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The Moonlight Breed 10

Primal Instincts

He can’t cure world hunger, negotiate peace in the Middle East, or
even toast bread without burning it. Yet, for some reason, Elder

Layke Winters is expected to have all the answers, and it’s beyond
exhausting. Everything is different with Aspen, though. He’s
different. For the first time in over a thousand years, he feels

free—completely alive. Is it any wonder he’s falling fast for the
bright-eyed imp?

Aspen never thought someone like Layke could want him, but
once they come face-to-face, the elder awakens something wild

and primal inside him. Layke is his. He’s certain of it, and he’s
prepared to fight heaven and hell to keep him.

The two have almost nothing in common, though. With the odds
stacked against them, and more questions than answers,
especially about Aspen’s origins, will the pair ever find themselves

on the right side of forever?

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal,
Vampires/Werewolves
Length: 38,281 words

PRIMAL INSTINCTS

The Moonlight Breed 10

Gabrielle Evans

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

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IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

PRIMAL INSTINCTS
Copyright © 2013 by Gabrielle Evans
E-book ISBN: 978-1-62242-695-9

First E-book Publication: March 2013

Cover design by Sloan Winters
All art and logo copyright © 2013 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

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Letter to Readers

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PRIMAL INSTINCTS

The Moonlight Breed 10

GABRIELLE EVANS

Chapter One

“It was a bright, clear day, much as it had been all week. Holding

his mug in both hands, Aspen stood on his private balcony, enjoying
the crisp morning air and the glorious scent of coffee.” That was as
far as Aspen got into his narration of the day before he fell into a fit of
giggles.

“My sweet little cherub,” Jacobi cooed as he waltzed up beside

him. “Who exactly are you talking to?”

“I was narrating my morning, but it wasn’t working out very

well.” He took a sip of his coffee and tried not to giggle again. Maybe
if he had one of those deep, movie-star voices, it wouldn’t have been
so bad. Unfortunately, he sounded more like a helium-sucking cartoon
chipmunk.

“Maybe you should cut back on the caffeine, sweet cheeks.”

Jacobi’s tongue darted out to flick the hoop encircling his bottom lip,
and he rocked sideways to bump their hips together. “The boat is
supposed to be here today.”

“Oooh, Zuriel will be happy.” The poor fox had been missing his

twin like crazy. With all the horrible happenings in the last few
weeks, Aspen felt his friend could use the visit from his brother. “We

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probably shouldn’t mention that Zuriel almost died.” That just wasn’t
appropriate reunion talk.

“No, you’re right. Zavion would birth itty bitty kitties if he knew.”

Jacobi scrunched his nose and twisted his lips to one side of his face
while he opened his eyes as wide as they could go, clearly attempting
an inaccurate depiction of childbirth. “Yeah, we won’t talk about
mincemeat fox pies.”

It wasn’t that Jacobi never took anything seriously. He just had his

own colorful way of describing situations, which Aspen actually
found humorous rather than offensive. The man was never
disrespectful, and he clearly cared about the suffering of others. He
just didn’t feel the need to stalk through his days with a perpetual
snarl curling his lip.

Bad things happened. They’d certainly happened to Aspen. It was

over now, though, and instead of dwelling on it, he preferred to just
forget it and move on with his life. Maybe that made him naïve, to
think that he could ignore his past, but it seemed like a much better
idea than feeling sorry for himself.

Placing his mug on the small patio table for safekeeping, he

approached the edge of the balcony and folded his arms over the
chest-high railing, staring down into the courtyard below. He could
hear the car approaching somewhere around the curve, and though he
couldn’t see it, the rumble of the engine brought a smile to his face.

“They’re here.”
Sure enough, just moments later, a dark blue Jeep turned the

corner and rolled up the sloping driveway, coasting to a stop just
beyond the courtyard. Aspen had met Zavion for only a few minutes
outside the plane right before his last-minute departure, but if the man
was anything like Zuriel, he was sure to like him.

He didn’t quite know what had driven him to pack his things and

beg to be taken to the airport that morning. When word had reached
the main house that several refugees—men who had suffered at the
hands of The Hive, same as him—were leaving for some mystical elf

Primal Instincts

island, he knew he had to be on that plane. Haven was wonderful, and
he couldn’t express how grateful he was to the men who had rescued
and sheltered him. It just wasn’t…home.

Zavion was the first to jump out of the vehicle, and even from the

distance, Aspen could see the shifter’s mouth gaping open as he
surveyed the huge palace. It was a gorgeous building with grand
staircases, high ceilings, and lavish furnishings, but he couldn’t
fathom why one family needed so much space.

Nithron emerged from the driver’s seat, and immediately turned to

look at him, waving a hand over his head in greeting. Aspen smiled
brightly and waved back. He’d been pleased as punch to find out the
person who’d murdered all those poor elves hadn’t been Nithron,
because he really liked the guard.

Zavion’s mate exited from the back seat as well, although Aspen

couldn’t remember his name. He was fairly certain the man was Flynn
Murphy’s brother, but he really hadn’t met many people during his
time in Haven. Part of that had been for his own protection, but he
had a feeling the bigger reason was for everyone else’s protection.

The arbitrary thought caused him to snort as he stared down his

thin chest, over his scrawny legs, and finally to his unnaturally small
feet which were barely five feet from the top of his head. Yes, it was
amusing that anyone would view him as a threat. Hell, he doubted he
could fight his way out of a soggy paper bag.

He was about to turn away from the railing so he could make

himself presentable before going downstairs to meet their guests. A
flash of white from the corner of his eye caught his attention,
however, and he turned back quickly, watching as the most beautiful
man he’d ever seen opened the passenger door and rose gracefully
from his seat.

“Wow,” he breathed, mesmerized by the way the sunlight played

over the long, golden-white strands that flowed down the stranger’s
back. “Who is that?”

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Evans

“Close your mouth, honey. You look like a guppy.” Jacobi even

tapped the underside of Aspen’s chin to emphasize his point. “That is
Elder Layke Winters. He’s the elf representative for The Council.”

A measure of disappointment settled in the pit of his belly. No

way would someone so important give him the time of day. As with
most things, however, he brushed it off quickly, shrugged, and
delivered a last lingering gaze to the elder before exiting the balcony.

“Jacobi, how is it that you know everyone?”
“I make it my business to know everyone who’s anyone,” Jacobi

answered with an upturned nose and a roguish wink. “Hmm, what do
you think? Should I go red for the day?” Before he’d finished
speaking, his bubblegum-pink spikes changed to a deep, mahogany
red. “Or maybe blue to match my favorite boots.” His hair changed
colors once again, the red replaced with turquoise and streaked with
stripes of black.

“I think it’s a purple kind of day.”
Aspen understood the awful things that had happened to his

friend in the lab, but as he tugged at his bland, black locks, he
couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of Jacobi’s abilities. He was thankful
he’d escaped the genetic altering that cursed the Desirables, but he
wouldn’t mind being able to change his appearance at will.

“You know, my cherub, I think you’re right.” With nothing more

than a thought, Jacobi’s hair changed to a dark shade of grape-soda
purple. Then he crooked his arm and offered it to Aspen. “Shall we?”

“Do you think I need shoes?”
Jacobi glanced down at his own bare feet and wiggled his painted

toenails. “Nope. We’re too awesome for such constraints.”

He didn’t know how awesome he was, but Aspen did like the

sound of it. So he looped his arm with Jacobi’s, grinned at the shifter,
and wiggled his hips. “In that case, let’s not keep everyone waiting.”
With any luck, maybe he’d catch a glimpse of that exquisite elder
again.

Primal Instincts

* * * *

“Spiro.” Layke lowered his head in respect, though he technically

outranked the king. They were in Spiro’s home, however, and no
matter their titles, the elf was an excellent leader and deserved the
proper esteem.

“Elder Winters.” Spiro nodded in return but rose quickly to guide

him to a plump armchair upholstered in the deepest shade of midnight
blue. “How was your trip?”

“Call me Layke, and the trip was fine.” He waved his hand to

dismiss the topic, knowing they’d both prefer to skip the pleasantries
and get straight to business. “Cian Murphy is here to assist me in
returning the prisoner to the States for trial. We’ll leave at the end of
the week.” Gods, he detested this part of the job. “I am truly sorry for
your losses.” His heart bled for the innocents and for the families
they’d left behind, but death was an inescapable part of their world.

Spiro lifted his chin in acknowledgment but didn’t comment.

“Have you thought about my request?”

“I have.” Leaning back in his chair, he crossed one leg over the

other and laced his fingers together in his lap, studying the man across
from him. “I agree that these practices of the royal family are
outdated, and some could even be viewed as barbaric. Polygamy is
well and good for some, but it shouldn’t be forced. This enchantment
imposed to force a prince onto the throne is even more concerning.”

“I agree. So, does that mean you’ll help?”
Layke nodded. “I will. However, I have to ask. Are you sure you

want to give up your title?” Spiro’s family had ruled their race for
thousands of years, and while there really was no reason for a king in
the modern world, he wanted to be sure the younger man knew what
he was asking.

“Yes,” Spiro answered immediately. “I am still leader of this

circle, and you have the authority to speak for our people as
representative on The Council. The crown has no power any longer,

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and frankly, I don’t believe it should. This circle needs a leader, not
some power-hungry douchebag hiding behind a title.”

“Spoken like a true leader.” He’d been impressed with the hybrid

since the moment he’d met him. He was rational, intellectual, and he
placed the needs of the whole above his own selfish desires. In
Layke’s opinion, there was no one better suited to govern the people
of the island.

“Does that mean we have an agreement?”
He would help regardless of whether Spiro agreed to a little

negotiating because it was the right thing to do, but if he could gain
something in return, he wasn’t above trying.

“The bewitchments were bound by the moon and must be

untethered by the sun. We can perform the rites whenever you want,
but it has to be done at sunrise.” Elven magic drew upon the same
natural elements as the witches, but elven enchantments tended be
unnecessarily complicated. “I’ll make the disbandment of the royal
title official when I return to Wyoming.”

“I’ll give Zuriel a couple of days with his brother before we do the

rite. I know he’ll want to be there, but he deserves some uninterrupted
happiness after the last couple of weeks.” A half smile tilted one
corner of his lips, sweet and sappy like all lovesick fools get when
they think of their lovers. It faded quickly, though, and Spiro mirrored
Layke’s posture with a quirked eyebrow. “Is there more?”

“Perceptive,” he conceded, but there was no need for games or

hesitancy. He could order instead of request, but it would be better for
all parties involved if Spiro agreed to his plan. “This island is
secluded, hidden, and right now, you’re using only a fraction of its
acreage.”

“Yes, but expansion is difficult without funds. What exactly are

you asking?”

“Haven is overflowing, and there are still refugees spilling in

every week. We’ve already moved some to Cloud Peak, others to
Snake River, and we have a few living in The Council house in

Primal Instincts

Casper. There’s just not room, though.” Even with the purchase of
new lands, the influx of the broken, scared, and rejected was vastly
outnumbering the Enforcers assigned to keep them safe.

“You want to move some of them here.” Spiro templed his index

fingers and pressed them against his lips while he nodded. “I’m glad
to help, and as you pointed out, there is a lot of land we aren’t using.
The problem is money.” He lifted one hand and twirled his wrist to
indicate the entirety of the room. “This place is pretentious and
ostentatious, but what money there was is gone. My father made sure
of that.”

Luckily, Layke had an easy solution for that. “You know, if you

agree to create a refuge here, the ICPJ would fund the housing and
care of the residents.”

Spiro placed a hand over his belly and chuckled. “You have an

answer for everything, don’t you?”

“I like winning.”
“Well, congratulations.” He rose from his seat, waiting for Layke

to do the same before offering his hand. “You have yourself a
refuge.”

Shaking with the leader, Layke grinned and patted him on the

shoulder with his left hand. “Excellent.” If he was honest, he’d
expected nothing less, but he was glad they’d been able to come to an
easy and quick agreement.

Leading him from the library, Spiro motioned down the corridor

to the right. “I had your bags taken to your room. Would you like to
rest, or are you up to grabbing some lunch?”

It had been a very, very long time since he’d enjoyed traditional

elven food, and he was almost as giddy as a little boy on the eve of his
birthday. “I’ll rest after lunch.”

As they wandered through the labyrinth of the castle in search of

the kitchen, Layke began to notice a low-level buzz that crawled
across his skin. With each additional step, he was filled with
nervousness, a restless energy that vibrated him from head to toe.

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It made no sense. He wasn’t nervous, had no reason to be. In his

very long life, he’d experienced fear and anxiety, but nothing like
this. Really, it felt more like he’d been zapped with electricity than
any emotional response, and he ended up shoving both hands into the
pockets of his khakis because he couldn’t get them to stop shaking.

Laughter rang from somewhere close by, bouncing off the stone

walls as it echoed down the hallway. One voice in particular stood out
to him in sharp relief. It was no louder than the others, but it was clear
and crisp, as though the speaker stood just beside him. His heart beat
just a little faster, and he had to willfully prevent himself from
hurrying his footsteps.

More sounds of jubilation from the kitchen brought that beautiful,

musical voice to his ears once more. This time, the laughter seeped
into him, warming him from the inside out while his cock twitched
with interest.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, they reached the kitchen,

but Layke hung back in the doorway, surveying the room in his quest
to identify the owner of that angelic voice. He knew Cian Murphy, of
course, and his mate, Zavion. Zuriel was easy to spot since he was the
mirror image of his brother. There was no mistaking Jacobi, though
he’d only met him in passing during one of his visits to Haven, and
Nithron he’d met that morning.

That left three men in the room he didn’t recognize. They were all

small in stature, but watching them laugh and joke with one another,
he imagined they had very big personalities. A man with dark hair and
lean hips suddenly turned his head toward Layke, and anyone would
have thought the guy had seen a ghost.

Leaping down from the barstool where he’d been perched at the

center island, he hurried forward and bowed his head, looking down
at his feet as he spoke. “Elder Winters, you’re there. I mean, you’re
here. Well, I didn’t see you there…here….where you are.” He sighed
in defeat and shook his head. “I’m just going to stop talking now.”

Primal Instincts

“Relax.” It would be bad manners to laugh at the man’s

nervousness, but he was kind of cute. “Call me Layke, and stop
looking at the floor. We’re all friends here.”

Looking up, the stranger cocked his head to the side and frowned.

“Do you know Xander?”

“Yes, I’m familiar with him. Why do you ask?”
“You sound just like him.” He offered his hand, though it was

trembling just a bit. “I’m Nikola. It’s a meeting to pleasure you.” He
stopped, closed his eyes, and groaned. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Likewise.” Damn, it was getting harder to keep a straight face.

“Seriously, though, there’s no reason to be so nervous. Being an elder
just makes me old. It doesn’t make me anyone special.”

“Hello, sir.” Another of the strangers pushed away from the

counter and bowed his head. When he looked up, there was a shy
smile on his lips, but at least he wasn’t shaking like his friend. “I’m
Mihail.”

Layke nodded back in acknowledgment. “Again, call me Layke.”
There was nothing wrong with manners and respectful behavior,

but he didn’t like the certain level of reverence that came with being
an elder. Very rarely was he ever treated like a regular guy. Oh, he
had friends, and they certainly tried, but there was still this invisible
line that no one wanted to cross with him.

Both shifters were likable, but neither was the owner of the voice

that had captivated him. That left just one other man in the room. The
smallest person there, he perched on top of the counter, letting his feet
dangle over the side while he studied everyone in the room with a
vague, mysterious smile.

“Hello.” That was all he said, but Layke swore the room became

just a little brighter when he spoke.

Gliding forward as though the velvety voice was reeling him in by

an invisible hook, he didn’t stop until he was close enough to reach
out and touch the man if he so desired. “Hello.” It wasn’t articulate,
and it definitely wasn’t smooth. Not since his teenage years had he

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been so awkward and unsure. “My name is Layke.” Well, that wasn’t
any better, considering he’d just announced his name twice.

“I know.” That vague smile never left his lips, but he did sit up

straighter and extend his hand. “I’m Aspen. You have very pretty
eyes.”

Layke was tongue tied. Everything he wanted to say somehow got

lost in translation between his brain and his lips, and he didn’t want to
risk saying something completely ridiculous. Taking the offered hand,
he held it in both of his own, swallowing back his gasp of surprise
when that restless energy he’d experienced in the hallway increased
tenfold.

“Thank you.”
It was Aspen who was beautiful, though. His long ebony locks

cascaded over one shoulder. The smooth strands reflected the
overhead light, giving them a healthy glow from crown to tip. Small
and slender, he had the most delicate features of any man Layke had
ever met, yet he wasn’t feminine. Big, stunning blue eyes dominated
his face, shimmering with a mischievous twinkle as though he knew
more than he was telling.

“Just so you know, Layke…”
By the gods, did nothing affect this man? Layke was about to

vibrate out of his skin, but Aspen appeared cool and collected. “Yes?”

The vapid grin morphed into a cocky smirk, and a confident,

almost predatory gleam replaced the innocent shimmer in his eyes.
Casually, he hooked two fingers into the collar of Layke’s shirt to jerk
him forward, stopping just before their mouths met and tracing his
tongue seductively over Layke’s bottom lip.

“You’re mine.”

Primal Instincts

Chapter Two

The instant his actions caught up with his muddled brain, Aspen

immediately released the elder and jerked back like he’d been
scalded. “I’m so, so sorry.”

What the hell was wrong with him? He didn’t act like that. He

wasn’t bold, never made the first move, especially not one so
aggressive.

“Why are you apologizing?” Jacobi demanded. “That was freakin’

hot.”

“Yes!” three more of his friends shouted.
“Do it again,” Zuriel added with a giggle.
Aspen wanted to melt into the floor and die. For all intents and

purposes, he’d just assaulted an elder, and no one seemed to see
anything wrong with this. “I need to go.” Only, he couldn’t leave
since Layke was still standing in front of him, blocking his exit with
an expression that could only be described as stunned.

Well, at least they had that in common, because Aspen was

dumbfounded by his actions. He’d heard himself speak, felt his body
move, but it was as though someone or something else had taken
control of him.

“Okay, everyone out,” Spiro ordered after the silence had

stretched on for some time. “I mean it.” His tone took on a steely edge
when no one moved. “Show’s over. Get out.”

It didn’t take long for everyone to clear the room, leaving him

alone with Layke. Aspen couldn’t help but feel slightly abandoned,
and he had no idea what he was supposed to do next. He’d been

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hyperaware of Layke from the moment he’d entered the room, and
something dark and primordial had seized him when they’d touched.

He was not a person of extremes. He enjoyed lots of things, but

always in moderation, and no matter the emotion, he never felt too
strongly about anything. In essence, he was perpetually content,
satisfied with life, but rarely angry, sad, or even overjoyed.

In the five minutes since he’d met Layke, however, he felt as

though every part of him was alive. His heart pounded, his temples
throbbed, and his insides quivered with unsettled vitality. Honestly,
he couldn’t fathom how people lived like this daily without
exploding.

“Layke, I mean, Elder Winters, I really don’t know what came

over me,” he said, trying once again to articulate his mortification
over the situation. “I apologize for my untoward behavior.” There
really were no words he could say that would change what had
happened or make it okay, though.

When the elf just continued to stare at him without comment,

Aspen fidgeted on the countertop and glanced away, unable to meet
the man’s gaze any longer. The heat started in his cheeks, but quickly
spread down his neck and up to the tips of his ears. The only silver
lining was that things couldn’t possibly get any worse.

Several seconds passed in silence until he couldn’t take it any

longer. “Uh, so, I think I better go.” He tried to slide down from the
island, thinking Layke would understand and move out of his way.

No such thing happened, though. Instead of moving away, Layke

stepped closer until he was pressed between Aspen’s knees with his
hips leaning against the side of the counter. “My name is Layke, not
Elder Winters, not to you.”

“Okay.” Aspen’s brain was beginning to short-circuit again, and

he felt disconnected, like he was in that transition phase right before
he fell asleep.

Layke’s voice was deep and rich, as smooth as silk, and it washed

over him like a refreshing spring stream. Unfortunately, it also made

Primal Instincts

lucid thought nearly impossible. Gods, no one had ever evoked such a
response in him, and he wasn’t completely sure how he felt about that
just yet.

“Secondly,” Layke continued, “no more apologizing. You did

nothing wrong.”

That was debatable, and, well, Aspen felt the need to debate it. “I

attacked you in front of everyone. I disrespected you, acted like a
complete harlot!”

Layke chuckled, and his laughter did funny things to Aspen’s

stomach. Wow, the guy had a great smile. His perfectly straight teeth
were blindingly white, and he had a dimple in his left cheek. His nose
scrunched just the tiniest bit, and his eyes crinkled in the corners
while the silvery gray of his irises glittered with amusement.

“You were following your instincts, Aspen, and while I wouldn’t

otherwise want to encourage Jacobi, he was right. Your so-called
untoward behavior was incredibly sexy.”

It was immature of him, but Aspen suddenly had the almost

uncontrollable urge to giggle. Logically, he knew Layke was a man
like any other with wants and desires. Aspen held him in such high
regard, however, that it struck him as terribly funny to hear a word as
common as “sexy” coming from the elder’s mouth.

He was so amused by the vernacular that it took him a moment to

process the rest of that statement. “Okay, back up, because you lost
me. What instincts?” He got the impression there was a very
important concept he wasn’t grasping.

Spending most of his life isolated from his peers, Aspen had

created elaborate fantasy worlds he preferred to the harshness of
reality. However, investing so much time into a realm of rainbows
and sunflowers meant he was woefully ignorant and naïve about a
vast array of worldly topics.

Layke’s hands slid beneath the hem of his T-shirt and rested

lightly against the swell of his hips. The warmth radiating from his
palms was amazing, seeping into Aspen’s skin until sweat actually

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glistened across his brow. The sizzle of electrical energy ricocheted
inside him once more, and he bit his bottom lip to hold back his moan
when his cock began to swell at Layke’s nearness.

“Close your eyes,” Layke whispered against the shell of his ear.
Aspen obeyed before he even registered the intention to do so.

Layke’s scent—clean and warm like freshly washed cotton straight
from the dryer—overwhelmed him, invading his senses and making
him dizzy. Layke’s palms slid up his back and spanned across his
shoulder blades, causing the skin to break out in goose bumps.

Holy sweet hell, those hands were so soft, and the intimacy in the

touch had Aspen yearning for more. Dropping his head back on his
shoulders, he arched up and swayed forward, leaning closer to Layke
until their chests pressed together.

“Tell me what you feel,” Layke instructed, still with that low,

sultry voice that made Aspen’s cock throb.

He wanted to tell the elf that he felt like he was floating. He

wanted to beg for just one taste of the man’s lips. He wanted to ask
for more of the sensual touches. There were a lot of things he wanted,
but when he opened his mouth to voice them, all that came out was a
single word, almost unintelligible through the tight, strangled growl
that accompanied it.

“Mine!”
The quiet, peaceful sensation of drifting on a cloud vanished,

instantly and violently replaced by a clawing, burning hunger. He no
longer wanted to beg for Layke’s attentions, but to command the elder
to give him what he craved. His upper lip curled over his teeth, his
pulse throbbed in his throat, and he snarled once again as he tangled
his fingers in Layke’s hair, jerking him into a hard, searching kiss.

Layke didn’t resist, and his lips parted willingly, giving Aspen

unspoken permission to explore at his leisure. There was nothing
casual about the mating of their mouths or slide of their tongues,
though. Some part of his brain screamed for him to stop, to slow
down, but it was easily silenced when the kiss grew more intense.

Primal Instincts

Without breaking contact, he managed to get his legs under him,

rising up on his knees to exact more control. He didn’t just kiss the
man. He devoured him, moaning and grunting like an overeager
whore in his quest for more. Deepening the kiss, practically attacking
his mouth, Aspen hooked one leg around Layke’s waist and then the
other, giving his partner no choice but to support his weight.

His dick was so hard he feared it would discharge at the slightest

touch, and his balls ached unmercifully within the confinement of his
jeans. “Ah!” Jerking his head to the side, he slapped a hand over his
mouth and groaned through his gasps for air. “It hurts,” he
whimpered. Gods, it felt like something was stabbing into his gums,
digging clear down to the bone.

“Deep breath, Aspen.” Very gently, Layke settled him back on the

counter and wrapped his fingers around Aspen’s wrist, prying his
hand away from his lips. Then he grabbed the stainless steel toaster
from the opposite counter and held it up in front of Aspen’s face.
“See? It’s okay. It’ll stop hurting in a minute.”

