Lain Sydney Jacobs Conflicted Heart130125 0207

Supernatural Society Mates 2

Jacob's Conflicted Heart

Jacob White has been in love with Zed, the vampire prince, for
almost five years. Zed sees Jacob as a child, but determined to

show Zed he's dependable and strong, Jacob starts investigating
the drugs coming into Zed's territory.

Griffin Lyons left the shifter territory and became head of Roman

Walker's security. Being away from the lion pride has left him
longing for a connection as the loneliness eats away at him. After

Roman assigns Griffin to look into the drug situation within Zed's
territory, he meets his mate—Jacob White.

After the investigation forces Griffin to return to the shifter’s
territory, Jacob's support and kindness help him move past the

pain and focus on the future. He starts to put the hurt behind him,
but when he learns that Jacob loves someone else, the
relationship takes a turn for the worse.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 33,968 words

JACOB’S CONFLICTED HEART

Supernatural Society Mates 2

Sydney Lain

EROTIC ROMANCE

MANLOVE

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Erotic Romance ManLove

JACOB’S CONFLICTED HEART
Copyright © 2013 by Sydney Lain
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-470-2

First E-book Publication: March 2013

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff
All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
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Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

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JACOB’S CONFLICTED

HEART

Supernatural Society Mates 2

SYDNEY LAIN

Chapter One

Jacob didn’t want to love him, but he did. No matter how much he

tried to suppress his feelings, he couldn’t stop his heart from beating a
little faster whenever they met. He wanted more, and now his actions
had a purpose, getting the vampire prince to love him, a task harder
than he’d ever imagined.

Prince Zed didn’t see Jacob as a man. He saw the same kid he’d

rescued and protected. Jacob was an adult, but Zed didn’t treat him as
one. The whole situation frustrated him. The vampire prince checked
on him daily, asking if he had enough food or if he was sleeping okay
like Jacob couldn’t take care of his own basic needs. He was almost
twenty-five, not the seven-year-old gawky kid that tripped over his
own feet while following Zed around.

The older man was his savior, his protector. They met seventeen

years ago when Zed pulled him and his little brother Sage from a
house fire. Their parents died that night, but Zed took responsibility,
adopting the two brothers. Zed watched over him when the bad
dreams invaded his sleep and sat by his side when he was sick.

Sydney Lain

He had always loved Zed, but not like he did now. Zed made him

feel safe and listened to all his crazy dreams and plans, while
encouraging Jacob to follow those dreams.

After turning twenty, his dreams changed from helping humans

accept supernatural beings and fighting for peace and acceptance
within the territories to being with Zed. Now that was his only dream.

The Prince was perfect in every way imaginable. He was strong,

kind, and made Jacob feel important, but he still didn’t see him as a
man, and Jacob didn’t know how to change that. He groaned. Maybe
his dream was impossible. Jacob shook his head. Now wasn’t the time
to dwell on unfixable problems. If he continued to focus on this, the
depressing situation would take over every waking thought.

Jacob jumped as a loud bang shook the street. He turned and saw

a car’s front end smashed into the rear of a pickup truck. A crowd
pointed and stared at the wreckage.

He cursed at his absentmindedness. He never failed to notice

something before it happened. After it happened was too late.

The first rule drilled into him by Yavin, his self-defense trainer,

was to be alert and aware at all times. Never lose sight of your
surroundings, Yavin always said. Jacob looked around, trying to
make up for lost time. He had walked the last few blocks in a daze
and forgot one of the basic fundamental rules for self-preservation.

Too much was going on for him to be careless. He focused,

looking all around. The streets were filled with people, but nothing
out of the ordinary. He nodded to a group of vampires walking past
him. He continued to study the surrounding area. The streetlamps
illuminated the sidewalks, as the lights from the store windows
brightened up the walkways, but there were many shadowed areas and
dark alleys that could hide danger. The loud beeping horns, squeaking
brakes, and the roar of engines blocked out the voices around him.
Anyone could be watching him and with the surrounding noise, he’d
never hear anyone approach.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob knew the dangers that lurked in the dark. Unlike most

humans, Jacob and his younger brother Sage saw the strange things
going on around them. When a vampire fed on a human, their minds
didn’t imagine a couple making out or two people fighting. They saw
the truth. Jacob and Sage always saw the truth. Even as small
children, they didn’t ignore the unexplained or forget it happened
altogether. Sage once asked Zed if humans were under a spell that
prevented them from seeing reality. Zed laughed at the idea, but never
confirmed or denied it. Jacob still wondered if there was more going
on than people choosing not to see.

At first, Jacob wanted to be normal. No child wanted to be

different and seeing the supernatural world made him weird. To other
humans, he was strange. He couldn’t relate to people that didn’t see
the truth. Jacob lived in the supernatural world and very few knew the
world existed.

Now, he didn’t care about being different. Knowing the truth

helped him live in the supernatural world—Zed’s world. Only people
that looked at the world and saw the truth could protect the ones they
loved. He wanted to be there for Zed, and he could only do that with
his eyes wide open.

Jacob looked down at his hands. Was he strong? His hands looked

like any other hands, but Zed’s hands could protect him. Jacob was
human. No, Jacob and Sage were more than human, but that didn’t
matter because it didn’t make him stronger. He was still weak
compared to the vampire prince.

Jacob turned and entered Prince Zed’s complex. He walked

through the front door and waved at the vampire guarding the
entrance. “Hey, Yavin,” Jacob said to his former trainer.

“Staying out of trouble, Jacob?” Yavin asked, smiling with a

knowing gleam, and no matter what Jacob said, the larger man would
never believe he wasn’t involved in something dangerous.

“Yeah, I’m behaving.” Jacob smiled a little too big and for a little

too long. When Yavin cocked his head to the side, Jacob realized the

Sydney Lain

vampire didn’t believe him. He expected that, but not for Yavin to
challenge his statement. He opened his mouth to comment, but Jacob
cut him off. “I’m working on something for Zed. Don’t worry. He
won’t let me do anything dangerous.” Jacob forced a smile. No, Zed
wouldn’t let someone weak like him do anything important or
dangerous.

Yavin stared at Jacob. His steely gaze bore into him. Jacob

resisted backing down and looked directly at his former trainer. Never
show weakness. Yavin’s words played in his head. Yavin let out a big
sigh before pushing the button to open the elevator door. “I don’t care
if Prince Zed orders you to do something dangerous or not. I know
you and if you need help, come find me. I won’t ask questions, but I
will help you. Don’t forget that.”

Jacob nodded and then smiled. All of the vampires living in this

building were his family. He grew up living on the floor directly
beneath their Prince. Jacob could still hear Sage’s footsteps as he
charged up and down the stairs. His little brother’s energy had kept
the whole building busy.

Jacob walked onto the elevator. He watched as Yavin turned his

back just as the doors squeezed shut. Zed entrusted Yavin with
teaching both him and Sage self-defense. Sage refused to fight and
often missed training, but Jacob trained and practiced every day. He
took each new skill and built on it. Being only five foot seven, he
needed the techniques to protect Sage. A big brother had to keep his
little brother safe.

Yavin, following Zed’s orders, didn’t train Jacob on how to win a

fight. He trained Jacob to protect himself and that’s it. Yavin repeated
over and over again that Jacob wasn’t to fight a supernatural being.
The only goal of the training was to give him an opening to run away.
It was all about self-preservation. Like he’d ever leave Sage, or
anyone else, behind and only save himself.

Jacob dealt with trouble head-on. He didn’t pretend problems

fixed themselves. When drugs started to infiltrate Zed’s territory and

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

the Supernatural Society Council ignored the problem, Jacob acted.
He wanted to help Zed, so he used Yavin’s training and started his
own undercover investigation.

Zed assigned vampires to follow him after Jacob started bringing

back information on the territories’ drug trade. That’s when Zed
started lecturing him over and over again for endangering his life. The
last assignment, the one he didn’t finish, was the first job Zed had
asked for his help. Zed had finally acknowledged him, and he had
failed.

The investigation hit serious roadblocks. Jacob wanted the names

of everyone responsible for distributing drugs at the Vortex, a club on
the outer edge of Zed’s territory, but he became distracted after
meeting Micah. The man reminded him too much of Sage and he
wanted to protect him. Instead of concentrating on the drug dealers,
he focused on keeping Micah safe. Now, Micah was happily mated to
Roman, the leader of the neighboring territory. With all distractions
gone he could complete the original investigation. He just needed to
get Zed to allow him to finish it. The worst part of the whole Vortex
mess wasn’t that he had failed, but that he had let Zed down.

Jacob stared at his reflection in the mirrored elevator doors.

Maybe Zed and Yavin had a point. His arms were thin, but firm. His
hard body lacked bulk. He wasn’t the least bit intimidating, but he
was fast. Was that enough?

He turned his head to the side and studied the angles of his face.

Was he attractive? Was he enough for Zed? Jacob pushed back his
chestnut brown hair. He tried to flatten down the ends, but the unruly
brown strands jumped back up as soon as his hand moved away. Even
the longer ends falling into his face refused to be pushed back. Zed
hated Jacob’s eyes covered by hair. He wondered if Zed even liked
his plain brown hair. He cocked his head to the side and pictured his
hair blond, and then he imagined red hair, a deep bloodred. Jacob
shook his head. Zed didn’t want to see that color red every time he

Sydney Lain

looked at Jacob. He sighed. His hair color wouldn’t change Zed’s
view of him.

The elevator beeped and the door slid open. Jacob took a deep

breath before stepping out onto the top floor of the building. He
walked to Zed’s door and knocked, not giving himself a chance to
think about his actions because if he did, Jacob would be inside the
nearest bathroom trying to look hotter. It was hard to look hot without
the object of his affections knowing the effort involved. For Zed,
Jacob needed to tone down the sex appeal. It still had to be there, but
the jeans weren’t as tight and his shirt rested nicely on his body, not
like the skintight clothes he usually wore.

“Enter,” Zed said.
Jacob took a deep breath before opening the door. “Hello, Zed.”

He walked in, forcing a smile. He kept his gaze low to avoid looking
directly at the sexy older man. An arm brushed against Zed. He felt
flushed and prayed his face wasn’t bright red. Jacob swallowed and
steadied his breathing as he moved toward the large sofa. It took a
few seconds before he attempted to look up at Zed. He hesitated for a
moment. His eyes slowly moved up Zed’s perfect body before
meeting the Prince’s confused eyes. Jacob turned away. He needed to
act normal.

“Did I do something wrong, Jacob?” Zed asked.
He replied, almost cutting Zed off. “No, of course not,” Jacob said

with a squeaking voice. He cursed at his lack of control, but he
couldn’t act normal in front of Zed. He hated looking like an ass in
front of the person he liked. No wonder Zed didn’t treat him like an
adult. He was acting like an insecure child, embarrassed by his
feelings. Why would anyone take him seriously?

Jacob shook his head. Why did he have to fall in love with Zed?

His feelings changed shortly after his twentieth birthday, when Zed
saved him. Jacob had felt safe and protected in Zed’s arms. He was
dependable, strong, and caring. Zed always helped him, and on that
night, when he’d given up, Zed came.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“Why are you depressed? Is it Sage?” Zed looked at him with

concern clearly visible on the Prince’s perfect face.

“No, Sage is fine.” Jacob didn’t want Zed to worry. “I’m going to

see him tomorrow. The house you’ve arranged for us is great. Sage
loves it.”

“So you’re moving in with Sage. The house is for the both of you.

Sage would like to have you home and away from danger. He worries
a lot. He calls every night and texts me a few times during the day to
check if you’re okay. We both hate that you live close to the Vortex.”

Jacob had moved to a small apartment less than a block from the

Vortex after volunteering to investigate the club. At first, Zed refused
to let him help, but the Prince needed a person on the inside, and
Jacob knew how to blend in. He was someone that no one felt
threatened by. No one would ever suspect a human as a spy. The
majority of vampires thought very little of humans, and Jacob used
that to his advantage. He’d do anything to be useful to the one he
loved.

Was he ready to move back in with Sage? Jacob thought of his

little brother’s initial response to the Vortex investigation. Well, it
was more like a lack of response, since Sage refused to talk to him for
a week, but the night he left, Sage dropped the silent treatment,
hugged him, and begged him to be careful. He hated worrying his
brother, but the investigation was something he needed to do.

“Yes, Sage will be happy to have me back, and I think Bishop will

be, too.” Bishop, a vampire older than even Zed, needed to control his
temper and work on being patient when dealing with Sage. In this
strange family, if Zed was like their father, then Bishop would be
their grandfather. The man didn’t look old, but he was one of the
oldest vampires alive. “My little brother can’t contain all his energy.
The property is large. I’m surprised a place like that exists in this
territory.”

“Yes, I purchased the land over a century ago and built the house

shortly afterwards. I finished updating and modernizing the house two

Sydney Lain

years ago. Sage needs a quiet, isolated place to live.” Zed paused. He
rubbed his forehead. “He always tells me he’s fine, but how’s he
really doing?”

Jacob’s heart pounded. Zed never stopped thinking about their

safety and happiness. The small things Zed did only increased the
attraction. Jacob thought about Zed’s question. “Sage is Sage. He
never changes. He spends most of his time online, playing games with
online friends. He’s far too trusting, but hasn’t invited anyone over.
The last one scared him enough to stop trying to turn his computer
friends into real friends.”

Jacob wished that time had never happened. Everything changed

after Sage invited that man over. He had tried to attack Sage, but
Jacob stepped in. He hit the man and pushed Sage out the door. The
man turned angry and threw him on the couch. He forgot everything
Yavin taught him as the stranger started to rip off Jacob’s clothes. He
didn’t want to imagine how the evening would have ended if Zed
hadn’t saved him. It was that night his feelings for Zed changed. Even
now, he still felt Zed’s cold, comforting arms wrapped around his
body as he shook from fear. Sometimes, he wanted to go back and
erase that day.

He looked over to Zed and saw the anger form on the vampire’s

face. Jacob watched Zed closely as he continued talking. “He likes the
camera you gave him. It was too expensive. The camera was one
thing, but all the different lenses…” Zed’s anger started to dissipate
and his lips moved upward into a smile. Zed liked to buy both of them
expensive gifts, but the prince liked it even more when they enjoyed
those gifts. Jacob sighed. “He’s been creating animated movies and
sharing the films online.”

Zed stood and walked over to the window. “He’ll like having you

close by.”

Jacob hesitated. He swallowed hard, working up the courage to

object. Closing his eyes, he counted to five before opening them.
“Zed, I want to continue with the investigation.” He hoped the Prince

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

didn’t stop him or worse, think badly of him for pushing the subject.
“There’s a lot more to do. You asked me to investigate the drugs
being sold at the Vortex. We both know the club manager wasn’t that
important in the drug ring. I’m not done.”

“Jacob, I don’t know how this will end. It’s too dangerous. I want

you safe, living with your brother.”

“Why, because of what I can do?” He said the words before he

could stop himself. Zed never treated him like that, but Jacob needed
to hear Zed deny the accusation. He didn’t want to believe that Zed
only adopted the two of them because of their special abilities.

“Where is this coming from? I adopted you and your brother.

Now, the two of you are my family. Of course, I want to keep you
safe.”

Family, sometimes he hated that word. He wanted more. He

wanted a relationship. Jacob looked down. How many jobs did he
need to complete before Zed saw him as a man? Would he ever see
him? “Zed, I want to help you. I want to help keep peace. If the
territories start to break apart, it’s humans that will suffer, and most of
them won’t even know what’s going on. You’ve worked so hard to
prevent that from happening.”

“Humans ignore the truth. They don’t see the unexplained. It’s

better that way. Seeing the supernatural world will only cause humans
to hate us. They haven’t changed enough to accept that powerful
supernatural beings live in the cities. Yes, the breakdown would be a
disaster.”

“Zed, did humans ever live with supernaturals? I get the

impression that we weren’t always oblivious to vampires and other
supernatural beings.”

“A long time ago, but things changed.” Zed turned to look at

Jacob. “You’ve read stories about monsters. Humans wrote those
stories, which are based on truth.”

“If humans saw supernatural beings at one time, why not now?

Why can I?”

Sydney Lain

“Jacob, a small part of you isn’t human. It’s your fey blood along

with the ability you inherited that helps you to see the world. Some
humans are born with a gift that allows them to see the truth. Others
stumble upon our world when their minds can no longer deny the
truth.”

Jacob thought about Zed’s words. He, too, knew what it meant to

deny a simple truth or to constantly lie to yourself. Every time he
looked at Zed, Jacob was being dishonest to himself and to Zed.

“Let me continue this investigation. I will find more information.”

He focused directly on Zed’s dark-brown eyes, refusing to back
down. The longer they stared at each other the hotter Jacob’s body
felt. Jacob imagined closing the distance between them and placing a
long, deep kiss on the Prince’s lips. He silently prayed his cheeks
weren’t turning red as he tried to force the wicked thoughts away.

Zed finally nodded. “Fine, but not alone. Go see your brother and

tell Bishop to help with the investigation. From this point on, you will
no longer need stealth. You will investigate in the open. Promise me
that you will report any danger. If you feel that your life is threatened,
then run. Can you promise me these things?”

Jacob shook his head up and down. “Yes, of course.” He stood

and walked over to Zed, wrapping his slender arms around the
vampire’s body and pulling him into a gentle embrace. Jacob needed
this hug and Zed never denied him. The Prince’s strong arms held him
close as Jacob’s body brushed up against Zed’s hard chest. Jacob
never wanted to move. It wasn’t the Prince’s perfect looks and great
body that attracted him, but Zed’s personality and strength. Being
held close to the Prince made his heart pound faster. Thankfully,
Zed’s cold body helped cool him down. Finally, Jacob pulled away.
“Thank you for believing in me. I will finish this job.”

“It’s not about believing in you but keeping you safe. Remember

we’re family and never forget Sage. You’re a big brother that still
needs to take care of his little brother. You need to be there for him.”

Jacob nodded, dreaming that someday Zed would need him.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Zed reached out and pushed a piece of Jacob’s hair behind his ear.

“Are you feeling okay? Your face is red.”

Jacob jumped back. “I’m fine. Just a little nervous about the

investigation.” He forced a smile. “Besides, two grown men hugging
each other is a little embarrassing.” He waited for Zed to disagree, but
Zed only nodded.

“Perhaps you feel you’re getting a little old for hugs. Twenty-four

to someone that’s lived for centuries is still a baby. It’s hard for me to
see you as an adult.”

Jacob pushed down the hurt. He didn’t want to be seen as a child.

He forced a smile. “Well, I’m off. I’ll be in touch.” He turned and
walked to the door. After the door closed behind him, he allowed the
mask to slip from his face as the pain pushed through. He wouldn’t
give up on the dream of Zed loving him. Through this investigation,
Jacob would show Zed that he was dependable, resourceful, and an
adult capable of solving problems, and when the investigation was
over, he’d finally confess his true feelings. Jacob just needed to work
up the courage to follow through with this decision, because if Zed
rejected him there was no going back. His love would destroy their
family.

* * * *

Jacob drove to the outer part of Zed’s territory. The area bordered

the shifters’ territory. Zed’s house was surrounded by trees, located in
the center of a heavily wooded area, but less than a fourth of the
parklike setting belonged to Zed.

About two years ago, Zed decided that the house would be perfect

for Jacob and Sage. The day Zed told them they were moving here he
had to fight back the tears. Jacob thought the older vampire didn’t
want him around, but Zed explained that the house was far from
people, and quiet for Sage.

Sydney Lain

Jacob lightly pressed the brake pedal after turning down the

bumpy road that led to the house. He reached the main gate and drove
his red sports car up to the front step.

From the outside, the house looked old and worn. Unless you

went inside, no one would believe the modern conveniences that
existed within the large mansion. Jacob had visited the place as a
teenager and spent a few summers here.

The first time he stayed inside the house, he had told Sage ghost

stories and invented tales of all the people murdered inside the house.
He even pretended that the bodies were buried in the backyard. At
night, he knocked on his younger brother’s wall pretending to be a
ghost. It took Sage days to figure out the sounds weren’t coming from
the undead.

Jacob smiled as he remembered the surprise Sage and Zed had

planned for him. During the night, a crying sound had filled the
house. Whenever he heard it, Jacob had run to one of the other
vampires asking if they heard the sound. The answer was always no.
Only he heard the wailing. It took days for him to figure out that Zed
had helped Sage plan the whole thing, while trying to teach him a
lesson about scaring other people.

Jacob frowned. Thinking about the past only depressed him. Did

he want to ruin his family just because he loved Zed? Jacob didn’t
have to admit to it. He never had to confess his love. He could
continue to hide his feelings, but after four years, it hurt too much.
Every day felt like a lie.

Enough of this, he thought. He opened the door, slammed it shut,

and pushed the button on the remote, locking the car. He touched the
red metallic surface. Jacob wasn’t a new car kind of guy. He refused
the car at first, but Zed insisted. The gift touched him. It was a symbol
of the vampire prince’s affection. Maybe there was hope.

“You’re home,” Sage said. His little brother ran out the door and

jumped down the stairs. Even at twenty-one his brother still acted like

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

a kid. When he reached Jacob, he jumped into his arms. “I missed
you.”

Jacob pulled away and frowned. He reached out and lifted Sage’s

hair. His brother’s light-blond hair stood out, but now it stood out
even more with the dark-purple tips. “Did you dye your hair?” He
already knew the answer, but he found it hard to accept the change.

Sage laughed. “I knew you wouldn’t like it.” He grabbed onto

Jacob’s arm and pulled him to the front door. “I needed a change.
This was easy and cool. A gaming character has the same hair. Well
sort of the same. His hair is brighter at the roots and it sticks up.”
Sage pulled his hair up to demonstrate. “See how cool it looks. My
hair won’t stand up like that, but the color was easy to do.”

