the mansion, because he always checked
in on his son before going to his own residence.
Gallen wondered what it would be like to be taken
care of by someone else. Someone like Aden, who
would do anything to protect the people he loved.

Anything.
Gallen needed that in his life. He needed

someone steady to watch his back and support
him, no matter what. Aden would be the perfect
type of mate. The man made solid boulders look
flimsy in comparison.

Carey opened the door as they walked up.

“Hey, Dad. I see Gallen found you.”

Aden’s wide smile twisted Gallen’s heart a bit.

He hadn’t received the same unadulterated joy at
the sight of him. He wondered if there was a
timeframe for when Aden Gale would see him

To Kiss a Killer

and think Gallen belonged. He needed to belong—
desperately.

“Yes, he did. I’ve got some news for you.”

Aden walked past Carey and headed for the living
room, apparently confident everyone would
follow. Since Gallen and Carey both did, it wasn’t
a misplaced belief.

Once they were seated, Carey spoke first when

Aden

didn’t

immediately

volunteer

any

information. “What’s up?”

“Did you know there are dragons?” Aden

asked.

Gallen laughed. He hadn’t known Aden had a

sense of humor. However a moment later, it
proved that he really didn’t. “You think you saw a
dragon?” Gallen wondered if any of his old
contacts would talk to him long enough to
evaluate Aden. “Do you have a concussion?”

“No, babe, I don’t have a concussion. Besides,

don’t you see little birds when you get knocked on
your head? They always do in cartoons.”

“Sometimes

people

hallucinate,”

Gallen

defended.

“Do they imagine people getting eaten?

Because that’s a damn strong hallucination.”

“Not usually,” Carey interjected. “So this

dragon ate people? I’m hoping bad guys.”

Amber Kell

Aden nodded, then proceeded to tell them a

scary tale of how he almost didn’t return to
Gallen.

“You are never to go after bad guys without me

again,” Gallen ordered. “You could’ve been
killed!”

“I could’ve been, but I wasn’t. I returned like I

promised.” Aden appeared to think he’d done his
part, and Gallen was just nitpicking.

“But it was close. If a dragon hadn’t

intervened…” Gallen trailed off, unable to
continue that thought.

“So now you believe in my dragon?” Aden

teased.

“Can you focus? You are not to go anywhere

you could be shot at or eaten again!” Gallen
shouted. His magic crackled inside him with the
force of his anger. How could Aden endanger
himself like that for the sake of a few drug
smugglers? “Let me see your wound.”

Aden stood and walked over to sit on the arm

of Gallen’s chair. He brushed a hand through
Gallen’s hair. “Baby, you need to relax. I always
put my life on the line, and I always come back.
Besides, that was my last mission. I’m retired.”

“Really? You mean it?” Carey asked, sitting up

straighter in his chair. “I didn’t think you’d
actually do it. You’ve tried to retire six times
now.”

To Kiss a Killer

“This time, I’m done. I’m getting too old for this

crap. The last few missions have had shitty intel,
and I’ve almost been killed a few times. I’m not as
fast as I used to be, and it’s time to let a younger
generation do all the things I used to do.”

Gallen couldn’t stop smiling. He’d worried that

Aden’s job might be a point of contention between
them, but now that Aden had decided to quit, he
could happily settle down with his silver fox. The
idea of children brought into his head a happy
image of the pair of them alongside some
beautiful blue-eyed children with Gallen’s magic
and Aden’s solid core of morality. Some might
think Aden had a cold-blooded approach, but
Gallen appreciated his practicality. He wondered
about a surrogate. He should probably be the
biological father if they wanted to have kids with
magic, but a child as beautiful as Aden and Carey
wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

He had no doubt Aden could protect his family.

If anyone bothered them, Aden would kill them.
He appreciated the simple logic.

“I’ve heard stories of dragons,” Gallen

confessed. “But I always thought they were just
things my father said to scare me from sleeping
well at night.”

His father had enjoyed frightening Gallen, even

when he was just a child.

Amber Kell

“If I ever get hold of your father, he’s not going

to be sleeping well—ever!” Aden’s fierce intensity
told Gallen his mate wasn’t kidding.

He had to admit, if he didn’t know his father

fought dirty, he would’ve been more than happy
to see Aden kick his father’s ass.

“What did you hear about dragons?” Carey

asked, easily bringing them back on topic.

After meeting his father, Gallen had thought of

Carey as a less intense version of Aden. Not a
lesser person, but perhaps not as willing to kill.
The fierce expression in Carey’s eyes had him re-
examining that notion.

Gallen scraped his mind for memories of

dragon stories. “I’ve heard they had them in
ancient China, and that most of them died out
over the years. A few have been enchanted and
trapped in their dragon shape, but I don’t know
where or when. Sorry, I’m not much help. The
stories my dad told me mostly involved them
stalking me in my sleep and eating me for being a
disobedient child.”

“Hmm.” Aden scratched his cheek. “It looks

like something freed them, or they came out of
hiding. I don’t know why that dragon didn’t
attack me, but I’m really happy it didn’t. I didn’t
have enough firepower to do any good.”

“You didn’t provoke it,” Gallen said.

To Kiss a Killer

“Neither did the other man. They were

shooting at me, but I don’t think they saw the
dragon before it attacked them,” Aden said. “I
certainly didn’t have any warning.”

