You can run, but you can never hide from the evil
that hunts you in the night.
Ever since David learned about the war between
the Birds of Prey and Blood Demons, he has
longed for the Birds of Prey leader, Night. When
the warrior rejects him, David leaves to forget the
world he was thrust into.
Night was created for one purpose, to fight in a
war between good and evil. When his Goddess
Athena gives him the gift of a mate, Night doesn’t
know how to care for the man meant for him. Will
Night learn how to love the David, and will he get
to him in time to protect him?
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters,
places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance
to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
Running After David
Copyright © 2013 Jackie Nacht and Stephani Hecht
ISBN: 978-1-77111-653-4
Cover art by Carmen Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the
reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in
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Running After David
Birds Of Prey, Book Two
By
Jackie Nacht and Stephani Hecht
1
Chapter One
he soft sound of the door closing was the most
deafening noise Night had ever heard in his
life. And he had been through centuries of fighting
a war in which screams in the night were
commonplace. How the soft snick of a door could
do the most damage to him left him feeling like he
was a stranger in his own damn body.
What the hell was he supposed to do? Ever
since he was created by Athena, he had one
purpose, to lead the fight in the war against the
Blood Demons. Hell, he even raised the warriors
to become the best and most savvy at defeating
the enemy.
David was just…so unlike any man he had ever
encountered before. Night had dealt with
warriors, bastards so evil that it made the devil
himself pale in comparison. To Night, David was
an anomaly, unlike anything he’d met before in
his private life. The man was full of life, had
enough personality for ten men. And boy, did he
have a bite to him that made all the warriors want
to turn and run instead of getting caught in the
T
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
2
same room with him.
Yet David had grown on everyone just like he
had Night. David had something that, once you
got past the snark, drew the others around him
just so they had a little light in their life when shit
was really hitting the fan.
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Night felt at a
loss for the first time in his life. A knock sounded
at the door, and Night ran over to it, jerking it
open only to be sorely disappointed at seeing
Wren. Turning, Night prowled back to his desk.
“Glad to see you, too.” Wren walked over and
took a seat, lifting red clay-covered boots to rest
on his desk. Asshole.
“What do you need?” Night growled.
“Always to the point. Getting touchy, old man.”
Wren chuckled.
“Last call, what do you need?” Night swiped
Wren’s feet off his desk. A nice red smear left a
trail behind. Georgia clay sucked.
“Blood Demons were at our home in Atlanta.
Went through and wrecked the whole place. We
took out the last three. There weren’t any residing
close by, so Raven and I are thinking they
followed us from the campus. I think we need to
consider having a talk with Aaron and David
about relocating to the satellite campus up here. I
know they don’t want to be imprisoned due to the
war, but we can’t be placing them in hot spots,
Running After David
3
either.”
Night scrubbed his hands over his face, feeling
a headache coming on. “Talk to them and see if
they’ll be agreeable. We need to figure out if it’s
just that the Blood Demons can sense them in that
vicinity or if the Keres themselves are finding
them and giving away their location. Usually,
Athena has always been able to cloak us better,
but I’m not so sure what’s going on that the Blood
Demons are able to find them so easy.”
Night needed to talk to the goddess. She had
always put the Birds of Prey under her protection.
Athena had been able to shield them from the
enemy when they were safely ensconced in their
home. Did this extend to their mates? If it did, it
wasn’t working. All their sanctuaries were
suddenly unsafe and exposed to the enemy.
Ten minutes later, Wren came back in alone.
“Where are Aaron and David?”
Wren’s brows lowered in concern. “Found
Aaron, but David is missing.”
“What do you mean David’s missing?” Night
got up and walked around the desk, heading out
of his office.
Prowling down the hall, he pounded on
David’s door. “David, open up!”
Night waited only a moment before he jerked
the door open to find the room completely empty.
What the fuck?
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
4
He moved around Wren, who’d followed him
in, and ran down the hallway as he scanned each
room, coming up with no sign of David. Raven,
Hawk, Aaron, and Duncan were watching him,
and Night could feel himself coming unglued. Get
it together!
Taking a deep breath, trying to put the foreign
feeling of panic behind him, Night tried to think.
He had never panicked a moment in his life. Now
was not the time. “Raven, did we get the GPS set
up on the cell phones?”
“Yeah, David has one.”
“Locate it. We need to find him.”
“He probably just needed to get away for a little
bit. David’s life has really changed a lot.” Aaron,
Hawk’s mate and David’s old roommate, said, but
Night didn’t fucking believe a word he said.
“Fuck,” Night groaned out as he made his way
out the front door. Maybe he took a walk by Lake
Lanier.
Night felt the presence of Wren behind him, but
kept scanning the area. The lake was surrounded
by beautiful tall trees and hiking trails. Enough
open area that David could be anywhere.
“Why are you so tense? He’ll turn up.” Wren
caught up with Night.
“Because…” hell how did Night even put how
much he fucked up into words.
“Go on.” Wren made a hand gesture to get on
Running After David
5
with it.
There was no point lying to Wren. The man
would find out eventually. “I pissed him off.”
“Huh, he’ll get over it. I think we’ve all pissed
him off.” Wren scratched his five o’clock shadow.
It was too fucking dark for David to be out in
these woods alone.
The man was all city, from his black and pink
streaked hair down to his skinny jeans. Hell, when
they extracted David and Aaron from the dorms,
the man couldn’t even leave without his
wardrobe. David was lean with very little muscle,
and he was nowhere close to Night’s six foot five
height. And Night’s rejection had sent him out on
his own, completely vulnerable to the shit that
went on in the cover of darkness.
“I fucked up,” Night mumbled.
“How’d you do that? I know the guy is a
handful, and hell, I feel bad for whoever the hell
Athena attached him to.”
Night lost it. “That’s me, you dick. And you all
keep saying that about him, and how fucked up is
that?”
Night bent over. He could not believe he had
lost all sense of composure and yelled at one of his
closest friends.
“Woo, you and David?” Night better get used
to the shock in the voices of his warriors. He and
David could not be any more different. “Is he
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
6
running?”
Night hadn’t a clue. “He asked me if I was
going to claim him as my mate, and I told him I
couldn’t.”
“What in the hell did you do that for?” Wren
snarled angrily. Night had it coming.
“I have my reasons.” Night was not going to
tell Wren that he wasn’t even sure he was capable
of being with someone. Battle, war, protecting
mankind…that’s all he knew.
“I knew you were fucking cold, but David?
Hell, everyone loves the little spitfire. Did you
even try to get to know him?” Wren pushed him,
and Night was just wrung out enough to let it go.
Otherwise, he would have laid Wren out on the
forest floor. Plus, he knew Wren was right.
He was a cold bastard. The only thing he ever
felt remotely emotional about was that he loved
each one of these men like they were his very own
sons. And that was another reason he couldn’t get
distracted with a mate. If he lost one of them, it
would be like losing a son that he had raised on
his own.
Every single warrior had come to him through
Athena. He had raised them, trained them, and
prepared them for the life they were created for.
The last one who had come to him was Duncan,
and soon Duncan would be getting his blessing
from Athena and finding out what Bird he would
Running After David
7
carry.
Night needed to make sure that his entire focus
was keeping these men alive. He couldn’t be
selfish enough to take something for himself and
let his guard down. If he ever did that, lives would
be lost.
“Answer me!” Wren snarled, pushing him
again.
“I don’t have time to get to know him. All I
have time for is this war and making sure each
and every one of you stay alive,” Night shouted,
getting right up in Wren’s face.
Wren stepped back with a shocked look on his
face. “Is that how you see it? Because I have to tell
you, that’s fucked up.”
Night turned, scrubbing his hands over his face.
They needed to be looking for David, not having
this argument for anyone to hear.
Wren grabbed Night by the shoulder, turning
him. “I know you see us as…more than warriors. I
know I give you shit for being black-hearted, but I
know it’s all a front. You’re so scared of losing one
of us, you’re going to lose the best thing that ever
walked into your immortal life. Night, you need
him. You need more than this war. You need
something to call your own.”
“But—” Night wanted to protest, but what the
hell was he going to say?
“No, Night. Let’s find your mate. This is
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
8
important for all of us.” Wren began searching,
leaving Night wondering what Wren meant by his
words.
After an hour, they had no luck in finding
David. How Night wished he could have taken
back his words to David. The longer they went
without finding David, the more certain Night
was that David had run from him. Night deserved
it, but David was now out in the world without
protection.
Running back to the house, Night was hoping
that he would get some kind of good news, like
they’d picked up the location from David’s phone.
Night climbed the front stairs and made his
way into the house. He could hear voices in the
kitchen and made his way in there. “Anything?”
Hawk shook his head. “Yeah, we found it all
right. It was pretty beat up just a little ways down
the road. I think David threw it out the window.
Why did he run when he knew the danger he
would be in?”
Night glanced over at Wren who nodded at
him. “He left because I didn’t claim him.”
Whistles and a couple of shocked gasps
resounded around the room.
Night gripped the chair in front of him. “I know
I screwed up, but I need your help.”
Raven stepped forward. “You got it. What do
you want us to do?”
Running After David
9
Night thought for a moment before finding the
one person who knew David best—Aaron. He
stood next to Hawk, and his eyes didn’t hold any
of the accusation Night thought they would. No,
they held compassion. “Do you know where
David hung out? Where he might go? Maybe
friends that he would call because he obviously
had to get a ride out of here.”
“I do, and I want to help,” Aaron spoke up as
Hawk whipped his head around, shaking his
head.
“I don’t think so. We’ll have to go back into
Atlanta, and that place is crawling with Blood
Demons.”
“You guys need me. I’ll need to talk to people.
Ask his friends. Think on my feet.”
Night didn’t like taking Hawk’s mate into the
hot zone that Atlanta had become. The place was
out of control, and taking in Aaron would only
attract the Blood Demons. But did they have a
choice? “Load up on all your weapons. Have extra
artillery in the Hummer for backup.”
Night ran to his room and pulled out his
daggers and short swords. He needed to be
prepared to protect, but he also needed to be
ready. If David actually did go into Atlanta alone,
and the Blood Demons found him first…
Night ran out his room with determination to
repair the damage he had done. He would find his
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
10
mate and get to know the man…learn from David
the things he had never been blessed to feel.
All the Birds of Prey were waiting, doors open,
outside the Hummer. Aaron and Duncan were
right alongside the rest of them. Duncan loaded
up just like the warrior he would soon become.
“Ready?” Wren asked, clapping him on the
shoulder.
Night nodded, getting in the passenger seat
next to his friend. David had a good couple of
hours’ head start on them. Goddess, Night hoped
he wasn’t too late.
Running After David
11
Chapter Two
have to pee,” David said as he began to look
for an exit that would indicate a gas station or
a rest area.
Sebastian let out a sigh as he gripped the
steering wheel harder. Had David not already
been madly in love with Night, Sebastian might
have been the type of guy David would have gone
for. With light blond hair, green eyes, and a slight
build, he was cute without even trying to be to. He
had the classic boy-next-door looks. But that was
all a façade. Underneath all that, Sebastian was all
devil. He’d done things that had made even David
blush with shock.
“You always have to pee. I swear, we would
have already made it back to my parents’ house by
now if it hadn’t been for all your pee breaks,”
Sebastian bitched.
David gave Sebastian an imploring look. Or at
least he tried to. Sebastian was currently keeping
his focus on the road and ignoring David. Some
“I
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
12
kind of friend he was! David let out a sigh. He
knew he should be more forgiving. After all,
Sebastian had dropped everything to help David
out, all without David giving him much of an
explanation, either. David had only told Sebastian
that he had trouble with a boyfriend and needed
to get out of town ASAP, and Sebastian had been
there, no questions asked. There weren’t very
many friends who would have done that.
So David knew he should be less whiney, but
damn it all, he had to pee. He began to wiggle in
his seat. There was no way in hell he was going to
make it the next five minutes without a tinkle
break, let alone the next hour it was going to take
to get to Sebastian’s parents’ house. Like it or not,
they were going to have to make a stop.
“Look!” David pointed to a sign for a rest area.
“You can get some coffee there, and I can go the
bathroom. Then we’ll both be happy.”
Sebastian made a face. “The coffee at those
places is always crap.”
David put on his most winning smile. “It’s
better than nothing.”
Sebastian let out a grunt. “Fine, but then we’re
back on the road, and no more breaks. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“There is supposed to be a concert there
tonight, and I don’t want to miss it because your
pea-sized bladder ruined it for us yet again. I
Running After David
13
swear you must have a swollen prostate or
something,” Sebastian said. “Maybe I should stick
my finger up your ass and check.”
A few weeks ago, David would have taken
Sebastian up on the offer. Now he just stuck his
tongue out at Sebastian and said, “Thanks, but no
thanks. I know where that finger has been, and I
have no desire to have it anywhere near me. Who
knows what kind of diseases I might get?”
“Buzzkill. You’re never any fun anymore.”
“I’m still fun. I’m just not a slut anymore.”
Sebastian shook his head as he pulled into the
gas station. “That new boyfriend of yours has
really messed with your head.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” David shot back with
heat.
He didn’t know what in the hell Night was to
him, but boyfriend didn’t even come close to
labeling it. By all rights, they should be mates, but
noooooooo…Night thought he was too good for
David.
But then of course he was, why shouldn’t he
be? Night was so awesome. With his short, white-
blond hair that just begged to have someone run
his hands through it, and his icy blue eyes that
seemed to look straight into your soul, he was a
god come to life. Whereas, David, on the other
hand, was a dork. Sure, he might try to act cool
and dress the part with his skinny jeans and
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
14
trendy clothes. He even added color to his black
hair. But inside, he was still the same insecure,
bullied kid from high school, the one who was
super skinny, pale, and bumbling. The one who
had always eaten lunch by himself because
nobody had ever wanted to be seen with him.
All that had changed at college, though. David
had reinvented himself. Now he had plenty of
friends. Or at least he had until Night and his
stupid Birds of Prey had come in and ruined
everything. Now David was on the run from some
freaks of nature Blood Demons who wanted to kill
him because he wore the mark of a mate, and his
damn mate didn’t even want him! It was all so
fucked up that David didn’t even know if he
wanted to laugh or cry or do both at the same
time.
“Night isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my….” David
trailed off, not knowing how to explain without
going into too much detail.
If he were to explain everything to Sebastian,
his friend would think he was crazy. That was the
last thing David needed at the moment. If he
ended up in a padded room, those creeper Blood
Demons would get him for sure.
“It’s just complicated,” David finished.
Sebastian held up a hand. “Sorry, dude. Didn’t
mean to pry too much.”
Sebastian found a parking spot and pulled in.
Running After David
15
They both got out. Sebastian headed for the
vending machine while David went to the
bathroom. He wrinkled his nose as soon as he
entered. Didn’t they ever clean these things?
David hadn’t expected it to be pristine by any
means, but this place really was the pits.
He shrugged. Oh well, it’s not like he was
planning on crawling on the floor or anything. He
was just there to take a piss. Not to take a nap or
do gymnastics or anything.
He was at a urinal, doing his thing, when the
door opened, and somebody walked in. David did
the man move and ignored him, continuing to pee.
After all, he had drunk a lot of Big Gulps during
the trip, and Sebastian hadn’t been kidding when
he’d said that David had a bladder the size of a
pea.