Jacob shook his head. At least the character didn’t have lots of

tattoos and piercings. “The color looks good on you.” Jacob smiled as
his brother’s eyes widened. “What? Did you think I’d say something
else? Besides, I’ve thought about dying my hair, too.”

Sage squinted. “Really. What color? Blond? Orange? Maybe

black?” He focused on Jacob, but he sighed in defeat. “I can’t hear
your thoughts.”

“Sage, you shouldn’t listen to other people’s thoughts,” Jacob

reprimanded. Sage nodded and waited for the answer to his question.
Jacob shook his head. “I was thinking about bloodred. What do you
think? Would it look good?”

“Bloodred.” Sage frowned. “No, I don’t think that’s a good color

for you. Maybe more of a reddish orange would be better. It would
bring out your green eyes.” Sage’s expression turned serious. “Jacob,
I really can’t help it. Even if I don’t listen, their thoughts come to
me.” He looked at the trees. “At least out here it’s quiet. I can think
and even sleep without hearing everyone.”

Jacob wanted more for Sage, but the younger man hated being

around people. He couldn’t stop their thoughts from entering his
mind. Through the years, Jacob learned some control, but he still
couldn’t ride in a crowded bus or go to a busy club without screaming

Sydney Lain

in pain. There were too many minds, all talking at once. Sage couldn’t
block them out.

It wasn’t just people. Sage could listen to the animals. He

understands them and that’s what saved his brother from going crazy.
Sage always said the simple calming sounds he heard from his forest
friends relaxed him. That made this area perfect for his little brother.

“Where’s Bishop? He is supposed to be watching you.”
Sage looked up toward the sun. “It’s still early. Don’t worry. He’ll

come if I call. He doesn’t sleep, but he still hates being outside during
the day.” Sage leaned in. “I can only go out with my camera at sunrise
and sunset. Sometimes we go out on cloudy days.”

“All vampires hate the sun.” He stopped and looked at his brother.

“You’re not sneaking out?” Sage never stayed out of trouble. He had
too much energy and often persuaded other vampires to join him in
his escapades. Even Jacob found it difficult to resist his little brother’s
whims. He felt sorry for Bishop. The older vampire spent weeks
babysitting Sage.

His brother shook his head. “No, I don’t do that anymore. I don’t

want you, Zed, or Bishop to worry.”

Jacob smiled, but he hated Sage being confined to the house. They

walked up the creaky steps. Jacob reached out and opened the door as
his brother darted inside. All the lights were turned on because the
dark shades and heavy curtains kept out the sunlight.

He heard a tapping sound to his right. Jacob turned and walked

into the small sitting room. Bishop sat looking down at a chessboard.
His foot tapped against the floor as he studied the game. Jacob
scanned the board and smiled. Sage hardly ever lost a game and chess
was no different, but Bishop hated to lose.

“The game looks close,” Jacob said.
Bishop looked up and glared. “I’m about to lose. The game isn’t

close at all.”

Jacob didn’t like chess. He turned his attention back to the board.

He saw that white outnumbered black and Sage was always white.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

They had different pieces left, but white only had a few more pieces
still in play. It didn’t look that hopeless for black, but he’d take
Bishop’s word for it. The vampire would know if he was losing.

“How long are you staying?” Sage asked.
“Sorry, but I have to finish the current investigation.” He watched

his brother’s lips turn downward. “After this investigation, I’ll be
home.”

Sage nodded. He pulled Jacob’s arm. “Let’s leave Bishop and go

have a snack. He needs to concentrate.” His little brother looked at
Bishop and smiled.

Bishop rolled his eyes. “Go and let me focus. At least then it will

be quiet.”

Sage laughed as he walked out the door. They headed into the

kitchen. His little brother went to the cabinet, pulled out crackers,
grabbed a jar of peanut butter, and took a knife from the drawer. “Do
you want something else?”

Jacob shook his head as he held back a laugh. Some things never

changed and Sage’s love of peanut better was one of those things.
“No, that’s fine. Are you okay with me continuing the investigation?”
Not even Sage could stop him, but he wanted to address his brother’s
concerns.

Sage placed everything on the table. He opened the crackers, but

his brow wrinkled as he thought about Jacob’s question. “That
depends. Are you doing it to get closer to Zed?” Sage bit into a
cracker. “It’s okay if that’s your reason. I just want to know.”

Sage knew the truth and still supported him, but Jacob didn’t

expect that question. “Sage, I love him. He’s strong and always
protects us. He’s always been there.” Jacob pushed his hair back. “I
don’t want him to be alone anymore. This time I want to be there for
him.”

Sage moved closer. “Jacob, even if things work out and the two of

you end up together, you’re not his mate. It won’t last.”

“I don’t care,” Jacob said. “I’ll take what I can get.”

Sydney Lain

“You’re worth more than that. Besides, Zed’s been like a father to

us. Are you sure…” Sage paused. He looked around the room, trying
to find the words.

“You think my feelings for Zed are twisted. That I’m looking for a

father figure to take care of me and that this isn’t a romantic love.”
Jacob sighed. “You can say it, Sage. You can say anything to your big
brother. I disagree, but I won’t be angry at you.”

Sage nodded. “Let’s change the subject. You’re going to do what

you want to do.” His brother looked right at him. “Bishop said you
found someone like me. A person that can control people with his
voice.”

Jacob nodded. “He’s the same age as you. His ability is different,

but he’s the same. I can feel the pull. Also, I’m immune to his power.
I know when he is using it, but it doesn’t affect me. It’s the same
when I’m with you.”

Sage looked away. “Can he control his power?”
Jacob ruffled Sage’s hair. “No, he can’t. But Micah is getting

better now that he’s mated.”

“Does he flinch in a room full of people?”
Jacob laughed. “No, he performed for a living.”
Sage’s expression changed. His brother looked down. “I see, he

likes being around others. Jacob, if he has a mate, do you think I have
one, too? I’m mostly human, but he’s all human.”

“Yes, Micah’s human. It’s rare for a human to be mated to a

supernatural and Micah is mated to a powerful demon. I don’t see
why that can’t happen for you.” Jacob let the lie slip out. It rarely
happened. Humans didn’t mate with supernaturals. Micah was an
exception. The first time he met the singer, Jacob instantly knew the
man was like Sage. That was his gift. He could find the humans born
different. Zed called him the key. He still had no idea what that
meant, but he didn’t ask. It might upset Zed and Jacob liked Zed
happy.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“Sage, Zed wants Bishop to come with me to help with the

investigation. Yavin will arrive tonight to stay with you. Is that
okay?”

“That’s fine. If Bishop’s with you, then I don’t have to worry as

much.”

“You shouldn’t worry at all. I won’t be in any danger.” Jacob

smiled. He didn’t want his little brother to worry, but he had a feeling
that things were more dangerous than anyone thought. “Also, when
I’m finished with this, I’m going to tell Zed the truth.”

Sage’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, but I want your permission. I could destroy our family.” He

felt his eyes start to water, but he fought for control. Jacob was the big
brother and he needed to take care of Sage.

Sage walked over and hugged him. “I’ll support you. We’re

brothers. Nothing will change that. Give Zed some credit. He won’t
abandon you. Things might change, but our family won’t be
destroyed.”

Jacob relaxed into his brother’s embrace. Sage was too naive. If

he became a burden to Zed, Jacob would disappear and leave
everything behind. That’s how much he loved Zed.

Sydney Lain

Chapter Two

Griffin Lyons waited for one of his bosses to remember an

appointment set up yesterday. It wasn’t like Roman Walker to be late.
He expected that from Thomas, Roman’s younger brother. Well,
Roman was newly mated, so running a little behind schedule wasn’t
that surprising. He sighed. Five minutes was still five minutes. In
those wasted minutes, he could have checked the security cameras,
started to organize next week’s patrol list, or tested the new door
installed in the underground parking garage.

As head of building security, Griffin’s main focus was protecting

Roman’s interests, which included keeping this building safe. He
helped plan the patrols and assigned people to areas, but he rarely left
the building. He barely did anything else but his job. He wasn’t the
easiest man to get along with, and other than the demon brothers, he
didn’t trust anyone.

Of course, Roman and Thomas Walker didn’t need him to protect

them. They were two of the strongest supernatural beings in the city.
Griffin still took the job seriously and the floor-to-ceiling windows
right in front of him were irritating. He glared at the slightly tinted
glass. Yes, the morning sun pouring in from the outside was nice, but
anyone could be watching. When he approached Thomas with his
concerns, the man laughed. At least Roman listened to him, but
Griffin knew Roman wouldn’t even consider covering the windows.

Griffin heard approaching footsteps. The soft sound was barely

audible, but with his sensitive hearing he listened to the faint noise.

“Griffin,” Micah said.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Griffin watched the shorter man enter the room. His eyes widened

at the paint splattered all over Micah’s jeans and short-sleeve shirt.
The green, blue, yellow, and red swirled along his front and mixed
together like a rainbow. “Micah, what are you painting this morning?”
he asked.

Micah smiled. “The park with a lake and a row boat.”
Griffin nodded. Micah rarely spoke, and when he did, it was with

short phrases, simple sentences, or one word responses. Roman told
him about Micah’s ability. Even Griffin found it hard to believe that
the small, thin man could control people just by talking to them. If he
ordered someone to do something, they couldn’t refuse. He’d seen a
lot, but nothing like Micah. He smelled human and humans didn’t
have abilities, but Micah was somehow different.

“I’d like to see it when you’re done. It sounds nice.”
“I will show it to you,” Micah said in a soft tone.
Roman and Thomas walked into the room and Micah ran to

Roman’s waiting arms. His boss hugged his mate before pulling
away. He looked Micah up and down. “You spent the whole day
painting?” he asked.

Micah shrugged his shoulders. He looked up at Roman and

smiled. He darted his eyes around the room, looking at both Griffin
and Thomas. Micah smiled before patting Roman’s shoulder and
walking out of the room. Roman’s eyes followed Micah as he left.
Griffin smiled at the interaction. He looked at Thomas and Roman’s
brother rolled his eyes.

“Thomas,” Roman said as he stared at the door Micah just walked

through. “I’ll leave you to explain things to Griffin. I have to get
something in the kitchen.” Roman turned and hurried after Micah.

At that moment, the loneliness surged through him. Griffin felt the

overwhelming longing to find his mate. The need was always there,
but watching the cute interactions between a newly mated couple had
him wishing for the same thing. He’d been alone for so long that he’d
almost forgotten what it meant to be with someone.

Sydney Lain

Thomas sighed. “If those two keep at it, I’m going to walk in on

them. That’s a sight I don’t want to see.”

Griffin laughed. “If you were newly mated, the roles would be

reversed.”

Thomas stilled. “Don’t say that. The last thing I want is a mate.”
Griffin looked at Thomas. The man’s serious expression and

balled fists supported the demon’s words. “Really? You don’t want a
mate.” He still had to ask. Everyone wanted to find their mate.

Thomas shook his head. “I’ve watched my parents and now my

brother in mated bliss.” Thomas rolled his eyes. He looked back
toward Griffin. “They are happy, but it’s not for me.”

Griffin wanted to know more. Maybe Thomas’s insight would

help him overcome the longing he felt for someone he’d never met.

“Let’s drop it,” Thomas said.
Griffin reluctantly nodded. He still needed more information, but

if Thomas didn’t want to talk about it, then he wouldn’t answer any
questions. No, he’d answer them, but not seriously. He looked at the
door that Roman and Micah walked through.

“You will find him,” Thomas said. “Someday, you’ll be just like

the two that rushed out of the room to spend the rest of the afternoon
fucking in the kitchen.” Thomas growled. “I just washed the table and
scrubbed the floor.”

Griffin patted Thomas on the back. “Well, another scrubbing

won’t hurt.” He laughed at Thomas’s pissed-off expression. The two
of them started off as enemies. They hated each other, but they had
something in common—domineering older brothers. He understood
Thomas’s frustrations. He thought for a moment about his brother and
the home he left.

He was gay in a lion pride that didn’t tolerate gay people. Most

shifters were okay with two men being together, but not in his pride.
His father didn’t approve of men loving each other, and he made his
opinion known to everyone. At the time life was difficult. He hated
hiding behind a lie. Of course there were other problems, but not

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

being able to be himself was the worst part of it. During that time,
Griffin was angry and lashed out at everyone around him.

His first meeting with the demon brothers ended in a barroom

brawl. Thomas started the fight with a rude remark about his clothes,
or maybe it was his shoes. The comment wasn’t important, but it gave
him an excuse to fight. Back then, Griffin only wanted to fight. Any
little thing set off his anger. He immediately challenged the demon.
Thomas laughed, asked if he was joking. That only fueled his anger.
In the end, he lost the fight. Roman extended a hand out to him and
told Griffin that his misplaced anger would someday kill him.

That’s when Griffin knew he had to leave. He tried to talk to his

brother, but Brody didn’t want to hear it. No one left their pride.
Shifters were forced out, but no one left. It was an unspoken rule.
Instead of supporting him, Brody refused to speak to him. As far as
his brother was concerned, if Griffin left he’d no longer exist.

At the time, he planned on staying. Having his brother hate him

was too big a price to pay, but his father had other plans. The old man
made it impossible for him to live within the pride. In the end, the
choice was taken from him. His father wanted him gone. When he
asked Griffin to meet him at the edge of the territory, he didn’t think
anything of it. Even after his uncle arrived, he still didn’t think
anything of it. That only shows how naive he had been. The truth
didn’t hit him until the bullet did. On that night, his father had tried to
kill him. He was still alive because Roman and Thomas helped him.
When he had no place to go, the brothers offered him a place within
their territory. The two became close friends and he did what he could
to help them.

Griffin cleared his thoughts.”So why did Roman call me here?”
“We want you to investigate the drugs that were being sold at the

Vortex. Zed already assigned two people to look into it, but we want
someone from our territory to investigate the incident. Zed is hiding
something and we don’t want him to make everything disappear.”

Sydney Lain

“Does Prince Zed know I’ll be in and out of his territory?” Griffin

asked. He could go unseen for a little while, but eventually questions
would be asked.

“You will meet with Zed’s people. We will join our investigations

together.” Thomas shook his head. “It was Zed’s idea. He even
requested you for the job.”

“Really?” Griffin didn’t like the Prince. He liked it even less that

the man recommended him for a job.

“Yes, so be careful. Zed is a trusted alley, but he never does

anything without a reason.”

Griffin nodded. “So when do I meet my partners in this

investigation.”

“Bishop and Jacob will be at the Vortex after sunset. You’ve met

Bishop. He’s a powerful vampire, but Jacob is human.” Thomas
paused. He turned to look at Griffin. “There’s something off about
him. Most of his blood is human, but it’s mixed with something else.”

“He’s mixed, but mostly human.” Griffin sighed. “I don’t want to

work with a fragile human.” He hated to complain, but a human
couldn’t fight equally against a supernatural being.

“There’s something else. Jacob is Micah’s friend. He knows what

Micah can do.”

“Micah erased everyone’s memory of that night. I understand why

Zed knows the truth, but why the human?”

“Zed refused to let us touch Jacob’s memories. He’s very

protective of him. Find out why.” Thomas looked straight at Griffin.

“You want me to spy on them?” Griffin asked. He needed to be

sure. One moment, Thomas called Zed a trusted ally. The next
moment, he was being asked to spy on Zed’s people.

“No, but ask questions and try to learn more. Zed is sending a

very powerful vampire and a human to investigate.”

Griffin shook his head. “You’re too suspicious. Zed always liked

humans. He’s against any mistreatment of them. He’s probably
sleeping with this one. But I’ll try to find out more about Jacob

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

because he’s Micah’s friend. As head of security, Micah’s safety is
now part of my job. If this human means him any harm, I’ll find out.”

* * * *

Jacob despised the Vortex. He hated the club when he worked as a

bartender gathering information for Zed, and he hated being back
inside the gloomy place. Many vampires visited the club, so it was
always dark, but there was something else. The entire feel of the club
was wrong. He couldn’t explain it, and he never tried to understand it,
nor did he ever mention it to anyone else.

He walked over to the bar and touched the hardwood surface. He

spent a lot of time making drinks for different customers. Working
here, Jacob met a lot of people, some vampires and some humans that
knew about the supernatural world.

He turned to look at the table and chairs directly in front of the

stage. When the Vortex Manger kept him and Micah captive, Jacob
had been terrified. He wanted to protect the younger man that
reminded him so much of Sage, but he also thought about never being
able to see Zed again. He didn’t want to die never confessing to the
truth. Jacob shook his head. Don’t dwell, he reminded himself.

“I’m going to look in the back rooms. Zed’s people might have

missed something,” Jacob said.

“No, you will wait for me,” Bishop ordered.
“Okay, then let’s go.” Jacob started to walk toward the door and

stopped when Bishop didn’t follow.

“We need to wait here.” The older vampire looked at the front

door.

“Bishop, what’s going on? Why are we waiting?” Jacob asked.
“Roman is sending someone to help with the investigation, a lion

shifter. He will meet us here.”

Jacob shook his head. “We don’t need anyone else.” He clenched

his fists. “I wanted to do this on my own. Now, someone else is

Sydney Lain

getting involved. We don’t need help.” He sounded like a child, but
he couldn’t prove to Zed that he wasn’t a child when he couldn’t
handle a single assignment.

“Sorry to interrupt. Should I wait outside until the human finishes

his temper tantrum?” Griffin said, leaning against the entrance.

Jacob froze. Something stirred deep inside of him. The deep, gruff

voice sounded like a sensual sonata that reached deep inside of him,
making his heart beat a little faster. It took Jacob a moment to process
the stranger’s words—the abrupt, insulting words. He spun toward the
newcomer, preparing to give the man a piece of his mind and stopped.
He wasn’t prepared for the tall, sexy shifter that stood in front of him.
He quickly looked down. His muscles tightened as his cock stiffened.
It took a moment for him to catch his breath.

Jacob breathed in and then exhaled. He slowly looked toward the

man. He needed to look up to see the stranger’s perfectly chiseled
face. He had to be at least six foot two and oozed sex.

Their eyes met before the stranger’s cobalt-blue eyes moved down

his body. Jacob’s eyes slowly moved down the shifter’s body. His
sleeveless black shirt gave Jacob a perfect view of the man’s muscular
arms and he imagined those strong arms holding him and pulling him
back into the shifter’s hard chest. The tight jeans left little to the
imagination as the pants showcased thick, powerful thighs. Even the
stranger’s wild, wavy blond hair, more messy than his own, was sexy.
He was dying to feel the thick strands under his fingers.

Jacob turned his body to face the wall, no longer able to look at

the gorgeous stranger. He tried to push the building desire away. He
reminded himself that it was Zed he wanted and not someone he just
met, but he never felt like this before. If they were alone or met under
different circumstances, he’d be all over the shifter. Jacob wanted to
feel those large hands moving up and down his naked body. He
shivered at the thoughts evading his mind.

Jacob cleared his head. He had something to prove and it wasn’t

how fast he could get the stranger to fuck him. He didn’t have time to

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

lust after anyone other than Zed. He looked directly at Griffin. “How
about you leave? We don’t need your help.” Jacob’s voice was steady
but forced as he tried to regain control. He crossed his arms, waiting
for a reply. He hated being mean or impolite, but being close to this
man could ruin everything. Not only did Jacob need to handle the
assignment on his own, now he needed to fight the strong attraction
for someone he had just met. His plan would be destroyed if the
attraction grew. No, he needed to finish the assignment and then
confess to Zed. That was the plan and he always followed through
with his plans.

“Jacob,” Bishop hissed. “Sorry, Griffin. Jacob is usually more

polite. He really wanted to handle the investigation by himself. Even
having me along is a disappointment.”

The guilt started eating away at him. The older vampire once

drove across the city for Jacob’s favorite soup when he was sick. He
helped convince Zed a trip to Europe would be good for him and
arranged for an escort to meet Jacob at the airport. Bishop always
understood him and talked to him like an adult. “No, Bishop. It’s not
you.” He remembered each time in the last twenty-four hours that he
wished to handle this alone. “I’m sorry for being such a brat.” Bishop
walked over and messed up his hair. He tried to swat Bishop’s hand
away. “Stop that.”

Griffin growled from across the room. Bishop froze and lowered

his hand as Griffin approached them.

“What’s your problem?” Jacob asked. The sexy man started to

sniff the air around him. “I don’t smell.” Jacob waited for a response,
but the shifter just stared at him. Jacob shook his head. “Look,
Griffin, right?” he asked. Griffin nodded. Jacob stared at him for a
moment before continuing. “You’re not needed here, but if you want
to stay, then don’t get in my way.”

Jacob didn’t know where the words came from, but he needed to

build a solid boundary between the two of them. Griffin said nothing
as he continued to stare at him. He didn’t have time for this. “Fine, the

Sydney Lain

two of you stand here, while I continue to look around. I’ll be in the
back rooms.”

Griffin reached out and grabbed his arm. He felt instant heat and

desire from the simple touch. Jacob tried to shake it off, but Griffin’s
strong, unyielding grip didn’t let go. Jacob reminded himself that it
was Zed he wanted, not this amazing, sexy man. He tried again to pull
his arm free.

“You won’t go alone. It’s too dangerous,” Griffin said in a deep,

rough voice.

Jacob felt his cock stir. No, not now, he told himself. “I can take

care of myself. What do you think is going to happen inside an empty
club?” Again, he tried to pull his arm free, but Griffin wouldn’t let go.
“Do you mind?” he asked. They continued to stare at each other as
Jacob lost himself in Griffin’s deep-blue eyes.

Bishop laughed. “How about I search in here and the two of you

look in the back rooms?” The vampire smiled and looked directly at
Jacob. “You’ll be safe with Griffin.”