Gallen doubted anything snuck up on Aden

very often. “Good thing it was on your side.”

“Well, if I ever see it, I will thank it for its

assistance,” Aden said dryly.

“Now what are you going to do with your

time?” Gallen asked. “As a newly retired person.”

“Besides get to know your mate,” Carey chimed

in.

Gallen blushed, but held Aden’s piercing gaze

until his mate said the worst thing possible. “I
don’t think we should bond.”

The blood rushed out of Gallen’s face. Spinning,

the room began to lose focus.

“Crap!” Aden grabbed him as he slumped

down on the chair. “Don’t you faint on me!”

Gallen blinked back tears. Maybe he’d heard

wrong. Aden wasn’t acting like someone eager to
get rid of Gallen. “What do you mean you don’t
want to bond?”

“What if I die? I can’t be responsible for your

death.”

“Once we bond, you will get some of my

magical protection. I can heal people, so you
should be harder to injure. It won’t go away if we
just don’t bond. Sure, I might live longer, but I’d

Amber Kell

rather have a shorter life in bliss than a longer life
wallowing in misery the rest of my life.”

“Don’t you care if you die?” Aden cupped

Gallen’s face, forcing him to meet his eyes.

“Of course, I don’t want to die, but I’d rather

die happy than live like this.” After a childhood of
bullying and intimidation, even a brief few years
with a proper mate would be worth any price.
Aden’s expression didn’t share Gallen’s joy in
finding his other half. Gallen had to find a way to
get Aden to concentrate on the positive side of
their mating and not so much on the negative.

“Maybe I should leave so you two can discuss

this alone,” Carey stood up and quickly left the
room.

Before either of them could comment, Carey

was gone. Gallen appreciated his tact.

“My son seems to think we should work things

out.” Aden’s eyes were on the doorway Carey had
disappeared through.

“What do you think?” Gallen held his breath as

he waited for Aden’s response.

Aden returned his attention to Gallen. “I want

to do what is best for you. If you think I’m the one
for you, then I’ll do everything I can to make you
happy. However, I think we should take it slow. I
want you to stay with Carey until we’re both
ready for you to move in with me.”

To Kiss a Killer

“What if you’re never ready?” Gallen was

prepared to move in now. When would be the
magical time for Aden? Would he spend the next
hundred years waiting for the perfect day?

“Hey, this isn’t a way to avoid our bond. I

promise.” Aden’s sincere expression squeezed
Gallen’s heart, but he resisted the temptation to
cave to Aden’s decision. He’d spent too many
years letting others decide his future.

Gallen resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Then

what is it? How are we going to get to know each
other better if you aren’t around? I think a better
idea would be for me to move in with you so we
can get to know each other. Dating is for people
who are unsure of the future. Our path is already
chosen.”

“Is it? Do all mates match perfectly? Have you

never heard of a mating that didn’t work out?”

Gallen searched his mind. “No. I’ve never

heard of a mating that didn’t work out. Sometimes
people are more inclined to love their mate than
others, but I’ve never met a pair of mates
completely incompatible. That’s what being
chosen by fate is all about.”

His parents didn’t count, because he’d always

known they weren’t proper mates. His mother had
told him many times.

Amber Kell

“Is it because sorcerers take away their mate’s

will? How can you know if they are willing if you
brainwash them?”

Gallen sighed. “I know it seems silly to you, or

even dangerous, but there is a historical reason for
sorcerers’ behavior.”

Of course, after meeting Aden, he couldn’t

imagine taking over his will and making him a
mate puppet. Some people weren’t meant to live
under the yoke of the Venus chain. Gallen
suspected, even if he hadn’t been inoculated
against magic, Aden would be difficult to charm.

Aden wiped away a lifetime of beliefs with a

wave of his hand. “But how do you know they’re
happy?”

“Because we can feel our mate’s emotions. If we

were bonded and you were miserable, I would
know and I would free you.”

“You’ll never get that chance.”
“I know. Carey suggested I study the other half

of my heritage to seal our bonding. I’m trying to
contact my mother and find out what the fae use
to connect with their soul mates. I want to make
our relationship as strong as possible.”

He didn’t dare let others have the chance to

tempt Aden away from him. Gallen knew no one
would ever replace Aden as his soul mate. Maybe
the human couldn’t feel the connection because of

To Kiss a Killer

his lack of magic. Gallen hoped Aden wouldn’t be
completely resistant to their mating.

“Won’t sex be enough? I have to admit I know

nothing about fae bonding,” Aden confessed.

“Sadly, that makes two of us, and I’m half fae.

My mother wasn’t allowed to teach me any of her
ways. My father worried it would corrupt me. In
secret, we used to hide in an abandoned room at
the back of an old barracks, and she would teach
me how to heal. I have so much more to learn, but
I don’t know where she went.”

“You don’t have a way to get hold of her?”

Aden picked Gallen up and set him on his lap.

Gallen smiled at the intimacy. Aden didn’t

know it, but he’d make a fine mate. His instincts
were always to make Gallen as happy as possible
without even trying.

“No. I’ve tried sending out psychic calls to her,

but so far nothing.”

“I can try to see if I can use some of my contacts

to find her for you.”