When the newcomer took the urinal right next
to David, David was a bit put-off. Everybody
knew that was a huge no-no. It wasn’t like the
place was packed. They were the only two in
there, so the stranger should have played by the
one-urinal-between-us rule.
Oh boy. If this guy was trying to pick David up,
he was going to be in for a rude awakening. David
was so not in the mood for games. Especially in
some sleazy rest area. Still not looking at the
stranger, David deliberately turned slightly to the
side so his back was to the guy.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
16
David tried to pee faster, but damned if his
bladder would cooperate. Why oh why had it
chosen this moment to have to go? Why couldn’t it
have waited another hour when they were safe
and sound at Sebastian’s parents? Now David was
probably going to get hit on by some scuzzy guy,
and he was going to have to make a run for it.
Finally finishing up, he zipped, giving his back
to the guy who needed to learn the rules of
bathroom etiquette.
Then he felt some heavy breathing on his neck
and heard an all-too-familiar growling sound.
Clawed hands reached out, grabbed him by the
shoulder, and spun him around. David sucked in
a breath as he found himself face to ugly face with
a Blood Demon.
As always, they never failed to amaze him with
their sheer ugliness. With pale grayish skin and
black eyes depleted of emotion, they looked like a
thing that came out of a horror movie. Only they
were very real, and they were there for David’s
ass.
“Oh, fancy meeting you here.” Why did David
always say the weirdest shit when he was
terrified?
The thing actually growled at him and leaned
closer.
Eww gross. The Blood Demon could definitely
benefit from a breath mint or something.
Running After David
17
David did the one thing he swore he would
never do to a man: he kneed the demon in the
nuts. Oops! His bad! Not really. He didn’t feel one
ounce of remorse over kneeing Mr. McGross
where it counted. In David’s opinion, being bent
over with pain etched on his face upped the guy’s
look a bit.
Keeping a calm he couldn’t identify the origin
of, David sucked in a nice lungful of air and then
let out a scream that would have made a B-movie
actress proud before leaving the bathroom. He
didn’t even take time to wash his hands. He could
use the hand sanitizer in his bag later. That is, if he
lived that long.
He grabbed Sebastian by the arm and said,
“Run! Now!”
Sebastian dropped his cup of coffee. “Not cool,
dude, you just made me drop my drink, and that
was the last of my quarters.”
No sooner had those words come out of
Sebastian’s mouth than the doors to one side of
the rest area opened, and a dozen Blood Demons
came spilling out. David let out a curse while
Sebastian watched them with wide-eyed terror.
“What in the hell are they? Some sort of street
gang or something?”
“No, they’re here to kill me. We need to run
before they do.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
18
Sebastian said, still not moving.
David gave him another tug. Would the guy get
the picture already? “We can talk about this later.
We need to start running!”
Finally, Sebastian must have gotten the
message through his thick skull because he started
to run. The Blood Demons were close on their tail.
David and Sebastian ran through the opposite
doors of the rest area.
They came to a skidding halt when they met up
with more Blood Demons on the outside. Worse
yet, they were surrounding Sebastian’s car.
Cutting off their only means of escape.
“What in the hell have you gotten us into
now?” Sebastian demanded.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,”
David said.
He looked around frantically for a means of
escape and saw a nearby field. While it might not
be much, maybe they could hide out in there. He
pulled on Sebastian and said, “Let’s make run for
it in there.”
Sebastian’s eyes grew wide in horror. “Are you
kidding? There may be snakes in there.”
Eww….David had never stopped to think of
that. But then again, it was better than having to
face the Blood Demons. “I would rather deal with
a snake than them.”
He nodded to the Blood Demons who were
Running After David
19
closing in. Sebastian must have agreed because he
made a run for the field. David had to catch up,
running double time to close the gap.
“Wait for me,” he called.
“Nuh-huh, this is all your fault,” Sebastian
called back, but he did slow down and let David
catch up.
All of a sudden, Sebastian began to run in a S
formation.
“What in the hell are you doing?” David asked.
His friend had to be battier than him, and that
took some serious work to do.
“I’m running in a serpentine formation. I heard
that’s the best thing to do if somebody is chasing
you,” Sebastian called back.
“That only works if they’re shooting at you,
you idiot,” David said. “If you keep that up,
they’re only going to catch up to you quicker.”
“Nah, I know what I’m doing.”
No sooner had those words left Sebastian’s
mouth than a Blood Demon tackled him from
behind and took him down. David couldn’t see
what happened after that because they both
disappeared in the dense brush.
“Well, shit!” David said.
There was no way he could leave his friend to
get his heart carved out. David wasn’t about to let
that happen on his watch. He ran over and found
that the Blood Demon had straddled Sebastian
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
20
and was letting out a cackling laugh.
“Oh, look at this, another mate,” it said.
David cocked his head to the side, mate? That
would mean that Sebastian would have to have a
birthmark somewhere, but if that was the case,
then where was it? Because David had never seen
it.
David began beating on the Blood Demon’s
back, but he might as well have been hitting on
granite for all his efforts. His fists even began to
hurt a little bit.
“I’m the one you want. Not him. So let my
friend go,” David demanded.
The Blood Demon ignored him and continued
to claw away at Sebastian.
“Protect your chest. It’s going to try to take
your heart,” David warned.
“What!” Sebastian screamed, his eyes going
wide with horror.
David didn’t have time to say anything more
before another Blood Demon moved in and
grabbed him. David’s world spun around as he
was thrown to the ground. He landed with a loud
thud.
All the air left David’s lungs. He tried to let out
a scream, but all that came out was a soundless
wail. He found himself looking up at a Blood
Demon. Fear clogged David’s throat, and he began
to fight back for all he was worth. But no matter
Running After David
21
how much he struggled, he couldn’t get out from
under the demon.
So this is how it’s all going to end, David
thought. He only wished that he could see Night
one more time. Better yet, he wished that he could
have at least kissed the warrior at least once, to
know how he tasted, to at least know that Night
hadn’t found him totally repulsive.
The Blood Demon pulled back its razor sharp
claws for the killing blow. David lifted his hands
up over his face, not wanting to see it coming. He
waited for it to come…and waited…and waited.
Then suddenly the weight of the Blood Demon
was thrust off him.
David rolled to his side and saw a group of
warriors. But it wasn’t the Birds of Prey from
Atlanta. No, this was a different group. Although
they fought and dressed much the same way. Did
they have a group in every state or something?
David staggered to his feet and ran over to
where Sebastian was. He was happy to see that his
friend was okay, but going by his pale complexion
and shaking, he was in shock.
“What in the hell is going on? Who are those
men?” Sebastian asked.
David put his arm around his friend. “Don’t
worry. Those are the good guys. We’re going to be
safe now.”
David watched in awe as the Michigan group
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
22
fought just as well as the Atlanta group. They had
soon dispatched most of the Blood Demons and
had the survivors on the run. Once it was over, the
warriors returned.
“Well, look at what we have here. A little
runaway,” one of them said.
“Easy, Buzz, they’ve had enough scares for one
night,” the tallest of them said.
The taller one had to be the leader. He had
short hair in a fade cut on the side and was a
mountain of muscles. He walked up to David and
grabbed him gently by the cheeks, forcing him to
tilt his head. David knew that as soon as the guy
looked at his birthmark, AKA his mating mark,
David was busted.
Taking his phone out his pocket, the leader
dialed. “Hey, Night, this is Snow. We have
something that you’re missing. Yeah, see you in a
little bit. I’ll make sure to keep it safe for you.”
As soon as Snow hung up the phone, David
gave him a dirty look. “Haven’t you ever watched
the Brady Bunch? Nobody likes a tattletale.”
Running After David
23
Chapter Three
ight hung up the phone, relief making him
sink into the chair closest to him. “Michigan
Birds of Prey have him.”
They had searched all night long, coming up
with nothing. Raven had sent out a call to all the
Birds of Prey in the surrounding states to keep on
the lookout for David along with his description.
He knew David would be attracting the Blood
Demons and that there was a small chance a Bird
of Prey might find him. How the hell did he end
all the way up in Michigan?
Aaron came over, sitting next to Hawk. “Is he
okay?” Concern filled Aaron’s pale gray eyes.
Aaron and David hadn’t started off well, but since
they had been thrust into their world, they had
gotten a lot closer.
“I’m not sure. Snow just said that he had him
and that was all. I’m going to leave here on the jet.
Wren, can you come with me, and the rest of you
get some rest. Don’t patrol tonight and stay safe.”
N
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
24
There was no way Hawk and Raven should be out
patrolling. They should just stay in and protect
Duncan and Aaron until they returned.
Night and Wren made their way to the private
airstrip, boarding the Cessna 525B CJ3 Citation Jet.
An hour later, Night took off, piloting the six
person jet and taking them toward David. Now
that he’d found him, what in the hell was he going
to say once they were face to face again?
Groveling on his part was in order.
Communication was another thing that Night had
never been good at. He was more of the give
orders kind of guy. Somehow, giving David
orders would probably go over as well as giving
Lindsay Lohan a bottle of vodka.
Night had the whole flight to come up with
something, and three and half hours later, he still
had no clue what to say to David. They deplaned
and rented a vehicle. A half hour later, they pulled
into the drive of a six thousand square foot gray
stone home that belonged to the Michigan Birds of
Prey. Night pulled up behind a full-size pickup
and climbed out. Wren and Night made their way
up the walk but didn’t even have a chance to
knock before the front door opened and his old
friend Snow, the Michigan leader, stood smiling at
him.
Snow waited for Night to come within range,
then clapped him on the back in a tight hug. “How
Running After David
25
are you, old man?”
Okay, so they liked to piss each other off, too.
Flocks tended to like to ruffle each other’s feathers
when they got the chance to get together. It wasn’t
that they didn’t like each other, it’s just well…they
liked to give the opposing flock hell.
“You outdate me, you fucking dinosaur,” Night
shot back. It was true, too. Snow was one of the
originals like Night. All the owl Birds of Prey were
the first of Athena’s warriors.
“So I see you came to get the runaway. Boy, is
he in a mood. A little scuffed up, but that hasn’t
stopped his tongue from lashing everyone within
hearing distance.” Snow shook his head, leading
them into the large home and guiding them to the
living room that had a wet bar in the back. The bar
had five chairs, and Wren and Night occupied two
while Snow went behind to pull out a decanter
along with three glasses. He poured a generous
amount in each before passing two over and
taking one for himself.
Night took a large swallow, feeling the burn all
the way down. “So where is David?”
“David and Sebastian are in the basement,
watching a movie.” Snow shot his amber liquid
back.
“Sebastian?” Wren asked.
“His buddy who apparently also has Athena’s
mark, but hell if he’ll show it to anyone. Blood
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
26
Demons were on their way to taking out his heart
when we found them in the field. Just in time, too.
Those two need to learn to fight. Right now, I
doubt they could fight their way out of a paper
bag.”
Snow had a good point. Blood Demons were
strong, but they needed to train these mates, so if
they were found, they could at least fight to
defend themselves enough to get to a safe spot
and call for help.
“C’mon, I’ll lead you down to them. I thought
you were gonna need the drink before seeing the
little viper,” Snow grumbled as he led them into
the basement.
Night had been here once, and this was his
favorite part of the house. Full bar in the back,
movie room with theatre seating, games, pool
table, and if you went through the double doors
on the other side of the basement, a kick-ass gym
that kept all his Michigan birds in top shape.
Night scanned the room and found David
sitting next to a blond-haired cutie in two of the
theatre seats. David was glaring at Night over the
back of the seat. Shit, he knew it was going to be
tough, but David looked at him with so much
anger it bordered on hatred.
“Oh look, it’s the cheater,” a voice came from
over by the wall. Fuck, Night didn’t need this shit
right now.
Running After David
27
Buzz came creeping out of the shadows. He and
Wren had a hate/hate relationship. Buzz never
liked the way Wren came to be a Bird of Prey.
Athena became fascinated by the German fabled
king of the birds and created Wren to become part
of the Birds of Prey since, in the old fable, the
wren did beat the eagle. Although in the fable, he
cheated, so Wren now carried all the negative
publicity from other flocks, and acceptance for
him was minimal. Night had gotten into more
than one fight with other flocks defending his
friend.
Wren, on the other hand, had built up this
snarky wall when it came to other flocks. Night
wouldn’t have brought him here, but he seemed to
be the only one that could handle being around
other birds. Raven would have already choked the
life out of Buzz, and Hawk would have had his
short swords at the man’s throat. While Wren was
a persistent bastard who wanted to come and help
Night out.
Wren flicked a piece of lint of his shirt. “Hey,
Buzz. Eat any roadkill lately?”
Buzz lunged for him. “You fucker!”
Night and Snow got in the middle of the two,
Night shouting, “Knock it off, you two.” Turning
to Wren, he added, “We didn’t come here for
this.”
Night turned to see David and the guy he
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
28
supposed was Sebastian look wide-eyed over at
the welcoming committee. He appeared a little
scuffed up, and Night wanted to go over and
inspect the man, see if he was injured, hold him.
Shaking those thoughts off, he stood his ground.
“David,” Night mumbled.
David turned and sat facing away from him.
Night deserved this, the cold aloofness from his
mate. Slowly, Night made his way over and
rounded the couch to sit next to David. He
tentatively reached out and checked David’s arm,
grabbing his chin and turning to see the scratches
on his face. The room was so damn quiet you
could hear a pin drop. He wished he would have
let Wren kick Buzz’s ass then everyone would be
distracted.
“What happened?” Night murmured.
Sebastian leaned over and spoke across David.
“He had to pee.”
“Huh?” Night was lost.
David cleared his throat. “We stopped at a rest
area, and those freaks were there in hordes. These
guys came, and that’s that.”
Night frowned.
“You’re missing a whole lot, David. Like how
there was a horde of them, and how we had to run
in the field. One of the fuckers tried to tear into my
chest, and I just got a tattoo there. Definitely didn’t
want him to dick that up, but the asshole was
Running After David
29
strong, you know. Kept calling us mates, which
I’m like hell no, I’m no one’s mate …” The
blond—Sebastian sucked in a breath.
Night thought that was the only chance he’d
get of cutting in. “Whoa, you’re someone’s mate?”
Night turned to the others. “Whose mate is he?”
For a bunch of warriors, every damn one of
them stepped back, shaking their heads. Seemed
Sebastian was a talker.
Wren came forward and knelt by Sebastian,
eyes widening before he mumbled out, “Oh, hell.”
“Sebastian.”
Wren looked baffled at Sebastian. “It’s
Sebastian. Only been called a hellion a time or
fifty.” Sebastian winked at Wren.
Night tried to stifle a laugh as he asked Wren,
“So he’s yours?”
Wren nodded.
“Oh, hell no! I’m only twenty-one. I will not be
mated. I like being single. There is no way I’m
going to become a part of this fucked up
nightmare.” Sebastian pointed his finger at Wren
like he was the one to blame.
Wren snatched that finger out of mid-air and
held in his grasp. “You don’t have a choice just
like I don’t have one. But we do have a choice to
get to know each other and not give each other
hell.”
“Fuck you,” Sebastian growled.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
30
“In time, sweetheart,” Wren snarled back.
Clapping from the back of the room had all
heads turning to see Buzz laughing his ass off.
