Loving Leif
Moon Pack, book 12
Amber Kell
Loving Leif
Amber Kell
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2014 by Amber Kell
This Edition: May 2014
Cover design: Meredith Russell
Editors: Erika Orrick, Jason Bradley
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole
or in part, without express written permission. This book cannot be copied in any format,
sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file
sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee. Such action is illegal and in violation
of Copyright Law.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark
owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
GM: Corvette
Glock, Inc.: Glock
Dedication
For my dragon-loving ménage fans.
Prologue
Rhaegarpaced from one end of his treasure-filled cave to the other, his tail slashing
right and left as he walked. Even the happy crunch of gold coins beneath his claws didn’t
induce its usual burst of joy.
“Is it too much to want a mate?” he asked the piles of gems and precious metals
about him.
He wasn’t surprised when they didn’t answer.
Despite being the oldest of his kind, Rhaegar still hadn’t found anyone to share his
cave with. He’d tried. He’d even spent years bedding every eligible dragon in his clutch
—some of them more than once, just to be certain.
Nothing.
Centuries came and went, and he still hadn’t come any closer to finding a
companion. Maybe the Fae King would keep his promise to help Rhaegar find his mate.
Past experiences with the Fae didn’t make him optimistic that they would keep their end
of any bargain. However, King Kylen had honest eyes and the love of a wolf shifter. If
nothing else, the Fae King would follow through because he wouldn’t want to be shown
as a liar in front of his mate. The fae were always more concerned with their reputation
than reality.
Rhaegar wanted a relationship like the King had with his strong wolf, a partner
who would stand by his side. None of the dragons in the mountain had proven to be the
right match. Although they were fine for occasional romps in the treasure trove, they
weren’t his forever lover. He wished their clutch still had a seer to guide him, but the last
one had died over two hundred years ago, and she’d never been particularly helpful. She
hadn’t even foreseen her own death.
“You have a visitor, my lord.” A deep rumbly voice interrupted Rhaegar’s isolation.
He spun around to find his second-in-command, Hartmut, standing at Rhaegar’s cave
entrance in his human form. Hart was his oldest friend and right-hand helper. In matters
of interspecies relations, Hart always had the inside track. The fae might think this world
was theirs, but the dragons only let them run it because they themselves weren’t an
ambitious race. A good cave with lots of treasure kept dragons happy. Besides, if they
didn’t have the Fae, where would they get all their gold?
“Who’s visiting?” Rhaegar forced his attention back to Hart’s statement, pretending
to show interest.
Hart curled his lip, revealing a sharp fang. “The Fae King. At least he brought his
mate with him.”
The dragons as a whole disliked the Fae for an ancient betrayal between the species.
The long chain of corrupt Fae Kings hadn’t helped relations any. The bright honesty in
Farro’s eyes soothed some of Rhaegar’s instinctive distrust of the new High Fae King.
Rhaegar was withholding full approval of the royal until Kylen had ruled for a few
centuries, though. The last king hadn’t been too bad before he turned insane.
“Good, I like Farro.”
Hart grunted. “Who wouldn’t? I saw his pup in the woods yesterday; he’s fucking
adorable. I sent word that harming the halfling is an automatic death sentence.”
“Good.” Any species would rethink that approach if the pup had dragon protection.
“Go ahead and allow the Fae King passage.”
Rhaegar closed his eyes and concentrated on transforming from dragon to human.
He didn’t particularly enjoy his human shape. The weak protection of his bipedal flesh
was a poor comparison to his mighty scales. However, he didn’t wish the Fae King to be
uncomfortable, and remaining a dragon might be considered an act of aggression. At this
time, Rhaegar needed King Kylen’s help if he wished to find a mate. He might not like
the idea of having a fae partner, but since none of the dragons were his mate, he had to
expand his search.
“Greetings, Rhaegar.” Kylen took two steps into the cave before giving a low,
graceful bow.
Farro nodded, the proper greeting from one shifter to another when they weren’t in
the same hierarchy.
“Greetings, Fae King and King Mate. What brings you to my lowly
accommodations?”
Farro snorted. “If by lowly you mean blindingly wealthy, I’d have to agree with
you.”
“I thought we’d agreed I’d do the talking,” Kylen scolded in an affectionate tone.
Farro folded his arms across his chest. “Sorry, oh mighty king, please continue.”
Rhaegar threw back his head and laughed, the sound echoing across the cave. “It is
nice to see you two again. How may I help you?”
He doubted the two royals traipsed up the mountain for a purely social call.
“It is more what we can do for you,” Kylen corrected. “We’re throwing a coronation
party to celebrate joining the two kingdoms together. Since most of the Fae will be
together in one place, I thought it would be a good time for you and a few of your
companions to come and see if you can find your mates.”
“And what will we have to do in return?” Nothing came for free. Despite their
agreement, this was almost too good to be true.
“Make sure I’m not killed at my own party.” Kylen flashed Rhaegar a wry grin.
“Most of the Fae are on my side, but there’s always someone who thinks their favorite fae
can do a better job. I need protection against them since I don’t know who to trust yet.
People who guarded my back as a fellow soldiers might be just as likely to shove a sword
through me now.”
Farro growled softly. “If anyone tries to hurt you, I will rip out their throat.”
“That won’t help me if they’ve already killed me, love. And I won’t put you in
danger too. We can’t leave our son without his fathers.”
“And you trust me?” Rhaegar didn’t bother to keep the surprise out of his voice.
Watching over the King was a big responsibility, and not one he thought they’d give a
dragon they barely knew.
“You don’t have anything to gain by my death.”
Kylen didn’t add that Rhaegar had a lot to lose if an assassination attempt on Kylen
succeeded. Dragonkin might not be as lucky with the next Fae King. There had been
some battles in the past in which both sides had lost a lot of people for no particular
reason other than the Fae King wanted a war.
“True.” Rhaegar grinned. “I’ll be happy to come help out.”
He could think of several dragonkin who’d love to visit the Fae palace to seek their
mates. Rhaegar wasn’t the only dragon waiting to find his other half. After the royals
left, Rhaegar spent the rest of the afternoon daydreaming about finding his mate.
Chapter One
Leif swooped across the field, tilting his wings to the right to take another aerial
pass. He idly swirled in a tight loop as he examined the ground below. He’d followed the
mutants into the trees, but they’d disappeared beneath the heavy foliage. Gliding lower,
he landed on a branch as close to the mutants as he dared. He’d been watching Flen, the
leader of the downtown mutants, for several days now. He didn’t trust him not to start
something with the Moon Pack.
Although this small cell of mutants was happy with their new form, they resented
the Moon Pack’s established territory. Leif suspected they still worshipped Lorus Korl,
the Fae scientist who had created them, and supported his goals of taking over the world
and setting himself up as its ruler. Leif just needed concrete evidence he could take back
to Silver, the Moon Pack alpha. The wolf shifter wouldn’t attack the mutants without
facts, and there were too many mutants to be certain which group were the ones that had
attacked the pack building.
Leif suspected Korl still hid in the Fae World behind one of his worshippers. Maybe
he could talk to Anthony about getting passage through a portal to hunt the scientist. The
pack owed him a favor. It might be time to collect.
Korl had been responsible for the slaughter of Leif’s flock. In his search to increase
his mutant army, Korl had tried to branch out into other species. None of the ravens had
survived. He’d only been gone a week for a military buddy’s wedding, but he’d returned
to find his entire family decimated. Leif had found their broken bodies rotting at the side
of the road where Korl’s men had dumped them. The stench of mutants had soaked the
area and wrenched Leif’s heart. They hadn’t even respected the ravens’ deaths enough to
bury them.
Now Leif focused all his time and energy on hunting down Korl and making him
pay. Good thing Leif had inherited all of his flock’s insurance money. It gave him the
funds to pursue their killer.
“We must take down the Moon Pack.” Flen’s deep voice echoed across the small
clearing as he addressed a group of twenty mutants. He marched back and forth as he
spoke, his elongated limbs swaying unnaturally with each step. “They will crumble if we
destroy their leader. They are nothing but a bunch of puppies chasing their tails. Chop off
their head, and they will fall beneath our will.”
Leif fluffed his feathers. The cold air cut through his small body and whipped away
his heat. For a moment, he envied the wolves their furry coats, even if he would never
exchange a moment of warmth for the ability to fly.
“How do we destroy Silver? He has his mate to protect him,” another mutant piped
up, breaking into Leif’s sad contemplation of the freezing night air.
Flen backhanded the questioner. “Anthony isn’t that strong. Stories about him are
exaggerated.”
A rumble of dissent filtered through the group. The mutants were leery of the
demi-god who could hurl lightning bolts. Leif didn’t blame them. Anthony had turned a
bunch of them into piles of ash when they invaded the Moon Pack building several
months ago. Leif wondered who Flen thought he could convince with his lies. None of
his mutants looked appeased.
After the incident at the pack house, though, the mutants had backed off for a bit.
Recently, more mutants had joined the original pack and become increasingly hostile to
other shifters in the area. Leif was trying to tally the number in the pack. He could tell
the mutants in the clearing weren’t the full group; there weren’t enough bodies
crowding about. The others must’ve stayed behind at their hideout. Leif had yet to find
their new location. They’d moved from the warehouse district to a new secret spot a few
weeks ago. He liked to keep tabs on the mutants’ actions in case they went after the
Moon Pack again.
Leif watched over his few friends with a fierce protectiveness. If the mutants were
going to attack, Leif wanted all the details to pass on to Silver. Dare topped the list of the
people Leif would kill or die for. Silly for a raven to protect a tiger, but Dare was a goofy
kitty while Leif had the soul of a predator.
Something moved in the trees, and Leif hopped from branch to branch to take a
closer look. The glint of metal and a loud pop were his only warnings before a line of
pain seared across his wing. When did the mutants get weapons? Leif inwardly cursed.
Apparently, he wasn’t as stealthy a bird as he had thought. Time to regroup.
“Damn spy!” someone shouted. “I think I got him.”
Crap!
Jumping off his branch, Leif flapped away. His arm burned like the fires of hell
were raging through it. He glided as much as he dared, trying to conserve his strength.
Blood dripped down his wing, sprinkling the ground below. Leif grabbed air currents
when he could to take the strain off his injury. Finally, he spotted his apartment from
above.
The red building squatted in the corner of a city block, a pile of old bricks slapped
together like the art project of a haphazard child on a sugar high. He loved his place even
if it wasn’t in the best part of town. Leif preferred to save his money for more important
things than lodging. He rarely stayed home anyway.
Sighting his balcony from above, Leif angled his wings to control his spiraling
descent. Pain streaked through his body with each flap of his injured wing. His landing
lacked its usual grace as he wobbled awkwardly on his perch. He clenched his claws
around the rail to prevent a disastrous toppling onto his head.
After the world stopped spinning, Leif hopped to the cement floor, then through
the bird flap he’d cut into the door. Once inside, he transformed into his human shape.
Leif stretched his arms and sighed. His arm muscles were always bunched after flight. He
examined the slight mark on his shoulder. Luckily, the bullet hadn’t remained embedded
in his skin. The wound had sealed at Leif’s transformation, leaving a mostly healed scar
behind. Another few hours and there would be no sign of the injury at all. Good thing
the bullet had just grazed him. If it had lodged in his body he would’ve had to stay a bird
until he could get the piece of metal removed. There was no telling where a bullet would
travel if it remained in the body during shifting. A miscalculation could cause shrapnel to
embed in Leif’s heart.
He shook off his unease at his close call. No sense fixating on something that didn’t
happen.
A soft meow pulled his attention to the ball of fluff on the back of his recliner.
“I don’t supposed you made dinner?” he asked the small kitten.
Flattened ears met his question followed by a low hiss.
“Like I thought. Useless feline. You can’t adopt me,” Leif argued. “I’m a bird. Birds
don’t keep cats as pets.”
Despite his declaration, he obediently scratched the petulant cat behind her ears.
The tiny motor revved until Leif’s fingers vibrated from the kitten’s purring. After
several minutes of stroking the soft coat, he abandoned his furry friend to take a hot
shower. He might be healed, but blood still covered his right shoulder. The sticky
substance would begin to itch in a hurry if he allowed it to dry on his skin.
Leif sighed as the scalding water poured over him. Tilting his head, he soaked his
hair and gave it a quick wash. His mind spun over the implications of the mutants
moving closer to the Moon Pack. He’d have to send a warning to Anthony. Maybe he’d
give Dare a quick phone call instead. He tried to keep under the radar of the demi-god.
Anthony might be a good guy, but he freaked Leif the hell out. The alpha mate’s ability
to fling lightning bolts with the same ease other people breathed had Leif avoiding
Anthony except in extreme emergencies.
Leif gave his body a cursory swipe with a towel before he headed to the bedroom to
pull on some clothes. Black ripped jeans and a white tee polished off his look for a
comfortable night in front of the television. An imperious meow greeted his return to the
living room.