Staring into the reflecting metal, Aspen held his mouth slightly

open and tilted his head back, prodding at the long, pointed canines
extending past his upper lip. “Oh, my sweet hell,” he breathed. This
so wasn’t right. He wasn’t a shifter or a vampire. Never in his life had
this happened. “Why? I don’t understand. What’s happening to me?
Demons do not have fangs.”

He pushed roughly at the toaster, no longer wanting to look at

himself. The pain had doused any and all ardor he’d felt, and once
again, he was left with only the shame of his actions. There was
something very wrong, something he couldn’t control, and it scared
the hell out of him.

His gut twisted, knotting his stomach and threatening to expel the

contents all over the gleaming tiled floor. Maybe he was going mad. It
certainly felt like he was losing his mind, along with all impulse
control. The condition had come on so suddenly, however, and it all

22 Gabrielle

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connected to Layke’s arrival. Aspen just didn’t understand how the
two events were related or why.

“I need to go.” Sliding off the island countertop, he made it three

steps across the kitchen and had almost reached the doorway when an
arm around his waist halted his forward progression.

“Nice try, but you’re not going anywhere just yet.” Steering him

toward the kitchen table, Layke ushered him into a chair before
lowering himself to the one beside him. “Aspen, how old are you?”

He didn’t know what his age had to do with anything, but it

wasn’t some big secret, either. “I turned twenty in March, though I
don’t know exactly which day I was born.”

It wasn’t a big deal, though. Celebrating birthdays for immortals

was overrated anyway, and he honestly didn’t see the point. Birthdays
were just another way to tell the passage of time, but if he never died,
what did it matter how many years he’d lived?

“I’m assuming by your reaction that this has never happened

before, has it?”

Aspen shook his head. “I didn’t even know my teeth could do

that.”

He felt like he should apologize again, but there was nothing he

could say, no apology he could give that would make anything better.
He felt…shattered. The world he chose to envision might not be
practical, but it had suited his needs, and now, he was drowning.

“Aspen.” Layke kept his voice quiet and soothing while he took

Aspen’s hand and stroked the knuckles with his thumb. “Melamin,
what kind of demon are you?”

A shrug of his shoulders was the best answer he could give. Until

Nikola and Mihail had produced The Council registry, he hadn’t
known there were different species of demons. More to the point, he
hadn’t even known he was a demon until two years ago, and he told
Layke as much.

Primal Instincts

“I’m not trying to be insensitive, but how could you not have

known? Truly, you’ve never had your fangs elongate when you were
angry or aroused?”

His cheeks heated once again with embarrassment, but he brushed

away his discomfort to answer the question as best he could. “I spent
most of my life in an orphanage. A few months before I turned
eighteen, they sent me to this place for troubled youth. I was only
there for six months before these doctors took me away, and that’s
how I ended up in The Hive.”

“Is that when you learned you were a demon?”
“Yeah, they explained it all to me, and that’s when I stopped

caring about my birthdays.” He took a deep breath and let it out
slowly in an attempt to steady his thundering pulse. “The answer to
your other question is no. I’ve never spontaneously sprouted fangs
before.”

Layke stared at him for a long time before he finally lifted

Aspen’s hand to his mouth and brushed his lips over the top of it.
“Okay, we’ll worry about that later. I think the first thing we need to
do is figure out what species of demon you are.”

“Does it really matter?” He’d had about all the tests he could

handle, had been poked, prodded, and injected enough times to last
him through eternity.

“Not to me, but I’d like to make sure you’re getting everything

you need.”

There was nothing for it then. “Sure. I guess that makes sense.”
“Don’t worry, melamin. I promise it will be painless.”
The elven language was so beautiful and tranquil, and Aspen

imagined the unknown word was an endearment of some sort. He just
wished he knew what it meant. When he inquired, however, Layke
smiled, shook his head, and said he’d explain it another time. Aspen
agreed, but he made a mental note to ask Spiro about it later.

“Layke, am I crazy?” He felt like it. Everything that had made

sense ten minutes ago, no longer comforted him. Twice, he’d lost all

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control and sexually assaulted a Council member. Granted, Layke
hadn’t complained or tried to stop him, but it should have never
happened in the first place.

“You’re not crazy. I think you’re feeling a little overwhelmed and

a lot confused, but I think that’s to be expected.” Rising to his feet, he
held his hand out, waiting for Aspen to take it and join him. “Let’s
take a walk.”

Maybe some fresh air would help to clear his head. Besides, his

anxiety and disquiet was caused by the erratic changes in his mood.
Take that away from the equation, and he was more than happy to
spend time with Layke. “I’d like that.”

Primal Instincts

Chapter Three

They’d spent the entire day together, taking advantage of the

milder spring temperatures to explore the grounds. Aspen had even
taken him on a tour of the quaint little town, and they’d enjoyed a nice
meal at the local café since they’d missed lunch with the others.

All in all, it was one of the most memorable days he’d ever spent,

and with his twelve hundredth birthday just around the corner, that
was saying something.

He’d learned a lot about his companion on their outing, and with

each new discovery, he became just a little more enchanted with the
younger man.

Turning his face up toward the moonlight as they trekked back to

the palace, Aspen offered a bright smile and slipped his hand into
Layke’s, squeezing his fingers gently. “I had a really nice time
today.”

His optimism was infectious, and his unwavering happiness was

enviable. The smile on his lips could melt the most frozen of hearts,
and each time it was turned in Layke’s direction, he felt his own heart
skip a beat.

It had been nearly eight hundred years since he’d given up on ever

finding his chosen mate. There had been relationships in his past he
thought would provide a perfect substitute, but none had lasted longer
than a year. He’d always blamed himself for the failures, but after just
a few hours with Aspen, he knew no substitute would have ever been
enough.

Love was such a fickle creature. Twice before he’d thought he’d

found it, but neither time had he felt even a fraction of the emotions

26 Gabrielle

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that pulsed inside him each time Aspen smiled at him or said his
name. Now, those other relationships just seemed like practice for the
real thing.

“Is something wrong?” The light in Aspen’s eyes faded just a

little, and his pleasant expression dimmed slightly.

“No, melamin, nothing is wrong.” Stopping just before they

reached the garden gate, he bent from the waist, and brushed a soft
kiss across Aspen’s brow. “I was just lost inside my own head.” He’d
heard and registered Aspen’s statement, but he’d been so mesmerized
by the beauty that he’d neglected to respond. “I don’t think I’ve ever
had more fun, and the company was excellent.”

Ducking his head so that his silky hair covered one eye, he peered

up at Layke through his lashes, gracing him with one of those heart-
stopping smiles. “Please tell me what that means. It sounds beautiful
when you say it, but for all I know, you could be calling me a
jackass.”

Laughing under his breath, Layke stood straight and tucked

Aspen’s hand into the crook of his elbow, guiding him through the
garden to a decorative stone bench near the back entrance of the
house. “Sit with me.”

Aspen complied easily, settling onto the bench and inching closer

until he’d tucked himself against Layke’s side. “I love it here. It’s so
open. You can see the sky forever.”

“Are you cold?” Spring had arrived, and the days were growing

warmer, but in the middle of the Norwegian Sea, the night winds still
had bite to them. Wrapping his arm around Aspen’s shoulders, he
cuddled him closer and rubbed his cheek against the top of his head.

“A little,” Aspen admitted, “but this is helping.”
The gods have mercy on him, because he was completely and

utterly lost. In his many, many years on earth, he’d been privileged to
witness firsthand the miracle of love at first sight. Never had he
imagined it would happen to him, and perhaps it wasn’t exactly love
he was feeling, but it was definitely intense.

Primal Instincts

Growing up away from their world in a human orphanage, not

even knowing there was something special about him, Aspen didn’t
fully understand about mates. Furthermore, he clearly didn’t realize
Layke was his fated partner. It was to be expected, but it did make
things more challenging.

He’d seen it happen many times with human mates. Not only was

there the initial shock of discovering the paranormal realm actually
existed, but they viewed the mating connection as some magical
contract that hindered their freewill. Unfortunately, many
relationships had been destroyed by the misconception that the bond
had fabricated already established emotions.

For every action, there was an equal and opposite reaction. The

same was true for mates. They were yin and yang, fire and ice,
passion and subtlety. They balanced one another, giving light to the
darkness and shadow to the day.

Aspen was smart, though, and he employed a good deal of

common sense as well. Thankfully, he had already been introduced to
all things supernatural, including a few—like those bastard scientists
in The Hive—that Layke would have preferred to shield him from.

“Melamin,” he began, “is elven, as you know. It’s an endearment

meant for someone very special.”

Sighing in what sounded like contentment, Aspen squirmed until

he could look up into Layke’s eyes. “You think I’m special?”

“I know you are very special.” Moving slowly, testing the waters,

he lowered his head until their lips were almost touching, giving
Aspen the choice to close those last few inches.

The kiss was hesitant, and nothing like the one in the kitchen, but

it was sweet and filled with honesty. Whatever instincts had overtaken
him on their first meeting had subsided, allowing for more natural
reactions. It was a short, closed-mouth kiss, but it felt no less intimate
for its brevity, and most importantly, it was real.

Aspen pulled away all too soon, but Layke understood his

reluctance to go any further after their earlier episode. In the

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beginning, it was much harder to leash those subconscious instincts.
Twice Aspen had lost the battle, and both times seemed to confuse
and frighten him afterward. If he needed to slow things to a crawl to
feel comfortable, Layke was more than willing to follow his lead.

Destined partners were intensely attracted to one another, and

therein lay the problem. The lines between lust and love, affection and
infatuation blurred. While supes were more likely to accept the nature
of the mating bond, the sad truth was that many of them didn’t fully
understand the complexity of fate’s design.

They were two parts of one whole, yet individual at the same

time. It was like a refrigerator with a side-by-side freezer—two
separate components that just worked better together. That didn’t
automatically equal love, though.

Molded from the same clay and tossed out into the world at

different times in different places, mates were then left to their own
devices to find one another. Fate had implemented a type of Konami
Code, though—up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start.
It didn’t give unlimited life, but it did ensure destined partners would
recognize each other.

Paranormals, more in tune with their basal, animalistic instincts,

were predisposed to be territorial, protective, possessive, and the like,
especially the shifters and weres. Again, this wasn’t love. It was just
another cheat code from fate, giving the couple, threesome, or
whatever the best possible chance to make it. The rest was up to them.

That wasn’t to say love at first sight didn’t exist. There was,

however, a whole lot more to it than hard dicks and loss of IQ points.

“I’m sorry,” Aspen whispered after ending the kiss. He ducked his

head again and peeked up at Layke through his long, dark lashes. “I
can feel it starting now. It’s like this vibrating that just gets faster and
faster until I explode.”

That was a fairly accurate description. “It’s good that you can

recognize it, because that will help you to control those impulses.”

Primal Instincts

Layke was feeling it as well, this sense of urgency that intensified

the longer he was around Aspen. The difference was that he’d had
over a thousand years to learn to temper his body’s reactions, while
Aspen had only discovered these sensations less than six hours ago.

The man’s innocence and naivety also served to remind him how

young his intended was. Over eleven hundred years separated them,
and it was fair to say that Layke had much more life experience than
his mate. He didn’t necessarily see that as a bad thing, though.

They both brought something unique to their relationship. Layke

had the experience and wisdom. He didn’t have all the answers, but
he had a lot of them. While he’d seen a great deal of good, he’d also
been around long enough to know that evil didn’t just lurk in
mankind’s shadowy closets.

Aspen had suffered his share of injustice, but at twenty, he was

still young enough to bounce back. He viewed the world with
optimism and hope. A fire burned inside him, a passion to live life to
the fullest that Layke regretted to admit he’d lost a long time ago.

Slipping his fingers under Aspen’s chin, he tilted the angel’s face

up and grinned. “You never have to apologize for the way you feel,
though. I’m here to help and support you, even if that means you need
space.”

Aspen’s expression cleared, and he edged closer once again. “Not

too much space.”

The imp was as adorable as he was tempting, and Layke had to

swallow several times before he felt like he could speak. “Aspen,
melamin, do you know why this is happening? Do you understand
why you feel this way?”

“You never did tell me what that word means.”
“Quid pro quo,” Layke teased. “You answer my question, and I’ll

answer yours.”

“I asked you first, though.”
Layke sighed. Aspen was right, and it wouldn’t be fair if he didn’t

play by his own rules. “My love,” he answered clearly. “It means ‘my

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love.’” It wasn’t how he would have chosen to explain the connection
between them, but just as he’d asked of his mate, he had to give a
little to get a little.

The silence stretched on, but Aspen didn’t move from his side, so

Layke took that as a good sign. He could spell it out, basically drag
Aspen to the right answer, but he didn’t think it would be necessary.
So he said nothing and waited, swaying them from side to side as he
hummed a quiet melody.

Eventually, his patience paid off, and Aspen sat up, turning

sideways on the thin bench to face him. “I have a lot of questions, but
I think I get the important stuff. Attacking you, the possessiveness,
the thing with my canines, it all makes sense now.” He bobbed his
head in small motions as a coy grin brightened his expression.
“You’re mine. We belong together, like mates, like Zuriel and Spiro.
Am I right?”

“You are absolutely correct.” Maybe this wasn’t going to be so

hard after all. “C’mon.” Rising to his feet, he held out a hand to help
Aspen up as well. “Let’s find someplace warmer to talk.”

“You know, it’s kind of funny.” Aspen took the offered hand and

practically sprang to his feet. “I saw you when you arrived with
Nithron this morning, and I felt like I’d been smacked upside the head
with something heavy. Once I found out you were an elder, though, I
figured I didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.”

That wasn’t what Layke had expected to hear, and he had mixed

feelings about the confession. On one hand, he was glad he hadn’t
been the only one affected in such a way. However, Aspen’s
diminished view of himself was upsetting. King, prince, elder, or the
man in the moon, anyone would be lucky to call Aspen their partner.

“Why would you think something like that?” Opening the back

door and ushering Aspen inside first, he took their jackets and hung
them on the hooks in the mudroom before continuing into the kitchen.
“Don’t underestimate yourself.”

Primal Instincts

Unfortunately, he didn’t get to hear his mate’s response, because

the moment they entered the kitchen, they were greeted with loud
welcomes from Aspen’s friends. “We were about to send out a search
party,” Nikola called from the small, circular table.

The minute Layke’s presence was noticed, however, all noise

stopped, everyone rose to their feet, and several people in the room
even bowed to him. “Hello, Elder.” Mihail spoke respectfully, with
just an air of reverence that Layke didn’t feel he deserved.

“Good evening,” he responded pleasantly. The shifter had done

nothing wrong, and there was no reason to be impolite because his
mood was taking a nosedive. “I apologize if we worried anyone.”

“Oh, Nikola was just teasing,” Mihail responded with a pointed

look at his friend. “Please, Elder, have a seat.” He stepped to the side,
indicating the chair he’d just vacated.

“I appreciate it, but I’m okay standing.” This was why he didn’t

engage in many social interactions.

It was fucking exhausting.
He was not some omniscient being. He couldn’t predict the future,

and despite popular belief, he couldn’t cure cancer, solve world
hunger, or fix every problem presented to him. Maybe it was because
of his age that people put him on a pedestal, because no one seemed
to have the same hang-ups with other Council officials.

Just once, he’d like to enter a room without disrupting all

conversation or being treated as though he’d single-handedly brought
about world peace, especially since he’d never done anything overly
spectacular in his entire life.

For just a few hours, with Aspen as his guide, he’d been able to

experience what it was like to be treated as a regular person. Aspen
didn’t care that he had a seat on The Council. To his mate, he wasn’t
Elder Winters, but simply Layke, and not once during their day had
Aspen placed any kind of expectations on him.

Layke had somehow developed a reputation for being that guy

who knew everything about everything. It was a lot of pressure, a lot

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of responsibility, but after a while, he’d just come to accept it as his
lot in life. Aspen had given him a little taste of peace, showed him a
glimpse of normalcy, and he wanted it now more than ever.

“Why is everyone acting so weird?” Hopping up on the island in

the exact place he’d been sitting the first time Layke saw him, Aspen
reached out and tugged at the back of his shirt, pulling him closer. “Is
there any chocolate?”

And there was a prime example of why Layke already adored the

man. “How about hot cocoa?” Slipping between Aspen’s knees, he
held his mate’s hands up to his mouth and breath warm arm over the
cold fingers.

“Mmm.” Dropping his head back, Aspen wiggled his eyebrows

and puckered his lips. “These are cold, too.”

Amused by his playfulness, Layke chuckled as he leaned closer to

rub their lips together. “Better?”

“Much, and hot cocoa sounds awesome as long as it’s not that

instant stuff.”

“Never heard of it.”
“Oh, I like you.”
They shared another laugh and gentle kiss before Layke finally

pried himself away to find the ingredients he needed. It wasn’t until
he began searching through the cupboards that he realized the room
was conspicuously silent. Glancing over his shoulder, he snorted at
the wide eyes and gaping mouths of the men gathered near the table.
They were all looking at him like he’d fucked his mate against the
refrigerator rather than sharing a couple of chaste kisses.

Well, everyone except Jacobi. With one hip popped out to the side

and his arms crossed over his chest, he wore a knowing smirk with a
light in his eyes as though they’d just announced a sale on tacky,
multicolored cowboy boots.

“Sooo,” he said, dragging the word out to get everyone’s

attention. “It looks like congratulations are in order.” Turning his

Primal Instincts

focus to Aspen, he lifted one hand and wiggled his fingers. “I want
details.”

“Jacobi,” Nikola hissed. “That’s really not appropriate.”
“And when has that ever stopped me?”
“Touché,” Spiro agreed through his own bouts of laughter.

“Besides, I want details, too.”

Aspen looked perplexed as he shifted his gaze from Layke to his

friends. “How did you know? I mean, I’ve only known for like five
minutes.”

“Are you kidding?” Jacobi waved his hand about, letting it flop

around on his wrist. “You mounted him like a stripper pole and
practically stuck a flag in his mouth proclaiming him ‘Property of
Aspen St. Paul.’ Let’s just say I got the hint.”

Aspen flinched, and his left eye twitched. The action came and

went so quickly, Layke wasn’t sure exactly what he’d witnessed. He
doubted it was Jacobi’s crude—though humorous—description that
had upset his mate. Maybe he was still embarrassed about his
behavior from earlier.

“Asshole,” Mihail mumbled, extending his arm to smack Jacobi in

the back of his head. “Sorry about that, Aspen. Jacobi sucks.”

“Only if you ask nicely,” Jacobi purred in response. “Besides, he’s

going to have to get over the aversion to his last name eventually.”

“Don’t worry.” Aspen tried to sound casual, but there was a

tightness to his voice that hadn’t been there before. “We all know
how…how…”

“Fabulous,” Jacobi supplied. “I believe the word you’re searching

for is fabulous. And yes, I am.”

“Jacobi,” Spiro warned, “you’re being a dick.”
“I believe that is a matter of opinion, and the fact is, your opinion

doesn’t matter.” Then he stuck his tongue out at the elf leader and
turned his nose up haughtily.

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“Oh, wow.” Zuriel snorted and giggled, laughing so hard that he

ended up sliding down Spiro’s body to the floor. “He said that. He
really said that.”

“Yes, he did,” his twin agreed. “He said it out loud and

everything.”

“Priceless.”
Layke barely paid any attention to them, though. He was more

concerned with his mate. Aspen’s breathing came faster, shallower,
and more irregularly. A pink tint infused his cheeks, and there was an
almost imperceptible tremble to his tiny frame. Abandoning his
search for cocoa, he moved back to Aspen’s side, cradled his face in
both hands, and smiled casually as though he’d noticed nothing.

“This might take a few minutes. Why don’t you grab a shower and

get warm? I’ll bring your cocoa and some food up to your room in a
few minutes.”

Aspen didn’t respond at first. In fact, he didn’t even appear to see

Layke standing right in front of him. But then, his eyes focused, his
bottom lip wobbled a little, and he nodded once. “Yeah, okay, that
sounds good.” He nuzzled against Layke’s palm momentarily, slid
down from the counter, and exited the room without a word to anyone
else.

Layke had no idea what had just happened. Hopefully, Aspen

would tell him the story one day, but until that happened, he intended
to offer comfort in any way the guy needed. Right then, all he could
do was finish up in the kitchen, and make sure he was waiting when
Aspen got out of the shower.

Primal Instincts

Chapter Four

Closing his eyes, Aspen groaned as the hot water rained down on

him from the showerhead. He’d freaked out and acted like a total
idiot. Normally, he wasn’t so overly sensitive about his surname, but
after a day filled with emotional chaos, he hadn’t been prepared for
Jacobi to slap him in the face with it.

The details of his birth weren’t clear, but he did know he’d arrived

at St. Paul’s Orphanage after some kindly citizen had rescued him
from a hamper in Reggie’s Laundromat when he was only a few days
old. His first name had been sewn into his blanket—his only
possession other than a soiled diaper—but he’d needed a last name if
he ever planned to do more than sit in the corner and twiddle his
thumbs.

He wasn’t the only orphan with mysterious beginnings to be stuck

with the moniker, either. During his seventeen years at St. Paul’s,
he’d counted at least four other boys and girls who’d been stamped
with the same surname.

It didn’t make it any easier to accept that their parents hadn’t

wanted them, but the five of them had formed something of a family
within the walls of the orphanage. Aspen hadn’t seen them since his
departure, but there were times he wondered what had become of his
adopted siblings.

Sometimes, he wished he could cry. Living in a fantasy world of

sunflowers and butterflies was great, and it definitely served him well,
but there were times when a guy needed to just cry it all out before he
could move on and heal.

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The problem was that Aspen had spent his entire life stuffing

down all the hurt and pretending like it hadn’t happened. Surely he’d
cried when he was a baby, but he couldn’t remember it. In fact, he had
no recollection of shedding even a single tear, not ever.

Well, it wasn’t going to happen now, either. He could stand there

under the steamy spray until he was red and wrinkled, but it wouldn’t
wash away the past. So he did what he always did. He ignored the
pain, finished washing, toweled off, dressed in his fuzzy yellow
pajamas, and pasted a smile on his face.

Exiting the bathroom, he was immediately greeted by the

intoxicating scent of chocolate and warm bread. A tray sat at the foot
of his mattress, the silver shining in the overhead light against the
bright blue of his comforter. Steam spiraled up from a small porcelain
cup that sat alongside a decorative plate stacked with apple cinnamon
oatmeal muffins—his absolute favorite of baked breakfast goods.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted a meal or just a snack.” Seated in a

high wing-backed chair, Layke looked to be the picture of ease with
his gracious smile and relaxed posture. “I can find something else if
you like.”

“This is great.” It wasn’t unusual for him to eat just one meal

during the day. Though lunch had been several hours earlier, the
thought of anything heavier than the muffins made his stomach turn.
“Would you like one?” It couldn’t have been more than twenty
minutes since he’d last seen Layke in the kitchen, but the
comfortableness he’d felt then was absent, leaving him awkward,
nervous, and unsure.

Aspen wasn’t precisely certain what had changed, if anything, but

the atmosphere between he and his mate was suddenly charged with a
sense of expectation. It buzzed inside him, making him hyperaware of
Layke’s location in the room, as well as every subtle movement he
made, right down to the bob of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed.

Primal Instincts

“Thank you, but I’m not hungry.” It seemed even Layke was

feeling the electricity in the air, and he was compensating for it by
being extra careful.

Or maybe it was just all in Aspen’s head.
Doing his best to ignore the tingling of his skin, he settled down

on his bed and lifted the teacup into both hands to sip his cocoa. It
was smooth and rich, the perfect temperature, and just enjoying the
sweetness helped to calm some of his anxiety. “How long will you be
here on the island?”

It was a conversation he’d been avoiding, but a topic they needed

to discuss. Aspen wasn’t opposed to returning to America, but he
doubted Wyoming would ever feel like home to him, not the way
Silmataurea did.

Layke’s position as an elder was important, though, much more

important than anything Aspen was—or wasn’t—doing on the island.
He might not fully understand everything being mated encompassed,
but there wouldn’t be much chance to find out if they were separated
by thousands of miles.

“I leave here on Sunday.” Maybe Layke understood the

implications of the question, because he adopted a sympathetic
expression as he continued. “I have a responsibility to deliver Marcel
to the ICPJ.”