“Will they want something in return?” Gallen

didn’t want Aden doing anything that might
require him to give a dangerous favor in return.
He planned to keep a sharp eye on his man. He
worried Aden’s success in staying alive so far had
been as much due to luck as to skill.

“Depends who I ask. Some people owe me

information, others I’d owe.”

Amber Kell

“If it takes more than a phone call on your part,

then no.” Gallen refused to let Aden endanger
himself even to help them as a couple.

“I’ll be careful.” Aden smiled, a sexy curling of

his lip that made Gallen want to ravage him.

“Good.” Gallen wiggled his ass against Aden’s

lap, pleased when Aden’s cock hardened beneath
him.

“If you make me come in my pants, I will spank

your ass.”

Gallen’s breath caught in his throat. “Ooh, I’d

say I have a daddy fetish, but seriously, that
would probably be the creepiest thought ever.”

Aden laughed. “I see you’re going to keep me

on my toes.”

“I hope not.” Gallen frowned. “I was going for

balls deep in my ass.”

“Hmm, I might be able to help you out with

that.” Aden’s voice deepened with arousal.

“Might? I’m pretty sure you’re the only one for

the job.” Gallen’s skin crawled at the thought of
anyone else touching him. Never again would he
let someone other than Aden into his bed.

Aden’s grip tightened, and a flash of jealousy

crossed his face. “I better be, because if I find you
in another man’s arms, I’ll kill him. Trust me when
I say it isn’t just an expression.”

Gallen nodded. “You have no worries there, my

mate. I would never betray.”

To Kiss a Killer

Aden now had Gallen’s complete loyalty. As a

human, Aden didn’t truly understand the bond
between mates. Observing a mating between
shifters wasn’t the same as experiencing the bond.

The close examination he received had him

holding his breath as he waited for Aden’s
decision. “I think you’re right. Let’s go to my
place. At least then I can keep a good eye on you.
I’m tired, and we can leave any big decisions until
tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” Gallen pressed his lips against

Aden’s, letting his mate take control of the kiss.
Kisses were more intense with Aden in charge.
His grip in Gallen’s hair and his fingers against
Gallen’s hip made him harder than diamonds.

He moaned against Aden’s mouth, encouraging

more. He tilted his head, giving Aden deeper
access.

So good.
Aden’s tongue snaked out to lap at Gallen’s

lips.

“Ooh! A make-out session. No one told me it

was necking time,” Marty’s chipper voice
shattered the mood.

Gallen broke away from the embrace to glare at

the cheery hawk shifter. “I’m tempted to pluck
you bald,” he growled.

“Just try it, sorcerer!” Marty spat. Unlike Eaton,

Marty hadn’t forgiven Gallen for endangering his

Amber Kell

mate or paralyzing him so he could kidnap Eaton.
Gallen didn’t blame him, but he didn’t put up
with the abuse either.

“Children!” Aden interjected. “Everyone needs

to get along.”

“I’m not a child,” Gallen argued again.

Somehow, he had to get Aden to see him as an
equal. He didn’t know what that would take, but
he was determined. Until Aden saw him as a
partner, he’d never be fully accepted as a mate.

“Why? Are you cradle-snatching now?” Marty

taunted.

Aden tensed beneath him, and a tendril of hurt

trickled through their newly formed bond.

Fury filled Gallen over the pain Marty’s words

caused his mate. “You will not disrespect my
mate.”

He raised his hand and shouted an incantation.

Marty flew through the air and slammed into the
wall behind him as if smacked down by an
invisible wave. Gallen slid off Aden’s lap, then
stomped toward the shifter. “Say what you want
about me, but if you hurt my mate again, I will rip
you apart and feed your innards to the crabs.”

Marty groaned as he opened his eyes. Slowly,

he climbed to his feet.

“Mate?” Marty’s gaze went between Aden and

Gallen, then back again. “Sorry, man, I didn’t
know you were mates.”

To Kiss a Killer

The hawk shifter’s sincerity glowed in his eyes.
Aden stepped up behind Gallen and nuzzled

his throat.

Oh, hell.
“If you keep that up, Marty is going to see more

of me than you might be comfortable showing,”
Gallen warned.

“Sorry,” Aden said, pinching Gallen’s ass when

he stepped away. “Watching you toss Marty was
kind of sexy.”

“Hey!” Marty scowled at Aden.
Aden shrugged.
Gallen turned around to face his man. Aden’s

heated gaze sizzled down Gallen’s spine. He could
get used to that look aimed at him. He didn’t have
a good record with men. Most of them found his
eyes freaky or weren’t strong enough to introduce
to his father. Gallen had never been completely
free to pick a lover before. He wasn’t a virgin, but
he wasn’t super experienced either. He hoped to
change all that with his mate.

“How about you take me home and show me

what you really think?” Gallen cleared his throat
after his voice came out deeper than ever before.

“I think I might need to bleach out my eyes,”

Marty commented.

“Keep it up, hawk, and I’ll do it for you.”

Aden’s eyes stayed locked with Gallen’s while he
issued the threat.

Amber Kell

Marty stepped away from them, sliding along

the wall. “Understood.”