“Oh, this is too good. Wren gets the broken one.”
Wren stepped around the seating and cocked
back his arm, then landed one right on Buzz’s face
before the guy even had a chance to defend
himself. Night jumped up, running to pull Wren
off Buzz while Snow grabbed Buzz who was
wiping the blood off his face and glaring at Wren.
“Don’t talk about my mate that way.” Wren
tried to break free of Night’s grasp.
“Take a joke.”
“Ha ha! That was so fucking funny, insulting
him.” Wren snarled.
After a few minutes, Snow spoke up, “I think
it’s best if we all rest for the night. Been a hell of a
day, and everyone is on edge. We have the suite
above the garage prepared for you and Wren.”
“And David,” Night interrupted.
David looked like he was about to protest, so
Night focused on his mate. “We need to talk and
work some things out, David.”
At first, Night thought he was going to object,
but instead, David glanced down before he
nodded solemnly. Ah, he hated that he caused his
mate pain. For the first time, Night wished that he
had taken the time to step outside the war and
learn how to be more compassionate instead of a
Running After David
31
cold-hearted fighter.
The three got up and made their way to the
base of the stairs before Wren turned. “C’mon,
Sebastian.” Wren crooked his finger at the blond.
“I think I’ll stay here,” Sebastian challenged.
Oh, Night wasn’t sure he was going to be able
to handle Sebastian living under the same roof
with him. The man was going to cause trouble,
challenge Wren every step of the way. Rubbing his
head, Night felt a headache coming on.
“Go with them, Sebastian, or you sleep
outside,” Snow waved a hand, ushering Sebastian
toward the door.
“You’re seriously kicking me out?” Sebastian
gasped.
“No, just forcing your hand.” Snow sighed and
rubbed the back of his neck. Guess the other
leader was going to be popping a couple aspirin
tonight, too.
Sebastian got up and stormed past the three,
leading the way up the stairs.
Night followed the angry mate and David as
they made their way outside. Snow was behind
him and walked them over to the in-law suite.
Climbing the stairs, Night entered to find himself
a little shocked at the size of the place. The suite
was nice with two bedrooms, a bath and a built-in
kitchen. There was really no need to go back over
to the main house tonight. Night felt a little of the
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
32
tension leave his body. knowing Wren and he
wouldn’t have to go at it with the other birds.
There was a reason that the flocks were small.
David and Sebastian sat on a plush couch in
from of a large flat screen television. Both seemed
exhausted.
“There are towels in the bathroom and stuff to
wash up with. Fridge is stocked. Call over to the
main house if you need anything, and I’ll come on
by.” Snow walked around, double-checking the
fridge and cabinets.
“Thanks, Snow, we owe you,” Night sat down
at the pub table. The day’s events and no sleep the
night before were finally catching up. He was
going to need to sleep soon, but he also wanted to
talk to David. Rolling his head, he tried to work
the kinks out of his neck.
Snow pulled Night aside. “Stay for a couple
days, and just relax. Work things out with your
mate before you have to head home and get back
to fighting.”
“I can’t just leave Hawk and Raven down there
by themselves.” Night put his hands on the table,
feeling the weight of the war on his shoulders. He
couldn’t take time off and put others in danger. A
leader always had to be on call no matter what.
“This is more important,” Snow said.
Night tried to process everything that had
changed in his life during the last week. Snow was
Running After David
33
right; everyone was right. It was time Night
changed and tried to prioritize something above
this war. Glancing over at David, who was staring
back with worry in his brown eyes, Night knew
this man was more important than fighting. David
was more important than this war. He was what
Night needed.
“Thank you, Snow. I’ll take you up on that
offer.” Night clapped Snow on the back as the
man exited.
David was staring at Night as he turned and
leaned against the door. “Can we talk?” Night
asked.
David nodded, whispering, “Sure.”
Night walked over and grabbed David by the
hand, pulling him up. The feeling of that soft hand
in his was so foreign to him that he was
momentarily paralyzed before his legs kicked into
gear, leading his mate to the bedroom. The whole
time Night kept repeating in his head, Please don’t
fuck this up. Please don’t fuck this up.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
34
Chapter Four
e already have a problem,” David said.
Never in his life had David been so
angry. Not even when they had cancelled Sex in
the City, and that one still stung, damn it. He
shook from head to toe, and he didn’t know
whether to yell or just kick something. Maybe he
would settle for kicking. It would serve the
Michigan flock right if he put a hole in their nice
pretty wall. How dare they call Night and tell him
where David was.
Night arched a brow at him, and damn if that
didn’t make him look sexy. “What is that?”
“There is only one bed, and there are two of
us.” David pointed to the offending object.
“Point being?”
David rolled his eyes. Did he have to spell this
out? Get out an easel and draw a diagram? Why
wasn’t Night getting it?
“There are two of us, and if you think for one
second that I’m sleeping with you, you’re crazier
“W
Running After David
35
than that Buzzard guy that Wren punched out.”
“Fine, you can sleep on the floor,” Night
shrugged.
David’s mouth opened in shock. As if! He never
slept on the floor. For one thing, it was all
hardwood, and he would be sore the next
morning, which would make for one cranky
David, and that just would not do. Well, David
would just have to show Night who was the boss.
“Fine, I’ll go sleep with Wren.”
He started to leave the room. His only warning
was a growl before Night grabbed him by the
collar and jerked him back inside. Before he knew
it, David found his back against the wall and
Night’s body pressed against him, their faces mere
inches apart.
“You only sleep with me. Got that,” Night said.
David wasn’t scared for a moment. He knew
that Night would sooner cut off his sword arm
than harm him. If there was one thing he knew
about the warriors, it was that they protected their
mates with their lives.
But David was turned on like nobody’s
business. Just being so close to Night, and Night
going all cavemen over him made David turn
from soft to hard in under sixty. Even though his
brain might still be mad at Night, his little traitor
of a cock was just skippy, dandy around the
warrior, and it was letting the fact be painfully
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
36
obvious.
Night let out a dark laugh. “See, you’re not that
mad at me.”
“That’s just my dick talking, and it’s always
had a mind of its own.”
“Oh, really?”
David nodded as best he could since he was
pinned against the wall like a bug. “Yes, it’s gotten
me into trouble more times than I can count.”
“Admit it, David, you still want me,” Night
urged.
“Wanting something and needing it are two
different things,” David pointed out.
And just like that, Night pulled away and took
several steps back. David stayed in his same
position for several beats, not sure of what had
just happened. Had he finally gotten through to
Night? Or had he pissed Night off enough that the
warrior was going to leave? If so, why did that
thought make David so sad? He was supposed to
be pissed at Night.
“We’ll both be sleeping in the bed. I promise to
keep my hands to myself until you say otherwise,”
Night said.
“What makes you think that I’ll ever change my
mind?” David challenged.
“We were meant to be together. You and your
temper aren’t going to change that.”
Anger surged through David. “Oh, so all of the
Running After David
37
sudden you have a change of heart and come here
to get me, and now we’re going to be mates?
Whatever happened to you not being able to do it?
That’s what you told me back at Atlanta. Or did
you forget that part?”
Night let out a sigh. “I didn’t forget that.”
“Then what happened? What’s with this
sudden change of heart?”
“I realized that I was being an asshole and that I
was hurting you by not claiming you. I went to
find you and talk to you, but you were missing. I
looked for you, but you had already taken off.”
David crossed his arms over his chest and
stared Night down. “Likely story. I’m not buying
it for one second. Everybody probably just figured
out who your mate was, and you came here to
save face.”
Night ran a hand through his hair. “What do I
have to do to convince you that I’m telling you the
truth?”
“We could go on Maury and have you take a lie
detector test,” David suggested.
“I’m trying to be serious here, David.”
“And who says I’m not? I’ll make the call to the
producers right now.”
“I am not going on any talk show, so you can
just forget it.”
David let out a sigh. Night was just no fun. It
had always been David’s dream to be on a
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
38
daytime show, too. Well, there goes one more
dream quashed.
“Fine, let’s just go to bed,” David suggested.
David went to the adjoining bathroom and got
changed into a pair of sweats. When he came out
and found that Night was still fully dressed,
David was a bit confused.
“If you want, you can go into the bathroom to
get into your PJs,” David offered.
“No thanks, I always stay dressed like this. That
way if there is an attack, I’m fully ready for
action,” Night said.
Yet everybody called David the strange one. In
his book, Night was the odd cookie in the bunch.
David just shrugged and got under the covers.
Even though the bed was big enough to fit
eighteen people, he still scooted as far as possible
to the edge of the mattress.
Night let out an aggravated sigh. “There is
plenty of room. You can move over some.”
“I’m fine where I’m at. Thank you very much,”
David said in clipped tones.
He knew that he was never going to get any
sleep that night. Not with Night in the bed with
him. How many times had David dreamed of this
very situation, but it hadn’t been under these
circumstances. It had always been of both of them
naked and of Night pounding him into the
mattress. Oh, how times had changed.
Running After David
39
“Are you going to continue to be this difficult?”
Night asked in an aggravated voice.
David bristled, as if Night had the right to be
upset at all. He was the one who caused this
whole situation in the first place.
“I’m pretty much planning on it,” David
replied.
Night let out a sigh. “Just go to sleep. We have a
lot of talking to do the next couple of days before we go
back home.”
David sat straight up in the bed. “What makes
you think that I’m going back with you?”
Night went up on one elbow, and damn him for
looking so sexy. “Because you’re my mate, and
you belong by my side.”
“So you think that you can show up, and I’ll
come home with you just like that?” David
snapped his fingers.
“Well…yeah.”
“Boy, you really are full of yourself. I’m not one
of your warriors. You can’t order me around and
expect me to jump when you tell me to. I do what
I want to do. Right now, that’s not coming home
with you.”
Night ran a hand through his hair. “David, you
can’t just run around out there unprotected. You
have to know that you will get attacked again.
You carry the mark of a mate. The Blood Demons
won’t stop until you’re dead.”
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
40
David fumed. He had never asked to be part of
this fucking world, and he’d be damned if he was
going to let it rule his life. He would just find a
way around it.
“I’ll buy myself a gun and take some self-
defense courses then. I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t, and we both know it. You can
fight it all you want, but they won’t stop until
you’re dead.”
David finally lost it. “I never asked to be part of
this. Find some way to get me out of it so I can get
my damn life back. You’re the leader, so talk to
Athena and get me a damn out clause.”
“I hate to break it to you, but once Athena
makes up her mind, there is no changing it. She is
stubborn when it comes to this kind of thing.”
David got out of the bed and began to pace the
room. “So what you’re telling me is I’m screwed.
Not only do I have a mate who doesn’t want me,
but I’m going to be chased by those creepy Blood
Demons for the rest of my life. This just sucks.”
“I told you I was sorry about remaining silent
when you asked. I fucked up, okay? How long are
you going to hold that against me? If I didn’t want
you, would I have flown all this way to get you
back?” Night asked.
David shot him a jaded look. “You just didn’t
want to lose somebody under your control. It
would have made you look bad.”
Running After David
41
“If that was the case, then I would have sent
one of the other warriors instead of me. I wouldn’t
have come myself. I’m way too busy to take the
time out for this. But you mean more to me than
all that stuff.”
David paused. Could it be true? Could Night
actually mean it? And if so, what did that mean of
his and Night’s future? What if David was to go
home with Night and Night just put him in some
corner and forgot all about him again? David
didn’t think he could go through that heartbreak
again.
“Come back to bed. Please?” Night said.
David let out a sigh and climbed in bed. Even
though every fiber of his being screamed at him to
go over and cuddled into Night, David ignored it
and stayed on his side of the bed. He pulled the
covers over him and soon fell into a restless sleep.
When David woke up in the morning, he felt so
warm and safe. He cuddled in deeper. It was so
nice that he didn’t want to open up his eyes.
Strong arms were around him, and the smell of
leather surrounded him. David inhaled deeply,
taking it in.
Then David realized he was in Night’s arms
and that somehow during the night he must have
snuggled into the warrior, and horror filled him.
Jerking away, David fell off the bed and landed on
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
42
his ass.
“Well, that’s one hell of a wakeup call,” Night
muttered as he sat up.
“It was a mistake cuddle, nothing more,” David
said.
“No, it was your body doing what your brain
really wanted,” Night fired back.
“Fuck you,” David snarled.
“Name the time and the place, and I’ll bring the
lube.”
David got up. “I have to go to the bathroom.”
“Why am I not shocked?”
David flipped Night off before he went into the
restroom and relieved himself. He then rummaged
around his bag for his toothbrush and took care of
his morning hygiene, taking his time because he
didn’t want to face Night again. Thank God the
warriors grabbed it out of Sebastian’s car because
he had been too terrified the night before to even
remember his own name. After getting dressed,
David realized he couldn’t put it off any longer
and went out to face his mate.
“It’s about time. I was about to send a rescue
team in there for you,” Night grumbled.
“It takes a while to look this good,” David fired
back.
“You could look good even if you were
dragged through the mud and rolled through hay
afterward,” Night said.
Running After David
43
David paused, surprised by the compliment.
He floundered a moment for the proper words
before all he could come up with was a simple,
“Thank you.”
Night got up and went to the bathroom. He was
only in there a few moments before he came out,
looking as hot as ever. David wished he could do
that. But he hadn’t been lying when he said it took
a lot of work to look as good as he did. He didn’t
want to become that sad, dorky geek that he had
been in high school again. David vowed that was
never going to happen again. So if it took a little
bit longer to groom, then so be it.
Night began strapping weapons all over his
body. Daggers, short sword, knives. Paranoid
much?
They went over to the kitchen to find a very
grumpy Sebastian and Wren. Wren was making
breakfast. This was a blessing, since Sebastian
couldn’t even make microwave popcorn without
burning it. Meanwhile, Sebastian was drinking
coffee and shooting dirty looks at Wren.
“Didn’t you guys have a good night’s sleep?”
Night asked.
“Oh, princess over there had a great night since
he had the bed to himself. I got to sleep on the
couch,” Wren snapped.
“I told you, I don’t have a mate, so I’m not
sharing my bed with you,” Sebastian shot back.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
44
“I hate to break it to you, brat, but you do have
a mate, and it’s me.” Wren pointed to himself.
Sebastian made a small raspberry sound.
“Please, you’re not even that good looking. You
really need to get over yourself.”
The look on Wren’s face was priceless. David
had to pretend to cough to hide the fact that he
was laughing. Night, on the other hand, didn’t
even bother, he out and out laughed his ass off.
“I’m going to love to see how this one plays
out,” Night said.
“Like you’re having such good luck with your
mate,” Wren shot back.
“Touché,” David said as he helped himself to a
cup of coffee.
Everybody who knew him was aware of the
fact that he wasn’t human until he had at least a
cup or four of java in the morning. If he could, he
would just put the stuff in an IV and inject it
straight into his veins.
“So, Sebastian,” David drawled as he turned
back around. “Where exactly is your mating
mark?”
Sebastian shook his head. “There is no way in
hell I’m going to tell or show you.”
David stomped his foot. Maybe he was being a
little childish, but once again, he still hadn’t had
his coffee. “Come on, show me already.”
Sebastian gave him a no-way-in-hell look. “It
Running After David
45
will be a cold day in hell before you or anybody
else sees it.”