The guard deserved punishment for the gruesome crimes he’d

committed. Aspen did feel a sense of heartache for Prince Rissian,
though. He couldn’t imagine how painful it would be to discover that
someone he loved could do something so horrible, but that was
exactly what had happened with the prince’s mate.

After sacrificing himself to stop Marcel and save Zuriel, Rissian

had in turn been rescued by his brothers. As Aspen understood it, he
had recovered fully from his self-inflicted wounds, but no one except
his family had seen him since, and he refused to leave his suite.

So, yes, he understood why Layke needed to leave, but that didn’t

make it suck any less. His mate hadn’t asked him to come along,

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though, and it would be rude to just invite himself. Unfortunately, he
wasn’t sure where that left them.

“I gather that you weren’t very happy in Haven.”
“It’s a really nice place.” He didn’t want to appear ungrateful for

the help he’d received there. “I don’t know.” Sipping his drink, he
thought over how to articulate his feelings. “There’s nothing specific,
but it just doesn’t…it’s not…”

“It’s not home,” Layke finished for him with a nod. “It’s okay,

melamin. I know what you mean, and I’m not judging you.” He
motioned toward the window on the left side of the bed. “What about
here? Do you feel like this might be a place you could set down
roots?”

“This place is amazing.” To him, the island represented freedom.

He was free to be himself without judgment, to make his own
decisions, and to come and go as he pleased. There were certain rules
that had to be obeyed, but that was true of any society, and they were
set in place for safety rather than oppression. “I can definitely see
myself settling down here.”

There was something almost magical about the surrounding

forests and the inhabitants of the small town in the valley at the base
of the hill where he currently sat. When he’d first arrived, before the
snows had melted, the place had reminded him of a village, much like
the ones he’d seen in Christmas movies, meant to represent the North
Pole. Of course, the elves looked nothing like the Hollywood versions
of Santa’s helpers, but their beauty and mysticism added to the allure,
nonetheless.

“In that case, I think you’ve found your home.” Layke looked

very pleased by this development, though Aspen couldn’t understand
why. The elder would be returning to Wyoming soon, and there was
no guarantee—not that Aspen had been given anyway—that he would
be back.

“Yeah, I guess.” It was a fairly lame statement, but he had no idea

what more he could say.

Primal Instincts

With his thoughts and emotions tangled in knots, he wasn’t

feeling very hungry anymore. Still, he maintained his positive
expression as he gathered his tray and carried it into the common
room to place it on the coffee table. Then he took just a moment to
compose himself, sucking in several deep breaths to calm his nerves
before returning to the bedroom.

Layke hadn’t moved an inch, and he looked to be deep in thought.

“It could take nearly a month before I have my affairs settled.”

“Umm, okay.” He tried to puzzle it out, but he kept coming up

blank. “What does that mean?”

“Well, it could mean two things.” Pushing up from his chair, he

strode forward until he was standing beside Aspen at the foot of the
bed. “Sit with me.” He eased down on the mattress and took Aspen’s
hand, waiting for him to sit as well before he continued. “It’s your
choice, but I’ll admit to being a bit selfish and hoping you’ll choose
the first option.”

A part of Aspen wanted to give Layke anything he wanted, but he

needed to hear both choices before he made that blind leap. “Okay,
let’s have it. What are my options?”

“Well, you can travel with me back to Haven while I pack and

settle things with The Council. Then we can return here where I will
oversee the development of the new refuge we’re planning for the
island.”

“Oh, that’s great.” There hadn’t been much chance to explore in

Haven, but Aspen had gathered that they were stretched pretty thin,
both with security and accommodations. “Will the new refugees be
only elves, or will there be shifters and werewolves and whatnot?”

“I don’t like the idea of segregation. Some would argue, but I

think it causes more harm than good. Ultimately, however, it will be
Spiro’s decision since he’s the leader of this circle.”

He didn’t sound concerned, and Aspen had to agree. Spiro was a

good man and a fair leader. Aspen figured the likelihood that he’d
agree to separation of the races was almost nonexistent, especially

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since the man was a hybrid himself. “Okay, so what’s the other
option?” Gods, he could barely sit still he was so excited about the
plans for his new home.

The pad of his thumb caressed Aspen’s knuckles, and Layke gave

him an indulgent grin. “You can stay here while I attend to business,
and I’ll see you when I return.” He paused momentarily while he
glanced down at their clasped hands. “As I said before, I’m rather
selfish, and I’d prefer for you to come with me, but the decision is
yours, and I won’t pressure you.”

Aspen’s immediate reaction was to jump up and start packing.

Perhaps he was selfish as well, because the thought of spending so
long away from his mate, especially after he’d just found him,
sounded like torture. However, so did spending a month in solitary
confinement while Layke was busy with important Council stuff.

“Can I think about it?”
“Absolutely,” Lake agreed easily, but there was mischievousness

in his eyes Aspen hadn’t seen before. This was clearly a man who was
used to getting his way, and the sly twist of his lips said he wasn’t
above resorting to any means necessary to make it happen. “I would
like you to keep in mind that Mihail and Nikola have decided to
return to Haven, and I’m sure Xander would be happy to give you a
temporary room with your friends.”

“You, sir, are very tricky.” Being with his friends instead of stuck

in the main house would certainly help to ease his anxiety.

“I am,” Layke admitted, but he was no longer smiling. His voice

was deeper, huskier, and it had taken on a more seductive quality. “I
won’t pressure you.” Leaning closer, he tilted his head slightly to the
left, coming within a breath of Aspen’s lips. “I’ll understand if you
want to stay, but I want you with me.”

Aspen couldn’t breathe. His heart pounded so hard it almost hurt,

and his stomach began to flutter. “I…I want to…” He had to stop and
wet his lips before he could continue, but even then, it took several
tries before he could finish his thought. “I want to be with you.”

Primal Instincts

It was likely a hefty dose of instincts and the metaphysical pull

between mates that were intensifying what he felt, but neither stopped
him from closing the gap between them—even if it was done
tentatively—and pressing his lips to Layke’s. Maybe the pull to be
close to the elf was a bit stronger because of their connection, but
none of it felt like manipulation.

He was free to leave whenever he wanted, free to call a halt to the

kiss that was making his cock swell rapidly. Unsurprisingly, he had
no desire to ask this amazing man to leave his room. Aspen wasn’t
super experienced when it came to carnal relations, but he was more
than willing to follow Layke’s lead. Gods, he’d never wanted
anything more than he wanted Layke in that moment.

Layke’s tongue teased his upper lip, flicking at the seam until

Aspen opened and leaned into his mate with a sigh. A hand landed on
his hip, and long, slender fingers dipped under the hem of his shirt to
explore the quivering skin over his abdominal muscles. Exerting the
slightest amount of pressure, Layke urged him to his back,
maintaining contact as he loomed above him.

Aspen trembled from the nape of his neck down to the back of his

thighs, and a needy moan swelled in his chest, rolling up through his
lips to spill into Layke’s mouth. He’d never felt so uninhibited before,
but his partner made it easy to forget everything and just live in the
moment.

When Layke ended the kiss to nibble down the side of his neck,

Aspen thought he’d come in his pajama bottoms. More moans echoed
around the room, and he arched his back, trying to get even closer
while he debated what to do with his hands. The only way to get more
contact was to create more contact, so he lifted his arms and looped
them lightly around Layke’s neck while he shivered at the feel of
satiny lips gliding up the column of his throat.

“Wow, this is really happening.”
Whispered laughter stuttered warm breath against the shell of his

ear, and Aspen felt the heat of embarrassment spread across his

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cheeks. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Hell, he hadn’t even
realized he’d spoken until Layke’s chuckles had brought it to his
attention.

“I’m such an idiot.”
Layke nipped at his ear and growled in clear reprimand. “No,

melamin. You are anything but stupid, and I adore your honesty.
Don’t hide from me, Aspen. Don’t ever be someone you’re not.” He
paused to rub their lips together again. “Besides, I won’t allow you to
talk about my mate that way.”

He really wasn’t trying to hide anything, though. There were just

some things that shouldn’t be said out loud, particularly in his current
situation. Expressing his shock and elation that someone actually
wanted him would be one of those things to keep to himself.

However, the sweet words and light teasing were exactly what he

needed, and the last line pulled a giggle from him.

“Ah, there we go,” Layke murmured as he skimmed his sloping

nose along the curve of Aspen’s jaw. “Did you know you have the
most infectious laughter? People can’t help but be happy when they
hear it.”

Aspen had always thought his laugh was a little wimpy, maybe

even a bit girlish, but when a man as gorgeous as Layke Winters
offered a compliment, he knew enough to keep his mouth closed and
accept it. Plus, true or not, it was nice to hear that he could make
others happy.

So what if he didn’t know the first thing about giving a blow job?

If Layke kept it up, he was going to talk himself into two of them. The
lusty thought, though humorous, brought to mind another potential
problem, though. “Layke, I haven’t ever done anything like this.” He
wasn’t ashamed of his virginal status, but he wanted to be up front so
that there would be no misunderstandings later.

Instead of the acceptance he’d expected, however, Layke went

completely still for a long time, and then carefully eased away to sit
up beside him. “Never?”

Primal Instincts

“No.” His response wasn’t quite as confident this time.
“So you aren’t like Jacobi and the others?”
“You mean a Desirable?” His heart sank even further. He’d

thought better of the man, but apparently, he was just like all the rest,
eager to find out what tricks a Desirable could perform.

“Yes. You aren’t one?”
“No, I’m not a Desirable. I have no training like that, and I don’t

shift any parts of my body, whether it be into an animal or otherwise.”
Uncomfortable lying there in such a vulnerable position, he scrambled
up on his knees and rested his hands on his thighs. “I’m sorry to
disappoint you.”

“Easy, melamin.” There was a teasing lilt to Layke’s voice that

Aspen didn’t find appropriate in the least. “I can see the judgment in
your eyes.”

“No judgment.” He shrugged half-heartedly and glanced toward

his bedroom door. “I’m just sorry that I’m not what you wanted after
all.”

“Oh, he does have a temper.” Arching an eyebrow, Layke lunged

forward, tackling Aspen to the mattress and pinning him on his back.
“I needed a minute because I was relieved. I don’t want to be
insensitive to what happened to your friends, but it killed me to think
that happened to you.”

Great, now Aspen felt like an even bigger shmuck. He was sick of

screwing up and sick of apologizing. “I shouldn’t have jumped to
conclusions. It won’t happen again.”

“I’m sure you will, but that’s okay. We all do it.” Bracing himself

on one hand, he slipped the other beneath Aspen’s butt and jerked him
up so that their groins pressed together. “It’s okay to get mad. Let it
out, baby, or one day, you’re going to explode.”

Aspen’s gasp turned to a low groan as their cocks rubbed together

through the fabric of their clothing. “If you do that again, I will
explode, and it will have nothing to do with my temper.”

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Chapter Five

Some people used aggression to mask their insecurities and

feelings of inadequacy. Aspen clearly preferred the sweet oblivion of
illogical happiness. Except when his primal instincts had come
roaring to the surface, the little flare of anger was the first time Layke
had seen any emotion from him other than contentment or
nervousness. Hell, even in his anxiety, he’d still seemed happy.

At first, he couldn’t fathom how Aspen had never before felt his

fangs elongate. It was difficult to believe his little mate had never
experienced something so intense that he’ lost control. All the young
ones did in the beginning. After spending several hours with him,
though, he was beginning to understand how that might actually be
possible.

Layke was overjoyed to learn that Aspen hadn’t been subjected to

the same kinds of perversions as his less fortunate friends, but it did
raise the question of what on earth he was doing in that lab. As
another sweet whimper reached his ears, all of his questions ceased to
matter right then.

It wouldn’t be a deal breaker if his mate had been with a hundred

men. Layke got no kinky thrill from deflowering a virgin, but a small,
possessive part of him purred that he would be the first and only to
hear those seductive sounds and witness the loss of inhibitions. Some
territorial instinct he didn’t even know he possessed elated in
knowing that only he would explore Aspen’s lithe body, caress his
supple skin, and give him the erotic pleasure they both craved.

Aspen’s desire was nearly tangible, like a living, breathing entity

that saturated the air around them and flooded his senses. He’d need

Primal Instincts

to be extra careful, but as his dick grew harder, so did the ability to
leash his desire. Every moan, each movement, and the intoxicating
scent rolling from his lover was driving him insane, and he didn’t
even have the demon naked yet.

Before he got that far, however, he needed to be sure they had the

necessary supplies. He wasn’t ridiculously huge, but he could be hung
like a gnat, and it wouldn’t be comfortable for Aspen’s first time
without something to ease the way. This was the part he hated,
though. Posing the question just seemed to take something away from
the moment.

There really was no getting around it, though. Considering

Aspen’s inexperience, it could prove detrimental to simply assume he
was prepared for an ancient elf to seduce him. Releasing his grip on
his mate’s backside, he brushed a strand of hair away from Aspen’s
forehead and cupped the side of his face, momentarily distracted by
how large his hand looked against Aspen’s cheek.

“My sweet demon,” he cooed. “This won’t be much fun if I hurt

you.”

Thankfully, Aspen was quick to interpret his words. Regrettably,

just as he’d predicted, it pulled him out of the moment, and Layke
could see the apprehension return in the widening of his eyes and the
stiffening of his spine. “Uh, there’s a bottle of, well, you know.”
Aspen slumped against the comforter and threw an arm over his face
to shield his eyes. He stayed that way for several seconds, just
breathing deeply, if a little erratically. His lips moved, but it took a
few tries before he was finally able to get the words out. “There’s
lube in the medicine cabinet.”

Lifting Aspen’s arm away from his face, Layke waited until he

blinked open his eyes and focused on him before he spoke. “This
doesn’t have to go any farther. There’s plenty of time, melamin, no
rush.”

“I want to,” Aspen assured him. Bowing his spine, he rubbed his

hard cock against Layke’s pelvis. “Believe me, I want to.” His tongue

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snaked out to wet his lips, and he worried the bottom one between his
teeth while his brow creased. “I know it’s silly, but I’m nervous.”

“I think it would be silly if you weren’t.” He paused when Aspen

began chewing on his lip again and used his thumb to gently pull at
his chin until he released the abused flesh. “Despite what you might
have seen on cable, everyone is nervous their first time.” Pushing
away from his mate, he rolled off the bed, and nodded toward the
closed bathroom door. “Your call.”

In response, Aspen whipped his shirt off over his head and tossed

it to the floor. Then, before Layke could think of an argument against
it, he pushed his sleep pants off as well, kicking them over the side of
the bed. Sprawled sideways on the mattress, he fisted his thick, heavy
erection and swiped the pad of his thumb across the tip to smear the
clear drops of pre-cum leaking from the slit.

“I want you, Layke. I’m ready.”
That was all the invitation he needed to dart into the bathroom and

damn near rip the door off the medicine cabinet in his haste to find the
lube. Once he had his hands on it, however, there was yet another
torturous delay while he grunted in frustration and fumbled to remove
the safety seal.

“Ha!” he cheered once he’d accomplished his task. His triumph

lasted only long enough for him to realize that he was still fully
dressed.

The gods were against him. That was the only reason something

so basic had become exceedingly complicated. Or perhaps it was
simply because his aching dick held all the blood that should have
been helping his brain function.

On some level, he realized he was behaving like a hormonal

teenager, but he’d been teased and tempted by Aspen’s pouty mouth,
warm scent, and firm ass all day. Adding to the eagerness was the fact
that his last sexual exploit had happened well before most of the
people he knew had even been born. Two hundred and twenty-seven
years was a long goddamn time to go with only his hand for company.

Primal Instincts

As the more seasoned one, he felt a responsibility to lead his

partner in the right direction, but if he could just get through this first
time without humiliating himself, he’d call it a win.

Stripping quickly, he took a calming breath, pushed his shoulders

back, and sauntered casually into the bedroom. Aspen’s hand flew
along his length in a blur, and he jerked and shuddered as quiet
whimpers streamed from his mouth.

Breathing in quick, shallow pants, Layke stood immobilized,

clutching the lube tightly in his fingers. “Is there room for me, or is
this a one-man party?”

His joints locked and his spine went rigid. Crying out in gasping

moans, Aspen squeezed his eyes closed as reams of cum erupted from
the tip of his cock, arcing into the air and falling to splash against his
chest and belly.

Spurred forward by the sight and scent of his lover’s climax, Spiro

crawled between Aspen’s splayed thighs and prowled closer.
Skimming his nose against the inside of one slender thigh, he licked
and nibbled his way up Aspen’s hip, sucking the flesh between his
teeth and biting gently to mark the skin.

“You are so beautiful, melamin,” he whispered reverently, amazed

that fate would grant him such a treasure. A river of creamy seed
trickled down his mate’s quivering abs, and Layke’s mouth flooded
when the scent hit him like a wrecking ball. He needed just one taste.

Lapping at the droplets of cream, a loud groan rumbled through

his chest when Aspen’s unique flavor ignited his taste buds. One
swipe of his tongue turned to two, and before he even realized what
he was doing, he’d licked his mate clean from sternum to navel.

Breathless moans and high keening echoed around the room as

Aspen squirmed beneath him, pushing up against his mouth. “Oh,
please,” he whimpered. “Please, Layke.”

Better men than him would be brought to their knees by such open

pleading. Without comment, Layke inched downward to capture the
head of Aspen’s cock, swirling his tongue around the flared tip. The

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twitching shaft hardened once more, swelling inside his mouth as
Aspen shuddered right down to his toes.

Bobbing his head, he dragged his lips along the length, setting up

a slow, steady tempo while he flipped the cap open on the little plastic
bottle and coated his fingers with the cool, slick gel. As carefully as
possible, mindful of Aspen’s innocence, he rubbed his index finger
along his mate’s crease to his clenching hole and massaged the lube
around the ring of muscles.

Easing in just the tip once the tiny starburst relaxed, he pumped in

minuscule movements, working his digit in a little deeper each time.
Aspen mewled and howled, rocking up against him and pushing his
dick deeper into Layke’s mouth. Encouraged by the eager response,
Layke sucked harder, hollowing his cheeks and giving his lover
complete control of the tempo.

“I can’t. I can’t stop it.”
Layke didn’t want him to stop, though. Easing out of Aspen’s

channel, he teased the opening for a second and pushed back in with
two fingers. His mate growled, a deep, predatory sound that made no
sense coming from someone so small, but it was incredibly sexy,
nonetheless.

“I’m going to—ah!” Fisting both hands in Layke’s hair, Aspen

pushed to the back of his throat and convulsed, releasing another
volley of semen as his inner walls clamped down on Layke’s digits.

Swallowing every drop, Layke sighed happily and licked his lover

clean. He placed little kisses down the crease of Aspen’s thigh and
lapped at his tight, hairless sac, sucking one small orb into his mouth
and caressing it with his tongue. When Aspen was shaking and
moaning once more, Layke smirked, inserting a third finger to loosen
and prepare his mate.

Aspen’s youth and virility, combined with his paranormal

endurance, were going to make for one very long night. His hormones
were raging unchecked, and the hunger burning inside him wouldn’t
be sated with just one coupling. Layke looked forward to the

Primal Instincts

challenge, ready and willing to do whatever it took to satisfy his
mate’s carnal appetite.

Within minutes, Aspen’s cock swelled and lengthened once again,

pulsing heavily against his lower abdomen. Ah, the benefits of youth.
Thanks to his own paranormal genes, he’d be able to keep up with his
younger mate, but his recovery time still wasn’t as impressive as
Aspen’s. Fortunately, he had other ways to keep his cute little demon
occupied and happy.

Layke’s cock lay trapped beneath him, hard and throbbing as he

humped against the mattress, unconsciously seeking his own relief.
Satisfied that Aspen was well stretched, he extracted his fingers,
pushed up on his elbows, and rolled to the side, maneuvering until he
was leaning against the padded, leather headboard.

“Come here, sweetheart.” Taking his lover’s hand, he pulled him

up, guiding him into his lap to straddle his hips. “You have absolute
control to go as slow or deep as you want.” His smile was a little
strained, but he wanted Aspen to feel reassured. “I’m just here to look
pretty.”

“Mmm,” Aspen hummed, winding his arms around Layke’s neck

and nuzzling against the side of his throat. “You are very good at it,
too.” Aspen’s knees bracketed his thighs, and he insinuated a hand
between them to grip Layke’s cock at the base, lining up the engorged
crown with his slippery entrance. “Okay.” He spoke aloud, but Layke
had the feeling he was talking to himself.

“Take a deep breath and let it out slowly,” he instructed, gripping

Aspen’s waist and trying not to grind his teeth into powder. “Nice and
easy.”

With a determined nod, Aspen bit down on his bottom lip and

breathed through his nose as he lowered himself over Layke’s length
in torturously slow increments. His silky channel enveloped Layke’s
cock, sucking him in deeper and surrounding him with the tightest,
most amazing heat he’d ever felt.

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“It doesn’t hurt,” Aspen mumbled when his pert ass rested atop

Layke’s thighs. “I thought it would hurt.”

Honestly, Layke had expected there to be some discomfort at first,

too. However, he was pleased to know that wasn’t the case. Before he
could express his relief, Aspen pressed their lips together, attacking
his mouth with an animalistic thirst that belied his usually passive
nature.

His hips flexed, and the muscles in his thighs bunched as he rose

and fell, creating a hard rhythm that had Layke panting for breath.
Digging his fingers into the flesh around Aspen’s hips, he held on in a
bruising grip, plundering the depths of his lover’s mouth while he
guided his movements.

Blood roared in his ears, his heart hammered wildly against his

ribs, and a firestorm erupted inside him, creating a flash burn across
his skin. Deserting the kiss, Aspen threw his head back so that his
long hair cascaded down his back while he rocked his body in sensual
waves.

His movements, while fluid, still held a measure of hesitancy, and

Layke got the impression his man was running on pure instinct. His
mind may not fully understand, but his body knew just what to do.

Critical thinking skills had abandoned Layke as well, and he was

just hanging on for the ride, growling and groaning when Aspen’s
inner muscles contracted around his aching length. Gods, he’d never
felt anything so intense, didn’t know anything could feel like this.

Grabbing the back of Aspen’s neck, he jerked his mate to him,

crushing their mouths together in another scorching kiss that bordered
on desperate. His balls rolled, drawing closer to his body, and his
stomach clenched with impending orgasm.

Harder and faster, Aspen rode him, practically falling into his lap

on each downward plunge. Locking his other arm around his mate’s
back, he held tight, stilling Aspen’s movements when his control
finally snapped. With a loud snarl, he braced his feet on the mattress,

Primal Instincts

pressed his back into the headboard, and drove upward, snapping his
hips in jerky, uncoordinated thrusts.

“Layke! Oh, gods, Layke!” Clinging to Layke’s shoulders, Aspen

thrashed in his arms, screaming his name again and again as he fell
over the edge once more, filling the space between them with more
sticky semen.

His inner walls clamped down on Layke’s cock, squeezing him in

a vise grip. Just as he was preparing to take the leap with his lover,
something sharp pierced the side of his neck and embedded in his
skin. It didn’t hurt, but it did cause an explosion of sensations that
pulled a gargled yell from deep in his chest. A gentle tugging
sensation began as Aspen sucked at the small wound he’d created,
and each draw on the bite sent a jolt straight to Layke’s dick.

Pulling Aspen down on his cock, he went completely stiff, and his

muscles tightened until he felt like they might snap his spine.
Shivering through his orgasm, he released a torrent of seed, filling
Aspen’s depths until he could feel the warm fluid overflowing from
his mate’s hole.

When reasoning returned to him, he found himself slumped in a

heap against the headboard with Aspen still sucking diligently at his
neck. Layke was a little disoriented from the mind-numbing climax,
but otherwise, he felt fine. There was no immediate danger that his
hungry mate was taking more than he could give, and he knew his
body well enough to stop Aspen if he needed to intervene.

So, he settled back and cuddled his lover close, even tilting his

head to the side to allow better access while he cradled Aspen’s head
in encouragement. A piece of him hurt for the guy, though. It was
clear that he was beyond starving and had never been given
everything he truly needed to flourish. It had been one of Layke’s
fears from the beginning, and it saddened him to be proven right.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat like that, but eventually, Aspen

extracted his canines, traced his tongue over the punctures, and sat up
to wipe at his mouth with the back of his hand. The moment their eyes

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met, however, whatever trance he’d been under vanished, and
Layke’s heart broke as he watched the fear wash over Aspen’s face.