Jacob forced his head to move up and down. Normal, act normal,

he told himself. Griffin wouldn’t hurt him, but the other things Griffin
could do to him left Jacob both excited and worried. Maybe being
alone with Griffin wasn’t a good idea. He looked at Griffin and then
Bishop. Bishop looked at him and smiled. The smile was filled with
happiness. What? he asked himself. Something was going on.

Jacob turned to Griffin. “I’m in charge of the investigation. Do

you agree?”

Griffin smirked. “If that’s what you want, it’s fine by me.

However, I won’t leave your side during the investigation. Do you
agree?”

“You don’t trust me.” Jacob felt hurt. Griffin felt the need to

watch his every move. He wanted Griffin to trust him, but he didn’t
know why.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“Oh, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s the rest of the world I don’t

trust.” Griffin pulled away and started to walk to the door leading to
the back rooms. “Are you coming?” he asked.

Jacob cursed as he followed behind Griffin. When they reached

the door, Jacob tried to push past him, but Griffin placed a large hand
on his shoulder. “I’ve been here before,” Jacob said, trying to argue
his point, but Griffin shook his head. “Oh come on. I’m not a weak
human. I can take care of myself.”

Griffin cocked his head to the side. “I didn’t say you’re weak, but

I’m stronger. That means I go first.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “What if someone attacks from behind?”

Jacob wanted to take the words back when Griffin pulled him close
and wrapped his strong arms around his body, looking all around for
danger. Jacob leaned into the embrace, feeling safe and protected.
Griffin’s musky, woodsy scent turned him on. Jacob started to place
his head on Griffin’s chest when realization hit. He jumped back,
freeing his body. “Calm down. I’ve survived this long without you.”
Jacob’s voice was unsteady. This time though he pushed past Griffin.
He walked faster, hoping to put distance between the two of them,
while he tried to figure out what was happening.

Not paying attention, Jacob walked directly into a door. He

groaned, rubbing his shoulder.

“It’s easier to enter a room after you’ve opened the door,” Griffin

teased. When Jacob rolled his eyes, Griffin smiled. Jacob’s heart
pounded in his chest. He liked the smile. No, he loved the smile.

“Thanks a lot. Hitting the door hurt.” Jacob rubbed his sore

shoulder.

“Here, let me.” Griffin moved closer. With his large hands,

Griffin massaged both of his shoulders. Jacob suppressed the moan
threatening to escape. He bit his lip as Griffin’s strong hands moved
down his back. “Did you hurt any place else?” Griffin asked in a low,
sexy voice.

Sydney Lain

Jacob turned to face him. “You’re coming on to me,” he said.

Jacob hated the blunt statement, but he wasn’t thinking and that
usually led to him saying something stupid. This time it was the pure
shock that left him confused. Griffin was strong and sexy and the
strong shifter wanted him.

Griffin cocked his head to the side. “Why are you surprised?”
The question hit him. Why was he surprised? Was it because he

loved someone that didn’t even see him as a potential lover? He’d
lived with this one-sided love for years. Since he fell for the vampire
Prince, he wasn’t interested in starting a relationship with anyone.
Sure he had sex, but mostly one-night stands. He shivered at the
thought of Griffin wanting him. “Let’s keep going.” Now wasn’t the
time to think about the lack of love in his life.

Griffin nodded and moved in front of Jacob. “Follow me.”
Jacob growled. “I don’t need you to protect me.” He had enough

of others treating him as weak. It started with Zed looking out for him
and refusing to see him as a man and ended with everyone else feeling
the same way.

Griffin nodded, but kept walking, only pretending to hear Jacob’s

complaint.

Griffin and Jacob entered the back offices. The silence unnerved

him. Jacob’s hand moved and latched onto Griffin’s shirt. Griffin
turned and arched one eyebrow up as the unspoken question hung in
the air.

“First, I can’t see that well. It’s too dark in here, so I’ll let you

lead, but only this time. Second, if you insist on coming with me, then
we shouldn’t separate, and holding on will help keep us together.
Okay?”

Griffin’s lips edged slightly upward as he strained to keep from

smiling. “Makes sense.” Griffin’s voice cracked a little. Yes, he was
definitely trying to keep from laughing.

Well, Jacob didn’t care. He hated the dark. Ironically he spent the

night living with vampires and the day sleeping.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

A crash rang through the room. Jacob jumped closer to Griffin.

The taller man wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him
closer. Jacob’s heart beat in his chest with a mixture of fear and desire
as Griffin’s body rubbed against his. He didn’t move. He stayed in
Griffin’s strong embrace for a minute before pulling away. “Let’s
go.”

“Stay behind me.” Griffin pushed him back. This time he didn’t

argue. They walked down the dark hall. Jacob grabbed onto Griffin’s
arm, refusing to let the dark bother him. The noise came from either
the staff lounge or the main office. Griffin lifted his nose up, sniffing
the air. He looked at the staff lounge and nodded. He pointed to the
wall and narrowed his eyes.

Jacob shook his head. He wasn’t going to be left behind.
Griffin relented. He used his large body to shield Jacob as he

reached for the door. Jacob cringed as it creaked open. The darkness
blinded him, but Griffin looked around the room. Damn, shifters and
their amazing night vision. Jacob slid his arm down the wall and
flipped the light switch.

A hiss came from the corner. At first, Jacob couldn’t identify the

sound, but he focused on the area the noise originated from and saw
the thin vampire curled up next to the wall. The vampire’s skin was
sunken with a sickly grayish tint. Jacob squinted. He recognized the
small, broken body. The vampire worked at the Vortex. He was the
main host that stood at the door letting people in and throwing the
unruly ones out. Normally, he was Jacob’s height, but now he looked
much smaller and older.

“Maurice, what’s going on?” Jacob asked.
Maurice snapped his head up and looked at him. Before the

vampire didn’t see him, but after Jacob spoke, Maurice noticed him.
Something was wrong. Jacob tried to move past Griffin, but the
shifter wouldn’t allow it.

Sydney Lain

Maurice started to growl and snarl. His thin, pale arms reached

out. The vampire jumped toward them, but fell as the man’s legs
failed to hold up his body.

“Maurice, it’s me. Do you remember me? It’s Jacob.”
The sound of Jacob’s voice only made the vampire angrier. He

started to pull his body across the floor. He mumbled, “Delicious
blood. Give me your blood.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Jacob asked. Vampires were his

family. He grew up around them and he’d never seen one like this. “I
need to get Bishop. He’ll know what to do.” Jacob turned to run, but
Griffin grabbed his arm. “What are you doing?” Jacob asked, trying to
pull his arm free.

Griffin shook his head. “You’re not going anywhere alone.” He

pushed Jacob against the wall. “Bishop,” Griffin yelled. The sound
echoed through the abandoned club. Maurice squealed on the floor,
desperately trying to cover his ears. “There could be more. It’s
dangerous to go off by yourself.”

“We left Bishop alone. What if he needs help?” Jacob tried to

push past Griffin to get to the older vampire, but the shifter wouldn’t
move.

Griffin laughed. “Do you think something like that”

—

he paused

and pointed to Maurice

—

“could hurt him?”

Jacob agreed. Bishop was strong. He looked up into Griffin’s

eyes. “Are you saying he could hurt me?” he asked, suddenly angry
and a little sad that Griffin thought the weak vampire crawling on the
floor could hurt him.

“Well, we’re never going to find out.” Griffin’s tone was sharp

and firm.

Jacob opened his mouth to argue when Bishop walked through the

door.

“What’s going on?” Bishop asked. He looked over at Maurice.

The older vampire’s eyes widened. He leaned down to get a closer
look at the too-thin vampire. “What happened to him?”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“We’re hoping you could tell us,” Griffin said.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I’ve never seen anything like this,”

Bishop said. “Vampires don’t get sick. We get weak from not eating,
but we fall into a deep sleep until we feed. This is something else.”

Jacob looked back at the vampire. Suddenly, their night had just

gotten longer as the mystery deepened.

* * * *

Griffin shook his head. He didn’t know what to think. The

vampire looked hungry and sickly. How was he supposed to know it
wasn’t normal? He didn’t spend a lot of time with vampires. He
wanted to keep it from attacking. Griffin could protect himself, but he
needed to protect Jacob.

He turned to look at his shocked mate. Jacob winced at each

whimper made by the vampire on the floor. Griffin hated seeing the
horrified, frightened look on Jacob’s delicate face.

Earlier, when he walked into the club, Griffin never expected to

find his mate. Since that moment, Griffin wanted to protect the small
human. Surprisingly, he didn’t care about the human part of it, but
two things worried him—Jacob spent a lot of time with vampires and
he didn’t know his limitations. Jacob actually wanted to march up to
Maurice. From all the hissing the vampire did, Griffin clearly saw the
vampire’s razor-sharp teeth. He didn’t want to think about that thing
on the floor biting Jacob and what that would mean for his mate.

Jacob moved toward Bishop. Griffin growled. Jacob turned and

looked at him. He shook his head, dismissing him before turning back
to Bishop. The older vampire smirked before continuing his
conversation with Jacob. Damn, Bishop knew. The older vampire
figured out Jacob was his mate, but Jacob didn’t know. Should Griffin
come right out and say it?

Griffin studied his mate. He was taller than Micah, but at least

seven inches shorter than himself. Jacob was thin with hard muscles

Sydney Lain

and he felt good in Griffin’s arms. Jacob’s deep-green eyes reflected
an inner strength and determination, while his disheveled chestnut-
brown hair reminded Griffin of a man just getting out of bed after a
night of serious fucking. His eyes continued down his mate’s body to
the other man’s ass. Griffin groaned. He wanted to walk over and rub
Jacob’s backside and squeeze. His cock hardened at the thought of
sinking inside of his mate’s body.

Griffin recalled Thomas’s words. The demon told him that Jacob

worked for Zed. The vampire was close to his mate and had protected
Jacob from Micah’s memory wipe. Griffin never liked the vampire.
For someone that hated liars and frowned on lying, Zed kept too many
secrets.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Bishop said.
“Can we question him? Try to find out what happened,” Jacob

said.

Bishop nodded. “I’ll try, but Jacob, stay with Griffin.”
Before his mate could argue, Griffin nodded and rested his arm on

Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob looked up. “It’s better for Bishop to do this.
He’s a vampire and Maurice might talk to him.”

Jacob nodded, but he clearly wasn’t happy. Griffin let out a heavy

sigh. “Next vampire we see looking like that, I’ll think about letting
you question him.” He smiled, hoping to calm his angry mate.

“Think about?” Jacob seethed, repeating his words. “Next time

you’ll be nowhere near me and I’ll do what I want.”

“Don’t push me.” He was never letting Jacob out of his sight. He

pulled Jacob closer and whispered into his ear. “You’re not getting rid
of me. I will make sure you’re safe if I have to tie you to a bed.”
Jacob stiffened. He smelled his mate’s desire as Jacob fought for
control. “Maybe I won’t have to tie your arms and legs to the bed
posts. I’ll fuck you long and hard and afterwards you won’t be able to
move. Would you prefer that, Jacob?” His mate shivered and leaned
into Griffin’s body.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Bishop cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt.” The older vampire

looked at the two of them and smiled.

Jacob jumped out of his arms. “It’s not how it looks.”
Griffin cocked his head. “Really?” He hated Jacob’s denial. It was

exactly how it looked. He turned the smaller man around and
squeezed Jacob’s hard cock. “Is that why you’re rock hard?” Jacob’s
face reddened. Before Jacob could argue, Griffin walked toward
Bishop.

“What did you find out?” Griffin asked.
“He took these.” Bishop opened his hand and five pills lay in his

palm. The dark-red pills looked like human medication, but the
capsules were red—an eerie bloodred. “The drug dealing hasn’t
ended. He got these this morning.”

“Did he look like that before taking the pills?” Jacob asked.
“No, the change was sudden. He got the pills from Sam.” Bishop

thought for a moment. “Jacob, do you know Sam?”

“Yeah, he sold drugs in the club and on the streets to other

supernatural beings. I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Well, he’s back. I managed to get some information from

Maurice, but not much,” Bishop said. “Sam’s started selling again.”

“Why here?” Jacob asked.
“No, he didn’t get the drugs at the Vortex. This is where Maurice

came to die.”

“Die? Aren’t vampires already dead?” Griffin asked.
“We’re the undead, but even vampires can cease to exist. We call

that death,” Bishop explained.

“Can he be saved?” Jacob asked.
“I don’t know. I need to bring him to the Prince.” Bishop looked

at Griffin then focused on Jacob. “We need to bring him to Zed along
with these pills.”

“No, I won’t see him until the investigation is done.” Jacob moved

away from Bishop, shaking his head.

Sydney Lain

If Jacob didn’t want to see Zed, Griffin would support him. The

further his mate was from the Prince the better. “Just because you
need to do something, doesn’t mean we need to end the investigation.
Jacob and I can continue without you,” Griffin said.

“Yes, that’s true. Griffin and I can continue this,” Jacob said a

little too eagerly.

Bishop looked directly at him. He turned to look at Jacob. His

mate never blinked as he looked directly at the vampire. Bishop
nodded at Jacob before turning to address Griffin. “You will protect
him,” the vampire ordered.

“With my life,” Griffin said.
“Hello, I can protect myself,” Jacob said, but both Griffin and

Bishop ignored him.

Bishop stared at him for a long time, sizing him up, until finally

the vampire nodded. “Then I will leave his safety to you. If anything
happens to him, Supernatural Society Council or not, I will kill you.”

Jacob opened his mouth but quickly closed it when Bishop shot

him a look. His small mate shrugged his shoulders and looked away.

Griffin cleared his throat, getting Bishop’s attention. “I will

protect Jacob with my life. If I fail, I’ll welcome death.”

“Wait…” Jacob said.
“Not now, Jacob,” Griffin said, cutting him off.
Jacob’s face reddened in anger. He placed his hand on his mate’s

back and rubbed up and down. Jacob calmed down and looked at him.
Griffin smiled and turned back to look at Bishop.

Bishop looked directly at Griffin. “Tell me, lion shifter. How

friendly are you with the leader of the shifter territory?”

“Why?” Griffin asked. He hadn’t seen Brody in years, but for the

second time today his mind wandered to his older brother.

“Because that’s where you need to go. Sam’s been hiding in that

territory.”

Griffin only lived in that territory at the beginning of its

formation. Going home wasn’t something he ever wanted to do. He

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

looked at Jacob. He couldn’t chance taking his mate into the area.
“I’ll go alone.”

“No, you won’t. You can either take me with you or I’ll follow

you in, but I won’t be left out.”

Griffin looked at the smaller man. Jacob clenched his fist. His

eyes blazed with a fierce determination, and no matter what Griffin
said, Jacob wasn’t going to stay away. “Fine, but you need to listen to
me. I’m the expert, not you. Do you agree?”

“Of course,” Jacob said, but the gleam in his mate’s eyes told him

something different. Griffin ignored it, pretending to believe his mate.

Sydney Lain

Chapter Three

Griffin never wanted to return to this territory. After being chased

out by his father, he swore never to step foot into this area again. It
was ironic that after so many years of his life remaining exactly the
same in one night everything had changed so much.

Shifters weren’t immortal. Pure lion shifters lived for hundreds of

years, but not forever. A pure shifter only had one type of blood. In
his case, it was lion’s blood. The purer a shifter’s blood the longer
that shifter lived. All shifters changed into one animal—their
dominant animal. Fights between pure bloodlines existed before he
was born. The fights ended, but even today lions and wolves didn’t
get along.

When he lived in shifter territory, he felt the tension between the

different shifter groups. Even the lion inside of him wanted to
dominate others, but that was then. Now, everything was different. He
had control over his animal.

He looked over toward Jacob, the reason he reentered shifter

territory. Jacob was determined to follow the drug trail back to the
source. He was coming here with or without Griffin. Only agreeing
allowed him to be by Jacob’s side before his stubborn mate snuck in
alone.

Griffin tried to understand Jacob, but his mate was obsessed with

the need to complete this investigation no matter what it cost him.
Normally, he admired that strength in a person, but Jacob was a
fragile human. He wanted to charge into this territory, demanding
answers.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

He didn’t understand Zed. Why did the vampire let a small, weak

human investigate a supernatural drug ring? It disturbed him. Did the
Prince want to get rid of Jacob? His mate couldn’t fight against other
supernatural beings. Worst of all, Jacob didn’t understand his own
strength or lack of it. He didn’t know his limitations.

Jacob gripped the steering wheel as the car drove over a large

bump. Jacob’s eyes never left the road. Since starting the drive, his
mate refused to look at him or even acknowledge Griffin was in the
car with him. His sensitive ears picked up Jacob’s anxious heartbeat.
Griffin hated being ignored. He wanted Jacob on his knees looking up
at him as he sucked the shifter’s cock, but that would come in time.
Now, he just wanted his mate to stop ignoring him. He looked over at
Jacob. “How long do you plan to ignore me?” Griffin asked, breaking
the silence.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders.
Griffin smirked at Jacob’s stubborn determination not to admit the

truth. Even his mate couldn’t deny the attraction.

“Why are you nervous? I don’t bite. Well, not much and you’ll

enjoy it,” Griffin said in a low, gruff voice.

Jacob’s body quivered before glancing over to look at him. Their

eyes met and Griffin saw the burning desire in Jacob’s green eyes.
“Don’t distract me. I’m driving.”

Griffin looked at the rich, brown-leather interior. The expensive

red sports car cost a lot. He hated to think of all the things Jacob did
to pay for it. “Nice car,” he finally said.

“Thanks, it was a gift from Zed.”
Griffin’s blood started to boil. He imagined different duties Jacob

performed to earn the car. He couldn’t change Jacob’s past, but he
would never let Zed touch his mate again. He couldn’t stop himself
from asking. “What did you do to earn such a nice gift?”

Jacob shrugged. “Zed likes to give us gifts.”
Griffin slammed his fist on the dashboard. He never thought about

Zed’s sex life, but apparently he liked being with more than one

Sydney Lain

person at a time. How could Jacob allow a man that screwed multiple
people at a time to use him?

“What’s your problem?” Jacob asked.
Griffin turned to look at his mate. His mouth opened, but before

he said anything, something big darted in front of the car. Jacob
yanked the wheel to the side trying to avoid the animal. The car
swung off the badly paved road. Jacob slammed on the brakes, but the
front tire blew.

Griffin reached over to help Jacob steer the car. The tires

continued to slide as they went down a hill. Jacob slammed his foot
down again on the brakes, but the car didn’t slow down. The front end
hit a tree. The air bags opened, pushing Griffin back against the seat.
Jacob grunted. Griffin’s nails extended and he slashed at the bag. He
looked over at Jacob and ripped the air bag holding his mate down
with his razor-sharp nails.

“Oh, great,” Jacob said, unbuckling his seat belt.
“Are you hurt?” Griffin demanded. He grabbed Jacob’s arms and

pulled him a little closer. He looked over the smaller man, checking
for bruises, scrapes, scratches, and blood.

“No, I’m fine.” Jacob pulled away. He tried to push open his door,

but the side of the car was too close to a tree. The door wouldn’t open
far enough to allow his mate to climb out.

Griffin opened his door and climbed out. He looked around for the

animal that jumped in front of the car. He sniffed the air, but nothing.
He cursed. He was too wrapped up in thinking about Zed and Jacob
together that he didn’t get a good look at it.

“What ran into the road?” Griffin asked. He reached a hand back

into the car, pulling Jacob across the passenger seat. His hand tingled
as their skin touched.

“I don’t know. It was big.” Jacob looked around the woods.
Griffin pulled out his phone and started to dial when Jacob

grabbed it. His mate shook his head. “I need to call for a tow truck or
a ride. We can’t stay here.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“No, we’re heading to the main house. It’s not too far from here,

so we’ll walk the rest of the way.”

“What? We’re stranded in the woods. It’s dark and feels like it’s

going to rain.” Griffin looked at Jacob. Was his mate crazy?

“I’m not scared of the dark.” Something in Jacob’s eyes gave

away the lie. “If something happens, I’ll protect you. Don’t be scared.
I might be human, but I can take care of both of us.” Jacob pushed
past him and continued down the path. “I’m not going back, but if
you’re that worried, you can leave at any time.”

Griffin growled. He grabbed Jacob’s arm. “The investigation can

wait. We need to take care of ourselves. I don’t want us to be stranded
in the woods.” A couple raindrops hit Griffin’s head. He looked at
Jacob, but the smaller man wasn’t giving up.

Jacob face was red with anger. “I’ve come this far. I’m not going

back. Not until this is done.”

Griffin shook his head. It was no use trying to talk with someone

that wouldn’t listen to reason. He ignored Jacob as he started to dial
his cell phone. Jacob reached over and swatted at his hand. The phone
fell to the ground. He looked at his mate like the man was crazy.
“What are you doing?” He bent down and picked up the phone. The
display was broken, but he hoped it still worked. He lifted it to his ear
and nothing. “It’s broken,” Griffin said.

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. He looked down at his feet and the

guilt radiated off of him. “I didn’t mean it. I’ll get you a new phone.”

“What about your phone?” Griffin asked.
“It needs to be charged.” Jacob pulled the phone out of his pocket

and handed it to him. Griffin took the smartphone into his hand and
pressed the on button, but nothing.

“It looks like we’re stuck,” Jacob said.
Griffin squeezed the phone. He wanted to throw the younger man

over his knee and paddle his ass. “From this point on, you will follow
me. I know these woods. Not you,” Griffin ordered. It was time for
him to take charge. If he left it up to Jacob, they would both be dead

Sydney Lain

by morning. Didn’t his mate have any common sense? Other shifters
lived in these woods besides lions, and different shifter groups didn’t
always understand each other.

