Needing Noel

Amber Kell
Smashwords edition

Copyright 2015 by Amber Kell

This  Edition:  July  2015  

Cover design: Meredith Russell

Editors: Beany Sparks, Jason Bradley

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole
or in part, without express written permission. This book cannot be copied in any

format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload

to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee. Such action is illegal and in

violation of Copyright Law.

Contents

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Epilogue

My Man Declan (Sample)

Author

Dedication

To  my  Moon  Pack  fans.  Thank  you  for  being  so  patient.  

 
 

Chapter One

“What are you wearing to the ball?”

Waylen Sorn leaned against the buffet table ignoring Noel Thistleborn’s attempts

to set things to rights.

Noel flicked the corner of the tablecloth, determined to straighten out the

stubborn wrinkle. He didn’t turn to face his friend when he responded. There were too

many words he didn’t want to say, and Waylen knew him well enough to know when
he was hiding something.

“You could help me instead of getting in the way.”

Way snorted. “I’m a guard, not a party organizer. I’d only mess things up.

Besides, you hate it when anyone fusses with your plans.”

Noel wished he could argue, but his friend made a good point. Drunken

bacchanals were more civilized than Way’s parties and the promised dragon-mating
ball had to be perfect. Once King Kylen promised to help match the dragon shifters,

he’d put his reputation at risk. After the issues with the coronation ball, Kylen had
promised the dragons their own separate mating party. A poor showing would reflect

badly on the king. Noel had to make sure nothing went wrong. He took his position as
the king’s secretary seriously. He’d worked hard to earn the king’s trust, and he

wouldn’t let Kylen down.

Way cleared his throat. “Don’t think ignoring me will make me leave. I’m more

stubborn than you are. Now, what are you wearing?”

“Don’t you have guard duty right now?” Noel turned to face his friend. The

offensive wouldn’t last for long. Way didn’t give up easily.

Way shook his head. “Good try, but I’ve got an hour before my shift starts. You

can’t get rid of me that easily. What are you wearing? It’s not a complicated question.”

“Why, so we can wear matching outfits?” Noel raised his right eyebrow. “I’m.

Not. Going.” He enunciated each word in a sharp, precise tone so there could be no

mistake. For once, he wouldn’t let anyone change his mind. He didn’t need a mate.
He’d already lost one; to lose a second mate would be too much. His plans included a

bottle of wine and a secluded corner. If he hid well enough, the king would never know
he didn’t attend.

“You have to go.” Way moved to block Noel from adjusting the already perfectly

positioned silverware, putting his body between the table and the door. “Your second

mate might be there. Don’t you want to find him? I’d give anything to locate even one
of my mates.” Way’s wistful tone stabbed Noel with bittersweet memories.

Once, he’d been that optimistic soul, eager to find his life partners. Noel’s eyes

filled with tears over that bit of innocence lost, but he refused to let them fall. He’d cried
enough for sixty lifetimes.

“I just can’t go through that again, Way. I just can’t.” The pain he’d endured at

the death of Paryis had almost killed him. It would have destroyed him if Way hadn’t
found him before he bled out.

Despite the hardiness of the fae, slitting his wrists had almost worked. He

would’ve died if Way hadn’t found him and used his minimal healing skills to close up

Noel’s cuts. Some days, he still resented his friend for it. He’d really wanted to join
Paryis and their daughter Sansha in the afterlife. What did he have to live for?

“Fuck. I’m an unfeeling bastard.” Way wrapped his arms around Noel and

squeezed him tight. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

For once, Noel let his friend soothe him. Nothing would take away the hole in his

heart and even a second mate wouldn’t ease the pain. Nothing could. Some sorrows
didn’t fade away with time or distance. They festered and grew like an open wound

across his soul.

Noel pulled free of Way, then turned back to the linens. There were a million

details to organize for the party, and he couldn’t afford any slipups. King Kylen still

hadn’t quite forgiven Noel for saying Kylen could replace his wolf mate, Farro, with a
pair of fae. It had been a foolish statement and one he regretted, but he couldn’t take it

back. Hurtful words couldn’t be sucked back into the bottle like a genie once spoken.

“I’m not going to the party,” Noel repeated as he counted out the correct amount

of linens for the buffet. Searching for a second mate didn’t appeal to him in the slightest.

Maybe if he repeated it enough times he’d come to believe it as truth. Noel gave the
tablecloth a vicious twitch.

“How can you not go? If nothing else, you can get laid. You don’t have to seek

out a mate bond. Hot sex with a gorgeous dragon shifter can be good too. I hear shifters

are amazing lovers.”

Noel blushed. He made a shooing motion at Way, hoping his friend would take

the hint. “I’m fine. Go and enjoy the party. I’ll be too busy organizing it anyway.”

Noel closed his eyes and struggled to find his calm. Sex with a dragon shifter did

sound good. He missed another man’s touch. But giving himself to someone other than

his mate felt too much like a betrayal of his dead lover. Noel grabbed a napkin and
focused his energy on the wrinkles in the fabric instead of on Way.

“I’m sorry, Noel, but you have to attend the mating ball. I gave my word to the

dragons that anyone not bonded would attend,” King Kylen said.

Noel spun around. He hadn’t noticed Kylen entering during his conversation

with Way. The king pinned Noel with his powerful gaze. Even though Noel had been
friends with Kylen for years, he could still get Noel to spill all his secrets with one

pointed look. He stepped closer to Way as if one small step could hide him from the
king’s disapproval.

Damn.

He revised his evening plans. The dragons were powerful allies, and the king

needed all the support he could gather, especially since he’d recruited many of the

dragon shifters to be part of his new security force.

The light and dark fae hadn’t quite come together in beautiful harmony since

King Kylen’s rule. Too many years of animosity lay between the two factions to make

combining the two kingdoms a smooth process. Kylen needed the dragons as much as
they wanted the fae.

Noel twisted the napkin, strangling it into a crease-filled knot. “I-I don’t want a

mate.”

Kylen narrowed his eyes. “What do you have against mates?”
“I lost my mate many years ago. He died along with our daughter.”

“You never said anything.” The pained expression on Kylen’s face had Noel

rushing to explain.

“Because when I left the light fae kingdom and came here I was trying to leave it

all behind me." Talking about his loss made it more real somehow. Even discussing

their death years later stabbed tiny arrows of agony into Noel’s heart.

Kylen examined him with sad eyes. “When I left Farro, it tore me apart, and I

knew he was safe and sound at home. I can’t imagine what you went through over the

death of your family. However, I did promise the dragons every unmatched fae would
be there. I don’t care how long you stay, but you need to show up even if it’s only to

have one drink then leave.”

Noel rubbed the spot over his heart. “I don’t think I can survive that kind of loss

again,” he choked out.

Way wrapped a sympathetic arm around him. Despite brushing his friend away

earlier, Noel sank into Way’s embrace. There were few people he considered close

enough to show his vulnerability to.

King Kylen sighed. “Did you ever consider that if you didn’t have another mate

you wouldn’t have survived the death of your first one?”

Noel shivered at Kylen’s words. Why hadn’t that idea ever occurred to him?

He’d always been too focused on the mate he lost instead of the mate he might meet one

day. “I’ll come. I can’t promise anything, though.”

“Fair enough.” Kylen squeezed Noel’s shoulder on his way out of the room. The

king had a packed schedule for the rest of the day. Noel should know, he set it. A tear
dripped down Noel’s face. He wiped away the moisture with the napkin in his hand,
then stuffed it into his pocket.

“We’ll get you through this and into a hot dragon shifter’s arms.” Way squeezed

Noel before releasing him.

“Thanks, Way. I’ll be fine.” He’d get through this one night, then go lick his

wounds.

“I’ll see you later. Send for me if you need wardrobe advice.” Way laughed on

his way out the door.

Brutally shoving his memories back into the box they belonged in, Noel returned

to counting silverware. He could’ve handed the job over to one of the many palace

workers, but today he needed a mindless task to calm his nerves. Maybe it wouldn’t be
too bad. He definitely wasn’t as flashy as some of his fellow fae. The dragons might not

even notice his presence.

He could only hope.

Chapter Two

Hartmut smoothed the fabric over his broad chest. “I should’ve gone with the

red one,” he muttered. He turned his body left, then right, but he couldn’t stop
frowning over his color choice. The blue suit had gold threads, but lacked the flare of

the red fabric he’d first eyed at the tailor’s shop. He didn’t wear fabric often, since like
all dragons, he could convert his scales to leather clothing, but the possibility of meeting

his mate had led to a wardrobe crisis. The king had offered up his tailor to any dragon
who wanted a new suit. Hart eyed his reflection critically, convinced he’d made the
wrong choice.

Rhaegar spoke from where he leaned against the wall. “You look fine. If you

even think about changing your suit again, I’m going to drag you out of here, and I

don’t care if you’re naked or not.”

“That will certainly catch the attention of a potential mate.” Leif, a raven shifter

and one of Rhaegar’s mates, grinned at Hart. His amused gaze meeting Hart’s in the

mirror.

Hart snorted and a cloud of smoke spurted from his nostrils. He liked the

impertinent raven. The pretty man had a witty sense of humor and had actually
convinced his hard-nosed dragon mate to allow him to bring Leif’s kitten to live with

them in the caves.

Watching the dragon leader be bossed around by the fluffy beast had entertained

Hart more than once over the past few weeks. “I want to look good. What if I find my

mate tonight?”

Hope burned in his chest, an uncomfortable, twisting emotion he couldn’t

banish. He’d been fine alone until his closest friend Rhaegar found his mates. After
secretly longing for the dragon leader for years, he’d been surprised at how quickly
he’d adapted to the thought of Rhaegar having mates.

Blake, a wolf shifter and Rhaegar’s other mate, broke into the conversation.

“Maybe you’ll get more than one mate? Don’t fae always have two?”

“What about the king? He only has Farro.” Hart never understood why Kylen

only had a single mate.

Blake shrugged. “Maybe kings have different rules. I’ve never heard of a leader

having two mates. Why don’t you ask him tonight?”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” He let the sarcasm roll across his tongue. No way in hell

would he ask King Kylen anything. The king might appear to be an easygoing guy, but
Hart could see the power pulsing in the air around the royal. Rhaegar was the nearest

he’d ever planned to get to a man with power. Hart straightened his cuffs and ignored
his friends’ eye rolls.

“Well, if you’re done primping, we should go.” Rhaegar held out his hands for

his mates, and fingers entwined, the trio left the cave.

A pang of envy flashed through Hart. He longed for that same bonding with

another soul, but he doubted he could handle more than one mate. Rhaegar only fared
well because he let his little raven shifter arrange everything. For a big, powerful

dragon leader, Rhaegar was firmly wrapped around the paws and claws of his mates.

Hart eyed his blue-clad arm and gave one last wistful sigh over the red fabric

before hurrying after the trio. If he didn’t follow, Rhaegar would keep his word and
drag him to the party, dressed or not. The castle was a short walk from the dragon
caves, or an even shorter flight, but Hart didn’t want to get to the party in his usual

leather pants from transforming. He’d spent too long primping for this party to ruin it
by shifting.

Hart’s pace slowed a bit when they reached the castle gates. He couldn’t explain

his reluctance, but the closer he came, the more baby dragons swooped and swirled
around in his stomach until he thought he’d hurl. What if he did find his mate?

Everything would change.

“Come on, Hart. Don’t stall,” Leif said.

“I thought you wanted to find your mate.” Rhaegar scowled, impatient as usual

with anyone other than his mates.

“I do. But what if he’s not there?” What if Hart went to the party and didn’t find

anyone? That would be worse than rejection.

Blake grabbed Hart’s arm and pulled him forward. “Then you come to the Moon

Pack and we’ll find you a sexy wolf shifter.”

Hart laughed and gave Blake a mock leer. “I wouldn’t mind having a wolf.”
Leif shoved him away from Blake. “Get your own.”

Hart really liked Rhaegar’s mates.
The castle glowed from the thousands of lights the fae had lit to welcome the

partygoers. Hart’s gaze swung wildly left then right, trying not to miss all the beautiful

men and women walking down the hall. If he blinked, he might skip over his mate. The
problem with fae: they were all gorgeous. How could anyone pick out one model-like

beauty from the crowd? They were almost clones of perfection.

“Too bad there aren’t any ravens. A fellow flyer would’ve been a good match,”

Leif commented, scanning the crowd.

Hart wouldn’t mind a flying companion, but somehow he knew one of the fae

was meant be his. Damn, he really didn’t want a ménage. Watching someone else touch

his mate would destroy him. He knew himself well enough to know he couldn’t share.

“Why are you three here anyway?” It just occurred to him that his friends didn’t

need to attend this event. They certainly weren’t looking for a fourth. Leif would gut
any interloper with his talons.

“Leif said we needed to be here for moral support, and Blake insisted on going

dancing.” Rhaegar glared at his mates, who responded to his grumbles with wide grins.

“I didn’t know you danced.” Was Rhaegar flexible enough to dance? The

powerful dragon shifter lacked the delicate sleekness of his mates. Hart would have to
pay close attention. He could get teasing fodder for years.

“I don’t.” Rhaegar didn’t elaborate on his statement.

Hart entered the ballroom and stumbled, almost tripping over Blake who walked

ahead of him.

Rhaegar growled. “Careful.” He swept Blake out of Hart’s way and into his

protective hold.

“Sorry, Blake.” Hart offered an apologetic smile to his friend. The dragon leader

had an almost pathological concern for his mates. Considering they were pretty badass

on their own, Hart thought Rhaegar overdid his protective stance, but maybe he’d
change his mind once he found a mate of his own.

“Excuse me.” A soft voice spoke behind him.
Hart turned to find a small fae holding a platter of food. He stepped to one side

as the gorgeous man slipped past him. “Sorry.”

A delicious scent followed the fae. Hart sniffed again. The smell of rich earth and

flowers filled Hart’s nose.

Mine! Hart’s inner dragon growled a warning to others who thought to touch

their fae.

“The food does smell great, doesn’t it?” Blake's eyes lit up as he scanned the long

line of buffet tables.

“Yes, it does. I’ll catch up with you later.” The food didn’t smell half as good as

the man carrying it. Hart followed the small fae. Well, maybe for a fae, he wasn’t tiny,
but next to a dragon shifter, he barely reached Hart’s shoulder. He bet the gorgeous

server would look good snuggled in Hart’s arms or under his body as he fucked him
into the pile of pillows Hart used as his bed.

He watched the delicious smelling man reorganize the table for a few minutes

before daring to approach. “Hello again.”

The fae glanced up quickly through his lashes before looking back down. “Hello.

Go ahead and help yourself. There’s plenty. The dancing will begin in a few minutes.”

The fae tried to walk on. Hart stepped into his path. “The food isn’t what I’m

interested in. What’s your name, gorgeous?”

Fear flashed across the man’s face. He took a step backward. “I’m Noel.”
“Hello, Noel. I’m Hartmut, but my friends call me Hart. Can I help you with

anything?”

“No.” Noel shook his head. “I’m fine. If you’ll just excuse me.”

Hart stepped aside. He didn’t want to intimidate the beautiful man. If Hart’s

instincts were right, the timid server was his mate. He had plenty of time to try and lure

the delicate fae to his side.

As soon as Noel vanished from view, Hart sought out Rhaegar. The dragon

leader had spent more time at the fae castle than Hart. “Do you know anything about a
fae named Noel?”

“The king’s assistant?” Rhaegar asked.
“I don’t think so. He’s bringing in the food. Surely the king’s assistant wouldn’t

be hauling platters. I think he’s on the kitchen staff or something. I think he might be

my mate.”

Rhaegar narrowed his eyes at Hart as if seeking the truth from his soul. “Then I

don’t know him. The only Noel I know is the king’s right-hand man. Why don’t you go
ask King Kylen? He should know the names of people in his territory.”