“Still angling for some tuna?”
The tiny beast gave another demanding chirp, oddly birdlike.
“Don’t think imitating me will get you any favors.” Leif scooped the grouchy prima
donna into the crook of his arm and continued his petting. “Some badass I am,” he
grumbled.
Someone banged on his door and broke his contemplation of the tiger-striped
creature in his arms. Her bright green eyes glowed with curiosity, or maybe it was
malice. He could never tell with cats. When Leif had rescued the small kitten from the
dumpster the week before, he thought he’d only have her for a few days. Efforts to pawn
the little beast off on neighbors and a few passing strangers had so far netted no positive
results.
The knocking continued.
“I guess we’d best go see who’s come to visit.” Leif kept a grip on the feline. If he
held her, then he knew her location. The last thing he needed was for her to get free from
his apartment and start wandering the halls. Although his building allowed pets, they
weren’t supposed to be roaming free. If this kept up, he’d have to get the damn beast a
collar.
Leif stepped up his pace when his unexpected visitor began to growl on the other
side of the door. Peeking through the peephole, Leif smiled at what he discovered. He
yanked the door open.
“Dare! What brings you here?”
Dare stared at Leif’s hands for a long moment. “Why would a bird have a cat?”
Leif grinned at Steven over Dare’s shoulder. “I don’t know. Why would a wolf have
a tiger?”
Steven stepped past Dare, letting himself into Leif’s apartment. “Because the tiger
mauled me into submission.”
Leif noticed the wolf shifter moved out of Dare’s reach before speaking.
Dare grinned at Leif. “It’s true.”
He stepped back to let the tiger shifter inside. “What are you two doing here?”
“I couldn’t get you on the phone, and I was worried.” Dare settled comfortably on
Leif’s couch, avoiding the rip in the middle with the ease of a constant visitor.
“I came to keep him out of trouble,” Steven added.
Leif snorted. “I don’t think it’s possible to keep Dare out of trouble. I’m sorry I had
you worried. I went flying to spy on the mutants.”
“I wish I could fly,” Dare mused.
Steven snorted. “There’s no way Leif can haul your tiger ass into the sky.”
Leif shrugged. “Sorry, Dare.” He couldn’t deny the facts even if he would’ve put it
more diplomatically.
Dare rolled his eyes. “I didn’t expect you to, I was just saying. I mean, who doesn’t
want to fly?”
“Me.” Steven raised his hand. “I don’t even like planes. The thought of flying makes
me ill. Did you learn anything?”
“Flen thinks taking out Silver will get rid of the Moon Pack. He’s trying to convince
the others that Anthony isn’t that big of a threat,” Leif said.
“He’s an idiot,” Steven stated. “But he could be a dangerous idiot. I’ll let Silver
know so he can be extra alert.”
“Thanks.” Leif’s duty was now discharged. They’d been warned. “Why are you here
anyway?”
Although Dare visited fairly often, this wasn’t one of his usual days.
Dare smiled. “I came to check on you and bring you an invitation from Anthony.”
Leif shivered. Bird shifters preferred to avoid magic that could knock them out of
the air. “Why is he inviting me to anything?”
More importantly, how could he get out of it?
“He’s opening his new hotel. He sent this as a thank you for all of your help.” Dare
pulled a cream envelope out of his jacket pocket. It had Leif’s name embossed in gold
across the front.
Leif reluctantly accepted the envelope. After examining the intricate lettering, he
popped the seal and pulled out the invitation. It took him a moment to scan the card and
find the information he needed.
“Oh good, it looks like I’m free that day.” He let sarcasm color his tone.
Steven snorted his amusement.
It would’ve been shocking if he hadn’t been available. Leif didn’t have a large social
circle. He spent all his time battling and stalking mutants to glean information. Leif
perked up at the thought of who else might be attending. Maybe Blake would show. Leif
had heard the mutant had been changed back to his previous form. Anthony had some
sort of mad de-mutation powers.
Leif looked forward to seeing what non-mutant Blake looked like. Even as a mutant,
Blake had appealed to Leif.
“Excellent.” Steven stood and slapped Leif on the back with unnecessary force. “I’d
hate to have to return to Anthony and tell him you refused to come to his party. It might
hurt his feelings.”
“We wouldn’t want that. His mate would rip off my wings,” Leif said, only partly
kidding.
Steven grinned. “Silver might at that.”
Dare slapped Steven on the leg. “You don’t have to sound so happy about that.”
Steven shrugged. “We all have our crosses to bear.”
“Thanks.” Leif rolled his eyes at Steven’s smirk. After Dare’s rough time dealing
with his magically induced blindness, it was nice to see his friend smiling again.
Dare stood to wrap an arm around Leif’s shoulders and give him a quick hug. The
tiger shifter released him as soon as Steven began growling. “I look forward to seeing you
at the party.”
The kitten purred when Dare reached over and scratched her under the chin.
“Aww, feline bonding,” Leif teased.
“She’s adorable.” Dare made a rumbly, purring sound back at the kitten.
“She needs a home.” Leif flashed his friend a hopeful smile.
“I think she has one.” Dare winked at Leif before turning to his mate. “Let’s go,
pup.”
“Pup? I’m all wolf, baby!” Steven snarled. If the hot look he passed Dare was any
indication, they would be having a very active night.
After Steven and Dare left, Leif plopped down on his couch. The kitten purred loud
enough for a cat ten times its size.
“You’re a loud beasty.” The kitten licked Leif’s finger. “You think I’m going to have
to keep you, don’t you? Did you miss when I tried to pawn you off on the tiger?”
The kitten made a soft mew of disdain as if she mocked his attempt to unload her
on his visitor. Leif tilted his head back against the couch cushions. The feline kneaded his
leg, the tiny pinpricks of her claws piercing through his pants.
“You aren’t going to win a bowl of milk by clawing me to death,” Leif scolded.
“What do you think I should wear to the opening? I’m hoping something without cat
hair; I’d never live that down.”
Mentally reviewing his wardrobe, Leif realized the most tragic of events was about
to occur—shopping.
Chapter Two
Blake walked up the hotel steps and handed his fancy invitation to Jager. The wolf
shifter’s brilliant smile sent a shiver of attraction down Blake’s spine. Ryder, the beautiful
man’s mate and an enormous tiger shifter, growled.
“What? You can’t blame me,” Blake defended his attraction. No gay man or even a
straight one could deny Jager’s appeal. Some people were born with more sexual energy
than others. Blake estimated Jager had four times the normal amount.
Ryder growled. “I might not blame you, but I’m sick of people drooling all over my
man.”
“Then you’d best lock him in a room out of sight.” No one who saw Jager would be
able to resist his charm. Not only had Jager worked as a model on many occasions, but he
was also genuinely nice guy.
“I’m right here!” Jager waved his hand to indicate his presence.
“He nixed that idea,” Ryder grumbled, ignoring his mate. “Something about
refusing to be a prisoner. Blah, blah, blah.”
Blake laughed and ran a hand down his suit jacket. He’d spent the past year as a
mutant and had difficulty believing he’d been returned to his birth state. Blake still woke
up at night touching his face and terrified he’d been changed back into a mutant while
he slept.
“Isn’t this a bit of a lackey job for you?” Blake raised his eyebrows at Ryder’s glare.
Jager flashed a perfect smile. “We’re taking turns. Besides, Ryder hates it when I
talk to other people.” He fluttered his lashes at his mate in an exaggeratedly flirtatious
manner.
“Yes, I do.” The massive tiger shifter crossed his arms over his chest and glared at
the wolf shifter. “Are you done being Mr. Personality?”
“Nope. I have another ten minutes before Ben takes over.”
Ryder shook his head. “You think Ben’s mates are going to let him stand out here
alone?”
“Nope. I’m thinking his mates will probably come hover like mine does, but it’s still
his turn next. I have plans.” The sexy smile he gave Ryder hinted at what he planned to
do once he finished his door duties.
Blake shook his head at them and continued into the hotel. Maybe one day he’d be
lucky enough to have a psychotic mate hovering over him, or more likely, he’d be the
one hovering. He preferred to be the dominant partner even if he lacked as much
aggression as some of the other shifters around him.
The crowd parted, and Anthony Carrow walked forward, his mate, Silver,
following on his heels.
“Good evening.” Anthony’s gray suit caressed his body in faithful lines, showing off
the demi-god’s sleek frame. No matter what he wore, Anthony was a gorgeous man. The
shifters in the Moon Pack had a high ratio of stunning men, both mated and unmated.
“Nice to see you, Anthony. Thanks for the invitation.” Blake shook hands with both
men before stepping a respectful distance back. Standing too close to Anthony could
have harsh consequences if Silver took offense.
“It’s the least we could do. You’ve helped us so much against the mutants. Please
help yourself to the free food.” Anthony waved toward the long bar that had platters of
bite-size appetizers covering every inch of the glossy surface. “And you can order a
complimentary drink at the bar.”
“Thanks.” Blake didn’t mention he never drank. His father had been an abusive
drunk. It took a lot of booze to make a shifter feel the effects of alcohol, and his father
had been dedicated to being an alcoholic. In the end, even a shifter could die if he drove
off a highway and rolled his car down a hill. Blake’s only emotion at the news of his
father’s death was overwhelming relief that his dad hadn’t taken anyone else with him.
Blake grabbed a bottle of water from the fancy silver bucket at the end of the bar. A
familiar voice had his heart pounding. He spun on his heel. Leif stood a few feet away
talking to Dare. The raven shifter wore a dark blue suit that had a custom fit and
highlighted Leif’s slim, muscular build. When Leif had helped him with Inno, Blake had
barely been able to string the words together to tell Leif what he needed. While Blake
enjoyed Jager’s appeal with an almost clinical appreciation, his attraction to Leif was like
comparing candlelight to the sun. He wanted to bask in Leif’s presence, preferably
naked. His cock hardened the longer he watched the raven shifter.
Leif waved his hands as he spoke, his face animated. The fond expression on Dare’s
face as he watched his friend sent icy darts of jealousy through Blake. He clenched his
fist, crinkling the water bottle and splashing cold liquid across his jacket.
Cursing, he set down the bottle—foolish of him to drool over the unattainable.
Blake took a quick breath, then let the air out of his lungs. In front of him stood the entire
reason he had shown up at the party. Blake shook off his nerves. He hadn’t survived
being transformed into a mutant and back again without realizing the fragility of life.
Brushing off his inner cynic that whispered Leif would never want an idiot like Blake, he
approached the raven shifter.
Blake stepped forward. “Hello, Leif.”
“Blake?” Leif froze, his mouth dropping open. “Wow! You look great. I heard
Anthony had changed you back.”
Leif hadn’t seen Blake since his reversion to his human form. To Blake’s surprise,
Leif stepped forward and hugged him. Startled, he rushed to return the embrace. When
Leif moved back, Blake’s inner wolf growled. Letting Leif go went against his instincts.
Keeping Leif in his arms to protect his fragile raven, that was right. The fact Leif stood as
tall as Blake and didn’t have a delicate bone in his body didn’t seem to matter to him at
all.
“I know I look a bit different since I last asked you to watch out for Inno.” Blake
smiled at the admiration in Leif’s eyes.
“Don’t take it wrong, but I like you much better this way,” Leif admitted.
Blake’s cheeks burned from the compliment. His mutation had stolen any vanity he
might have held over his looks from before. Leif’s appreciative gaze had Blake’s heart
pounding harder in his chest. If this kept up, he’d have a heart attack and fall at Leif’s
feet. Not quite the end result he’d hoped for.
“Hey, Blake,” Dare greeted him.
Steven grunted his hello.
Blake grinned at the mated couple. He didn’t understand how the happy-go-lucky
tiger could bond with a surly wolf shifter, but there was no mistaking the devotion in
Steven’s eyes whenever he watched Dare. He’d heard a rumor that Steven hadn’t been so
tough before he’d mated with Dare, but he didn’t know the before-Dare version of
Steven so he couldn’t compare.
“How are you guys doing tonight?”
“Good. We’re going to go dance now.” Dare waved good-bye, then grabbed his
mate’s hand and vanished in the crowd.
Blake spotted a small dance floor in the corner, surprised he’d missed it before, but
Leif always scrambled his brains. “They are a strange couple.”
“They’re perfect for each other. Everyone needs balance.” Leif turned from
contemplating his friends to face Blake again. “I want to find someone like that one day.”
Leif’s wistful tone twisted Blake up inside. If wishes were horses, Blake would have
an entire herd just on the wishes he cast for Leif alone.
Awkwardness shattered Blake’s control. “I-I’m going to go get some food.” He
pointed toward the serving trays lining the bar. Normally confident when dealing with
others, Blake didn’t know what it was about the lean raven shifter that tied him up in
twisty knots.
“Want some company?” Leif’s dark eyes glowed with interest as he contemplated
the shiny platters.
“Absolutely.”