David and Night looked over at Wren. Wren
shrugged. “All I saw last night was the back of his
hand and a whole lot of attitude. So I have no idea
where the damn thing is.”
Night shook his head. “Whatever, I don’t care if
the thing is stamped on his damn ass. It’s there,
and we need to protect him because of it. Let’s eat.
We need to get going.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you. I already
told you that,” David said.
God, Night just didn’t seem to get the fact that
David wasn’t going to march to his orders
whenever Night snapped his fingers. David felt
like banging his head against the wall. The warrior
was going to drive him crazy.
“I’m not going with you guys, either,”
Sebastian said.
“And just exactly where do you two plan on
going?” Night snapped.
Oh, he looked good and mad. Well, too bad. He
was just going to have to learn how to play nice
with others. Just because he was the leader of the
Atlanta Birds of Prey didn’t make him king of the
world. David planned on showing him just that,
too.
“We’re going to Sebastian’s parents’ house, just
like we planned to all along,” David said.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
46
“You do that, and you’ll put them in danger. Is
that what you want?” Night asked.
Shit! David had never thought of that. If
Sebastian’s parents were hurt on his account, he’d
never forgive himself. He quickly scrambled
around for an alternative.
“Fine, we’ll find some hotel nearby to hole up
in. One that those creeper Blood Demons won’t
find us at,” David said.
Ha! Let Night choke on that one for a while.
David crossed his arms over his chest and gave a
triumphant smile.
Night slammed his fists on the table, making
David and Sebastian jump. “And just how long do
you think it will be before the Blood Demons find
you there? How many times do I have to tell you?
The only safe place you can find is with us.”
No sooner had Night said those words than the
windows crashed open, and Blood Demons began
to pour into the kitchen.
Running After David
47
Chapter Five
uck!” Night screamed, circling David with
his arm around his waist, then diving as the
horde of Blood Demons came pouring in. His first
instinct was to get David out of harm’s way.
He looked swiftly over at Wren who was
already grabbing Sebastian. “Take him!” Night
threw David at Wren none too gently. Night
watched as they ran as fast as they could to the
back of the place, hoping there was a rear exit.
Just as Wren was about to open the door, Night
noticed the Blood Demons had already found the
entrance, and the three turned briskly, making
their way into the bedroom. Bathroom!
“Lock yourself in the bathroom, and don’t open
it until you know it’s safe,” Night screamed,
standing at the ready as the Blood Demons
charged him.
Night barely got a chance to slam the bedroom
door shut before the first Blood Demon was all
over him. Turning, he did a swift kick to the
“F
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
48
demon. He could only pray to Athena that the
other birds in the house would hear what was
going on. It wasn’t like the Blood Demons were
being quiet ripping the place apart.
He reached for his weapons, thankful he
strapped them on this morning, and went to work
slicing them with his sword.
Wren came out of the bedroom and was next to
him with his own pair of short swords, working
on taking one head while stabbing another Blood
Demon. Night only hoped that Wren did a good
enough job securing the mates because the two
warriors were the only thing standing between
them and the Blood Demons.
Night took one down with a swipe, punching
another. There were just too many. For the first
time, Night was feeling panic in his fighting. If he
went down, there was no one to keep David safe.
They would break that bedroom door down.
Rage began to build at the helpless situation,
and Night let out a roar as he punched the one in
front of him, swinging deftly with the sword to
cut the throat of another. One jumped on his back,
and he felt Wren rip the guy off him but not before
those damn claws left a crimson trail in their
wake.
Another sharp claw to his stomach had Night
hissing in pain. Any deeper and the demon would
have torn through muscles instead of just flesh.
Running After David
49
Wren screamed out, “Fuck!” and Night barely
saw through the mass of Demons as Wren went
down.
Night felt one of the bastards kick him in the
face, sending him sliding across the hardwood
floors. Dammit, he was completely on the opposite
side of the room. Dizzily, he looked down the hall
to see the Blood Demons getting ready to break
down the door.
Just as Night was sure they were going to cash
out on this life, the Michigan birds came storming
in, efficiently working their way through the
group of Blood Demons. It had been a long time
since Night had seen Snow fight. The group stood
back to back as they took down the enemy. Buzz
ran over with Eagle and Phinn to surround Wren,
protecting him.
This is one huge clusterfuck, Night thought as
another claw sliced into his shoulder. They were
slowly taking out the Blood Demons. Buzz
decapitated one with his samurai sword while
Phinn, the massive blue-haired warrior, took out
one with his long sword.
Finally, after it felt like he had been fighting
decades—when in reality, it was probably only
fifteen minutes—the last Blood Demon’s head
rolled.
The only sounds to break the silence were the
heavy breathing of all the Birds, completely
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
50
exhausted.
Night stumbled, damn legs barely able to hold
him up as he ran to the bedroom. Knocking on the
locked door, he called, “David, Sebastian. Open
up.”
Legs failing, Night slid to the floor. Shit, this
was bad. Glancing down, he noticed that his shirt
was soaked with sweat and blood. For some odd
reason, whether his stubborn pride or the
possibility that this might upset David, Night tried
to regain his footing. Only to fall once more.
The door opened, and a shocked looking David
stared down at Night. David sat down next to
him. “Oh shit, oh shit, Night.”
Night hissed as David applied pressure to the
wound on his abdomen. Fuck, that hurt!
Snow’s face came into view. “We need to get a
look at you, Night.” Snow tore his shirt open with
one of his knives.
Glancing down, Night was pissed as hell one of
those fuckers had done this much damage to him.
“Wren, he okay?” Night moaned in pain as
Snow touched a sensitive spot on his stomach.
“Phinn and Eagle are taking care of him. You
two are lucky bastards that you aren’t hurt worse.
We have an alarm system here you could have
triggered.” Snow scolded, reaching for a med bag
that Buzz was handing to him as Night slid to lay
on the floor.
Running After David
51
“Nice to know that now.” Night’s head flopped
back, thunking on the hardwood floor. Great, now
he could add concussion to his list of injuries.
Turning, Night gazed down the hallway at
Wren. Buzz was approaching Eagle with another
med bag. Wren glared. “Stay away from me,
Buzzard. I’m not dead yet.”
Buzz actually snorted at Wren. “Even I’m not
that hard up for a meal,” Buzz said before he knelt
down and went to work on Wren. If Night hadn’t
been flat on his back, he would have been from the
kindness Buzz was showing Wren.
Sebastian followed Buzz hesitantly, sitting next
to Wren.
Night felt a pressure on his hand and glanced
down to see David’s black chipped nail-polished
fingers wrapped around his. Staring up at his
mate, he saw for the first time anger was gone,
replaced by worry. Night almost wished he saw
anger instead. He didn’t want his mate to ever
have to worry about him.
“I’m sorry,” Night mumbled.
“For what? Getting hurt? Protecting us?” David
asked incredulously.
“For turning you away. For getting you
involved in a world that is nothing but war and
hate.” Night moaned as Snow worked on the claw
marks in his arm.
“This isn’t any of your fault, Night. Maybe you
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
52
didn’t handle it well to begin with but…” David
looked around at the wreckage of the living room.
Night would love to know what he was
thinking at this moment while looking at all the
carnage that surrounded him. “I don’t think you
know anything other than this war. Maybe Athena
is right. Maybe you do need me.”
Night knew David was right. He needed so
much more than this shit in his life. He was
sinking into the darkness of this war, and it was
consuming him in a way that made Night
uncertain if he could ever regain the light. Was
this all his life was to be? Is that why Athena
brought David into his life? Night knew for sure
that’s exactly why she did it.
David was life, vibrant in a world devoid of
love. If anyone could help Night to live for
something outside of war, it would be this man
sitting next to him now. And he almost threw it
away. Goddess, had he ever fucked up there.
A slight panic began in Night. He gripped
David’s hand, holding onto it like a lifeline. He
didn’t want to lose him. Night didn’t want to let
him go.
Snow picked him up, leading him out of the
upstairs suite. This must have been a sight since
Night was a big boy, but Snow was even with him
in muscles and height. “Where are we going?”
Night moaned.
Running After David
53
“The only place I can think of is a rendezvous
point we have not too far from here that is
underground. Hopefully, that’ll keep the Blood
Demons off our back long enough to get you back
on your feet. It shouldn’t take you long to heal, but
you do have the proverbial wind knocked out you
for now.” Snow tucked him into the back of an
SUV, and David climbed in after him.
Snow shut the door, and he could hear voices
on the outside for a couple of minutes before
Snow climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I think we need to talk to Athena. This is crazy
that they can find our mates like this. There has to
be some way to protect them. At this rate, we’ll
continually be on the run and never get a place to
rest.” Snow jerked the car into motion, and Night
could feel the vehicle taking off down the road.
Hopefully, they wouldn’t be tailed by the Blood
Demons. “Where are Wren and Sebastian?” David
asked.
Snow called from up front, “They’re in the
vehicle behind us. Buzz is in the rear in case we
run into trouble. Do you want me to call Hawk
and Raven and have them come up?”
Night thought it through. If Night and Raven
were to come up, that would leave all of Atlanta
swarming with those sick fucks and no one to
protect humans. But how the hell were they going
to get back? “Call them.”
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54
David sidled up next to him. “Are you okay?”
Night asked.
“Me? You’re asking me if I’m okay? You who
took down about twenty of those freaks and looks
like you got your ass kicked by Edward
Scissorhands? Yeah, I’m fine,” David hoarsely
finished.
Night reached over, even though it hurt, and
pulled David down to lay next to him. There was a
moment when David’s hands hovered over his
skin before he rested them on a part that didn’t
hurt. Closing his eyes, Night sighed that the small
touch could relax him to the point where he might
just be able to forget the last couple days.
“Is this all there is, Night? Because I have to
say, this is a fucking nightmare,” David
whispered.
“No, it’s not. We’ll talk to Athena and figure
out a way so you aren’t hunted any more. There
has to be a way to hide you from the enemy that
we don’t know about. We’ll figure it out,” Night
mumbled.
David looked so sad right then. Hope seemed
to be lost in his blue eyes. “C’mere,” Night
murmured.
David hesitated for a moment before he leaned
forward and placed a gentle kiss over Night’s lips.
It wasn’t a kiss of passion but one to comfort.
Night worked his mouth over David’s full lips
Running After David
55
before he pulled back. “I promise I’ll do
everything I can to make sure you don’t have to
live in fear anymore.”
“But I fear for your life, too, Night.” David
rubbed his thumb over Night’s cheek, and he
relished the feeling of such tenderness. It was so
foreign to him, and Night instantly craved more.
The drive took an hour and a half, but Night
was shocked at what he saw out of the rear
window. Was that Santa Claus? “Where the hell
are we?”
“Frankenmuth. There is no way in hell any
Blood Demons are within an hour of this place,”
Snow yelled from the front.
“Isn’t that a tourist attraction? German town?”
David looked wide-eyed at Night. Yeah, Night
knew the feeling.
Night could completely relate. Why in the hell
did they bring them here?
“Yep. Best place to hide and heal up. It’s not
like you’re going to see a Blood Demon serve you
German style fried chicken in lederhosen.”
David burst out laughing. It was a sight to see.
This is the first time since meeting him that Night
had genuinely seen him smiling.
Night sat up, hissing but resting his back
against the side as he saw a massive amount of
Christmas lights and decorations go by, watching
David as he stared at a light-up Santa and his
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56
sleigh. Man, Snow was right, this was a bizarre
place to relocate and get out of a hot zone.
They pulled through the town and passed a
brewery. Sheesh, he could definitely use a beer
right now. Maybe a little alcohol could numb
some of this pain, although he could feel his body
already healing. Thank the Goddess for being
blessed with the ability to heal fast.
Just as Night was about to slump back over,
Snow pulled onto a long dirt drive. The place
looked to be a rundown farmhouse.
Snow rolled up to the house and parked the
vehicle. David was already opening the rear door.
Two more black SUVs were making their way up
the drive, and Night assumed it was Wren and the
rest.
“C’mon, big guy.” Snow made a gesture like he
was going to carry him again. No fucking way. He
was already doing better.
“I got it.” Night slid out, hissing, and was
warmed when David came over and grabbed his
arm, pulling it over his shoulder to help him walk.
Maybe, just maybe, David was coming to
forgive Night. He hoped, at least.
The group made their way to the house, and
Night got his first look at Wren since the fight.
Apparently they could have been twins, matching
wounds from arm to stomach. Hell, guess they
better go out and get matching outfits to complete
Running After David
57
the look.
Groaning, Wren glanced over at Night. “Glad
to see you’re still breathing.”
“Huh…twenty can’t take us out. Next time let’s
try for thirty.” Night groaned, climbing the stairs.
Buzz snorted behind them. “As I see it, we
saved your sorry asses from becoming a
permanent stain on the floors in our house.”
Night couldn’t help it. He was starting to like
the scavenger. For years, he had hated the bastard,
but seeing him warm up to Wren was making him
thaw out for the guy.
Night glanced around at the acres of farmland.
This certainly looked like a place they could hole
up and heal. Hopefully, Hawk and Raven would
be able to find this place. Snow had told them that
they were on their way and coming into Flint
airport with Duncan and Aaron.
Snow unlocked the door and opened it up for
the rest of them. They walked into a living room of
sorts, and David set him down on the couch. Wren
flopped down next to him, groaning. David sat on
the other side, and Night grabbed his hand.
Snow came back with more medical supplies,
and Buzz sat down, getting ready to redo the
bandages. With them being blessed by the
Goddess, they would heal faster, but it would still
take a good patch job and some time to heal.
A sound from the kitchen had everyone
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58
turning, pulling weapons out. Night had nothing,
but he tried to cover David. He couldn’t believe
they had found them already. There was no end to
this.
Athena came out, drying her hands on a towel.
Her golden armor covered in crimson. The
goddess was beautiful with long red hair and
intelligent green eyes. She was also lethal as hell.
“About fucking time you all got here. We need
to chat.”
Running After David
59
Chapter Six
avid’s breath hitched in his chest as he stared
at the Goddess in front of him. So this was
the one. The woman that all the warriors feared so
much. The one who had decided to interfere with
David’s perfectly normal life and make it one big
clusterfuck.
Sure, she was pretty enough in her golden
armor. That just happened to be covered in blood
and who knows what else. Her hair was a sight to
behold, too. It wasn’t just red, it reminded David
of flames. He wanted to reach out and touch it but
didn’t dare, not trusting himself not to give it a
great big tug. Yeah, he was that ticked at her at the
moment.
“So, you’re Athena,” David said, not bothering
to keep the venom from his voice. He was pissed,
so why bother hiding it? Besides, if she was a
Goddess, then she could probably read his mind
and already knew he was ticked anyway.
She seemed undisturbed by it. She simply held
D
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
60
out her hand. “Yes, I am. You may kiss my ring
now.”
David looked down at her hand, which was
devoid of any kind of jewelry. “What ring?”
Athena looked down and let out a gasp, her
green eyes turning bright with fury as she gazed
at her fingers. “Damn those elves and fairies. Let
me give you a lesson, boys. While elves and fairies
may try to fool you with their one-with-nature
hippy dippy bullshit, don’t buy it for a second.
They are the worst liars and thieves out there.
They just hide it beneath layers of wings and
gauzy dressing. I wouldn’t eat their damn cookies,
either.”