“Come, let’s go home.” Aden entwined his

fingers with Gallen’s, taking him by surprise. A
warm flow of affection poured through Gallen.
Maybe he could get Aden to stay with him
without taking away his will after all. However, if
he didn’t find a way to combine their life forces,
Aden would die of old age long before Gallen
received more than a few wrinkles. He silently
vowed to work harder to contact his mother.

He let Aden lead him through the house,

waving at the others as they watched him leave
with Aden. “Don’t I need my clothes?”

Aden flashed him a hot look over his shoulder.

“Why?”

Gallen would forever deny the whimper that

came from his mouth at the thought of being
naked and alone with Aden. His pants became
painfully tight.

They paused by Carey in order for Aden to give

his son a hug. “I’ll come by tomorrow, and we can
discuss what I’m going to do now that I’m done
with work.”

“Sounds good.” Carey patted his father on the

back, nodded to Gallen, then headed down the
hall.

Aden continued to drag Gallen through of the

house and toward the front door.

To Kiss a Killer

“I am coming willingly,” he commented,

shaking his hand as Aden continued to drag him.

Aden scooped up his bag from the front door

and released Gallen’s hand. He briefly missed the
contact. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything.
Aden’s masterful hold on his wrist had made him
harder than steel.

Sorcerers might be considered the badasses of

the magical world, but Aden could order Gallen
around any time. He’d easily bow to his mate’s
request.

Aden led him to a classic sports car. An old

Mustang painted a cherry red.

Amber Kell

Chapter Six

den drove Gallen to his condo. It was on the
fourth floor of a new building built a few

years ago. He had sweeping views of the sound
from his entire living room. Denton and his
partner lived just down the street.

“Wow, that’s a great view.” Gallen stepped up

beside him to stare at the water.

“I like it.” Aden always found the water

calming. Something about the waves crashing
against the shore and the soothing depths always
lured him in.

“Have you ever gone diving?” Gallen asked.
“Yep. I love diving. I go whenever I get the

chance.” He didn’t mention he needed to be
certified in order to do some of his jobs. More than
once, he’d had to sneak aboard some ship from the
water.

“Me, too.”

To Kiss a Killer

The men smiled at each other, pleased they had

a common interest. “We should go diving together
soon,” Aden said.

It took a lot of resolve to keep reminding

himself that Gallen was much older than he
looked. For all he knew, Gallen had been diving
for more years than Aden had been alive. “I’d like
that.”

Aden didn’t know which one of them moved

first, but Gallen wrapped in his arms was the best
thing Aden had ever felt before. A sigh slid
through him when Gallen’s body pressed against
his, as if he’d been missing a chunk of his soul and
hadn’t known until that moment.

Perfection.
Gallen’s mouth twisted Aden in knots with his

sweet taste. Unable to get enough, Aden reached
down and pulled at Gallen’s shirt, annoyed when
he had to separate to slip it over his head. He
didn’t have a shifter’s strength to rip it away, and
would only look foolish trying to do that move.

It didn’t take long before they stood naked in

the middle of the living room. Gallen had
surprisingly nimble fingers.

“Damn, you’re gorgeous,” Gallen said.
Aden grinned, resisting the urge to preen

beneath Gallen’s adoring gaze.

Gallen’s body had delicate lines, with lean

muscle and little fat. The sorcerer ran his hands

Amber Kell

worshipfully over Aden’s body. Glad he’d kept up
with workouts, Aden let a sigh of satisfaction roll
through him at Gallen’s touch.

Stripped naked, their erections nudged against

each other in a friendly kiss. Aden reached down
and gripped them together, his touch firm, but not
too rough as he rubbed them together slowly,
building the passion. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

They needed lube—desperately.
“Okay.” The glazed look in Gallen’s eyes

boosted Aden’s ego. If this kept up once he got
him there, he’d never let the kid out of his bed.

Out of patience, his hormones ruling his head,

he grabbed Gallen’s wrist and dragged him down
the hall.

“I’m coming.”
But not fast enough. Aden picked Gallen up

and flung him over his shoulder, laughing when
Gallen hummed happily at the action. Teasing
fingers rubbed his ass as he marched down the
corridor to the bedroom.

Flinging the door open, he tossed Gallen across

the room. He smiled when the sorcerer bounced
on his mattress.

“I like you there,” Aden confessed. It had been

far too long since a man had decorated his bed.

“I like being here,” Gallen replied. Confidence

sparkled in his eyes, the surety of a man who
knew his partner desired him.

To Kiss a Killer

“Good.” Aden could easily see Gallen lying in

his bed for years to come. Damn, he hadn’t
realized how lonely his life had become until the
possibility of sharing it with someone else dangled
in front of him like a glorious promise. He might
not deserve a hot, young-looking man, but with
Gallen, who watched him as if he were every hot
dream, he’d sure as hell take him.

Climbing on the bed, he kissed his way up from

Gallen’s ankle to his inner thigh. He placed a soft
kiss on Gallen’s ball sac, only to bypass his
erection to kiss his other thigh.

“You’re killing me,” Gallen groaned.
Aden grinned against Gallen’s hairy thigh. The

kid had a nice sprinkling of hair, just enough
Aden knew he was dealing with a male. A few
guys he’d slept with in the past had waxed, and
Aden never understood why they wanted to look
like a pre-pubescent boy. He liked a man to look
like a man, armpit hair and all.