“Fine, I’ll follow you. And I am sorry.”
The adorable way Jacob pouted while trying to look sorry

softened his heart.”Ok, I forgive you, but no more. And next time
only apologize if you mean it.” Griffin looked directly at Jacob. His
mate resembled a puppy with its head bowed after being caught doing
something wrong. Griffin turned away. He didn’t have time to deal
with hurt feelings.

A few more cold raindrops hit his skin. He cursed when Jacob

wrapped his arms tightly around his body. The smaller man’s thin
jacket wouldn’t keep the cold away. Griffin looked around the area.
He recalled the long drive and tried to picture the last sign the car
passed.

At one time, cabins were built in this area. A group of smaller

shifters, squirrels and raccoons moved into this part of the forest. Last
he heard, the group had moved on and now lived in Roman’s
territory. He just hoped the cabins still existed.

He grabbed Jacob’s shivering arm. Griffin longed to pick up his

mate and hold the man close and never let go, but walking would
keep Jacob’s blood flowing and keep the younger man warmer.
“Come on. Let’s go. We need to keep moving.” He pulled his mate
close, letting his body heat wrap around Jacob’s thin body as they
moved deeper into the woods.

After twenty minutes of walking through the dark forest, Griffin

spotted the abandoned cabins. He held Jacob close, guiding him
through the area without tripping over rocks or branches.

“Thanks,” Jacob said when Griffin held him up after he stumbled

again. “Why is it so dark?” he asked in a frustrated tone.

“There’re no stars out tonight, but don’t worry, I can see.” He

watched Jacob roll his eyes. “It’s my night vision that’s letting us
wander around the woods in the dark.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob sighed. “I know. It’s just annoying that I have to rely on

someone else to see for me.”

“Whose fault is that? If you didn’t break my phone, we’d be

halfway back to the city by now.” Griffin paused, letting his words
sink in. “Well, it’s almost over.” He pointed to a group of buildings.
“There they are.” The cabins looked shabby, but stood out like a
beacon in the night. Griffin pulled his mate toward the buildings. As
they approached, Jacob wrinkled his nose.

“It’s better than sleeping in the rain,” Griffin said.
Jacob reluctantly nodded.
The five cabins had seen better days. The years of neglect took

their toll on the small structures, but the one in the center was perfect.
It was sturdier then the others with a solid roof and no broken
windows. Griffin grabbed Jacob’s arm and pulled him to the cabin.

“What if someone lives here?” Jacob asked.
Griffin opened the door, tugging Jacob through it. He wrinkled his

nose. The one-room cabin had a layer of dust covering everything. He
looked back at Jacob. “That won’t be a problem.”

Jacob’s eyes roamed around the small room. “I guess not,” he

agreed. Jacob walked inside. “Cabins like these abandoned in the
woods don’t just happen. This seems too good to be true. Don’t you
find it suspicious?” Jacob cursed as he stubbed his toe against the
table.

Griffin laughed. “Not really. We’re in shifter territory. My people

like to live in the woods. It’s quieter. The shifters that lived here
moved to Roman’s territory a few years ago. They told me about
these cabins.”

“Why would they move?” Jacob asked.
“Smaller shifters sometimes find it difficult to live with

predators.”

Griffin walked to the small kitchen area. He opened cabinet after

cabinet until he found an old box of matches. He looked at the large
woodburning stove before turning his body to face the table and

Sydney Lain

chairs across the room. He moved close to one chair, pulled it out
from underneath the table before he lifted his leg up and brought it
down, breaking the wood into pieces. “This will do.” He picked up
the wood and placed a couple of pieces inside the stove. It took a
couple of minutes, but soon he had a nice, warm fire going.

Jacob placed a hand on Griffin’s arm. “I’m sorry about before. I

didn’t mean to break your phone.”

Griffin raised an eyebrow.
“Okay, maybe I did, but I wasn’t thinking. I just need to finish the

investigation before I can go back to the city.”

“Why?” Griffin wanted to know his mate’s thoughts and the

reasons behind his actions. He wanted to know everything about his
mate.

“I’d rather not say,” Jacob said, staring down at the floor. He

looked lost standing in the abandoned cabin with wet hair and clothes.

Griffin couldn’t resist any longer. He reached down and wrapped

an arm around Jacob’s waist and pulled him close, pressing a soft kiss
to his mate’s lips. Jacob leaned back. His lips opened and Griffin’s
tongue slid in. The kiss became more demanding as Griffin ravished
Jacob’s mouth. His mate’s knees buckled, but Griffin held him up as
he continued to explore. The kiss lasted a minute before Griffin pulled
away.

Breathing heavily, Jacob leaned into him. Griffin rubbed up and

down his mate’s back. Jacob looked up with lust-filled eyes that
silently pleaded with Griffin to continue. Jacob’s hand moved up and
down his chest. Griffin leaned down, recapturing Jacob’s lips, as he
pushed off the smaller man’s jacket. As the kiss deepened, Griffin
grabbed the ends of his mate’s shirt, and when they broke apart,
Griffin pulled the shirt off Jacob’s body.

His hand slid down Jacob’s naked chest. He relished the feel of

his mate’s soft skin and firm muscles. Jacob leaned into the gentle
caresses, biting his lip to suppress a moan. Griffin smiled at his

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

mate’s stubbornness. Now, he was determined to have Jacob moaning
and crying out for him before the night was over.

* * * *

Griffin’s hands moved over his skin. Each area the shifter’s rough

fingers touched burned as his body ached for more. He couldn’t get
enough. The room might have been cold, but his skin was on fire. He
never wanted the soft caresses to end.

Jacob grabbed the front of Griffin’s shirt, pulling it up as he slid a

hand underneath the black fabric. He rubbed up and down the
shifter’s hard chest before slowly moving downward, feeling hard abs
under his fingertips. He continued toward Griffin’s jeans. He reached
for the button and opened it. Jacob slowly slid the zipper down. His
eyes never left Griffin’s eyes as he reached into the shifter’s pants and
rubbed his stiff cock. Jacob bit his lip, suppressing the moan
threatening to escape.

Griffin stepped back, pulling away from his roaming hands. He

yanked off his shirt and Jacob looked at each scar marring the
shifter’s chest.

“What happened?” Jacob asked, moving in to place small kisses

on each angry mark that flawed Griffin’s body.

“Don’t worry. It happened long ago.” Something in Griffin’s

voice made him a little sad.

Jacob continued moving his lips up and down Griffin’s naked

chest, placing nips and small bites on the unscarred skin. He licked
one long scar that ran from Griffin’s shoulder down his chest to his
stomach.

Griffin ruffled Jacob’s hair. He looked up. Their eyes met.

Griffin’s deep-blue eyes locked with his dark-green eyes. They
moved toward each other. Their lips met. The kiss lasted only a few
seconds, but Jacob found it hard to breathe when they pulled apart.
His painfully hard cock pressed against his jeans. He rubbed against

Sydney Lain

Griffin’s leg, but he couldn’t get the relief he so desperately needed.
Jacob reached down and unbuttoned his pants, but as he was reaching
for his hard shaft, Griffin grabbed his hand.

“Not yet,” Griffin said.
“I need more,” he cried out, horrified by the neediness in his

voice. Jacob couldn’t think. A part of him whispered that it was Zed
he wanted, but the other part screamed for Griffin. He had never
wanted anyone like he wanted the lion shifter.

Griffin moved them toward the bed. Jacob hesitated when he

spotted the layer of dust covering the top of the blanket. Griffin
looked down. He pulled off the blanket, leaving behind another thin
blanket that didn’t look that bad. Griffin kissed him again. His heart
pounded in his chest as the blood rushed to his cock. The sensations
were too much and Jacob’s knees started to buckle, but a strong arm
wrapped around his waist, pulling him up and into Griffin’s body. He
buried his head into the crook of Griffin’s neck, inhaling a sweet,
musky scent. Jacob had never felt this connected to anyone. He
wanted to push away and think about it, but he was powerless to stop
the passion between them.

Griffin pushed him down on the bed. He pulled at Jacob’s pants

and yanked his jeans down to his knees. Jacob’s face reddened when
Griffin’s brow arched up. He didn’t like to wear underwear. Nothing
beat the feel of his cock rubbing against the rough fabric of his pants.
Griffin smirked and he felt even more embarrassed. Jacob moved his
hands to block his erection, but Griffin grabbed his wrists.

“No, keep them away.” Griffin moved down his body. He slowly

pulled off one shoe and gently pulled off a sock. He moved to his
other leg and repeated the same action. He rubbed Jacob’s naked feet.
He shivered when he saw the fire burning in Griffin’s eyes. Griffin
took pity on him as he grabbed the ends of his pants, and with one
firm pull, he yanked off his jeans, leaving him completely naked.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob leaned back watching Griffin slowly take off his own pants

and underwear. Maybe when this was over, he’d convince Griffin that
nothing was better than going without underwear.

He moaned when Griffin’s large, thick cock jutted out. Jacob

licked his lips in anticipation. The shifter’s shaft was enormous.

“Suck my cock,” Griffin ordered.
Jacob nodded, unable to speak. He licked his lips as he crawled

across the bed on hands and knees. He rubbed Griffin’s cock, moving
his hands slowly up and then down. Jacob licked his lips and bent
down, taking the tip into his mouth. He looked up into Griffin’s eyes
as his tongue played with the tip of the shifter’s sensitive shaft. He
sucked on the tip before his lips slowly glided down. Soon he was
bobbing up and down with his mouth, taking in as much of Griffin’s
massive cock as he could without choking.

Griffin’s cock popped out of his mouth. Jacob’s tongue swirled

around the sensitive end before licking down the shifter’s cock. His
hands reached down and massaged Griffin’s balls before his mouth
reached the area. He nipped each side as his hand continued to stroke
his new lover’s shaft. He licked back up the long shaft before he took
the cock into his mouth, but no matter how hard he tried the whole
thick shaft wouldn’t fit into his mouth. He moaned, unable to wait
much longer before trying it in his ass.

“Enough,” Griffin said, pulling his cock away.
Jacob tried to follow. He wanted to taste it some more.
“Don’t worry. You’ll have more of it. Soon I’ll have my cock up

your ass as it pounds into you.” Griffin rubbed his cheek. “Now move
back.”

Jacob crawled on his hands and knees to the center of the bed. He

stuck his ass out and looked back at Griffin.

“Get on your back,” Griffin ordered.
Jacob shook his head no. “I want it like this.” He liked being taken

from behind because he could imagine Zed pounding into him. He
never wanted to look at his lovers because the person fucking him

Sydney Lain

was never the person he wanted to be pushing in and out of him. A
part of him wondered if it would be the same with Griffin. He
positioned himself so he could lean down, resting his top half on the
bed, freeing one arm. He reached back with it. His fingers started
rubbing at his sensitive hole.

Griffin groaned as he moved in. He rubbed Jacob’s ass and moved

his hands up the other man’s body.

“We can’t. I don’t have anything to make it easier and I won’t

take you dry.”

Jacob nodded. He leaned down to hide his smile. He bit his lip

before turning to look at Griffin. “In the back pocket of my jeans,
there are packets of lubricant and condoms in my wallet.” Griffin
smirked. Jacob was always prepared. He covered his face with his
hands as Griffin moved from the bed. Griffin rifled through his
clothes before he felt the dip in the bed.

“Stop that. Don’t cover your face,” Griffin reprimanded. “I can

fuck you long and hard with these.” He held out the lubricant packets.
“Shifters don’t carry diseases, so the condoms aren’t necessary. Is that
okay?” he asked.

Jacob nodded. He never let another supernatural fuck him—only

humans. No one had ever fucked him without a condom. He trusted
Griffin, but he also remembered from his research that no
supernatural beings carried sexually transmitted diseases.

“Now, let’s get you prepared. I’m bigger than most guys.”
Jacob bit his lip as his eyes moved back toward the enormous

cock. He shuddered, while wondering if all shifters were that big.
He’d never had a man that long and thick before. He leaned back
down until his shoulder touched the bed. One hand moved to his ass.
He pushed the tip of his finger in and looked back at Griffin, silently
pleading with the man to do something.

Griffin moved behind him, rubbing his large cock between the

creases of his ass. Jacob shuddered as the stiff cock rubbed against
him. Griffin pushed a finger inside and moved the finger in and out as

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob reached down to stroke his cock. Soon a second finger joined
the first. It wasn’t enough. He pushed his ass back, impaling himself
onto those thick digits, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Please,” he begged. “Fuck me.”
Griffin groaned. He ripped open the lube packet and spread the

contents over his cock. Jacob bit his lip as Griffin moved behind him.
The hard tip pushed inside of him. Griffin slowly moved forward,
giving Jacob time to adjust. The burning pain gave way to pleasure as
Griffin continued to slide in inch by inch. Griffin’s balls slapped
against his ass as the man’s large cock filled him.

Griffin pulled him back, onto his knees, firmly gripping his waist.

Jacob leaned into Griffin’s body as the shifter pushed in and out of
him. Griffin placed hot kisses along his neck. Jacob moaned as Griffin
plunged harder and deeper inside of him. Jacob turned his head and
they kissed. When they broke apart Griffin pushed him back down on
his hands and knees. He slammed in and out with a few hard thrusts.
Griffin leaned close to Jacob’s ear. “I don’t care if you walk around
without underwear.” He pounded his ass a few more times. “I don’t
care if you carry lube in your back pocket.” He thrust harder into his
body. “I don’t care about your past, but I will be the only one to fuck
you.” He pushed Jacob forward and to prove his point he pounded
him into the bed.

Jacob’s knees couldn’t hold him up. Griffin helped him down onto

his stomach as he continued to nail his ass. Jacob’s sensitive cock
rubbed against the blanket and just before he was about to come,
Griffin reached underneath him and squeezed his cock. “Do you
understand, Jacob? Your ass is mine.”

Jacob nodded. “Yes,” he moaned and meant it. Griffin picked up

speed. There was no gentleness in the way Griffin fucked him, but
Jacob loved the brutal pace. Griffin wasn’t treating him like a fragile
human. The speed increased as the bed pounded into the wall. Jacob
moaned as Griffin hit the spot deep inside of him over and over again.
Griffin licked his neck and placed small kisses and light bites below

Sydney Lain

his ear. Soon Jacob reached his limit and his cock exploded. He
squeezed down on Griffin’s cock. The shifter poured his hot seed into
him, thrusting a few more times before pulling out.

Griffin moved to the side and rubbed his cheek. “Are you okay?”
Jacob just stared. Normally, he hated this part, the awkward

aftermath when he had to look at the person that finished fucking him,
but this time it was different. He wanted to look at Griffin. Not once
did he pretend that someone else was in bed with him. It was only
Griffin. He reached out and touched Griffin’s cheek. “I’m fine.” His
eyes felt heavy and he yawned.

Griffin pulled Jacob close. “Go to sleep.”
Jacob nodded and closed his eyes. Tonight instead of dreaming of

Zed’s cold hand rubbing up and down his back, he dreamed of being
embraced by the warmth.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Chapter Four

Jacob nuzzled his nose into Griffin’s naked chest. He relished the

feel of the shifter’s strong arms wrapped around him. The heat from
the warm body seeped into him. Sunshine filled the room. The cold,
rainy night was long gone, but Jacob’s body refused to move. The
thought of leaving his comfortable position was not something he
wanted to do. Images from last night replayed in his head. Over and
over again he relived the amazing night he spent with the lion shifter.
It was his first time with a man that Zed never invaded his thoughts.

Griffin’s hand slid down Jacob’s back and rested on his naked hip.

He rubbed the bone in a circular motion. “We need to get up,” Griffin
said in between yawns.

“Oh, come on. Just five more minutes,” Jacob whined, but he

didn’t care. Whatever worked.

“What about the investigation?” Griffin whispered, teasing

Jacob’s ear with featherlight kisses.

Jacob sat up. That’s right. Before he could stop and think about

last night, he needed to finish what he started. He stood, pushing the
blanket away. He wanted a long, hot shower, but the only running
water came from the sink faucet. He discovered last night it was too
cold to use. He shivered, remembering the cold rag moving between
his legs and up and down his stomach, cleaning the dry cum from his
body.

He shrugged. Cleaning his body could wait until he found warm

water. He walked over to the side of the room looking for his clothes.
Jacob glanced back at Griffin and smiled. He bent over, flashing his
naked ass. His smirk turned wicked when Griffin groaned.

Sydney Lain

He pretended not to notice as Griffin walk up behind him. The

shifter’s large hands rubbed up and down Jacob’s back before
reaching down to pat his ass. Jacob pushed back and Griffin pinched
his butt.

Jacob yelped, not expecting the playful squeeze. The blood rushed

to his cock as his shaft started to harden. Jacob turned to face Griffin.
“Watch it,” Jacob warned, smirking. “Next time, I might walk up
behind you and slap your ass.”

Griffin licked his lips. He looked Jacob up and down, focusing on

Jacob’s stiff cock. The lion shifter burst out laughing. The sound
turned Jacob on even more. Griffin, still chuckling, leaned down close
to his ear. “Anytime, Jacob, anytime. You can touch my ass anytime
you want. Just be prepared for the consequences.” Jacob wrapped his
arms around Griffin’s neck, pulling the shifter into a kiss.

Griffin suddenly stopped. He pulled away. Jacob tried to lean

back in, but Griffin held him at arm's length. The shifter looked
around the room, focusing on every window. “Get dressed,” he
ordered. “Someone’s coming.”

Those words were as effective as cold water poured over his head

and running down his body. Jacob reached down and grabbed his
clothes. He stepped into his pants, but almost fell over when his leg
got caught in the fabric. Griffin steadied him as he pulled up his jeans.
When he zipped up his jacket, Jacob noticed Griffin wasn’t getting
dressed. “What about you?” he asked.

“It’s easier to shift this way.” Griffin focused on the door. His

attention never wavered as he stood watching and waiting.

Jacob didn’t want anyone seeing the other man naked. He didn’t

understand the connection between them, but he couldn’t deny it. Just
when he opened his mouth to protest, the door burst open.

Two men walked inside. Griffin growled as they approached. One

man held up his hand. The nails grew and dark-gray hair covered his
entire arm. Jacob needed to think. He was in a room full of shifters
and by far the smallest one.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Griffin hunched over. His nails extended and golden hair grew,

covering his hands and arms. Jacob reached out and touched Griffin,
hoping to calm the man, but he pulled back after feeling the tension in
his lover’s body.

They needed to avoid fighting. It wasn’t an option. Jacob wanted

to preserve the peace between territories, and getting hurt or killed
wouldn’t be taken lightly. Zed might not love him like he wanted, but
they were still family. He moved to Griffin’s side. “Stop,” he said,
proud that his voice remained strong and steady as he kept the fear
from leaking out.

The two newcomers turned and looked at him with contempt. The

two silently promised to do horrible things to him. The blood in his
veins froze. His body stiffened, refusing to move.

Griffin wrapped his arm around Jacob’s shoulder. Jacob relished

the heat coming from the lion shifter. The warmth was a lifeline,
heating his body. The soft fur covering the man’s arm comforted him.
He leaned into Griffin and felt safe and protected.

“What do you want, human?” one of the shifters said. He looked

at both Griffin and Jacob.

The shifter next to him chuckled. “Maybe he wants more cock.”

The man licked his lips and stared at him like he was a delicious meal
waiting to be devoured.

Jacob grabbed onto Griffin’s arm. “I’ll give you an opening. Look

for it and then run. Don’t stop to look back. Just run.” He spoke in a
whispered tone, but the others in the room heard every word.

Jacob shook his head. “I’ll help you.” As he said the words one of

the shifters across the room let out a cold, cruel chuckle.

“Please,” Griffin begged. “I’ll be fine. But I can’t fight if I’m

protecting you.”

Jacob wanted to argue, but he didn’t have a choice. He nodded

and backed up. Griffin fully transformed into a magnificent golden
lion. The lion much larger than any Jacob had seen on television or in
the zoo.

Sydney Lain

The other shifters transformed into wolves. The sneering and

snarling wolves scared him. Jacob swallowed as he stepped back.
Griffin moved closer to the wolves. Jacob moved against the outer
wall, but he couldn’t get past the two shifters blocking the door.

Griffin charged at the wolves. Hissing, snarling, and snapping

sounds filled the room. Jacob wanted to curl up in the corner and
cover his ears, but he promised Griffin he’d run. He looked for a way
to the door but saw none. Then the window caught his attention.

Jacob moved to the window. He couldn’t open it. It wasn’t locked

but the crooked frame prevented it from being slid open. He turned to
look at the fighting. Griffin wasn’t attacking, but guarding him. He
kept the wolf shifters from getting too close, blocking any approach
with his large body. Jacob needed to help him, but the only way to
help his lover was to get away.

He picked up a broken piece of wood and slammed it into the

window. The glass shattered into pieces. Jacob moved his hands up to
protect his face and body from the falling glass. The wolves turned to
look at him. Griffin growled.

Jacob jumped onto the table and climbed out the window. The

palms of his hands sliced open as the sharp, jagged edges of the
window pushed into his skin. He let the blood slide down his hands.
He looked back at Griffin. The lion growled at him. He nodded and
turned away from the fighting, and started to run.

Yavin never trained Jacob for a situation like this. In the city, he

knew how to get lost in a crowd. He didn’t know what to do here, lost
in the woods, so he ran. He stopped when his side hurt and sucked in
air, trying to even out his breathing. Jacob ran a few more yards
before his legs gave out and he fell to the ground. He lay there for a
few minutes trying to steady his breathing before spotting a large
bush. On hands and knees, he crawled toward it, careful not to touch
anything with his bleeding hands. He hid in the leaves, listening for
Griffin, waiting for the shifter to find him.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

His body cooled in the cold morning air. He wanted to move

around to keep the blood flowing, but the thought of leaving his
hiding spot left his body shaking. The wolf shifters looked at him with
such hatred. He shivered just remembering their faces.