“Maybe.” His dragon preferred to do his own footwork. Going to the king and

having all his answers handed to him took away some of the allure of the hunt. Asking
a buddy didn’t count, but a formal request to the king seemed like cheating.

Hart scanned the room, but no one else caught his inner beast’s attention. His

dragon insisted Noel be the only one they hunted. Leaning against the wall, Hart

waited to see if the beautiful fae would return. If fate had meant for them to be partners,
she would bring Noel back into Hart’s orbit again.

Five minutes passed, then ten, Hart almost started interrogating the staff when

he finally spotted Noel. He stood in the middle of the room ordering the servants about.
Noel’s commanding manner indicated he must do this sort of thing often. Damn, Hart

didn’t want to be that close to fae royalty. Perhaps he was a different Noel.

Hart inhaled deeply. His cock hardened and his heart thumped a rapid rhythm

he couldn’t even out. He walked over to Noel and stood behind him, waiting to be

noticed.

Sensing him, Noel spun around. “Back off, dragon.”

“Why? You could be my mate.” His inner dragon growled at the bit of doubt

even if they couldn’t know for certain.

“How can dragons tell?” Noel asked. The fae kept a careful distance between

them.

Hart stepped close enough to crowd Noel against the table. “In order to be

certain, dragons have sex.” He slid his nose against Noel’s neck, savoring his scent. He

allowed a bit of heated breath to pour across Noel’s exposed nape.

Noel sighed, a slow satisfied sound. Hart’s cock perked up at the noise. Unable

and unwilling to resist temptation, Hart lapped at the pulse point on Noel’s throat, then
gave it a little nip. An explosion of flavor slid across his tongue. More. He needed more,
to devour, to taste, to take and mark the man beneath him as his own.

Mine. His inner dragon growled low.
“Oh my.” Noel cleared his throat. He placed his hands on Hart’s chest.

It took Hart a moment to realize Noel was trying to push him away. He stepped

back. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want a mate.”

Pain surged through Hart until he couldn’t breathe. He’d thought he’d found his

other half, only to be rejected. The beast inside him growled out his discontent. He

stepped back, ready to walk away.

Noel followed Hart’s motion, rubbing a hand over Hart’s chest as if he could

sense his sorrow. “Don’t take this the wrong way. I’m sure you’re a fine dragon, but I
already lost one mate. I don’t think I can survive another one dying.”

“Dragons aren’t easy to kill.” Hart frowned at the slur against dragonkin.

“Do dragons get two mates?” Noel stepped away from Hart. He straightened his

shirt, then brushed away a piece of lint, giving the action far more attention than

necessary.

“Not always. We’re not like the fae. Some of us only have one mate.” Hart took

Noel’s hand and pulled him off to the side and away from the crowd.

“So I could be the only one? Your only chance at a mate?” Noel’s appalled

expression tugged at Hart’s emotions.

“Yes.” Hart released his hold on Noel. “I don’t want to pressure you, but I’d

appreciate it if you’d give me a chance. Come have dinner with me and we can talk. It

may turn out we aren’t mates after all.” He didn’t believe that for one second.

“I-I don’t know.” Noel’s broken expression almost had Hart leaving.

“Please.” Hart might be known for his pride, but he’d drop to his knees in the

middle of the party if it convinced Noel to give him a chance.

Noel slid his glance to the left, then away, anywhere but at Hart.
Hart cupped Noel’s cheek and tilted his head up until their eyes met. “Please.”
A second later, Noel nodded. “Okay. I’ll cook you dinner and we can talk.”

“Really?” He didn’t think Noel would’ve agreed so easily.
“Yes.” Noel’s less than enthusiastic reply dimmed Hart’s determination.

“I won’t force anyone to be my mate.” His dragon clawed him up inside and

growled its protest, but Hart couldn’t make Noel want him. It would kill Hart to push
Noel into a relationship he might not be ready for, might never be able to accept.

Noel licked his lips before speaking again, a distracting motion. “No. I really

would like to get to know you. I just didn’t expect to meet my other mate, and I-I like to

cook. I’ll fix you dinner tomorrow if you want.”

Damn, he’s adorable.

Hart didn’t think his fae mate could’ve become cuter, but this nervous stuttering

beauty had his dragon purring. “I’d love that. I’m afraid I’m more of an eater than a
chef.” Hart’s cooking skills were minimal at best. He specialized in char-roasting by

flame.

Noel’s hesitant smile tugged at his heart. “Okay then. I’ll meet you in front of the

castle tomorrow night at seven. My suite is kind of hard to find, and I don’t want you
getting lost.”

Now that he had smelled Noel, the fae couldn’t hide from Hart anywhere in the

world. Dragons could track down anyone once they had their scent. He kept that
knowledge to himself. Noel’s wild expression didn’t encourage Hart to share his super

stalker power.

“I’ll see you then. I look forward to getting to know you better.” If nothing else,

he would have a nice meal with a gorgeous fae. If Noel decided to reject him, Hart

could at least take one good memory with him.

Hart bid Noel good night. His emotions raged back and forth over the

separation, but if he stayed much longer, he wouldn’t have been able to say goodbye.
Still, he wished Noel wanted a mate instead of him just humoring Hart. Heart heavy, he

headed to the courtyard. The comfort of his cave called to him. Gemstones and gold
never let a dragon down. Would he ever be able to bond with his fated match, or would
Noel’s past experiences prevent him from committing?

“Hart!” Rhaegar’s voice followed him down the hall, but he didn’t turn around.

He lacked the energy to deal with his friend or Rhaegar’s happy mates. How did the

fates give one dragon two mates and another dragon one mate who didn’t really want
him? He didn’t blame Rhaegar. Envy was an ugly emotion he tried to keep to himself.

He waved good-bye over his shoulder, but he didn’t stop. Rhaegar would hunt

him down later for a one-on-one talk. Right then, he couldn’t handle hashing it all out.

“I should’ve worn the red suit.” He didn’t bother to strip before he jumped into

the air, shredding his outfit as he transformed. He never wanted to wear those clothes
again. Finding his mate should’ve been a happy event, not one filled with anxiety and

sadness. Maybe he should just send Noel his regards and stay away. Noel didn’t really
want him. Hart had been alone for centuries. Why should anything change?

A scream left his throat as he flew off. He’d snuggle up to his hoard of gold and

find solace in his treasure. Maybe by tomorrow, he could face the day without the bitter
taste of sorrow and regret.

Chapter Three

Noel watched Hart walk away. His heart twisted into knots, a sensation he had

hoped the solid organ would never experience again. He hadn’t meant to hurt Hart’s
feelings. The huge man had had a gentle vulnerability in his expression when he put

out the idea of them being mates, like offering Noel a priceless gift and expecting it to
be returned with torn paper and ragged ribbons.

What person didn’t want a fate-chosen mate? Noel could still remember the

bubbly, giddy excitement of meeting Paryis the first time. Noel had taken what
should’ve been a joyful once in a lifetime experience away from Hart and spoiled it.

Noel rubbed his stomach; it threatened to toss up the little food he’d managed to

choke down earlier. Queasy and anxious, he didn’t know how long he stood there

before Kylen interrupted his inner dialogue.

“You all right, Noel?” Kylen came up beside him, his gaze searching. What did

the king see when he looked into Noel’s eyes? Noel sometimes wondered if Kylen had

more powers than he let anyone know.

“Yes, why?” He tried to focus on the king instead of pining for his mate in an

unseemly fashion. Hart would return tomorrow; he hadn’t lost him yet.

“You look like you lost your favorite toy.” Farro wrapped an arm around the

king, the motion easy and natural like two puzzle pieces linking together. They fit. Once
upon a time, his mate Paryis had done the same with him.

“I met my other mate,” he mumbled. Speaking the words took effort as if his

mouth rebelled at forming the sentence. Hart should’ve been there for the
announcement. He would’ve if Noel hadn’t been an idiot.

“That’s great!” Farro slapped him on the back. His gaze darted from Kylen to

Noel. “Isn’t it?”

“I lost my first mate years ago in a fire.” Noel forced the words past his lips,

painful vowels and consonants scraped across his tongue like shards of broken glass.

“I’m sorry.” Farro left Kylen to wrap his arm around Noel in a sideways hug.
Noel almost jerked back until he realized it was the wolf shifter’s way of offering

sympathy and solace for Noel’s pain. He relaxed into Farro’s heat, absorbing the
comfort he’d long denied himself. Tears fell unbidden down his cheeks until he ended

up sobbing against Farro’s shoulder.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” Farro whispered, rocking Noel gently side to side.

“Must you cuddle my kinsman?” Kylen’s dry tone pulled Noel out of his grief.
“Yes, I must.” Farro squeezed Noel tighter as if to emphasize his point.
Noel laughed through his tears, then gently disengaged himself from the king’s

mate. “Thank you, Farro, I appreciate your care.”

Kylen snorted. “Any more care and I’ll have to throw you out the window,

secretary or not.”

Noel wiped his eyes with the palms of his hands. “Your mate is very kind.”
“You need to talk to the man you think is yours.” Kylen’s hard tone didn’t allow

for any wiggle room. “Denying your mate can backfire. The fates don’t like to be
thwarted.”

Noel shivered in the warm ballroom. “I don’t know if I can bond again. If I lost

another mate… the first time almost broke me.”

Kylen gripped Noel’s shoulder. “But it didn’t. You are one of the strongest men I

know. You deserve happiness and so does your mate. Who is it?”

“Hart.” Big, gorgeous dragon-shifter Hart with his kind eyes, stunning smile,

and the biggest damn shoulders Noel had ever seen.

“Hartmut is best friends with the dragon leader Rhaegar. I’ve met Hart a few

times, and he seemed like a nice enough dragon. Would you like a few days off to get to
know him? Maybe if you spent some time together, a relationship wouldn’t seem so
scary.”

Noel bit his thumbnail and contemplated going to hide under his covers again.

He might be a bit old for tent forts, but a good old-fashioned cowering under the

blankets worked for him.

“I told him I’d have dinner with him tomorrow.”

Farro nudged him with his shoulder. “That’s a start. There’s nothing wrong with

taking things a little slow.”

“Thank you for your support.” When Farro and Kylen first got together, Noel

had no idea what a great asset Farro would be to the king. The wolf shifter appeared to

have all the compassion his more practical mate sometimes lacked.

Farro grinned. “I’m going to go talk to Rhaegar. We haven’t chatted for a while,

and Blake always has the latest gossip.”

Kylen watched Farro until the wolf shifter faded into the crowd before he spoke

again. “That’s my mate’s way of giving us a few minutes alone. Is there anything I can

do to help the situation?”

“No. I’m tempted to run away and hide, but that wouldn’t be fair to Hart. I’m

going to make him dinner tomorrow night.” Maybe he didn’t deserve a second chance
since he couldn’t protect his loved ones last time. That didn’t mean he’d abandon his
second mate.

The concept of mating again slowly sank into Noel’s mind. Life was full of loss.

Hiding in his room wouldn’t make the pain any less if Hart were killed tomorrow. At

least he’d never lose Hart to a fire. Hart’s dragon scales would protect him.

“Take it slow and let me know if there’s anything I can do. I’ll leave you to it

then.” Kylen patted Noel’s shoulder before heading in the direction his mate went. The
king could never be apart from Farro for long. Noel had heard it made for some
interesting council meetings since Farro had no problem sharing his views on fae

politics.

“I heard you broke my friend’s heart.” A hard, rumbling voice behind him struck

ice into Noel’s soul.

He reluctantly turned around to meet the dragon leader’s furious gaze. The sight

of Rhaegar’s mates flanking him on either side took away a bit of Noel’s fear. The raven

and wolf shifters kept a good leash on their larger, more volatile mate.

“Greetings, gentlemen.” He offered a short bow of appeasement.

“If you hurt Hart, I’ll break you.” Smoke swirled out of Rhaegar’s left nostril.

“Don’t be so grumpy, love. You don’t know the whole story.” Leif wrapped a

hand around the dragon shifter’s arm. Rhaegar’s hard expression melted as he glanced

down at his mate.

“Hart is hurting,” Rhaegar protested. “He talked to Noel last. It’s not difficult to

put the facts together.”

“Sometimes, the path to mating doesn’t run smoothly. Don’t rush to intercede

when it really isn’t your business.” Leif poked a finger at the dragon shifter’s chest. The
size difference between the men should’ve made Leif leery of Rhaegar’s reaction, but
the raven shifter appeared to have no fear of his mate.

“Why don’t we just take Noel with us until he promises to work things out?”

Rhaegar stepped forward but was pulled back by his mates.

“Because that’s called kidnapping.” Blake ran a soothing hand up and down

Rhaegar’s arm. “They need to deal with this together. Without our interference.”

Wow. He didn’t know almost-feral dragons could pout.

“I offered to cook him dinner tomorrow.” How many people would he have to

tell his plans before he could escape and go hide in his rooms? Now that he’d met his

mate, he could leave the party. The staff had everything well in hand, and at this point,
Noel wouldn’t care if they spoiled all the food and poisoned the partygoers. He’d had

enough.

“Be careful with him, Noel. Hart might be a tough dragon, but he has a soft

heart. Have a good night. I’m taking my mates home.” Rhaegar turned to walk away.

Noel saw Farro intercept the trio before they walked too far. He didn’t bother to

hide his eavesdropping. “You guys don’t want to stay for a while?”

Blake grinned. “We just came to give Hart emotional support.”
That was sweet of the dragon leader. He wouldn’t have thought it of Rhaegar.

Maybe he shouldn’t judge people before he really knew them.

“It was Leif’s idea.” Blake pointed to the raven shifter.
Farro smiled. “That was nice of him.”

The sly grin Leif sent Noel didn’t reassure him of the raven shifter’s intentions.

“You have a good night,” Leif wrapped an arm around Blake’s waist, then they

followed Rhaegar out.

Noel fought the urge to chase after them. There was a glow about the happy trio

that invited others to come and share in their joy. For a fierce single moment, the hot

knife of envy stabbed at him. He wanted that again.

“Too bad you let your mate die, or that could’ve been you running off with your

lover.” The words uttered in that familiar, hateful tone turned Noel’s stomach contents
into a sickly sludge.

He turned around. “Hello, Voghr, what brings you here?”

Ten years had passed since he’d last seen his brother-in-law. Once his mate and

daughter died, Noel had left the light fae kingdom and never looked back. They’d hated

his mating with one of their kind, and his in-laws had never let him forget what they
considered his genetic flaws. Why would he stay there and take that abuse if he
couldn’t be with his mate?

“I can’t ignore an edict from our illustrious king.” Sarcasm lived like a vibrating

force in Voghr’s tone.

“I see.” He didn’t really. Voghr would’ve ignored Kylen if it suited him.
Voghr stepped closer. Too close. Noel stepped back, instinctively putting space

between him and the man who had caused disharmony throughout his entire mating
life. Paryis had never appeared to notice his brother’s sneaky ways, instead preferring
to believe the best of his sibling. Noel had fought more than once over Paryis’s stubborn

determination to only believe the best about Voghr.

“I also wanted to see you.” Voghr’s creepy smile did nothing to ease Noel’s

worry.

“Why?”
“To see how you’re doing. You were always as sneaky as a rat. I could never

figure out how you survived that fire.”

“Neither could I.” Memories of heat and flame, then blackness threatened to take

him over. Even then, he carried a small scar on the back of his neck where something
had hit him while aflame.

“Too bad it hadn’t been you who died instead of Paryis. I lost my brother that

day. My only family.”

“Brother and niece.” Noel corrected. Voghr had never acknowledged their

daughter while she lived. Noel refused to let him get away with it now.

“Hmm.” Voghr smirked. His eyes held that familiar taunting expression. Noel

wished he carried a knife.

“What do you mean hmm? Sansha had your brother’s blood coursing through

her veins. How can you deny her?” Noel clenched his fists. Just one punch.