“Could you get on with it?”
“Getting cranky, aren’t you?” Aden asked idly.

The growl was adorable, but Aden had dealt with
shifters, so a tiny sorcerer growl wasn’t exactly
going to send him into a panic.

He slid up Gallen’s body until only his hands

held him above the sorcerer. Gallen wrapped his
legs around Aden’s waist and pulled him down. “I
need you now!”

Amber Kell

Aden grinned. He kissed Gallen and relaxed a

fraction of his weight on the smaller man. He
wanted to entice him, not crush him.

Gallen wouldn’t have any of that. The sorcerer

used his thighs to roll them over until he lay on
top.

Tongues clashed as Gallen took over, and for

the first time, Aden didn’t have control. The
younger man slid his fingers into Aden’s short
hair and held him still as he ravished his mouth.
Unlike Aden, Gallen pinned him with his full
body, letting Aden accept his weight. Tension
poured out of Aden. If he didn’t have to worry
about crushing Gallen, he could relax.

“Lube?”
Aden pointed to the drawer. “Not wasting any

time.”

“Sorry. I need to feel you in me. We can take it

slow next time.”

Aden didn’t blame him. He’d only thought of

Gallen while he’d been gone. The sorcerer had
slipped into his thoughts. One of the reasons he’d
gotten shot was because Aden had been so tired
from his sexy dreams.

A slick hand spreading lube over his erection

jolted him back to the present. Gallen’s silvery
eyes glowed with amusement. “Stay with me,
mate.”

To Kiss a Killer

Aden didn’t have time for an apology as Gallen

quickly prepped, then impaled himself on Aden’s
erection.

“Oh lord,” Aden whispered.
“You are so big.” Gallen moaned.
Slowly, Gallen accepted Aden into his body,

inch by excruciatingly blissful inch. Aden
clenched his fists in the covers to resist the urge to
grab Gallen’s hips and shove him down all the
way. He wouldn’t hurt Gallen for anything, and
he didn’t know how long it had been since his
sorcerer had sex. The thought of Gallen with
anyone else made him want to get his gun, but he
quickly pushed those images aside. He didn’t
want to miss a moment of their first lovemaking.

Gallen sighed when he finally took all of Aden.

He placed a sloppy kiss on Aden’s mouth. “You
feel amazing,” he whispered in Aden’s ear before
playfully nipping his lobe.

“You feel incredible, too,” Aden agreed. Gallen

clenched around him, and he gave into the urge to
buck. He grabbed Gallen’s hips and flipped them
back around. Holding the back of Gallen’s thighs,
he got to his knees. “Hold on, mate, I’m going to
fuck you until you forget your name.”

Gallen’s smile brightened his handsome face to

incandescent beauty. “Excellent.”

A possessiveness Aden had never felt for

anyone gripped him tighter than the one time he’d

Amber Kell

fought with a wolf shifter and had an arm gripped
in the beast’s incisors. He had a feeling any
separation from Gallen would be even more
painful than the bit of skin he lost in that battle.

As he moved in and out of Gallen, Aden’s heart

ached with the need to make Gallen his. To mark
the man as belonging to him and kill anyone else
who thought to take him.

With a shout, Aden came, filling Gallen with

his seed. Before he could recover, Gallen placed
his hands on Aden’s chest.

“Mine.”
Pain seared through him as Gallen’s touch

burned into his skin like a branding iron.
Overwhelmed, Aden only had enough time to
slide out of Gallen, then topple to the side to avoid
crushing Gallen before everything went black.

* * * *

Gallen gasped in horror as Aden collapsed on the
bed. He quickly grabbed some tissues and cleaned
the human up. Careful not to push him off the
bed, he tossed the tissues, then pulled Aden more
into the center of the mattress. A small tattoo
spread across Aden’s chest, a spiral-shaped black
dragon. It glowed around the edges as if it were
biding its time to protect its human.

To Kiss a Killer

“What the hell?” he whispered, staring at the

mark.

A loud crackling sound had him covering their

naked bodies. Bellion, Gallen’s fae mother,
appeared before him. She gave Aden a quick
glance before turning to walk out of the room.
“Put some clothes on, dear. We need to talk,” she
said on her way out.

“Okay.” Gallen glanced at Aden one more time

before realizing all his clothes were in the living
room. Before he could register that fact, they came
sailing through the open doorway.

“You might need these.”
“Thanks,” he called out, although she’d already

gone.

Gallen quickly dressed, not wanting his mother

to become impatient and leave while he dallied.
Before he went to join his mother, he checked
again to make sure Aden still breathed.

“I’m sorry, babe, I’ll be right back.” Gallen had

to fight his instinct to cuddle up beside Aden and
hold him close. He needed to see his mother first.
Maybe she could help him with this mess.

He found her sitting on Aden’s leather couch,

looking out over the water. “He’ll be all right,” she
said before Gallen opened his mouth.

“How can you be sure?”
“Because he’s your mate. Is this the first time

you’ve had sex?”

Amber Kell

“Yes.” Gallen hadn’t been this uncomfortable

since he had the sex talk with his mother at the age
of fifteen. By then, he’d already known
everything, but she’d insisted on going out and
buying him condoms in case he decided he was
ready. The box she purchased actually expired
before Gallen ever used them, but the humiliation
of that talk survived far into the future.