David didn’t know if she was crazy or if this
was all just an act she was putting on. He looked
at Night for confirmation, but the warrior
remained as stoic as ever. He just stood there, his
face devoid of any emotion. Well, okay, David
could handle this one on his own.
“You should know all about stealing since you
snatched my life from me and thrust me into this
freaky world,” David snapped.
That one got Night’s attention. He stepped in
front of David and said, “Please forgive him,
Goddess. David is human and doesn’t understand
our ways and customs.”
David smacked Night in the back as hard as he
could, which hurt the hell out of his hand but at
Running After David
61
least got a grunt of aggravation from Night. So it
was worth it. Shaking his hand to take away some
of the sting, David stepped out from behind
Night. Putting his hands on his hips, David
glowered at Athena. While she might be a
Goddess, she wasn’t David’s Goddess, so there!
“I’m trying to be serious here. I never asked for
any of this. What gives Athena the right to decide
that I would make good mate material and mark
me all without my consent?” David demanded.
“She could have at least had the decency to ask me
first.”
“Now that he puts it that way, it really doesn’t
sound fair,” Sebastian added.
“One more word from you, Bastian Baby, and I
show them all where your mark is,” Athena
warned as she held up a finger.
Sebastian quickly clamped his lips closed and
took a couple of steps back. Boy-oh-boy. It really
must be bad. Despite the anger he was currently
feeling, David’s curiosity grew. He would have
given almost anything to know where that
marking was.
“Really, Bastian? Is it that bad of an area? Why
are you so shy about it?” Buzz asked.
“I wonder if it’s on his ass. That could explain
everything,” Snow wondered.
“It could be. Maybe he just doesn’t want to
drop trou in front of all of us and show us the full
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
62
moon,” Buzz added.
“Will you both shut up! That’s my mate you’re
talking about,” Wren snarled.
Sebastian pointed a finger at Wren. “How many
times do I have to tell you? I am not nor will I ever
be your mate. So go sniffing somewhere else. I
don’t want you.”
Athena huffed, making a piece of her red hair
blow out of her face. “I hate to break it to you,
Bastian, but you are Wren’s mate. Like it or not,
you’re stuck with him for the rest of eternity.”
“What?” David and Sebastian said at the same
time.
“Oh, I left out that part, didn’t I? Once you
become mated to a warrior, you become immortal.
So unless somebody chops off your head or
eviscerates you, you’re going to live forever.”
Sebastian let out a groan. “Oh my God, this all
has to be some crazy dream. There can be no other
explanation.”
“Cheer up, Bastian. Think of all the raves you
can go to now,” Athena chirped.
Sebastian threw his hands into the air. “Will
you stop calling me that? My name is Sebastian.”
“Oh please.” Athena rolled her eyes. “You can’t
expect us to keep calling you by your whole name.
It’s such a mouthful and a bit stuffy if you ask
me.”
“Nobody did?” David said, wanting to get the
Running After David
63
attention back on him and his situation. They
could hash out nicknames later.
“Don’t be impatient. We’ll get back to your
hissy fit in a minute,” Athena said.
David gaped at her. Hissy fit? She comes in,
throws his life into ruins and when he dares to get
upset, accuses him of having a hissy fit. Boy, did
she have some nerve. If David didn’t think it
would earn him a lightning bolt in the ass, he’d be
tempted to really tell her off big time. As it was, he
was just planning on giving her a piece of his
mind. And yes, there was a difference—damn it!
“My name isn’t stuffy at all, you crazy thing,”
Sebastian argued.
Athena let out a sigh as she gave a slow shake
of her head. “I did warn him.”
She marched over to Sebastian, bent him over at
the waist and pulled his shirt up enough so
everybody could see his mark. The one that just
happened to be on the base of his spine, right
above his ass.
David couldn’t help himself. He burst into
laughter. “Oh my God, Sebastian has a tramp
stamp.”
A few of the other warriors joined in the
laughter. Night just shook his head, then pinched
the bridge of his nose. Wren, on the other hand,
looked ready to spit nails, then eat them up again.
But he made no move toward the Goddess.
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
64
Athena gave the mark an appraising look. “I
still think this one was one of my better pieces.
You should be proud of it, Bastian.”
Sebastian jerked away from her. “Proud of it?
Are you kidding me? Do you know how much
razzing I got in gym class because of it? High
school was a living hell for me, thanks to that
mark. It was bad enough being the gay kid, but to
be the gay kid with a tramp stamp practically put
a neon sign over my head that said hit me!”
Athena shook her head. “Kids can be such little
shits these days.”
David gave her a droll stare. “He would never
have had to put up with it if you didn’t put the
mark there in the first place.”
“Are we back to that again?” Athena asked
irritably. “You really do have a one-track mind.
You better count your lucky stars and stripes that
you are the perfect mate for Night. Otherwise, I
would have turned you into a donkey by now.”
David looked at Night. “She really can’t do
that, can she?”
“Ah…yeah,” Night replied as he gave David a
shut-your-frigging-trap-already look.
A genuine jolt of fear went through David as he
realized that he might just have overstepped his
bounds, and his big mouth might have gotten him
into trouble yet again. He wondered if he would
ever fricking learn. Probably not, since he was
Running After David
65
already in college and hadn’t yet.
“You can’t turn me into a donkey,” David
blurted.
“And why not?” she asked.
“Because I’m allergic to them.”
David was, too. If he even got close to one, he
would break out into hives, start sneezing, and his
eyes would swell shut. He didn’t think he could
live the rest of his life like that. It would be awful.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to turn you into a
donkey. Not after I went to all the trouble of
finding the perfect mate for Night. It wasn’t easy
to find somebody who would be compatible to
him. Believe me, I tried for centuries to find him
somebody. I was just about ready to give up and
then you came along.”
David didn’t get how he could be suitable for
anybody. He was nothing but a hot mess. Inside,
he had the self-esteem of a worm, and outside, he
was nothing more than a shallow party boy.
Athena had to have made a mistake.
“Not to disagree with you, but you have the
wrong guy. I am the last person that should be
mated to somebody,” David said. “In fact, I’m
pretty certain that I’m not suitable to be in a
relationship with anyone.”
Athena walked over and raised her hand.
David flinched, not knowing what to expect. In his
past, a raised hand meant you had overstepped
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
66
your boundaries and were about to get your ass
handed to you. But instead of hitting him, Athena
gently cupped his cheek. It felt…nice. It was
loving and kind. The kind of touch that he’d
always yearned for from his mother, yet had never
received. Damn if it didn’t make a lump form in
David’s throat, too.
“David, if you could only see yourself through
my eyes. You would be amazed at all the potential
you have inside you,” Athena said softly.
David felt an ache build up in his chest.
Nobody had ever said that to him, certainly not
his own parents who couldn’t ship him off to
college fast enough. They had even told him
already that they weren’t going to be home for the
holidays so he didn’t need to bother coming back
during the break. They had all but washed their
hands of him. The only reason they kept paying
for his college was so he could stay away and not
come back looking for handouts.
“If that’s true then why can’t anybody else see
it?” David asked. “Why are you the only one who
can see that I have anything worthwhile in me?”
“Some people are too stupid to look at what is
underneath the skin. They only look at the outer
shell and make their judgments based on that.”
Athena gave a sad shake of her head. “It’s sad but
true. But I can see the real David, and he’s a great
guy. He just needs to believe in himself.”
Running After David
67
“Sometimes, I don’t know if that’s possible,”
David admitted. “I don’t think that even I know
who the real David is anymore. I think I buried
him a long time ago.”
“But it has to be possible. Otherwise, you won’t
be strong enough to fight for you or for Night. He
needs you, just as much as you need him.”
David gave a soft chuckle. “I seriously doubt
that a buff warrior like him needs me for
anything.”
“You would be amazed at how lonely being
immortal can be. It’s a blessing and a curse all
rolled into one. He’s waited his entire life for you,
David. Don’t let him down.”
Gee, nothing like laying on the guilt a little
thick there, lady. Why don’t you add on another
layer and say the fate of mankind depends on it.
Go for the big one!
“I don’t know that I’m capable of not letting
him down,” David said.
That earned him a not-so-gentle slap across the
face. David’s head snapped back before he
brought a hand up to rub away the pain. “Ouch!
What was that for?”
“For not believing in yourself. You need to start
doing a much better job at that. I didn’t waste all
my time picking out a mate for Night only for the
mate to turn out to be a whiner.”
“Okay, I will. Just don’t hit me again. That shit
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
68
hurts.”
It did, too. David had been hit several times
growing up by both parents. Neither of them
could hold a candle to Athena. David was half
tempted to ask her to give them a visit and offer
them some payback. Day’am, she could put any
MMA fighter to shame.
Night came over to them. “Is everything okay
here?”
“No, your Goddess just slapped me across the
face,” David said, still holding his hand up to his
cheek.
“Why the hell did you do that?” Night asked
Athena. David was shocked to see Night talk to
the Goddess that way, and for him no less.
“I can pretty much wipe you off the face of the
Earth and him, too, with one blink of my eyes. I
get a free ride if it knocks some sense into him.”
Athena stared daggers at Night, challenging him.
“Forgive
me.
Please…don’t…touch…him
again,” Night gritted out. David could tell it
pissed his mate off to have to apologize.
Athena looked at David and winked. David
fumed inside. There was a reason why he flunked
out of mythology in college. All the gods and
goddesses and their damn ego trips. They’d
always annoyed the hell out of David. Now that
he saw that they were actually true, it made him
more pissed off than a cat thrown into a bath full
Running After David
69
of water.
Night put an arm around David’s shoulders.
David was still too pissed to be touched and
wanted to shrug off the arm but was too tired to
do more than a feeble shrug, so after a few
moments he just gave up. Besides, even though he
didn’t want to admit it, even to himself, it felt
good to be in Night’s embrace.
“So is it true?” David asked.
“What?”
“Am I really immortal now?”
“If that’s what Athena says, then yes, it’s true,”
Night said.
“So I’m going to have to spend an eternity
fighting off those Blood Demons. Great,” David
replied.
“Most people would be thrilled to find out that
they were immortal.”
“Yeah, well, most people haven’t had my life. If
it hasn’t been one battle, it’s been another. I
thought once I got to college I would find some
peace, but look at where I’m at now. Running for
my life from some freaks that want to rip out my
heart and put in on the mantelpiece as some kind
of personal trophy. Seriously, those guys need to
start collecting things a little less gross, like sock
monkeys or something. There is a lot less
bloodshed, and everyone is happier at the end of
the day.”
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Night just studied David as he rambled on. It
wasn’t until David stopped for breath that Night
asked, “Are you done yet?”
David took in a quivering breath. “Yeah, I think
so.”
“Good, because it’s time to talk to Athena about
what’s really important. How to keep the Blood
Demons from hunting you.”
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Chapter Seven
thena walked by Buzz and snatched a knife
out of one of the man’s sheaths. She sat down
across from them in the room and began picking
the gore out from under her fingernails. Night had
seen some seriously gross shit in his day, but
seeing part of someone’s entrails flick out of the
bottom of her nail had him wanting to vomit all
over the coffee table.
“I’m working on it. I won’t have those bitches
outwit me.” Athena flicked a piece, hitting Buzz
on the cheek. He looked at it for a moment
before…holy hell, don’t put that shit in your
mouth!
Trying to focus on the serious topic, Night
leaned forward, hissing at his injuries. “From what
I’m gathering, our mates are like a homing beacon
to them. If they’re within the area, they can easily
find them. We need to find a way that they aren’t
hunted. Is the Keres the one responsible?”
The Keres, or bitches as Athena loved to call
A
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72
them, were the Goddesses that controlled the
Blood Demons. They had a thirst for human souls
and now the Blood Demons had a steady supply
to sacrifice to them.
Athena’s flame-colored eyebrows furrowed in
concentration. “I may have a temporary solution.
Stay holed up. I’ll make sure Hawk and Raven get
here safe.” She rose, handing Buzz back his blade.
Please don’t lick the sucker in front of me.
“But what about Atlanta? The humans?” Night
rose with her.
“I’ve got some backup there in the meantime.
Don’t worry about Atlanta at the moment. When
change happens, there’s bound to be a lot of
fucked up in the transition. In the end, it’ll all
work out,” Athena said right before she
disappeared.
Great! Just fantastic! Night wasn’t sure who
was protecting the city in The South, but right
now as he glanced over at David and felt his own
wounds, for the first time he didn’t give a shit. He
was bone tired.
David stood. “C’mon, you need some sleep,
and so do I.”
“I’ll show you where you can crash. You want
me to take a look at your wounds?” Snow got up
and showed them to a room at the back end of the
ranch. There was a connecting bathroom that
seemed to call Night more than the bed.
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73
“Just leave the supplies, and I’ll take care of it
myself. I think I’m going to have a shower first.”
Snow left as Night stumbled over to the shower,
and David caught up quickly, helping him into the
low-lit room.
“I don’t think you’re in any shape to shower on
your own. Let’s get naked.” David started to strip
right in front of Night without a damn care to
modesty. Night couldn’t help but stare as the man
revealed pale creamy flesh when he removed his
shirt. David had no clue what he was doing to
Night at this very moment as he stripped his
pants. David walked over, and sweet gods that
ass, Night couldn’t tear his eyes away as David
leaned in to turn on the shower.
David turned, and Night was caught staring
red-handed. He rubbed his brow as he got to see
the front of David. If he wasn’t so damn hurt, this
shower might have been Night’s undoing. Instead,
he stiffly undressed and got into the hot spray,
moaning and hissing as the water hit each cut.
Thank gods the stuff was superficial, but they still
hurt like hell.
Night felt David step in behind him. “Here, let
me grab some soap and wash you up.”
David grabbed the bar of soap and lathered his
hands. Night was at a loss as what to do as David
gently began to wash his chest, arms, and neck. He
couldn’t help the low moan that escaped at such a
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74
soft touch. Everything in his damn life was hard
and to have this moment…he wasn’t sure if he
wanted to push David away or grab the man and
never let him go.
Night was at war with himself as David began
to wash his thighs and calves. It was too much to
bear, and he stepped back. David stood up, dark
hair wet. “What’s wrong?”
Night felt cornered, caged. “I…uh…” He
scrubbed his hands over his face. What the hell
was wrong with him?
Hands grabbed his and pulled them off his face.
“You’re not used to being touched, are you?”
David looked at him curiously.
Night was just so damn tired of the war,
fighting David, so he just leaned against the wall
and shook his head.
“Haven’t you ever had anything but the Birds
of Prey or the war?” David’s brow rose.
“No,” Night mumbled, feeling the water drip
off his lower lip at the damning word.
“A choice?” David stepped forward.
Night took a deep breath. “No.” He was created
for one thing. He never had a choice, always to
lead, to fight, to train.
David touched his arm, and Night couldn’t bear
to look at his eyes so he just stared at those fingers
stoking his forearm. “And you didn’t even get a
choice with me being your mate? Your whole life
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75
isn’t even your own but belongs to others.”
Night had no idea what to say to that so he
remained silent, listening to the sound of the
water hitting their bodies.
“You have no idea what freedom is? Do you?”
Again Night remained quiet. Tentative hands
grabbed his chin, forcing him to look down at
David. He saw so many emotions crossing David’s
face, he couldn’t possibly ever figure out what the
man was thinking.