“Shh, shh, easy. Breathe, melamin, just breathe.” Using his

fingertips, he caressed Aspen’s cheeks, around his jaw, and down the
sides of his throat. “It’s okay, Aspen.”

“I’m sorry. Oh, crap, what did I do?” He pressed his palm to the

side of Layke’s neck and rubbed the other frantically over his lips.
“Fuck. Oh, fuck. I’m sorry.” The hysteria was building, and there was
absolutely nothing Layke could do to stop the meltdown that was
coming. “I don’t know what happened. I can’t believe I hurt you. I
don’t hurt people. I especially never wanted to hurt you.”

His bottom lip began to tremble, there was a thickness to his

voice, and his eyes turned red and misty. Violent shaking quickly
followed, and the blood drained from his face, leaving his peaches-
and-cream complexion ghostly pale.

All Layke could do was hold his mate and talk. He spoke

soothingly and reassuringly, keeping up a constant flow of words until
his mouth was dry and his throat felt scratchy, but he wasn’t sure how
much of it really penetrated Aspen’s panic.

“What’s wrong with me?”
“Oh, sweetheart, there is nothing wrong with you. This is who you

are. There are things you need, and that’s completely normal.”

“But I hurt you,” Aspen argued. “I hurt you without even knowing

I was doing it.”

“You didn’t hurt me.” Holy hell, he’d be begging for Aspen’s bite

if the situation wasn’t so serious. “As your mate, it’s my job, my
honor, to provide what you need.”

“I just don’t understand.” He sounded a bit calmer, though, and

some of the shaking had stopped. “Why is this happening to me
now?”

“I can’t answer that, but I’ll do everything I can to find out.” It

didn’t make any sense to him, either, and at the moment, the only

Primal Instincts

explanation he had was that the mating bond between them had
tapped into Aspen’s buried impulses.

Cyrus Redway had been a thorn in his side from the time the man

was a fledgling, and his evil had a long reach, poisoning too much of
the paranormal world. Even in his death, the vampire was still causing
suffering with his slave trades, experiments, and now this despicable
facility called The Hive.

As far as any of them knew, the purpose of the lab was to create

Desirables through genetic manipulation and deplorable sexual
training. Spiro had also mentioned that Zuriel had spoken to him
about a breeding program.

There hadn’t been any evidence in the data they’d collected when

they’d raided the lab to suggest such a program, but Layke intended to
find out more. Still, none of that had to do with Aspen. He’d spent the
least amount of time of anyone in the lab, kept isolated from the other
patients, and no one—including Aspen—knew why.

His lover’s territorial instincts, his possessiveness, and his

unstable moods didn’t seem too out of the ordinary. However, the
man’s unpredictable behavior and impulsive reactions were more in
tune with the characteristics of young werewolves than demons.

The major problem with this theory was that Aspen had never

shifted. During puberty, his first transformation on the full moon
would have been impossible to fight. While Aíma Demons required
blood to survive, Aspen’s bloodlust was more closely related to the
nature of vampires. Again, it didn’t add up, though. It would have
been unbearable for him to go twenty years without feeding.

“You have that look,” Aspen murmured, interrupting his thoughts.

“How bad is it?”

“I have more questions than answers, but we’re going to figure

out this puzzle.” They needed to get up and shower, but he wasn’t
quite ready to let go yet. So he held Aspen tighter, tucking his mate’s
head under his chin, and sighed. “Don’t worry, melamin. I’m not
going to let anything happen to you.”

Primal Instincts

Chapter Six

Perched on a high chair at a corner table in the little café, Aspen

moved his green beans around his plate with a fork. He really hated
green beans. He hated most vegetables, but the green ones were the
worst.

“Are you going to eat those?”
“Uh…” Aspen glanced from his plate to Layke, and then back to

his plate. “No?” He’d only known the elf for a couple of days, and he
was still learning to read his moods. Though he didn’t think he was
being reprimanded, he still felt like he’d just been caught scraping
those ugly little beans under the table to the family dog.

“Relax,” Layke responded with quiet laughter. “I’m not chastising

you. I was just wondering if you’re ready for dessert.”

Dropping his fork with a clatter, Aspen sat up straighter and

practically wagged his tail. “Yes!” Then he realized how immature he
probably looked. So he cleared his throat, relaxed his shoulders, and
adopted a less enthusiastic expression. “I mean, yeah, that sounds
good.”

“I liked the first reaction more,” Lake informed him. “There is

always room for excitement over glazed pastries.”

His smile returned, and he bobbed his head hard enough to cause

his hair to bounce around his face. They were still in the getting-to-
know-you phase of their relationship, but Aspen really liked Layke.
Granted, he felt a little like a slut for falling into bed with the man the
first day he’d met him, but he didn’t regret it.

It had been a singularly spectacular experience, and extraordinary

things just did not happen to Aspen St. Paul. There was no way he

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would take something that magical and taint it with negativity.
Besides, Layke was his mate. He wasn’t sure of all the rules involved
with the bond, but he did know it was something special, something
people waited their whole lives to find. Hell, Layke had waited twelve
hundred years.

“I didn’t even know about mates until a few months ago.” His

introduction to the entire paranormal world had only occurred two
years previous, and he imagined there were still a million things he
didn’t know or understand.

“Are you having second thoughts?” Lifting his hand over his

head, he motioned for their waiter. “What kind of dessert do you
want?”

“Yes, you seem so worried that I’ve changed my mind.” Aspen

snorted and rolled his eyes as he sipped his tea. “Just apple bread with
honey,” he added, indicating his food preference. Folding his hands
on the tabletop, he waited for Layke to convey their order to the
server before elaborating on the point he’d been trying to make. “It
doesn’t seem fair. You’ve waited so long to find a mate, and I didn’t
even know I was supposed to be looking.”

“Ah, well, don’t worry about that. I wasn’t actively searching for

a mate, either. Besides, maybe I’ve changed my mind.”

Aspen giggled when Layke arched an eyebrow and stuck his nose

into the air. “You like me. Just admit it.”

“I will not. You smell funny and your toes are too long.”
He actually glanced down at his knees but quickly realized he

couldn’t see anything else past the table. Then he shook his head and
groaned when Layke laughed at him. “I do not smell, and my toes are
exceedingly average. It’s not my fault you have dwarf toes.” He was
teasing, but for such a tall man, his lover really did have the tiniest
feet.

“Hmph.” Layke leaned back in his chair and folded his arms over

his chest. His eyes narrowed, and he surveyed Aspen with a

Primal Instincts

calculating glare. The whole look was ruined when his lips twitched
in the corners, though, and his eyes danced with merriment.

Aspen couldn’t remember ever having so much fun. He didn’t

have to hide from Layke. He could be whoever he wanted, and with
his mate, he only wanted to be himself. No matter what he said or
how naïve he sounded, Layke never made him feel stupid or
insignificant.

“Apple bread.” The waiter slid the plate in front of him with a

bottle of honey. “I guess that means this is yours.” His smile stretched
clear across his face, and he leaned much closer to Layke than
necessary to set his plate on the table. “This is a very rich dessert,” he
purred. “Hot and creamy, it practically melts in your mouth.”

To his credit, Layke didn’t appear pleased by the attention. If

anything, he was looking remarkably uncomfortable. “Yes, thank you.
Could we get the check now?”

“Are you sure there isn’t anything else I can do for you?”
Aspen wasn’t sure exactly when his demon decided to take over,

but the next thing he knew, the waiter’s face was getting up close and
personal with the tabletop, and Aspen’s fingers were tangled in his
hair. “Oh, dear, that looks painful. You really should be more
careful.” Jerking the idiot’s head back on his shoulders, Aspen shoved
him away from the table and slid into Layke’s lap. “Good-bye now.”

“Was that really necessary?” The smile in Layke’s voice and the

kiss to Aspen’s neck let him know he wasn’t really in trouble.

Well, now that he could think straight again, no, it probably

hadn’t been necessary. However, had he been in full control, he
probably would have had a very similar—though admittedly less
violent—reaction to the server’s blatant advances. With that thought
in his head, he shrugged and picked up Layke’s fork. “Accidents will
happen.” Then he speared a piece of the cinnamon roll and lifted it to
his lover’s lips. “Open up.”

Layke did as requested, but he looked thoughtful as he chewed the

sticky goodness. Once he’d swallowed, he tapped the tip of Aspen’s

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nose and frowned. “The selfish part of me finds the possessiveness
attractive. However, I do think we need to work on controlling these
reactions.”

“Oh.” Aspen linked his fingers together and stared down at his

lap. Apparently, he really was being reprimanded. “Yeah, okay.” It
wasn’t that he disagreed, but he didn’t want Layke to be disappointed
in him.

“I think you misunderstand.” He tugged gently on a strand of hair

until Aspen looked up at him. “There is nothing wrong with you.
Okay? These reactions are completely normal.” He paused to place a
kiss on Aspen’s forehead. “However, I know it would destroy you if
someone ended up really hurt. I’d prefer to avoid that if possible.”

“When you put it that way…” No, he didn’t want anyone to get

hurt, and moreover, he didn’t want to be the cause of that pain.
Already, he was feeling guilty about the incident with the waiter and
wanting to find the man and apologize. “I don’t want to be like this.”

“I know, melamin. It’s okay, though.” His gaze traveled to

somewhere over Aspen’s shoulder, and his expression was less than
friendly. “Can I help you?”

Aspen didn’t know the new shop owner’s name, but he recognized

him as the previous—and deceased—owner’s brother. “I’m sorry,” he
blurted. “I didn’t mean it. I couldn’t help it.” He placed a hand in the
center of Layke’s chest, keeping him in his seat. “It wasn’t Layke’s
fault.”

The elf chuckled and brushed his long, dark hair back from his

face. “Relax, little one. I came out to apologize to you. Neo’s
behavior was unacceptable, and I assure you it won’t happen again.”

“Umm, okay, thank you.” This wasn’t how he’d expected the

conversation to go. “I’m still sorry for banging his face into the
table.”

“He deserved worse than that.” He looked at Aspen and then to

Layke. “Lunch is on me, and I hope you’ll be back.”

Primal Instincts

“No harm done, Hebion.” Layke dipped his head. “I’m sorry to

hear about your brother.”

Hebion nodded. “Thank you, Elder.” Then he backed away with a

crooked smile. “I’ll just leave you to it. Good day, gentlemen.”

“I swear you know everyone.” It truly boggled the mind. They’d

yet to meet a single person on the island who Layke didn’t know by
name. “How do you do that?”

“I’ve been around for a long time, and I’ve had the chance to meet

a lot of people.” He pulled out his wallet, extracted a twenty, and
placed the bill on the table. “C’mon, Aspen. We have places to go.”

This was news to him. “Where are we going?” He eyed his apple

bread with longing. “Will it take long?”

“We’re going to the mainland, and we should be back by

nightfall.” Layke followed his gaze and smirked. Wrapping the bread
in a napkin, he held it out to Aspen, placing it in his waiting hands.
“Let’s go. We have a lot to do.”

Breaking off a corner of the treat, Aspen popped it in his mouth

and chewed as they strolled out of the café. “Why are we going to the
mainland?”

“It’s a surprise.”
“Ooh, I like surprises!” He added a little bounce to his step and

turned his face upward to feel the sunshine warm his skin. This was
going to be an excellent day.

* * * *

“I changed my mind. I don’t like surprises.” Aspen turned over

the cell phone in his hand and frowned. “Why do I even need this?”

Layke didn’t mean to laugh, but he couldn’t help himself. The

disgruntled expression on his demon’s face was too adorable. “Well,
if you decide to stay here when I return to Wyoming, I want you to be
able to reach me at all times. And, well, same goes if you come with
me.”

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“Can I even get service on the island? I don’t think it will work.”
“It’ll work.” There were no landlines, Internet, or cable because

the island wasn’t wired for that kind of stuff. Cell phones hadn’t
worked previously because the spells concealing the small village
blocked reception from the outlying towers. “We can remove the
cloaking enchantments and replace them with other protections. That
will allow you to get service.”

Aspen’s frown deepened, and he cocked his head to the side.

“Why isn’t Haven hidden like that?”

“It’s not practical. That land has been there long before it became

Haven. We can hide it, but people won’t just forget about it.” There
wouldn’t be as many security issues to deal with, but it could
potentially cause more harm than good. It wasn’t like people wouldn’t
notice if over seven hundred acres just disappeared one day.

“I guess that makes sense.” His attention returned to the phone in

his hand, and he appeared almost afraid. “Technology is evil. What
the hell do all of these buttons do?”

Mobile devices were so commonplace in society these days Layke

hadn’t stopped to consider that Aspen had never owned a cell phone
before. “Well, you can make and receive calls, text, download apps,
play games, listen to music, and a lot of other things.”

As he talked, Aspen’s eyes grew wider, and his hands began to

shake. “Layke, I don’t know about this. I really don’t need all of these
extra whatsits.” He gripped the phone tighter, presumably to keep
from dropping it, and accidently pressed the volume button on the
side, causing the device to vibrate. “Oh, crap, I broke it.”

Biting back his sigh, Layke took the phone that Aspen thrust at

him and tucked it into his front pocket. “Okay, sweetheart, don’t
stress over it. I’ll teach you, and in a couple of weeks you won’t know
how you ever lived without it.”

Aspen didn’t look convinced, but he just smiled and shrugged.

“Okay, if you say so. What else are we doing today?”

Primal Instincts

Directing Aspen down the sidewalk away from the electronics

store, he waved toward the row of buildings lining the street. “We’ve
got a couple of hours before we have to meet the ferry. What would
you like to do?”

“Don’t laugh, okay?”
“I would never laugh.” The request piqued his curiosity, however.

“So, what’s it going to be?”

“Do you think they have an arcade around here?”
Despite his promise, Layke found himself laughing anyway. “I’m

not making fun of you,” he explained when Aspen’s face fell in
disappointment. “I haven’t been to an arcade since the seventies, and I
was just thinking about how much fun that would be. I laughed
because I was happy, not because I was picking on you.”

“I’ve never been to one.” The joy returned to his voice, and those

big blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight that filtered through the sparse
clouds. “I’m excited. Observe my excitement.” Slipping his hand into
Layke’s, he grasped it tightly and hummed a little tune under his
breath. “Where do we find one of these arcades anyway?”

“Since the invention of gaming consoles and video games, there

aren’t many arcades around anymore. Mostly, they’re in malls and the
lobbies of movie theaters.” It was a shame, but Layke supposed it was
progress. “As luck would have it, there’s a theater just around the
block. Why don’t we check it out?”

“Do you think they’ll have pinball?”
Actually, Layke doubted it, but he didn’t want to take that

dazzling smile from his lover’s face. “I’m not sure. I guess we’ll have
to wait and see.”

Gods, Aspen’s happiness and optimism were infectious. Layke

had lived a lot of years, but he’d never felt more alive than when he
was with the sweet demon. As an elder, he had a lot of people
depending on him. There was so much to do, and he really shouldn’t
have taken time away from The Council for frivolous things like
shopping and games.

Primal Instincts

Chapter Seven

“Did you see that?”
Aspen pointed excitedly at the water by the end of the pier. The

breeze blowing off the sea was cold, but it was his absolute favorite
place on the entire island. It was also well hidden by a thick tree line,
and though they were only half a mile from the palace, he’d have
never guessed they were that close to the shore.

“They’re beluga whales,” Layke answered with an indulgent grin.

“They’re probably moving to warmer waters to have their babies.”

They didn’t look like any whales Aspen had ever seen, but they

were kind of beautiful in their own way with their white skin
gleaming in the early morning moonlight. In just an hour or so, the
sun would be rising, and Layke was going to walk Spiro through the
ritual that would break the enchantments on the royal family.

It sounded complicated, but since he would be there only in an

observatory capacity, he didn’t concern himself with the details. It
had been almost a week since that morning he’d spotted Layke from
his balcony, and Aspen had been shadowing him ever since, soaking
up every second he could with his mate.

There were still a lot of unanswered questions, but Layke had

promised to do some investigating when he returned to Wyoming, and
Aspen trusted the elder without reservation. In the meantime, he did
what came naturally, pushing the uncertainty into a deep, dark hole
and pretending none of it existed. No, it didn’t solve anything, but
neither did worrying over things he couldn’t change.

“Have you thought about coming with me tomorrow?”

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Aspen slipped his hand into Layke’s larger one and linked their

fingers together as he continued to stare out over the water. “I don’t
mind staying with the pack while you’re working, but the point of me
going with you is to be with you.”

Maybe it was the excitement of his first real relationship, but it

felt so much deeper than that, and he wasn’t ready to say good-bye.
Just the thought of spending an entire month without Layke had the
ability to make his stomach cramp.

“I like the way you think.” Leaning sideways, Layke bumped their

shoulders together. “I’d really prefer for you to stay with me in
Casper. You can have your own room if you want, but it makes me
nervous when you’re not with me.”

In the days since they’d met, Aspen had come to realize that the

infamously calm elf was fiercely protective, and the guy had a
possessive streak a mile wide. He wasn’t overbearing in his requests,
but he did prefer for Aspen to stay close.

Aspen loved the attention, and he’d never felt safer than he did

with his mate. When he was in Layke’s arms, it was like some
invisible barrier formed around him, shielding him from the outside
world. When Layke held him, nothing could touch him. Nothing
could hurt him.

The mention of having his own room made him laugh, though.

“So, you share my room here, but when we go back to Casper, I’m
going to suddenly need my own space?” Staring up at Layke, he
arched an eyebrow, but quickly fell into a fit of giggles when the man
grunted, clearly disapproving of Aspen’s sarcasm.

“I was trying to be nice.”
“Well, you are very sweet, but I’m not sure I could sleep without

you.”

It was a pretty major confession considering that he’d only been

sharing his bed with Layke for six days. For those six nights,
however, he’d slept like the dead. Part of it was probably the

Primal Instincts

exuberant sex that he couldn’t get enough of, but he figured it had a
lot more to do with that safe, peaceful feeling Layke gave him.

Pulling him closer, Layke curled his arm around Aspen’s waist

and kissed the top of his head. “Have I mentioned how much I like
your honesty?”

“Once or twice.” He didn’t see any reason to lie, and secrets were

messy. “Why do you say that, though?”

“I think most people are too reserved. They don’t trust anyone,

and they create this persona of who they want everyone to think they
are.” Layke paused and glanced toward the east. “You are
unashamedly you. Not once have you tried to hide behind some
façade, and I respect the hell out of that.”

Aspen frowned. “Why would I want to be someone else?”
“Exactly.” Dropping another short kiss on his forehead, Layke

backed away, pulling Aspen with him along the dock. “C’mon,
sweetheart. We don’t want to be late.”

“Wait. Don’t you want to know what my answer is?”
“You’re coming with me,” Layke answered confidently. “See how

easy that was?”

“Wow, someone is full of himself.”
“You could be full of me, too, if you play your cards right.”
Aspen snorted and rolled his eyes. No way in hell was he going to

admit how the innuendo made his pulse race and his cock perk up to
take notice. “Actually, I’d like to stay here until you come back.”

Stopping dead in his tracks, Layke made an awful face like he was

choking on his own tongue. “I’m sorry. Could you run that by me one
more time? For a second, I thought you might have lost your mind.”

It was far too much fun to tease his mate. “I thought you said you

wouldn’t pressure me?”

“Yes, well, that was a week ago. Things are different now.”
“How? Did I suddenly become an infant, unable to make my own

decisions?”

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“That’s not what I said.” Sweet hell, the man looked like he was

about to have a stroke.

“Breathe, Layke.” He should probably feel bad about getting his

lover so worked up, but he couldn’t find the proper level of remorse.
“I’m just messing with you. I’ll finish packing my bags tonight.”

“Yes, you’re hilarious.” Layke was probably trying for stern, but

the light in his eyes and the twitching of his lips gave him away. “I
hope you know that I believe you can do anything. Fear is not an
emotion I’m comfortable with, though, and thinking of something
happening to you terrifies me. If something did happen, and I was half
a world away…” Trailing off, he squeezed Aspen’s hand and shook
his head. “We really need to go. Everyone will be waiting for us.”

“Layke?” The conversation had taken a serious tone he wasn’t

expecting, and his joke suddenly didn’t seem so funny anymore.

“Yes, melamin?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, either.” In a fight, he had

no doubt his opponent would wipe the floor with him, but that
wouldn’t stop him from doing whatever he could to protect Layke.
“Plus, I think you kind of need me.”

Layke didn’t need someone to take care of him. What he needed

was someone who understood him, someone he felt comfortable
enough with to relax and be himself. He might be older than dirt and
an elder to boot, but he was very much an outsider.

His mate wasn’t shunned or regulated to the outskirts of their

society, but he didn’t really fit in, either. They hadn’t discussed it, but
Aspen had witnessed how people treated him, saw the way Layke was
held to higher standards, no matter how casual the situation. Hell, the
pressure of just being Elder Layke Winters had to be downright
exhausting.

“I really do,” Layke whispered, bending from the waist to kiss his

lips.

They didn’t speak after that, quietly making their way through the

dense forest and back to the palace. Eventually, the lights of the

Primal Instincts

garden twinkled into view, and Aspen pressed closer to his mate’s
side. The rear garden was just one more thing he loved about the
island. The flowing fountains, the miniature white lights strung in the
trees, and the maze of hedges and stone walls were straight from a
fairy tale.

Aspen had zero qualms about living in a fairy tale come to life.

Maybe that’s why he felt so at home on the grounds.

As they neared the back entrance, Nithron rounded the corner and

jogged forward to meet them. “Hey, guys.” His arm extended, and his
hand landed on Layke’s shoulder in an innocent display of
camaraderie. “I’ve been looking for you. Spiro—”

Baring his teeth and snarling, Aspen stepped between his lover

and the guard, knocked Nithron’s hand away, and shoved him in the
chest. “Mine!”

“Uh, yeah, okay.” Nithron looked at Aspen in confusion, taking

several slow steps backward. “Well, Spiro wants to talk to you.” He
glanced at Layke with a furrowed brow, then back to Aspen, and
jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I’m just going to go that way
now.”

“I did it again.” Aspen huffed in self-disgust. “I can’t control it. I

don’t even know when I’m doing it.” He felt contrition for his actions,
but the damage had already been done. “What is wrong with me?”

“Aspen.” Layke exhaled in what sounded very much like

exasperation. “There is nothing wrong with you. Talk to any vampire,
werewolf, or shifter, and they’ll tell you these reactions are
extraordinarily natural.”

“You don’t act like a raving lunatic for no damn reason,” he

disputed. Layke could be a bit possessive, but it was always with
quiet authority.

“True, but elves don’t have the same kind of animalistic impulses.

Believe me, I am extremely territorial when it comes to you, but it’s
easier for me to control it.” He pressed his palm to the side of Aspen’s

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face and stroked his cheek with his thumb. “It’ll get better. Just give it
time.”

“Well, it sucks.”
“I know.” Layke’s laughter made him breathe a little easier.
The back door opened, and light from the mudroom spilled out

onto the back lawn. “Are we ready to do this?” Spiro asked, emerging
from the doorway with Zuriel behind him.

Nithron was the next through the door, followed by Spiro’s

brothers and Aspen’s friends. Even Rissian was there, but he appeared
paler, and he kept his head down, refusing to look at anyone. Aspen’s
heart broke for him, and he wanted to offer some words of comfort,
but it was obvious that the prince wasn’t ready for interaction just yet.

So, he turned his attention to Nithron and ducked his head. “Sorry

about earlier.”

“Don’t sweat it, man.” The guard nodded toward Spiro and

chuckled. “You’re not the first person to nearly take my head off, so I
get it.”

“Oh, Aspen,” Zuriel added, hurrying to his side and wrapping an

arm around his shoulders. “Honey, it’s not a big deal. Everyone does
it.”

His brother, Zavion, pressed against his other side and added his

arm around Aspen’s waist. “I got jealous and wanted to punch my
own brother when I first met Cian. It’s completely normal.”

“See?” Patting the twins on their backs, Layke ushered them away

to pull Aspen back to his side. “Now do you believe me?”

“Yeah, it makes sense.” It didn’t, but he was tired of everyone

staring at him with those pitying looks. It wasn’t that he doubted
Layke or the twins. They obviously knew more than he did about this
stuff.

He just wanted it to stop before he ended up alienating everyone

he cared about, or worse, hurting someone.