“Who’s denying anything?” Voghr glanced around before speaking again,

apparently satisfied with the proximity of the others from them. “I need a spy in the
king’s court, and you’re going to be mine.”

Noel laughed, a harsh sound with no mirth. “Why would I help you do

anything?” He wouldn’t trip a troll if it were attacking Voghr.

“Because I have something you want.” Voghr ran a finger across the bow on his

lapel. Before Noel could respond, Voghr vanished.

Noel stood, frozen. That ribbon. He’d braided it into Sansha’s hair the night of

the fire. He’d had it custom-made by a weaver friend.

“Get back here!” Noel shouted. Voghr couldn’t have opened a portal in the

castle, not with the king’s safeguards. He must’ve used his magic to slip through the
crowd.

Was Sansha still alive?

Chapter Four

By the next night, Noel still had no answers. He had kept in touch with the few

light fae who had moved to the dark kingdom after Kylen took over. None of them
claimed to know anything about Sansha. Instead, they’d glanced at him with pity and

not a little worry as if his madness might be contagious. If she still lived, why would
Voghr try and use her as a bargaining chip now? Why not earlier? What had changed?

Noel paced back and forth while he waited for Hart, unable to stay still while his

mind spun with possibilities. At this rate, the flagstones would be worn down before he
ate dinner. He glanced at the clock. Ten minutes past the hour. Maybe Hart had

forgotten? As soon as he had the thought, he knew he was wrong. Hart wanted him and
dragons weren’t known for giving up anything they treasured.

An enormous gold dragon glided to the ground before slamming into the earth.

Watching Hart’s entrance, Noel snapped his mouth shut in order to swallow the drool
when the golden beast transformed into a man dressed in buttery yellow leather pants

and a vest made of golden scales. Damn, Hart impressed in either form.

“Nice landing.” Even concerned over his daughter, the sight of the virile dragon

shifter cheered him.

Hart grinned. “It just takes a little practice.”

Noel suspected it took more than a little, but he wouldn’t argue semantics. He’d

never been able to transform into another being.

“How are you this evening?” He winced at his stilted tone, but he fell back into

habitual formality when he didn’t know what to say. He’d never been a social butterfly,
and his awkwardness hadn’t faded with time. Paryis had understood. Maybe Hart

would too.

Hart stepped forward as if to touch Noel, but stopped a few feet before him. “It’s

nice to see you again. Thank you for inviting me.”

“You’re welcome. Come with me and I’ll show you around.” Damn, he needed

to relax. If he kept this up, Hart would think Noel had already written him off. Nerves.

It was all nerves.

They walked down the hall in silence. Noel nodded to people as they passed,

ignoring the wide eyes and sly grins of those in the know. Rumors spread through the
castle like a contagion infecting everyone in its path with imperfect germs of

knowledge. By then everyone would’ve heard Noel and Hart were mates even though
Hart wouldn’t know for certain until they had sex.

Hart glanced around, his interested gaze examining everything.

“If we mate, I’ll come live with you,” Noel blurted out. He’d thought over the

logistics all day, and he couldn’t see any other possibility. A dragon wouldn’t thrive in

a castle environment unless it backed up against a mountain.

“Really?” Hart’s surprise pushed Noel to explain.
“Yes, I’ve heard it’s hard for dragons to live without their hoard. I wouldn’t do

that to you. If we’re going to be mates, we should try to make sure we’re both
comfortable. Besides, I’ve never really enjoyed castle life.” Although he’d always lived

in one, he’d never liked the pomp and ceremony or the royals who considered
themselves better than the rest. Kylen might be the exception, but he was in the

minority.

Hart stopped in the middle of the hall. “You do want to be my mate, don’t you? I

wasn’t sure. You’ve suffered so much already.”

The compassion in Hart’s eyes had Noel nodding along to his words. Damn, the

fates had been kind to him the second time around. His reluctance before shamed him.

How could he have almost turned down such a great guy?

“Yes.” Damn if he didn’t almost choke on the words. “I do. I might need a bit of

patience. I never thought I’d find my second mate.”

There. That sounded reasonable. He might have had ten years to get over his

mate and daughter’s deaths, but somehow in his nightmares of flames and singed

wood, it still felt like yesterday.

He’d had a lot to think about last night. His daughter, his new mate, and what he

wanted out of life. Paryis, with his deep dimples and playful blue eyes, would’ve

wanted Noel to be happy.

Before he could say another word, Hart pressed Noel against the wall, ignoring

everyone else. “Good. I couldn’t think of anything except you last night. I’m willing to
give you as much time as you want or need as long as you’re mine in the end.”

The beast inside the man shone out of Hart’s eyes. Bits of gold specs glowed in

his irises, like molten fire.

“I can only promise to try.” Hart deserved more.

“And you won’t let anyone else in your bed,” Hart pushed.
Noel shook his head. “I haven’t had anyone join me there in ten years. I doubt I’ll

give in to temptation now.”

“Good.” Hart kissed Noel.
Noel had expected Hart’s lips to be hard and dominating, instead Hart’s mouth

brushed his, soft and delicate like butterfly wings. The gentle embrace turned carnal as
Hart went from tasting Noel to devouring him.

Noel whimpered and pushed deeper into Hart’s arms. Someone cleared their

throat nearby and an embarrassed laugh yanked Noel out of the sexual haze Hart had

wrapped around him.

Hart grinned. “You taste like everything best in the world.”
“Oh.” No one had ever said that to him before. Greedy flames of lust licked up

his body. “Let’s go to my suite and away from our audience.”

A quick flickered glance took in the eager gazes watching their every move. Noel

had never shown interest in any of the palace occupants. Rumors of his frigidity had
been spread by a few of the men he’d turned down, and he’d never bothered to counter
them. Let them believe what they wanted. Now news of his make-out session with the

sexy dragon shifter would put those gossips to rest.

Noel couldn’t stop a sly smile from crossing his face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to rush you.” Hart pressed a kiss to Noel’s cheek and

motioned for Noel to lead the way.

Like before, Hart took Noel’s feelings into consideration. Tales of rough dragons

with rude behavior didn’t apply to Noel’s mate. Hart couldn’t be more considerate.

Before they made it to the room, Noel knew that once again he was going to take the
plunge and commit himself body and soul to another person. May the goddess watch

over him and keep his heart safe. The next time that tender organ shattered, Way
wouldn’t be around to stop him, he’d make certain. One mate death had broken him; a

second would finish the job.

“What are you thinking about?” Hart wrapped his arm around Noel, his hand

resting on Noel’s hip as if it belonged there.

Noel scooted a bit closer until they were almost entangled with each step. Hart’s

natural grace prevented them from tumbling to the floor, and his fingers guided Noel

with a strangely reassuring touch.

“Nothing important.” He wouldn’t share his suicidal thoughts with Hart. His

new mate didn’t need to know all of Noel’s issues quite yet. Tomorrow he’d try to

figure out how to get into the light fae kingdom without detection. He needed to spy
and see if there were any signs of his daughter. Was she alive, or was Voghr fucking

with Noel’s mind and fragile heart?

“If you don’t want to do this…” Hart had interpreted Noel’s silence as

reluctance.

Noel opened the door to his suite. “Come in, let’s talk.”
Hart’s soft groan made him smile. It had been too long since the zing of

attraction zipped through his body. Hart made him feel sexy and wanted once again.

Noel waited until he had Hart settled on the couch with a glass of dewberry

wine before he spoke again. “Food will be ready in about twenty minutes. I have some
wine ready on the sofa table.”

Nerves pinged through him as he led Hart to the sitting area. He laced his hands

together, uncertain what to do next.

“Come here.” Hart pulled Noel down to sit beside him. “We should get to know

each other.”

“What do you want to know?”

“You said your first mate died. What happened?”
Noel blinked back tears. “I guess you have the right to know. We were at our

summer house. There was a fire. I grabbed our daughter and ran for the front door. I
know Paryis was right behind me. I could hear him. Something hit me on the back of

the head, and I was knocked unconscious. I woke up and my entire world was over.”
His voice cracked in the end. He took a deep breath to settle his nerves.

“Paryis died in the fire?”
“Yes, along with our daughter. But yesterday, Paryis’s brother told me he

wanted me to spy on the king. He wore my daughter’s ribbon and hinted she might still

be alive.”

Hart leaned forward “Do you think she is?”

“I don’t know. I was told she had died in the fire along with Paryis. I saw her

bones… or at least I thought they were hers. Hart, I cried over their graves. If she’s still
alive, they lied to me!” He clenched his fists, his nails stabbing into his palms. The light

fae were a cold race, but he never thought them cruel enough to lie to a man about his
daughter’s death.

“Shh, babe, I’ve got you.” Hart set down his wine and pulled Noel into his arms.

“If they have your daughter, we’ll get her back.”

“You’d help me?”
“Of course.” Hart slid a hand down Noel’s head to his back, ending in slow

circles at the base of his spine. “We’re in this together.”

Noel melted against Hart’s touch.
“We just met. I don’t expect you to get involved.” Not even official mates and

Noel already trusted Hart’s quiet strength.

“I’d do anything for you.” Sincerity glowed in Hart’s eyes.
That single bald statement warmed Noel more than any number of flowery

promises of never-ending devotion.

“Thank you. I don’t know what else to say.”

“Thanks aren’t necessary between mates. How are we going to find out if she’s

alive? If they kept her from you for ten years, they aren’t going to just hand her over to

you now.”

Noel closed his eyes and tried to formulate a plan. His mind swirled with ideas

he thought of then discarded. “Tomorrow I’ll talk to King Kylen to see what he can find
out for me. Maybe he can talk to his contacts in the light fae court. Some of them are

loyal to the king.”

Too many of them weren’t.
“I know Kylen’s had problems since he’s taken over ruling both courts,” Hart

said.

“It’s difficult to be a dual king.” Noel didn’t want to reveal all the bad notes and

spell bombs he’d intercepted before they reached the king’s desk.

Hart nodded. “How did the fire start?”
“The one that killed my family?” It took a minute for Noel’s mind to go back to

their conversation.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t wish to. I understand if you don’t want to

talk about it.”

Tears filled his eyes. He brushed the wetness impatiently away. “An ex-lover of

Paryis’s went into a jealous rage at Sansha’s birth. She set up a fire spell to take
everything out with her. We were staying at our summer house in the forest when she
set the woods on fire. After I was knocked out, I woke up to Paryis screaming in my

head until he burned to death. They told me Sansha had died in the fire and I was lucky
to still be alive.”

Bitter memories from the worst moment of his life still tore him apart.
“Do you know who hit you?” Hart rubbed Noel’s leg, pulling him back from the

sharp razor edge of his horrible past.

Noel entwined his fingers with Hart’s, relishing the contact. “No. I never saw the

person, and no one believed me when I said I’d been hit. They all decided I’d

abandoned Paryis when the fire started and ran to save myself.”

“And your daughter?” Hart shook his head. “Did they think you’d abandon her

too? I’ve only known you a short time, but I can tell you’d never act that dishonorably.”

“Thank you, Hart.” It took extra effort to speak over the lump in his throat.

Memories of another mate who’d always had faith in him sent tears sliding down his

cheeks.

“Shh.” Hart pulled Noel into his arms. “I’m here now. We’ll figure this out.”

He’d had years of trying to sort out the facts. He doubted Hart could put

together the pieces. “After the fire, I couldn’t handle staying with the light fae anymore.
After their deaths, I came back home to the dark fae kingdom to escape the memories.

Although the king had gone mad, it was easier living with a psychotic ruler than among
an uncaring court. I kept my head down until Kylen took over, then I became his

secretary. I should’ve known if my daughter was alive. Why can’t I sense her?”

“Are you sure Paryis is really dead and not hiding out somewhere?” Hart asked.

“If they could block one, why not the other?”

“No, I told you I felt his death. I’m sorry you never got to meet him.” Maybe it

was for the best. Paryis never had anything good to say about shifters. He wouldn’t

have approved of Farro being the king’s mate in the least, much less having a dragon
shifter as their third. Noel had loved Paryis, but he hadn’t been blind to the man’s bad

points.

“Me too. But to be honest, I don’t know if I could’ve handled two mates.”
Relief had Noel drinking his wine a bit faster. It pleased him that Hart wouldn’t

be pining for the mate he never knew. Only one of them would suffer that loss.

“If the king can’t help, I will recruit some dragons to search for her.”

Visions of a battle between dragons and fae sent chills of dread down Noel’s

spine. “I’ll keep that in mind, but I’m certain Kylen will help if he can.” The urge to run
and talk to the king right then rode him hard, but he refused to ruin their nice meal and

the chance to get to know his mate. Noel would have to speak to him the next day. He’d
already put himself on the morning schedule.

The timer went off. “Come sit at the table. It’s time to pull out the fish.”

Hart stood, then cupped Noel’s cheek. “I’ll understand if you want us to go see

the king after dinner.”

Noel swallowed back the lump building in his throat. “Sit.”
Hart settled where Noel pointed without fuss while Noel quickly served up the

salmon with new potatoes and greens, giving Hart the larger portion. After filling up
two plates, Noel took his seat across from Hart.

“That looks great.” Hart admired the food. “I’m not much of a cook myself.”
“I like to cook, but I don’t get the chance often. I usually eat at the dining hall.”

Cooking for one depressed him. He could imagine making dinner every night for his

mate. Noel smiled.

“Same here, or I hunt.”

Noel shivered, he should’ve been turned off by that statement, but the idea of the

dragon shifter going primal and hunting his food appealed to Noel’s baser instincts.

“This was caught by the games keeper. I paid him to bring me an extra fish.”

“Thank you for thinking of it.” Hart’s smile warmed Noel.
It had been too long since he’d had someone appreciate his cooking. They

chatted on things of no importance. Getting to know one another outside of being
mates. Words were meaningless, the hunger floating between them everything.

“I really appreciate you making me dinner, but did you want to talk to the king

now?” Hart pushed his plate away, his food mostly eaten.

“You don’t mind?” Noel had only eaten a quarter of his dinner. He’d shredded

most of the fish on his plate and nibbled a few vegetables. He wasn’t hungry. If Sansha
still lived, then he had to find her.

Hart placed his hand over Noel’s, stopping his increasingly nervous motions. “If

it were my child, I’d do anything to get her back.”

“She is your daughter. We will be parenting her together if we can find her.”

Sansha might not be Hart’s by blood, but the mate bonding encompassed all offspring.
Kylen didn’t call Sammy his stepson by any means.

Smoke swirled from Hart’s nose and the scent of sulfur filled the room. His eyes

glowed bright gold, the dragon peering out at Noel. “If she’s still alive, we’ll find her.”

“She is.” Now that the idea was introduced, Noel couldn’t stop thinking of

Sansha. “I hope she is.”

To have his little girl back would be his greatest dream. She wouldn’t be a little

girl any more with brown pigtails and sea blue eyes. She’d be in her early teens,

probably with the attitude to match. Hart spoke and pulled Noel from his daydream.

“How would they have kept her from you all this time? Wouldn’t you have

sensed her like you did your mate?”

“Not if they charmed her or put a spell on her living quarters.” There were many

ways to block someone’s location by magic, some more insidious than others.

Hart squeezed Noel’s hand. “We’ll talk to the king and figure things out.”
Noel dropped his fork as he stood. He walked around the table to hug Hart.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Hart’s genuine surprise required an answer.
“For believing in me and not thinking I’m insane.”

“You never have to thank me for helping you. That’s what mates are for. I will

always be here for you.”

Noel could remember a few times Paryis had been less than sympathetic or

helpful, but he wouldn’t share them with Hart. If the dragon shifter thought mates were

there to be helpful and supportive, Noel wouldn’t disagree. After another quick hug, he
returned to his seat and sat back down.

“Do you want me to fly back home or come with you to see the king?”