Blake swiped his palms, slick from nerves, across his pants before grabbing a plate
and handing it over to Leif. He snagged a second one for himself.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Leif put an impressive amount of steak on
his plate.
“I thought birds had tiny appetites,” Blake teased.
“I’m a scavenger. I’ll eat anything.”
“I like a guy who isn’t picky.”
Leif shot Blake a look out of the corner of his eye. “Are you flirting with me?”
“You know what they say, if you have to ask, I’m doing it wrong.” He tried for a
light tone, but he desperately needed Leif begging, pleading, and naked in his bed. The
image racing through his brain didn’t help his erection go down at all. He’d been half-
hard since he spotted Leif. Talking to him had finished the process.
“Maybe you just need a bit of practice,” Leif offered. He carried his plate and beer
over to a free table to sit down.
Blake followed him and settled on the opposite seat. “So what would it take for you
to go out with me?”
It wasn’t like him to be this persistent. But with his mutation gone, he knew he had
a chance if he could get Leif’s attention. Before, when he’d been changed into a monster,
he hadn’t dared approach the gorgeous raven shifter. His inner wolf growled at his
inadequacy. The beast wanted Leif naked and beneath them.
“Listen, it’s nothing personal, Blake, I just don’t date.” Leif shrugged, as if
dismissing the entire matter from his mind.
Blake’s heart sank in his chest. “How about fuck? Do you fuck?”
Leif choked on the stuffed olive he’d popped into his mouth. Blake grinned at his
reaction.
“Yes, I do fuck.”
“Excellent.” Blake slid his foot along Leif’s leg. He could work with just having sex.
It would bind them together until he could permanently move Leif into his bed. Blake’s
wolf gave a happy growl at the plan. They would have Leif as their mate.
The heated expression in Leif’s brown eyes boosted his ego. Maybe he had a chance
after all.
“I have to ask you, did you ever experiment on ravens?” The sorrow in Leif’s eyes
gripped Blake’s heart.
“No. I only experimented on wolves, and that was bad enough. I can’t change the
past.” It was only fair that his actions would rob him of the only man he wanted. Fate
was a testy bitch.
Leif relaxed and gave him a tentative smile. “I believe you.”
“Thanks.” Blake had worried Leif wouldn’t believe him, but whatever Korl did with
the ravens, he’d done it without Blake’s knowledge. He’d never been so happy to be kept
in the dark about anything in his life.
Anthony approached with Silver by his side. “I’m sorry to interrupt.”
“No problem,” Leif assured the demi-god.
Blake nodded his agreement. Even if Anthony had interrupted them, Blake
wouldn’t have the balls to tell him so at Anthony’s own party.
“Leif, you told Dare the mutants were going to go after Silver. Do you know how?”
Anthony asked.
Leif shook his head. “No. Sorry. They shot me before I could find out anything
else.”
“Shot you! You were shot?” Blake’s hand, which held his fork, began to shake. He
set it down. “You need to be more careful.”
He could’ve lost Leif before they bonded. His wolf growled. Some sound must’ve
slipped past his lips because all three men watched him with curiosity.
“I’m fine. What did you need, Anthony?” Leif turned the attention away from his
shooting, but Blake didn’t forget.
“I was hoping you could help me with a problem, Leif. Kylen has had an influx of
mutants in the Fae World, and he thinks Korl is still bringing them back to overpower the
Kingdom. He needs someone unknown to take a look around.”
“You mean spy for him?”
“Yes. You’ll be well paid for your time, and if it becomes too dangerous, you can
leave at will. Kylen won’t try to make you stay,” Anthony promised. “He’s too busy
dealing with his coronation and joining two kingdoms to keep an eye out for the
scientist. He could use some help from an unbiased source. He doesn’t know the light fae
guards well enough to determine if they are on his side or not.”
“Understandable. Sure, I’ll do it. I wanted to go take another look for Korl there
anyway. I was going to ask you if I could get access to a portal.”
Anthony smiled. “Excellent.”
Blake didn’t like this scenario. He could imagine Leif staying just to help the Fae
King out for an indeterminate amount of time. Kylen might not try to force him to stay,
but Leif would want to help out a friend.
“I’ll go with you.” Blake blurted out the words, unable to hold back the urge to
protect Leif. He had no intention of letting the raven shifter travel through a portal
without him.
“Why?” Leif tilted his head, the birdlike movement endearing.
“Because that’s what friends do. They watch each others’ back.” Blake didn’t trust
anyone else to make sure the raven shifter stayed safe.
“That would be a good idea,” Silver interjected. “Like Anthony said, we don’t know
how many fae in Kylen’s kingdom are helping the scientist. If you can pinpoint the
troublemakers, it will be very useful for Kylen. We’d both feel better if you had someone
watching your back.”
“I thought Gabe and the twins were moving there?” Blake had heard rumors about
wolf shifters being recruited to live in the Fae realm to keep Kylen and Farro’s son
company.
Anthony nodded. “They are, but Kylen is still outnumbered by unknown factors.”
He fidgeted with the ring on his hand. The diamond reflected the dim lights with a
dazzling brilliance. “Not to mention, there are apparently now a bunch of dragons in the
mountains who’ve created a pact with Kylen to acquire mates. Kylen has a lot on his
plate right now. We should do what we can to help.”
Everyone knew how important good diplomatic relations with the Fae were to both
realms. Anthony didn’t need to spell it out. Kylen’s diplomatic ability could be the
difference between harmony and all-out war between the Fae.
“Dragons?” The wistful expression on Leif’s face jabbed Blake in the heart. “I’ve
always wanted to meet a dragon.”
Blake had never had the urge to slay a dragon before, but right then, the
compulsion to grab a sword had his hand twitching around a phantom grip. He didn’t
like the fascination on Leif’s expression. Dragons were way more glamorous than wolves;
he’d have to keep Leif out of their path. He refused to give up his claim and hand his
gorgeous Leif over to some smoky dragon shifter.
Anthony shook his head. “I’d prefer you stay away from the dragons and just check
on what they are up to. We don’t know for sure they are only after mates; that is just
Kylen’s agreement with them. They’re also supposed to control the troll population in
exchange for Kylen’s help in finding mates.”
“They must want mates a lot to agree to so many stipulations,” Leif said, a
thoughtful expression on his face.
“What if none of the Fae are dragon mates?” Blake interrupted. If none of the Fae
mated with the dragons, would they turn on the Fae or let the trolls destroy them? Blake
doubted Anthony would let anyone hurt his friends.
“I’m sure with the sheer quantity of the Fae, at least a few of them should match up.
If not, we’ll deal with that when it happens. No sense borrowing trouble.” Anthony
patted Leif on the shoulder. “I appreciate the help.”
“No problem. You know I’m always happy to help with the mutant problem.
They’re the reason I’m without a family.” Leif’s mouth curled down at the corners.
Blake fought back the urge to snuggle Leif close. He had no doubt the independent
raven shifter wouldn’t want to be coddled. Leif didn’t like any insinuation he couldn’t
handle things on his own.
“Come to the club tomorrow night, and I’ll open a portal.” Another pack member
claimed Anthony’s attention. He nodded to Leif, then wandered off to mingle with his
guests. Silver followed, creating a bubble of protection around his mate.
Blake wanted to guard Leif like that, but he didn’t have the right, not yet—maybe
someday, preferably before they were both too old to enjoy the crackle of sexual energy
between them.
Leif tapped his fork on Blake’s plate to attract his attention.
“Sorry. I guess I should’ve asked if you wanted me to go along.” Blake frowned. It
hadn’t occurred to him that Leif might not want company. In his rich imaginary world,
Leif always wanted Blake by his side. Maybe he needed to check in with reality from
time to time.
Leif shook his head. “No, that’s fine. I was just wondering why you wanted to come
along.”
Blake couldn’t confess the truth. He’d come across as an obsessive nut case. “I want
to help. I haven’t been able to do much since my reverse transformation. So far, no one is
super interested in hiring a scientist with big gaping holes in his resume. I’m at loose
ends right now. While I’m trying to figure out my life, I thought I could come help.”
There, that didn’t sound too stalkerish. Frankly, anything that would help him
spend more time with Leif was a good idea.
Leif’s smile warmed Blake to his toes. “I’d be happy for the company. I don’t really
know the Fae very well.”
He didn’t mention his relationship with Blake wasn’t that close either. If Leif
planned to overlook that little fact, Blake wasn’t going to say anything. He’d do a lot
more than fight a few fae or take on a dragon to stay by Leif’s side.
“Me either, but if Korl is in their territory, I’m one of the few non-fae who can
recognize him.” He was also one of the few who knew the scientist’s formulas.
Leif reached across the table and trailed a finger across Blake’s right hand. “I think
you’re very brave. I’ve always admired that about you. When some of the others turned
mean and vicious, you tried to help.”
“I didn’t do enough.” Blake had spent months wallowing in his own despair before
he’d shaken himself free of the grief over his mutation and tried to help the shifters
against the scientist.
Leif squeezed Blake’s hand. “In the end, you helped bring Korl down, and you’re
still helping even though you’ve been changed back. You could’ve moved away and
started a new life, put all this behind you, but you didn’t.”
He opened his mouth to dispute it, but he couldn’t. Nothing kept him in this city
except a dark-eyed shifter with the courage of a lion beneath his glossy feathers.
“I’ve thought about leaving several times, but I’m not going anywhere until Korl’s
victims are given justice. For every mutant who is happy to be changed, there are five or
more trapped in that form and looking for a way out. It’s for them I persevere.”
Leif leaned forward, his dark eyes glowing in the dim hotel lights. “I find your
dedication admirable.”
He stroked Blake’s fingers, scrambling his thoughts.
“Th-thank you.” Blake blushed. Where had his confidence gone? He’d never been a
player, too caught up in his studies to date much, but he’d been a confident man before
Korl transformed him. He hadn’t been alpha material, but he definitely wasn’t a show-
his-belly omega either.
Leif’s dark eyes glowed, the brown color darkening almost to black. Blake could see
Leif’s raven peering out at him as if evaluating his worth. His wolf barked a greeting.
Sometimes having an inner beast made relationships difficult. Blake had always taken
wolf shifters as lovers in the past. Things were easier when the guys he dated shared the
same weird quirks. It would be difficult to explain to a human Blake’s sudden urge to
howl at the moon. However, the birdlike tilt of Leif’s head, his bright, inquiring mind,
and the innate strength of will emanating from Leif proved irresistible to Blake. He
licked his lips and wondered how Leif would taste. With wolf shifters, a little wildness
flavored their lips. What would a raven shifter taste like—his raven shifter.
“Before you were changed back, I found you attractive. Now that you’ve been
returned to normal, I find you irresistible.” The scent of Leif’s need drifted across the
table.
Blake quickly grabbed a stranglehold on his wolf. His beast urged him to lunge over
the table and take what Leif’s scent offered. Location and a crowd milling about had no
effect on the wolf’s hunger. His creature wanted Leif now.
“Can we get out of here?” He’d come for what he wanted. He’d only accepted
Anthony’s invitation on the off chance he’d see Leif. He hadn’t been able to get the raven
shifter out of his mind. After his transformation, Blake had wanted to call Leif, but he
hadn’t known what to say. “Hey, I’m human again. Wanna date?” didn’t seem like a
good conversational opener.
Leif grinned. “I’d love to.”
Like a puppy offered a treat, Blake’s cock hardened, eager for attention. He resisted
the compulsion to howl. Not everyone at the party was a supernatural. There were a few
clueless humans in the bunch, some of them contacts from Anthony’s work.
Blake licked a bit of sauce off his finger. Leif’s gaze followed the path of Blake’s
tongue.
“Since we’re meeting Anthony tomorrow, we should probably go to your place and
pack you a bag, then you can spend the night at mine. Unless you’d prefer to stay at your
place. I guess I’m presuming.” Leif blushed.
“No. I-I’d be happy to stay with you.” He would’ve settled for a fast, hurried fuck in
the alley followed by meeting Leif tomorrow at the pack building. The idea of tumbling
around for hours in a comfortable bed was miles better than a quick screw against the
wall.
Leif stood and held out his hand.
Blake tossed his napkin on the table, then entwined his fingers with Leif. A jolt of
attraction sizzled across his skin. Leif’s fingers had calluses on the tips.
Blake rubbed Leif’s index finger with his thumb. “Guitar?”
Leif nodded. “Yeah. I’ve been playing for a few years.”
Leaning down, he sniffed at the raven shifter. Blake’s inner wolf would rebel if the
man didn’t appeal to his sense of smell.Mate?His inner wolf had Blake inhaling again.
The mutation had increased Blake’s ability to scent, and Leif smelled divine. As much as
he yearned for Leif, he wasn’t sure if they were mates or not. He’d never wanted anyone
as much as he did Leif, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything more than lust. His
connection with his wolf was still a bit fragmented. They both wanted Leif but were
unsure of his future place in their lives.