Thankfully, discussion turned to the rising of the sun, and Spiro

requested that they all move to the center of the garden to perform

Primal Instincts

whatever magic hocus-pocus needed performing. Layke and Spiro
stood facing each other while the other four Araceli brothers formed a
circle around them. Aspen stood off to the side, surrounded by his
friends as they watched.

“Do you think this will work?” Zuriel was practically standing on

top of him, grasping his hand so hard that Aspen’s fingers were
beginning to go numb.

“Of course it will work.” He wasn’t just blowing smoke up the

guy’s ass. Perhaps he was a bit biased, but he doubted there was
anything Layke couldn’t do. If his mate said this would solve their
problems, Aspen had no reason not to trust him.

Spiro held the silver disk he’d used during the night he’d taken his

oath as king, and Layke instructed the brothers to move in closer as
the sun began peeking over the horizon. The morning was utterly
silent, almost eerily so as though the forest around them held its
breath in anticipation.

Then Layke began to chant, pausing occasionally so that the

Aracelis could echo his words. “Aa' menle nauva calen ar' ta hwesta
e' ale'quenle.”

Aspen had no idea what the ancient elven words meant, but he

found himself entranced by the beauty of the language. Each syllable
flowed smoothly into the next, giving the cadence a musical, majestic
quality.

As the sun rose higher, the men in the circle chanted faster, lifting

their voices over the increasing winds. The disk resting against
Spiro’s palm didn’t spin or whistle, but it did begin to glow. It wasn’t
just the reflection of sunbeams, though. The light it emitted was a
bright, bluish white, illuminating the men’s faces and giving them an
otherworldly glow.

Lost in the strangeness of it all, Aspen felt jarred when everything

abruptly stopped. The voices that had grown louder during the rite
halted at once, and the light from the artifact in Spiro’s hand
vanished, giving it a dull, ordinary appearance.

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“Is that it?” Zuriel called, presumably to his mate. “Did it work?”
The grin on Spiro’s lips could only be described as smug. Passing

off the disk to Rissian, he strutted through the morning mist and lifted
his shirt to his neck, showing off the smooth, pale skin that stretched
over his chest.

“It’s gone,” Zuriel breathed, tracing his fingertips across the area

where the family crest had been burned into Spiro’s flesh. “It’s really
gone.”

Layke approached, stopping several feet away from their group. It

felt a little like he wanted to join them but was leery to interrupt the
moment. Or maybe he didn’t want to endure the “sirs” and wide-eyed
reverence.

“I’m really happy for you.” After offering his version of

congratulation, he patted Zuriel’s back, and slipped around Spiro to
meet his mate. “Hey, you.”

“Hey.”
“How do you feel about breakfast?”
Layke glanced toward the men gathered in the garden, and his

eyebrows pulled together.

“How about breakfast in the village?” Aspen asked, amending his

original suggestion.

The troubled expression quickly cleared, and Layke held out a

hand, giving him a slight bow. “I think that’s an excellent idea.”

Layke would probably kick his ass if he knew Aspen pitied him,

but he couldn’t help it. Imagining how alone Layke must have felt for
the last millennia was depressing as hell.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t always be like this. Aspen looked forward

to a time when Layke didn’t feel the need to hide, but that wasn’t this
day.

So he took his lover’s hand, squeezed gently, and tugged him

toward the back of the house, disappearing along the road that led to
the valley without anyone noticing.

Primal Instincts

Chapter Eight

“I really, really hate flying,” Nikola whined when they touched

down on the runway in Casper. “If I can’t get there by foot or car, I’m
never going anywhere again.”

There was a decidedly green hue to the shifter’s complexion, but

Layke had to turn away to hide his grin. It wasn’t that he didn’t
sympathize, but Nikola’s vow was a bit dramatic, even for him.

“Flying isn’t so bad.” Stretching his arms over his head, Aspen

arched his back and groaned. “It just makes me so tired.”

Considering they’d been traveling for nearly twenty-four hours

and had crossed over several time zones, it wasn’t surprising. If he
didn’t have so much to do, he’d crawl into bed beside his mate and
sleep for the next few days. The sad truth, however, was that he had a
great deal to accomplish, and very little time to do it.

Unbuckling his safety belt, he patted Aspen’s knee and stood,

scooting out into the aisle to address the other occupants on the
private jet. “You’re all welcome to spend the rest of the day and the
evening at The Council house. Cian will take you back to Haven in
the morning.”

“I know it means more traveling, but I’d really like to go home

today.” Zavion pouted his bottom lip and stared imploringly up at
Cian.

Ruffling his mate’s hair, Cian smiled and bent to kiss Zavion’s

forehead. “Aye, I think I’d like to see home today as well.”

Layke understood the comfort of home, and he didn’t begrudge

the men. Offering his wish for their safe travels, he took just a
moment to talk to Cian about the transportation of their prisoner

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before he began gathering his and Aspen’s things from the overhead
bin. “Are you ready to see your temporary home?”

“I’m ready to see my temporary bed,” Aspen corrected, but he

was smiling that vague, mysterious smile he’d worn the first time
Layke had met him.

He still couldn’t believe it had only been a week.
After such a long trip, the twenty-minute ride from the airstrip to

his small place outside of Casper seemed unusually dreadful. Aspen’s
snores from the passenger seat were kind of cute, but Layke was
profoundly relieved when he pulled to a stop in his driveway.

“Hey, sleepyhead, we’re here.” He stroked Aspen’s hair and

caressed his cheek with his knuckles, rousing his sweet demon from
his dreams.

“There is a giant on your porch,” Aspen mumbled, leaning closer

to nuzzle against Layke’s palm.

At first, he thought the man was still sleeping, but a quick glance

through the windshield revealed the reason for his remark. “That’s
Camdin, and he’s actually a faerie. He lives here with me.”

“I didn’t know you had a roommate.”
There was no judgment or accusation in his tone, but Layke pulled

his hand away and winced. Camdin was his oldest friend, yet he’d
been so wrapped up in Aspen he’d completely forgotten the fae. It
was a flimsy excuse, and he doubted either man would consider it
acceptable. However, when it doubt, tell the truth.

Taking a deep breath, he prepared to launch into his explanation,

but Aspen threw the door open and jumped down from his seat.
“What are you doing?”

Aspen tilted his head in Camdin’s direction. “I’m going to say

hello, of course.” He rolled his eyes and shut the door, shaking his
head as though he found Layke’s question laughable.

Exiting the vehicle as well, he watched as Aspen rounded the

front of the SUV, bounded along the walkway, and climbed the steps
where he stopped beside the faerie. With wide eyes and an

Primal Instincts

ingratiating smile, he stuck his hand out in offering and rocked
forward on his tiptoes. “Hi. I’m Aspen.”

“Hello.” Camdin took the offered hand, giving it a slow shake as

his surprised gaze flickered to Layke and then back to Aspen. “I’m
Camdin. It’s nice to meet you.”

The meeting wasn’t as awkward as Layke had expected, but it

wasn’t as comfortable as he’d have liked for it to be, either. Deciding
the luggage could wait, he approached the pair, trekking up the stairs
to wrap a possessive arm around Aspen’s shoulders—an action that
didn’t go unnoticed by Camdin.

The faerie studied them for a moment, blinked twice, and then

chuckled knowingly. “Congratulations. It seems the mighty have
fallen.”

“What does that mean?” Aspen’s brow furrowed to form a

shallow valley between his eyes.

It was only the second time in memory Layke had witnessed an

emotion very close to anger flitter across his lover’s visage, and the
last time had been far less blatant. Frustration, anxiety, territorial
protectiveness, and desire had all formed in varying degrees beneath
the usual elation, but never the level of irritation he could see building
now.

“Camdin is my oldest friend, as well as an elder on The Council,”

he explained. “We’ve known each other for almost eight hundred
years. He’s the closet thing I have to family.”

His parents and siblings had been lost long ago, taken from him

by stupidity and intolerance. It had happened at the height of the
witch wars around the same time he’d met Camdin. The only solace
he had was that his family had gone quickly without suffering, but
still, Layke had been left orphaned.

Granted, he’d been almost four hundred years old at the time, but

it was one of the few things he and Aspen had in common. On the
other hand, his childhood had been a happy one. While he had

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sympathy for Aspen’s situation growing up, he honestly couldn’t
relate, and he felt it would be insensitive to try.

Sometimes, the differences between them seemed insurmountable,

but Layke had faith that they could overcome any obstacle, including
the one he currently found himself facing.

“Family,” Aspen mumbled. “That’s nice.” He didn’t sound as

though he found it nice at all. In fact, Layke detected a low growl that
rumbled through his lover’s chest. “That’s not what I asked, though.”

Not once in their long friendship had he ever viewed Camdin as a

potential bed partner, and the layer of jealousy that coated Aspen’s
words stunned him. The hand that landed on his thigh and squeezed
was more protective than territorial, however, making it harder for
him to determine the primary emotion fueling the scene.

“More than one person has tried to steal Layke’s heart,” Camdin

answered in his quiet, melodious voice. “Clearly, none have been
successful.” Placing his right hand over his heart, he bowed to Aspen.
“Until now.”

Aspen watched him studiously, but his expression never changed.

“Yeah, okay, whatever.” He was obviously unsatisfied with the
answer, but Layke wasn’t even sure what he was asking.

“What’s wrong, melamin? Why do you look so unhappy?”
“I’m not unhappy.” The smile that graced his lips was so phony it

could have fractured like plastic from the barest of touches.

It was apparent that Layke wouldn’t get any more from him right

then, so he nodded, kissed his mate’s forehead, and nudged him into
the small bungalow. Aspen had made it clear that he didn’t require his
own room, but with his uncharacteristic behavior outside, Layke
imagined it was a good idea to confirm that they were still on the
same page.

“Would you like to see your room?”
“No, but I’d like to see yours.” Tilting his head back, Aspen

batted his lashes and pouted his lips, but not before casting an
unwelcoming glare at Camdin. “A shower would be nice, too.”

Primal Instincts

The suggestive, almost obscene way he rolled his hips as he spoke

turned the subtle invitation to join him into a flashing neon sign that
screamed his intentions. Layke was enjoying the display of
possessiveness more than he should, but he worried about what would
happen when Aspen came out of his defensive haze.

Each time these strange fugues occurred, he’d always come back

to reality feeling shaken, confused, and disconcerted. Worse, Layke
didn’t know how to help him. His actions were common to several
different races of paranormals, especially in the early stages of a
relationship.

These blackouts where his instincts completely took over,

rendering him powerless over his behavior, were unique unto Aspen,
though. Even the werewolves and shifters who were ruled by the
beasts inside them had some level of control.

“Down the hall, second door on the left,” he instructed. “That’s

my room, and there’s a private en suite bathroom. Go start your
shower. I’ll grab our bags from the car and join you in a minute.”

“Okay.” Sashaying down the hallway, Aspen wiggled his fingers

over his shoulders. “Don’t take too long.”

“He’s certainly feisty,” Camdin said once Aspen had disappeared

into Layke’s room, closing the door behind him. “I didn’t mean to
offend him.” His brow furrowed, and he rubbed at the back of his
thick neck. “I’m not even sure what I said. I was just teasing about the
‘mighty have fallen’ thing.”

“I don’t think it would have mattered what you said.” This wasn’t

going to be easy for anyone, and he couldn’t help but blame himself a
bit. If he’d pulled his head out of his ass long enough to explain to
Aspen about Camdin, all of the jealousy could have been avoided.
“He’s confused, and I think a little afraid.”

“He’s young.”
Layke bobbed his head. “He is, but it’s more than that.” He

thought back to their first meeting. “The day I arrived on the island
was the first time he’d ever felt his canines drop. It was the first time

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he’d ever fed.” It was also the first time Aspen had ever felt another’s
touch against his naked skin, and while the memory brought a smile
to his lips, that one was just for him. “I’m lost on this one, Cam.”

His friend said nothing, but he gave Layke a strange look, as

though he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. Layke
understood the feeling. If he hadn’t witnessed it firsthand, he wasn’t
sure he could wrap his mind around it, either.

The faerie had seen his share of injustice, suffered at the hands of

the greedy and power-hungry just like Aspen. Yet, his first thought
was always for others. Another trait his best friend and mate had in
common.

The nightmares that plagued Camdin’s past could cripple the

strongest man. Layke didn’t fully know the details of the pain his
friend had endured during his years of captivity at the hands of a
deranged vampire. Possibly, he never would.

Still, he knew he could ask anything of his friend, and if it was in

his power to give, Camdin wouldn’t hesitate to help. This time,
unfortunately, Layke didn’t know if there was anything that could be
done.

“I don’t know what to do. Aspen wasn’t even aware our world

existed until a couple of years ago. No one has taught him what it
means to be a demon, and he—”

“Wait.” Camdin held up one huge hand and frowned. “You think

he’s a demon? You were serious about the fangs and stuff?”

“Yes.” The corners of Layke’s lips turned down to mirror

Camdin’s scowl. “Why?”

“I thought he was human. He feels human.”
Layke sighed and flopped down on the sofa, scrubbing his hands

over his face in frustration. “Do you know what this means? It’s not
possible.” He shook his head, but he still looked to the fae pleadingly
as though everything would go back to normal, just because he said
so. “This can’t happen.”

Primal Instincts

One of Camdin’s gifts was the ability to interpret energy. All

things—humans, paranormals, plants, animals, and otherwise—
possessed this force in varying levels.

It wasn’t always precise. He couldn’t determine the species of a

paranormal just from a handshake, but by reading the power within a
person, Camdin could make a fairly accurate guess most times.
Naturally, because of the magic they possessed, paranormals
maintained higher levels than humans, no matter the race. The fact
that Camdin had mistaken Aspen for a human was not only
perplexing. It was alarming.

“Don’t jump off the deep end just yet,” Camdin warned. “I could

be wrong. It’s been known to happen from time to time. There’s
something there, but it feels broken or interrupted, and yeah, it’s not
as potent as a supe.”

Yes, he could be wrong, but Layke doubted it. He’d so badly

wanted to dismiss the evidence right in front of him that he’d ignored
all the little details screaming something was amiss. Aspen had never
experienced bloodlust. He’d never lost control of his emotions. Not
once in twenty years had he felt his canines transform into fangs.
Everything made sense now.

Well, almost everything.
“How? How the hell did they do this?” A more important question

struck him. “And why? What do they have to gain from it?”

“Is it really so different from what those monsters did to the

Desirables? They manipulated their very DNA. Is it such a stretch to
think they did the same to Aspen?”

Layke considered himself above average in intelligence, and he’d

seen more things in his life than most people could even dream. This
utter disregard of life and freedom, however, sickened his soul.

Cyrus Redway had thought himself a god, and he’d set out to

prove it, turning innocent beings into mockeries of the paranormal
world. Then to really clench the title of World’s Biggest Asshole,

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he’d gone a step farther, stripping his newly engineered pets of any
dignity they might have harbored.

“I don’t pretend to understand the hows and whys, but what

happened to the Desirables at least makes sense on a fundamental
level. The Hive found a way to manipulate the magic those poor guys
already possessed.” Layke paused to swallow back the bile rising in
his throat. “If we’re right, though, what happened to Aspen doesn’t
only defy our laws. Cam, it defies fucking logic.”

“I think you’re letting your feelings cloud your judgment, friend.”

Rounding the coffee table, Camdin settled down on the sofa beside
him and patted his knee. “Why do you immediately assume the
worst? Couldn’t it just as easily be a curse?”

Magic could be divided into four categories—elemental, physical,

compulsory, and the original magic. All things contained elemental
magic. It was in the soil, the air, the rain, and even the simple process
of sleeping. It was the fundamentals that governed all nature.

Humans called it science.
Witches were prime examples of physical magic. Through spells,

curses, enchantments, and bewitchments, they affected the world
around them. Compulsory magic ruled the werewolves and shifters.
They were human, but not, seized by impulses and instincts.

All preternaturals harbored at least two of these magics. Fae,

elves, and vampires, however, possessed all three. Primordial, from
the beginnings of time, the original magic was ancient, complex, and
eternal.

And therein lay the problem with Camdin’s theory. No matter

how insignificant, the physical magic of a witch’s spell always left a
trace, easily discernible by those who knew where to look. “You tell
me. Is it a curse?”

The answer shone clearly from Camdin’s eyes before he ever

spoke. “No, it’s not a curse.” A puff of air burst from his lips, and he
slumped back against the cushions. “I want to be supportive, but what
you’re suggesting…Layke, it doesn’t work that way.”

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Chapter Nine

“Who’s cursed? What doesn’t work that way?”
“Aspen!” Jumping up from the sofa in a lightning-quick move,

Layke spun toward him, his mouth gaping open like a fish. “Melamin,
I’m sorry.” His eyes traveled down Aspen’s bare chest to the towel
slung around his waist. “I’ll get your clothes right now.”

“Don’t bother. It’s warm today.” Then he dropped the towel to the

floor and sauntered around the sofa to curl up in one of the armchairs
near the empty fireplace.

Once he’d been alone in the shower, all the jealousy, hostility, and

anger had washed down the drain, right along with the water from the
showerhead. The confusion, frustration, and embarrassment he felt for
his actions wouldn’t scrub away so easily, however.

Yes, Layke should have warned him that another man—another

huge, gorgeous man—lived with him. However, that didn’t excuse
Aspen’s behavior. He’d never been so rude to someone before,
especially someone who’d done nothing to provoke his wrath other
than exist.

While alone and feeling less like he needed to tie Layke to a fence

post and brand his ass for everyone to see, he’d been more hurt than
angry that his mate hadn’t joined him like he’d promised. The more
he thought about it, though, the more he couldn’t blame the elder for
keeping his distance. Hell, he’d been acting like such a psychotic
asshole since they’d pulled into the driveway that he didn’t even want
his own company.

Wanting to find his lover and apologize, he’d hurried through his

shower, dried quickly, and arrived at the end of the hallway just in

Primal Instincts

time to hear a lot of vague non-questions and non-answers. The
unknown topic of conversation hadn’t given him pause, but the stress
in Layke’s voice definitely had.

Watching Camdin with his mate hadn’t been easy, either. It was

clear how comfortable they were around one another, but Aspen
didn’t think the big faerie needed to touch Layke so much. Nor was
there any reason for him to sit so close.

When he’d finally calmed his racing pulse and slowed his

accelerated breathing long enough to announce his presence, the last
thing he’d expected was Layke’s panicked reaction, much like a child
caught in some wrongdoing. Whether that was the case or not, the
damage had been done, and Aspen’s instincts—namely the ones that
proclaimed Layke as his—had taken over once more.

Well, he assumed that was what had happened. He remembered

sitting down in the chair and replying to something Layke had said.
How his towel had ended up off his body and on the floor across the
room, he wasn’t entirely sure.

There was sympathy in Layke’s gray eyes as he crossed to where

Aspen was sitting and held out a small, flannel blanket. “Take this.”

“Thank you,” he mumbled, his cheeks heating with

embarrassment as he took the blanket and draped it over his lap. “I
don’t know why I did that.” It had become his mantra, his excuse for
every deplorable thing he did, and he groaned after the words had
tumbled from his lips. “You know what, forget that last part.”

It was true that he couldn’t control the things he did, wasn’t even

aware of doing them until it was too late. Reiterating the obvious time
and again, however, didn’t fix anything. Mostly, it just made him
sound immature, unable or unwilling to accept the consequences of
his deeds.

“So, what were you talking about before I interrupted?”
“Let me get you some clothes.”
Layke started backing away, but Aspen was feeling a little

unbalanced. While it might make him appear needy, right then, he

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didn’t care. He really didn’t want to let the man out of his sight, even
for a short jaunt out to the car. “The blanket covers me. I’d really like
to know more about this curse.”

Sighing, Layke mumbled something under his breath about

stubbornness and unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off his sinewy
shoulders to pass it to Aspen. “At least put this on. Please,” he added
when Aspen opened his mouth to argue. “As I told you earlier,
Camdin has been my friend for a long time. I’d really like it if I didn’t
have to kill him for ogling you.”

The idea that anyone would be attracted to him was hilarious, and

Aspen slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle his snorts and giggles.
“You are the only person who thinks I’m cute, and you don’t have a
choice. Fate decided you’re stuck with me.”

“Hmmm,” Layke mused. “Is that so?” Turning to his friend, he

jerked a thumb over his shoulder at Aspen. “Cam, know that anything
you say will be wrong. However, that means you have no reason to
lie. Do you find the squirt appealing in any way?”

“He’s kind of skinny,” Camdin answered immediately. “His skin

is beautiful, you could bounce a quarter off his ass, and he has the
face of an angel. He’s also charming, honest, and he’s obviously
willing to fight for what he cares about.” Camdin shrugged and folded
his arms over his chest. “So, yeah, I mean, I guess if you like that kind
of thing, he’s decent.”

Aspen didn’t know what shocked him more, Camdin’s assessment

of him, or the angry growl that rumbled through Layke’s chest.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “That was really sweet, especially after
the way I treated you. I’m sorry for that.”

“Don’t encourage him.” Layke growled once again before sucking

in a deep breath to compose himself. “He was being truthful. That
doesn’t make it sweet.”

His mate’s display of possessiveness was all kinds of sexy, but

Aspen still hadn’t gotten any answers. “Fine. No one is attracted to
anyone. Now will you tell me about that curse?”

Primal Instincts

“Oh, I wouldn’t say no one.” Layke lifted him into his arms, sat

down in the overstuffed chair, and settled Aspen in his lap, tucking
the blanket around him to cover his bits and pieces. “I’m very
attracted to you.”

It was easy to lose himself in that deep voice, those strong hands,

and the warm breath that fanned across his neck. Arching his back,
Aspen rubbed against his mate, reaching other his head to tangle his
fingers in Layke’s long hair. “Prove it.”

Lust and need ignited inside him, and flames of desire erupted in

his belly. His cock swelled, tenting the thin blanket, and every
pleasure receptor fired in rapid response to the hands that gripped his
waist.

He didn’t even care if they had an audience. Conversely,

something inside him, something wild and raw, relished in the
opportunity to publicly assert his claim to the elf. It was like he
needed Camdin to watch, needed to prove he was enough and Layke
would never want another. It wasn’t a rational response, but he’d
given up on logic when it came to his mate.

In the week they’d spent together, Layke had showed him many

different ways his body could give and receive pleasure. Aspen
planned to exploit every erotic trick in his growing repertoire to get
what he wanted if necessary.

If the lips traveling along the column of his neck were any

indication, he was already doing something right. Layke’s long
fingers slid under the hem of the oversized shirt he wore, traveling
over Aspen’s stomach and up his chest to pinch his erect nipples.
“Are you sure?”

Aspen was positive. The clawing hunger to consume and be

consumed was still there, but unlike all the times before, he was fully
aware of what he was asking. “I always want you. No conditions.”

A ragged moan fell from his parted lips when Layke tugged at his

nipples, applying more pressure to the pebbled buds. Dropping his
head back, he writhed in his lover’s lap, desperate to get closer. Cool

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air kissed his overheated skin when the blanket slithered down his
thighs and fell to the floor. A low groan to his right penetrated the
lusty haze, and Aspen inwardly grinned at Camdin’s uninhibited
reaction.

The footsteps that plodded across the floor and slowly faded down

the hall were unexpected, but Aspen was enjoying himself too much
to care. A small voice in the back of his mind chastised him for
making the faerie uncomfortable in his own home, but the screaming
part of him that craved Layke’s hands on him easily silenced the little
troublemaker.

A moment later, something hard and cold smacked him in the

chest, and Aspen jerked upright, gasping in shock. Camdin just
chuckled as he sidled back into the room, falling down on the sofa
and spreading his legs, rubbing his palm over the sizeable bulge
behind his zipper. “Please, continue.”

Though their meeting had been brief, Camdin’s quiet, almost shy

demeanor hadn’t led Aspen to believe the man had this voyeuristic
streak in him. It was hypocritical of him to make that assumption
from just a few exchanged words. He himself was a walking
contradiction, living proof that looks and first impressions could be
misleading.

Retrieving the bottle of lube that had bounced off his chest, he

presented it to his mate. Well, shoved it into his hand with more
enthusiasm than a fat kid with a cupcake would be a more accurate
description. Whatever. Then he stripped out of the button-down shirt
Layke had insisted he wear and tossed it across the room, uncaring
where it landed.