“I want you to come with me.” Maybe that made him needy, but he couldn’t take

any more shocks alone.

“I’m certain Kylen will help you. He has a child of his own so he would

understand your pain.”

“I hope so.” Noel stood to collect the dishes. He scraped the uneaten food into

the trash, then set the dishes in the sink.

Hart joined him in the kitchen. He wrapped his hands around Noel’s shoulders

and squeezed. “Let’s go talk to the king.”

Chapter Five

King Kylen listened to Noel’s story and didn’t speak until the end. “So your

daughter is still alive and they’ve kept her from you. Not to mention your brother-in-
law is a sneaky bastard who wants to blackmail you into spying on me.”

“Yes.”
The heartbreak in Noel’s voice had Hart scooting his chair closer. He’d never

suspected finding a mate would be such a painful event. If they discovered the light fae
were keeping Sansha, he’d tear them apart.

Kylen squinted at Noel. “If I order them to produce her, they can deny any

knowledge. You realize that, don’t you?”

Noel shrugged. “I know, but I can’t think of anything else to do.”

They’d walked in on Kylen having an evening cup of coffee and nibbling on a

piece of pie while he waited for his mate to join him. Apparently Farro was partial to
dessert and the palace chefs always kept one ready.

At Noel’s disappointed expression, Hart wanted to go punch someone,

preferably Noel’s brother-in-law. “What can we do, Your Highness? They stole his

daughter from him. Are you saying we should just sit here and let it happen?” Hart
couldn’t keep the growl from his voice.

Kylen sighed. “I have to be careful. My grip on that half of the kingdom isn’t

very strong. Many of the light fae resent my combining the kingdoms even though the
sword chose me. Maybe it is time to visit the light fae and remind them who’s in charge.

You can go with me and look around while I conduct my official royal visit. It will also
give Voghr the false impression you’re there to spy for him.”

“I wouldn’t,” Noel objected.
“I know. I’m not worried about your loyalty.” Kylen’s words appeared to calm

Noel. His shoulders came down from their hunched position, and he settled back into

his seat.

Hart listened to the fae banter back and forth. Give him his simple dragon

culture any day. The fae were freaking complicated. Not to mention Noel wasn’t certain

Voghr even had his daughter. They were working on a world of supposition and
innuendo.

“If he doesn’t give me Sansha, I will curse him,” Noel vowed. His eyes flashed as

he spoke. Hart probably shouldn’t have found it so sexy, but Noel’s power called to his

dragon half.

“Since when do fae curse people?” Hart examined his mate with interest. The

more he learned about Noel, the more interesting he became.

Noel’s cheeks reddened. “My great-grandfather married an earth witch. I

inherited some of her power.”

“Really? No wonder you smell so good.” Like rich loam and soft earth, Noel

called to Hart at a deeper level than anyone else. Who knew he’d find a slim fae with
magic a powerful aphrodisiac?

“Noel, you know there are laws against curses.” Kylen frowned.
Noel jumped to his feet. “There are also laws against stealing a child, but that

hasn’t stopped him from keeping my daughter from me for ten freaking years. Now
think about how you’d feel if your son were taken and you were told he was dead, then

you can lecture me about laws, Your Highness!”

Kylen groaned. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of his

chair. “This is such a fucking mess.”

“Cursing, my love? Things must have gotten rough in kingville today.” Farro

sauntered into the room. The werewolf’s loose gait and wide smile were a welcome

relief to Hart. The tension had grown to unbearable levels, and he appreciated the
addition of another shifter.

Kylen opened his eyes. “We think Noel’s daughter is being held by the fae.”

“Let’s go get her.” Farro grabbed the chair beside Kylen, spun it around, then

straddled it.

“Things are cut and dry in the shifter world,” Hart couldn’t resist pointing out. If

it were a dragon shifter’s child, they would’ve already been flying over the light fae

kingdom to tear the castle to shreds, possibly setting it on fire.

Farro nodded at him, a moment of unity between shifters.

“You can’t just break in there and take her. There are protocols.” Kylen patted

Farro’s arm.

Farro brushed Kylen’s hand away. “There are no protocols stronger than a bond

between a parent and child. If someone had Sammy, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to
get him back.” A low snarl underlay the king mate’s words. He’d always thought of the

wolf shifter as mild mannered and almost too easygoing. His opinion of the king’s mate
rose higher.

“Hey, I don’t mean to cause a fight. I just want a plan of action.” Noel looked at

the royals, a desperate light in his eyes.

Kylen sat silently for a moment. “I’m convinced a visit will be the most effective

path. They’ve become too complacent if they think I’ll allow such an event to continue
in my kingdom.”

“What if they hide her away?” Stress carved deep lines across Noel’s handsome

face.

“Then we will seek her out. It’s hard to hide things from a wolf shifter,” Farro

announced.

“I like that plan better.” Hart appreciated Farro’s offer. He didn’t wish to get

entangled in convoluted political posturing, not when a young girl was involved,
especially if she was to be his daughter.

“I wonder if they told her I didn’t want her or that I was dead.” Distress poured

off Noel. “What excuse could they have given her for not having parents?”

At least a dozen scenarios flashed through Hart’s mind. They could’ve told her

someone else was her parent. Hart didn’t share his thoughts. A good mate wouldn’t
add to Noel’s stress.

Giving in to instinct, Hart pulled Noel onto his lap. “We’ll get her back. Even if I

have to rip the castle apart.”

Kylen cleared his throat. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. I’d prefer not to

cause a dragon-light fae war.”

“They started a war when they allowed this to happen. If anyone had cared

about Sansha, they would’ve helped her get back to her father.” Hart didn’t have any

sympathy for the light fae. He rubbed Noel’s back.

Kylen nodded. “However, if they deny her presence, we’ll have to try a different

approach before they take her out of the palace and somewhere Farro won’t be able to
find her.”

“True,” Farro agreed.

“Can’t you do a person-finding spell or something?” Hart had heard of such

things being performed before.

Kylen slid his thumb along Farro’s hand like a worry bead. “We could try, but if

they’ve hidden her this long then someone is cloaking her. And if they feel a seeking
spell, they could hide her even more thoroughly.”

Farro nodded. “We have to be careful.”
Noel fidgeted with Hart’s button for a bit before he spoke again. “If Voghr’s

willing to show his hand after all this time, he’s desperate for an in at your court. If I
don’t spy for him, he’ll get someone else.”

“Some days, I really hate being king.” Kylen entwined his fingers with Farro’s.
Farro stroked his hand. “I know, mate, but think of the snazzy crown you get to

wear. Not everyone can pull of that kind of fashion statement.”

Kylen laughed, a sad broken sound. “Yeah, but I’d trade it in a second for a ratty

baseball hat if I could go live a normal life with you.”

Farro continued to hold his mate’s hand throughout his talk. His calm confidence

did more to soothe Hart than a thousand vague promises by the king. Like called to
like. Farro might not be a dragon, but he knew the difficult balance of dealing with his

inner animal.

“We’ll get through this and onto our next crisis before you know it. Besides, if

the light fae give us too much trouble, I’ll call Anthony and have him send lightning
bolts up their asses.”

Hart shuddered. He’d heard of this fabled Anthony from Leif and Blake. That

was one man he didn’t want to get on the bad side of.

“Why don’t you two go off and get some sleep. Farro and I will figure out the

details and let you know in the morning.”

Noel bowed low to the king. “Thank you for your time, Your Highness. We’ll

talk to you tomorrow.” He grabbed Hart’s hand and dragged him out of the room.

Hart allowed Noel to pull him around until they turned a third corner and he

noticed they were heading back to Noel’s rooms. He dug in his heels and brought them
to a halt.

“What’s going on? Why aren’t you taking me outside?” Noel had been firm

about taking things slow before.

Noel let go of Hart’s hand. He looked down as he fiddled with his fingers. “I

need to be held tonight. I know it’s a lot to ask since I wasn’t that enthusiastic about
having a second mate at first, but I need you.”

The vulnerability in Noel’s soft voice twisted Hart into knots. “I’ll do whatever

you need.”

He’d walk over broken glass if it would make his mate feel better.
“Thank you.” Noel’s relieved smile eased Hart’s tension.

Maybe after they spent some time together, things would become easier. “I know

you’re going to want to get your daughter back before we bond. I appreciate you being
honest about your priorities.”

Noel bit his lip. “I’m not that nice of a person. I did consider trying to trick you

into helping me get Sansha first. Playing on your sympathy or something, then telling

you I changed my mind afterward.”

“Did you?” Hart held back the harsh words he instinctively wished to speak.
“I did. But I don’t now. I told you I want to make it work. I still do, daughter or

not. Do you think she’ll want me?”

Noel’s abrupt change of subject threw Hart for a moment. He thought about his

answer for a few minutes before speaking. “It will depend on what they told her over

the years. If they told her you just didn’t want her, then she might be resentful. We need
to find her first, then we’ll worry about any brainwashing she might have undergone.”

If they found her.
Noel nodded. “That’s good advice. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I do want to make things as easy as possible.” There were no

good answers on how to get Noel’s daughter back. Hart was more than a little

convinced they would have to resort to brute force. Voghr wouldn’t easily give up his
bargaining chip.

“Are you still willing to spend the night?” Noel’s eyes filled with anxiety.

“If you will have me. I don’t want to push.” Hart’s inner dragon demanded he

claim their mate, but his human half had more compassion for Noel’s trauma.

Noel entwined his fingers with Hart’s and squeezed them tight. “I’d love to have

you any way I can get you.”

Hart allowed Noel to lead him down the hall. So far, this mating had had a

rough start, but they could still set things straight.

They didn’t speak as they meandered down the hall, holding hands, each in their

own world. When they finally made it back to Noel’s suite, Hart released Noel and
went to the couch to sit down. Noel hurried to sit beside him as Hart carefully picked

over his words, afraid of saying the wrong ones. His connection to his mate was
precarious right then. He didn’t wish to ruin it with hurtful words or
miscommunication.

Noel bit at his thumbnail. “I almost hope they told her I’m dead. I’d hate for her

to think I’ve been ignoring her for years.”

“We’ll get to the bottom of this.” Hart couldn’t imagine what it would be like to

suddenly meet your father after years of absence.

Noel sighed. “They stole her childhood from me.”

“I know it doesn’t help, but you can get to know her now.” Hart didn’t offer to

have other children. Noel wasn’t in any mindset to discuss future kids.

“I just don’t want to lose any more time with her.”
“That’s understandable.” Hart pulled Noel into his lap, cuddling him close.

Noel nestled into Hart’s embrace. “I come with a lot of baggage. Maybe you can

share some of yours? Do you have any skeletons in your closet?”

Hart scoured his mind for something Noel might think was comparable. “I used

to think I was in love with my best friend.”

“Really?” Noel twisted to look Hart in the eyes.
“Yeah. I never told him, but I would daydream about us being together. I knew

Rhaegar didn’t feel the same so I never pursued him.”

“When did you know you didn’t love him?”
Hart smiled at the memory. “When he met his mates. I could tell from the way

he looked at them. There was so much love in their eyes. We’d never looked at each
other that way, not once. When I saw you, I knew for certain I’d mistaken affection for

love. I love him, but not in the romantic sense. He’s my family.”

“Where is your family? I thought dragons lived a long time?”
Hart thought back over the past and focused on not crying. He had to be strong

for his mate. “They were killed by our last dragon king. It’s why Rhaegar leads us now.
Our fathers were best friends and sometimes I suspect they were even more. The

dragon king Maendr slaughtered our parents for a pact he made with the fae king
Wenvel.”

“Wow, that was a long time ago.”
Hart held back tears. “Yes, it was. After Wenvel promised a truce between our

people, he killed over a dozen dragons and tried to take their treasure.”

“How terrible. I’m afraid I don’t know my history very well. What happened to

him?” Noel’s eyes shone with compassion.

“Wenvel died from the magical backlash of trying to take a dragon’s hoard and

the remaining dragons rose up and killed Maendr for his betrayal.”

“I didn’t realize there was any magic in a dragon’s hoard.” Noel’s eyes were big

and shiny like a child being told a frightening fairy tale.

“A dragon’s treasure is magically tied to them. Without the proper spell, a thief

will become poisoned. Maendr had kept that secret to make sure Wenvel died.”
Satisfaction swept through Hart as he remembered the fae king’s screams. He’d been a

small dragon back then, and it had taken him years to understand why his parents had
died for two kings’ greed.

“I guess you must hate the fae then?” Noel’s small voice brought him back to the

present.

“What? No. No more than I distrust my fellow dragons. It took me a while to

trust the new fae king I’ll admit, but I’ve come to understand that the fae are like

dragons, not all bad, not all good. I try to judge individually. The light fae’s judgment in
keeping your child from you hasn’t helped their reputation.”

“No, I suppose not. They never really accepted me as a proper mate. I didn’t

come with a lot of gold or a title. I just loved my mate. For Paryis’s family, it wasn’t
enough that I loved him, I had to add to his monetary value as a whole. Fae often marry

for political or financial clout instead of true love.”

Hart clutched Noel tighter as he listened to his story. It didn’t sound as if Noel’s

first mating had been all gold coins and rubies.

“Don’t get me wrong, Paryis told his family off and insisted on bonding with me

anyway. He really loved me, but I have to admit I always wondered if we would’ve

survived his family’s pressure.”

Hart smiled at his fierce fae’s loyalty. Even in death, Noel wouldn’t say anything

bad about his other mate. “What happened to your family?”

Noel rested his head on Hart’s shoulder. “I’m an orphan.”
“What?” Considering how precious children were to the fae, he’d never heard of

an orphaned one.

“My mother abandoned me as a child. Some people used to whisper I was the

offspring of the mad king, but there was never any proof. I have a book that lists my
relatives on her side of the family, they’re all dead and I have no information of my
father.”

“And they couldn’t track your mother?”
“I think she went through a portal. I tried a tracking spell on her once and came

up with nothing. Either she left this world or she’s dead. I don’t really care which. She

didn’t want me as a child. I don’t need her as an adult. One more reason I wasn’t good
enough to be Paryis’s mate.”

“Idiots.” Hart wasn’t going to scrape open Noel’s old scars and make the

wounds bleed. He had his own pains he didn’t wish to revisit.

Without warning, Noel straddled Hart. “Kiss me.”
“Why? I mean… now?” How had they gone from painful life stories to kissing?

“I need comfort and what better place to get it than from my mate?”
“When you put it that way, how can I refuse?” Hart didn’t know what to make

of his mercurial mate, but he would do whatever it took to make Noel feel better.

“You can’t, I hope.” Noel cupped Hart’s face. “It’s been a while, but I think I

remember how this goes.”

Before Hart could say anything more, Noel pressed his lips against Hart’s. Heat

poured from Noel’s mouth to Hart’s as if a direct flow of lava came out of him to warm
Hart inside out. Similar to the sensation of spitting fire, Noel brought enough sexual

heat to the embrace that it took a dragon to handle the burn.

Hart plunged his fingers into Noel’s hair, struggling to keep up with his

beautiful fae. When they finally broke apart, they were both panting as if they’d run
miles.

“You taste amazing.” Noel’s lips shone from Hart lapping at them.
“So do you.” Hart didn’t have to fudge the truth. In the past, he’d told lovers

what they wanted to hear, but in this case, it was pure reality. He couldn’t remember

the last time a simple kiss had punched him in the gut and twisted up his heart.
Everything he wanted in the future and hoped for in the present sang pure and true in

that short meeting of tongues and lips.

Noel pulled off his shirt and dropped it on the floor behind him. “I can’t believe

I’m trying this again.” His muttered words appeared to be more for him than for Hart

so he didn’t reply.

Besides, Hart’s brain had short-circuited at the vision of Noel’s naked chest.