A branch snapped. Jacob froze and listened to the approaching

footsteps. He closed his eyes and the breaking branches were both
ahead of him and behind him. It wasn’t Griffin and they were
approaching from all sides.

He looked around desperate to find a way out or a better hiding

place, but there was nowhere to go. His body stiffened as he watched
three large lions approach. Jacob turned and looked through the leaves
behind him, preparing to run back the way he’d come when two more
lions approached.

The lions surrounded his hiding spot. They stopped and stared

directly at him.

“I’m not here to fight. I’m here to talk.” Jacob’s voice cracked. He

crawled out of the bush.

The largest lion stared at the lions standing behind him. The three

transformed into their naked male forms.

“Relax, we’re not here to harm you.”
Jacob turned back and the saw that all the lion had transformed

back into human form. The man speaking reminded him of Griffin.
They both had the same sun-colored hair and deep-blue eyes. This
man was slightly taller than Griffin with larger muscles and tanner
skin.

“We’re here to investigate. That’s it. Just a couple of questions.”

Jacob was babbling, but the words just came out.

“Human, calm down. I can smell your fear from here. I smell

blood, too. You’re hurt,” the largest man said. Even his voice sounded
a little like Griffin’s.

“It’s Jacob. Jacob White. Prince Zed sent me.”

Sydney Lain

“I’m Brody Lyons, leader of this territory. I know why you’ve

come. Prince Zed called to directly inform me of your arrival. It’s
dangerous to enter this territory without getting permission.”

“I’m human. It’s against the rules of the Supernatural Society to

hurt humans and humans don’t need permission to travel to different
territories,” Jacob said, defending his actions. He wouldn’t cower in
fear in front of these men.

“No, but you smell like a shifter, and there’s something different

about you. You’re not fully human.”

Jacob wanted to disagree. Brody smelled Griffin on his body, but

someone smelling his fey blood was new. Most supernatural beings
never noticed. “I didn’t come here alone. My…” He stopped, trying to
think of the right words to describe Griffin. “Friend came with me,”
he finally said.

“I’ve sent two men after him. Now, where are you hurt?” Brody

walked closer to him.

Jacob took a step back. “You don’t need to come closer. I hurt my

hands.” He held out his arms. The blood covered his palms and
dripped down his arms.

“Get away from him,” Griffin said, pushing through the group of

shifters. He was now fully dressed, and two more shifters walked
behind him. Griffin walked over to Jacob and looked him over. “Are
you okay?” he asked.

Jacob nodded. “Are you?” he asked. He reached out to touch

Griffin’s arm, but stopped when he spotted his bloody hand.

Griffin grabbed his wrists. “I’m fine,” Griffin said. He looked

over Jacob’s hands. “You’re bleeding. Did someone hurt you?” He
turned to stare at Brody.

“No. I hurt myself on the broken glass. What happened to the

wolves?”

Griffin looked at Brody. “When the wolves heard the lions

approaching, they ran. Two of the lion shifters ran after the wolves.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

These two brought me here.” Griffin pointed to Brody. “He must have
sent the lions to help.”

“It’s been almost a hundred years. You come home and speak to

the territory leader like a stranger you can’t wait to be done with.”

A frown formed on Griffin’s face. “Sorry, but keeping Jacob safe

is my priority. It’s good to see you again, brother.”

“Brother? We stopped being brothers when you left the pride.”
Jacob looked at the two brothers. Brody wanted Griffin to treat

him like a brother, but he didn’t want to acknowledge that Griffin was
his brother. Even Jacob was confused and he wasn’t even a part of
this family.

Griffin pulled him against his chest. He felt the sadness and hurt

in his new lover’s body. “Griffin,” he started to say but stopped, not
knowing how to continue.

Griffin messed up Jacob’s hair. He turned to protest, but the look

on Griffin’s face stopped him. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”

Jacob shook his head. He turned to Brody. He wasn’t going to let

this man walk all over them. “Family is family. Where’s your loyalty.
I thought a lion’s pride took care of its own. No matter what.”

“Enough,” Griffin ordered. “Drop it, Jacob.”
Jacob wanted to protest, but now wasn’t the time. They were here

for a purpose and fighting with Brody about family wasn’t on his
agenda. Finally, he relented. “Fine,” he said to Griffin. He clenched
his fist and blood dripped onto the ground. “We have a few questions
and we’re looking for someone,” he informed Brody. It wasn’t a
question but a statement as his strong tone told everyone around that
he wasn’t leaving without the answers to his questions.

Brody looked at Jacob’s hands and frowned. “First things first.

Bring both of them to the compound.” The two shifters standing
behind them approached Jacob and Griffin. Griffin pulled Jacob close.

“No, we can ask our questions here. Then we leave,” Jacob

demanded. He felt the tension all around. He wasn’t helping the

Sydney Lain

situation by trying to set the rules, but he didn’t want to see this
compound, nor did he want to go inside of it.

“Human,” Brody spat out, shaking his head in disgust. “This is my

territory. I make the rules for our people. You will go to the
compound and get those hands looked out.” Brody signaled the two
guards approaching from behind. “The moment you crossed over
from your territory into mine, you became my guest. As a guest, you
won’t leave with untreated injuries. And I won’t answer any questions
while you’re covered in blood.”

The two lion shifters reached for them. Jacob didn’t want anyone

but Griffin touching him. He slapped the shifter’s hand away. The
shifter went to grab him again, but Griffin positioned his body
between them.

“No one touches him but me. He’s mine,” Griffin said.
Jacob opened his mouth to protest, but quickly shut it. Everyone

around them stood in silence at Griffin’s words.

Brody and Griffin engaged in a staring contest. The two brothers

sized each other up. Brody’s lips turned upward into a fake smile.
“No one touches the,” Brody began but stopped. He turned to address
Jacob. “What’s your name?”

Jacob wanted to slap the man. He already told him his name less

than five minutes ago. He focused on Brody. At the time, the shifter
didn’t care about his name, but now he did. Something had changed.
“Jacob White. I’m here representing Prince Zed.”

“You will be treated as our guest. No one here will harm you. You

have my word. The word of a lion.”

“Thanks,” Jacob said, still not understanding Brody’s sudden

change of heart. He moved his hand up to push the hair from his face,
but his habit made it worse as the blood dripped onto his head and slid
down his cheek. He still didn’t want to go to the compound. The place
sounded like a prison. “Fine, I’ll go with you,” Jacob finally said. He
didn’t have a choice. Walking away from the investigation wasn’t an
option, and he needed answers, but not all of his questions were about

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

the investigation. He needed to know why the desperate need to prove
something to Zed wasn’t as strong. Something was changing inside of
him. He needed time to figure it out, but everything was on hold until
he finished this. “Lead the way. Let’s go to the compound.” He’d
worry about everything else later.

Sydney Lain

Chapter Five

Griffin slowly walked into his old room. He’d left the compound

almost a hundred years ago, but he still considered it his room. He
wasn’t surprised by the changes, but a part of him expected to see the
room exactly like he had left it.

The dark maroon walls looked modern, but strange to him. The

vents on the ceiling and the new electrical outlets were added for
modern conveniences. The small bedroom next door had been
converted into an attached bathroom. From the dated fixtures and
peeling wallpaper, the conversion happened a while ago. Most of the
furniture was different, but one piece remained the same, the small
desk in the corner by the window, where he spent a lot of time
studying. If he looked under the old wooden top, he’d see his name
carved into the wood. At the time, his father insisted that Griffin
needed to know the basics of running the lion pride, so one day he
could help lead the territory. Only later did he decide Griffin wasn’t
worthy of leading anything before chasing him out of the area.

Growing up, he had shared this room with Brody. When his

brother turned fifteen, their father moved Brody to a different room
on the other side of the complex. That’s when things started to
change.

Griffin was left out of most decisions and no longer attended the

Supernatural Society Council meetings. He hated the meetings, but he
was always willing to go. The old man told Brody that Griffin wasn’t
interested in the territory. It hurt when Brody believed him. He often
wondered if his father suspected he was gay or just used that as an
excuse to get rid of him. At the time, Griffin didn’t think to question

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

his father. Not like he would answer any of his questions. His father
didn’t allow anyone, not even his son, to question him. Even so, his
father hated him and he still didn’t know why.

The hate ran both ways. He despised his father and that hatred

helped alienate Griffin from the other lion shifters. Griffin was invited
back twenty-five years ago to attend his father’s funeral, but he never
responded to the invitation. To think after all that the old man would
end up dying in an accident in a different territory.

No wonder Brody was angry. His brother adored their father. He

never saw the truth. He was blinded by misplaced faith in someone
that didn’t exist. Griffin blamed the man for killing his mother. Some
might consider it unfair to blame him for her death, but he was there.

When she started coughing no one thought anything of it, but then

the fever set in. She progressively got worse until one morning she
never woke up. Griffin begged his father to call a doctor, but he’d
refused. Later that day she died. It was quick and painless. When
Brody returned a week later, their father moved his brother to the
other side of the compound. He never had a chance to really talk to
his brother again.

Coming back to this house was a mistake, Griffin thought. There

were too many memories here, and most were not good memories.

“Damn him,” Jacob cursed, pacing back and forth, waving his

bandaged hands in the air. He kicked the wall. “Can you believe it?
We’re stuck here. They took our phones and still haven’t answered
any of our questions.” He looked directly at Griffin. “Your brother is
an ass,” Jacob ranted.

Griffin smirked. He remembered calling his brother worse names.

Ass was pretty mild. Brody couldn’t see the truth unless it hit him
head on, slamming into his face, so he wouldn’t miss it. “Don’t
worry. We’ll get out of here soon,” Griffin said, trying to calm his
irate mate.

“Can we leave now?” Jacob asked.

Sydney Lain

Griffin shook his head. “Without a car, we can’t leave.” Well,

they could, but the two of them wouldn’t get very far. Griffin could
get away on his own, but he wouldn’t leave without Jacob, and no
matter how much his human mate protested, he wouldn’t get through
the miles of wooded area before they were hunted down. Last time
he’d been badly injured and managed to get through the woods, but
without the help of the demon brothers, he would have died, or he
would have been killed by his father. Roman and Thomas had saved
him that night.

He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t chance leaving with Jacob.

They were miles from anywhere and Jacob’s injured hands would
slow them down. The best place to protect Jacob was here.

“If I don’t check in with Roman, he will start asking questions.”

Griffin didn’t really believe that. It would take a while before the
newly mated demon noticed he wasn’t around. Thomas might, but he
didn’t want to rely on him.

“Bishop and Zed, too. Zed called to let Brody know we were here.

He will come. He always does.”

Griffin’s blood started to boil. He couldn’t explain the look in his

mate’s eyes, but he hated it. “You love Zed.”

Jacob flinched. “Zed’s family. Of course, I love my family.”
The use of the word “family” surprised him. “What do you

mean?” he finally asked.

“I don’t usually tell people this, but I trust you. I don’t know why,

but I do.”

Griffin nodded. Jacob felt the connection between them. Humans

don’t understand the mating bond, but they feel it.

“Zed adopted me and my younger brother Sage after our parents

died in a fire. He raised us. I owe him a lot.”

Griffin thought about Jacob’s words. A vampire adopting two

human children was unheard of, and it was against the Supernatural
Society rules. Humans weren’t supposed to be dragged into the

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

supernatural world. That’s why Zed didn’t want Jacob to tell anyone
that the vampire adopted him. “I see,” he finally said.

“No, you don’t.” Jacob looked directly at him. “I know what

you’re thinking and that’s not it,” Jacob said. “Zed doesn’t hide us to
protect himself, but he does it to protect us. We’re different.” Jacob
sighed. “Sage is special. As for me, I don’t know, but even as a child,
I saw the supernatural world.”

“Special? How is your brother special?”
Jacob paused. He looked over a Griffin, sizing him up. “It’s not

my secret to tell,” he finally said. “Sage is different. He reminds me
of Micah.”

“He can control people?”
“No.” Jacob shook his head. “He can’t do that.” Jacob frowned.

“Anyway, that’s why Zed keeps us a secret.”

Griffin studied him. “There’s more,” he finally said.
“Maybe, but I don’t want to talk about it now.” Jacob looked over

at Griffin. “Something’s been bothering me.” He paused for a
moment before asking, “What’s going on between the wolf shifters
and the lion shifters? They don’t like each other. Every time, I talk
about the wolf shifters that attacked us, one of the lion shifters
scowls.”

Griffin laughed. “That’s an understatement. In this territory, the

leaders are elected every twenty-five years. In the last two hundred
years, the leader has either been a wolf shifter or a lion shifter.”
Griffin paused before continuing. “This compound is located in the
center of a heavily wooded area, but there are other compounds. Off
to the right is the main wolf compound.”

“How do you keep the different compounds a secret? Humans

have to notice.”

“Shifters don’t keep the compounds a secret. Humans think these

buildings belong to a religious cult. It’s all about perception, Jacob.”

“So only lions live here,” Jacob said.

Sydney Lain

“No, lions permit mixed mating. Lions understand that mates are

destined to be together. We view finding a mate as sacred. Not
everyone does. You’ll find other shifter groups living here. Any
children born from a mixed union usually shift into the animal of their
dominant parent. Lions are dominant.”

“So your brother allows mixed couples.” Jacob continued to pace

back and forth. Griffin could almost see the wheels spinning in his
mate’s head. Finally, he said, “He’s doing this on purpose. Brody’s
avoiding us. We can’t leave until he answers our questions, but we
can’t do that if we can’t talk to him. We’ve wasted the whole day
waiting for him to find the time to speak to us. Now, we need to spend
the night. I’m telling you. He’s not going to let us leave. Your
brother’s keeping us here.” Jacob’s voice was near panic.

Griffin listened and waited for Jacob to finish. He shook his head

no, but Jacob snapped his head to look at him and stared, silently
daring Griffin to argue with him. Well, his mate hated to be wrong.

“Griffin, he’s your brother. Why would he force us to stay?”
Griffin leaned against the wall and thought about the question. For

years he forced the memories of his brother and former best friend
from his mind. He knew Brody. He knew how his brother thought.
The answer to Jacob’s question came to him. “Brody doesn’t express
himself in a way others can understand. He’s not trying to keep us
here, but he’s avoiding us.”

Jacob thought about Griffin’s answer. “Why?” he finally asked.

“I’m not that scary.”

Griffin smiled at the small joke. He looked up as if the answers

would be written on the ceiling. “He’s avoiding me. You’re here
because we’re together.” Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but Griffin
cut him off. “Brody won’t forgive me for leaving the compound and
abandoning the pride. At one time, we were close and I betrayed him.
He’s avoiding me, so he doesn’t have to deal with what happened.”

“Why did you leave?” Jacob asked. “You’re not the type of

person that would do that. Not without a good reason.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Griffin thought about avoiding the question, but Jacob already

shared so much with him. Now, it was his turn. “I wanted to leave,
but I wouldn’t have left without Brody’s okay. When I mentioned it to
him, he was angry that I even considered leaving the pride. My father,
on the other hand, wanted me gone.”

“So your father supported you when you wanted to leave the

pride?”

“No, he used the opportunity to try to kill me. He didn’t want me

in this territory, but he didn’t want me anywhere else.”

Jacob moved over to his side. He moved his hand over Griffin’s

chest, where the worse scars were located. “Why would he do that?”

“That’s a good question. He hated me, and finding out that I was

gay just added to his hatred.” He sighed. “Brody must have believed
the stories our father told him. He thinks I chose to leave. Can you
believe Brody invited me to the old man’s funeral? I couldn’t go. That
further added to the rift between us.”

“I don’t blame you for not going to his funeral. You didn’t have a

choice. If you didn’t leave you’d be dead.” Jacob’s bandaged hand
touched Griffin’s cheek.

“He doesn’t know that.” Griffin sighed. “Our father is dead, but I

can only imagine the stories he told Brody. My brother always
believed the worst about me.” Griffin paused, thinking about the
situation. “Besides, the truth after almost a hundred years wouldn’t
matter.”

Jacob looked away. He turned from him and walked over to the

bed. Jacob tried to pull off his pants, but his damaged hands wouldn’t
allow it. He looked up at Griffin. “Let’s go to bed.” Griffin looked at
him and Jacob smiled. “Help me take off my clothes. I want to hold
you. I want to feel your skin against mine.”

Griffin swallowed. He couldn’t refuse that request. He walked

over to Jacob and slowly stripped Jacob out of his clothes. He helped
his mate onto the bed. “Careful with your hands,” he reminded. Jacob
looked up at him as he stripped off his own clothes. He climbed next

Sydney Lain

to Jacob and pulled his mate’s body close. Jacob lay in his arms as
Griffin rubbed his hand up and down his mate’s back. “We should get
under the blankets. You’ll get cold.” He tried to move, but Jacob
stopped him.

“It’s fine. I won’t get cold. Griffin, your body’s so warm that you

melt everything inside of me.” Jacob placed small kisses on his neck.
“Do you know I have a little brother?”

Griffin didn’t know what to say. He waited for Jacob to continue.
“If he left without a word, I’d be so angry, but he’d still be my

brother. As a big brother that’s my responsibility. I’d always want to
take care of him. Brody isn’t any different. You need to tell him the
truth. Family deserves the truth. No matter the consequences.”

Griffin sensed Jacob needed to tell him something else, but he let

it slide. “It’s been a long time. Some things are better forgotten. This
is one of them.”

Jacob shook his head. “He deserves the truth and you need to tell

him the truth.”

The desperation in Jacob’s voice disturbed him. “Jacob, I have a

feeling you’re not only talking about me.”

Jacob reached over and kissed Griffin. It started as chaste but

quickly morphed into something more. “There’s so much we can do
in bed and sleeping isn’t on my list.” Jacob reached up to touch him,
but Griffin grabbed his wrists.

“Don’t. You need to be careful.” Griffin pressed soft kisses all

along Jacob’s wrists and gently placed small kisses on his mate’s
bandaged palms. “Do your hands hurt?” he asked.

Jacob shook his head. “No, but I want to touch you.”
“How about I touch you? Just feel my hands all over your body.”

Griffin nipped at Jacob’s neck. “Leave your arms at your side and let
me take care of you.”

Jacob bit his lip and nodded. He slowly spread his legs and Griffin

rubbed up and down his stomach. He placed light kisses down Jacob’s
neck and continued down Jacob’s shoulder and arm as he moved to

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

the perk pink nipples and lightly licked each one. Jacob’s hands
moved to cover his mouth, trying to suppress a moan.

“Remember, Jacob, keep your arms at your side,” Griffin ordered.
Jacob groaned, but obeyed. Griffin smirked. Last night was

rushed, but tonight he’d take the time to explore his mate’s body. One
thing was certain, they wouldn’t be sleeping anytime soon.

Jacob closed his eyes. “Griffin, cover my eyes.”
Griffin cocked his head to the side. “What?” he asked.
Jacob turned his head. His skin flushed with a light-pink sheen. “I

want to feel. If I can’t touch, then I only want to feel.”

He smirked, which caused Jacob’s skin to turn even redder.

Griffin reached for the pillow and yanked off the pillowcase. He
folded it into a single narrow strip and tied it around Jacob’s head,
covering his eyes. “Can you see me?” he asked.

“No, I can’t see anything.”
“Let me know if you change your mind.” Griffin blew softly onto

Jacob’s nipples and the other man hissed, pushing his hips up. Griffin
moved all around Jacob’s body, touching and caressing different
spots. Jacob tried to follow his movements, but without seeing him,
he couldn’t. Griffin placed light touches all over Jacob’s body. There
was no rhythm to his movements, but the other man danced
underneath him. Each touch was a surprise to his mate as he writhed
beneath him.

He blew air on Jacob’s neck. His mate moaned. Griffin smirked at

the response. “I’m going to spend the night getting to know every
sensitive spot.”

Jacob shivered. “You can start with my cock.” He pushed his hips

up and moved his bandaged hand to hover just above his erect shaft.

Griffin grabbed his wrist. “No touching,” he reminded. “I’ll take

care of all your needs. You need to lie back and feel.”

Jacob nodded. He spread his legs wide apart and bent his knees

before thrusting his hips upward. Griffin smirked at his mate’s
demand. He placed both hands on each side of Jacob’s hips, stopping

Sydney Lain

him from pushing forward. Jacob groaned. Griffin took pity on him
and moved to hover just above his cock. He blew on the sensitive tip.

Griffin slowly moved his hands over to Jacob’s sensitive cock.

With one finger he gently moved from the tip of Jacob’s cock down
toward his balls. Then he moved back up. This time when he reached
the end, he wrapped his fingers around his mate’s cock and started
rubbing up and down the hard shaft.

Jacob bit his lip to keep from crying out, but he kept his hands at

his sides. Griffin smiled and wanted to reward his mate. He opened
his mouth and sucked on the tip of Jacob’s cock as his hand moved
down to squeeze his mate’s balls. He moved his mouth up and down,
listening to Jacob’s erotic moans. Griffin’s hand slid underneath as his
fingers moved to Jacob’s sensitive opening.

Griffin pushed one finger through the tight ring of muscles. After

the finger pushed all the way in, Griffin pulled it out and pushed it
back in. He pushed in a second finger as his mouth continued to suck
Jacob’s cock. His mate squirmed underneath him, but Griffin kept
moving at a slow, gentle pace.

Jacob moaned as he bent his knees, placing his feet on the bed. He

began to thrust up and push down, trying to fuck himself harder on
Griffin’s fingers.

Griffin laughed. He pulled his mouth from Jacob’s cock.

“Impatient,” he said. “I’ll make sure you get what you need.”

“Then fuck me,” Jacob demanded. “I can’t wait.” His mate’s

flushed skin and spread legs made Griffin painfully hard. He looked
down at his wanton mate and smiled. Jacob was laid out before him
like a buffet waiting to be devoured.