“Hmm. I always thought you took more after

your dad. I guess I was wrong.”

“What does that mean?”
Gallen plopped down on the couch beside her.

He twitched with the need to return to his mate,
but he didn’t know when he’d get another chance
to talk to her.

“It means you mated with him like a fae, not

like a sorcerer.”

“What did I do?”
“You gave him the mating mark. I’m not certain

about the significance of the dragon, but you’ve
tattooed him as belonging to a fae. It will also
work as a guardian for him if he finds himself in a
dangerous situation.”

Gallen liked the idea of protecting his human

mate. Despite his tough exterior, humans were
frighteningly frail. “It’s permanent?”

“Yes. To humans, it will look like a tattoo. To

paranormals, it will glow like the mating brand it
is.”

To Kiss a Killer

“What about me? Will I get one, too?”
His mother shook her head. “No, only if he

were a fae would you get one. I have a feeling he’ll
think of something to mark you. He has the aura
of a take-charge kind of man.”

“Yeah.” Gallen couldn’t stop the smile crossing

his face. Aden fulfilled every one of his fantasies.

“I came to check on you, my love. I felt it when

your dad enchanted you, and I saw where they
put you in their garden.”

Gallen shrugged. “They took care of me.”
She smiled. “Yes, they did in their own weird

way. Though I have to wonder what they’ll do
with that casket now.”

“That is a good question.” Gallen laughed.
His mother squeezed Gallen’s shoulder. “I love

you, son.” She stood up. “You’ll do well. I’ll come
back and visit for the holidays.”

“But what if I need you before then?” Panic

raced through Gallen. “What if father comes after
me?”

“I wouldn’t be any use against him, anyway.

He’s always been stronger than me. You’ll have to
watch out for your mate, son. Theos isn’t going to
give up on you. He’ll find out about your mate
and use him against you.”

“I’m pretty hard to kill,” Aden’s deep voice

spoke behind him.

Amber Kell

Gallen turned to find Aden standing in the

living room with nothing but a pair of denims on.

“You must be Gallen’s mother.” Aden smiled,

not appearing the least uncomfortable to be
talking to the parent of the man he’d fucked not a
few minutes before.

“Please, call me Bell,” Bellion Theos said with a

sweet smile. She stood up and took Aden’s
proffered hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“I’m Aden.”
“I know. I did some research on you when I

found out you were my son’s mate. I’m happy to
report that I think if anyone non-magical can
protect him from his father, it’ll be you.”

“Thank you.” Aden gave a short bow. “I’ll do

my best.”

“Hey! I’m not completely useless,” Gallen

objected.

“Of course not, dear,” his mother agreed. She

exchanged a look with Aden before she kissed
Gallen on the cheek. “I put my number on both of
your phones, so you can call me if you need
anything. See you later, darlings.”

Most people would walk out the door with that

exit line, but Bellion Theos just vanished.

“That’s impressive,” Aden said, glancing

around as if expecting to see Gallen’s mother still
standing in the room.

To Kiss a Killer

Gallen shrugged. He’d seen her do that a

million times. He couldn’t teleport, but it wasn’t
that unusual of a skill. He walked over to Aden
and put his arms around his mate’s waist. “How
are you feeling?”

Aden rubbed his chest. “Like I was hit by a

truck. Trust me, I know how that feels.”

Gallen opened his mouth to ask how, but Aden

kissed him, and all questions floated away out of
his head. He couldn’t help it. His mate’s touch
took priority over all thoughts. Soaking in the
sensations of Aden’s lips on his, Gallen forgot to
ask anything. After several minutes, Aden lifted
his lips.

“Mmm.” Gallen melted against him. “You taste

good.”

Aden laughed. “I’m glad you think so.

Hungry?”

“Yeah, I could eat. What do you have?”
“Nothing. I need to restock the cupboards. How

do you feel about Thai food? The delivery guy can
be here in half an hour.”

“Love it. I’ll take some chicken satay and rice.”
“Got it.”
Gallen returned to the couch. He soaked in the

scenery as Aden’s voice rumbled in the
background as he ordered their food. He could get
used to this.

Amber Kell

After a few minutes, Aden dropped onto the

couch beside him. “Did you know your mother
put her name down as Mother-in-Law on my
phone?”

“No. I didn’t see her add it. She used magic.”
“Ah. I guess I’ll have to get used to that.”
Gallen snorted. “Since you raised an odd

collection of shifters, I doubt a little magic is going
to throw you.”

“Just another thing to get used to. Did you get

back into school?”

They spent the next few minutes discussing

Gallen’s school issues, his missing father, and
Aden’s retirement. Gallen enjoyed their chat. As
much as he wanted to pull Aden back into the
bedroom and get that orgasm denied to him
earlier, he knew they needed to build a
relationship outside of mattress time.

Aden’s phone rang.
He saw his mate check the screen. “Excuse me

for a minute.”

* * * *

Aden stepped out onto the balcony and shut the
door behind him. “Hello.”

“Aden, this is Scott Pressons.”

To Kiss a Killer

“Sir.” The leader of one of the agencies Aden

had done work for in the past rarely called him.
All of Aden’s instincts went on alert.