Living in a clutch of dragon shifters, Hart had seen more than his share of gorgeous
male bodies. Noel’s exceeded all his expectations. Instead of hard, bulging muscles,

Noel had long slender limbs with rippling definition Hart ached to trace with his
tongue.

“Problem?” Noel asked.
“Not unless I can’t touch.”

Noel smirked. “Touch away.”
Still Hart hesitated. “If I make love to you, there can be no take backs. We will be

mates. It would kill me if you refused me after we’d had sex. My dragon could go
feral.” Best to let Noel know the problems that could arise before they got involved any
deeper.

Noel wrapped his long smooth fingers around Hart’s face, cupping it between

his hands. “I would never do that. I was foolish before, frightened of losing everything

a second time. I’m no longer young, eager, and excited over finding my mate. I’m a
seasoned adult who’s seen my share of pain, and I need a strong man to stand beside
me. Are you ready for that, Hart? I don’t think I will ever have that first flush of mating

excitement again, but I do want you. I’m sorry all you have left is a shattered shell of a
broken man.”

Hart gripped Noel’s wrists. “There is nothing wrong with you. We’ve all had our

setbacks, but if you’re willing to be my mate, I’ll be happy to make you mine.”

“Then take me, Hart. Claim me as your mate.”
Hart searched Noel’s expression. Noel’s eyes glowed with suppressed power but

no anxiety as he let Hart examine him without any sign of fear. Hart stood up, lifting

Noel with him as he got to his feet.

“Bedroom?”

“Second door on the left.” Noel pointed to the hall Hart hadn’t seen hidden in

the shadows.

Without a word, he carried Noel in the direction indicated. They needed no

flowery words or ridiculous vows. They were mates and chosen by the goddess to
combine their souls.

Noel kissed Hart’s neck as they walked, almost derailing his good intentions to

reach the bed before ravishing his man. “Keep that up and I’ll fuck you against the

wall.”

“That isn’t a deterrent.” Noel soft hum of satisfaction made Hart laugh.

“Naughty fae.”
“Very naughty. Maybe later you can spank me.”

Hart stumbled but caught himself before they both fell on the hard tile floor. “No

more talking until we reach the bedroom. I’d never forgive myself if we fell and I
crushed you.”

“That would be unfortunate. I’d prefer you lay on top of me because we were

screwing, not because you tripped on the floor.”

“Me, too.” Fuck, he couldn’t get any harder. The more Noel touched and talked,

the more Hart wished to rip off his mate’s pants and lick every square inch of exposed
skin.

“Good. It’s been far too long since I’ve had sex.”
Hart growled. “And I’m the last one you will ever have it with again.”

“Yes, mate.” Noel’s innocent tone didn’t fool Hart for a second.
Hart paused for Noel to grab the bedroom doorknob and twist it open. “You had

a solid bond with your first mate, didn’t you?” He’d hate to have heard Paryis had been
abusive. It was rare, but it did happen. A bonded asshole was still an asshole.

“Yes. My relationship with Paryis was good. Not perfect, but good.” Noel

smiled.

Hart relaxed. He’d hate for Noel to have been abused by his first mate, especially

since they were looking into saving Paryis’s biological child.

“Good.” Hart tossed Noel onto the bed.
Noel laughed. “I can’t get over how strong you are.”

Hart flexed his biceps. “Comes from flying, takes a lot of upper body muscles.”
“What about the lower half?” Noel’s gaze went from playful to heated.

Hart shrugged. “Let’s say it’s a full-body effort.”

“Let me see.” Noel licked his lips. An action Hart would’ve thought too porno,

except when faced with that expression on his mate’s face. Hart’s cock hardened so fast

he became a bit light-headed.

“What about you?” He tilted his chin up at Noel.

Noel slid off the bed, then stepped over to stand almost toe-to-toe with Hart.

“You take off your shirt first since mine is already off.” Noel groaned when Hart

transformed his scales from a shirt to his human chest.

“How’s this?” Hart asked.
Noel pinched Hart’s nipples, earning a hiss as a bolt of need zapped through

Hart’s body. “Wonderful. How’s it for you?”

“It’ll do.” Hart tried to keep up his nonchalance but almost lost it again when

Noel tugged on those bits of skin. His toes curled in his boots.

When Noel stepped back, Hart whimpered. “Don’t worry, mate, I’ll take care of

you.”

How had he foolishly thought he’d be in charge because he was bigger? Had he

learned nothing after watching Rhaegar and his mates? The smallest of that trio ruled

the cave with a fist harder than dragon scales.

“I’m counting on that.” Closing his eyes, he concentrated on transforming the

rest of his scales to flesh.

“Too bad you’ll have to remove my clothes the old-fashioned way.”
“I don’t mind.” Hart transformed his fingers into claws and tore off Noel’s pants.

The sexy minx had no underwear on.

Noel squeaked and stepped back. “I’ll take care of my shoes, I like these.”

Hart shrugged. “If you insist.”
Tilting his head, he examined the ceiling. He couldn’t watch his mate without

wanting to touch, taste, and hump against his sexy man until he came all over Noel,

then spread his seed across all that pale, fine skin and marked him for every shifter in
the land to scent. His dragon rumbled its approval.

“Are you okay?” Noel’s voice broke into Hart’s inner contemplation.
“I’m fine.”

“You can look now.” Laughter threaded through Noel’s voice.
Hart lowered his gaze. “Oh damn.”

Perfection. Noel’s body had lived up to its tempting promise. All sleek lines and

cool skin tones. A nest of hair highlighted Noel’s gorgeous cock. That beauty rose and

hardened beneath Hart’s steady examination.

“Keep that up, Hart, and I’ll come before you even touch me.” Noel’s warning

sounded more like a sweet promise than a threat.

“Was that supposed to deter me?”
Noel laughed, a breathy desperate sound. “I guess not.”

Hart climbed up on the bed without an invitation, smiling at the broken moan

Noel made. Halfway up the mattress, he rolled over, displaying himself for Noel’s

pleasure. “I’m all yours. How do you want me, mate?”

“Oh, sweet fuck, you’re gorgeous.” Noel’s eyes widened as he examined Hart.
A warm flush of pride poured through him at the pleasure in Noel’s expression.

“I’m glad you find me attractive.”

“You’re more like a wet dream than merely attractive. I can’t tell you how much

I’m looking forward to this. Can I ride you?”

“Yes.” Hart had no hesitation when it came to allowing his mate to do whatever

he wanted. Noel could tie him down and feed Hart his cock and he still wouldn’t have
objected.

“Good. I think I need to be on top this first time. You’re awfully large.”

“Anything you need.” Hart meant every word. Whatever made Noel more

comfortable their first time, Hart would comply. With the heat, need, and want

coursing through him, his restraint wouldn’t hold him back for long.

“Thank you, Hart.” Noel’s quick, shy smile wrapped around Hart’s soul,

entwined him closer and bent him to Noel’s will.

“You’re very welcome.”
Noel rummaged around in his side table’s drawer before he pulled something

out. “Found it.”

It took Hart a moment to identify the object Noel waved triumphantly around,

but he smiled when he did. “Good job.”

Noel laughed. “I rather thought so. I’ll need a lot of lube if I’m going to take this

monster.” He ran a hand across Hart’s erection.

“I don’t know that it is very monsterish.” Hart examined his cock.
Noel patted Hart’s shaft. “You’re right. I shouldn’t insult such a beautiful beast.”

Hart laughed. “No, but feel free to pet it whenever you like.”
Noel turned around so Hart could watch his actions. In a move worthy of a porn

star, Noel spread lube on his fingers, then spent the next five minutes stretching himself

while he moaned.

“Noel, you’re killing me!” It wasn’t quite a whine.

Noel flashed him a grin over his shoulder. “If you weren’t so big, I wouldn’t

need so much prep.”

“You can’t punish me for what the goddess provided.”

Noel’s narrow-eyed gaze didn’t reassure him at all. “Is that your defense?”
“It’s the only one I’ve got.”

“Hmm, let’s see what I can do to get you ready.” Noel slipped his fingers out of

his body, then turned around and crawled over Hart until he straddled Hart’s thighs.

Pouring lube onto his palm, he slicked Hart up until he could move his hand up and
down with ease. Hart bucked into Noel’s touch.

“Keep that up and I’ll come without even touching you.”

Noel shrugged. “You’ll get hard again. You shifters are made of sterner stuff.”
“What do you know about sex with shifters?” Hart growled.

“I have had sex with men other than my mate.”
“But you won’t again.” Hart knew he was being stupidly possessive, but the

dragon beneath the surface of his human skin urged him to claim their mate. His skin

rippled as scales threatened to burst across the surface.

“Easy, Hart. I didn’t mean to taunt the dragon.” Noel’s touch turned more

soothing than seductive until Hart could shove the beast back down beneath the
surface.

Sweat beaded his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. “Sorry.”
“No need to be. I wasn’t being fair. I thought to tease you, not upset your

dragon.” Noel stroked Hart’s thighs. “You still want to do this?”

“Claim you, or have sex?” Noel kept spinning him around in about ninety

different directions.

“Either. Both.”

“Yes.” Hart cupped Noel’s head, then pulled him down. One gentle kiss merged

to two, then steamed up to much more than a gentle confirmation and sped through to
a hot, claiming clashing of mouths.

“I’m glad.” Noel panted.
After that, words no longer held any importance. They kept their communication

to burning touches and moans. When Noel slid down onto Hart’s erection, he knew
he’d found the sweetest spot on the planet.

“You feel amazing.”

Noel grunted.
Hart wrapped his hands around Noel’s hips. “You all right?”

“Give me a minute. I’ve never taken anyone as large as you before.”
A ridiculous jolt of pride raised his ego. “You can do it.”

Noel laughed. “I don’t think I need a motivational speech.”
Hart tried to remain patient, but the urge to lift his hips and push up drove him

hard. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Noel slid the rest of the way down until his ass snuggled up against

Hart’s balls.

“Oh, fuck, you feel so good.” Hart allowed Noel to set the pace, clenching his

teeth so hard he was surprised he didn’t crack his molars.

“Let go, mate. I’ve got you.” Noel slid up and down on Hart’s shaft, driving him

out of his mind.

“I. Need. To. Bite. You,” Hart gasped out.

“Do it.” Noel tilted his chin.

Neither Hart nor his dragon could ignore the obvious invitation. Lunging up, he

bit Noel at the junction between neck and shoulder. Hot blood filled his mouth even as

his teeth sank with a satisfying chomp into his mate’s flesh.

Together. Always.

The words rang through Hart’s head, a solemn vow. He came, pumping his seed

into his mate and binding them together for eternity.

The connection between them snapped into place. It tingled across his body and

for the first time a lightness filled him, as if finding his mate had removed an unknown
burden from his shoulders and an unacknowledged weight from his chest.

Hart lifted his mouth and licked at the wound he’d left behind.
“You are mine, too, my dragon.” The words made no sense until two burning

hot coals seared through his chest.

Screaming, Hart arched his back off the bed. “Ahh.”
“Shh, I must claim you in the way of my people.”

“Hurts.”
“I have earth witch blood, remember.”

The pain receded, and Hart remembered the joys of breathing normally again.

“And you thought burning me alive would commemorate that?” His voice came out

rough from the screaming.

“Sorry. I didn’t think it would hurt you so much. It must be your dragon nature

fighting me. It didn’t hurt Paryis at all.”

For a moment, Hart resented the dead fae. Hart would forever be compared to a

man who could’ve been one of a triad, but instead lay lamented in the earth forever,

holding part of Noel’s heart.

“Maybe I’m not as strong.”
Noel petted Hart’s chest, leaving a soothing tingle of coolness behind. “No. Shh. I

didn’t mean it that way. I meant your dragon responded more strongly to the magic.
Paryis didn’t have much magic of his own. He was a bit spoiled, but I never doubted he

loved me. He stood up to his parents and refused to turn me away. When they died a
few years ago, I celebrated, not my finest hour.”

“I’m glad you have some happy memories of him.” The smaller, petty part of

him wanted Noel to himself, even his past, but he pushed it away. He was Noel’s mate

now, and nothing would change that, not even the ghost of a long dead man.

“Thank you. I don’t know if I would be so gracious if you had someone in your

past.” Noel kissed Hart.

For the first time, Hart realized his chest was covered in seed. Noel must’ve come

when they bonded. “Let’s take a shower.”

“Good idea.” Noel slid off Hart’s softened cock.
Hart followed Noel into a large shower that dominated the small bathroom. He

waited while Noel started the shower, resisting the urge to add some heat to the cool
air. His fae mate wouldn’t be able to withstand as much heat as Hart could provide.

Once steam began curling around the room, they entered the glass enclosure. Hart tilted
his head back and sighed as the water sluiced through his hair. He hadn’t realized he
felt so dirty.

“Oh dear.”
“What?” Hart wiped the water away from his eyes in time to catch Noel’s

concerned expression.

“I didn’t mean to. Paryis’s had been much smaller.”

Hart glanced down at his chest. A large mountainscape in full color had

appeared across his skin like an intricate tattoo. It took him a moment to recognize the
peak.

“Hey, that’s my mountain.”
“I know. King Kylen pointed the dragon home out to me a while back.” Noel

smiled. “I guess it’s a combination of my earth magic’s need to mark you and your
dragon’s push for dominance.”

Hart examined it for a moment. “I like it.”

He’d never considered getting a tattoo before, but he didn’t mind the large

claiming mark on his chest. He cupped Noel’s nape and slid his thumb across the large

imprint left by his teeth.

Noel smiled. “I guess we had to mark each other boldly.”

“I guess so.” Their kiss was a bit on the watery side, but Hart treasured the flavor

of his mate.

They broke apart and finished scrubbing, then dried off and went to bed.
“Good night, mate,” Noel muttered as Hart slid into sleep. The eventful day had

taken its toll.

Chapter Six

Noel kept to the king’s left shoulder in the shadow of the powerful fae. King

Kylen had woken Noel with the news they were heading into the light fae kingdom.
Only after a great deal of persuasion did Noel convince Hart to go home. His dragon

mate hated the idea of Noel going with the king without Hart’s protection.

Hart had become even more possessive once they’d bonded. Memories of the

night brought a flush to Noel’s skin. Damn, he couldn’t wait to get back home and start
all over again. Hart had agreed to wait at the castle and collect Noel’s belongings. Noel
had given Hart permission to start packing his things in preparation for their move.

He’d hoped the job would keep Hart from transforming into his dragon and flying after
them.

“Stay sharp. I don’t know how our arrival will be taken.”
There had been rumors of an uprising by those who claimed the king wasn’t the

true ruler. Danger could come from any side. Not everyone smiling would hesitate to

stab their ruler in the back. Noel had downplayed the danger when presenting their
journey to Hart, not wanting to worry his new mate. If Hart truly knew the level of

resistance Kylen faced, he’d never have let Noel enter light fae territory.

Farro walked at the king’s right shoulder, even with the ruler. The couple made a

formidable pair with the wolf shifter’s gaze sweeping across everything and
shimmering in the daylight. Any fae wary of wolves would be even more reluctant to
cross this formidable shifter.

Voghr met the king with a low bow in the antechamber to the throne room. At

least two dozen fae followed behind him.

A welcoming committee or a confrontation?
“Greetings, Your Highness. You might not remember me, but I’m Voghr. How

may I help you today?”

“I’ve come to visit the other half of my kingdom.” Kylen’s warm power swirled

around the room, filling the space with his energy.

Noel dipped his head to hide his grin as Voghr and his light fae companions

kneeled before their king, unable to bear the weight of his magic.

“Show me to my throne,” Kylen ordered.
A bit dramatic, but it worked. Voghr straightened, his face pale, but his

expression less worried than Noel would’ve liked. Once Kylen turned away, Voghr
grinned at Noel, a sly evil expression. Noel’s stomach sank with dread. His brother-in-
law wasn’t thwarted. What the fuck was Voghr up to?