Hands grabbed his hair, and Night felt himself
being pulled down until David’s lips connected
with his. Dammit if his breath didn’t hitch at the
feeling of those full lips for the first time. David’s
tongue grazed his lips, and Night opened up to
him, moaning at the taste. The kiss was soft,
gentle, and they slowly embraced. This wasn’t a
kiss of passion but a truce, a new beginning for the
two of them.
David stepped back. “Let me finish you up and
then we can get to bed, okay?”
Night nodded, and David finished the job and
went to work on cleaning himself while Night just
leaned against the cool tiled wall.
The water shut off, and Night hadn’t even
realized he had closed his eyes. They stepped out,
and David began to dry him off. He wasn’t sure
where the tenderness was coming from, and why
David all of a sudden was taking care of him, but
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he wasn’t going to ask questions. Soon he felt
David helping into the bedroom and lying him
down on the bed. He moaned as his body wanted
to give into the sleep instantly. He had gone so
fucking long with little to no sleep that his body
was demanding it now.
David climbed in next to him and crawled over
next to him. “Sleep, Night. We’ll talk in the
morning.” Their hands entwined, and that’s the
last thing Night remembered.
The next morning, Night woke up to the most
wonderful feeling. Someone was stroking his hair,
and he leaned into it, knowing that it could only
be David.
“Morning,” Night grumbled out.
“More like afternoon. You’ve been doing some
crazy healing sleeping. I didn’t want to even wake
you up to get breakfast.” David touched his chest
where it had been tender yesterday. Now all he
could feel was the touch that was sending
electricity through his entire body.
“We need to talk.” David leaned in and licked a
path up his neck.
Well, that’s a hell of a way to start a
conversation. “Hold that thought.”
Night crawled out of bed and went into the
bathroom to take care of business and search for a
toothbrush. If he was going to talk to David, he
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77
wanted to do it with fresh breath and up close.
Washing his face, he came out to see David was
sitting on the top of the covers in his skinny jeans
but no shirt. Now how the hell was he going to
think clearly with all that bare flesh?
David patted the bed. “C’mere.” David smirked
while his eyes traveled down Night’s body.
Sheesh, he was completely naked and sporting an
erection in front of him. Not the time, he chastised
himself.
Never being one to give a shit about his nudity,
he had to question why everything was suddenly
changing with this man. Trying his best not to
cover himself, Night walked across and got back
into bed, covering himself immediately. Where the
hell was all this shyness coming from?
David out and out laughed at him.
“What are you laughing at?” Night grumbled.
“You. I finally get it. This is so damn foreign to
you, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“Being in a relationship that isn’t militant.”
Then David’s face softened. Dammit. “You have no
clue what freedom is. I never realized until last
night how none of you have ever had any
freedom. I can’t even imagine what that would be
like.”
“It isn’t that bad. You don’t know what you’re
missing if you’ve never had it to begin with.”
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Night closed his eyes. He was supposed to be
begging for forgiveness, hoping that David
wouldn’t see him as a cold-hearted bastard. He
did not want him feeling sorry for him. That was
the last thing he wanted.
Trying to steer the topic away from himself,
Night turned his head to stare at David. “But you
do know what freedom is, and yours has been
ripped away by fate.”
“Yeah, and I’m still not happy with Athena
about that. However, I’ve been doing a lot of
thinking, and I believe that we have a freedom in
our relationship. Yes, I know we are mates. But are
we going to be happy, care about one another, or
are we going to let the claws come out and
continually bitch at each other? I vote for getting
to know each other and learning to find some
form of happiness in the middle of this fucked up
world.” David picked at the comforter before
murmuring, “We both need a sliver of happiness.”
Night rolled over onto his side and rested his
head in his hand. Tentatively, he reached out and
touched David’s hair. The man had been so
resistant, he half expected him to slap his hand
away. What he didn’t expect, and got instead, was
a gentle smile and David reaching up and
reciprocating.
“I’m so sorry this happened to you,” Night
whispered.
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79
“I’ve forgiven you. I’m not so sure I’ll ever
forgive Athena, but I don’t want to talk about her
right now. There’s been something else I’ve been
thinking about,” David said before he leaned
down to kiss Night.
Night moaned, and David took full advantage,
thrusting his tongue into his mouth. The taste that
exploded in Night’s mouth had his entire body
heating. David moved on top of him and pressed
his jean-covered cock against his body. Damn,
what he would give for those jeans and comforter
to be gone.
David pulled back. “Wait! Your wounds?”
Night glanced down at the pink puckered
slashes on his skin, so the hell what?
“I’m good. Swear.” Night grabbed the back of
David’s head and brought it back down to his. He
could not get enough of the man’s flavor. At this
rate, it was going to become an obsession. There
was no way he was going to let these wounds
keep him from feeling David for the first time.
They were already more than halfway to healing
anyway.
Night felt David’s hands and feet move. What
the heck was he doing? Ooh…David’s hands
worked on getting his jeans off while his feet
worked on kicking the comforter off of Night.
Thank fuck! Night’s feet went to work, and they
probably looked utterly ridiculous, but he was not
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80
moving his mouth away from David’s even if a
whole horde of Blood Demons crashed through
the damn door.
“Need to feel your body,” David moaned.
“Gods,” Night moaned when they finally got
all the obstacles out of the way. David lowered his
body onto his, and it was all he could do not to
come right there. David’s hard cock rubbed
against his, and he rolled his hips involuntarily.
His cock began to leak copiously as David grinded
into him, creating the perfect friction.
Their kissing became hard. Rough. Teeth
clashed, and David began pulling his hair, and
fuck, he loved it. Not being able to take it
anymore, Night rolled, putting David underneath
him.
He had lost control. He began pumping his hips
faster. David was matching thrust for thrust.
Emotions rolled through Night, and he couldn’t
keep up with them and the physical feeling. It was
all he could do to keep from drowning from all the
foreign feelings crashing down on him. The only
thing keeping him grounded in this moment was
David.
“So good. Don’t stop.” David moaned, then bit
his ear.
Night was in heaven. He thought there was
nothing better than this until he felt David’s hand
reach in between them and took both of their
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81
cocks in his hand.
“Fuck!” Night cried out hoarsely.
David’s hand was slick from their pre-cum as
he worked both their cocks in his hand, moving
them closer to orgasm. Night reached down,
joining their hands. Night broke the kiss unable to
breathe. He huffed as he leaned his forehead on
David’s shoulder. Feels so good. Not gonna last.
It only took a couple of pumps before David
cried out. Night felt the warm wetness over his
hand and stomach. It was too much, and that was
all it took. Night groaned out as he went over the
edge. His whole body was shuddering, and it
seemed like forever before he fell to the side,
breathing heavily.
David jumped out of bed and ran to the
bathroom, coming back with a cloth to clean them
both. Night watched as he ran back and got rid of
it before climbing back into bed.
David blew out a breath before he laughed a
little. “Well, I thought about kissing you, but boy,
did that get a little carried away.”
Night tensed. “Did you not want to do that?
You regret it?” Oh shit, had he failed his mate
again?
Rolling over, David rested his head on Night’s
chest. “Absolutely not. I loved everything we just
did. Did you?”
How could Night tell David that for the first
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82
time, he felt alive instead of just walking through
the motions or fighting day in and day out? That
this moment had changed him forevermore
because it was with his mate, a man he was
growing to care about more each day.
Bending down, Night kissed David’s messed
up hair. “David…” he choked out then cleared his
voice. “It meant everything to me.”
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83
Chapter Eight
he next morning, they woke up to find that
Hawk, Raven, Duncan and Aaron had arrived.
David rushed forward to hug Aaron. While before
all this had happened, they hadn’t gotten along
well. They now felt like best friends.
“I missed you so much,” David said.
“I missed you, too. Don’t you ever go and pull a
disappearing act like that again.” Aaron squeezed
him so tight that David could barely breathe.
“I won’t. I promise. I learned my lesson the
hard way when some Blood Demons tried to
snack on me and Sebastian.”
Aaron pulled back, his brown eyes growing
wide. “Is he the one with the tramp stamp?”
“Oh, for God’s sake!” Sebastian yelled. “You
guys gossip worse than a group of old ladies at a
gin table.”
“We have to get our fun somewhere, and we’re
in between seasons of Game of Thrones,” Raven
called.
T
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“Just when I had hoped that maybe there might
be a sane one in the bunch, some more crazies
show up. You all need to be locked up in padded
rooms,” Sebastian said.
“They tried that once, but I just ate my way
through the padding.” Raven made gnashing
sounds with his teeth.
Sebastian took a step closer to Wren, but David
was willing to bet that Sebastian didn’t even
realize he’d done so. For one thing, Sebastian
hated showing any sign of weakness, and,
another, he would rather die than go to Wren for
anything, especially protection.
Hawk clapped his hands together to get
everybody’s attention. “I thought while we were
waiting for Athena to come back tonight, that the
mates could go out and do a bit of sightseeing.
You know…act normal for one day of our lives.”
David loved the sounds of that immediately,
but he didn’t know if Night had it in him to let go
of his warrior side for one minute, let alone one
day. So he was shocked when Night nodded and
said, “That sounds like a great idea to me. I’d love
to see some of the stuff here. Plus, David and I
haven’t had any real downtime.”
David grinned. “You mean that? Really?”
Night reached down and cupped David’s face.
“Yeah, I do. Go get ready. We can leave in a
minute.”
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“Well, I’m not going anywhere, because I don’t
have a mate,” Sebastian cut in.
“We’re going to be getting taffy,” David
singsonged.
“I’ll be ready in ten minutes,” Sebastian called
back, having a complete one-eighty in attitude.
David smiled to himself. He knew Sebastian too
well. His friend had never been able to turn down
anything sweet. A Blood Demon could be holding
up a piece of chocolate, and Sebastian would
willingly go along, just to get the treat.
Once they were all ready, they got in one of the
SUVs and drove into the small, quaint town.
David usually didn’t go for cutesie kinds of things.
But he had to admit it was charming. All the roofs
were styled like an old German town, and they
even had horse-drawn carriages. All the buildings
were painted to look like dollhouses, and David
felt like he’d just walked into a storybook.
Night found a place to park, and they all got
out. Since it was too early to eat, they decided to
do some sightseeing first. When they went into
one store that had all elves and fairies in it, the
devil in David couldn’t resist asking, “Say, Night.
Have you ever thought of redecorating your office
any?”
“I never thought of it,” Night said with a shrug.
“Would you mind if I picked up a few things
here to add to you décor?” All the while, David
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86
was practically rubbing his hands together in glee.
Wait until good old Athena got a gander at all the
new pretties.
“Hey, Bastian,” David called, laying a heavy
emphasis on the nickname. “You want to help me
out here?”
Sebastian looked over, and his eyes lit up with a
wicked gleam when he realized what David was
up to. “I would love to.”
They then spent the next hour picking out what
fairies and elves would look best in Night’s office.
At some point, Night grabbed David by the waist
and hauled him back. “Don’t think that I don’t
know what you’re doing, you little troublemaker.
I’ll let you get away with it, though. Nobody
smacks my mate and receives a get out of jail free
card, even a Goddess.”
“Oh…My….God…” Sebastian said as he
pointed to a particularly large statue.
It was a female fairy with golden wings and
body armor, and she was the spitting image of
Athena. It was so spooky that David half expected
the thing’s head to turn and start barking out
orders at them.
“Okay, that one is so not coming home with
us,” David said.
“Agreed,” Night replied.
They went up front and paid for their
purchases. Since the taffy place was next door,
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87
they made their way there. Sebastian ran ahead,
leaving them all behind. It was then that David
realized how sad Wren looked.
“Give him some time. He’ll come around,”
David suggested.
“I keep telling myself, but it’s hard. It’s almost
like he hates me,” Wren said.
Wren reminded David of a puppy dog that had
been kicked one time too many. So he decided to
break Sebastian’s confidence and share something
with the warrior. In the end, David had a feeling
Sebastian would thank him for it.
“Sebastian just got out of a really bad
relationship,” David said.
“Bad, how?”
“The guy was a real asshole. He cheated on
Sebastian and everything. So Sebastian is having
real trust issues right now, and the last thing he
wants is another relationship. That doesn’t mean
you can’t win him over, though. You’re just going
to have to work harder at it. Is that something
you’re up for?”
Wren looked at Sebastian through the window
of the taffy shop. Sebastian was watching the
machine pull taffy, and he was smiling like it was
the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. He was
talking to Duncan with his hands pointing at the
machine, and the two were laughing. Wren let out
a soft chuckle. “I can fight as hard as I need to.”
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They stood in silence for a while before Wren
asked, “This former boyfriend. He never
physically harmed Sebastian, did he?”
Damn Wren for putting two and two together
so damn soon. David let out a deep breath as he
worked over in his head just how to say what
needed to be said. “Well, he wasn’t exactly all
cuddles and hugs, let’s just put it that way.”
“Do you know his name?”
David wasn’t stupid, he knew damn good and
well why Wren wanted the ex’s name. “You don’t
need to know it. You’ll only do something that
you’ll end up regretting, and Night will be left
picking up the pieces.”
Just like he always has had to do, David
realized. No wonder Night didn’t know how to
have any fun. He was never given the chance or
time to have some. He was always too busy
cleaning up other people’s messes. Well, not this
time. David would play point for the warrior.
“David, I’m not kidding. Give me the name so I
can go and rip that guy apart. If I’m feeling good, I
just may let him live,” Wren snarled.
“I…said….no, and that’s final. You go and hurt
a human, you’re going to have the wrath of
Athena on your ass, and Night is going to have to
throw himself in the middle to protect you. I won’t
allow that to happen this time. If you want the
name, you’ll have to get it out of Sebastian. Of
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course, that will mean that you will have to fess
up to talking about him behind his back, and he
hates that more than anything. But don’t worry,
I’m sure he’ll get over it soon.” David patted Wren
on the arm, then went inside.
The smells of sugar and other artificial
sweeteners hit David like a fist the moment he
walked inside. How in the hell Sebastian managed
to eat this crap by the bucket load was a mystery
to David. Deciding to forgo the taffy, David went
to the back of the building where they were
baking the fudge.
Night was there, leaning against the railing. The
soft glow from the oven shone off his skin, making
it look all the more golden. While he might have
appeared young on the outside, the gaze on his
face at the moment made him look older than
time.
“What are you thinking about?” David asked,
almost afraid to hear the answer.
If Night was going to reject him yet again,
David didn’t think his heart was going to be able
to take it. He couldn’t go through all that pain
again. Not if he wanted to keep his sanity.
When Night didn’t answer him, David said,
“You’re not having second thoughts about us, are
you?”
Night let out a light chuckle as he grabbed
David’s hand and kissed the back of it. “Never.
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Now that I have you, I’m never going to let you
go. I was just trying to figure out a way we can
keep you mates safe without making you
prisoners at the same time. I mean, if we let you go
back to school we’re screwed because the Blood
Demons will attack you. But at the same time, I
don’t think it’s fair to you to keep you guys under
lock and key twenty-four hours a day.”
David stepped in closer and wrapped his arms
around Night’s neck, not even caring that they
had an audience. “If anybody can come up with
something, it will be you. You’re amazing.”