Crawling back into Layke’s lap, he found himself mesmerized by

the lean, sculpted muscles encased in pale, velvety skin. No one
would ever guess that such a magnificent body lurked beneath the
stuffy suits he wore, and Aspen was humbled by the man’s masculine
perfection.

Primal Instincts

As his cock throbbed and his balls ached, the urgency spiked to

uncontainable levels. He didn’t fumble or paw at the clasp on Layke’s
pants. He shredded the material with a strength he didn’t even know
he had. Unintelligible words of delight rolled off his tongue when he
freed Layke’s hard cock and fisted the pulsing length.

“Yes,” he whispered reverently. “I need you, Layke.” It was more

than some frivolous desire. Aspen burned. His heart hammered too
fast and too hard. No matter how he tried, he couldn’t draw enough
air into his lungs. Every one of his senses was filled with Layke, and
waiting was torturous. “Now.”

“Slow down, sweetheart. I haven’t even stretched you.”
Aspen heard the words, but they made no sense to him. “I don’t

care. It hurts.” His dick jerked with the thundering of his pulse,
leaking an impressive amount of pre-cum from the slit. The muscles
in his thighs, stomach, and back cramped, and his skin felt tight and
itchy like he’d been in the sun too long, and only his mate could
soothe the discomfort.

It was true that he couldn’t miss something he’d never had. Now

that he was privy to Layke’s skillful touch, however, he couldn’t live
without it. He would have never guessed he was such an attention
whore, but when Camdin’s heavy breathing mixed with his own
whimpered moans, his entire frame shuddered.

Along with his lover’s hands, he could feel Camdin’s gaze

caressing every dip and curve of his body, following the slope of his
spine to the swell of his hips. There wasn’t one ounce of longing for
the fae, though. Aspen was lost, completely ensnared by Layke. There
would never be another, and he reveled in knowing that he alone held
the elf’s undivided attention, no matter how many others coveted
what was his.

Wet, slick fingers glided along his crease, parting his cheeks and

pressing against his quivering entrance. Layke ringed the muscles,
massaging gently until they relaxed. Then he pressed in hard and fast
with two fingers, and Aspen nearly came on the spot.

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Locking his arms around his lover’s neck, he jerked Layke

forward, pouring a symphony of carnal moans into the man’s open
mouth. The kiss was rough and savage, filled with a predatory
intensity he didn’t know could exist outside of books and movies. He
ate at Layke’s lips, biting and tugging the yielding flesh before
plunging his tongue into the sweet depths with a fierce growl.

Layke’s free hand tangled in his hair, the fingers digging into

Aspen’s scalp and then pulling sharply at the strands. His head fell
back on his shoulders, and he rocked his hips faster, fucking himself
on his lover’s digits while he trembled clear down to the tip of his
dick. His mate’s teeth grazed the curvature of his jawline, and satiny
lips skimmed down the column of his throat to nip at his shoulder.

Though he had initiated the scene, desire and need could only take

him so far. Aspen had reached the pinnacle of his experience and
knowledge, but thankfully, he had a mate who could and would lead
them where they needed to go. Aspen just had to convince him to
move things along. The foreplay was nice, and it definitely got his
blood boiling, but he craved more.

“Please, Layke,” he whimpered. The words echoed around the

room, breathless and pleading, but he couldn’t care less how
desperate he sounded. “Now.”

“Almost,” Layke countered as he slipped a third finger into

Aspen’s clenching channel, sawing in and out while twisting his wrist
to loosen the contracting muscles.

Aspen was well past “almost,” though. Rising up on his knees, he

groaned when his lover’s digits slipped from his opening. He clutched
at Layke’s shoulder with one hand and reached between their sweat-
dampened bodies with the other to grip the man’s thick, engorged
cock. “Let’s just tuck this away for safekeeping.” And he knew the
perfect place.

Lining the crown up with his entrance, he dropped into Layke’s

lap, not giving him a chance to argue. A throaty groan burst from him,

Primal Instincts

and he squeezed his eyes closed, shuddering through the burn as he
struggled to adjust to the invasion.

Layke was always so careful with him, and while he enjoyed the

gentle stuff, the bite of pain added a depth to his pleasure he hadn’t
expected. The battle to pull air into his lungs and stave off his
impending orgasm was made more difficult when Layke began
mapping every inch of his body. He stroked Aspen’s skin, kneaded
the flesh around his hips, and groped the globes of his ass until Aspen
was forced to move or go crazy from the erotic torture.

Rising and falling, undulating in Layke’s lap, Aspen released a

cacophony of moans and wails that would have made a prostitute
blush. His inner walls clamped around his lover’s cock, trapping the
rigid length so that he could feel every ridge rubbing him in all the
right places.

“Please, please, please,” he chanted in between whimpering gasps.

They may have only just started, but if Layke didn’t let him come
soon, his dick was going to fall right the hell off.

Aspen felt like a shaken soda bottle. The pressure built with each

hard thrust, swelling his cock to the point of pain. His lower back
cramped with a dull ache, his stomach clenched, and he suddenly felt
lightheaded.

“Already?” Layke teased him, though he sounded just as close to

the edge as Aspen.

Encircling his mate’s neck with his arms, Aspen pulled him close

and rested their foreheads together. “Fuck me harder.”

The demand elicited a feral growl from his partner, and Aspen

cried out, hanging on for dear life when Layke began a hard,
unyielding pace. His throbbing cock slapped against Layke’s belly
and slid along the corrugated grooves of his abs, creating a mind-
numbing friction. The sounds of flesh on flesh reverberated in the air,
mingling with their heavy breathing and unrestrained moans of
ecstasy.

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The whole world faded away, leaving Aspen inside a bubble made

just for him and Layke. No other sounds, sights, or smells existed
outside of what flooded their small part of the room. Clutching tighter
at his lover’s neck, he sucked in each shuddering breath through his
mouth. His hair clung to the side of his neck and the tops of his
shoulders, dampened by the perspiration that coated his skin.

“More,” he begged. “Harder.” One-word requests were all he

could speak at a time, but he figured Layke got the message. “Close.”

Long fingers surrounded the head of his cock, and Layke palmed

the shaft, stroking the length with an impressive dexterity considering
their positions. His knuckles rubbed against the underside of the
flared crown, sending lightning bolts of sensation coursing straight to
Aspen’s balls.

Every hard snap of his hips plunged him deeper into Aspen’s

channel, and the tip of his dick prodded against the walnut-sized
gland, causing lights to burst behind Aspen’s closed eyelids. He
couldn’t take much more. He wasn’t going to last. When he opened
his mouth to plead one more time, however, all that came out was a
strangled cry as Layke bit into the crook of his neck.

It wasn’t hard enough to pierce the skin, but it added that extra

push he needed, sending him careening into oblivion. Jerking and
convulsing, he released a river of semen, coating Layke’s abs with the
sticky cream.

Still reeling from his intense climax, the dropping of his canines

didn’t bother him nearly as much as it normally did. “Your turn,” he
mumbled before embedding his fangs into the supple flesh of Layke’s
shoulder.

His mate’s muscled arms enveloped him and constricted, holding

tight as Layke groaned and shuddered, flooding Aspen with reams of
molten lava. “Take what you need,” he instructed, speaking no louder
than a breath in Aspen’s ear.

It was only the third time he’d fed, and though he’d gotten over

the ick factor, he hadn’t decided if he liked the way it made him feel.

Primal Instincts

Aspen had never been drunk before, but he imagined the effects he
got from imbibing Layke’s blood would feel similar to drinking too
much alcohol. His head spun, and he felt weightless, almost like he
didn’t exist beyond the point where his teeth pierced his mate.

On the other hand, he felt stronger, healthier, and had more energy

than he knew what to do with, which was definitely a plus when
trying to keep up with Layke. The man was always doing
something—even when he was doing nothing.

Having just fed the previous night, Aspen quickly finished and

extracted his canines, licking over the wound to encourage it to heal.
The bite hadn’t been about nourishment, but rather, he hadn’t been
able to stop himself from marking his mate. Now, with the puncture
wounds clearly visible—until they fully healed anyway—no one
would question Aspen’s status in Layke’s life.

“I should apologize,” he murmured, rubbing their noses together

and whispering his lips over Layke’s. “I’m not going to, though.”

“I’ve created a monster.”
“Rawr,” Aspen teased. “You know you like it.” A quiet cough

captured his attention, and he whipped his head to the side as
embarrassment enflamed his cheeks. “Oh, crap.” He’d forgotten
Camdin even existed, let alone sat in the same room with them. “Uh,
I…” Squirming around in Layke’s lap, he tried to shield as much of
himself as he could, though it was a fruitless attempt since he was
naked as a jaybird.

Surprisingly, Layke chuckled, kissed his temple, and rose with

Aspen still in his arms. “I think you’re going to need another shower.”

“I’ll get the suitcases from the car.” Pushing up from the sofa,

Camdin walked a little stiffly as he exited the house, closing the door
quietly behind him.

“Is he okay?”
“He’s going to have blue balls for a while,” Layke answered, and

he sounded amused by the fact. “He’ll be fine, though. Camdin has a
hard time interacting with a lot of people, which makes it difficult to

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meet someone.” Dropping him to his feet, Layke nudge him down the
hall toward the bedroom. “I’m sure we just made his whole year.”

“I liked it,” Aspen admitted as he entered the bathroom. “Is that

wrong?”

“You liked him watching?” Layke grinned and shook his head.

“No, it’s not wrong. As long as watching is all you have in mind for
him.”

“You are the only one I want, Layke.” He wanted to make that

point very, very clear. “I can’t explain why, but it’s exciting to be
watched. The thought of someone else touching me, though, makes
me a little nauseous.”

The smirk on Layke’s lips was purely wicked, tinted with just a

touch of smugness as he pulled Aspen to him again to claim his
mouth. “Good answer, melamin. Good answer.”

Primal Instincts

Chapter Ten

Another three days passed, and Aspen was no closer to getting the

answers he wanted. Each time he brought up the conversation he’d
overheard, Layke would change the subject or distract him in all kinds
of delicious ways. He hadn’t complained about the latter at first, but
he was tired of the deflection.

“Layke, I want answers.” It wasn’t like him to make demands

apart from “harder, faster, pull my hair,” but it was also unusual for
him to be so agitated. Plopping down on the couch beside his mate, he
reached up to place one palm against Layke’s cheek and adopted the
most serious expression he could summon. “Please. I have a right to
know.”

“He has a point,” Camdin agreed, entering from the kitchen with a

half-eaten sandwich in his hand. Aspen had been afraid things would
be awkward around the fae after his little show, but he was pleased to
discover that wasn’t the case.

Layke shot his friend a scathing glare, but didn’t otherwise

respond to the show of solidarity. “Aspen, there’s nothing to tell. As I
said before, we were just tossing around theories, but none of them
made sense. There’s no curse or anything like that.”

“Okay. Then what is it?” Resentment chewed at his gut, and anger

crawled across his skin like a living thing. “I’m not stupid. You know
something, something about me.”

“Don’t be crazy,” Layke countered. “I never said you were

stupid.”

It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to remain seated

and calm. From the time he was a small boy, he’d endured the names,

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the accusations, and the relentless cruelty of others. He smiled too
much and too brightly, even when there was no reason to be happy.
There had to be something wrong with him, because normal people
just didn’t float through life on a cloud of sunshine. No one
understood him, and he’d paid the price for their ignorance.

However, he hadn’t expected it from Layke. The elder was the

one person who was always supposed to support him. “Call me
crazy,” he dared, his voice laced with ice, “one more time.”

“Go to my room and lock the door.”
Aspen hadn’t expected an apology exactly. He had, however, been

hoping for an explanation, something about how Layke hadn’t meant
his words in the way they’d been received. His lover’s reply was so
far out in left field, he wasn’t even sure how to comment other than to
gape stupidly at him.

Camdin was across the room in a big damn hurry but slowed to a

cautious crawl when he neared the front door. “I take it you’re not
expecting anyone.” He glanced over his shoulder at Layke with
obvious lines of concern wrinkling his brow.

“I take it you aren’t, either,” Layke countered as he took Aspen’s

elbow and hauled him to his feet, urging him toward the hallway.

“Stop that.” Batting Layke’s hand away, Aspen stepped out of the

way when the guy reached for him again. “Stop pushing me.” Then he
folded his arms over his chest and tilted his head to the side, confused
as to why his housemates were acting so strangely. “What has gotten
into you?”

“Aspen, this is nonnegotiable. Go to my room. Lock the door. Do

not leave until I tell you it’s safe.”

His words and body language brooked no argument, and Aspen

detected a measure of urgency beneath the authoritative tone. Layke
could be frustrating at times, like how he continuously avoided
answering questions about his theories on Aspen’s origins.

However, he wasn’t controlling, and he always encouraged Aspen

to make his own decisions. For him to be so insistent, there had to be

Primal Instincts

a good reason, and Aspen trusted that Layke was truly concerned for
his safety.

Deciding this was one fight he wasn’t going to win, Aspen nodded

and turned away, intending to make his way to the bedroom as his
mate had asked. The knock on the door startled him. He’d heard no
other sounds, and it was as though their visitor had appeared from
nowhere.

He had almost cleared the living room when a strange odor caught

his attention. Pausing near the mouth of the hallway, he cocked his
head to the side and stared at Camdin where the man waited with his
hand poised over the doorknob. “I know that smell.” Changing
directions, he crept closer to the door. “Who’s there?” he called.

“Aspen.” The warning in Layke’s tone was clear, but he was

wrong this time.

There was no danger. In fact, the stronger the scent became, the

wider Aspen’s smile grew. He held his right hand up, palm out toward
Layke. “Wait.”

“Aspen?” a male voice called from the front porch. “Is that you?”

There was a smile in his voice, and he sounded pleasantly surprised
by the turn of events.

“Kristoff!” Aspen rushed across the room, slid in front of Camdin,

and wrenched the door open, practically vibrating with excitement. “It
is you. I knew it! What are you doing here?”

“Melamin, how do you know this man?” Grabbing Aspen’s

elbow, Layke pulled him away and tucked him next to his side,
keeping a protective arm around his waist as he glared at the
newcomer.

“He’s a goblin.” Kristoff was the first and only goblin he’d ever

met, and he’d also been the first person to ever treat Aspen as an
equal. Of course, now he had Layke, and he was beginning to make
friends, but he would never forget the first time he’d realized that his
thoughts and opinions could actually matter.

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“I know who he is.” Layke’s response was clipped, and his arm

tightened around Aspen as though he expected their guest to sprout
pinchers and stab someone in the heart. It wasn’t the nicest greeting,
but he did back away to allow the man entrance. “I’m interested in
how you know him.”

“His stepkids are assholes. But Kristoff is a good guy,” Aspen

hurried to add. It was true they hadn’t met under pleasant
circumstances, but Kristoff had been to Haven on several peace-
keeping visits since his stepsons had attacked the coven. “I got lost in
the museum of a house at Haven and literally bumped into him as he
was coming out of a meeting.”

The goblin seemed sincere in his desire to form an alliance and

assist in rebuilding what some of his people had destroyed. If the
rumors were true, he’d donated a sizeable sum of money to purchase a
new front gate with added security features for the coven.

Layke appeared appeased by the answer, and some of the tension

eased from his shoulders as he turned his attention to their guest.
“Kristoff, what can I do for you?”

Aspen was very interested in the answer as well. There were a

hundred possibilities filtering through his imagination, and he
couldn’t wait to find out why the goblin had sought out the elders in
their home.

* * * *

When they’d first met, he would have never guessed Aspen was

such an obstinate little shit.

Layke didn’t have the sense of smell like his shifter and werewolf

friends. His nose might be useless, but Mother Nature had made up
for the oversight with highly developed auditory senses.

Unfortunately, hearing someone coming couldn’t tell him who or

what was approaching. No one ever came to call without arranging a

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meeting first. Perhaps he’d overreacted to the arrival of their unknown
and unexpected guest, but he’d never had someone to protect.

Every situation now held a level of threat he wouldn’t have

considered before meeting Aspen. It was slightly paranoid, but he’d
rather appear crazy and irrational than end up with a dead mate.

However, his job would be much easier if Aspen would just let

him get on with the protecting and stop being so damn independent.
Then again, his fierce individuality was one of the things Layke
adored about him.

Gods, being mated was confusing, and he was constantly battling

his conflicting emotions. On one hand, he did view Aspen as an equal,
firmly valued what he had to say. On the flip side of that, though,
there was no “off” switch for his instincts. The desire to protect his
mate was ingrained in him, as involuntary as breathing.

“Layke?” A soft hand come up to rest against the side of his neck.

“Hey, where’d you go?”

He wasn’t sure how long he’d been standing there, lost inside his

own head. Aspen stared up at him with concern in his big blue eyes
while his thumb traced the vein that pulsed in Layke’s throat. “I’m
fine, sweetheart.”

“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” He kissed the tip of Aspen’s nose and hugged him

close, pulling him a few steps back as he addressed their guest. “So,
Kristoff, what can I do for you?” he asked, repeating his earlier
inquiry.

“Actually, I’m here to do something for you.” Sliding his jacket

off, Kristoff folded the fabric over his arm and adopted a wide stance
in the middle of the room. “A little birdy tells me that The Council is
planning to create a new refuge on the elf island.”

Kristoff Vasko wasn’t a bad man, and Layke had nothing against

goblins. His less-than-friendly welcome had come from a place of
territorialism and jealousy because of Aspen’s excited, enthusiastic
greeting.

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He wasn’t proud of how he’d reacted. Despite popular belief,

though, he wasn’t without his flaws. His emotions did sometimes get
the better of him, just like everyone else.

“You heard correctly,” he answered. The goblin had piqued his

interest, but he didn’t want to reveal too much until he had more
information, especially since the island was going to be Aspen’s
permanent home. “What exactly are you proposing?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a give and take, but I think we can come to a

suitable agreement.” From his relaxed posture to the evenness in his
tone, Kristoff exuded confidence.

Layke respected a man who knew what he wanted and went after

it. The way Aspen held his breath and leaned toward their guest,
excitedly hanging on his every word was less appealing, however.

“What agreement?” Aspen’s cheeks flushed the barest shade of

pink, and his eyes rounded, gazing at Kristoff as though he’d just
announced a cure for cancer. “Are you going to help with the refuge,
like you did with Haven?” He conveniently left out the part where
Haven wouldn’t need help in the first place if it hadn’t been for the
goblins.

Kristoff’s smile was directed at Aspen, and he held the man’s

gaze when he spoke. “You’re very perceptive, darling.”

In all of his life, Layke had never felt more predisposed to murder.

The growl that vibrated through his chest was more animal than
anything, and the hand not wrapped around Aspen curled into a fist.
“Watch yourself, Kris.”

Kristoff winked at Aspen and laughed, but he didn’t otherwise

respond to the outburst. If he’d been trying to ruffle Layke’s feathers,
he’d succeeded, but if the guy wanted his help, prodding him into
homicide wasn’t the way to do it.

“I’m not sure that a monetary donation is going to change

anything.” It took every ounce of self-control he had to speak calmly.

Layke was no one’s fool. Kristoff wanted something, and he

speculated it was something big. His help to Haven, and the implied

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offer to fund the new refuge was admirable, but it wouldn’t change
the opinions of the masses. Hell, most paranormals were as clueless as
humans about the existence of goblins, and those who were in the
know held little regard for the race.

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Aspen quickened to defend

their guest. “It’s a sign of goodwill, isn’t it?”

His plump lips pursed, and his button nose scrunched adorably.

Layke could practically feel the war raging inside his mate. On one
hand, Aspen wanted to support a friend and possible ally. At the same
time, he clearly felt he was overstepping some boundary and
undermining Layke’s position.

There was no need for his concern, though. Layke may not agree

with his lover’s innocent assessment of the situation, but he would
never censure Aspen for standing up for a friend.

“Easy, melamin. I didn’t mean it that way.” Of course, he’d given

his lover no reason to believe otherwise with his guarded and
admittedly unwelcoming attitude. “I like Kristoff, but I’m feeling a bit
jealous of your relationship with him. However, I promise to be open
and not let my emotions skew my opinion of his offer. Deal?”

“Why on earth would you be jealous?”
Aspen stared up at him, so genuinely perplexed that Layke had to

laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Oh, sweetheart, you really have no
idea how special you really are.” Tilting Aspen’s chin up, he
delivered a sinfully seductive kiss to his pouty mouth. “Later,” he
whispered, willing his cock to behave.

“Mmm, okay.” Aspen looked to the side and glared at Kristoff.

“You shouldn’t tease him. He’s just as new as I am to this mating
thing. Be nice.”

Kristoff looked properly scolded, but Layke did detect a hint of

amusement in his dark eyes. “I apologize. It’s not often when I have
reason to bust Layke’s balls, though. Normally, it’s the other way
around.”

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They weren’t exactly friends, but Layke had known the goblin for

a few centuries, and he had to admit the guy had a point. Normally,
their interactions consisted of Kristoff wanting something—usually in
secret—and Layke giving him a hard time before finally conceding to
his wishes.

“I’m glad we all have an understanding now, but I stand by what I

said. I don’t think throwing money at The Council is going to undo
years of deception.”

“No, but I’m proposing more than financial help,” Kristoff

clarified. “No one is more ashamed and disheartened by the attack my
sons incited.”

Layke blinked several times, trying to switch gears and keep up

with the sudden change in topic and demeanor. “Those boys were
always rotten. It was only a matter of time.” Had he not been
surprised by the abrupt redirection of the conversation, perhaps he’d
have employed more tact. After all, the man’s kids were probably
lying somewhere in a mindless stupor.

“Yes,” Kristoff answered, pausing to clear the roughness from his

voice. “Well, I assure you, everyone involved has been dealt with.” A
grim, stony expression briefly shadowed his features, sending a shiver
down Layke’s spine. “The rest of us are tired of the feuding, however,
and we want to reestablish ties with the rest of our world.”

“Fair enough.” He wished the guy would just get to the fucking

point. “What’s your plan, and why do you need my help?”

“With the dismissal of nearly a third of my clan, there are empty

houses and jobs that need to be filled in Muddy Gap.”

“Muddy Gap?” It was the first time Camdin had spoken since

Kristoff’s arrival, and Layke found the confusion in his question
comical. It was like the name alone offended his delicate sensibilities,
and he couldn’t believe such a place could exist. “Is that the name of
your clan?”

“No,” the goblin leader answered with a chuckle. “It’s a

microscopic place you’d never find unless you went looking for it or

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stumbled across it accidently. This is exactly why I think it would be
perfect for a refuge.”

It was a brilliant idea, and Layke fully supported the implication

of job training. The men and women they sheltered came from
horrible situations and needed a boost up, but that didn’t mean The
Council could support them indefinitely. Haven was meant to be a
place for the broken to rebuild, not an orphanage for adults.

He still wasn’t seeing the connection between the goblins and the

island, and Kristoff had yet to articulate his terms. “Just spit it out,
Kris. What is it you want?”

“Nothing much,” Kristoff assured him. “As I said, I’m not the

only one interested in restoring fractured relationships. My offer is
simple. I want to open my doors as a sanctuary. I am more than happy
to donate the funds for other new refuges, as well as offer some of my
Enforcers to Haven.”

They were getting closer to the point. “And?” Layke tapped his

foot impatiently, tired of playing the political game.

“I want a seat on The Council. We aren’t the only clan of goblins,

and I’m afraid my people are in the minority in regards to re-
integration.” A quiet sigh breezed through his nose, and he shook his
head sadly. “The goblins are not represented on The Council, which
means they fly under the radar far too often. They need to be
monitored and governed as a whole.”

It was about time the goblins came out of hiding and accepted the

laws of their world. This new development also explained why
Kristoff had come to him instead of requesting a full Council meeting.
As much as Layke would like to be “one of the guys,” he wasn’t. If
anyone was going to convince the other elders that this was a good
plan, it was him.

“You make a valid argument, and I agree that the goblins need to

know there are consequences for wrongdoings.”

“Excellent.” Kristoff slipped back into his jacket and brushed the

wrinkles from the front. “Where do we begin?”

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101

Chapter Eleven

Since many of The Council members had outside obligations, the

special meeting had been called for the following week. Aspen was
excited to attend, and he was even more excited about some of the
changes that would be happening.

However, things with his mate weren’t going nearly as well. He

knew Layke was busy, and the guy obviously had a lot on his mind.
Aspen didn’t want to be a pest, and he didn’t want to add to the
elder’s burdens, but he was tired of getting the brush-off at every turn.