Griffin reached for the last lube packet he’d placed on the end

table before joining Jacob in bed. He ripped the package open and
spread the contents over his thick shaft. “Are you ready?” he asked,
half teasing. Griffin already knew the answer.

“Just do it.” Jacob squirmed on the bed.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Griffin grabbed Jacob’s thighs and spread them. He settled in-

between Jacob’s legs and slowly pushed past the tight ring of
muscles. Last time, he took Jacob hard, but now he’d savor the
moment.

Slowly he sunk inside, pushing in until he was fully seated within

Jacob’s body. He stopped and waited, giving his mate time to adjust.
He pulled out and then pushed back in. Griffin set a gentle pace, far
different than the hard, fast pace from before. Jacob groaned as he
squirmed underneath him. Griffin smiled as he slowed down and
rotated his hips.

“Please, I need more,” Jacob cried out. “Don’t stop moving.”
Griffin leaned down and sucked Jacob’s neck. He placed gentle

nips and bites all over his mate. Last time, he resisted the urge to bite
down and fully claim him. He wouldn’t force the bond, but the way
their bodies connected and the slow way he moved in and out of
Jacob’s body, he needed more. He needed to form a mating bond. He
fought for control as his teeth grew. His sharpened fangs hovered over
Jacob’s neck. Griffin pulled his lips back. He picked up the pace,
thrusting hard into his mate. He couldn’t stop as he pounded into
Jacob’s willing body.

Jacob moaned, spreading his knees wider. He hooked his legs

around Griffin’s waist and pulled him in closer. “Yes, that’s good,”
Jacob cried out.

Griffin barely heard him as he thrust in and out. Jacob’s arm

moved to his cock, but Griffin’s voice stopped him. “Don’t,” he
ordered. Jacob’s hand fell to his side.

“I need to come,” Jacob cried.
“You will come, but by my hand.” Griffin moved Jacob’s arms up

and above his mate’s head. “Leave them. Remember, mate, you
wanted to feel.”

Jacob nodded.
Griffin fucked Jacob. The hard, fast pace pushed Griffin to his

limit. He reached down and rubbed Jacob’s cock. He moved his hand

Sydney Lain

up and down, giving his mate the friction he begged for. Soon, his
mate exploded, releasing his seed all over Griffin’s hand. Jacob
clenched down on his cock. Griffin thrust in and then out a few more
times before releasing inside of his mate. He stayed inside until his
softening cock slid from Jacob’s body.

He collapsed next to Jacob before reaching over to remove the

makeshift blindfold. Jacob kept his eyes closed, refusing to look at
him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, suddenly worried he took his mate
too hard.

“I’m fine.”
“Let’s get under the blankets. Your skin is cooling off.”
“No.” Jacob grabbed him and pulled Griffin close. “Just hold me a

little while longer.”

“What’s wrong?” Griffin asked. He didn’t know what to do. This

wasn’t a normal reaction from any of his previous lovers.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t want to talk about it now. Later. Maybe

tomorrow.”

Griffin nodded. He’d give Jacob space, but he’d find out more

later.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Chapter Six

The knock came too early. Jacob groggily sat up. He wiped his

eyes with the bandages wrapped around his hands. He reached for
Griffin, but nothing. The other side of the bed was empty. He
panicked for a moment until he heard the shower through the
bathroom door and started to relax.

The door vibrated as the fist pounded harder against the wood.

Jacob jumped. He moved to the side of the bed and stood. He
stretched and cringed after another loud knock. He looked on the floor
for his clothes, but gave up trying to dress without having full use of
his hands. He grabbed the sheet and tried pulling it from the bed, but
the bandages prevented him from getting a firm hold. He shook his
head and walked to the door naked. He shivered as the cold air
touched his skin. “What?” he called from behind the closed door.

“Brody wants to see the two of you in an hour. He’ll meet you in

his office.” The contempt in the other man’s voice made him shiver.
“Answer me,” the man commanded.

“Fine, we’ll be there.” Jacob backed away from the door. He

listened as the man walked down the hall. Satisfied the annoying
knocker was gone, he moved back over to his clothes. The sound of
the shower caught his attention. His body shivered again. The warm
shower enticed him, drawing him to the door. He touched the
doorknob with his wrists and managed to turn it enough so he could
push the door open with his hip.

Jacob walked into the steam-filled room. He relished the warmth

that touched his skin. He quickly shut the door to trap the heat in. He
stood still, mesmerized by Griffin’s naked outline. The clear shower

Sydney Lain

curtain hid the details of Griffin’s body, but that didn’t matter. The
steam-filled room and the man standing in front of him was enough to
turn him on. Besides, he had already memorized every inch of his
lover’s body.

Licking his lips, Jacob quietly moved closer—like a hunter

stalking its prey. Just when he reached the curtain, Griffin peeked out
from the side.

“Trying to sneak up on me?” Griffin asked.
Jacob nodded and smiled. He held his hands up and out to the

side, displaying his naked body and semi-erect shaft. “Can you help
me wash? I’m dirty. Will you clean me?”

Griffin smirked. He looked up and down Jacob’s body before

reaching down and switching the flow of water, so it came out the
bathtub faucet. He closed the drain. “Come in and stand here.”

Jacob nodded. He stepped over the edge of the bathtub. Griffin

grabbed his arm and helped him inside the tub. “Put your hands
against the wall.”

Jacob nodded. He balled his fist and placed the sides of his hands

against the tiled wall. He was careful to avoid touching any of the
large cuts.

“Let’s clean you up. Keep your arms up. We need those bandages

to stay dry.”

Jacob bit his lip and did as Griffin ordered. Out of the corner of

his eyes, he watched the lion shifter reach for a washcloth. Griffin
moved his eyes up and down his body. “Are you going to start?”
Jacob asked.

Griffin leaned in. He nibbled on Jacob’s ear. Griffin’s large hands

moved up and down his back before Griffin slid an arm around
Jacob’s waist. His cock hardened even more at the feel of Griffin
standing directly behind him with the shifter’s hard cock pressing
against his back.

“Patience,” Griffin whispered into his ear.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob groaned when Griffin pulled back a little. He rested his

head on the wall as Griffin’s hands caressed his body, moving up and
down his skin. He moaned when the washcloth brushed against his
cock and then slid down his thigh.

“You have a dirty mind,” Griffin teased.
“Whose fault is that?” Jacob asked.
“Mine, but I like it. The way your body responds to my touch like

we are made for each other.”

Jacob couldn’t deny his growing feelings or the truth behind

Griffin’s words. He wanted Griffin like he never wanted anyone
before. The intensity of his feelings confused him. He tried to think,
but the soft caresses never stopped. Jacob wanted more. He couldn’t
imagine not having Griffin in his life. He still loved Zed, but these
new feeling for Griffin overpowered everything else. Griffin was like
the air, something he couldn’t live without. Jacob couldn’t explain the
sudden change, and he couldn’t deny it. He shut off all thinking and
just stood there and felt each touch.

* * * *

Griffin held onto Jacob’s arm as he stepped out of the bathtub. He

refused to let go until his smaller mate was safely out of the wet tub
and steady on both feet. His hand moved down Jacob’s arm and
grabbed onto his mate’s hand. He pulled him into the bedroom and
started to slowly pat the other man’s body dry. He rubbed the towel
over Jacob’s head and when he pulled it away, his mate’s hair looked
even wilder than before, like he’d been fucked all night long. Griffin
liked the look.

“I can dress myself,” Jacob protested.
Griffin shook his head. “Not with those hands. They didn’t need

stitches, but the cuts were bad.”

Jacob reluctantly agreed, allowing Griffin to take care of him.

Slowly Griffin moved over to Jacob’s clothes and helped the smaller

Sydney Lain

man dress. Jacob plopped onto the bed after he was completely
dressed. He lay back, propped up by his elbows. “Now, I get to watch
you. It’s a shame you have to dress.” Jacob’s eyes moved up and
down his body.

“Would you rather I go out naked? What wicked thoughts,”

Griffin teased.

“You better not. Only I get to see you naked.”
“That’s going to be hard. When I shift, my clothes rip off.”
“We’ll find a way.” Jacob grinned. His eyes never moved from

Griffin’s body as the lion shifter dressed. After he was done, he
turned to Jacob and held out his hand. Jacob reached for it and Griffin
helped him up.

“Are you ready?” Griffin asked as he walked Jacob to the door.
“Where are we going?” Jacob asked.
“You need to eat. We’re going to the kitchen and then we’ll come

back here and continue to plan,” Griffin said.

“We have thirty minutes.” Jacob reminded him. He pulled on

Griffin’s arm. “I don’t like the way the others look at you. Let’s just
stay here.” Jacob planted his body and firmly stood rooted to the spot.
He was determined to keep both of them in the room until the
meeting.

“You need to eat. I won’t let my…” Griffin paused, and then

began again. “I won’t let you starve.” He almost said “mate.” He let
the word slip out last night, but so far Jacob hadn’t asked any
questions.

“Your what?” Jacob asked. He cocked his head to the side,

waiting for an answer.

Griffin suspected that Jacob was trying to stall. He looked into his

mate’s stunning green eyes, now almost convinced the man heard him
last night. He wasn’t positive.

“Griffin, how do shifters mate? I know vampires exchange blood

during sex. A human is usually converted to a vampire if the vampire
is strong enough.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Now, Griffin was sure Jacob heard him last night. “It’s kind of the

same. Shifters bite down into their mate, usually during sex. It doesn’t
have to be during sex, but the bond is stronger that way. That’s how
they join. A weak bond can be broken. If the human doesn’t consent
to the joining, then the Supernatural Society Council can break the
weakly forged bond.”

“Does a human change?”
“No, but a human mated to a shifter will live longer. Mating is

forever, so a shifter’s mate starts to age at the same pace as their mate.
Their lives become one.”

Jacob rubbed his head. “What happens if the shifter or the human

dies?”

“If the shifter dies, the human will age like a human no longer

connected to a shifter, but for a shifter, we would live out our long
life—alone. A shifter never forgets that his mate is lost. When a
shifter mates, it is forever. We can’t move on.”

Jacob nodded. “I see.”
“Good. Can we get breakfast?”
“Yes, but before we go, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Griffin looked down at his mate. The smaller man looked torn. He

didn’t understand the look, but it was the same one he had on his face
last night.

“I like you, Griffin. I like you a lot.” Jacob looked down.
Griffin waited for the rest. There was something Jacob wanted to

say.

“I also like someone else. I’m in love with two people.”
He wasn’t expecting that. He looked at his mate and waited. Jacob

made no attempt to clarify his statement. “Who?” Griffin finally
asked.

“It’s Zed. I’ve loved him for a long time, but…”
Griffin’s fist smashed through the wall. Jacob jumped. “If you

love him, why did you sleep with me?” He felt the anger burn through
him. He knew there was more to Jacob and Zed’s relationship.

Sydney Lain

“It’s one-sided. Zed doesn’t feel the same way. He never has. My

feelings for Zed don’t stop me from being with others.” Jacob stopped
talking. He scratched his head and looked away.

His mate seemed lost and alone, but Griffin couldn’t move past

his anger. He read in between the lines. He understood what Jacob
was trying to say. His mate used other people for sex because he
couldn’t be with the person he really wanted. Hell, Jacob probably
imagined Zed was fucking him each time Griffin pounded into him.
He thought they were connecting, but apparently, he was just a stand-
in for someone else. He couldn’t deal with this now. Griffin turned,
opened the door, and walked through it. “I’ll have someone bring you
food. Wait here.” Griffin refused to look at Jacob.

“Wait! We need to talk about this.” Jacob’s voice quivered.
Griffin couldn’t talk about it now. He needed to get past this and

right now that was impossible. He needed time to get control of
himself. “I can’t talk to you now. Later, much later.” Griffin exited
the room, knowing he never had the other man’s heart.

* * * *

Jacob entered Brody’s office behind Griffin. He tried to get the

shifter’s attention, but the larger man wasn’t speaking to him. It hurt,
but he wouldn’t let it get to him now. Once inside, he pushed all the
emotional turmoil away. It was hard, but he needed to do it. Now, he
needed to focus on the assignment. The sooner it was over, the sooner
he could talk to Griffin.

Brody sat behind a large desk, standing to his left an older man

and to his right one of the lion shifters that brought them here. Jacob
walked past Griffin and over to one of the chairs in front of the desk.
Griffin followed behind him. He turned to look at Griffin, trying to
make eye contact, but the shifter avoided him.

The older shifter standing next to Brody sneered. “Are you his pet

now, or do you still roll over for Roman Walker?”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Standing next to Griffin, he felt the tension fill the shifter’s body.

Jacob stared directly at the older man. “He works for Roman and I
work for Prince Zed?” He wasn’t going to let anyone talk to him or
Griffin like someone’s lackey.

“You seem to like power, spreading your legs for the vampire

prince and now my nephew. Tell me, human. How does it feel getting
fucked by a man?”

Jacob held out his arm, preventing Griffin from moving toward

his uncle. The hatred and loathing in the other man’s voice surprised
him. He dealt with jerks like him all the time, so he knew just how to
answer. “Tell me, old man, how does it feel to be a bigoted asshole?”

The old man started to move around the desk. “You’re nothing but

a worthless human whore.”

Griffin’s growl filled the room. “No one talks to him like that and

no one touches him.”

The older shifter stopped his approach. He backed up and walked

over to Brody’s side.

Jacob looked at Griffin’s brother. Brody’s anger reflected in his

dark-blue eyes as he watched Griffin. “Why did you run away?”

Jacob watched the old man beside Brody turn white. Jacob gave

him a knowing smile. The man clutched his fist in front of his chest.
Brody looked from Griffin to the other man.

“Uncle, if your heart beats any faster it will burst from your

chest.” Brody looked back at his brother. “What’s going on?”

“Brody, the past doesn’t matter. I’m not here for myself, but to

represent Roman Walker, my boss.”

Brody sneered. “You’ll follow a demon’s orders, but you won’t

answer your brother’s questions. Our uncle says you’re the demon’s
bitch. Maybe he’s right.”

“Enough,” Jacob ordered. “We didn’t come here to be insulted.

We came here for information.”

“You don’t like me.” Brody leaned back in his chair, studying

Jacob.

Sydney Lain

“You’re right. I don’t like you. I’m a big brother, too, so I

understand what that means. No matter what Sage does, I’ll always
believe him and take care of him. We’re family. I can’t understand a
person that cuts off part of his family.”

Brody pointed to Griffin. “He betrayed our family. He abandoned

our people to work for a demon. As far as I’m concerned my brother
is dead.”

The words stabbed right through Jacob’s heart. He could only

imagine what they did to Griffin.

“Now what do you want to know? Make it quick,” Brody ordered.
Jacob nodded. There was no use trying to talk sense into someone

so angry. “We’re chasing after a man that is selling drugs to
supernaturals.”

“Drugs?” Brody asked. “We aren’t affected by drugs.”
“Normally no, but these drugs are different. They change your

kind, giving them strength. Now, those creating the drugs are
changing the formula to give other supernaturals different abilities.
We found a vampire that was really bad off after he took the drug.”

“Are you implying that shifters are responsible for creating these

drugs?” Brody asked. He narrowed his eyes, waiting for a response.

Griffin looked at his brother. “Wolf shifters distributed the drugs

in Prince Zed’s territory. The wolves that attacked us in the cabin
were probably users. The drugs change shifters. It makes them
stronger, but the drug is also changing. We found a vampire half dead
after taking it. The vampire told us that the man we’re looking for, the
one that gave him the drugs, is in this territory.

“And you believe this vampire?” Brody asked.
Jacob nodded. “He had nothing to lose. There was no reason for

him to lie.” Jacob waited for his words to sink in before continuing,
“We’re looking for a short, chubby man. His name is Sam. I don’t
know his last name.”

“The wizard?” Brody asked.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“I don’t know if he’s a wizard or not. I just know he’s selling the

drugs.” The pieces started to click. He might not know if Sam was a
wizard, but that would explain why the man always seemed to
disappear at the Vortex. There was something about him that was off.
Jacob noticed and so did Micah, but everyone else didn’t. It’s like in a
room full of people Sam would walk around and no one noticed he
was there. He’d moved from table to table and no one looked at him.
It was hard not to. The man was chubby and stood out in normal
situations. Yes, Sam turning out to be a wizard made sense.

Brody turned to his uncle. “Well, what do you think?”
Griffin looked directly at his uncle.
“Everything your brother says is a lie. He can’t be trusted,” the

old man said.

Jacob stood. “We didn’t come here for nothing. The drugs are

killing people, but there’s someone else behind it. Someone is
creating these drugs for a purpose. The wolf shifters that attacked us
in the cabin weren’t normal. Their behavior was irrational and they
were aggressive. That’s what the drugs do.” Jacob watched Brody’s
passive expression. He clenched his bandaged fist. “Unless wolf
shifters always attack strangers entering your territory. That wouldn’t
say much about your leadership.”

Brody stood. “Watch your mouth, human.” He turned to his uncle.

“What they are saying makes sense. Find Sam and bring him here.”

“He’s a guest in this territory. If we treat him badly, it might upset

the wizards’ group.”

“I didn’t tell you to beat him. I ordered you to bring him here. If

he’s innocent, he’ll thank us for giving him the opportunity to defend
his name. If he’s guilty, we’ll let the Supernatural Society Council
deal with him.”

The old man nodded. He glared at Griffin and Jacob before

turning to leave the room.

Brody sighed. “When Sam arrives, you will ask your questions. I

will be the judge if any action needs to be taken.”

Sydney Lain

Jacob sat down and looked down at his hands. He didn’t want to

look at Griffin or Brody. The two of them were acting stupid. Both of
them wanted to make peace, but they were too stubborn to admit it.
The silence was deafening.

A while later the older man returned alone. “He’s gone.”
“What?” Brody stood and started walking to the door. The other

shifter followed behind him.

Jacob and Griffin stood.
“No, you two wait here,” Brody ordered, shutting them inside the

office.

Griffin ignored his brother’s order and moved to the door. He

opened it and three shifters were waiting outside. Griffin shut the door
and moved back over to the desk.

“Can we talk about this?” Jacob asked. They should be looking

for Sam, but Jacob needed to have this conversation now. He loved
Griffin and he needed the shifter to understand that. His feelings for
Zed were jumbled, but his feelings for Griffin weren’t.

Griffin continued to pace back and forth, never acknowledging

him or his question.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I should have said something sooner,” Jacob

said. He needed the shifter to understand.

Griffin turned to face him. Jacob flinched at the anger he saw in

Griffin’s eyes. “Did you picture Zed when I fucked you? Did you
imagine him in my place? I thought we connected, but the whole time
you were using me as a replacement for him.”

“It wasn’t like that. I only thought about you. There was no one

else but you. I didn’t lie to you. Yes, I have feelings for someone else,
but I have feelings for you, too.”

“You led me to believe your relationship with Zed was different.

But you love him. I’m just a stand-in until he returns your feelings.”

“No. Well, maybe in the beginning. Right now, I only want you,”

Jacob said, shakily. He didn’t know if he was completely over Zed,
but he couldn’t live without Griffin.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“Too late. I don’t believe anything you say.” Griffin turned to

leave.

“Wait,” Jacob said. “I thought we’re mates. You said it last night.”
“Thomas was right. I don’t need a mate.” Griffin walked out the

door, never looking back as he pushed past the lion shifters.

Jacob’s knees gave out as he lowered his body to the floor. He

watched Griffin walk out of his life, powerless to stop the shifter. He
prayed Griffin would stop, turn around, and talk to him, but the other
man never did. Griffin pushed the guards that tried to stop him into
the wall and moved down the hall.

Jacob waited a couple of minutes, hoping Griffin would return,

but he didn’t. Slowly, he stood. He wouldn’t let Griffin get away from
him that easily. He’d make the man see the truth. One thing was
certain, he was persistent. He moved to the door and opened it. Two
of the guards must have followed Griffin. He looked at the face of the
only guard that remained. The shocked lion shifter didn’t know what
to do. Jacob forced a smile. “I have to use the bathroom. Where is it?”

The shifter pointed to a door down the hall.
Jacob nodded. “Thanks.”
The shifter lifted his arm up to block Jacob from leaving the room.
“I’m only going to the bathroom. You can wait outside the door.”
The young shifter thought about it for a moment and nodded. He

opened the door and motioned for Jacob to step out.

Jacob walked down the hall. He looked all around for Griffin, but

the shifter was gone. He opened the bathroom door and stepped
inside, locking the door behind him. He let out a deep breath as he
moved to the sink. He looked at his reflection and cringed at what he
saw. The sad eyes looking back, his still-damp hair from earlier, and
his paler-than-normal skin made him look like a stranger.

Something bright caught Jacob’s attention. He moved to the

window and looked all around. Nothing, but he knew there was
something out there. He unlocked the window and slid the glass up.
He stuck his head out the opening.

Sydney Lain

Griffin and Brody’s uncle ran past the other shifters. He moved

away from the group. Jacob squinted, and through the trees, he saw
Sam. He would never forget the face of the chubby man that
frequented the Vortex. He watched the two of them meet in the
woods. Griffin’s uncle grabbed Sam’s arm, pulling him away from
the house.

Jacob looked all around, but no one was following the two. Well,

that would change. Jacob removed the bandage from his right hand.
He squeezed his hand shut. It hurt, but the cuts didn’t reopen. He left
the bandage on his other hand. If he hung from the windowsill and
dropped down the fall wouldn’t be that bad. He remembered Yavin’s
words. “Don’t hit your head, but don’t force all the weight onto your
ankles.”