Blake willingly followed Leif out of the hotel. He couldn’t smell anything else
around him but the raven shifter. Leif stopped in front of a red Corvette.
“Really? This is your car.”
“What do you drive?”
“An SUV.”
“Did you drive it here?”
Blake shook his head. “I walked.” The hotel was only a few blocks away from his
apartment. Mad scientists might not be the best employers, but Blake had access to Korl’s
old bank accounts and had liberally helped himself to it all. He planned to use it to help
mutants who had reverted back and were having problems fitting into mainstream
society again. So far, no one had needed his assistance. Either they had been killed,
wanted to remain a mutant, or were being taken care of by the Moon Pack. Blake kept
the money secure, only living off the smallest amount possible.
“Good, hop in.”
The smell of leather almost overwhelmed Leif’s delicious fragrance, but not quite.
Leif’s leg rested temptingly close.
“I can smell your need,” Leif commented as they moved into traffic.
“Sorry.” Blake blushed. “I can’t help it. You’re gorgeous.”
“I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it. I just said I could smell you. I’m
hoping you have a nice big bed at your place.”
Blake swallowed back a whimper. He cleared his throat and picked at something on
his slacks. Where had he gotten cat hair? “I thought we were going back to your place
tonight?”
Had he misinterpreted Leif’s comment? He thought the raven shifter had been very
clear.
“We are. I just don’t know if I can wait until we get there.” Leif’s sexy grin had
Blake clenching his fists to resist the urge to grab the driver.
Spirits restored, Blake grinned. “I even have clean sheets.”
“Excellent. I hate lying in another guy’s spunk.”
Laughter burst out of Blake. “No problem, then.”
Grinning, Blake watched the buildings fly by. He pointed Leif to the underground
parking garage and handed over his key card to get inside. Leif quickly dealt with the
security door, then pulled into the parking spot marked Visitor.
“I think we should get something straight before we go inside.” Leif’s dark eyes
bored into Blake.
“What?” Surely, even the mercurial raven shifter couldn’t have changed his mind in
the past few seconds.
“This.” Leif gripped Blake’s face between his strong hands and pulled Blake forward
until their mouths met.
“Mm.” Blake couldn’t stop the sound from sliding from between his lips. Leif
tangled his tongue with Blake’s, sharing his amazing taste. He didn’t know what Leif had
eaten at the party, but Blake wanted to have him eat another dozen just so he could lick
the taste from Leif’s mouth. Blake grabbed Leif’s arms, holding him still as Blake took
control. He couldn’t get enough.
Leif pushed, shoving Blake away.
“What?” Blake panted to get more oxygen to his lungs and clear his head. Maybe
with more air, he could process thoughts. He traced the crease of Leif’s pants at the
crotch, scratching at the silky material and rubbing against the flesh hardening from his
touch.
“Stop.” Leif gripped Blake’s wrist. “You have to stop.”
“What’s wrong?” Blake leaned away from Leif, worried he’d pushed too hard. If
Leif called the evening off, his cock might explode. Blake had little control left, and he
teetered on the knife-edge of abandoning it altogether.
“I’m not going to have sex in the Corvette. I’m bendy, but we’re both too tall to
make this comfortable for either of us.”
Immediately, Blake’s mind flashed over the different positions a flexible man could
be placed in. He cleared his throat a few times before responding. “No problem. Let’s
take the party to my place.”
Blake’s apartment might not be posh, but he kept it relatively clean and his bed
worked just fine. They exited the car.
Leif immediately walked around the vehicle to take Blake’s hand. “I’m looking
forward to seeing where you live.”
“Why?” Blake had no idea Leif had given him more than a glancing thought. If he’d
known this before, he might have made a move sooner. Not while he’d been a mutant,
but in the past few weeks at least. Instead, he’d spent his time pining for the handsome
raven shifter.
They left the car and headed for the parking elevator. By habit, he scanned the
parking garage as he walked. A glance out the corner of his eye told him Leif did the
same thing.
“I don’t like garages. You can’t see the sky,” Leif explained when he caught Blake
watching him.
Considering the place reminded Blake a bit of the building he’d lived in while
working for Korl, he couldn’t blame Leif for his unease. Garages were the perfect place to
ambush someone.
Blake didn’t let out another free breath until they got onto the elevator and he
pressed the button for his floor. “We’re probably just being paranoid, which is a good
trait if we’re hunting Korl. It’s not like he’s going to come easily. He will set his mutants
on us, especially in the Fae World. He’s bound to know the King is busy and doesn’t have
the support yet to hunt him down. Some fae is harboring Korl. We need to ferret them
out and inform them of the error of their ways. Korl needs to be brought down.”
He couldn’t emphasize enough how badly he wished the scientist would meet an
untimely death. Korl had destroyed so many lives, he must have enough bad karma to
make him spontaneously catch on fire. Too bad villains didn’t always get what was
coming to them.
“We’ll get him.” Leif’s tone didn’t allow room for any doubt. The raven shifter had
already made up his mind. They would succeed. Blake wished things always worked out
so well for him that he had the same confidence.
Leif gripped Blake’s left hand with his right, joining their fingers together.
Happiness filtered through Blake. When had he last been this joyful? He searched his
mind but couldn’t remember. Leif gave him a small grin.
Blake watched their reflection in the elevator as the floors sped by indicated by the
increasing green digital number. They were only a few inches apart in height, but Leif
had a leaner built and the arms of a flyer. Leif’s eyes burned with lust and a ring of gold
glowed in his pupils. Blake licked his lips, pleased when Leif’s eyes tracked the motion.
Glad to know he still had the raven shifter’s attention.
“So fucking gorgeous,” Blake whispered, not daring to believe his luck.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Leif replied.
Blake grinned.
“I’m going to kiss you soon,” Leif said, his deep voice barely above a growl.
“Why not now?” No one else occupied the elevator.
Leif squeezed Blake’s fingers. “Because if I kiss you now, I’m going to end up
screwing you on the elevator floor, and I don’t think I want videos of my hairy ass on
whatever security camera they have rigged in here.”
Blake laughed. “Point taken.”
The elevator came to a halt before Blake could give into his urge to slam Leif against
the elevator wall and take another taste. The doors slid open. The smell of mutants filled
the air with their stench. Blake gagged.
“Damn they reek.”
“Who?” Leif’s glanced back and forth with his sharp eyes as if searching for
whatever bothered Blake.
“The mutants. Can’t you smell them?”
Leif shook his head. “My sense of smell isn’t as good as yours.”
“The trail leads to my door.” Blake froze before his apartment. The door appeared
untouched, but the scent told him they weren’t alone. “There are mutants inside.”
“Can you tell how many?”
Blake took another sniff, careful not to cough over the stench and alert the others to
their presence. “Four, I think.”
“We can take them,” Leif assured him. Confidence oozed off Blake’s companion as
if, by his will alone, Leif could convince the mutants to leave.
“Let’s see what they want first.” They hadn’t invaded Blake’s home for no reason. If
they were there to threaten him, he needed to know the threat so he could counter it
with one of his own. He might be planning to leave town, but he refused to give them
the satisfaction of thinking they were responsible. He didn’t want to get a reputation as a
wolf easily scared off. On the other hand, if they had come to him for some help, he
wouldn’t turn them away.
Leif released Blake’s hand to free him for the inevitable fight, but Blake felt the lack
of contact as soon as Leif let go. Although he’d locked the door when he left, the knob
turned easily in his hand. For once, Blake wished he carried a gun.
“Stay back. I’ll check it out,” Leif whispered. He stepped forward in front of Blake
as if to go inside first.
Blake grabbed the back of Leif’s jacket. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting you.”
“I don’t think so. I wouldn’t forgive myself if you were attacked at my place.” Blake
yanked Leif back behind him, infuriated that the raven shifter would put himself into
danger. Blake’s inner wolf growled his discontent. Neither of them wanted their raven in
danger.
“I hope you know that attitude won’t get you laid.” Leif nudged forward until he
stood beside Blake.
Blake laughed. “I’ll get laid.” Now that Leif had expressed his interest, Blake was
confident they’d have sex, and soon. They just had to take care of a little mutant invasion
issue first.
Blake tentatively pushed his door open.
“Unless you’re the messiest person on the planet, I’m guessing you’ve been
robbed,” Leif said, walking to Blake’s side.
He entered, sniffing cautiously, but there was no sign of anyone else. The mutants
had left recently. Their scent wouldn’t have been so clear even an hour later. Something
caught his attention.
“Do you smell that?”
Leif shook his head. “What?“
“Mutants. Two sets. Three came in here, then four others came after.”
“It’s like grand mutant railway in here.” Leif raised an eyebrow at the mess around
him. “Well, the second group didn’t tidy up after their friends.”
“No, they didn’t,” Blake agreed. His heart sank at the mess. Nothing had cost a
great deal, but it had belonged to Blake.
All of the couch and chair cushions were sliced open. From the marks, the mutants
had used their claws. Dishes were smashed on the floor, and the throw rugs had been
shredded, then tossed in a pile to the side of the room as if the intruders were searching
for hidden spaces. Apparently, they weren’t too bright because there were zero chances
Blake could hide much in his floorboards since he lived on the tenth floor and the walls
weren’t super thick.
“I don’t think they found what they were looking for,” Leif commented.
“Why do you say that?”
“Because of that.” Leif pointed at the wall.
Blake joined Leif to see the writing on the wall. It looked like they’d used a wide
black marker to convey their message.
We’ll be back!
“Huh, you think they’d at least sign it,” Blake complained. “I mean, shouldn’t they
sign a calling card?”
“This isn’t funny. Why do you think they came here anyway?”
“To get the mutant formula.” Blake had no question in his mind why anyone would
seek him out. Luckily, he’d left his computer locked in a secret compartment in his trunk.
All of his files were saved on a remote server so even if they found his laptop, they
wouldn’t get his information. Blake wasn’t an idiot. He knew he could be hacked, but he
would make them work for it.
“Can’t they just get it from Korl? And why would they want it?”
Blake squeezed Leif’s shoulder. “Because they want to make more mutants, and
with Korl in hiding and his lab destroyed, they probably don’t have access to the
formula. I doubt any of them can create a portal of their own, and I don’t see Anthony
volunteering to help them out. The only way to grow their numbers large enough to
truly take on the other shifters is to create more of them.”
“Why would they think you have the formula?”
Blake kissed Leif’s forehead. “Because I was in charge of trials. I was Korl’s right-
hand man. Before I came to my senses, I helped him transform a lot of mutants. If anyone
has the information, it’s me. The mutants might not be geniuses, but they aren’t idiots
either.”
The things he’d done for the mad fae scientist still had the power to make his
stomach churn and jolt him awake at night.
“But you don’t have the formula. If you had it here, they wouldn’t have destroyed
your apartment. They would’ve just taken it and left.”
“I have it up here.” Blake tapped his head. “I made so many batches I have the stuff
memorized.”
No one else needed to know Blake had it written down also. He’d been trying to
reverse the effects of the potion. It took a lot of energy for Anthony to reverse a mutant,
and Blake had hopes he could create an injection for those who didn’t have access to a
magical demi-god.
Leif examined the wreckage of Blake’s living room. “I’m guessing these guys are
going to keep coming until you give them what they want. You should let Silver know
you’re in danger. He can give you sanctuary.”
“I’m not an official member of the Moon Pack.” Blake didn’t even try to hold back
the hope in his voice. It had been so long since he’d dared to wish some pack would want
him. The easy thing would’ve been to stay a mutant and join the others, but Blake’s
conscience wouldn’t allow him to take the simple path. Instead, he was on a crusade to
save the mutants from themselves and innocent wolves from mutation.
“You’re going with me to do Anthony and Silver a favor. They will grant you status
for that alone.”
“You’re not a member of the pack,” Blake felt it necessary to point out.
Leif laughed. “I’m a raven. We don’t need packs. I’ve been alone for a long time.”
“So a flock, then. Will you be moving away and joining another?” He hoped he hid
his anxiety over that idea, but from the tender way Leif cupped his face, he decided he
probably hadn’t.
“There aren’t a lot of raven shifters around anymore. I’m better off alone. Flocks
aren’t as easy to join as packs. If you aren’t born into a flock, other ravens aren’t as
willing to accept you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Good.” Blake let out the breath he’d been holding in. “I’m glad.”
“We need to get out of here. We don’t know when they’re planning to return.” Leif
gave him a gentle shove toward the hall. “Go pack a bag. You were going to spend the
night at my place anyway. I think we should definitely do that now. We can call the
vampires to come clean up. They run an awesome cleaning service.”
“Really? Vampires?”
Leif shrugged. “That’s what I heard. I can call Anthony for the number if you’d
like.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Blake slid a hand through Leif’s hair. Cradling the back of his skull, he held Leif still
while he tasted the lean shifter’s mouth in a carnal kiss. He growled against Leif’s lips
before pulling away. “You taste amazing.”