“I’m calling because I got a complaint about

illegal magic use on a civilian.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Aden

had a sinking sensation he knew.

The captain’s next few words had him certain.

“The Holvers are claiming you wiped Ren’s mind.
He’s currently in a rehab center trying to regain
his memory. They said the last time they heard
from him, he was coming after you.”

“As I don’t have any magic, I’m not sure how

I’m supposed to have done that,” Aden said
mildly. “Not to mention, they admitted to sending
a killer after me.”

“Maybe your new mate had something to do

with it?”

Aden growled. “Are you having me watched,

captain? Because I’m almost certain you don’t
want to go there.”

“Watch your back, Aden. More than one group

wants your head over their mantle. The Holvers
have a lot of friends who enjoy killing people.
They might come after you and yours. If they can
prove your boy used that spell, you might have a
lawsuit on your hands.”

There was a long pause, and Aden waited. It

didn’t take long before his patience was rewarded.

Amber Kell

“If you were to do one last task for me, I’m sure

I can make this all go away.”

Aden had a suspicion he didn’t like. No one

had taken his retirement well, but Pressons had
been particularly upset. Aden knew the man
didn’t want Aden leaving the agency, because he
was one of their best shooters.

“If I find out you had anything to do with the

Holvers finding out about Gallen, you better hope
your security system is on at night.” Aden
disconnected as rage coursed through him. He’d
take care of Pressons. He couldn’t let the guy
threaten his family. Gallen was his, and he’d use
the same tactics he used to protect his boys.
Everything he had.

He leaned against the balcony and watched the

waves. The sound soothed him. One of the reasons
he’d bought the condo was for the sound and
smell of the salty water. His past was starting to
catch up with him. Aden’s stomach sank. He
should’ve known he couldn’t have a man of his
own. The smart thing would be to let Gallen go.
He rubbed his chest.

“It’s too late. You can’t get rid of me now.”

Gallen walked out onto the patio to join Aden.

“Listened in, did you?”
“Yep.”
Aden turned to face his mate. He’d never been

one to run from things. At least, not unless

To Kiss a Killer

grenades were involved. “The Holvers have
discovered Ren’s memory gap.”

“Ah. Does that mean we need to watch our

backs?”

“I always watch my back.” Aden hadn’t slept

deeply in decades. Always vigilant, he’d caught
more than one assassin trying to finish him off.
He’d been an idiot to think he’d be able to
completely

retire

and

everyone

would

conveniently forget him. “My old boss thinks they
might come after me.”

Gallen shrugged. “If they do, we’ll take care of

them.”

Aden smiled. His mate was of the same mind as

him. Together, they could eliminate any threat.

“What’s that?” Gallen pointed at the window

behind Aden.

Aden spun around and watched as a blue water

dragon splashed into the sound. “What the hell?”

“There aren’t any dragons in Seattle,” Gallen

said.

“Well, there’s apparently at least one,” Aden

countered. They couldn’t deny the huge beast had
just jumped into the water. Aden scoured the sky
but didn’t see any more.

“Is that like the one you saw on your mission?”
Aden shook his head. “No, I think that one was

a fire dragon.”

“Damn, I wish I had my wet suit.”

Amber Kell

100

“No way are you going to go diving in the

water with that thing there,” Aden said firmly.

“But sorcerers and dragons have always gotten

along,” Gallen protested.

Aden folded his arms. “And that doesn’t make

you worry just a bit? Your daddy might be behind
this recent spate of dragons. If the humans start
seeing those beasts everywhere, there will be hell
to pay.”

Gallen bit his lip. “Maybe if I could talk to one

of them.”

“Or maybe you could stay out of it.” Visions of

Gallen being eaten by a large dragon had Aden’s
stomach in a twist.

A loud sigh filled the air. “You can’t coddle

me,” Gallen said.

Aden gave a bark of laughter. “I don’t think

telling you to stay away from something that can
eat you with a few bites is exactly wrapping you
in cotton.”

The sky darkened, and crackles of lightning

filled the air.

“Father,” Gallen said.
“What?”
“My dad. The weather is caused by him.”

Gallen said, conviction ringing in his voice.

“Do you think he’s after you?”

To Kiss a Killer

101

Gallen nodded. “Let’s go down to the beach.

He’s bound to meet me there. It’s the sort of
dramatic showdown he’d enjoy.”

“I’m sort of surprised he waited this long.”

Aden confessed. The boys had told him about
Gallen’s father soon after they’d brought the
unconscious wizard to their house.

“Yeah, me, too. I hope the food doesn’t arrive

while we’re gone.”

The pair of them took the stairs down and

headed across the street to the beach. Aden
scanned the area, looking for any humans who
might be stupid enough to be walking the beach
during a lightning storm. Pleased there weren’t
any in sight, he followed his mate as he walked his
way across the sand to the group waiting on the
beach. They all wore dark robes, like a group of
sadistic cult members from a bad horror movie.
After getting closer, Aden wondered when his life
had gone from an action flick to a sword and
sorcerer knock-off.

“Greetings, son.” Theos’ gaze swept over Aden.

“I see we meet again. I thought there was
something about you.”

Aden sneered at Theos. “Huh, I just thought

you were a scumbag.”