He climbed out onto the window ledge. Not so fast. Take it slow,

Jacob thought. He lowered his body and hung there for a second
before letting go and dropping down into a bush. He lay there for a
few seconds before sitting up. He moved his feet, legs, arms, and
neck. Thankfully, nothing felt broken. He slowly stood and started
running after Sam.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Chapter Seven

The two shifters followed Griffin to the outside door. One tried

grabbing his arm, but he shook it off and growled at the two men. As
he started to turn the doorknob, three more shifters entered the
entryway. He vaguely recognized one shifter as Brody’s childhood
friend, Michael.

“Go back to the office and wait,” Michael ordered. The other

shifters looked at him and slightly lowered their heads. Michael was
in charge. Griffin sized up the man. He was taller than the others, but
Michael and the other shifters had him outnumbered.

“I’m not going to sit on my ass and wait for Brody to return.”
“Look, Griffin. Brody will find Sam. You need to wait with the

human until he comes back.”

Griffin almost snapped at the shifter for calling his mate human.

He had a name, but right now he was too angry at Jacob to say
anything. His mate had used him. The man he trusted and shared
secrets with had used him as a replacement for someone else. The
rage threatened to take over. He wanted to fight all the men in front of
him, but he held back.

He still couldn’t believe it. Jacob led him to believe that Zed

raised him. Who falls in love with someone that acted like your
father? Jacob’s hurt expression flashed in his mind, followed by the
irrational need to prove something to the vampire prince, and the lost
look in Jacob’s eyes after they had sex last night.

Griffin froze. It didn’t make sense. You don’t fall in love with

family. For the first time, he let the anger and jealousy subside. Was

Sydney Lain

there more to this story? Maybe he needed to talk to Jacob after all.
He turned away from the guards.

“Fine, I’ll go back to the office.” Griffin didn’t wait for a

response. He turned and walked down the hall with the other shifters
following close behind him.

When he arrived back at the room, no one was standing outside

the door. He was sure when he left one guard stayed behind. He
pushed opened the door and looked around the room. He froze.
“Where’s Jacob?” he asked the other shifters.

The two guards that chased him down the hall stepped inside the

office. They looked all around the room.

Griffin growled. “Where is he?”
One guard shook his head and walked past him. Griffin turned to

follow, but the guard that waited with him held out his arm, stopping
Griffin from moving forward.

“Get out of my way before I break your arm,” Griffin hissed.
The guard pulled his arm away as the other guard ran back to

them. “The human is down the hall in the bathroom.”

Griffin pushed past the two shifters and walked past Michael and

his group. He needed to see his mate, not hear that the man was safe.
He reached the end of the hall and saw the guard from before waiting
outside the bathroom door.

He pushed the man aside and knocked on the door. No answer.

Griffin turned to the guard. “How long has he been in there?”

The guard was young and stared at him with wide brown eyes.

“Maybe five minutes.”

“You don’t know?” Griffin asked.
The guard flinched. “He left a couple minutes after you.”
Griffin turned back to the door. “Jacob, are you in there?” He

pounded his fist onto the wood. The door vibrated under his hand.
“Answer me,” he ordered.

Still no answer.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Griffin lifted his leg, and before anyone could stop him, he kicked

open the door. He walked into the empty bathroom. He cursed and
moved toward the open window. He looked down. A part of him
expected to see Jacob’s broken body on the ground. He sighed in
relief. Jacob wasn’t down there. He looked all around the yard, but
there was no sign of his mate. He looked to the side of the room and
spotted the bandage on the bathroom floor. He picked it up. The
reality slowly set in. His mate left the compound. Jacob was alone out
in the woods, and Griffin wasn’t around to protect him.

* * * *

Jacob followed Griffin’s uncle and Sam as the two walked away

from the compound. He looked for the other lion shifters, but as they
moved away from the compound there were less people. He watched
Sam closely. As the larger man walked through the woods, no one
noticed him. He walked past shifters searching for him and no one
even looked in his direction.

“Why this way?” Sam asked.
“I sent everyone to the wolf shifter compound. No one will search

in this direction. I won’t rely on your spell. It only takes one person to
notice you and then it’s over.”

Sam grabbed the lion shifter’s shirt. “How did you let it come to

this?” the man demanded.

“You left a trail leading back here. When this is over, I will be

lucky if no one suspects me.” He pulled Sam’s arm from his shirt.
“Don’t touch me. My brother followed Him and he’s dead. I will
honor my brother’s wishes, but don’t think I support any of this.”

Sam seethed. “Don’t be stupid. Following me is in your best

interest. Your brother knew that.”

“Yeah right. Is that why he’s dead? Everything was supposed to

end twenty-five years ago, but the plan fell apart and he died.”

Sydney Lain

“We planned for everything, but the vampire stopped us. He

stopped us from finishing what we started.”

“Zed,” Griffin’s uncle said.
“I’m not afraid of the vampire prince. He might know some of our

plans, but he doesn’t know about Him. Until Zed finds Him, he can’t
stop us.”

“And Roman Walker?” he asked.
“He could be a problem. Zed already knows too much, but the

demon brothers could be a bigger problem.”

“Well, Zed’s almost found you and Roman isn’t far behind. If I

were you, I’d run and hide because you’re no match for either of
them.” The lion shifter pointed down through the clearing. “Just
follow the path. It will lead to a cliff. From there you can climb down
to the main road. You should be able to find a way back to the city
from there.”

“I can’t climb,” Sam interrupted.
“There is a path leading down. It’s not that steep, but it’s long.”

The shifter gave Sam time to process the information before
continuing. “I will keep the others away. You just need to disappear.”

“How are you going to keep them from finding me?” Sam

demanded.

Griffin’s uncle balled his fists. “By spotting you on the other side

of the territory. I will tell my nephew that I saw you there. Everyone
will follow that lead.” The lion shifter turned his back on Sam and
started to walk away. He barely acknowledged the wizard as he
headed back to the compound.

Sam cursed before turning to follow the path.
Jacob debated on whether to turn and follow Griffin’s uncle or to

continue to follow Sam. He took one last look at the lion shifter
before turning away and looking toward Sam. He didn’t want to lose
the chubby man after spending all this time trying to find him. He
needed to question him in order to finish the investigation.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob wanted to get Griffin. He didn’t want to do this alone, but

he wasn’t ready to face him. The anger in the lion shifter’s eyes hurt
too much. It hurt to know he put the anger there. He ruined everything
all because he couldn’t control his feelings. He’d wait until this was
over. Right now, the shifter was too angry and Griffin didn’t want to
see him. After he finished the investigation, he’d have a better
understanding of his feelings, or at least he hoped he would. He still
needed to talk to Zed before he could put all this behind him, but he
wouldn’t talk to Zed until the investigation was over. Jacob turned
around, and as quietly as possible, he moved away from the
compound, following behind Sam.

* * * *

It took too long to lose the guards. The group followed him back

to the door, but when one tried to grab his arm, he acted. Griffin
pushed the guard into another guard before running outside. With all
the activity going on around the compound, it was easy to slip away
in the confusion. He hid within a crowd before working his way to the
woods. His body tensed. It was too easy, but he’d worry about that
later. Now, he needed to find Jacob.

Griffin lifted the discarded bandage to his nose, taking in the

delicious sent of his mate. He caught the faint smell in the air and
headed in that direction.

The path headed away from the compound toward the cliffs. He

turned to look back at the compound. Everyone was heading in the
opposite direction. It didn’t make sense. If Jacob was looking for
Sam, then he was going the wrong way.

The path was long and narrow, but every few yards, he lifted his

nose up to make sure he was heading in the right direction. To his
relief, the scent was stronger. Griffin stopped when he heard
crunching leaves and breaking branches. Someone was coming.

Sydney Lain

He spotted his uncle hurrying through the woods. “Hello, Uncle,”

he said. “What’s the rush?”

The man jumped before looking at him. “Griffin,” he hissed.
Why was his uncle alone in this part of the forest? He studied the

man’s sweaty face and paler-than-normal complexion. His uncle’s
eyes darted around like an animal waiting for an attack. The man was
nervous.

Griffin cursed. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to find

Jacob, not deal with his uncle. He froze. Jacob was in the same
direction his uncle just returned from. “Where’s Jacob?” he asked.

The nervousness in his uncle’s face was replaced with hatred as

the older shifter stared at him. “Did the whore leave you?” His uncle
laughed. “You’re not welcome here. You never should have reentered
this territory.”

Griffin looked at the older man. His uncle was the mirror image of

his father, but he was also a poor imitation of the man. While his
father instilled fear, the man before him was nasty, and a coward.
Griffin didn’t have time to deal with him. He tried to move past him,
but he blocked the path.

“Get out of my way,” Griffin ordered.
His uncle stood firm.
“If you don’t move, I’ll move you. I guarantee you won’t like

that.”

The old man continued to block the path. Griffin could slip past

him, but he was angry. He reached out and grabbed the front of his
uncle’s shirt, yanking the man close to him. “Don’t push me. Next
time, I’ll kill you.” He threw his uncle to the side and walked past
him.

“You’re just like that woman. She wanted everything her way.”
Griffin shook his head. “My mother was a strong woman that

fought for her beliefs. What does she have to do with any of this?”

“You were foolish and didn’t know how to follow orders. You

questioned everything, like her. She kept challenging my brother,

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

saying we treated you different. Then you started looking at other
men and we knew what you were. You inherited the worst from both
of them. Your mother’s inability to follow orders and my father’s
perverted ideas of love. He left our family to chase after another man
and you were exactly like him. Our father was a disgrace just like
you. We never should have let you live. That was a mistake. You’re
nothing but an embarrassment to our family.”

Griffin cocked his head to the side. He studied his uncle. The man

hated him. No, he hated being related to him. Griffin shook his head.
Now wasn’t the time. He needed to find Jacob. “You didn’t let me
live. You didn’t have a choice. The two of you tried to kill me, but I
escaped and never looked back. Get over it. I’m not part of this
territory, so you have no power over me.” He turned back to the path.

“What’s going on?” Brody asked from behind him.
Griffin turned to look at his brother. “I have to find Jacob.”
“Wait,” Brody ordered.
Griffin stopped and turned to look at Brody. “I don’t have time for

this. Hate me, but you can’t stop me.” He backed up as Brody walked
toward him. That last thing he wanted was to fight his brother, but if
that’s what he needed to do before he could look for Jacob, then so be
it.

His brother walked past him. He went to their uncle and reached

down and grabbed his shirt. “Tell me what happened.” His brother’s
eyes held nothing but contempt for the older man. “You chased my
brother away? You tried to kill him?”

His uncle focused on Griffin. He pointed at him and sneered. “He

was an embarrassment. He questioned every order. He was involved
in perverted relationships with other men. The pride survived without
him and his thinking. Our family doesn’t need a man like him. A man
that sleeps with other men.”

“So you chased him away. You forced him to leave the pride.”
“No, our plan was to kill him. We took him out into the woods

and beat him. We even shot him, but the demons saved him,” their

Sydney Lain

uncle spat. “After that he moved in with them, so we couldn’t touch
him. The shame of knowing someone from our family became the
demons’ bitch.”

Brody threw the man against the tree. Their uncle slumped down.

He curled up and raised his arms to block his head from any hits.

Griffin grabbed his brother’s arm. “Stop it, Brody. It doesn’t

matter.”

Brody pushed Griffin away. “He tried to kill you. He chased you

away from your family. They destroyed your life.”

“Listen, I don’t have time for this. The past doesn’t matter. His

hate isn’t worth it. I have to find Jacob.”

Brody looked at him before asking, “He’s your mate?”
“Yes. And before I listen to any bullshit. I don’t care if he’s a man

or that he’s human. He’s mine.”

Brody laughed, but Griffin felt the sadness within the laugh. “Of

course not. He’s your mate. We’ll find him. This time I’ll help you
like a big brother should.”

* * * *

Jacob followed the path. He stopped and listened. Loud voices

were fighting ahead. Maybe turning around was a good idea, he
thought. He shook his head. Once the investigation was over he could
make plans. His life was stuck in this limbo and he couldn’t move
forward until it was over. First, he needed to talk to Zed. Until Jacob
was honest with the vampire prince and resolved his feelings, he
couldn’t be with Griffin, and the lion shifter wouldn’t even listen to
him until there was no doubt left in his heart.

Jacob slowed down, but continued toward the two loud voices. He

peeked around a large tree and immediately spotted Sam yelling at
one of the wolf shifters from before. The man looked less threatening
than he did yesterday morning, when he barged in on them in the
cabin, but he was still big and scary.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

Jacob’s heart pounded in his chest. He bit his lip to stop from

crying out. If they smelled him, everything was over. He froze, too
afraid to move. Remember, Jacob, fear will stop you. It keeps you
from moving and going forward. Even now, Yavin’s words helped
him. Jacob closed his eyes, pushed down his fear, and started to listen
to the conversation.

“You didn’t kill them,” Sam sneered.
“No, the lions stopped us. Do you have any more?” There was

desperation in the wolf shifter’s voice. “Please, I need some,” he
begged.

“No, find them and kill them. Both the vampire and demon will

look into their deaths and while they’re distracted we can proceed.
We have to be ready.”

Ready for what? Jacob thought.
“I need more.” The shifter’s voice cracked. “I can’t go on without

any.”

“You stupid dog. If we’re not ready, then the humans will take

over. The pills will provide immunity from their powers.”

“Humans,” the shifter spat. “They don’t even acknowledge us.

They can’t do anything.”

“Everything is changing. More humans are starting to see us and

some humans were born with special abilities that affect us,” Sam
seethed. “That’s the sign things are changing. If you still have a
problem following orders, then you can address it with Him.”

“No!” the shifter shrieked. “We’ll find them. No need to bother

Him.”

“Good, that’s what I thought.”
Jacob had heard enough. Sometimes he questioned his own logic.

He needed to get away before they discovered him. He started
backing away from the tree and fell. His cut hand hit a rock and he
wished he had left the bandage on. He bit his lip to stop from crying
out. He looked down and thankfully there was no blood. He froze and
waited.

Sydney Lain

“Did you hear something?” Sam asked.
The wolf shifter took a few deep breaths. “I smell something.

Someone’s here.” The shifter paused. “He’s in that direction.”

Jacob didn’t wait to see if the wolf shifter was right. He stood up

and ran. Maybe, if he ever saw Yavin again, he’d tell the man that he
was right about stamina and speed being just as important as the
actual self-defense techniques.

The sound of someone running behind him was getting closer.

The person was closing in on him. Jacob forced his body to go faster.
Something slammed into him. He fell and rolled down the side of a
hill. He tried to catch his breath, but he couldn’t breathe. He looked
up at a very large gray wolf staring down at him. The wolf snarled as
it approached. Jacob froze. His blood turned cold as the wolf walked
closer to him.

Jacob stood and turned to run. The wolf jumped. He lost his

balance and fell backward. His head banged into a rock as his body
hit the ground. He looked back up, but his vision was blurring. Two
large golden lions roared at the wolf. One charged and jumped onto
the wolf’s back and bit into the animal’s neck.

Jacob turned away. He felt something running down the side of

his face. He lifted his hand to his head and pulled it away. Red blood
covered his cut hand. Did the cuts open again? He lifted his bandaged
hand to his head and pulled it away. There was blood on the white
gauze. He stared at the blood trying to think, but his head hurt. One of
the lions walked over to him as the other lion continued to attack the
wolf.

The lion nuzzled his hand and Jacob knew the dark-blue eyes that

stared at him. It was Griffin. He looked at his mate and smiled. He felt
his body grow heavy, but he needed to say something to the lion
shifter. “I never thought of Zed when I was with you. I’m sorry for
hurting you. I love you.” The truth hit him. He loved Griffin. He
never wanted to leave the shifter’s side. He smiled as all the confusion

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

disappeared. He heard someone call his name, but he wasn’t sure. The
darkness enveloped him as his body slumped back.

* * * *

Griffin helplessly watched as Jacob’s eyes closed. He pulled his

mate close. “Jacob, stay with me. Come on, open your eyes.” The
blood dripped down his mate’s cheek onto Griffin’s hand. The head
injury looked bad. He reached out and touched the wounded area.
There was so much blood. He ripped Jacob’s shirt and pressed the
material to his mate’s head, hoping the pressure would stop the blood.

“Wake up,” Griffin said. “Come on. Wake up.”
Brody ran over to them. He leaned down and tried to touch Jacob,

but Griffin growled at him.

“I just want to look at him. I won’t hurt him.”
“He’s bleeding. There’s so much blood. He won’t open his eyes.”

Griffin rocked Jacob’s body back and forth.

“Let me.” Brody touched around the wound. He pulled open

Jacob’s eyelids and examined his mate’s eyes. He looked at Griffin.
“You need to complete the bonding. It will help him heal.”

“No.” Griffin shook his head. “I won’t take away his choice. He

hasn’t agreed to be my mate.” He looked down at Jacob, the man that
loved someone else. He wouldn’t force the bond. It needed to be a
willing commitment. Forcing someone to be with him went against
everything that a supernatural believed.

“If you don’t, he’ll die. We are miles from a hospital. You’re his

mate. Finish the bonding.” Brody looked directly at him. “Griffin, if
you don’t you’ll never be able to live with yourself. You can ask for
forgiveness later, but only if he’s alive.”

Griffin looked down at Jacob. His skin was white, but his

breathing was even. He felt for his mate’s pulse. It was strong, but a
head wound was dangerous. Griffin couldn’t imagine a world without
Jacob. Even if he didn’t give his mate the choice, at least he’d be

Sydney Lain

alive. It no longer mattered if Jacob ever forgave him. As long as the
man was alive to hate him that was enough.

Griffin leaned down and bit into his mate’s neck. He tasted

Jacob’s sweet blood as his saliva moved into his mate’s body. The
bond would be stronger if it was forged during sex, but that wasn’t an
option now. He felt the moment the bond snapped into place. It was
weak, but it was there. Griffin closed his eyes. He felt Jacob’s
heartbeat inside of him. He looked down at this mate. Some of the
color returned to his cheeks. It was a subtle change, but it was there.

Brody reached down.
Griffin pulled Jacob close. He growled at Brody’s hand.
“Relax.” Brody looked at Griffin. “I’m here for you and I’m here

for your mate.”

Griffin nodded. He couldn’t do this alone. Brody reached and

pulled back Jacob’s eyelids. He pressed two fingers to Jacob’s neck.

“Well?” Griffin asked.
“It’s still early, but he looks better. We need to get him to a

doctor.”

“What happened to the wolf?” He wanted to rip apart the one that

hurt his mate. He looked around for the shifter, determined to take his
anger out on someone. He spotted the wolf’s lifeless body on the
ground. He turned to Brody.

“I killed him. It’s done.” He looked down the path. “Why was

Jacob out here?”

Griffin shook his head. “I don’t know. We fought. Maybe he was

trying to leave. I just don’t know.” He pushed back Jacob’s hair. “I
shouldn’t have left him alone. I was angry.”

Brody laid a hand on Griffin’s shoulder. “It’s going to be fine.

He’s going to be fine. Do you have a doctor that you trust to help your
mate? We can call the pride’s doctor.”

“No, Roman has an elf doctor that treats us in his territory. Avery

will help Jacob.” Yes, he needed to get Jacob to Avery. “I don’t have
a car.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

“I’ll drive you. Let’s go.” Brody walked in front of him.
He barely saw his brother as he focused on Jacob. He needed to be

strong, but if he lost his mate, Griffin wouldn’t survive. He needed
him. He already knew what it felt like to be alone.

As they walked toward the compound, more and more shifters

appeared. “Michael, bring the car around.”

Michael stopped and looked at Jacob. “Is he okay?”
“He’s going to be fine,” Griffin snapped.
“Yes,” Brody agreed. “Bring my cell phone. We’re leaving the

territory.” Michael turned and started to walk away. “What about
Sam?” Brody asked.

Michael turned around. “There’s no sign of him. The wolf shifters

didn’t know what happened to the wizard. He was visiting a group of
them, but that group disappeared. About four shifters were working
with the wizard. But a younger wolf saw Sam heading toward our
compound.”

Brody stopped. “How’s that possible? Didn’t some of our pride

members see him running away from the wolf compound in the
opposite direction?”

Michael nodded. “Someone’s lying. Since we didn’t find him in

the area we searched, I’m more inclined to believe the young wolf
shifter.”

Brody nodded. “Bring the car now.” He walked back over to

Griffin. “I’m sorry. I’ll send hunters after Sam, but too much time has
passed.”

“At this point, I don’t care. Let’s get Jacob out of here.” Jacob

might disagree, but Griffin didn’t care. His mate’s life was the priority
in this situation. Nothing else mattered.

Brody nodded. A large SUV pulled up. Michael stepped out and

opened the door. He wanted to drive, but he didn’t want to let go of
Jacob. He held his mate’s body close and watched his silent, even
breathing. He looked just like he did when he slept.

100

Sydney Lain

“I’ll drive. Get in.” Brody walked around to the driver’s seat, not

waiting for Griffin to reply.

Griffin held Jacob. He needed to feel his mate’s body against his

body. He prayed Jacob healed and was just like before. He needed
him to be okay. Then maybe he’d get Jacob to forgive him. He had
turned his back on him. Even after swearing to protect him, Griffin
walked away. Maybe, if Jacob forgave him, he could forgive himself.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

101

Chapter Eight

Jacob heard voices—angry voices. The hostile words barely

audible, so low that he couldn’t make out the harsh spoken words that
surrounded him—to the right a cold, crisp voice fighting for control
and to the left a voice full of heated anger on the edge of being in
control. He focused on the two speakers or at least he tried to, but his
head hurt. No, it throbbed. He recognized the voices of the two
fighting, or he thought he did. It was too hard to concentrate.

The two arguing strained to fight in a whispered tone, but every

few words were scratchy or spoken louder than the rest. Jacob
stopped trying to make out the words and tried to push the pain away,
but his head hurt. What happened? Where am I? he thought.
Everything was a blur. He remembered shifters. Yes, shifters. Jacob
focused on shifters. They were important somehow.