“It must be my new breath mints.”
Blake laughed. He didn’t think he could find amusement in the middle of the
carnage of his living room, but Leif’s sense of humor had him smiling. He reluctantly
released the raven shifter even though his inner wolf growled at the separation.
“Must be. You might want to reconsider hanging out with me. I don’t want to bring
trouble to you. If the mutants are after me, I might not be the safest wolf to be around.”
His stomach clenched at the thought of anyone harming the gorgeous raven shifter.
“I was made for trouble.” Leif narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even think of bailing on
me. Go get packed, or I’ll pack you and I won’t include any underwear.”
“Ooh, you are a bad boy.” Blake headed for his bedroom. His mattress lay
drunkenly on its side, spilling its guts all over the carpet. “Poor mattress.”
Blake tried to push back the anger, but he couldn’t fight the sense of violation
coursing through him at the sight of his destroyed furniture. He grabbed a duffle bag
from his closet. His closet appeared to have missed the rampage.
Leif joined him a few minutes later, taking in the scene with sad eyes. “Are you all
right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I think we might want to wait until we get to your place to have
sex.” Blake waved a hand toward the mayhem but couldn’t bring himself to continue.
Leif plastered himself against Blake and kissed him tenderly on the forehead. “We’ll
make them pay for their destruction.”
Blake grabbed Leif’s hips and held him still. Their mouths met, tongues tangled,
then slid apart. Their lips separated only to meet again.
Blake’s breath came in short spurts as he tried to suck in oxygen and continue
kissing Leif at the same time. “I need more.”
“More what?” Leif asked between kisses.
“More you.” Blake slid Leif’s jacket off his shoulders. His wolf grew impatient. With
a hard yank, he ripped Leif’s shirt apart. “I need all of you.”
Need blazed through him. A tornado, a flood, any cyclonic force of nature had
nothing on Blake’s desire for Leif. What had begun as a trickle of want had flamed into a
bonfire of obsession.
“Take me!” Leif demanded.
Blake looked around his bedroom, blinking back the lust in order to focus on his
surroundings. He groaned in frustration. “Not here. Let’s grab my clothes and go to your
place.”
He refused to take Leif into the wreckage of his life. Leif deserved better. If he could
have arranged moonlight and roses, he would have.
“I wish you’d had that brilliant thought before you tore my shirt.” Leif pointed to
the scraps of cloth dangling from his arms.
Blake grabbed a clean shirt the mutants had tossed from his drawers. “Here, you
can borrow this one.”
Leif quickly replaced his shirt, then slid his slightly crumpled jacket over it. Blake’s
wider shoulders made the shirt dangle lower on the raven shifter. Blake clenched his fists
to resist the urge to rip away the cloth that hid Leif from his sight.
“Thanks.” Leif flushed just enough to add a tinge of color to his skin.
“Fuck, you’re adorable,” Blake growled.
“I’m a badass fighter. I’m not adorable.”
Blake pretended to think the matter over. “You’re right. You’re sexy as hell.”
“Thank you. I have a nice ass too.”
“So I noticed.” Blake grinned. “I’ll be sure to give it a proper look later.”
“Good.” Leif’s wicked grin had Blake reconsidering his idea of waiting. “Don’t stop
now. Get your stuff. The cleaning crew will be here in an hour. I told them we’d leave
the door open.”
“Yeah, we might as well. I don’t have anything left to damage.” Blake turned and
began shoving things into his duffle. He couldn’t concentrate enough to pay attention to
what he was packing. He hoped he had enough clothes to make a few outfits; otherwise,
he might be parading naked around the Fae World. He reached into his closet and
popped off the fake back. His swords were still tucked inside. The mutants who’d
searched his home hadn’t thought of checking behind his clothes, an oversight he was
grateful for. Blake stuffed them all into his duffle. Luckily, it was long enough to
accommodate both; explaining to the police why he was walking around with short
swords wouldn’t be fun. The cops tended to ask all sorts of uncomfortable questions, and
since most of them didn’t know about shifters, answering got tricky at times.
“Let’s go.” Leif abruptly turned and left the room.
Blake zipped his bag, then snatched it up by the handle to rush after the raven
shifter.
“Something wrong?” Leif was a bit moody. Was that a raven shifter thing? Blake
didn’t know.
“No. We just need to leave.”
Leif’s fidgetiness was beginning to transmit to Blake. He cast another look around,
but he didn’t see anyone watching them. He took a long sniff, but if any mutants were
nearby, they were hiding too well for him to smell them.
“Do you sense something?” Blake asked, unable to scent anything himself.
Leif nodded. “I’m a little psychic, not enough to be helpful, but sometimes I get
these feelings. I have one right now. Let’s go.”
Grabbing Blake’s hand, Leif began a rapid walk to the front door.
Blake rushed to keep up. “I’m coming.”
“Not yet, but you will be.” Leif’s flirty words weren’t reflected in his tone or the
efficient manner he corralled Blake back onto the elevator. He kept up his vigilant
manner until they were back inside his car.
“All clear?”
Leif let out a breath of relief as he started the car. “I guess I overreacted.”
His bashful smile only increased Blake’s desire for him.
They only made it a few feet before some mutants appeared across their path,
blocking their escape route.
“I don’t recognize this group.” Blake watched the mutants march toward them,
trying to evaluate their threat potential.
“Do you think they’re new?”
“I hope not.” The more he watched the group, the more Blake could tell they were
strangers. His stomach sank. “If there are new mutants, then Korl doesn’t need my
formula.”
“Why would they trash your place, then?”
“I don’t know.” Blake frowned. Nothing was making sense.
Leif turned off the car. Without another word to Blake, he pushed open his car door
and slid outside.
“Wait.” Blake followed Leif. He didn’t know if a wolf could take on a mutant, but
he wouldn’t let Leif fight them alone.
Blake walked over to stand shoulder to shoulder with Leif, facing the mutants as
they stalked forward.
“Are you Blake?” A tall mutant stepped out of the crowd.
“Yes.” Blake flexed his fingers, ready to shift if necessary.
“We heard you were once one of us.” The words came out muffled through the
extra teeth crowding the creature’s muzzle.
“Once.”
“How did you change back?”
“Anthony reverted me when I did him a favor.”
“Do you think he would change us?”
Blake shrugged. “Go ask him.”
“W-we don’t want him to kill us on sight. Some of the others were killed with
lightning. H-his lightning.” The mutants huddled together as if expecting to be struck by
bolts of electricity at any moment.
“They attacked his home. They got what they deserved.” Blake had heard about the
mutants attacking the pack home. Anthony had scorched them out of existence like
mosquitoes hitting a bug zapper.
“Would you come with us? If you’re there, he might not kill us on sight.”
Leif spoke up. “He’s not going to convert all of you at once. I’ve seen him do this
before. It takes a lot of energy.”
Blake nodded his agreement. “Especially if you’ve been a mutant for a while.”
Although he didn’t recognize the transformed shifters before him, that didn’t mean they
were new. Korl kept several locations to conduct his tests. Blake might have helped
convert a lot of them, but he hadn’t been at the lab twenty-four hours a day and quite a
few mutants had been created without his help.
“We can wait,” the leader said. “If he lets us squat near his property, we can wait
until he’s ready. We don’t want the others to kill us because we are there without
permission.”
“Why did you break into Blake’s apartment and destroy his stuff?” Leif asked.
The mutant exchanged looks before returning their attention to Blake. “We didn’t
break into your apartment. We scared the others away. They were looking for something.
I’m sorry we came too late to stop them. They ran when they saw us.”
They didn’t smell of deception. Blake scanned the faces of the four mutants. Fear
crossed their face, and anxiety poured off them as if they were waiting to be kicked.
“How many mutants were wandering around your place anyway?” Leif glared at
Blake as if he were personally responsible for the mutant invasion.
“I don’t know.” He turned to address the mutants. “We’re supposed to talk to
Anthony tomorrow. If you like, we can talk to him about your situation then.”
“Thank you.” The lead mutant stared at Blake for a long moment. “We appreciate
any help you can offer.”
“What’s your name?” Blake asked.
“Devis.”
Blake tossed him his apartment keys. “It’s not much, but there’s not a lot of damage
you can do now.” He gave the mutant a wry smile. “The vampires are going to be by to
clean it soon so you might want to wait until they’re done before moving in.”
The mutant looked at the keys in his hands. “You trust me enough to give me your
keys?”
“It’s already been trashed. The refrigerator should be stocked, though. For some
reason, they left that alone.” Apparently, the mutants who invaded his home hadn’t
heard about people hiding things in the freezer.
“Where have you guys been staying?” Leif asked.
“At an abandoned building off Forty-Second Street.” Devis shrugged, making no
excuses for the way they lived.
Blake scowled. That was a rough part of town; even the junkies avoided it.
“I’ll be gone for a few days at least. Stay there so we know where to find you once
we talk to Anthony.”
“Okay.” The mutants hovered for a moment, then began to walk away.
“I’ll call you guys on my apartment phone after I talk to Anthony.”
Devis smiled. “Great. We’ll see you.”
Before he could say anything else, the mutants ran off. Their feet made surprisingly
little noise.
There were too many of them for Blake’s small one-bedroom, but hopefully, they
wouldn’t be there for long. Compared to where they’d been sleeping, Blake’s place was a
luxury condo.
Chapter Three
The drive over to Leif’s place was made in silence. With the rush of sexual energy
gone, Leif didn’t know if they had anything left. Concerns about the mutants spun
around Leif’s mind. Where were they all coming from? At first, he’d thought there were
only a handful of them, but as they became more comfortable coming forward, there
were obviously far more than he’d originally thought. Would they destroy the Moon
Pack, or were there more factions of them than anyone suspected?
He itched with the need to investigate, but he’d learn nothing new tonight. Instead,
he had a delicious wolf shifter to examine…in detail.
Leif pulled into a parking spot beneath his building. He turned off the car and sat
there for a moment before turning to Blake. The wolf shifter smiled, and Leif abandoned
all his anxieties. He couldn’t do anything more tonight but enjoy Blake. For the past few
years, Leif had become used to being alone, but secretly, in the back of his mind, he’d
longed for a partner.
Blake’s intense expression had Leif pausing before reaching out to the wolf shifter.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” Blake gave him another smile before looking out the window and
examining the parking garage. After their last ambush, Leif couldn’t blame Blake for
being cautious of their surroundings.
Leif put a hand to Blake’s chin, forcing him to face him. “Hey, we don’t have to do
anything, you know. I have a couch that you can sleep on if you’d like. No pressure.”
Except his balls might turn blue and fall off. He barely breathed while he waited for
Blake’s reply.
“I know we don’t have to do anything, but I’d really like to.”
The words barely left Blake’s lips before Leif moved in. He grabbed Blake’s shirt,
yanking him closer. Lust rushed through him, louder than a lion’s roar. One kiss merged
into another until all he could do was hang on for the ride as passion built between them.
Leif tore his mouth away. Blake growled. A ring of gold glowed in his eyes, the wolf
coming out to play. Leif shivered at the sight. For Blake to lose even that much control,
he must feel the same connection Leif did when they touched.
“Let’s go to my apartment. My car still isn’t big enough for the hard fucking I want
you to give me.” The thought of Blake pounding into him had Leif biting his lip as he
struggled not to come in his pants before he left the car.
Blake inhaled deeply, a seductive smile tipping his lips. “I like the sound of that. If
this is a common occurrence, we might want to get you a bigger car.”
Leif swallowed audibly. “Damn, you know how to drive me crazy. Let’s go before I
need to schedule time with a chiropractor.”
Laughter followed him out of the car. He slammed the door after himself, barely
waiting for Blake to grab his bag from the trunk before heading for the elevator.
A pinch on his ass made him yelp. Leif swatted the laughing wolf shifter before
pressing the button to call the elevator car. “Stop that.”
Blake’s scent filled his nose as the wolf shifter leaned over Leif’s shoulder and
whispered in his ear. “I can’t. You are too delicious to pass up.”
“If you make any big bad wolf analogies, you are sleeping on my couch.”
“Yes, dear.” Blake’s body shook with soft laughter behind him.
“Evil wolf,” Leif said. Even he could hear his fondness for Blake in his tone.
He kept a careful foot of space between them as they entered the elevator. Leif
knew if he so much as touched a pinky to Blake, he’d have the man up against the
elevator wall. Leif licked his lips, and Blake whimpered. At least the attraction was
mutual. It would’ve sucked if Leif were the only one who felt the pull between them. He
pressed the button to the sixth floor.
The elevator rose fast, then stopped with an electronic beep. “Thank fuck,” Blake
whispered. Leif bit back laughter as Blake followed him off the elevator. At least he
wasn’t the only impatient one.
“Here it is—six-oh-five,” Leif announced as he dug his keys out of his pocket.
Excitement had him fumbling as he tried to unlock the door. Anticipation shook him like
a hungry wolf with its prey.