A bolt of lightning burst from one of the

sorcerers and slammed into Aden. It crackled
around him, but didn’t touch his skin.

Amber Kell

102

Aden yawned.
“You mated with him,” Theos said. “I thought

he’d just be a passing fancy. I didn’t think you’d
actually mate with this human.”

The sorcerer said human as if he were

something distasteful, like dog crap.

“Nice to see you again, daddy-in-law,” Aden

said. He knew he shouldn’t provoke the man, but
it was too much temptation to resist.

“I should’ve killed you when I had the chance.”
Aden snorted. “Like I haven’t heard that

before.”

“If you come back with me, I’ll let your mate

live,” Theos promised.

“Why would I go back to you? You trapped me

in my body,” Gallen shouted.

“I helped you find your mate.”
Aden stayed silent to wait and see what they’d

do next.

The sound of a bullet hitting the sand beside

him had Aden grabbing Gallen and tossing him to
the ground. He scanned the area and didn’t see
their shooter. They were sitting ducks on the
beach. The buildings across the street held perfect
cover, while the sand hid nothing.

“I should’ve brought my rifle,” Aden

murmured.

“You don’t need it.”

To Kiss a Killer

103

Gallen waved his hand, and a wave of water

poured out of the sound and turned into a sheet of
ice, protecting them from any dangers.

“Wow.” Aden had to revisit his lover’s

statement of being able to manipulate water. The
blockade sparkled in the dim sunlight.

“Nice, boy, but you forgot about me.” While

they’d been concentrating on bullets flying toward
them, they had taken their eyes off the sorcerer.

“Don’t be jealous,” Aden taunted. “You’ll get

some attention.”

Theos waved his hand, and the shooter flew off

the building across the street and landed with a
crash on the ground.

“Handy.” Aden couldn’t help feel a bit of envy

over that move. He’d never been jealous over
someone’s abilities before, but that would’ve been
a great skill during his last shootout.

“Thank you. Now, Gallen, join with me or die.”
“I think I saw this in a really bad movie once,”

Gallen commented.

Aden bit the inside of his cheek to hold back the

laughter. His right hand slid to the back of his
waistband where he hid his .45. He didn’t bring it
out yet. With this group, he needed it to be a
surprise. Any of those damn sorcerers could
disarm him with their spells.

Theos scowled. “There are worse things I can

do to you, son.”

Amber Kell

104

“You forget that I’m not that weak. You took

me by surprise before.”

“I knew you’d try to save that worthless eagle.

That’s why I shot it at him. You were always
foolishly sentimental, just like your mother.” The
disgust on Theos’ face had Aden clenching his
fingers around the gun butt. “And to think, I just
saved you from a killer!”

“You don’t want me, father. You just want my

magic.”

“Well, if you won’t join me, I will just take it

from you.” Theos raised his hands. Aden shot at
him.

Theos screamed. The other sorcerers crowded

around him in a protective shield. One of them
began an incantation. Aden’s bullet went through
his chest.

Gallen did something with his hands, and

shards of ice materialized like a freaky horror
movie before he unleashed them at the sorcerers.
Four of them dropped to the ground, dead from
the frozen darts of death.

Undaunted, Theos screamed, “I’ll kill you.”
“Go ahead and try, old man.” Aden barely

heard Gallen’s shout over the sudden roar. Water
spewed up at least twenty feet high, and the
silvery blue dragon they spotted earlier appeared.

Aden’s heart hammered in his chest. He didn’t

think his small gun could take out a dragon. He

To Kiss a Killer

105

gripped Gallen’s arm, ready to pull his lover out
of harm’s way.

The dragon lifted its head and focused on the

group on the beach. Without warning, the beast
began picking off sorcerers. When it was done,
only Theos stood on the beach alone.

White fire glowed from the sorcerer’s hands as

he faced the enormous beast. “You want to take
me?” he shouted.

The dragon spewed liquid from its mouth. Acid

sprayed across Theos, hissing as it dissolved his
clothing. Aden had never understood the phrase
blood-curdling screams until that moment. The blue
dragon continued to spit until there was nothing
left of the sorcerer but a bloody corpse. The entire
encounter lasted for minutes, but felt like years.

Aden didn’t know if he’d ever get the sound of

Theos’ cries from his memory.

When the dragon turned to them, Aden

stepped in front of Gallen.

The dragon gave a soft snort, then turned and

plunged back into the water.

“I’m sorry I doubted your dragon story at first,”

Gallen said.

Aden sighed. The stress of the day was catching

up with him. “Come on, love. Let’s go eat. I’m
starving.”

“That’s it? Aren’t you the least worried about

dragons?”

Amber Kell

106

Aden shook his head. “My plans for the

evening are eating, sex with my mate, and a nice
long sleep. We can worry about dragons
tomorrow. Tonight, let’s work on bonding.”

Gallen didn’t see a single problem with that

plan. Tomorrow was for worrying about crime
families and dragons. Tonight, they would
celebrate being together.

Stay tuned for the spin off series, Dragons of Seattle,

with more of Aden and Gallen and the rest of the

Bonded Brothers.

About the Author

Amber Kell lives in Seattle, WA with her husband,
two sons, three cats and one extremely stupid dog.
She loves to hear from her fans at
amberkellwrites@gmail.com

Document Outline

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
About the Author

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