The air sizzled with suppressed energy as the fae tried to balance their power

with Kylen’s. By ruling both the light and dark fae, Kylen held the most magic of any

fae ever born. Noel didn’t understand how Kylen could even stand with the energy
pulsing through him.

The group marched through a pair of familiar double doors and into the light fae

throne room. Sunlight poured through the windows, washing out the shadows until
only brightness existed.

Noel blinked at the eye-watering glow.
Kylen raised his hand and the sunlight dimmed. Voices whispered across the

room like a wind tunnel of sound. A new filament covered the windows, blocking the
worst of the light.

“Do you need the room darker, Dark Fae King?” Voghr taunted.

Kylen raised an eyebrow. “I would’ve thought anyone would prefer not to be

blinded. And I am king of all fae. Do you need a reminder?”

A few chuckles went through the people standing around hoping to get a better

look at the king. Not everyone supported Voghr’s power grab. Their small greeting
party had swelled until the throne room teemed with visitors. Word of the king’s

presence must’ve spread.

Voghr scowled. “What did you come for, Your Highness?”

Kylen walked over to the throne made of ash wood. He reached up and slid his

index finger across the right arm. The chair hummed, accepting his power. Kylen

climbed up the three steps, then sat.

The humming intensified. Flowers sprouted up around the base of the chair.

Music sang from the walls and the entire throne glowed a light gold as if coming alive
to greet the new ruler. Gasps and whispers flowed around the chamber, a soft breeze of

fluttering surprise.

“I want to recruit some light fae to come live in the dark fae kingdom and vice

versa. We’ve been split as a people for too long. We need to unite our kingdoms and

become one people.”

“Unite?” Voghr scoffed. “Why would we want to unite?”

Power poured through the throne room. Noel locked his knees. As a

representative of the king, he accepted his ruler and let the magic wash over him. A
third of the light fae dropped to their knees with a painful thud. The others accepted the

king’s power, glowing from the wave of energy and reflecting it back to him.

Voghr didn’t kneel. He toppled to the floor, screaming. “Make it stop.”

Kylen stood. Stalking over to Voghr, he towered over the light fae. “You will

accept me as your king or be banished and take your chances with the dragons and

trolls. Dark times are coming. We will need to be united to protect against danger. Our
world will no longer be a haven of safety and beauty. We will have to remember what it
is to truly be warriors!” Kylen’s voice vibrated with magic and passion.

This was the first Noel had heard of an upcoming danger. He’d be sure to

interrogate Kylen about it later. Noel had never seen Kylen truly exert his royal power

before. If he didn’t have Hart, he would’ve thought the king sexy.

“I accept you as my king,” Voghr whimpered.
Kylen pulled back his magic, then turned and walked back to the throne. “I am

king now, whether any of us like it or not. We will be united together and become
stronger, or we will fail as a people.”

“What of the shifters?” a blond fae asked.

Kylen retook his seat on the throne. Tilting his chin up, he confronted the

speaker. “What about them?”

“Are we allowing them into our kingdom?”
“If they mate with fae, then yes. As you know, my mate Farro is a shifter and so

is our child. Some of the dragons are going to be bonding with our people, and they will
be welcome. They’ll probably not want to join us, but they will have that option. So yes,

shifters are allowed into the kingdom.”

“But what about just letting them in?” the fae persisted.
Kylen examined the speaker for a moment. “I have no plans to allow random

shifters into the kingdom unless they are bonded with one of the fae.”

A sigh of relief went through the room. Apparently there must’ve been worry

over taking in too many non-fae.

“If you have any serious concerns, bring them to the attention of my assistant

Noel and he will add them to the list.” Kylen flashed Noel a pointed look.

Noel didn’t look forward to getting more complaints. The fae were too whiny in

his opinion, wanting the king to solve all their problems. King Kylen wouldn’t finish

the list any time soon.

Noel offered a professional smile but said nothing. His gaze passed over the

crowd.

Where were the children?
The fae didn’t have a high fertility rate, but they did have children. None of them

were there to greet their king.

Odd.

Kylen stepped down from the throne to talk to his subjects. Every once in a

while, he would send someone to Noel so he could write down their complaint. Most
had to do with job assignments. Fae wanting to be transferred to the king’s guard. A

few had hereditary complaints, and others were so minor Noel sent them on their way
to solve their own issues.

An odd scent pulled Noel’s attention away from the latest whiner. Heart-

breakingly familiar, the smell tugged at Noel’s memory.

Noel scooted to the king’s side and whispered in his ear. “Where are the

children?”

Kylen whispered back. “Good question.” He raised his voice. “I’d like to see all

of my subjects in an hour in the courtyard, including all children.”

A low murmur went through the crowd.
“Why the children?” someone spoke up. Noel didn’t see who had spoken.

“Because I need to see to the health of my people. We have a low birthrate, and I

have to gauge our progress. The last two fae kings did a poor job of tracking our
fertility.”

His words rang with truth because they were true. The genealogical records of

the fae had fallen to the wayside between the egomania of a light fae king and the mad

dark fae king. A decent ruler hadn’t been in charge for far too long.

“There are only a few hundred of us left.” Voghr spoke, once more taking the

position of leadership.

“Did you update the records?” Kylen narrowed his eyes at Voghr.
A long pause hung in the air before Voghr answered. “No.”

“Then I’ll see you all in an hour.” Kylen waved a hand, dismissing everyone.
There were mutters and whispers as the crowd dispersed.

“That went well.” Farro spoke after everyone had left.
“The walls have ears.” Noel could feel people standing by listening even though

there were no visible occupants besides the three of them.

“And eyes no doubt,” Farro finished.
“Let them look and listen. I have nothing to hide. I can’t say the same about

them.” Kylen examined the room around them. “I used to come here as a child. I never
liked this place. Do you think she’s here?”

Noel didn’t have to ask who. “Yes. I smell her.”

Farro grinned. “You’re starting to talk like a shifter.”
That gave Noel pause. “Does being mated to one give me enhanced senses?”

“Sometimes.” Farro shrugged. “We’re still learning about different combinations

of bonded mates. Since you aren’t pure fae, I’m not sure how being mated to a dragon

might affect you.”

Noel had always been different. An orphan among the cherished fae, an earth

power among those with air and wind magic. He even survived the death of his mate
and now was one of the first fae to bond with a dragon. “Figures.”

“It could work in your favor.” Kylen’s eyes flashed white with power before he

blinked and his eyes went back to their normal color.

An hour later, Kylen led them to a courtyard full of people. Only a handful of

small children ran around while a dozen teenagers lounged beside their parents with
the universal expression of boredom stamped on teens’ faces everywhere.

None of them were Sansha.
Kylen gave a brilliant speech about moving the fae forward as a united people.

He even garnered some applause. When Kylen finished his talk, a new glow of hope

showed in the people around Noel.

After a few hours, they left with Kylen promising to send back additional guards

to replace the ones heading to the dark fae kingdom. There had been increased troll
encounters in the past few weeks and the light fae were becoming jumpy over their

safety. Apparently, they didn’t have enough soldiers to take down a troll invasion, only
enough to watch the gates.

Noel didn’t bother to tell them a couple of dragons could take all the trolls down.

“How do you want to handle this?” Kylen asked on their way back to the fae

kingdom.

“I’m going to sneak back in and find her. They think they can keep my daughter,

and I’m going to prove otherwise.” Noel could bring down the entire castle if he needed
to. Voghr had continued to watch him and smirk at Noel during Kylen’s entire visit. His

brother-in-law hadn’t dared approach, but he did enough that Noel wouldn’t regret
stabbing him if necessary.

“I could try to demand he bring her to me,” Kylen said. His tone indicated he

didn’t think much of his chances.

“We both know he’ll hide her or tell you I’m making things up.”
“True.” Kylen didn’t try to sugarcoat the situation.

“If you have something of hers, I can try and sniff her out,” Farro offered.
“Thank you, but all of her stuff burned in the fire.” He didn’t even have the lock

of hair from her baby album.

“I’m sorry.” Farro’s sympathy was almost a visible entity from one father to

another.

“Yeah, me too.”

 

“You aren’t going back alone.” Noel winced at Hart’s firm tone.
“I’m going after my daughter.” Noel didn’t fold beneath Hart’s displeasure. He

couldn’t just let this go. He had to investigate. If there were any chance of Sansha still
being alive, he had to get her back.

“I can’t lose you, we just got together. I’m going with you.” Hart nodded,

agreeing with his own conclusion.

Noel slid his fingers into his hair and resisted the urge to yank it out. Frustrating

dragon. “No. I can’t sneak in with you following after me. I have to go alone. They’ll
panic if they see a dragon has infiltrated the castle. Their first instinct won’t be friendly.

You promised me you wouldn’t get killed.”

Hart’s guilty expression told him he’d hit a sore spot. Good.
“I don’t like this.”

“I can’t let them keep my daughter.” He hated that Hart had to be put second in

Noel’s priorities after they were newly mated. Hart had been understanding so far, but

Noel needed him to continue his compassionate streak at least a little while longer.

“Are you sure they have her?”
“I smelled her.” Please don’t be difficult.

“You have one day. If you haven’t returned to me by tonight, I will come find

you. If I have to, I will burn down the castle.”

Noel shuddered. Memories of hot flames and screams took over. He shook them

off. “Three days and please keep the fires to a minimum.”

Hart shook his head. “Three days is too long. There is a lot of damage a person

can do in that time. Two.”

Hart’s implacable expression didn’t encourage the idea he could push his mate

much further. Noel patted Hart’s chest, trying to soothe his mate. “Okay, two nights. I’ll

send a message if it will take more.”

“You can communicate telepathically with me since we’re bonded.”
“Can all dragons do that?” Noel tilted his head as he considered the idea.

Hart shrugged. “Most.“
“Say something in my head.”

“My mate.” Noel smiled at Hart’s pleased tone.
“I heard you.” Noel closed his eyes and focused on Hart. “Greetings, mate.”
Silence.

“Did you hear me?” Noel opened his eyes.
“No.” Hart’s sad expression told Noel he’d failed his mate again. An emotion he

had become familiar with over the past few days.

“Maybe it takes time to build the connection?” Please say that’s the problem. He

couldn’t handle hurting Hart again.

“Or if both mates haven’t accepted the bond.”
“No! I’ve accepted you. I swear. Maybe I’m just too distracted by my daughter. I

want this. I want you.” Noel grabbed Hart’s shoulders to steady himself, then kissed his
mate. Perfection.

Hart wrapped his arms around Noel and pulled him closer. Relief had Noel

locking his knees. His sweet dragon didn’t push him aside. Noel’s amount of personal
baggage kept multiplying. How much more could Hart accept?

“I hope we can be proper mates once everything has settled.” Hart rubbed the

base of Noel’s spine, easing the knots of tension.

“How about I meet you back at your cave? You can go prepare it for me to move

into.” Noel leaned against Hart, resting his cheek against Hart’s muscled chest. “I will

be back. You can count on it.”

“Do I make up a room for our daughter?” Noel tilted his head in time to catch

the indecision on Hart’s face.

“No. Not yet. Just because I find her, doesn’t mean she’ll want to leave the fae.

She might be perfectly happy where she’s at. Besides if she comes with me, she might
want to set up her own room.” Didn’t girls like that sort of thing?

Hart smiled. “I like that you consider my cave home.”

Noel stroked his fingers across Hart’s right cheek, relishing the slight scrape of

hairs beneath his fingertips. “You are my home. Daughter or not.”

“Okay.” Hart still didn’t appear convinced if the new crease between his brows

were any indication. “You go get our daughter. I’ll be waiting.”

Noel kissed him. Not a hot passionate embrace leading up to sex, but a sweet

promise, a vow to return. “I will come back to you.”

It was the most he could promise and even that might be a pipe dream. If the

light fae caught him, his life could be in danger.

“You better.” Hart returned the kiss with enough passion he had to steady Noel

when he finally lifted his lips.

Chapter Seven

Noel crept along the palace wall. The last guard he'd come upon almost found

him hiding in the shadows. He’d used his earth magic to confuse the soldier’s gaze.
He’d rarely had to use his blending skills to imitate a stone wall. Good thing they didn’t
have any shifter soldiers at the light fae palace, or he would’ve been scented out.

He stayed in the shadows until the guards changed for the night. While they

were chatting, he slipped through the doorway. Ignoring the familiar paths, Noel

headed toward the corridor he'd scented the day before. If Sansha was still alive, she
wouldn’t be in any of the usual places.

Blending into the crowds, no one gave him a second look until he made his way

down an empty corridor. Completely empty, lacking even a speck of dust or fussy
tapestry. The entire path smelled of antiseptic as if it had been cleansed of all scents.

This is it.
His stomach fluttered uneasily. Excitement warred with nerves. His hands

trembled and he stuffed them in his pockets.

A terrible scream ripped through the air. Instinct destroyed discretion, and Noel

raced toward the sound. Running around the corner, he slid to a stop. Dozens of doors

lined a sterile white hall.

“Goddess, what is going on here?”

What had he stumbled into?
The first door on his right opened. Voghr exited and grinned when he spotted

Noel. “I knew you’d fall for it. You were always such a protective asshole. Too bad you
aren’t very bright.”

“Where is she?”

“Right in there.” Voghr pointed to the door he'd just exited.
“Bring her out.”

“Sorry, can’t do it. Why don’t you go in there and see her for yourself?”

Noel reached for his magic. Nothing. His mouth dried out as fear shivered

through him.

“How do you think we control them? So much power has to be drained.”
“Who?”

“The children, of course. You didn’t think Sansha was all alone, did you? We

wouldn’t do that to that poor girl. She needs friends, after all.” Voghr’s pleased tone

made Noel want to punch him.

“You did it, didn’t you? You’re the one who hit me and took her.”
Voghr shrugged. “Someone had to, and since I persuaded dear Lina to set fire to

your house, I couldn’t let the opportunity slide by.”

Anger burned through Noel, and he punched at Voghr who easily avoided his

fist. “Foolish boy. You never were much of a fighter. If you didn’t have earth magic,
you’d be completely useless.”

“Let Sansha go.” Frustration had Noel clenching his hands. Voghr got one thing

right, Noel would never be a fighter, but he wouldn’t give up.

“Never. She’s one of the most powerful fae here. We’ve been draining her for

years.”

“You’re an idiot. King Kylen will figure out your deception.”

“No, he won’t because if he learns anything, I’ll kill her.”
“If you kill my daughter, I will unleash the dragons on this place and destroy

you all.” Noel had never been a vindictive person. Now he thought nothing of ending

Voghr’s life.

Voghr lost his smile. “What are you talking about?”

“Didn’t you hear? My second mate is a dragon shifter. If I’m not out of here by

tomorrow, he will come here and tear this castle apart.”

“He’ll have to find you first.”

Before Noel could say anything else, Voghr punched him in the face and

everything went black.

Noel woke dangling from the ceiling. His wrists were wrapped in metal cuffs

and blood dripped down his arms from where they bit into his skin.

“He wants to kill you.” A soft female voice broke into his contemplation of his

predicament.

Noel searched the dim room until he found a slim girl curled up on the cement

floor. A cabinet hung on one wall, but nothing else occupied the space.

“He always has.” Voghr’s hatred of Noel wasn’t anything new.
“Why?”
“Because I mated with his brother.” He tried to see the girl’s face, but she kept to

the shadows.

“Are you really my father?”

Noel’s heart slammed against his chest. He took slow breaths to balance out his

nerves and find his center. “Are you Sansha?”

The girl stood up and stepped under the light. Familiar eyes gazed up at him.

“Yes.”
“I’m Noel. One of your fathers. I’m sorry to say your other genetic father is

dead.”

“They’re all talking about your second mate. Is he really a dragon?” Hope shone

in her eyes.

“Yes. I just found him.”
“Will he want me?” The hesitant tone twisted Noel’s heart.