The image of a tall, sexy man with strong, muscular arms flashed

into his mind. The arms held him and kept him warm. He focused on
the memory of a man with long, wavy blond hair and deep-blue eyes
with a fierce gaze that stripped away all the layers that protected his
heart, exposing every inch of him inside and out. His mind screamed
the name, Griffin.

The memories flooded back, forcing their way in. Griffin had left

him. Jacob ruined his one shot to be with his mate. He tried to
explain, but Griffin wouldn’t listen. The loneliness had pushed its
way inside of him. Jacob remembered the desperate need to find his
mate and make him understand. He still needed to do that. He
couldn’t stay in bed. Jacob forced his body up into a sitting position,
but nearly fell over as the room started to spin. He fought to stay

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Sydney Lain

conscious, but his vision dimmed and the colors lost vibrancy and
dulled to a pale gray. Griffin, his mind cried out. He needed to stand
and search for his mate.

Strong arms wrapped around his waist, holding his body up. “I’ve

got you.”

His eyes watered as the tears threatened to fall. One escaped and

slid down his cheek. He regained control and forced away the sobs
that threatened to burst from him. “Griffin, you came back.” His voice
cracked a little. Jacob closed his eyes and leaned into his mate’s
strong body. “I need to tell you something.” His voice was breaking
up again. Jacob swallowed before continuing. “I’m sorry.” Another
tear slid down his cheek.

“Shh.” Griffin pushed back his hair. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I

never should have left you. I will never leave you again.”

Jacob didn’t feel Griffin’s hand. He reached up and felt the thick

bandages wrapped around his forehead. Griffin rubbed his hand and
wrist. Jacob turned his hand around and intertwined their fingers. The
palm of his hand still ached from the deep cuts, but he wanted to feel
his mate’s hand close to his hand. He needed to touch and be touched
by Griffin. It was the only way to accept this as real. What if he was
trapped inside a dream? How could he know—really know—this was
real?

“It’s real, Jacob. I’m right here and you’re safe.”
“How long?” Jacob asked.
“Not long. Less than a day.” Griffin pulled Jacob into a tight

embrace and held him.

Jacob breathed in his mate’s perfect scent and listened to Griffin’s

heartbeat. It was real. Relief flowed through him. “Will you promise
never to leave me?” It was low to force Griffin to make this promise,
but he needed it. What if Griffin left before he could properly
explain? He tried to pull away, to look at Griffin. He couldn’t wait.
He had to talk to him now.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

103

“Sshh, don’t talk. I promised. I won’t leave you. Now rest. I’ll be

right here when you wake up.”

Sleep? Didn’t he just wake up? As soon as he thought it, he felt

the heaviness in his body. He looked around. The room was filled
with people. Why didn’t he notice them before? He focused on the
familiar faces and stopped to look directly at Zed. The voices from
before clicked. Griffin was fighting with Zed. With the familiar
voices now identified, he tried to think about what that meant. “No,”
he groaned. “Zed? Sorry I…” The words were too hard to form.

Zed moved closer. “Rest, Jacob. Do as your mate says.”
“You’re angry,” Jacob said. He felt the vampire’s anger and he

didn’t like it.

“I’m not angry at you. I don’t like to see you hurt. Now sleep.

When you wake up your brother will be here. You need to rest, so you
can talk to him when he gets here.” Zed forced a smile.

“I need sleep,” he confessed, but the words barely made sense.

Jacob couldn’t think anymore, but one thing was pushing at his
thoughts. He could almost grasp it. He needed to ask something.

“Yes, Prince Zed will be here when you wake up,” Griffin said.
Yes, he needed to talk to Zed. Then it hit him. How did Griffin

know what he needed? How did he know his thoughts? Suddenly it
wasn’t important. His body felt even heavier as he slipped back into
the darkness. He’d worry about everything later—much later.

* * * *

The next time Jacob woke up, everything was clearer, more in

focus. He looked around the dark room and everyone was gone. His
hand felt warm and he looked over to see Griffin’s large hand
covering his. Jacob smiled. Griffin was in bed with him. Jacob
reached over with his other hand and ran his fingers through Griffin’s
dirty-blond hair.

104

Sydney Lain

Griffin’s eyes snapped open. “Hey,” he said. He sat up and

yawned. “How are you feeling?”

Jacob thought about it. The pain from before was completely

gone. His body still felt weak. “Okay.”

“Really?” Griffin asked. “How’s your head?”
Jacob rubbed at the bandages. “It doesn’t hurt. Not at all.”
“Good.” Griffin hopped out of bed. “I’m going to call the doctor.”
“Wait, there’s something I need to say.”
Griffin shook his head. “There’s plenty of time for that. First, the

doctor needs to look at your head.”

Jacob nodded. He looked past Griffin and saw Zed standing in the

doorway. Jacob turned to his mate. “Can I talk to Zed?”

Griffin froze. He stopped and looked from Zed to Jacob before

answering. “Sure. If your head starts to hurt, then tell me.” Griffin
didn’t move as Zed approached the bed.

“Can I talk to him alone?” He was testing Griffin’s trust, not on

purpose, but he needed to speak to Zed alone. He would tell his mate
everything later, but he couldn’t worry about Griffin’s response.

Griffin finally nodded. “I’ll be right outside the door. If you feel

any pain, then tell me. I’ll get the doctor when you’re done.” He
leaned forward and kissed Jacob lightly on his bandaged forehead.
Jacob’s hand moved behind Griffin’s neck and he pulled his mate
closer and gave him a light kiss on the lips. Griffin moved away and
gently rubbed his cheek before turning to walk out the door.

Zed waited until the door closed. “You look better. Your face has

more color. How do you feel?”

“Tired, but healed. There’s a slight discomfort, but no real pain.”
“It’s the mating bond with the shifter. Without it you would have

died. Now, you will heal faster.”

“Mating bond?” Jacob asked.
“Yes, to save your life, the shifter completed the bond.” Zed

paused for a moment. “Are you okay with that? It’s a weak bond, but
I can find a way to stop it. The Supernatural Society Council has rules

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

105

pertaining to forcing humans into a mating against their will. The
bond can be broken.” Zed’s hands formed into fists. “He did it against
your will.”

“Griffin. His name is Griffin. You’re right, I didn’t agree, but I

would have said yes. I love him, so I’m happy with the bond. It
connects us.” Jacob looked down at his hands. He didn’t know how to
continue.

“I know, but you should have been able to say yes or no. That was

your right,” Zed said.

“It doesn’t matter because I’m happy.”
Zed sighed. “I can see that. When you look at him, your face

lights up. But that’s not what you wanted to talk to me about.” Zed
moved closer to the bed.

“No, I need to be honest with you.” Jacob paused for a moment. “I

don’t know if I can completely move on until I’m honest with you.”
Jacob knew he was being selfish, but he needed to resolve his
feelings. “For the longest time, I’ve been in love with you.” There, he
said it. He finally said it. Jacob looked down, wanting to avoid seeing
Zed’s reaction.

“I know.” Zed sat on the edge of the bed.
“You understand what I’m saying?” Jacob needed to be clear. “I

don’t love you like a family member. I love you like I would a lover.”
Jacob closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to ruin our family.”

“Don’t apologize,” Zed ordered. “Not for your feelings and not to

me.” Zed looked away. “I’ve known for a while that you had a crush
on me.”

Jacob shook his head. “It’s not a crush, or it wasn’t a crush.” He

wouldn’t let Zed belittle his feelings.

“Really?” Zed cocked his head to the side. “Do you love your

mate?” Zed asked.

“Of course, Griffin’s everything to me.” Jacob didn’t understand

where Zed was going with his question, but he didn’t have to think

106

Sydney Lain

about the answer. He loved the lion shifter more than he ever thought
possible.

“Jacob, you’re young. A lot younger than me. I raised you.” Zed

looked directly into his eyes. “What you wanted was someone to
depend on and for someone to take care of you. Now it’s different.
You’re different.” Zed paused and Jacob thought about it. “Now, you
are really in love. Compare your feelings.”

Jacob remembered the light touches on his skin, the soft kisses

Griffin pressed to his neck. He wanted to curl up into Griffin’s arms
and never move. His heart now synchronized perfectly with his
mate’s heart. In the past, he wanted to have sex with Zed, but he never
felt complete like he did now. He wanted Zed to take care of him, but
now he wanted a relationship. A relationship where they took care of
each other. The only thing Jacob couldn’t deny was the attraction he
felt for the vampire prince. “I think you might be right, but I have
imagined having sex with you. I’m physically attracted to you.”

Zed laughed. “I’ve been told that I have the body of a god among

other things.” Again, Zed looked directly at him. He saw the
seriousness in the vampire’s eyes. “If I offered to take you to bed,
what would you say?”

Jacob wouldn’t let anyone but Griffin touch him. “No way.”
“See, now that you’re mated it’s different. Your feelings have

been resolved. Do you see that?”

Jacob nodded. “There’s no room for anyone else in my heart but

Griffin. I still love you and Sage, but it’s different. We’re a family.”
He looked up and smiled at Zed, a real smile. “That’s what you’re
trying to say.”

Zed nodded and smiled back. “Now you look happy.”
Jacob reached over and hugged Zed. “Thank you for everything.

You provided a home for us and took care of us. I can never repay
you.”

“That’s what family is for. I will always be there for you and your

brother. As far as I’m concerned, you will always be my son.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

107

Jacob laughed. “Now, it’s even worse that I had a crush on you.”

He looked at Zed. “Until my feelings got on muffled, I thought of you
as my father.” He waited a minute before adding, “I’m moving in
with Griffin. He doesn’t like you very much, so we’ll probably end up
living here.”

“Yes, while you were sleeping, Griffin and I talked about it. He

asked, not ordered, but it didn’t matter what I said, he’s not living
without you.” Zed laughed. “Sage plans on moving in, too. He says
you can’t possibly function without him.”

Jacob laughed. “Is that okay?” Sage needed extra care. He

couldn’t live with a lot of people.

“It will be good for him. He can’t hear Griffin, Roman, or Micah’s

thoughts. He will be able to talk with real people and not be
overwhelmed. He arrived yesterday and since then he’s been running
around Griffin’s place and Roman’s penthouse. Micah took pity on
him and started to show him how to paint. Sage showed Micah some
of his favorite games.” Zed stood up. “Living here will be good for
him.” Zed pushed back Jacob’s hair. “I have to go. I still expect you
to call.”

Jacob nodded. He remembered Sam’s words: We have to be

ready. “Zed, what are we? You said I was the key and Sage can do
things that shouldn’t be possible. Micah, too.”

“Do you trust me?” Zed asked.
“Yes,” Jacob said instantly. “But I heard Sam talking. Something

happened and you know about it. There’s much more to the story.”

“Just know that things are changing and you will play a part. Your

job is to help those like Sage and Micah come together. That’s why
you’re the key. You will understand more later, but the less you know
the better. Just trust me.”

Jacob wanted to know now, but he trusted Zed to tell him

everything later. “Okay, but this conversation will happen, but I can
wait for now.”

108

Sydney Lain

Zed smiled. “Now worry about getting better. You will understand

later.”

Jacob nodded.
“It’s time for you to rest. No more investigations. No more

danger. Right?”

“Yeah, I don’t think Griffin will let me. Well, at least not alone,”

Jacob huffed. “Like he could stop me, if I wanted to investigate
something.” Jacob laughed. “I have a partner, one that won’t leave my
side.”

“Good, then he will keep you out of trouble.” Zed looked at him

one last time before teleporting out of the room. In all the years he’d
known Zed, the man never said good-bye. Jacob shook his head. Zed
was right. They didn’t need good-byes in their lives.

* * * *

Jacob carried the last box into the apartment, just as Sage walked

out of the kitchen with a plate full of crackers. He looked at the food.
“What’s that?” Jacob asked, setting the box on the floor.

“Lunch.” Sage looked at him with an expression that made Jacob

think he was stupid for asking such an obvious question.

Jacob shook his head. “I see.”
Griffin walked up behind him and slid an arm around his waist.

“Crackers?” he asked, looking at the plate.

“Lunch,” Jacob corrected. He smiled at the questioning look on

Griffin’s face. “Yes, Sage made us lunch.”

Griffin nodded. He reached out, picked up a cracker, and bit into

it. “It’s good,” he said. Griffin turned toward Jacob as his mate pulled
him down and licked the peanut butter off Griffin’s top lip.

Jacob swallowed. He reached up and rubbed a finger over his

mate’s lips. It had been too long since he felt Griffin’s cock buried
deep inside of him. Since his injury, Griffin had treated him like a
delicate piece of glass, and he was tired of it.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

109

A week was plenty of time to heal and get strong again, but

Griffin refused to move beyond the light touches and gentle caresses.
He felt fine. No, he felt better than fine. Jacob no longer had
conflicting feels. He was in love with Griffin and no one else. Now, if
he could only show his mate how he felt.

Jacob rubbed up against Griffin numerous times throughout the

week, he snuck in the shower with him, he tried to coax Griffin into
taking a bath with him, and yesterday, Jacob stroked his cock while
moaning his mate’s name, but the man never caved. He wouldn’t have
sex with him. If Jacob didn’t know the man cared, it would be a
terrible hit to his self-esteem.

Jacob’s dark-green eyes locked with Griffin deep-blue eyes. The

lion shifter’s eyes burned with passion. Jacob reached down and
squeezed Griffin’s hard cock though his jean. He stepped back and let
his eyes roam up and then down Griffin’s body, stripping him bare
with his lusty gaze.

“Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I’d rather not be here if you’re

going to have sex.” Sage turned and walked to the door. “I’m going to
see Micah. He’s going to show me some more painting techniques.
Today it’s abstracts.”

Jacob watched the door close. His eyes wandered to the different

paintings hanging on the walls around the apartment. “Wasn’t Sage
painting abstracts?” he asked Griffin.

Griffin laughed. “No, he’s been painting landscapes.”
Jacob loved that laugh. He wanted to hear it all the time. It was a

big turn-on. His hard cock rubbed against his jeans. He turned to look
at Griffin. “Are we going to have sex?” he asked. No need to beat
around the bush. “If not, I am going to our room to take care of my
own problem.” Jacob’s hand slid to his cock as he rubbed it through
his jeans.

“Oh, I don’t think you need to take care of it yourself.” Griffin

grabbed Jacob’s arm and pulled him down the hall to the master
bedroom.

110

Sydney Lain

As soon as the door closed, Griffin’s hands started pulling Jacob’s

shirt up and over his head. Jacob ripped open Griffin’s shirt, tearing
the buttons off. He reached up and wrapped his arms around Griffin’s
neck, pulling him down into a kiss. Jacob’s tongue pushed into
Griffin’s mouth. The Lion shifter pulled back, sucking on Jacob’s
bottom lip.

Jacob took two steps back. His legs hit the bed and Griffin pushed

him. He unbuttoned Jacob’s jeans and yanked his pants down and off
his body, pulling off one sock. Griffin stood above him and looked
down at him. Jacob reached for his cock and stroked his hard erection.
He looked up at his mate and licked his lips.

“Do I have to make myself come?”Jacob asked.
Griffin stood, not moving as his lips moved up into a lecherous

smile. “What do you want me to do? It looks like you can take care of
it yourself.”

Jacob reached back with his other hand and caressed his sensitive

hole with his fingers.

* * * *

Griffin looked down at the erotic sight before him. Jacob fingered

his tight hole while his other hand moved up and down his cock. His
mate moaned and looked up at him, begging for Griffin to touch him.
Griffin took pity on him. He sat on the bed and rubbed his hand down
Jacob’s body. “Take your hands away. I’ll fill your ass and suck your
cock.”

Jacob nodded. He pulled his finger out and released his hard

erection.

“Look at me.” He locked eyes with Jacob. “This time when I fuck

you, you will see me. The man giving you pleasure is your mate. No
more fantasies. Don’t worry. I’ll fuck you so hard you won’t forget
it.”

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

111

Jacob moaned and pulled his hand free. Their eyes locked. Griffin

leaned down and kissed Jacob’s lips. At that moment, no one else
existed in this world but the two of them. He pulled away and
admired Jacob’s swollen lips.

Jacob moaned. He reached up and pulled Griffin back down into a

kiss. This time when Griffin pulled away, Jacob let out a small
whimper. Griffin repositioned himself on the bed, covering Jacob’s
body. Their eyes met and neither of them moved.

“Remember, your eyes on me.”
Jacob nodded. “Please,” he pleaded.
Griffin leaned down and captured Jacob’s lips. His hands moved

over Jacob’s body.

“Will you claim me again? This time I want to feel your teeth dig

into me as your cock pounds my ass.”

Griffin’s teeth started to transform. He looked down. His mate

was sexy sprawled out on the bed, waiting to be devoured. “This will
be forever.”

Jacob nodded. “It already is.” He smiled at Griffin.
Griffin’s callused fingers moved down Jacob’s chest. He rubbed

his mate’s pink nipples as they tightened under his fingertips. He
leaned down over Jacob’s erect cock.

Jacob pushed him back and over. He straddled Griffin’s hips and

slid up and down his body. His mate’s aggression was a big turn-on.
His cock hardened even more. He rubbed Jacob’s back. His arm
reached over and opened the top drawer of the nightstand. Jacob’s
hands moved over his and reached in, grabbing the lube.

Jacob looked down at him and smirked. He popped open the top

and spread it over his fingers. “Don’t worry. My eyes won’t leave
your body.”

Griffin groaned, but continued to watch his mate. Jacob’s fingers

slid into his sensitive hole. Jacob groaned as he finger fucked his ass.
Griffin’s eyes roamed up and down his mate’s sensitive body. He
licked his lips when Jacob rocked his hips back and forth.

112

Sydney Lain

Griffin couldn’t take the teasing anymore. He sat up and grabbed

Jacob’s wrists. He moved them, wrapping Jacob’s arms around his
waist. He leaned in and pressed his lips to Jacob’s neck, kissing up
and down. He playfully nipped just under Jacob’s ear before pinning
his mate to the bed. He grabbed the lube and poured a generous
amount on his cock before pushing in with one hard thrust.

He stared directly into Jacob’s eyes. His mate’s face flushed as he

turned his head away.

“No, Jacob. Watch me as I move inside of you.”
Jacob moaned, turning to look into Griffin’s eyes. He pulled out

and slammed back into his mate’s body. Griffin picked up speed,
pushing in and out. Jacob’s eyes blazed with fire as he touched the
spot deep inside of him. He rolled his hips and Jacob’s legs wrapped
around his waist, pulling Griffin closer. Jacob held him there with his
legs, burying his cock deep inside of him.

“I’m still looking at you,” Jacob said.
Griffin groaned. “I can see that.” Griffin moved Jacob’s thighs up

so his legs hooked around his neck. He felt parts of his body
transform. Golden hair covered every inch of his skin and his nails
sharpened, ripping into the bed. He thrust again. The connection
between them strengthened.

“Do you feel it? We’re connected. Even more now.”
Jacob nodded. “I feel it.”
Griffin smiled before slamming back in and out. Jacob cried out

and Griffin picked up speed. The bed slammed against the wall as
their bodies slapped together.

“Are you ready?” Griffin asked. His teeth pushed out.
Jacob nodded and turned his head to the side. Griffin sunk his

teeth into his mate’s neck. He pulled away, licking the wound and
stopping the blood. The sensation left Jacob breathless. He felt his
mate’s body tense. Hot cum dripped down his stomach as Jacob
squeezed down on his sensitive cock. He pushed in and out a few
more times, looking directly into Jacob’s eyes.

Jacob’s Conflicted Heart

113

“Tell me, Jacob, who’s fucking you?” he asked.
“You, only you.”
Griffin poured his hot seed inside of his mate. The connection

became stronger as their bodies connected on a deeper level. This
time there was no doubt or lies between them. “You’re mine.”

Jacob nodded. “Yes, yours.” His eyes closed as his breathing

evened out.

Griffin pulled his limp cock from Jacob’s body.
Suddenly, Jacob sat up clutching the side of his head. “There’s

something wrong. My ears are burning.”

Griffin pulled Jacob’s hands away. He leaned forward and looked

at his mate’s ears. He released Jacob’s hand. “Keep your hand away
from your ears.” Griffin’s fingers moved in, touching the slightly
pointed ears.

“What’s wrong?” Jacob’s voice was slightly panicked.
“Nothing, your ears just changed a little. They are now pointed,

but still adorable. Don’t worry about it. They’re fine.”

“What’s going on? Am I sick?”
Griffin laughed. “I can feel you inside. You’re fine. I would know

if something was wrong. We’re mated. Your consent must have
triggered the transformation. This time you agreed and there are no
more secrets between us. That must have awakened another part of
you.”

Jacob nodded. “I do have fey blood.” His hand moved up and he

ran it along his ears. “Should we call the doctor?”

“It can wait until tomorrow. Come here.” Jacob fell into Griffin’s

arms. “We’ll look into it tomorrow.”

Jacob yawned, placing his head on Griffin’s chest. “That sounds

like a plan.”

The long, lonely nights and the decades without his pride no

longer mattered. It was over. His future was intertwined with his
mate’s. Tomorrow was another day. A day they would face together.

114

Sydney Lain

THE END

WWW.SYDNEYLAIN.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sydney was born and raised in the Northeast of the United States.

She loves to read fantasy, contemporary, and paranormal romance
novels. After years of devouring book after book, Sydney started
writing her own stories. She enjoys creating complex characters and
throwing them together and letting the story write itself. Sydney will
often get up hours before dawn to write another chapter or read the
chapter written the day before. She has a busy schedule but gets
creative when finding time in the day to steal writing moments.

For all titles by Sydney Lain, please visit

www.bookstrand.com/sydney-lain

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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