“Give them to me.” Blake snatched the keys away, growling low.
“Sorry.” Leif stepped aside, careful not to make eye contact and challenge Blake’s
wolf. He didn’t want to ruin the night with a mauling. Leif’s inner raven ruffled its
feathers, ready to fight back if the wolf got out of control.
Blake sighed. Turning around, he slid the back of his fingers holding the keys down
Leif’s left cheek. His eyes glowed gold, but he’d pulled back the snarl in his tone.
“I’m not growling at you. I’m upset because I don’t have you ass naked and bent
over the couch.”
“Oh.” Leif shivered. The sexual energy between them sparked from his cheek to his
toes.
Blake’s smile had taken on a sharper edge, the wolf trying to get at him. It was
possibly the sexiest thing Leif had ever seen.
Mate?
Leif’s raven cawed its approval of their lover. Blake waved for Leif to go in first. Leif
stepped inside and flicked on the light.
A soft meow greeted that action.
“This is nice.” Blake rumbled behind him.
Leif examined his apartment. He didn’t often bring men home, but he’d needed
Blake here. His bird recognized Blake as a potential nest mate and had insisted.
A second soft meow drew Blake’s attention. “You have a cat?”
Leif shrugged. “I’ll talk to Dare about feeding her while I’m gone. I don’t want her
to starve. She’s lost her will to scavenge.” The last part was said pointedly at the fluffy
kitten. The tiger-striped creature licked her paw with a fine sense of disdain as if waiting
for Leif to give in and admit he’d become a cat owner.
“Where’d you get her?” Blake set down his bag to regard the tiny feline.
Leif plucked her from the back of the couch and scratched her head. She hated it
when he rumpled her newly licked fur. The annoyed expression made him chuckle. “I
saved her from a dumpster. I think she’s adopted me. I can’t get her to go home with
anyone else.”
“Maybe the other people are just smart enough to know a demon spawn when they
see one.” Blake eyed the kitty as she rubbed against Leif. “She’s marking you so my wolf
will be put off by her scent.”
“Is he? Will you let a tiny cat claim what is yours?”
“Are you mine?” Blake’s question ended in a low growl.
“For now.” Leif refused to agree to more. He’d be an idiot to promise forever when
he really didn’t know the wolf shifter well.
Blake stepped closer until his heat warmed the air between them. “Let’s see if we
can make that a more permanent answer.”
Leif set the cat on the floor. He’d barely released her when Blake yanked him
against his hard body. Need flooded Leif, an aching, twisting desire he’d never
experienced before. His fingertips transformed to claws. Leif jerked back.
“You okay?” Blake reeled him back in until their bodies were flush together.
Raising his hands, he sighed at their return to normal. “Yeah, my hands had never
done that before.”
“Date a lot of shifters?”
Leif frowned, trying to make the connection between his semi-transformation and
Blake’s question. “I don’t usually date. I can’t chance a human finding out about me, and
other shifters don’t want a bird.”
Prejudice between shifters was alive and well. Although larger predators often
mated on another, they rarely considered an avian worthy of consideration.
“I only ask because sometimes sex between shifters brings out our other half. If you
aren’t used to that, we’ll take it slow.” Blake’s consideration and the care in his eyes
warmed Leif to his toes. They might turn out not to be mates, but Blake wouldn’t turn
into another empty fuck in an alley or back room. The ex-mutant cared about Leif as a
friend if nothing else.
“Thanks.”
“Always.” Blake slid an arm around Leif and pulled him closer.
It must be the wolf in Blake that needed constant contact. The wolf shifter didn’t
seem to like distance between them, or maybe, after being a mutant for so long, he was
touch starved? Leif ran his hand up and down Blake’s spine, relishing the contact with
each vertebra.
Blake slid his cheek across Leif’s face once on each side.
“What are you doing?”
“Replacing that damn cat’s mark. My wolf doesn’t like her scent.”
“Hmm. I see we have a slight territorial dispute.” Leif couldn’t keep the amusement
out of his voice even when Blake glared at him.
“Do ravens mate for life?” Blake asked.
Leif took a moment before answering, thinking back over his flock’s interactions.
“Natural ravens do, and the shifters of my flock did. My flock picked their mates
although I’ve heard of other flocks who claim they have fated mates. I don’t know of any
male pairings, though.”
“Good thing I’m not a raven, then. Now I believe you and I have an appointment
with that couch.”
Leif smiled. “How about we take it to the bedroom instead? Less chance of pulling a
back muscle.”
“You ravens are a bit fragile, aren’t you?”
“I don’t think I’ve had anyone ever say that to me before.”
“Probably because they were human.” Blake stripped off his shirt and threw it on
the chair.
“Oh.” All thought flew from Leif’s head. “Damn, you’re huge.”
He’d known from being wrapped in Blake’s arms that he had thick musculature,
but the sight of his wide arms had his human half whimpering and his raven half
preening over the beauty of their sexual partner.
“That’s the kind of thing a guy likes to hear.” Blake lifted Leif off the ground in a
fireman’s carry and headed to the hall. It took him no time to find Leif’s bedroom—the
place wasn’t very big.
Blake dropped him on the mattress, and all air whooshed out of Leif’s lungs. He
coughed to regain some oxygen. He didn’t gather much as Blake slid his body across
Leif’s. All bare flesh and muscles. Yum.
Leif greedily spread his fingers along Blake’s body, trying to touch as much as
possible.
“Easy, bird. We’ve got all night.”
Blake lapped at Leif’s neck before grazing it with his teeth.
“Shoes,” Leif muttered. As much as he enjoyed Blake’s body on his, the bit of OCD
in his psyche insisted they couldn’t have shoes on the bed.
“Ahh, so your bird nature is coming out.” Blake grinned. “How about we remove all
our clothing? I want you to be comfortable.”
Leif nodded, more than willing to go along with that plan. He appreciated Blake
going with the flow instead of mocking him.
Blake stood. Immediately, Leif missed the warm body pressing him into the
mattress. That vanished when Blake took off his shoes, then stripped off the rest of his
clothing.
“Oh.” Words failed him. He didn’t usually go for heavily muscled men, but he’d
make an exception for Blake. He could make all kinds of exceptions for the handsome
wolf shifter.
“You are overdressed for this date.” Blake pulled off Leif’s shoes, then carefully
lowered the zipper of his dress pants. Leif groaned. His cock sprang free from
confinement.
“No underwear?”
“I don’t like to be restricted.” He didn’t mention his cock had been pounding
against the zipper since he spotted Blake.
“Mmm, I’d hate to see this beauty trapped either.”
Without warning, Blake plunged his mouth over Leif’s erection. Leif howled, louder
than any wolf. Bliss.
Blake continued to swallow. The heat of the wolf shifter’s mouth consumed Leif’s
cock. “I’m going to come,” he warned.
A low growl vibrating up Blake’s throat finished the job.
“Oh fuck.” Leif’s orgasm grabbed him by the balls, and he shot down Blake’s throat.
The wolf shifter swallowed Leif’s release and didn’t let go until Leif was certain Blake
had completely drained his body of all fluid. He might die of dehydration, but what a
way to go.
Blake opened his mouth to let Leif’s sated cock slide out.
“That was a great appetizer. Now for the main course.”
Blake flipped Leif over and pulled his jacket off his back. Leif twitched. Damn, a
wolf shifter at his back triggered all of his flight instincts. Blake’s animal could
overpower Leif and damn if that didn’t make him hard all over again.
“Easy, babe, I’m just removing your clothes. I’ll warn you before I do anything else.”
Blake must’ve read his body language. How else would he know Leif was on edge?
Hot lips traced a line of kisses along Leif’s spine, starting at the back of his neck and
ending at his ass. Blake’s breath sizzled jolts of desire through Leif until he wondered if
he’d been zapped by one of Anthony’s lightning bolts.
He moaned. “More.”
“Oh, I have lots more for you,” Blake promised.
Blake separated Leif’s ass cheeks with his big hands. A wet tongue probed Leif’s
hole, and his entire body shook from the stress of holding back.
“I need to come again,” he hissed.
“No!” Blake’s barked answer calmed Leif. He swayed as if his body were no longer
under his control but under the power of the man looming above him. “You can hold it
until I’m inside you. I want you to squeeze around me when you shoot.”
Leif bit his lip to hold back a whimper. Blake’s plan sounded amazing, but holding
back might kill him.
“Shhh, you’re good. Wait for me.”
Leif turned his head to glare over his shoulder. Blake grinned. He received a kiss on
the cheek, and then Blake opened his bedside drawer and pulled out the lube. “We’ll
have to revisit this drawer later.”
He knew a blush burned across his cheeks like a wildfire, but he couldn’t help it.
The vibrating plug, cock ring, nipple clamps, and other assorted toys were fine when he
was alone and needing to get off. Here with Blake to fuck him, his collection embarrassed
more than excited.
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
Leif didn’t bother arguing further, not when Blake shoved a slick finger into his
hole with little preamble.
He hissed.
“Okay?” Blake kissed Leif’s shoulder.
“Yes. More.” His brain could only form one word at a time. If Blake wanted longer
sentences, he’d have to take his fingers out of Leif’s ass and stop bumping against that
blissfully magical spot.
“We’re not in a hurry, are we?” He could hear the grin in Blake’s voice. Luckily, the
wolf shifter chose that moment to return his fingers to Leif’s channel so he didn’t have to
rip out Blake’s throat.
“I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have your big, thick cock in my ass soon, I
will have to go find someone willing to fuck me.”
A low growl followed that pronouncement.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, my mate.” Blake’s voice had dropped at least one
octave, the sound shivering up Leif’s spine.
He knew in that moment, Blake the sweet wolf had vanished, and he’d left behind a
predator willing to kill anyone touching Leif.
“Mate?”
“Yes.” Blake’s voice vibrated with the power of his beast. “You, little bird, are my
mate.”
Leif gritted his teeth. “I’m not little as a human or a bird.” He might not be an eagle,
but he wasn’t a wren either.
“I meant no offense, don’t ruffle your feathers.” Blake stroked Leif’s hair as if trying
to soothe him.
“Stop arguing and fuck me.”
“At least we agree on something.” Blake applied more lube to both his erection and
Leif’s hole, two parts that needed more slick to be comfortably joined. Blake’s cock was
definitely larger than average, and Leif had screwed around with many averagely
endowed men.
“Now!” Leif ordered. Damn, the wolf shifter made a snail seem like a sprinter at this
speed.
“Patience.” Blake flipped Leif back over so they were face-to-face.
Leif glanced to the side.
“Look at me,” Blake demanded.
“I… I’ve never had sex this way.” It was easier with humans to be either looking
away or behind them. If his eyes or hands changed, a human wouldn’t notice in the dark
recesses of an alley, facing the other direction.
“Now you have.” Blake didn’t leave room for argument. He pushed inside and
made sure Leif could adjust before he slid in farther. “So fucking tight.”
“Yesss,” Leif hissed. “So good.”
“Easy, don’t push back, let me set the pace,” Blake murmured in his ear.
Leif locked his ankles behind Blake’s back, keeping his knees high and clenching
around Blake’s shaft. “So good.”
“Pushy man. You like to top from the bottom, I see.” Blake said the words teasingly,
but Leif saw the fine beads of moisture crossing his forehead as he fought to keep control.
“I like to top from the top too,” Leif offered. “I won’t always be the receiver.”
“Good.” Blake’s canines dropped, and his voice hit a new low.
Blake’s control snapped, and Leif held on as Blake powered into him. Now that Leif
had relaxed, the wolf shifter gave him everything he could hope for.
“Oh, yes. Fuck, yes.” Leif ran out of words. Instead, he raised his hips to meet
Blake’s thrusts. With each back and forth motion, Blake bumped Leif’s prostate and sent
shivers up and down his spine.
“That’s it. Take me, pretty bird.”
Leif didn’t know if that was a step up from little bird, but at least Blake was trying.
He used his crossed feet to lift his hips and impale himself on Blake’s cock.
“Oh, fuck.” Blake’s eyes crossed, and he came.
Blake’s cum splashing into his body triggered his own orgasm. After he’d finished
soaking them with his release, Leif relaxed, suddenly boneless.
“So good.” He couldn’t remember the last time sex had relaxed him so completely
he was ready for a nap.
“I’m glad you approve.” Blake kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’ll be right back.”
Leif didn’t worry about Blake not returning or trying to kick him out of bed because
it was his place, and if Blake truly thought they were mates, he wouldn’t be going
anywhere.
Blake returned carrying a washcloth. Without a word, the wolf shifter wiped Leif
down until he didn’t have a speck of spend on him.
“Thanks.” He contemplated changing the sheets, but that sounded like too much
work and he’d been tired lately, not sleeping well.
“No problem.” Blake vanished again to take care of the cloth. When he returned, he
climbed into bed and snuggled close.