In the five days since they’d arrived back in Wyoming, Layke had

yet to fulfill any of his promises. Aspen hadn’t seen his friends once.
Hell, he hadn’t even left Layke’s little bungalow except to explore the
surrounding wilderness. His mate had vowed to find answers for him,
but he’d made no step to even pose the questions.

At first, when Aspen brought up the conversation he’d overheard

that first day, Layke had laughed it off and changed the subject. Now,
however, anytime Aspen inquired about that conversation, Layke
seemed to grow angry and sullen. It was frustrating, but moreover, it
was concerning. This wasn’t the man he’d met two weeks previously,
and Aspen couldn’t figure out what had changed.

For the first time in recollection, he couldn’t just push away his

melancholy and pretend everything was okay. Not only was he
miserable in his new, temporary home, but now, his only source of
comfort had vanished.

“I can’t do this,” he mumbled one morning while he sat watching

television alone. It seemed he spent a lot of time alone these days.
“It’s not as bad as it feels.” Finding the silver lining was proving more

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difficult than usual, though. “No, sometimes, it’s worse.” Great, now
he was arguing with himself. Worse, he couldn’t shake his depression,
and he hated it.

“Who are you talking to, melamin?”
“Clearly not you,” he snapped. Closing his eyes, he sucked in a

deep breath and let it out slowly before pasting a smile on his face.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to bite at you.”

“You’re frustrated.” Layke folded his arms across his chest and

nodded once. “I get it.”

“Do you?” Somehow, he doubted it. If Layke really understood

where he was coming from, he wouldn’t be keeping so many secrets.
“Is it me? Did I do something?”

“No, sweetheart. I’ve been distracted and out of sorts, but it’s

nothing you did.” Crossing the small room, he settled down in the
middle of the sofa. “Come here, Aspen.”

Aspen shook his head. He didn’t want cuddles and coddling. He

wanted answers. “Then what is it?” He missed his friends. He missed
having the freedom to go where he pleased. Most of all, he missed his
mate. “I hate it here,” he confessed in a small voice that barely carried
past his lips.

“Aspen…” Layke paused, pressing his lips together and

swallowing hard. “What are you saying?”

He didn’t know what he was saying, and he didn’t know what he

wanted. Most of his time at The Hive had been spent locked away in
an isolation room. For days on end, he’d had no one to talk to, nothing
to entertain him but the sound of his own voice. Even then, he hadn’t
felt so lonely, though.

There was nowhere to run this time, and he wouldn’t leave, even

if there was. For better or worse, Layke was his mate. Beyond that
basic connection, Aspen truly cared for the man. There was
something special between them, something that would only grow
and strengthen if given the chance. Aspen wasn’t about to walk away
from the happy ending he’d been dreaming of since he was a child.

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103

Still, he was tired of being miserable.
“I’m saying give me a reason to stay.”
Layke stared at him for a long time, his expression blank, and his

eyes giving nothing away. Then, quicker than Aspen could counter,
the elf grabbed him around the waist, hauled him into his lap, and
kissed him senseless. “I’ll give you a hundred reasons every day. The
most important one being because I need you here.” He grabbed the
back of Aspen’s neck and pulled him in for another desperate,
scorching kiss. “I’ve been an ass, and I’m sorry.”

Aspen found himself in a catch twenty-two. If he forgave Layke

so easily, he appeared weak. If he refused to bend, he was being
unreasonable. “I need you, too, Layke, but I don’t like secrets. You
promised to help me. You promised me that we’d find answers.” The
more Layke tried to hide the truth from him, the more afraid he
became. “I can’t be like this forever. Help me.” He grabbed Layke’s
face in both shaking hands. “Please, help me.”

“I’m trying!” An uncharacteristic growl vibrated through Layke’s

chest, and he slumped back into the cushions with a defeated sigh.
“I’ve called Destin every day since we’ve been back, but he hasn’t
found anything.”

“Dr. Woods?” Aspen had met him only once, but he liked Destin.

There had been some complications in removing the tracking chip
from the back of his neck, but the doctor had gotten the job done.
Aspen was beyond grateful, too. He never wanted to go back to that
awful lab.

“He’s the one,” Layke confirmed. “He’s been searching the

documents and records we recovered from The Hive, but he’s not
having much luck. Cole is still trying to recover the damaged files
from the computers we confiscated, but it’s been months. If he hasn’t
succeeded by now, I don’t think he’s going to.”

“Cole?”
“He’ll be at The Council meeting. He’s one of Blaise Taylor’s

mates.”

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“Blaise who?”
“The alpha of the Cloud Peak Pack.”
Aspen’s head was spinning, and he didn’t think he’d ever

remember those people, but that wasn’t the important thing. Layke
hadn’t broken his promise. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” They could
have avoided a lot of misunderstanding and heartache if his mate had
been honest with him.

“I didn’t want to disappoint you, sweetheart. What was I supposed

to tell you? That I’m no closer to finding answers than when we
arrived? How can I do that?” His fingertips threaded through Aspen’s
hair, and tenderness softened his features. “I kept putting off the
conversation, hoping that the next time you asked me, I’d have good
news. It was selfish, and I’m sorry.”

His heart melted, and Aspen didn’t care if forgiving the man made

him look weak. He just didn’t have it in him to hold a grudge,
especially with Layke. “It doesn’t matter. Even if we never know
what happened in that lab, you’re still my white knight.” It didn’t
change Layke’s behavior over the past few days, and his lover had a
lot to make up for, but Aspen had finally found his happiness again.
“You will always be my hero.”

“I don’t deserve you.” Layke toyed with a strand of Aspen’s hair

in an absent way. “I feel like I should at least grovel before you
forgive me.”

“Don’t worry, honey. There will be groveling.” A giggle burst

from his lips, and he winked at his mate. “Don’t keep things from me
anymore. Sure, I wish there was more information to find, but I don’t
blame you for that. It’s a little insulting that you thought I would.”

“I know, and I’m sorry.” A coy smile tilted one side of his mouth.

“Is this where the groveling starts?”

“On your knees would be best,” Aspen teased. “C’mon, Layke.

I’m not just going to run away because we had one disagreement.”

“There are some who wouldn’t blame you.”

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“Well, that’s stupid. We’re mated, and I’ll fight for what’s mine.”

Leaning forward, he rubbed their noses together and purred. “Even if
that means I have to fight you for you.”

“No more secrets.” Layke spoke with finality, and he gave a

solemn bow of his head. “You have my word.”

“Good.” There was one more thing they needed to discuss. “In

that case, I think it’s time you tell me what you do know.”

* * * *

Layke’s first instinct was to change the subject, but Aspen was

right. His mate wasn’t a child, nor was he stupid. He’d proven time
and again that he could handle anything the world threw at him, and
this was no exception.

There was no easy way to say it, though. Beating around the bush

with pretty words and implications wouldn’t make the information
any less shocking.

“Stop being a pussy and tell him.” Entering the house through the

front door, Camdin kicked his shoes off and sat them neatly in the
small coat closet.

“Hi, Camdin.” Aspen sat up straighter and waved to their

roommate. “Did you enjoy your run?”

“The air is thick and humid, but it wasn’t bad. I think there’s a

storm coming.” He pulled his sweat-soaked T-shirt off over his head,
sniffed it, and jerked away. “Oh, that’s rank.”

“Nice,” Layke answered with a snort. “And mind your own

business. I was about to tell him.”

“Well, too late now.” Turning around, he pulled the door open.
Layke had heard the approaching vehicle as well, and part of him

wanted to grab Aspen and run away. “Who is it?”

“Aspen, it looks like you have visitors.”
Moments later, several of Aspen’s friends streamed into the

house, yelling their greetings while they hugged Aspen and shot

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Layke nasty looks. “You haven’t come to see us,” Nikola whined.
“We’ve missed you.”

“Yeah, what gives?” Jacobi demanded as he glared at Layke.

“You should have called. We’d have rescued you.”

“Everyone stop!” Aspen threw his hands up and huffed, stomping

back to the sofa and crawling into Layke’s lap. “I do not need to be
rescued. I’m sorry if I worried anyone, but I’ve been…” He trailed off
and glanced over his shoulder with a mischievous wink. “I’ve been
occupied.”

The wolf Enforcer, Creed, stood sentinel by the door with his

hands folded together behind his back. He’d apparently been roped
into playing babysitter for the day, and by his demeanor and
expression, it was clear there was somewhere else he’d much rather
be.

“Homesick?” Layke asked, referring to Cloud Peak. It was noble

of the pack to offer protection to the new Desirables in Haven, but he
imagined the two men who’d been volunteered were ready to get back
to their lives.

“Something like that,” Creed replied. His vague answer was met

with several strange stares, but he didn’t elaborate, and Layke didn’t
feel it was any of his business.

“Okay, everyone shut up,” Aspen snapped. “I’m glad to see you,

but your timing sucks. Layke is about to tell me something. So sit
down and put a lid on it.”

“I love story time!” Jacobi plopped down on the floor, right where

he’d been standing, and propped his chin up on both fists. “Well, go
on then.”

Gods, Layke had forgotten how entertaining the bunch was. He

particularly liked Aspen’s forceful tone, even if it was laced with
humor. Reminding his cock that it wasn’t playtime, he cleared his
throat and waited for everyone to quiet down.

“Aspen, I think, and remember, I’m not sure, but I think you may

have been human before being abducted by that lab.”

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Several gasps and raised eyebrows were directed in Aspen’s

direction, and Layke had to bite back his anger, telling himself they
were only shocked by the news and nothing more. They weren’t
judging his mate, but unfortunately, Aspen didn’t know that.

Shifting uncomfortably under the scrutiny, Aspen cuddled a little

closer to Layke’s chest, trying to make himself as small as possible as
he curled into a ball, tucking his knees under his chin.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, though it was clear he didn’t know what

he was apologizing for or why everyone was staring at him in shock
and outrage.

“Oh, my lovely cherub.” Jacobi was the first to shake off the

disbelief, but the smile he offered was a bit shaky. “Don’t fret. No one
is cross with you.”

It was the rare occasion when Jacobi didn’t have something

sarcastic to add to the conversation, proving that even he understood
the gravity of the situation.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on? Why is it a big

deal if I used to be human?” Aspen wouldn’t unfurl himself from
Layke’s lap, but he did speak loud enough for everyone to hear him.
“I mean, I didn’t even know the paranormal world existed before I
was recruited into the testing facility.”

He shuddered violently and released a whimpering breath. “It’s

okay, melamin. You’re never going back there.” Layke would die
before he let it happen.

“I’m okay.” After a few more deep breaths, Aspen continued. “I

thought all those guys in lab coats were off their rockers at first, but
they slowly convinced me. I’m not discounting the theory, but I don’t
see why it matters.”

“You see,” Camdin answered slowly, “it’s not like the movies.

Paranormals are not turned, created, or whatever else you’d like to
call it. We’re born.”

“Somewhere in our lineage, the gene exists.” Even Layke wasn’t

old enough to know the origins of the supernatural realm, but he

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assumed it was a fascinating story. “For some, like Braxton and
Keeton, it’s dormant. They have no extraordinary abilities—other
than causing trouble—and they can’t shift, but they still carry the
gene.”

“Okay, I guess I’m missing something, because that explanation

fell apart near the end.” His button nose wrinkled, and Aspen wiggled
around until he was facing Layke once again. “Maybe my genes are
dormant, too. That would make sense, right?” He glanced toward his
friends, obviously hoping someone would agree with him. “Right?”

“Your mood swings are unpredictable and inconsistent,” Layke

argued. He didn’t want to upset his lover, but Aspen had wanted the
full truth and nothing but the truth. “You have fangs, and you need to
feed. The fact that these symptoms didn’t manifest until recently also
lends credence to the theory.”

His temples were starting to throb, and he felt like he was running

in circles, chasing his proverbial tail. Having a general idea and
finding proof to his suggestions were two entirely different things.

“I have no idea what you just said. Does anyone here speak

English?” Aspen’s agitation rang through his words, followed by an
irritated growl. “What the hell do you mean I’m ‘inconsistent’
and…and that other thing?”

“Unpredictable,” Jacobi supplied with a toothy grin. “He said you

were unpredictable.”

“Jacobi, you’re not helping.” Then again, at this point, Layke

wasn’t sure anything could.

* * * *

Everyone began talking at once, asking questions or calling out

random obscenities against The Hive. That was all well and good, and
Aspen was glad they’d all found something to finally agree on, but it
wasn’t helpful.

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“Someone answer me, damn it!” His outburst was immediately

followed by a low moan, and he buried his face against the side of
Layke’s neck when his fangs lengthened again. “I hate that.”

Mostly, he’d gotten used to the slight ache that accompanied the

growth of his fangs, but it always hurt so much more when it was
sudden and violent like now. The pain radiated through his jawbone
and up into his cheeks. His whole damn face throbbed like he’d been
waylaid with a baseball bat, and he was beginning to have serious
doubts about the sanity of all those creatures who shifted—especially
the ones who transformed their entire bodies.

“Calm down,” Layke whispered into his ear. “Take deep breaths.

You know how to control it.”

He did—usually—but this anger was uncommon to his state of

being, and he couldn’t make his fangs retract this time. “How do
shifters stand it?”

“Actually…”
Aspen didn’t like the look on Layke’s face, and he had a bad

feeling about that vague beginning. “Just tell me.”

“These uncontrolled reactions, the bloodlust, the territorial

outbursts—Aspen, baby, I think you could be a hybrid.”

“Meaning?” His voice was low and dangerous, but on the inside,

he was a frightened little boy, clinging to the last shred of hope that
Layke was going to give him good news rather than destroy his world.

“I think if you tried, you could shift into an animal.”
“Oh, no, no, fuck no. That is not happening.” Scrambling out of

Layke’s lap, Aspen paced, rubbing his hands up and down his arms to
try to relieve some of the nervous energy bouncing around inside him.
“I can’t do that.”

“Well, I say we go talk to Destin,” Mihail suggested. “He might

not have found anything in those research documents, but he is a
geneticist. Maybe there is some kind of test he could do.”

“Yes,” Aspen answered immediately, stopping in his tracks to

point a finger at Layke. “I want to go see Dr. Woods.”

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“No.” Layke shook his head with a hard set to his jaw. He looked

angry, but the ticking in the corner of his right eye gave him away.

“You already thought of this,” Aspen accused. Layke’s almost

imperceptible wince said he’d done more than thought about it.
“Destin has mentioned it, hasn’t he?”

“There are other ways. I’m not letting anyone perform tests on

you like a fucking guinea pig.”

“That’s not your call to make!” Aspen exploded. He was pretty

passive when it came to making decisions, believing Layke had most
of the answers. Going with the flow and allowing more experienced
people to make the important decisions was fine, but he expected to
be included in choices that involved him. “I’m going to see Destin.”

Shoving up from the sofa, Layke stomped forward to block his

view of the rest of the room, commanding Aspen’s full attention. “I’m
sorry I didn’t tell you, but I don’t like this. There’s too much that
could go wrong.”

“I don’t care.” Jerking his arm away, Aspen nodded toward the

door and addressed his friends. “Can I get a ride to Haven?”

“Just stop,” Layke growled. He ducked his head and pinched the

bridge of his nose, sucking in hair through his open mouth. “I’ll take
you, okay?”

“Guys, I’ll meet you in the car.” His friends nodded their

understanding and filed through the door, promising to wait for him
while he spoke with his mate. “Layke, I’m going.”

“What happened to fighting to stay together?”
“You big idiot, I’m not leaving you.” He was hurt and felt

betrayed, but that didn’t mean he was turning his back on his mate
and never looking back. “I have to do this, though. Layke, I have to
figure out who I am. And the fact of the matter is…I don’t trust you
right now.”

“Aspen, I was just trying to protect you.”
“I know.” Reaching up, he palmed the side of Layke’s face and

stroked the soft skin with his thumb as a tear trickled down his cheek

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for the first time in memory. “I know why you did it, but how am I
supposed to trust you if you keep something this important from me?”
It was especially disheartening because Layke had just promised there
would be no more secrets.

“This is dangerous. It’s more than just drawing some blood or

taking some X-rays. Please, melamin, I can’t let you do this.”

“Actually,” Aspen whispered, walking backward toward the open

door, “you don’t have a choice.” It broke his heart, but it was time he
stood up for himself. “I’ll be fine in Haven, and I’ll see you at The
Council meeting next week.”

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Chapter Twelve

“Aspen, are you sure?” Destin stood to the side of the hospital

bed, fidgeting nervously with his stethoscope. “Layke is going to have
my head for this.”

“I’m sure.” Aspen didn’t want to cause discord between his mate

and the doctor, but he had to figure out what was happening to him. In
the days since he’d left Layke’s house in the woods, his mood swings
had only gotten worse. Some were so bad he’d completely blacked
out, awakening hours later to find people standing over him with
worried expressions. “I have to know.”

Destin had drawn enough blood from him to feed a starving

vampire for a week, and he’d run all the necessary tests. His findings
had been confusing to say the least, and more testing was needed to
get to the core of the problem. According to Aspen’s lab work, he
didn’t even possess demon DNA. Vampire and werewolf genes were
present, however, and a mutated chromosome Dr. Woods had never
seen during the course of his career.

Today, they were trying to find out which gene was dominant,

what this new, mysterious chromosome was, and how it all related to
his change in temperament. “If you’re sure.”

Looking around the room, his heart swelled a little at all the

people who’d gathered to support him. His friends were there, of
course, but also the alpha of the pack, Xander, Oscar’s mate,
Demitrius, and even the wolf Enforcers, Rhodes and Creed, were
there. Partially, it could have been because they were afraid he’d lose
his shit and hurt someone, but he chose to ignore that part.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Let’s do this.”

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“Well, we already know that you enjoy feeding, though it seems

you can go extended periods without blood sans any negative
consequences.” Destin ran a hand through his dark hair and huffed.
“Normally, I’d say this means the werewolf gene is dominant, but
you’ve never shifted.”

“Okay, and?” He was already aware of this, and he wanted to get

on to the new stuff. “What are we going to do about it?”

Destin coughed and shuffled his feet, looking very reluctant to

continue. He even pulled at his shirt collar, and Aspen thought people
only did that in movies. “Well, we, that is, you are going to try to
shift.”

“You’ve lost your damn mind.” He imagined the pain he felt from

his canines lengthening would pale in comparison to a full-body shift.
Bravery wasn’t one of his virtues, nor did he fancy himself a
masochist. No, he couldn’t do this.

“If you’ve been suppressing the beast, it could contribute to

changes in your attitude, and these violent upswings in territorial
aggressiveness. You said they’ve been getting worse?”

Aspen nodded reluctantly. Fuck, he was going to have to do this.

“Yes,” he mumbled. “It’s getting worse.”

“The full moon is tomorrow night,” Mihail added. “We’re all

feeling a little on edge.”

“Werewolves can’t be away from their mates on the full moon.”

Nikola shrugged when all eyes turned on him. “I heard one of the
Enforcers talking about it. They’ll go crazy with rage and chew
through steel bars to get to their chosen ones.”

“We need to figure this out before then.” Destin settled down on

the side of the bed beside Aspen. “Meeting Layke triggered these
urges in you. I don’t know why, but I think you need to claim him.
Once you seal that bond, things should settle back to normal.”

“And I have to shift to claim him,” Aspen deduced. “How

dangerous is it?”

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“Your werewolf gene is mutated. I can’t be positive yet, but I’m

willing to go on record saying you were human before stepping into
that lab.” Taking Aspen’s hand, he held it in both of his own, his
expression becoming somber. “Humans aren’t meant to shift. Their
bodies just aren’t compatible. I truly have no idea what will happen,
but attempting this transition has the potential to be extremely
dangerous.”

“Aspen,” Mihail implored, “honey, you don’t have to do this.”
He could shift and risk dying, or he could not shift, not claim his

mate, and risk destroying everyone he cared about, everyone who had
stood by his side. There was no noticeable change in his appearance,
but he was getting stronger. He shuddered to think what he might do
during one of his blackouts, especially if his condition caused him to
spontaneously shift one day.

No, he wasn’t brave, had never done one selfless thing in his

whole existence. Everyone wanted the chance to be a hero just once,
though, and if this was as close as he could get, he’d sacrifice himself
to save the people he loved.

“I’ll do it.” The only problem was that he didn’t have the first clue

of how to accomplish his objective. “What do I do?”

“We’re going to have to jumpstart the shift.” Destin winced, and

he wouldn’t meet Aspen’s gaze. “I won’t lie. It’s going to hurt.”

“Why can’t we just give him the Inducers?” Mihail shook off

Nikola’s hold on his arm and stepped forward.

Destin shook his head. “It won’t work.”
“How do you know?” Mihail argued. “Try it.”
“Fuck!” Aspen yelped and grabbed his leg when Destin stabbed

the top of his thigh with a needle. “What was that for?”

“Hush.” The doctor capped the needle and tossed the empty

syringe onto a tray. Then he held his wrist up, staring intently at his
watch while he mumbled under his breath. “And…time.” Destin
looked at Mihail and arched one eyebrow. “Happy?”

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Aspen sure as hell wasn’t happy, but he figured the sting of the

needle would be nothing to what was coming. Everyone needed to
stop talking and just do something before he lost his nerve. “Do it.
Stop wasting time and just do it.”

“Are you sure?”
Aspen growled at the doctor. “Do you want me to sign a waiver in

blood? I said I’m sure.” He didn’t mean to be snippy, but he was
scared, and he really wished Layke was there with him. Then again,
the elder would probably be climbing the walls right then, ranting,
raving, and refusing to let Aspen go through with it.

A few minutes later, a dozen different wires were connected to

various parts of his body, charging him with low levels of electrical
currents. “Are you ready?” Destin approached him, holding two
defibrillator paddles, one in each hand.

Fisting his hands at his sides, Aspen nodded resolutely. “Go.”
The metal was cold against his bare chest, and Aspen stared up at

the ceiling, praying to anyone who would listen that he’d make it
through this. The first shock was torture, pure, unrelenting agony. His
teeth clamped together, grinding into powder, and his eyes rolled back
in his head as his body convulsed on the mattress.

“Again,” he ordered, fisting his hands into the sheets. Something

was happening. His skin tingled and his insides vibrated like
something was trying to break free. “Do it!”

The next shock to his chest lifted him off the mattress, bowing his

spine so that his shoulders pressed into the hospital bed. His screams
echoed off the stone walls of the infirmary, bouncing back to him,
fueling the fire that burned in his gut. “Again!”

“Aspen, that’s enough,” Mihail pleaded with him. “No more.”
“Again!”
The next shock of the paddles was like an explosion, a bomb

detonating inside his body. His heart raced like the tap, tap, tap of a
machine gun, pounding up into his throat with such violence his chest
actually shook. His eyes rolled back in his head, and his canines

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dropped with enough force to pierce his bottom lip. Fire engulfed him
as his body melted and reformed, reshaping his bone alignment and
muscle tone.

Conscious thought drifted away, replaced by a primal urge to run,

hunt, and fuck. The most prominent thought in his mind, however,
was his mate, and Aspen needed to find him. He wasn’t scared
anymore, and he wasn’t just missing Layke. The raging desire to
touch, taste, and inhale every inch of his lover caused him pain that
only his mate could soothe.

Flipping himself off the bed, he crouched low to the ground, a

feral growl falling from his snarling lips. He’d been wrong about one
thing, though. It didn’t hurt. The transition didn’t cause him pain.

It felt amazing.
The strength, the raw, unadulterated power was a high he never

wanted to come down from. His muscles doubled in size, and his
bones shattered, realigned, and knitted themselves back together.
Daggerlike talons sprouted from the end of his fingers and toes,
several inches long and wickedly sharp. By the time the
transformation was complete, he towered over the other men in the
room, snarling and panting as his chest heaved.

“Holy shit,” Destin breathed. “I don’t believe it.”
The words meant little to Aspen. He had to find his mate, and that

was the only thing that mattered. With a loud roar, he bounded across
the room, ripped the door from its hinges, and charged up the stairs,
prepared to fight anyone who stood in his way.

* * * *

He’d fucked up. He’d lied, and though he’d done it to protect his

mate, Layke was now paying for his rash judgment. There wasn’t
anything he wouldn’t give to take it back, and if he had it to do all
over again, he’d be honest with Aspen from the start. If his mate ever
forgave him, Layke vowed to never again lie or withhold information,

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even if it was about something as unremarkable as who ate the last
cookie from the jar.