“I’m glad you have that much faith in me, but
it’s Athena who’s going to ultimately work out
this problem, not me, remember?”
David wrinkled his nose. “Athena. Blah! Can
we go a couple of hours without saying her name?
Please.”
“Why do you hate her so much?” Night asked.
“How can you not?” David retorted. “She took
away all your free will. If it hadn’t been for her
interfering, you would have never lived all
eternity, fighting Blood Demons. Always on the
run, battling to survive.”
Night then did the most amazing thing ever. He
leaned down and nuzzled their noses together.
Just like normal everyday couples would do.
David was so shocked he even let out a little gasp.
He almost pinched himself to make sure that he
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91
wasn’t dreaming.
“True,” Night agreed. “But if it hadn’t been for
her interfering, I would have never met you. I
wouldn’t trade that away for anything.”
David tried to say something back, but all the
air had left his lungs. Nobody had ever said
something that sweet to him in his entire life. It
felt like his heart was a puddle of chocolate goo at
the moment.
Oh shit! I love him. When did that happen?
“I guess you have a point there,” David finally
conceded in a small voice.
“Do you want some taffy or fudge?” Night
asked.
David was still struck dumb from the
conversation that it took him a few seconds to
catch up and answer. “Just some fudge for me. I
hate the way taffy gets stuck in my teeth.”
Night looked over his shoulder. “It’s just as
well. It looks like Sebastian is buying the place
clean of all their taffy and corrupting Duncan
along the way. Wren is going to have his hands
full with that one.”
“Funny, that’s what everybody says about you
and me,” David said.
“Oh, my hands are full. I’m just learning how to
juggle faster is all.”
“So you don’t have any regrets about being
mated to me?” David asked.
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“I never did. I just worried about how it would
affect somebody as sweet as you, being paired up
with a basket case like me. In case you haven’t
realized it yet, I have a bit a baggage that I lug
around.”
David was shocked that Night was sharing so
much with him. In fact, this was one of the most
intimate conversations they’d ever had, and it was
in the middle of a crowded taffy shop of all places.
David didn’t know whether to laugh or shake his
head. Welcome to his new, strange world.
“Well, now that you have me, you won’t have
to lug all that luggage by yourself.” David
brushed his lips against Night’s. He had to stand
on tiptoe to do so, and David wasn’t short, but he
managed to get the job done.
“See, that’s just it. I never wanted to drag
anyone into my world of troubles,” Night said.
“Who said you were dragging me anywhere?
I’m doing thing of my own free will. I’m doing it
not because of some birthmark, but because I
genuinely care about you,” David said.
David closed his eyes and prayed that he hadn’t
revealed too much too soon. God, he probably
scared Night away. Worse, Night was going to go
to Athena and beg to mate to somebody else.
Anybody but the local crazy who falls head over
heels for the first hunk who looks twice in his
direction.
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93
“David, open your eyes,” Night said gently.
It took all of David’s bravery, but he managed
to do as commanded. He cracked his lids,
expecting to see disgust or pity on Night’s face.
But what David got instead was the most tender
smile in the world.
“I care about you, too,” Night said. “And it’s
not because of the birthmark, either.”
“Really?” David said.
He was so high he felt like he’d eaten almost as
much taffy as Sebastian had probably consumed.
David threw his arms around Night and gave him
a brief hug before pulling back.
“I would show you how much I really care
about you, but there are children present,” David
said.
Night winked at him. “We can save that for
later.”
“I’m going to hold you to that,” David said.
“Go pick out what fudge you want, so we can
eat. I’m starving. I hear they make great chicken
dinners here,” Night urged.
“Birds of Prey eating chicken? Doesn’t that
sound a little wrong to you?” David asked.
“Not when it’s made as good as it’s supposedly
made here,” Night countered.
“Okay, okay.” David held his hands in the air
and went to the counter to pick out his flavors of
fudge. There were so many of them that at first he
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94
had a hard time making a choice, but eventually,
he made up his mind.
The dinner was just as good as promised. There
were so many courses that David felt ready to
burst by the time he was done. He even gave
Sebastian his ice cream at the end. By the time
they all left, they were in good spirits. Even
Sebastian was laughing and joking around.
When they got back to the others, they found
that the warriors weren’t alone. Athena was with
them. Her normally golden armor was covered in
soot and ash, and she looked like….well, hell. Her
hair hung in clumps around her face, and she had
a black eye.
“What happened to you?” Wren asked.
“Never mind that. Now let’s talk about how
we’re going to protect your mates,” she said.
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Chapter Nine
hat in the fuck happened to her? Night had
never seen the Goddess look as bad as she
did at this moment. She looked like she had her
ass handed to her. If something could cause that
much damage to Athena, he prayed that he never
came up against it. He wasn’t even aware that she
could be damaged to the point of having her own
blood spilled and bruises, but he knew if he
showed concern, she’d be utterly pissed.
Trying to put that behind him, Night asked, “Is
there a way to protect them?”
Athena stood, and if Night hadn’t been
watching her so closely, he wouldn’t have seen the
momentary weakness of her listing before
correcting herself. She widened her stance, looking
strong like the Goddess she is.
“I have a temporary fix for now. I’ll have a
more permanent solution just as soon as that
bastard learns to play nice.” Athena flicked a piece
of ash from her armor.
W
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“Is he your problem?” Buzz asked.
Athena growled. “Didn’t I just say let’s focus on
working at getting the mates safe, or do I have to
send your ass to find out the answer to your
question? He would just love your ass.”
Buzz raised his arms and backed the hell off.
Finally, Night saw something intelligent in the
bird. Maybe there was hope for him yet.
“Night, Hawk, and Wren, I need you to come
over here.” Athena beckoned them with the quirk
of her finger. She glanced over at the Michigan
bird Phinn before shaking her head. What the hell
was that all about?
“Wait…why Wren?” Sebastian cut in.
Athena didn’t say a word but cut a glare at
Sebastian that should have killed him on the spot.
Instead, he sidestepped over to David and held his
hands. Now, Night wanted to go over there and
kill Sebastian himself.
Night could hear the two mumbling,
“Seriously, don’t know why he’s over there,”
Sebastian grumbled.
“I would be quiet if I were you. And whether
you’re ready or not, Wren is your mate. Trust me,
you’ll be safe with him,” David whispered over
his shoulder.
“No way in hell is she strapping me to that guy
for life. Have you seen the shit that surrounds
him? It’s like a dark cloud of freaks.” Sebastian
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97
visibly shuddered.
“Don’t think about the Blood Demons and
Athena. Focus on Wren,” David murmured. Was
Wren seeing this? Night glanced over to see
Athena talking quietly to Wren. Shit, he was
missing this.
Sebastian glanced down before whispering to
David, “I’m trying, but I’m scared. He’s big…real
big. He could…”
“Pay attention!” Athena snarled and then lost
her balance but swiftly corrected herself. “Come
here.”
Night walked forward with Hawk behind him.
Wren was already next to Athena as she pulled a
wicked dagger out of a thigh holster.
Athena stood there for a moment as Night and
the others waited to see what she would request.
She blew out a breath. “Remove your shirts.”
Night wasn’t sure if she was pissed that she had
to see some skin or if her breathing was labored?
The Goddess was going to need some downtime
to heal from her wounds.
Night removed his shirt while the others did as
well. Athena moved around until she was facing
their backs, causing Night to tense.
“I need you to hold still. Sebastian, Aaron, and
David, I need you to come over here, too,” Athena
said while standing directly behind Night. He
hated having someone at his back, the goddess
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98
was no exception.
Feeling the presence of his mate had Night’s
muscles tightening even more. He knew David
loathed Athena, and not protecting his mate was
having sweat pop on his brow. Fuck, what the hell
was she going to do?
Night heard a small hiss from Aaron. “Ouch,
what the fuck?”
Night turned to his left to see Athena holding
Aaron’s wrist, palm of his hand facing up. There
was a slash across the palm oozing blood. What
the hell? Night felt the need to step in when
Athena took Aaron’s hand and smeared it across
Hawk’s back. Across his tattooed hawk to be
precise. She leaned forward, her full lips blowing
out a small puff of air on Hawk’s back before
leaning back.
If Night hadn’t been so used to seeing weird
shit in his past, this one would have sent his ass to
the floor. Hawk’s tattoo started to grow out of his
back. First the beak, followed by the feathered
head. The hawk let out a piercing screech before
its feathered body made its appearance.
Night stared in horror as Hawk bent over,
groaning in pain. Shit, this was going to be bad.
He was only there for a moment before Hawk fell
onto all fours, screaming as the claws came out,
ruthlessly ripping Hawk’s back. It looked as
though Hawk’s bird was trying to climb out of his
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99
back.
Aaron ran over, kneeling next to his mate.
“What are you doing to him?” Aaron screamed at
Athena.
Athena shrugged. “I gave his hawk life. Now
you will have a guardian watching over you
twenty-four/seven while he is out in the field.”
Hawk groaned, interrupting Athena before he
fell face down on the floor. Aaron cried out as he
went down to help his mate. The bird detached
itself from Hawk’s body, letting out a screech. Its
claws clacked on the ground next to the two. Right
before Night’s eyes, Hawk’s back seemed to heal
itself back together.
Before Night had a chance to go to his friend, he
heard David hiss behind him and then felt a wet
hand streak across his back.
David screamed out, “No! Oh God, Night!”
A hot breath blew against his skin.
Night couldn’t say anything because he was
grinding his teeth so hard he thought he might
actually chip the fuckers. A searing pain hit his
back, and it was taking everything in him not to
scream out. Holy hell, he felt like lava was just
poured all over his back. Standing there flexing his
hands, he willed himself to stay on two feet. David
had already been through so much, he did not
want to have his mate see another dark moment in
their lives.
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The pain almost became too much, and he
gritted his teeth when he heard the sound of a
screech at his back. Holy fuck…sweat popped out
all over his body. Night fell on all fours and began
rocking while growling between his teeth.
“Night!” David came down to him. He began to
murmur, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”
Goddess, it took every ounce of energy in him
to groan out, “Not…your…fault.” Spit flew out of
his mouth as he blew out a breath. Was he going
to have any skin left on his back?
Finally, after what felt like forever, the pain
lessened. Night was finally able to take a breath
and began huffing and puffing. What the fuck,
Athena?
Glancing up, he came face to face with the
tattoo from his back. The great gray owl tilted his
head before letting out another screech and
extending its wings. David came closer, and the
owl settled down. The thing turned his head and
gazed on at David with possessive eyes.
Wren went down immediately and cried out.
Man, whatever Sebastian was telling everyone
was full of shit because he actually held and
hugged Wren.
“You’re gonna be okay. I got you,” Sebastian
repeated over and over as he hugged Wren from
the front. Night could clearly see in this moment
that Athena actually had her shit together, and
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101
those two were meant to be together.
Hawk, Night, and Wren remained on the floor
with their mates as all the men came closer to see
what in the world just happened.
Buzz, the bastard, leaned down and poked
Wren in the back, which earned him a nice swat
with the hand. “Don’t touch me,” Wren snarled.
“Just weird seeing you without your bird is
all.” Buzz sounded amazed and horrified all in
one.
Sebastian scrambled up and away from
everyone, holding his cut hand to his chest with
wild eyes. Night felt like cursing the Goddess out.
These matings were such a delicate balance, and
Wren’s mate was already scared to death. This
would only make it harder for the two to work
things out.
David was hugging Night. “I’m all right,”
Night huffed out. “Help me up, please?”
Putting an arm over his shoulder, David helped
Night to stand. Night’s strength was already
returning, but hell, she could have given a little
warning.
Night glanced down and saw the hawk and
owl. The wren flew around, then landed on a
window ledge. Someone snorted. Shit, here it
comes.
“Sorry, Bastian, you got the short end of the
stick.” Buzz laughed.
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Everyone glanced over as the wren took off and
began zipping around the room. Wren looked
pissed. Yeah, Night kind of knew what he was
thinking. The wren didn’t exactly look tough next
to an owl or hawk.
What shocked Night was Sebastian ground out,
“He can protect me, and I think he’s cute, so fuck
off, Buzz.”
The Atlanta birds moaned while the Michigan
birds laughed. Night was pleased to see that
Sebastian was defending Wren, but did he have to
say…cute? Kill a warrior’s ego with that word.
“You’re absolutely right, Bastian, the wren is
very cute.” Buzz chuckled.
Sebastian crossed his arms. “Can’t win with
you guys. You’re all such bastards.”
Athena stepped forward, wiping the blood off
the blade. “Your birds will stay with your mates.
Protect them, but you’ll be able to feel if your
mates are in danger through your bird.”
Raven laughed. “They communicate?”
Athena pinched the bridge of her nose like she
was getting a headache. “No, they don’t talk to
you. You’ll get feelings, awareness of how your
mates are doing. Something goes down, they can
find your mates for you. They have both you and
your mate’s blood within them. They’ll be able to
hunt you down that way.”
“Sounds like a dog sniffing out blood,” Wren
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103
murmured.
“More like blood knowing blood. These birds
were co-created through your blood. They’ll be
able to find their own blood.” Athena sat on the
arm of the couch.
“So we no longer have our tattoos? Isn’t that
where our strength comes from?” Hawk asked.
“Your strength comes from your blood not the
marking. And yes, you’ll have your tattoo back.
You should only be separated from your bird
when you are out patrolling. And if your mate is
in danger, your bird can call you forth to be by
your mate’s side immediately.” Athena pulled out
a fresh dagger.
“How’d that work if we’re all the way in
Atlanta and they’re up at Lake Lanier?” Wren
asked.
“Want to test the theory?” Athena smirked.
Not really, Night thought, but as Wren and
Hawk stepped back, he knew he was going to be
the one to volunteer. Sometimes it sucked being
the leader. “I will.”
“No, let’s have Wren do it. He asked. Go
outside, Wren.” Athena waved her hand toward
the front door.
Hesitantly, Wren opened the door and left.
Athena immediately grabbed Sebastian and put
the dagger to Sebastian’s throat, nicking the skin.
Sebastian screamed. The wren chirped, and then
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104
holy hell, Wren was standing there with the
finishing touches of his bird being seared back
onto his back.
“Fuck that hurts.” Wren gritted out before he
took a deep breath. “But the pain is already
lessening.”
David came over to Night, eyes worried. “I
don’t like this. Looks like you have to go through
a lot of pain to protect me. I don’t think it’s worth
it.”
Night leaned down and kissed David. “It’s
worth it to me. I don’t want you hurt, and I don’t
want you all caged.”
David turned and embraced him. “I think I’d
rather be caged than see you screaming in pain
just so I can go to class.”
“It gets easier, David,” Athena interrupted their
conversation. “Eventually, their bird will be able
to soar out of their back quickly and efficiently,
rather than clawing the hell out of it and
struggling to separate. It won’t be pain-free but
more like a ripping the bandage off.”
“See? It’ll get better. You’ve lost so much. I
don’t want you to lose all your freedom.” Night
embraced David.
“Plus, I need you all back in the field. We’re
losing this war, gentlemen. Atlanta is overrun, and
so are a lot of the major cities out there. I’m
working on getting you some backup because you
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105
are severely outnumbered.”
“Who?” Night wondered.