Ravens didn’t snuggle, but Leif decided not to mention that fact when Blake’s body
heat warmed him against the chill of the air conditioning. Maybe he’d mention it
tomorrow.
“Night, pretty bird.”
Leif sighed, but in contentment, not annoyance. He might even get used to being
called a stupid pet name if it got him cuddles.
After a few minutes, the body behind him relaxed and his deep breathing told Leif
his wolf had fallen asleep.
What the fuck was he going to do with a wolf shifter lover? The man couldn’t even
fly.
Chapter Four
Blake and Leif showered, then dressed fast the next morning. Leif tucked several
throwing knives inside various pockets, making Blake want to play ‘strip the raven’ to
find out where all of them had gone.
Leif had looked sexy the night before in his suit, but wrapped in black leather, he
called to Blake’s wolf to take him down and mark him permanently. His inner wolf
didn’t appreciate the small nips he’d given Leif the night before. His beast wanted to sink
his teeth deep and make sure no one made the mistake of touching their man ever again.
Taking a deep breath, Blake shoved his beast back down. “Ready?”
They needed to leave before Blake tossed aside his good intentions and rutted
against Leif until they both needed to change their clothes again.
Thomas stood in front of the door of the club, his calculating gaze sweeping the
street.
“Hey, Thomas.” Blake waved as he exited the car.
“Blake.” Thomas nodded to the raven shifter. “Leif.”
“Hey, Thomas. We’re looking for Anthony,” Blake offered.
“He’s in the kitchen with Silver. Go around back.” Thomas pointed to the kitchen
door.
Blake took Leif’s arm and headed to the kitchen door. The thick steel door, installed
a few months ago after the mutant invasion, shone dimly in the streetlights.
Leif marched up and pounded on the metal.
It only took a moment before the door opened and Henry peered out. “Hey, guys.
Come on inside.”
Blake smiled at Henry’s happy expression. The chef always made everyone
welcome. The heat of the kitchen enveloped them as they entered. Henry’s mate, Dakota,
nodded his greeting before turning his attention back to his food. Dakota didn’t talk a lot.
Living most of his life as a wolf hadn’t helped develop his communication skills.
Leif patted Dakota on the back, then took a seat at the table beside him. Anthony
and Silver sat on the other side, eating what looked like apple pie.
“Morning, gentlemen,” Anthony said.
“Good morning.” Blake plunged into the conversation before he could forget about
the mutants at his place. The easy thing would be to grab his raven and disappear into
the Fae World. Sadly, he’d never had the sense to take the easy route. “I have a little
problem. A group of mutants showed up at my place. They want you to revert them. I
told them you couldn’t do more than one at a time but that I’d talk to you.”
Blake hoped he hadn’t overpromised. What if Anthony didn’t want to change any
more mutants back? It wasn’t as if the mutant population had treated the Moon Pack
particularly well.
“What did they say to that?” Anthony’s eyes flared with power.
Blake sucked in a breath, barely willing to twitch in case Anthony’s magic decided
to flare up. The demi-god had great control, but Blake wasn’t technically a member of the
Moon Pack yet and didn’t know if Anthony’s protection would extend to Blake or zap
him out of existence.
“They were willing to wait,” he replied, pleased when his voice only trembled a
little.
Leif patted his arm in a show of support. Apparently, he knew how much Anthony
freaked him out. Ever since Anthony had zapped him with his magic to reverse Blake’s
mutation, he’d been leery of the younger man. Anyone with that much magical energy
would be a bad enemy to have.
“I’ll talk to them first,” Silver commented. “I don’t want them in my territory
without talking to them. If they are sincere in their wish to change, Anthony can decide
if he wants to help.”
Blake watched for Anthony’s reaction. Silver might be the leader of the pack, but
Anthony was its heart. If he didn’t want the mutants, they wouldn’t become part of the
pack.
Anthony nodded. “Let me know when you clear them. I don’t want anyone to stay
a mutant against their will.”
Silver stood, then kissed Anthony on the cheek. “See you later, love. I’ll go talk to
them now.”
“Thanks.” Anthony took another bite of pie. “You guys want some pie?”
“Pie for breakfast?” Leif asked.
Anthony shrugged. “It’s good pie. I’m sure Henry can make you some eggs if you’re
feeling traditional.”
“No, that sounds great.” If the alpha mate wanted pie for breakfast, who was he to
rock the boat? Besides, they were probably as nutritious as the muffin he sometimes ate.
Blake sat at the table and pulled Leif down with him. “What kind?”
“We’ve got coconut cream, blueberry, and apple,” Henry offered. “Inno was in a
baking mood.”
“I’ll take coconut,” Blake said.
“I’ll take blueberry.” Leif smiled at the big chef.
A moment later, Henry set the plates of dessert before them.
“Oh, that looks great.”
“Inno is an amazing baker. Too bad Mikel doesn’t let him work more.”
Blake nodded. The vampire kept a close watch on his wolf shifter, protecting him
with an almost obsessive compulsion. “How often does he let Inno come bake?”
“Only once or twice a month. Especially since the mutant attack.” Henry sighed.
Even though he hadn’t been part of the attack, Blake had a twinge of guilt. He’d
once been a mutant. He’d done what he could to save the others from being converted
too, but it hadn’t been enough. Blake had been one of the first to be mutated; he
considered each mutant who followed a personal failure.
Despite the excellence of the pie, it took a lot of effort to choke it down.
“Hey.” Leif gripped Blake’s arm. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Blake shrugged. “Good pie.”
“It is,” Leif agreed, watching Blake’s mouth.
He shoved another bite into his mouth and let out a happy hum. Flavor exploded
across his tongue. “Let me know if I have to rough Mikel up to free his baker.”
Henry laughed. “Will do.”
Leif couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face. His body still ached from
the night before, but memories of Blake holding him down and screwing him kept
flashing in his mind. He tried to clear his throat and focus on the events going on, but the
smell of Blake sitting so close spun his senses.
After they finished their pie, Anthony stood. “The others should be ready now. We
decided to send the twins and Gabe with you for backup.”
Leif nodded. He wouldn’t refuse any extra help they could get. If anyone could
hunt down the scientist, it would be the Fae twins.
They entered Silver’s office and found Vien, Viell, and Gabe standing beside a large
desk. The twins bracketed their mate and were armed to the teeth with swords and
knives. Gabe appeared unarmed, but since he worked as an architect, he probably didn’t
handle a lot of weapons. His wolf would be weapon enough.
The trio smiled at Leif and Blake as they entered.
Leif rubbed his stomach. Nerves jittered inside him like lightning bolts.
Blake squeezed Leif’s shoulder, his touch reassuring. “It’ll be fine.”
The calm wave of soothing pushed at him by Blake eased Leif further. After their
night together, they had bonded, not an official mate bond but a lover’s link nonetheless.
Gabe appeared completely relaxed, but his mates were ready for battle. He
respected the twins’ readiness. He glanced over at Blake and saw the wolf shifter was
watching the trio with interest.
“What are you expecting?” Leif asked. He had a bad feeling about what they might
find on the other side if the Fae were armed to fight.
“Farro ran into some aggressive mutants when he went back last time. There are
also some trolls roaming about. King Kylen has a good handle on most of them, but he
can’t be everywhere, especially since his kingdom has doubled. There is some unease in
the Fae World right now, and we think Korl is at the heart of it.”
Leif had heard Kylen had been declared the one king. The mutant problem
probably wasn’t as pressing as making sure an entire fae population didn’t revolt.
“We’ll do what we can.”
Especially if it meant Leif could take down the scientist. His goal to kill Korl hadn’t
changed since the first time he’d seen the results of the mad scientist’s experiments.
Memories of his destroyed flock tossed in a ditch filled his mind. The others might
discuss capturing Korl and what information they could glean from his experiments. Leif
only had one goal. Kill Korl.
Blake nodded beside him. “We’re happy to help.”
The wolf shifter’s desire to be helpful all but radiated from his skin. Canine breeds
were more bound to want to please their pack leader than ravens. Leif liked the Moon
Pack, but he wouldn’t bother helping if he didn’t need to take down Korl. Not to
mention the mutants could injure Dare again. Leif couldn’t allow his friend to be hurt.
“Everyone ready?” Anthony asked.
When resounding yeses went around the room, Anthony stepped in front of a blank
wall and whispered some words Leif couldn’t understand. A circle formed before the
demi-god, glowing with a pearly light. A soft, alluring hum whispered across the air as if
calling them to go inside.
“It’s clear. Just walk on through. Gabe, if you and the twins decide to stay behind,
I’ll understand,” Anthony said. He gave Gabe a quick hug, then the trio vanished
through the portal.
If the trio stayed behind, they could help the King keep his detractors at bay. More
kings died by assassination from his own people than anything else. Claiming two
kingdoms was a tricky proposition. It could bring the people together as one to live in
harmony, but it could just as easily bring them together to overthrow their leader. The
fae weren’t known for their high passions, but a cold assassination worked just as well as
an impulsive stabbing.
“Ready?” Anthony’s words pulled Leif back to the present.
“I guess it’s our turn.” Blake eyed the portal distrustfully.
Leif laced his fingers with Blake’s. “It’ll be fine.”
Truthfully, he’d never crossed over before. All of his knowledge was based on
theory, but Anthony wouldn’t send him through something that might endanger his
friends. Confident he’d make it out the other side, Leif dragged Blake through the portal
with him.
Leif’s insides swirled around as he stepped onto soft mossy ground. Blinking
rapidly, it took him a moment to adjust from the smoggy city to air so pure it practically
glowed. He took a deep breath. His inner raven happily fluffed his feathers. A sudden
longing to take wing in this clear sky twisted him up inside. He almost transformed
when Blake spoke.
“Stay, babe. I don’t want to lose you.” Blake wrapped a hand around Leif’s right
arm.
“I was just thinking of a little flight.” Leif tried for an innocent look, but from
Blake’s knowing expression, he didn’t pull it off.
“It’s intoxicating, isn’t it?” Gabe grinned companionably. “I always want to turn
wolf and run through the forest.” Gabe tilted his head to indicate the vast forest
surrounding them.
“I could see why that would be tempting,” Leif agreed.
“We have to keep an eye on him.” Viell gave his mate an affectionate look. “We
don’t want to lose him tromping through the trees.”
“I don’t tromp.” Gabe tilted his nose at his mate.
“That’s right, brother. Gabe doesn’t tromp; he’s a dignified wolf. He frolics.” Vien
grinned. The fae kissed Gabe on the nose, then dodged Gabe’s playful swipe.
Leif shook his head at the trio. “Where do you think we should look first?”
“Let’s follow the brown dirt road and visit the King.” Vien smiled at Leif and
pointed at a path winding through the forest. “Anthony dropped us off only about a mile
from the castle as the crow flies.”
Leif scowled. “I’m a raven.”
“Do they fly differently than crows?” Gabe asked.
“No, we just do it with more class.” Leif strutted past the laughing fae.
“Wait a second, raven,” Vien said.
Leif turned. “What?”
“We need to go the other way.” Vien pointed in the opposite direction to where Leif
had been going.
Sighing, Leif obediently walked the other way.
Blake chuckled behind him.
“Hush, wolf.”
He still heard laughing behind him as he marched down the road. Gabe rushed to
walk beside him. “Don’t pay any attention to Vien. He just likes to tease.”
“I don’t mind.” After living a solitary life, Leif enjoyed the idea of having people
comfortable with tweaking his feathers. His life seemed to be expanding to allow more
friends inside.
“Good.” Gabe remained silent for a while until Leif felt the need to chat.
“What’s it like having two mates?”
Gabe shrugged. “Sometimes overwhelming. I mean we’re not a true ménage since
they don’t have sex with each other.”
“Really? No twincest?”
“No.” Gabe shuddered. “I know some people think that’s hot, but we don’t do that.
I mean they don’t avoid each other, but they don’t interact sexually when we’re in bed.”
“I have no wish to grope Vien’s hairy ass,” Viell offered cheerfully behind them.
Leif choked on his laughter when he heard a loud smack. He glanced over his
shoulder to see Viell rubbing the back of his head and Vien glaring at his brother.
“My ass is perfectly smooth,” Vien said.
“That’s more information than Leif needs,” Blake growled.
“I don’t know. I might be interested in the smoothness of Vien’s ass,” Leif said
mildly.
Gabe flashed a fang, the first sign of aggression Leif had ever seen in the wolf
shifter.
“Just kidding.” Leif held up his hands in defense.
“You don’t kid mates.” Blake patted Leif’s shoulder, an affectionate touch.
“Sorry,” Leif apologized.
Still, the thought of two mates spun around in Leif’s mind. Ravens generally had
nests and remained faithful to one mate their entire life, but he could see the appeal of
having more than one lover. Since Leif’s flock had been eradicated, the chances of him
finding another raven shifter to partner with were slim.
“What are you thinking about?” Blake’s deep voice settled Leif’s anxious mind.