“Yes. He wants you very much.” He didn’t know that for sure, but he counted on

Hart’s kind nature to welcome Sansha. “We have to get out of here and go back to

Hart.”

“We can’t. Whenever one of us tries to escape, they make the rest of us pay. The

floor drains our magic.”

Noel’s feet dangled several inches above the concrete. “I have a plan.”

 

Hart landed outside the mountain entrance. A day had already passed, and he

missed Noel more than he’d thought possible. He’d spent hours flying around the

mountain, trying to distract himself from heading for the light fae castle. He tried not to
concentrate on his beloved, not wanting to distract Noel from his task by sending Hart’s

frenzied thoughts his way.

A quick transformation later, he entered the main cave.

“There you are!” Rhaegar greeted him.
“Were you looking for me?”
“You have a visitor. We had to lock her up until you could verify her identity.”

”I have a female visitor?” Who could be they be holding in the prisons that had

any connection to Hart?

“Come see.” Rhaeger’s cheery grin was starting to creep him out.
He followed the dragon leader down the jewel-embedded hall.
“I need to talk to my father’s mate!” a female shouted. Her scream echoed off the

walls.

“She’s a bit feisty!” Rhaegar said, still smiling despite the loud noise.

Hart turned the corner and entered the dragon prison area. Dragons rarely took

captives, preferring to kill enemies rather than to cater to them. They only kept a few

cells for temporary political prisoners. A few fae kings had been held in the past.

The screeching ended when Hart approached the cell and discovered a young fae

standing behind the bars in a blue summer dress and bare feet.

She has Noel’s eyes.
He couldn’t look away when she locked gazes with him. “Are you Sansha?”

“Yes. Are you my father’s mate?”
The earth rumbled beneath their feet. “Stop that!” Rhaegar ordered.
It stopped.

“Who’s your father?” He knew, but he wanted her to say it.
“Noel Thistleborn.”

“Where have you been all this time?”

Tears spilled out of Sansha’s eyes. “In the light fae castle. They told me both of

my fathers were dead. I didn’t know any differently until I heard people talking.

They’ve kept us apart all this time. He told me to come find you and you would save
him.” Her teary gaze pleaded with Hart to agree.

“Save him? What happened?”
“They captured Noel. Voghr has him in chains. He helped me escape, but

couldn’t save himself.” Her lower lip trembled.

“They must’ve laid a trap for him to be captured so soon. Voghr had to have

known Noel would come for you. How did you know where to find me?”

“He told me right before he passed out.” She slid a hank of hair behind her left

ear. “They’d let me out of my cage to talk to him. I think they were going to use me to

control him.”

“Cage?” He turned to Rhaegar. “Open the door.”
Rhaegar shook his head. “No. We don’t know her. We only know what she told

us.”

“She’s Noel’s daughter.”

“That doesn’t mean she’s here to help.” Rhaegar folded his arms across his chest.
Hart’s dragon rose up ready to defend his family. “She is. I can feel it.”

“We have to save Noel!” Sansha shouted.
“She could still be dangerous,” Rhaegar said, glaring at Sansha.
“Are you afraid of this tiny fae, beloved?” Leif sauntered up to the prison cell

and wiggled his fingers at her.

“What are you?” she asked, her expression transforming from angry to

enchanted.

“A raven. We’re the badasses of the shifter world.”
Sansha laughed. “Yeah, I’ve heard that.”

Leif nodded. “I thought you were a smart one.”
“Fine.” Rhaegar unlocked the door and waved her out.

“Hey, stepdad.” Her honey blond hair settled at the middle of her back in a

plaited braid; she was tiny even for a fae.

“Come with me and we can talk about what to do.”
“No.” She grabbed Hart’s arm. “I don’t want to talk. We have to go get him. You

have no idea what they’re up to. They could be torturing him even now.”

“We have to plan before we go back.” He patted her hand and allowed the

contact as they walked to his cave. Once inside, he motioned her to his couch, one of the
few pieces of human-sized furniture in the cave. “Sit, I’ll get you something to drink.”

“We need to go and get him!” Her voice reached a screechy range that had Hart

wincing.

“Sit. I need to know more about the situation before rushing over there. Chances

are I’ll get captured next if I go into the light fae kingdom without any planning.” He
reached for his mate through their mind link, but still couldn’t sense anything. He

evaluated what he knew about the situation. “If you lived in a cage, how did you
escape?”

“I was with Noel, and he broke the door lock. When they lifted him above the

floor, he could access his magic. The magic dampening spell is in the floor. He created a
diversion so I could escape, but he couldn’t save himself. He told me to come here. He’s

really smart.” Her admiration for Noel had Hart liking her even more.

“Why would they neutralize his magic?” The more he heard, the more he

worried.

“They do that to us younger fae. We live in the south tower. They call them

apartments, except they’re really cells. We’re locked in at night, and we’re watched

during the day. If we don’t behave, they put us in the cage.”

From her expression, Hart suspected she was there more often than not.

“What did they tell you about your fathers?”
Sansha’s eyes filled with tears. “They told me both of them died in a fire. I didn’t

know Noel was still alive until he showed up and broke me out of there. He screamed

at me to run to you so I did.”

“I should’ve given him a twenty-four hour cutoff. This two days agreement is

idiotic.”

“He loved you for it,” Sansha said. “He said you were amazing. All he could do

was tell me how great my life was going to be with a dragon shifter father. Anyone

other than a fae right now would be great.”

“Except Noel. Don’t blame him. He had no idea you were still alive. They

showed him bones and everything. He was too traumatized by your other father’s
death to believe they lied to him.”

“No. I know. He told me.” She rushed to assure Hart. “I don’t blame him. I don’t.

You didn’t see his eyes when he discovered I’d been locked up all my life.”

“Why did they keep Noel?”

“They think they can do anything.” Sansha’s sweet voice took on a razor’s edge.

“They think they can go against the king. They’ll drain my dad of magic, then get rid of

him. I know they won’t keep him around in case you come after him.”

“What did you do all the time you were growing up?”
Sansha twirled a strand of hair around her index finger. “They isolated us,

trained us in history, language, and politics as they wanted the fae world to be run and
thought they had brainwashed our loyalty. They’re idiots.” Anger crossed her delicate

features. “I will get even with them if it’s the last thing I do.”

“I think you need counseling.” He blurted out the words before he could block

them. Anyone who grew up like Sansha had issues to be addressed. If the light fae had
subjugated an entire group of children, they would have to answer for their crimes.

Sansha flashed a wry grin. ”Probably.”

Damaged. Pretty and tough, but traumatized by her childhood. Hart wanted to

wrap her up and destroy the people who'd hurt her. The ones who should’ve protected

her from harm were the ones who planned to use her for a pawn in their unnecessary
war.

“King Kylen won’t allow this to continue. As soon as he finds out, he’ll shut

them down and crush the rebellion.” How could they be plotting for ten years against a
man who just took charge?

“It doesn’t matter who’s ruling. Voghr wants to be in charge. He’s willing to do

anything to take the throne. I don’t know what he’s doing with all our drained magic,

but I can guarantee it isn’t anything good. ” Her matter-of-fact tone chilled Hart to his
fiery core.

“How many of you are there?”
“Twelve.”

“And your parents just gave you all up?”
“Some, like my father, thought their kids were dead. Others are orphans. Two

were given up by their psycho parents.”

“I thought the fae cherished their children.”
“Some do. Some see them as a way to cement their bond to the leader.”

“That’s sick.” To use a child in such a manner went against everything dragon

shifters believed.

“Yes, it is.” Sansha grabbed Hart’s wrist. “You need to save him.”
Hart growled. “I will.”
“We will.” Rhaegar walked into the room, Leif and Blake behind him. “You take

one dragon shifter mate, you insult us all. We will send a message to the fae that we are
not to be messed with.”

“We should talk to the king first. This is a plot to take over his throne. Kylen

should know.” Hart wouldn’t battle the light fae without alerting the king, it could

damage the relations between fae and shifters.

“Granted. We’ll go talk to the Kylen first.”

Chapter Eight

After freeing Sansha, Noel lost track of time. He tried to keep focused, but the

beatings took their toll. Pain became his timetable. Three times a day, they beat him.
Sunrise, midday, then moonrise were his timetable of abuse. At night, Voghr came.

When he left, they splashed Noel with water to clean him. Apparently, they liked a tidy
canvas before they slashed at him again. They never repeated the mistake of letting his

feet hover above the floor.

As soon as Voghr left, the children came. Young people with cold eyes but gentle

hands spoke to him of hope and how they wished to escape one day, too.

“Voghr thinks he’ll break you.” Heron, the oldest of the group, circled Noel’s

body where he remained attached to the ceiling. He’d lost feeling in his fingers the

previous day.

“My mate will save me before then. Let me down.”
Heron lifted him, freeing him from the hook. “Only for a little while. They will

be angry if they know we can get out of our rooms.”

“What’s your power?” Noel could tell from their eyes that they were strong. The

occasional flashes of magic flared as they resisted the charms embedded in the floor.
His own magic kept trying to rise up, but if he let it, he’d bring the palace tumbling

down upon them.

“Wind. I’d love to suck the breath right out of them.” Heron’s flat tone didn’t

reassure Noel.

“I wish I could drown them in the sea.” Callista, a small nine year old, said.
Noel had learned she could control water when he’d been thirsty one day and

she pulled liquid from the air.

Heron frowned. “We all want them dead, but we want our freedom more. One of

us is already free. Soon, we’ll all follow.”

From what he’d observed, Heron had the makings of a fine leader.

“Hart will come,” Noel repeated. His dragon wouldn’t wait much longer before

attacking.

“What’s it like having a mate?” Heron asked.
“It’s the best thing to have and the worst thing to lose.” Noel rolled his shoulders

to loosen up his tight muscles.

“Are you certain he’ll rescue you?” one of the youngest asked. Noel didn’t know

her name. He wished he could wrap them all up and take them with him. The light fae
had much to answer for.

“Yes.”

No question lived in his mind. Hart would come after him whether Sansha

found him or not.

Noel closed his eyes. Concentrating on his mate, he imagined Hart’s dragon

form, then concentrated on the dragon morphing to human. Once he had a solid image
in his head, he telepathically sent out a single word. Mate.

Noel? Hart’s hesitant tone had Noel flinching. Did Hart really think they would

never talk mind to mind? When he got free, Noel had some relationship building to do.

Be careful. They’re waiting for you.
Voghr had gone on and on about how helpful Noel would be once Voghr got his

hands on Hart. Voghr planned to use Hart to work for the light fae. All the light fae
might not be involved in this plan, but those not involved were looking the other way.

I’m bringing friends. Noel smiled. Trust his dragon to bring more people to the

party.

Faster than a blink, the kids scattered. Like some sort of silent warning, they fled

the cell, leaving Noel alone again. Seconds later, his door opened and Voghr walked
inside. He locked the door behind him before approaching Noel.

“Are you ready to agree to my terms?” Voghr asked in the tone of someone who

already knew the answer.

“Never.” No other word would ever again feel so satisfying crossing his lips.

Voghr slapped him across the face.
Noel held back his hiss of pain. He wouldn’t give Voghr the satisfaction.

“You will change your mind with a few more days of questioning.” Voghr

glanced up at the hook. “How did you get down?”

“That doesn’t matter.” Noel kicked Voghr in the knee. He fell to the ground

screaming.

“You’ll pay for that!”
A loud roar reverberated down the hall.

“Will I?” Noel’s heart sped up. His mate had come for him.
Duck!
Noel dropped to the ground. The cell door burst from the wall, then flipped over

Noel’s head. Hart stood in the doorway, his hands shifted into claws and scales
shimmered down his body instead of lying flat like leather.

“You will pay for this, dragon. The king will prosecute you for your crimes,”

Voghr shouted.

Hart grinned. “You can ask him when he sentences you. You might be able to

deny you had Noel’s daughter, but to steal a dragon mate is a declaration of war. I can
kill you without retribution.”

“You have made a serious enemy, dragon. I will make sure you pay for your

insolence.”

“You don’t have that power.” Hart slashed his talons across Voghr’s chest.
Voghr pointed his palms toward Hart. A wind whipped through the room. Dust

spiraled up blinding him.

“No!” Noel shouted. Fire burst from his fingertips. Channeling dragon magic, he

sent the flames toward Voghr.

“Keep back!” Voghr screamed.
“Careful, Noel.” Hart’s voice echoed in the cell.
Voghr raised more wind. The breeze picked up the fire until it formed a tornado

of flame.

“No! Stay Back!” Voghr waved his hands, trying to end the magic he started, but

he couldn’t stop the momentum.

The cyclone of fire swept toward Voghr. Horrible screams filled the air piercing

Noel’s ears. He squeezed his eyes shut unwilling to watch Voghr’s destruction. He

might have earned his death but Noel didn’t want that vision embedded in his brain.

“Shh, I’ve got you.” Warm arms wrapped around him. He breathed in the

calming scent of ash from his mate.

“I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“I know.”
The wind vanished with Voghr’s death. Hart snapped apart Noel’s chains, then

spun him around.

“I was worried about you,” Noel said, opening his eyes.
“About me? You were here being tortured.”

“Yeah, but I knew you’d get me out of this.” He’d had no doubt in his head that

Hart would come for him. He just needed to hang on. “There are other kids
imprisoned.”

“I know. Sansha told me. She showed up at the mountain demanding I come to

your rescue.”

“I hope you didn’t need much persuading.”
Hart grinned, his eyes glowing bright gold. “Maybe a little.”

“I see. Well, thank you for coming anyway.”
“You’re welcome.”

Chapter Nine

It took them several hours before they could return to Hart’s.

“You’re back!” Sansha ran across the room and threw herself at Noel.
“I told you I’d go get him.” Hart’s indignant tone had Noel laughing.

“I’m sure it wasn’t a slight on your skills, mate.” Noel patted Hart’s arm.
“Oh no, Hart. Sorry. I was just worried since you wouldn’t let me go.” She

frowned at Hart.

“That’s because Noel would never forgive me if I brought you back to the place

you were imprisoned.”

The small sterile bedrooms the kids lived in might as well have been jail cells.

They had no personal items and everything was white.

“It’s true. Hart made a good call. I might not have been there for you, but I never

stopped loving you.”

“Thanks.” Sansha squeezed Noel tight. He gasped.

“Ease up there, girl. He’s been beaten,” Hart said.
“Who hurt you?” Sansha stepped back to examine Noel.

“Voghr and his henchmen.”
“I’ll kill him.” It would’ve been cute from such a small girl if her expression

didn’t look like she meant it.

Hart grinned. “Too late. Noel beat you to it.”
Sansha bowed to Hart. “Thank you. You are a worthy mate for my father.”

“I’m glad you think so. Now why don’t you go to your room? I’m going to tuck

your dad into bed.” Noel needed some careful tending.

“Okay, ‘night. I’ll see you both in the morning.”
Before Hart could say anything, Sansha kissed him on the cheek, then Noel

before running off.

“Well, at least she seems to like me, even if she’s a bloodthirsty thing.” Hart held

Noel’s arm to assist him to the bed.

“She hasn’t known anything except brutality. You’d be bloodthirsty, too.”
“It wasn’t a criticism.” Hart held up his hands to avoid further assault.

“Sorry. I guess I’m defensive because I just got her back.”
“You’ve got a lot of time to make up for,” Hart agreed.

“I don’t want you to feel neglected either.” Noel’s sincerity warmed Hart.
“I’m not neglected. I’m thrilled we have a family. At least I will be until she starts

to date.” His flame sputtered in his chest as he imagined the actions of young boys with

libidos.

“I’ll put you in charge of screening boys.” Noel smiled. “I have a feeling you’ll

have tougher criteria than me.”

“At least she’ll be able to protect herself.” Any boy wanting to date Sansha better

brush up on their self-defense skills against magic.