“I’ll let you know when I can get their fucking
leader to play nice. Right now, he’s being a
bastard.” Athena grumbled. “And I’m off, boys. I
need you back in Atlanta tomorrow. I will be
working on a long term solution to protect your
mates. One that will have them go unnoticed to
the Blood Demons.”
Then she was gone.
Night wasn’t too happy that while they had the
birds and could get back to their mates quickly,
they still could easily be hunted down by Blood
Demons.
“It’s gonna be alright,” David murmured while
hugging him. He leaned in, whispering in Night’s
ear, “He’s creeping me out.”
Night leaned back, brow furrowed in
confusion. “Who?”
“Your owl. He keeps staring at me, and eww!
He just turned his head like Linda Blair!” David
did a whole body shiver, making Night laugh.
“Owls have the ability to turn their heads two
hundred and seventy degrees. I have no doubt he
can turn his head almost like Linda Blair, but I
think you’re safe that he won’t throw up pea
soup.” Night smiled into David’s hair. How
fucked up was this situation, and he was actually
smiling. Why? Because of this man in his arms
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right now.
David shivered. “It’s grossing me out and
giving me a neck ache at the same time.”
Night laughed until he heard the owl screech
again, and then he watched as the owl took flight
toward his back. Bracing himself, he felt the bird
make impact on his back. A sharp burn, causing
him to hiss, and then the pain was gone.
David turned him around. “He’s on your back
again. Why?”
“Must be what they do when we are together.”
Night watched as the hawk did the same thing to
Hawk.
Hawk glanced over at them. “That wasn’t as
bad this time.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Night agreed.
“Are you just lying to make us feel better?”
David came back around, holding him again.
“No, Athena was telling the truth. It isn’t so bad
when you get used to it, and the birds aren’t
clawing the fuck out of you.” Night grabbed a
hold of David’s hand. “C’mon, it’s been a long
day, and I want to take you to bed. Tomorrow,
we’ll leave for home.”
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Chapter Ten
hey drove straight through to Atlanta the next
day, and they were so tired they all just
crashed. Duncan and Raven drove to the airport
and took the Cessna back, but after fighting Blood
Demons along the way, they didn’t beat them by
much.
So when David woke up the next morning and
found the bed empty, he was more than a little
disappointed. He wanted his Night, so they could
finally get their hippidy-dippity on. David had
waited long enough to be fully claimed, damn it.
Deciding that he was going to have to take
matters into his own hands, David got out of bed.
He put on his tightest jeans and his sluttiest shirt.
The one that had a big heart on it and lettering
that read I love to suck. If that didn’t get the
message across to Night, then nothing would.
As David was going downstairs, he bumped
into Raven. Raven took one look at the outfit and
cocked a brow. David just stood there and waited.
T
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He knew the smartass wasn’t going to let him pass
without some kind of comment.
Not one to disappoint, Raven said, “If Night
doesn’t jump you as soon as he sees you, then he’s
dead inside. You are just dripping sex right now.”
David cocked his head to the side. “Is that a
compliment or not?”
“Oh, yeah. If you weren’t my leader’s mate, I’d
be all over you. But since I want to keep all my
limbs, I’m going to keep my hands to myself.”
“Thanks,” David said as he passed Raven and
began his way down the stairs again.
Since he knew Night would be in his office,
that’s where David went. He knocked on the door,
then entered. Night was looking down at some
paperwork and didn’t even glance up.
Well, that wouldn’t do. David cleared his
throat. Night still didn’t look up. Frustrated,
David let out a cough. Night still concentrated on
that damn paperwork. David decided that some
drastic measures were in order.
Walking across the room, he climbed on top of
the desk and put his body between Night and the
blasted papers. That finally got his mate’s
attention. Night let out a grunt, then gave David a
look of shock that was so funny that David
couldn’t help but laugh.
“What in the hell are you wearing?” Night
asked, a slight smile on his face.
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109
David stretched out on the desk. “I’m trying to
seduce you. But you’re not playing your part very
well.”
“Has anybody else seen you dressed that way?”
Night asked as he ran a hand over David’s body.
“Just Raven. He said he approved.” David let
out a moan when Night cupped him through his
tight jeans.
“I’ll pluck his eyes out for even seeing you this
way.”
“You don’t want to do that. I don’t think
Athena would approve, and I don’t want you to
get on that bitch’s bad side.”
Night rubbed at David’s erection again. “You
really don’t like her, do you?”
David stretched out even more. “Do we have to
talk about her now? I have more important things
I would like us to focus on.”
David put his arms over his head in order to
give Night better access to his body, at the same
time he arched his back. He must have misjudged
the size of the desk because before he knew it,
he’d flipped over and fallen to the floor. David
landed on the side opposite of Night. Paper,
pencils, paperclips, a stapler and a huge desk
calendar landed on top of him.
Well, shit, that hadn’t been the image David
had been hoping to present. He had done exactly
the opposite of sexy. He had managed to make
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110
himself look like some helpless, klutzy dork.
David got up on his knees and stayed there a
moment, trying to think of a way he could play
this off and still manage to save face. But for the
life of him he couldn’t think of a way. So he just
buried his burning face in his hands and let out a
groan. Why oh why did this kind of crap always
have to happen to him?
Night let out a chuckle. David could hear
Night’s chair creak as the warrior got up, and a
few moments later the warrior came into view.
David peeked at him between his fingers but
didn’t move his hands down. He was too
mortified to do anything but sit there and hope
that the Earth would open up and swallow him.
Night reached down and hauled David to his
feet before he gently pulled David’s hands down.
He then kissed David.
“You are so damn cute sometimes I don’t know
what I’m going to do with you,” Night said.
“How can you say that? Not only did I just
make a fool of myself, but I just made a mess of
your desk?” David asked.
He tried to look away, but Night cupped his
face and made David gaze at him. “Before you
came along, my life was boring. Every day was the
same thing over and over again. Now, I never
know what to expect. You have no idea how
refreshing that is.”
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111
“So you don’t think that I’m a hot mess?” David
asked.
“Not at all. In fact, I’m so turned on by you
right now, I can’t wait to fuck you,” Night said,
his eyes going dark with desire.
And just like that David went from being
embarrassed to being horny. It was amazing how
quickly his body worked that way when he was
around Night. David licked his lips in anticipation
as his cock grew hard, pressing against his tight
jeans.
“Are you going to fuck me here?” David asked.
“I’ll admit I’ve quite a few fantasies of screwing
you in this office. But I want our first time to be
more special than that. You deserve to be treated
like the special treasure that you are.”
Wow, when Night wanted to, he could really
turn on the charm. Night might not think he had it
in him, but David begged to differ. His mate sure
as hell could sweet talk the socks off of him.
Night grabbed David by the hand and led him
out of the office. They made their way up the
stairs, passing Raven again on their way. Night
paused long enough to growl at the warrior, but
he didn’t physically harm him, so David let it pass
without comment.
They went into their bedroom, and Night shut
the door, then locked it. Still holding David’s
hand, he led him to the bed and said, “Strip for
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me, mate.”
“Do you have supplies? Because I don’t have
condoms or lube on me,” David admitted.
“I have lube, but we don’t need condoms.
Athena made us immune to all human diseases,”
Night said.
A thrill went through David. While he’d always
practiced safe sex, he’d often wondered what it
would feel like to have sex without a barrier
between him and his partner. To have his first
bare experience be with his mate made the
encounter all the more special.
David pulled off his shirt, then tossed it to the
side. When it came to his pants, it was a bit more
difficult since they were so tight. He had to sit on
the edge of the bed and struggle to peel them off.
He was glad he didn’t have shoes on, because it
would have made it more difficult than it already
was.
Finally, David was nude. He expected Night to
follow suit. In fact, he was praying for Night to do
so. David had been wanting to touch the warriors
body intimately for so long that he was practically
drooling. But Night didn’t make any move to get
undressed.
“You know, it may have been a while since
you’ve done this, but it works better if we’re both
naked,” David pointed out.
Night gave a wicked grin. “I’ll get undressed in
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113
a minute. I just want to play around with you a bit
first.”
David’s heart stuttered a bit. He had a feeling
he was in for some of the sweetest treatment ever.
Night moved in on David, forcing David to
backtrack until he fell onto the mattress. Night
followed him, climbing on top of David,
straddling him and moving up until their faces
were just mere inches apart.
“I have wanted to taste every inch of you for so
long,” Night said. “I’m going to lick, bite, and suck
on you until you are screaming for mercy.”
David let out a soft whimper. His cock was
hard and pressing against Night’s jeans. Unable to
help himself, David rocked against Night, creating
some friction. Desire rocketed through David’s
body, making him moan.
Night laughed. “I love how eager you are.”
“I want you so bad,” David said.
“I know. I want you, too.”
“Then
do
something
already,”
David
demanded, his frustration growing.
Night reached down, grabbed David’s bottom
lip between his teeth, and tugged lightly on it.
“Patience. You really need to learn that.”
“And you really need to learn to stop
procrastinating.”
Night began to nibble his way down David’s
jawline. David tilted his head back, giving Night
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more room to work with. Oh, yeah, that felt good.
The nips were just hard enough to leave behind
some marks too. There was nothing that David
loved more than a good hickey.
Night only stayed there a minute before he
worked his way to other areas of David’s body.
He was true to his word. He didn’t leave one area
of David’s body untouched. He licked, nipped, bit,
and sucked every inch of David. By the time he
was done, David was a quivering mess and
begging Night to fuck him.
Finally, Night sat up and began to take off his
clothes. David sprang up from the bed and said,
“No, let me do it for you. Let somebody else take
care of you for once.”
So Night stood still while David undressed
him. David slowly undid the buttons to Night’s
shirt then peeled it back, revealing his well-built
chest. David couldn’t resist taking the chance to
kiss Night’s pecs, swirling his tongue around
Night’s nipples a few times. When Night hissed in
pleasure, David smiled to himself. To know that
he could get such a reaction from the usually stoic
warrior was the biggest turn on ever.
Once David had Night’s shirt off, he moved his
hands down to the fly of Night’s jeans. Luckily,
Night wasn’t the skinny pants kind of guy so it
only took a few seconds to get him out of those.
When David saw that Night went commando, it
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115
was a pleasant surprise.
Night’s cock was thick and large. It had a bit of
pre-cum lingering at the tip. David reached down
and gathered it up with his fingers and brought
them up to his lips, licking them clean. Night let
out a little growl at the action, his eyes growing
stormy with passion.
Licking his lips, David said, “So are you going
to fuck me or not?”
Night put his hand in the center of David’s
chest and gave him a gentle push so he fell back
on the bed. He then grabbed a bottle of lube from
the nightstand and joined David.
David got on all fours and tilted his ass in the
air. He didn’t care if the move made him look like
a slut. At that point, all he wanted was Night
inside him as quickly as possible.
When he heard the click of the lube being
opened, David let out a sigh of relief. Finally, it
was happening. Night was going to claim him.
They were going to be mates in every way.
Nothing would ever be able to tear them apart.
David sucked in a breath when he felt a cold
finger pushing at his entrance. A moment later,
the digit thrust inside him. David arched his back,
trying to take it all inside him, eager to get the
show on the road.
Night moved his finger in and out for a few
moments before he added a second one, scissoring
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them out to stretch David. For which David was
grateful because he’d seen how big Night’s cock
was. He would need to be good and slicked up to
take that thing.
Soon, Night had a third finger in, and he was
pegging David’s sweet spot. David began to rock
back. Pleasure made him act on pure instinct. So
when Night took out his fingers, David let out a
small cry of disappointment. That was until he felt
the blunt tip of Night’s cock pressing against him.
David took in a deep breath and slowly let it
out as Night slid inside him. Once Night was
seated, he paused for a second until David nodded
that he was ready, only then did Night begin to
move in and out of him.
David braced himself as pleasure raced through
his body. With each thrust, Night managed to hit
David’s sweet spot, making it the best fuck of
David’s life. David soon began to babble, but he
had no idea what he was saying. All he knew was
that he was enjoying the hell out of himself and he
never wanted it to end.
Night began to pick up the pace, his thrust
getting harder and more demanding. David went
down on his elbows and thrust his ass up higher.
Night grabbed onto David’s hips, his grip so tight
that David was sure to be sporting himself a nice
set of bruises the next day. David didn’t care,
though. It felt too damn good to ask Night to stop.
Running After David
117
Then Night reached under and began to stroke
David off, and David knew he was in trouble.
There was no way he was going to last much
longer. While he wanted his orgasm so bad, a part
of him was disappointed because he didn’t want
this first time together to come to an end, either.
But then he felt the telltale tingle at his spine,
and his balls began to draw up, and David knew
he couldn’t fight it any longer. Letting out a cry,
he came, his cum covering the bedding under him.
The orgasm seemed to go on forever, his body
shaking from the force of it. The entire time, Night
continued to fuck him through it, anchoring David
in place.
Then David heard Night yell out his name, and
he felt the warrior’s cock twitch inside him as
Night came too, his spunk filling David’s ass.
David clutched at the blankets and tried his best to
keep up until Night finished, but it was hard
because David’s strength was slowly ebbing away.
Finally, David couldn’t take it anymore, and he
collapsed, landing right in the wet spot. Gross, but
he could always take a shower once he got his
strength back. Night rolled off him and lay down
next to him.
After a few moments, David noticed that Night
was rubbing David’s right shoulder blade, a look
of awe on his face.
“What?” David asked, curious about the odd
Jackie Nacht & Stephani Hecht
118
behavior.
“You have my mark on you. It’s right there,”
Night said.
All of the sudden, David’s strength returned to
him. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom,
eager to see his new mark. Going to the mirror, he
twisted around and looked at his shoulder. There,
standing proudly, was a little gray owl that looked
like a miniature of Night’s mark.
David did a little dance. “I love it.”
“You do?” Night asked from the doorway of
the bathroom.
“Of course. It’s a part of you, and I love you.”
Night’s eyes widened in shock, making David
laugh.
“You love me?” Night asked.
“Of course I do, and it’s not because stupid
Athena made us mates. I love you because of who
you are, Night. I love you of my free will.”
“I love you, too,” Night said.
David ran over to Night and threw himself into
his arms. “So I guess this means we really are
stuck with each other then. Not because we have
to be, but because we want to be.”
Which to David meant more than all the stupid
marks and goddesses in the world.
About the Author
Short, sexy and sweet—where a little love goes a long
way.
That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s
stories. I was introduced to M/M Romance
through my sister, Stephani, and read it for years.
Then, I thought it was time to put my own stories
on paper. I began writing short and sweet stories
that ended with a happily ever after…and
sometimes more than one, in the case of my YA
Fork in the Road series, which has interactive
endings.
Thinking back to my own book addiction,
where there were many nights I stayed up way too
late so I could read just one more chapter—yeah,
right—I decided to write short romances for young
adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give
high school and college students, or working men
and women, something they can read during their
lunch hour, in between classes or just when they
want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of
everyday life.
You can find me on Facebook, Twitter and at
my webpage:
About the Author
Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of
two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all
things about the state, from the frigid winters to
the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings!
You can usually find her snuggled up to her
laptop, creating her next book.
Contact her at:
Email Address:
stephani@stephanihecht.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/StephaniHecht
FaceBook:
ttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile
&id=110935385
tumblr:
http://rainbowsandmish-mash.tumblr.com