He’d been alive for approximately four hundred and thirty-eight

thousand days, but the last three were the most miserable he’d ever
spent. There were countless nights he’d spent alone, but it had never
felt so lonely. His bed was cold, empty, and unwelcoming, leading
him to sleep on the sofa since Aspen had left.

The misery was deserved, though, and he’d respected Aspen’s

wishes, though every part of him screamed to charge into Haven, find
his lover, and beg forgiveness. It was only two more days until The
Council meeting. Only two more days until he could see Aspen, touch
him, kiss his sweet lips, and tell him all the things he’d never gotten
the chance to say.

Lost inside his own turmoil, he didn’t hear the vehicle approach,

didn’t realize he had visitors until the pounding on the front door
shook the whole wall. “Layke! Layke, open up!”

“Destin?” Panic constricted his chest, and he launched off the

sofa, lunging for the door. “What happened?” he demanded once he’d
wrenched open the door.

“We have a problem.”
“What happened?” he repeated, ice seeping into his tone.
“Aspen just went crazy.” The doctor pushed his way inside with

Creed right behind him. “He’s gone.”

Layke didn’t know why the Enforcer was there, and he didn’t

really care. Aspen was okay…in a way. “What did you do?”

“He’s not a demon.” Destin sounded as panicked as Layke felt.

“He’s some kind of hybrid—vampire and werewolf. There’s more,
though.”

Vampire-werewolf hybrids weren’t that uncommon. “What’s the

problem?”

“When he shifted, his coat, Layke, it was white.”
“That’s not possible.” There were no werewolves with white pelts.

Moonlighters were unique to the shifter races. It just couldn’t happen.

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“I saw it,” Creed added. “It’s true.”
“It’s not a curse.” The words were quiet, and he spoke mostly to

himself. It was hard to dispel a lifetime of rumors and legend in a
matter of seconds, but that was the only explanation he had. The curse
of the Moonlighters wasn’t a curse at all.

“No,” Destin agreed. “It’s in their DNA, an extra, enhanced

chromosome. I don’t know what it means yet, but I can prove it.”

He wanted to sigh, to groan, or to even close his eyes, pinch the

bridge of his nose, and just hope it would relieve some of the pressure
building in his temples. Layke did none of that, though.

Destin and Creed were giving him that look. Slightly elevated

eyebrows, slacked mouths, and relaxed postures as they leaned toward
him in expectation—it was an expression he’d seen directed his way
many times over the years. The men didn’t want to hear that he had
no idea what this new discovery meant. They didn’t care that he was
just as unsure or worried as they were.

What they wanted were answers, and for whatever reason, they’d

decided that Layke could give them just that. Lucky for him, he was
finished caring what people thought of him. He was done trying to
uphold an image he’d never wanted in the first place. Right then, all
he cared about was finding his mate and bringing him home.
“Where’s Aspen?”

“We don’t know.” Shaking himself as though coming out of a

trance, Destin fisted one hand in his dark hair and began to pace the
living room. “I induced the shift.”

“You gave him Inducers?”
“I tried, but they wouldn’t work. We…well, I shocked him.”

Destin winced when Layke growled. “That worked, and he shifted.
Then he snarled at everyone, ripped the door out of the damn wall,
and disappeared. We’ve looked everywhere, but no one has found
him.”

“And you didn’t think to call me?”

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“We did.” Creed gave him a pointed look. “It only works if you

answer it, though.”

Hell, Layke couldn’t even recall the last time he’d seen his cell

phone. Right then, that was the least of his worries, though. He had
more questions, and someone was going to give him some goddamn
answers.

“Why do you seem so surprised?” he asked Destin. “You worked

for the lab. You conducted the experiments. How could you have not
known about the chromosome?” Anger grew hot in his gut the more
he thought about it. All this time, Destin had known, and he’d never
bothered to tell anyone.

The doctor took a step back, folded his arms over his slender

chest, and arched one sculpted eyebrow. “I did physical exams on the
patients, but I never did DNA mapping of the Moonlighters. You can
tuck that self-righteous bullshit right back into the pocket you dragged
it out from.” His posture relaxed slightly, and he dropped his hands to
his sides. “I was recruited to create pharmaceuticals that effectively
worked with the biology of different paranormal species.”

Layke was wound tight and not thinking clearly. The only excuse

he had for his unfounded accusations was that he couldn’t stop
worrying about Aspen. His mate was somewhere out in the night,
alone and possibly scared. Aspen needed him, and once again, Layke
had let him down.

That wasn’t Destin’s fault, though, and he had no right to take out

his feelings of self-loathing on the elf. “You’ve proven yourself, and I
shouldn’t have doubted you. I’m sorry, Destin.”

“I understand.” The doctor waved away his apology. “I’d be a

mess if it was my mate, and I’m surprised you’re holding it together
as well as you are.”

The snap of twigs in the forest behind his house drew his

attention, and Layke held his hand up for quiet. Tilting his head to the
side, he slid closer to the kitchen, straining to hear more. Quiet

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growls, soft panting, and the thud of footsteps sounded from deep in
the trees, moving closer, striding toward them at a determined gait.

“I think I just found him.”
Camdin chose that moment to plod down the hallway, wearing

nothing but a pair of sweats slung low on his hips. His hair was in
disarray, tangled all over his head, and he stared at Layke with a
sleepy gaze. “Did you know there’s a werewolf in the woods?”

“Get out.” Heightened aggression was only one effect the lunar

cycle had on werewolves, and with a newly turned pup, there was no
telling what could happen. As Aspen’s mate, Layke was the safest
person in the state, but he couldn’t promise the same for the others,
especially not if his lover viewed them as a threat. “Seriously, you all
have to go.”

Camdin just grumbled at him. “I’m going back to bed.”
“You know I love you like a brother, but get the fuck out if you

don’t want to be mauled.”

The fae shrugged. “It’ll be the most action I’ve seen in years.”
“Cam!”
“Fine.” His friend rolled his eyes and stomped toward their guests.

“C’mon. Let’s go before this gets messy.”

Layke didn’t know what to expect, but he imagined clothes

wouldn’t be necessary for what was coming. If Aspen was this
desperate to find him, it wasn’t because he wanted a nice chat.
Judging by the increased volume of the footsteps stomping through
the forest, he had only minutes to prepare for his lover’s arrival.

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Chapter Thirteen

Slowing as he neared the back door of the bungalow with its

softly glowing windows, Aspen threw his head back and howled at
the cresting moon. His heart thundered a quick staccato against his
ribs, pounding out an eternal rhythm that beat just for the man beyond
that door.

He’d stopped for a drink near the stream a few miles back, and

he’d been momentarily stunned by his appearance. His sheer size
amazed him, as well as the soft white hair that covered his arms and
legs. His torso, however, all the way down to his hard, throbbing cock
was completely human, though much larger than his regular five-foot
frame.

His face looked mostly familiar, though the bright blue of his

irises had been replaced by deep amber. The ebony locks that had
once adorned his head were longer, and their darkness was now
silvery white. His lips were slightly swollen, parted by deadly fangs
that glistened in the moonlight. Still, the rest of his visage remained
largely unchanged.

Part of him wondered if Layke would even recognize him. If he

did, would he be frightened? Disgusted? Well, he was about to find
out, because the beast inside him hungered for their mate, and it
wouldn’t let him just walk away.

Turning the knob and pushing open the back door, Layke’s scent

slammed into him like a wrecking ball, nearly dropping him to his
knees. His nostrils flared, his fingers curled and unfurled, and his
belly tightened in anticipation.

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Prowling deeper into the kitchen, he vaguely registered the

clicking of his claws against the linoleum. “Layke?” Aspen pressed
his lips together and tilted his head to the side, unnerved by the raspy
quality of his voice.

“Hello, melamin.”
And there he was. His beautiful, kind, and perfect mate stood

framed in the doorway, his gloriously bare skin illuminated by the
moonlight that filtered in through the kitchen windows. Power surged
through Aspen, coupled with a consuming urgency that propelled him
forward into his lover’s arms.

It didn’t matter that he was twice Layke’s size in this form. It

didn’t matter that he could easily break the elf in half with barely
more than a thought. Layke was his home, his comfort, and the only
place he felt safe.

Lifting the man into his arms, he walked them down the hall

toward their bedroom, nuzzling against the side of Layke’s neck.

“There you are, sweetheart.” Layke caressed his hair and petted

his cheek in slow, soothing strokes. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered,
skimming his nose along the shell of Aspen’s ear. “I’ve missed you so
much, my love.”

Aspen had missed the man as well, more than words could

describe, especially in his current state. Even if he’d wanted to
express how miserable he’d been without Layke, all he could think
was, “Mine, need, mine, need.”

Kicking their bedroom door open, he went straight to the king-

sized bed, knelt at the end of the mattress, and gently spread his lover
across the golden comforter. Aspen’s emotions were all over the map,
as wild and untamed as the raging sea. Lust, love, hunger, thirst—the
lines blurred until everything melted into one driving force—need.

Velvety skin was laid before him like an offering of the most

succulent buffet, and Aspen didn’t even know where to begin. He was
still adjusting to his new body, and he didn’t have much control yet.

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His hands looked so big against Layke’s chest, and he feared touching
the man, afraid of the damage his talons could do.

The anxiety must have shown in his hesitancy to proceed, because

Layke smiled, reached between them, and fisted Aspen’s leaking
cock. “It’s okay, Aspen. Just do what feels right.” From root to tip, he
massaged the throbbing length, squeezing around the head and
dipping his thumb into the slit. “You won’t hurt me.” With his free
hand, he guided Aspen’s fingers over his tight sac and along his
crease. “See?”

Hard and unyielding, the square base of the butt plug both

intrigued and stunned Aspen. Careful of his claws, he gripped the
rigid silicone and twisted, nudging the toy deeper into Layke’s
channel. A rumble of approval vibrated through his chest at his mate’s
breathy moan, but there was also a sense of reverence seeing Layke
sprawled on his back, willingly offering his submission.

It didn’t matter that Aspen had never been on the giving end

before. Instincts had gotten him this far, and he trusted they would
lead him through the next steps. It was so hard to think straight,
though, when all he wanted to do was mount his lover and fuck him
into oblivion.

Twisting and turning his wrist, Aspen pumped the plug in and out

of Layke’s opening, stretching the ring of muscles. Needful yet
undemanding, Layke writhed beneath him, digging his heels into the
mattress and rocking his hips, fucking himself on the toy. As his ass
swallowed the clear phallus, Aspen almost swallowed his tongue.

Layke’s hand surrounded his cock once again, slicking the shaft

from root to tip with a generous amount of gel. “I’m ready, Aspen.”
Then he wrapped his arms around Aspen’s neck, pulling him closer
until their chests pressed together.

Growling from the exquisite feel of skin against warm skin, Aspen

removed the plug with as much care as he could muster, which
admittedly was very little. Tossing it aside, he grasped his dick, lining

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the engorged tip up with his mate’s entrance, and surged forward,
shuddering clear down to his toes.

Great fuck, he’d never felt anything like it. Layke’s hot, tight

walls surrounded him, molding to his cock like a glove. It was too
much, too intense, and Aspen had to move before he shattered into a
million pieces.

Flexing his hips, he tried to begin slowly, to show a little

tenderness, but the beast within him wouldn’t allow it. Dark,
dangerous desire swelled in his chest and coursed through his blood,
demanding he claim what was his. With a snarling groan, he arched
back until only the flared crown remained, paused for a single
heartbeat, and then slammed back home.

What started as fast and hard only grew in intensity until they

were both panting and moaning, rocking together with enough force
to move the bed across the floor. Layke met each of his forceful
thrusts, urging him on with a biting grip on his waist and another hand
tangled in his hair.

“Mine.”
“Yours,” Layke panted, falling back to the pillow and turning his

head to the side, baring the side of his throat. “Always yours.”

The surrender was exactly what Aspen needed to push him over

the edge, and he buried himself to the root inside his lover’s snug
channel, filling his depths with hot, sticky semen. Still shaking with
aftershocks, he did the only thing that made sense to him. He pierced
the soft skin at the apex of Layke’s shoulder, embedding his canines
to the gums.

Layke’s cry echoed around the room, deep, guttural, and filled

with passion. His body stiffened, going completely rigid as he clung
to Aspen and shuddered. Wet heat splashed over Aspen’s belly,
soaking his skin and dripping between the grooves of his abdominal
muscles.

The first taste of blood on his tongue was heaven and hell, fire and

ice. It was the most wonderful thing in the universe, sweeter than any

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nectar of the gods. It both burned his tongue and soothed his parched
throat, and by the third swallow, Aspen could feel his body changing.

The process took much longer in reverse, but eventually, he

returned to his usual form. Curled against his mate’s chest, he licked
lazily at his mating mark, feeling quite smug with himself. When
more minutes passed and Layke didn’t say anything, however, Aspen
grew worried.

“Are you okay? Was I too rough?” He didn’t want to hurt anyone,

but he’d never forgive himself for hurting Layke.

“No, melamin. You were amazing, and I’m right as rain.”
Pushing up on his elbow, Aspen searched Layke’s face for the

truth. “I’m sorry I left.” The minute he’d walked out the door, he’d
wanted to come back. “You don’t even know how much I’ve missed
you.”

Layke grinned as he tucked a strand of hair behind Aspen’s ear. “I

think I have an idea.” The smiled faded, and his expression became
deadly serious. “I need you to come home now. You’ve found your
answers, and I’m so proud of you, but I can’t take this anymore. I
fucked up, and I’ll do whatever you want to make it up to you. I’ll
crawl through broken glass if it will prove how sorry I am, but I need
you here with me.”

“Yes.” Tears stung the corners of his eyes, and Aspen couldn’t

care less. “We can stay here. We can go back to the island. We can
live in the middle of the Sahara for all I care.”

“Where do you want to live?” Layke touched him everywhere as

though he couldn’t stop himself. A pat here, a gentle brush of
fingertips there, but his hands were constantly moving. “I just want
you to be happy.”

“I won’t lie. I want to go back to the island.”
“Good. I like it there, too.” His smile returned, and Layke grabbed

Aspen’s face, pulling him down into a toe-curling kiss. “Yes, I’ve
definitely missed this.”

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“Layke…” His heart pounded, his palms began to sweat, and

something akin to panic tightened his stomach. Aspen had to say it,
though. It was on the tip of his tongue, building until it would burst
from his lips if he tried to keep it in any longer. “Layke, I love you.”

“You are my everything,” Layke whispered. “Everyone thinks I

have all the answers, and sometimes I do. When it comes to
relationships, though, I’m just as clueless as the rest of them. I’m
going to fuck up. There will be times when you want to strangle me.”
He paused to kiss Aspen’s lips again and chuckled. “I’m sure I’ll
spend plenty of nights on the couch, but I can promise you one thing.”

“What promise?”
“No one will ever love you like I do.”
Of that, Aspen had no doubt, but it wasn’t like he had plans of

looking for someone else. He’d found exactly what he wanted, held it
right in his hands, and he was never going to let go.

* * * *

Through various methods of trial and error, under carefully

controlled testing, they’d discovered a plethora of things about
Aspen’s condition. First, he was allergic to both gold and silver. He
didn’t need blood to survive, but it did help to keep him calm and
happy. Plus, it was a bit like taking a B12 vitamin, giving him a boost
of energy.

He had shifted again on the full moon, and this time, he hadn’t

been able to control it. The transition was much more natural,
however, and it hadn’t been nearly as traumatic as the first time. Still,
Aspen was grateful that he only had to endure it once a month.

When he’d first claimed Layke, there hadn’t been any great

epiphany or blinding light. Honestly, he hadn’t felt much different at
all. It was over the course of the next couple of days when he began
noticing the changes.

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He could scent Layke from several hundred yards away. More

than that, he could feel the elf. All that talk of magical energy finally
made sense. He could also feel Layke’s emotions, which had been
strange at first, but he was getting used to it. When his lover was
happy, Aspen was happy. When Layke was frustrated or annoyed,
Aspen was hard pressed to control his anger. When his man was
horny, however, well, it was a wonder they hadn’t set the house on
fire a time or two.

With each passing day, he felt a little more connected to his mate,

felt the fabric of their mating bond knitting them closer together.
Layke surmised the gradual growth of the bond was because of
Aspen’s “turned” state, but with no precedence on the matter, no one
could really be sure.

So far, they couldn’t communicate telepathically. That was one of

the perks Aspen had really been looking forward to, but he held hope
that it would come in time. They’d run every test under the sun, but so
far, they hadn’t gained much from their findings. The good news was
that the shift hadn’t caused any adverse effects on Aspen—apart from
one significant detail.

For whatever reason, his change had completely stopped the aging

process, leaving him forever and always with his twenty-year-old
body. Somehow, Aspen couldn’t quite summon the proper level of
concern about that.

“Are you ready?”
Aspen lifted his head and smiled at his lover from the sofa. “I’m

ready.” They were holding the meeting at The Council house in
Casper with only the elders, their mates, and Kristoff in attendance.
Directly after the meeting, they were heading to the airport for a red-
eye flight back to Silmataurea, and Aspen couldn’t be happier.

The only dark shadow was that all of his friends wouldn’t be

returning with him this time. Mihail and Nikola had decided to stay in
Haven, but Jacobi was returning to the island, and Zuriel would be
there waiting when they got back. Plus, everyone else had agreed to

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visit when they could, and Layke had promised Aspen could
accompany him anytime he needed to return to the States for Council
business.

“Move your cute little ass. We don’t want to keep everyone

waiting.” Layke took his outstretched hand and hauled him up from
the cushions.

“Bossy,” Aspen teased.
“Brat.”
“Control freak.”
“Diva.”
Aspen giggled as he exited the house and waved to Camdin who

was already waiting in the SUV for them. “You know what?”

“What’s that?”
“I love you.”
Layke snorted and slapped him on the ass. “I love you, too, but

you’re still a brat.”

* * * *

After a long-winded speech with lots of praise for Kristoff’s

efforts to right his wrongs, Layke finally had no choice but to leave
the decision up to his fellow Council members. Surprisingly, it had
taken them only ten minutes to deliberate and reach a unanimous vote
in favor of granting the goblin a Council seat.

They’d all agreed the establishment of two new refuges was an

excellent idea, and Camdin had proposed a full budget meeting the
following month to allocate funds for both projects. Kristoff’s
announcement that he planned to donate a large sum of money to the
projects had gone over like a chocolate fountain in an obstetrician’s
office. In other words, the elders had damn near wet their pants with
glee.

That left only one other topic on the floor, and it was the one

Layke was least enthusiastic to discuss. However, it couldn’t be

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avoided. “As most of you have heard by now, we have even bigger
problems with this lab. Aspen was told by The Hive that he was a
demon. However, Dr. Woods has concluded that he is in fact a
vampire-werewolf hybrid.”

He wiggled his fingers for Aspen to join him and curled an arm

around his shoulders. “He is also a Moonlighter, the only known
white-coated werewolf in existence.”

“What?” Shocked gasps went around the room. “How is this

possible?” Blaise demanded. The alpha of the Cloud Peak Pack—and
newly appointed shifter representative—had a true investment in
finding that answer. “What does it mean?”

“Aspen’s blood work suggests that he was human before The

Hive began toying with his DNA.” Pausing, mostly for dramatic
effect, Layke waited until all eyes were on him to finish. “It appears
that the Moonlight Breed curse is actually just an extra mutated
chromosome.”

“What does it mean?” Blaise repeated. “Can it be suppressed? Can

we alter it? Why is it even there?”

“Dr. Woods is doing what he can to find out, but it’s a

complicated process.”

“I don’t understand.” Blaise tangled his fingers in his shaggy hair

and tugged. “How does mutated DNA correspond with the
Moonlighters’ freaky magic?”

“I don’t have all the answers, Blaise.” Here came something he

hadn’t even told his mate. “I may know where we can find them,
though.”

“Where?”
“Keep in mind that I said ‘may.’ There’s legend that a pack of

immortal Moonlighters live in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It’s
legend, because no one has ever been able to find them. Some say
they’re just a myth.”

“I find there is always a measure of truth in legends.” Camdin

offered a coy grin. “When do we start looking?”

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“I’ll gather a team,” Blaise added. “They can leave as early as

next week.”

“And we’ll designate a task force to search out remaining

employees of The Hive,” Torren, the Magicks representative,
claimed. “This has to stop now. Too many people have been hurt.”

“I don’t think it would be a bad idea to look into the ancient

archives as well,” Camdin suggested. “It may not give us much, but
we could get some information.”

“Well, we’re going to have to find the archives first.” Torren

sighed and pushed his dark hair back from his face. “This is a
goddamn mess. I think we need to take things a step at a time for now,
starting with these shifters and The Hive.”

Layke couldn’t have agreed more about The Hive, but he didn’t

care about immortal shifters or finding a cure. He was taking his mate
back to the elf island where he’d be hidden and protected. There he
would oversee the expansion of the new refuge, and if fate smiled on
them, they’d live happily ever after.

“We’ll leave you to it, then. I’d like updates on your progress, and

I’ll check in with weekly reports from the island. Is there anything
else?”

Everyone seemed engrossed with the news of the Moonlighters,

though. After a brief round of farewells, Layke escorted Aspen from
the house, slipped into the waiting SUV, and instructed the driver to
take them to the airstrip on the far edge of the property where Jacobi
was meeting them.

“Are you happy to be going home?”
“Yeah,” Aspen answered with a huge grin. “It’s home, and I miss

it.”

“Agreed.”
Layke had waited a long time to find his mate, but he’d been

searching almost as long for a real home. In just a few short weeks,
he’d been blessed with both, and it was a bit scary.

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The responsibility alone was nearly crippling on some days, but it

was time he accepted one fundamental fact. As much as he wanted to
be a regular guy—he wasn’t. He never would be. People looked to
him for leadership, and whether he liked it or not, it was a role he
filled well.

When they slowed to a stop near the tarmac, Layke turned to

Aspen, tilted his lover’s chin up, and kissed his lips slow and easy.
“Are you ready, sweetheart?”

“I’m ready.” His eyes said he understood the intended meaning of

the question and was ready not only to return to the island but for the
next step of their relationship. “Let’s go home, Layke.”

Layke couldn’t have put it better himself. Sliding out of the car,

he waited for Aspen to join him, took his lover’s hand, and brought it
to his lips. “I’m going to love you a little more every day. I hope
you’re okay with that, Aspen Winters.”

“What did you say?” His eyes were wide and shimmering as he

lifted his free hand to cover his mouth. “What did you call me?”

Layke hoped he hadn’t overstepped his boundaries and screwed

up yet again. He’d seen how heartbroken Aspen had been that night in
Spiro’s kitchen. They’d talked about it some, and he knew Aspen felt
having a surname by default didn’t count, didn’t provide him with a
real identity.

Pulling a sheet of folded paper from his back pocket, he carefully

unfolded the page and passed it to his mate. “I can’t take away all the
bad memories, but I’ll do everything I can to help you build new,
better ones. I thought a new name for a new home would give you a
fresh start.” He fisted his hands at his sides to keep from fidgeting.
“No pressure, of course. If you don’t like it, that’s okay. I can change
it back.”

“Don’t you dare.” Tossing the paper to the ground, Aspen dove

into his arms and attacked his mouth with blazing passion. Their
tongues met and dueled, and by the time they pulled apart Layke was
gasping for air. “I am honored to be Aspen Winters, and I love you so

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much for doing this for me. I promise to make you proud to be my
mate.” The radiant smile on his lips was so full of life and happiness
that Layke couldn’t resist basking in the glow for just a moment.

“I love you, Aspen,” he finally answered. “I couldn’t be prouder

to be your mate if I tried.” Backing away from the vehicle, he pulled
Aspen along with him, watching his entire future play out in the
shining depths of his mate’s eyes. “Let’s go home.”

THE END

WWW.GABRIELLEEVANS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gabrielle Evans grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma.

We are talking one red light that may or may not work depending on
the day of the week. She married her high school sweetheart and the
rest is pretty much history. They have two very active boys and one
high-strung wiener dog that keeps her constantly on the go. For now,
she parks her car in central Indiana, but who knows what tomorrow
will bring.

Gabrielle believes in love at first sight, falling hard and fast,

taking chances, and grabbing your happy-ever-after with both hands.
Most importantly, she believes that a great cup of coffee can cure
anything.

For all titles by Gabrielle Evans, please visit