“Yes, she will.”
Noel went to his tiptoes and planted a kiss on Hart’s mouth. “I hope Kylen

rounds up the others.”

“Rhaegar was helping clean house. The kids were more than happy to name

their jailers.” The pleasure on the teens’ faces when they realized they were truly free
had warmed Hart’s dragon heart. It would take some time for them to assimilate into
society, but Hart had hope for the kids. He’d pulled Kylen aside and offered the dragon

caves if any of them needed to get away.

“They’ll be fine.” Noel squeezed Hart’s arm. “Let’s go to bed. I need you to come

and tend my wounds.”

“I’d be happy to. You go get into bed.” He smiled when Noel hurried to obey.

The fae didn’t move super-fast, but he would with time. Hot sex would have to wait,

but now that they were a family, they had nothing but time.

Epilogue

Anthony gasped. Magic burned through his bones, set his blood on fire, and he

was pretty sure that last bolt of lightning had permanently blinded him. He’d lost track
of the level of pain. Once it reached excruciating, details didn’t matter.

“Stay with me, mate.” Something wet sizzled against his arm.
Tears?

He turned his head. Lifting his eyelids took the effort of Atlas raising his stone.

“Silver?” Even to Anthony, his voice sounded rough and weak.

“Baby? Don’t let them win. You can do this. Accept your magic.”

“How?” He’d tried everything. He’d fought it for control. He’d accepted it, only

to have his blood boil through his veins like molten lava. Giving in or battling, neither

gave him freedom to breathe.

“Deep breath, slow in, slow out.” Silver’s touch grounded him, easing the pain.
“I’m not giving birth.” He tried to laugh, but pain sliced through him, stabbing

and intense. How could he make it all go away?

“You kind of are. Going from guy to god is a transformation.” Silver rubbed

Anthony’s arm. “If I could take away your pain, I would.”

Energy crackled through the air, and Hera appeared at the foot of Anthony’s

bed. It was a tribute to his pain that he didn’t care that she saw him half-naked and
writhing like a snake.

“Would you, young wolf? Would you take your lover’s pain?”

“No, Silver, don’t do it!” Anthony shouted. He ended on a gasp as another wave

of agony pulsed through him.

“Yes.” Silver’s firm answer sent tendrils of fear winnowing through Anthony’s

soul.

Hera tapped her index finger against her chin. “Tell you what. As much pain as

you can take is how much power Anthony will have. I can’t prevent dear Anthony from

reaching his godhead, but you will determine if he becomes an ineffectual demi-god or
the full-fledged thing. What do you think?”

Silver’s eyes flashed. His wolf peered out through a metallic gaze. “I can take

anything you can dish out, bitch!”

Oh fuck!
Hera grinned. “Excellent. I’ve never gotten to test a mate bond before. This is

going to be fun.”

Silver’s howl echoed through the pack house.
Anthony winced as the pain left him and only the echoes filtered through their

mate bond. Would they have any pack members left after their alpha died of pain
overdose?

The End

My Man Declan (Sample)

Please Note My Man Declan takes place chronologically before Marking Mikel.

Declan West tidied the den. Plumping pillows and verifying not a speck of dust

graced any surface. After the third run through to check that everything sat in its proper
place, he gave the room a pleased nod. With his obsessive-compulsive tendencies
temporarily sated, Declan left his master’s office and headed for the front door.

The clock struck midnight as he reached the wooden double doors. Without

checking the peephole or peering through the front windows, he pulled the doors open

just as his master, Phoenix Moorhaven, walked up the steps.

“Good evening, Declan,” Moorhaven said in his rich, mellow voice.
“It is technically morning, sir,” Declan corrected him automatically as he did

every day at this time.

“So it is,” the vampire agreed, his gold eyes shining with amusement.

“You let your servant talk to you like that!” The blonde lady on Moorhaven’s

arm sneered at Declan.

“Mind your manners, dear. I might be the leader of the vampires, but Declan is

the master of my house,” Moorhaven scolded. His tone might have been mild, but his
expression went colder than the Arctic Circle.

Declan took Moorhaven’s coat without comment. The opinion of one blonde

tramp meant nothing to him. His master would fuck her, suck her, and toss her out at

sunrise. Moorhaven never kept his food around for long. As far as Declan could tell, his
master had no interest in any human, male or female, beyond sustenance.

“The den is prepared for you, sir,” Declan prodded, eager to have the vampires

out of the way so he could finish his morning rituals.

Moorhaven’s warm smile, the one he saved only for Declan, eased his irritation.

He might merely be a servant, but Declan knew how much the vampire appreciated the
smooth running of his household. Moorhaven’s pleasure in Declan’s job was shown in

the many bonuses Declan found in his paycheck.

“Good morning, Master Lorrie, I didn’t see you at first. Please accept my

apologies,” Declan greeted Moorhaven’s vampire companion.

Lorrie Bellows, the second in command of the vampire coven, gave Declan a

friendly nod. “That’s all right. I know I don’t exist until you have Moor settled.”

Declan granted Lorrie one of his rare smiles. Lorrie had a winning way without

using over-the-top flattery. There were always a few who tried to get to Moorhaven

through his prized servant, forcing Declan to waste his precious time returning their
presents and bribes.

Declan’s integrity wasn’t for sale.

“May I take your coat, sir, and that of your companion?”
They both handed over their expensive outerwear. Moorhaven’s bite for the

evening hadn’t bothered wearing a jacket, probably worried about hiding her cleavage.
Declan could’ve told her the vampire cared more about her blood than her breasts,
however he stayed silent. He never interfered with donors as long as they didn’t mess

up the house.

Declan hung up the jackets with meticulous care, then closed the door only to

turn and find the entire party staring at him.

“There are drinks and snacks in the west parlor,” he prompted. He always put

out food for the guests. They tended to be hungry after the vampires fed.

Really, why were they still there watching him?
Moorhaven nodded and wrapped an arm around his food for the evening to lead

the girl away.

“So when are you going to leave Moorhaven and come work for me?” Lorrie

teased as he walked past.

Moorhaven spun around, abandoning his date. “What?”
Declan didn’t roll his eyes, but only because it would take away from his dignity.

“Master Lorrie appears to think I’m underpaid and overworked,” he explained.

As he spoke, Declan’s gaze zeroed in on a piece of lint sticking to Moorhaven’s

suit. Annoyed that it had passed his previous inspection, he walked over and plucked it

from the vampire’s jacket. He carefully brushed down the fabric to smooth over the
slight mark he’d made with his nails.

Declan almost jumped when a large hand tilted his chin up until he met his boss’

eyes. “Were you considering leaving me?”

For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of hurt in Moorhaven’s eyes but

abandoned the idea as foolish. “Don’t be ridiculous, sir. Why would I leave here?

You’re an excellent employer.”

“Good.” Moorhaven stroked Declan’s head like a favored pet. “I’d be at loose

ends without you.” He pointed a finger at Lorrie. “I forbid you to steal my butler. The

entire coven would be in disarray if Declan weren’t here to keep me in line.”

Lorrie laughed. “Surely you exaggerate.”

Moorhaven shook his head. “Nope. Declan organizes my life to perfection, so

don’t go messing with it.”

Declan’s head got another stroke. “Take the rest of the evening off, Declan, and

don’t go wandering in the woods. You nearly gave me a heart attack last time.”

He didn’t bother to acknowledge Moorhaven’s grumbled order. “I’ll see you

later, sir.” He gave Master Lorrie a reproachful look that was met by a playful wiggle of
his eyebrows.

Shaking his head, Declan headed for his room. He didn’t want to be around

while the vampires fed. Sometimes their partners moaned really loud. It only
underscored to Declan that he needed to find a lover, but who was going to get together

with a slightly neurotic butler who had to be on twenty-four hour call for his boss. Few
men would put up with being second place to any job, much less one involving

vampires.

Back in his room, Declan pulled up his profile on the online dating site he

recently joined. He spent the next few hours going through the improbable bios and

dirty emails he’d received while he had been working.

“You’re not still mad at me, are you?”

Phoenix watched his best friend pour himself another scotch. The girls were

already gone, having been bundled into their limo previously arranged by the ever-

efficient Declan.

“Stay away from my butler. I don’t like to see Declan disturbed,” Phoenix said.

“It would take a natural disaster or a herd of dust bunnies to bother that man.

He’s unflappable. Are you sure he’s not a robot?”

Phoenix gave a bark of laughter. “Yes, I’m positive.”
“Have you ever tasted his blood?” Lorrie asked curiously.
“No! He’s my servant, not my food source.” He scowled at his friend.

Lorrie flashed him a cheerful smile. “Good, then you won’t mind if I try a sip as

long as I don’t steal him away.” Lorrie’s chatter ended when Phoenix flashed across the

room and wrapped his fingers around Lorrie’s throat. He leaned in close so there was
no way his warning couldn’t be heard.

“If you ever touch a fang to my butler, I will rip out all your teeth and you’ll

have to figure out how to suck blood through a straw.” Phoenix shook his best friend,
slamming him repeatedly against the wall as anger burned through him like an out of

control brush fire. “No one touches Declan.”

“Whoa,” Declan’s smooth voice broke through Phoenix’s rage. Soft hands pulled

ineffectively at his wrist. “Master Phoenix, let go of Master Lorrie.”

He released his friend, pleased when he crumpled with a thump to the floor.
“I beg your pardon, Declan, I lost my temper,” he apologized to his butler. He

hated for Declan to see him at less than his best.

The butler stared at him for a long moment. Declan’s eyes were the barometer of

his soul. Light green when happy, dark green when sad, and an uncertain hazel when
upset. Phoenix hated the hazel, the color facing him right then.

“I think Master Lorrie might be the one you owe the apology to,” Declan

reproved.

“It’s all right, Declan. I was baiting him.” Lorrie climbed to his feet with a rueful

grin.

Declan raked a hand through his sunshine gold hair. He kept it cut in neat, even

layers that always made Phoenix long to ruffle it. Declan debauched would be quite the

sight. Not for the first time he wondered what his butler would look like naked and in
his bed, but he refused to upset his household by making a pass at the only person

keeping his world together.

“Please refrain from getting yourself killed,” Declan scolded Lorrie before

turning on the heel of one highly polished shoe and walking back out the door.

Phoenix glared at his friend. “You got me into trouble. My coffee will probably

be cold when I wake up.” He hated it when Declan was upset with him. Instead of the

smooth operation of a happy Declan, the entire household suffered.

Lorrie laughed. “I can’t believe you let that human rule your house with an iron

fist.”

Phoenix shrugged. “Declan keeps things in perfect order. That’s an irreplaceable

skill. I won’t have him worried about whether a visiting vampire is going to bite him.

He’s off limits and that’s final.”

Lorrie picked himself up off the floor. “Does he ever leave the house?”

“Of course.” Phoenix searched his mind. “Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, he

has off.”

“Where does he go?” Lorrie asked, his eyes lit with curiosity.
“Why the hell do you care? Stop speculating about my butler. In fact, go home.

We’ll work tomorrow.” Phoenix didn’t like Lorrie’s new interest in Declan. No one

should be thinking of his servant—at all. Maybe he should stop inviting people to his
house, it only encouraged them to think Declan would be available. Other vampires

became jealous when they saw how efficient Phoenix’s butler ran his household.

For the first time in centuries, his good friend rubbed Phoenix’s nerves

completely raw. Not to mention the next day was Wednesday, the worst day of the

week. He didn’t care if Frank, the under butler, did a decent job. He wasn’t Declan.
Declan added a certain panache to everything. He didn’t only bring Phoenix’s coffee

but positioned it at the perfect angle with the exact amount of blood he liked.

Lorrie scowled. “Tomorrow is Wednesday, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”
“Maybe we should start having Wednesdays off. Frank never gets my drink

right,” Lorrie mused.

Phoenix laughed. “We don’t get days off. You can’t oversee the behavior of a

coven if you’re not available when they need you.”

Lorrie gave a long sigh. “Fine. But I think giving the butler a day off is highly

overrated.”

“Me too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Phoenix sat there watching the fire, Declan arrived with a familiar tray.

Phoenix watched as the butler set down the serving platter. A silver coffee pot and a
plate of his favorite cookies rested on top.

“I thought you were off for the evening. By the way, how did you know I was

strangling Lorrie?”

Declan smiled. Phoenix paused in reaching for his cup to admire the unusual

sight. Sometimes he forgot his stiff and precise butler was still in his early twenties. He
ruthlessly pushed that information to the back of his brain where it belonged.

“You were making so much noise I figured I’d best save Master Lorrie,” Declan

explained.

Phoenix laughed. “And how did you know it wasn’t me being injured.”
Beneath his fascinated gaze, Declan lifted one eyebrow. “I don’t think so. Master

Lorrie might be irreverent and not give you the proper respect your position deserves,

but he’d never physically attack you, and if he did, I’d take care of him.”

Phoenix propped his chin on his hand, fascinated. “And how would you stop a

vampire?”

Declan held up his hand, showing off the wide antique ring he always wore.

“This is a poison ring. I keep hemlock powder inside for protection.”

“Really!” Concentrated hemlock powder could easily knock a vampire

unconscious, if not kill him. Pleasure filled Phoenix as he regarded his employee in a

new light. Meticulous, shy Declan had titanium balls to show his vampire boss he

carried around enough poison to take out a vamp. “I never knew. Aren’t you a man of
surprises? Wait, you’ve always worn that ring.”

Declan gave him a mischievous smile. “My mother gave it to me when I told her

I was going to work for a vampire. I know you won’t attack me, but you often have

guests.”

Phoenix nodded. “Excellent idea. You might want to consider a dart gun also.”

Declan turned around and lifted the back of his perfectly tailored jacket to expose

both a small dart pistol tucked in the back of his waistband and an extremely fine ass.

“Um, good job,” Phoenix managed to choke out over his surge of lust.

Shit!
Declan put down his jacket and turned back around. “Is there anything else I can

get for you, sir?”

Lay naked across my knees. Let me fuck you unconscious.
Phoenix shook his head to both answer his employee and try to knock the

naughty images from his head. “No, thank you.”

Declan took a few steps toward the door before stopping. “I have to confess that I

fiddled with your coffee.”

“What do you mean fiddled?” Had his trusted servant poisoned him? And if so

why would he tell Phoenix about it?

His servant’s fidgeting drew Phoenix’s attention. Declan’s usual calm demeanor

rarely showed fraying like it did now. “The new order of synthetic blood hasn’t arrived

yet. I used some of my own blood for your brew. I don’t know the health of your other
employees so I didn’t want to chance polluting your system.”

A sick or diseased person’s blood could mess up a vampire for months. Phoenix

appreciated his butler’s care even as his dick hardened over how his coffee would taste
like Declan.

“Thank you. Next time, don’t feel you have to sacrifice your own body for my

coffee.”

Declan blushed a pretty pink color as he nodded. He turned and headed out the

door without another word.

Anticipation had Phoenix pausing as he held the cup to his lips. The aroma sent

his gums tingling. Tilting the cup, he sipped at the bitter liquid. The acidic taste of the

coffee hit his tongue a second before another flavor exploded across his senses with the
power of a tsunami.

Declan’s blood had a more complex signature than any Phoenix had ever

consumed before. It only took a moment to realize why. His butler wasn’t entirely

human, definitely part human, but human and something else, something with an
ancient bloodline.

Humming contently, Phoenix polished off his cup of coffee and poured another

from the small pot provided. Enough energy buzzed through him as he finished the rest
of his work that he wondered how Declan’s amazing blood tasted directly from the

source.

About the Author

Amber Kell is a dreamer who has been writing stories in her head for as long as she

could remember.

She lives in Seattle with her husband, two sons, three cats and one very stupid dog. To

learn more about her current books or works in progress, check out her blog at

http://amberkell.wordpress.com

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Her fans can also reach her at

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