“How few raven shifters there are left.” No point in hiding the truth.
“Are you looking for another flock?” The evenness of Blake’s voice started warning
bells ringing through Leif’s head.
“Just thinking of the death of mine.” Leif’s sudden dip into despair threatened his
enjoyment of the beautiful day.
“Hey.” Blake’s grip on his elbow pulled Leif to a stop. “You’re not alone anymore.
You have friends. You have me.”
Leif could read in Blake’s eyes how much the wolf shifter wanted to be enough. His
raven gave a mournful caw. Damn, he wished Blake could be enough too, but something
was missing. Maybe the tales he’d heard of fated raven mates were just that stories. That
didn’t mean he couldn’t pick Blake to be his.
“You’ll find someone,” Gabe agreed. “Probably when you’re not looking at all. Isn’t
that what they say? I know I wasn’t looking.”
The wolf shifter dropped back to walk between his mates. They immediately closed
ranks around him.
Leif dared to glance up at Blake. The wolf shifter’s expression had closed down.
“You all right?”
“We’re mates. My wolf says so.”
Leif sighed. “I didn’t say we weren’t. I just…” How could he tell Blake it wasn’t
enough? He’d never be intentionally cruel, and telling the wolf shifter they weren’t
proper mates would be just that.
“You just what?” Blake asked.
Leif opened his mouth to answer when a loud roar echoed in the air. Out of the
forest burst a stream of creatures. Leif had never seen anything like them.
“Trolls!” Gabe shouted.
“Oh fuck.” Leif grabbed his sword and so did Gabe. The king had outlawed guns, so
even if he had his Glock, he couldn’t use it. Unlike Blake and Gabe, he only pulled out his
raven when he needed to do reconnaissance. His beast couldn’t do more than jab
someone’s eye out. A flock of ravens could be deadly. A single bird usually resulted in
that bird’s death.
Another roar jerked Leif’s attention to the air above him. A red dragon dropped
from the sky and crushed the troll immediately in front of Leif.
“Behind me,” Blake shouted.
Leif didn’t even bother to argue with the wolf shifter. Such a ridiculous demand
didn’t deserve a response. Leif ducked beneath the spiked club a troll swung at his head.
He flung one of his knives at the creature, stabbing it in the chest. With the dragon
crushing and setting people on fire, the trolls were soon nothing more than piles of ash
and crumpled bits of bones and skin.
After another sweeping glance to make sure none of the trolls were getting up
again, Leif slid his sword into its scabbard and approached the glowing dragon.
Leif bowed low. “Greetings, dragon, and thank you for your help.”
Chapter Five
Rhaegar’sheart pounded at the delicious scent of the man before him. He’d never
encountered anyone who smelled so perfect. Before he recognized the action, he’d
transformed to his human form. Luckily his scales changed to clothing, or he’d be
standing stark naked in front of total strangers. Although he wanted to make an
impression on the bird shifter, exposing his naked body might be a bit much upon first
meeting.
“Greetings, pretty bird. Why is it you’re visiting us today?”
He didn’t want to seem paranoid, but he was supposed to be protecting the King
and he hadn’t been expecting this group.
“We are hunting the scientist Korl for his crimes against shifters.”
“A worthy cause,” Rhaegar approved. He sidled up to the bird shifter. A low growl
pulled his steps to a halt as he turned to examine the raven’s companion.
Wow!
Where the raven had a slim physique indicative of a man who flew, the heavily
muscled man at his side oozed power. “And who might you be, my fine wolf?”
“I’m his mate,” the wolf shifter growled through gritted teeth.
Rhaegar grinned. “Excellent.”
This could work out even better than he’d hoped. Many dragons had more than one
mate. It made for better security when guarding any eggs they might bear. Although
Rhaegar would never have that problem, it didn’t mean he’d turn away two sexy men
tailored by the fates to be his. He only had to fuck them to confirm they were.
Rhaegar inhaled deeply. The wolf smelled a bit peppery, anger covering his natural
smell. The raven, however, carried the scent of fresh berries and joy. “It’s a pleasure to
meet the mate of this gorgeous raven.”
The wolf growled deeper.
“Oh, take it easy, I’ll share him.” Rhaegar couldn’t think of anything sexier than
tumbling around his cave with two gorgeous shifters. He’d worried he’d be stuck with
stuffy fae. Two men who each shared their bodies with an animal would have a much
better understanding of their dragon mate.
“Are you working for the King?” a new voice asked.
Rhaegar turned, then blinked. Two identical fae warriors stood on either side of an
adorable wolf shifter. “Ahh, the King’s cousins. I have heard of you.”
No one had told him the dangerous edge the pair had about them or that they were
more feral than any of the courtly fae he’d encountered so far. Maybe they reflected their
mate’s nature. He might look sweet, but Rhaegar had just watched the wolf shifter rip
out a troll’s throat when it came too close to his mate. He hadn’t even transformed
completely either, just shifted his hand and went for the jugular.
Rhaegar respected the hell out of that. He hated when fighters tried to get fancy. Go
for the kill and then get out was how he’d been taught. Whoever had taught the little
wolf had obviously shared the same advice.
“Forgive us for the lack of introductions. I’m Vien, this is my brother Viell, and our
mate Gabe. The men before you are Leif and Blake.”
“Leif and Blake.” Rhaegar rolled the names around in his mind. They were rather
short, not proper dragon names, but they would do well enough. He could always
rename his mates later. He had centuries to ponder a proper dragon mate name for them.
“Did you come alone?” Blake looked around as if anticipating other dragons
dropping from the sky.
“I was on the way to visit with the King. I heard trolls and took a detour. My
companions continued on.”
“That was rather dangerous.” Leif frowned. “What if they overran you?”
“Trolls are like rats. They’d rather run than fight a dragon. Why do you think they
were fleeing?” Rhaegar puffed up his chest. His reputation as a warrior scared the trolls
more than any actual battle he might fight.
Blake rolled his eyes. “Well, thank you for chasing them in our direction.”
Rhaegar scowled. “You weren’t supposed to be here. I was heading them toward
the river. Trolls hate water.”
“They do? I thought all that talk about trolls and bridges meant they enjoyed it,”
Leif said.
Rhaegar shook his head. “Humans made up those stories to taunt the trolls before
they chased them out of your dimension. Now come, I will lead you to the King.”
“You don’t need to lead us,” Blake said. “We know where we were going.”
Rhaegar slung an arm across Leif’s shoulders. “Then you can show me how to get
there. I get turned around when I don’t fly.”
“Then transform back and flap away,” Blake responded, displaying an unnecessary
amount of teeth.
“Easy, wolf, I’m not looking to take away your pretty bird. I’ll share.”
“Does the pretty bird get a vote?” Leif asked.
“No,” Rhaegar and Blake said in unison.
Rhaegar grinned. “See? We agree on something.”
Leif tried to wiggle out from beneath Rhaegar’s hold. The dragon tightened his grip.
“Now don’t run away. How am I going to get to know you better if you rush off?”
He dipped his nose into Leif’s neck and inhaled deeply.
Leif groaned. “What are you doing?”
“Taking in your scent. Now there’s nowhere you can hide where I can’t find you.”
Once a dragon had a person’s scent in their memory, they could track them across the
universe.
“Yeah, that’s vaguely creepy,” Leif sniped but didn’t try to dislodge Rhaegar’s arm
again.
Rhaegar had a feeling ruffling the pretty bird’s feathers would quickly become a
favorite pastime.
“What are you doing for the King?” Blake asked.
Rhaegar grinned at his co-mate. He had no doubt when he got closer to the wolf
shifter, the man would turn out to be perfect for him. The wary expression just made
Rhaegar want to grab Blake and pin him down.
“I’m guarding his back during his coronation. He doesn’t trust his own people.”
“Makes sense. He needs to reassess who his friends are. Korl has poisoned the minds
of quite a few fae. He needs to be stopped before he destroys the Kingdom,” Blake said.
“You sound like you know him well.” Rhaegar narrowed his eyes at the wolf.
“I used to be one of his mutants,” Blake admitted.He ran a hand through his sunlit
hair. “I’ve done a lot I’m not proud of. Even if I find an antidote, it won’t erase the pain
of the mutation.”
“You’ll find a cure,” Leif assured him.
“Maybe, but some mutants don’t want to be cured, and if I do find an antidote, they
might consider me a threat. You saw what they did with just the hint I might be coming
up with a formula.”
“I bet you could make millions by selling a vaccine,” Vien said.
“I’d give it away for free if it would save others from the experience of being a
mutant. You have no idea how horrible it feels to not be in control of your body.” Blake
shuddered.
Rhaegar appreciated the raven’s vote of confidence in his mate. Mates should
support each other. His dragon growled its approval. “You have a mighty spirit in such a
small animal.”
“I might be a small animal, but I’m not that much smaller than you as a man,” Leif
pointed out.
“True. You can ride my back when we travel in our animal selves. Experiencing the
power of a dragon is not something to be missed,”Rhaegar promised.He’d love to share
his dragon half with these men.
“We’ll see.” Blake didn’t promise anything.
Rhaegar respected the glowering wolf and didn’t wish to mess up their potential
relationship. Maybe the raven would be the peacemaker. Every triad needed someone to
be the one who smoothed things over. He doubted he or the wolf would be the ones to
take on that job. He bet Gabe kept the volatile-looking brothers in line.
“There’s the castle.” Viell’s voice broke into Rhaegar’s internal musing.
Spires appeared on the horizon as they climbed the small hill. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, it is,” Viell agreed. “It was our home for most of our lives.”
“Did you want to take King Kylen up on his offer?” Gabe asked.
“It’s up to you, gorgeous,” Viell said. “We wouldn’t want to tear you away from
your home. We want you to be happy.”
“I might be happy here. I could hang out with Farro and help with Sammy.” Gabe’s
tone didn’t indicate how he might feel about staying. “I don’t think there are a lot of
architecture jobs here, though.”
“You never know,” Vien said. “The kingdom has things it needs built too. We can
talk to Kylen if you’re interested.”
Rhaegar had no doubt the twins would abide by any answer Gabe gave them. He
could tell from their expressions that they adored their shifter mate. He hoped to find
that level of devotion from his own mates some day.
Gabe shrugged. “How about you ask me again in a few days after we’ve spent more
time here. My previous visits were in the presence of a mad king. I’d like to see how it
goes with Kylen in charge.”
“Fair enough,” Viell said, picking up where his brother left off the conversation.
The group traveled the rest of the way in relative silence, pausing now and then to
point out an interesting sight.
They came to a halt at the guard post outside the palace.
The fae on duty took one look at Blake and curled his lip. “I see the King is letting a
bunch of dogs in now.”
Rhaegar transformed his fingers into talons with a thought and lifted his hand for
the guard to see. “I’d apologize if I were you.”
The guard warily stared at Rhaegar’s claws. “You’re not a wolf.”
“No. I’m a dragon, and if you continue to be rude to my friends, I will disembowel
you, then set you on fire.”
Leif shook beside him. For a second, Rhaegar thought the raven shifter shuddered
in fear. A quick glance proved Leif was struggling not to laugh.
“Too much?” he asked.
“A little over the top,” Leif agreed.
Rhaegar shrugged, then gave a narrow-eyed glare to the guard.
The guard paled and cleared his throat. Rhaegar could smell the fear and panic waft
through the air. He flashed the guard a smile, making sure to show off his elongated
canines.
“I-I’m very sorry if I offended you, sir. We’re still adjusting to different species
being allowed in-into the Kingdom.”
“That’s all right. We can’t expect your idiotic prejudices to end overnight,” Blake
declared.
Rhaegar laughed.
“We’re here to see the King,” Vien announced, stepping between them and the
guard.
For a moment, Rhaegar wondered if the guard had lost his mind when he didn’t
immediately step aside. If the King heard his cousins were blocked from entering the
castle, the guard would be assigned a less-than-pleasant duty.
“Hey!” A cheery voice broke the standoff. Farro pushed past the guards and
grabbed Gabe in a fierce hug. “I missed you, buddy.”
Gabe let out an exaggerated gasp when Farro released him.
“Viell, Vien.” Farro nodded to the twins before turning to Rhaegar’s new friends.
“Leif and Blake. I didn’t expect to see you two traveling together. Anthony said he was
sending people over, but he was waiting to tell me until he had someone lined up. Come
inside; Kylen is just finishing up a meeting. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you all.
Greetings, Rhaegar!”
Everyone nodded to Farro’s greeting. Good thing, too, because the King Mate didn’t
stop his chatter once as he led them through the gates. Farro kept up a steady stream of
conversation as he moved them through the gauntlet of guards and into a beautiful
dining room.
Flowers chased up the walls, a heavy perfume emitting from their open buds.
Rhaegar watched Leif’s fascination with the arched dome covering the roof. The glass
allowed the morning light to seep in and set the room aglow.
“What are you doing?” Rhaegar asked when Leif didn’t drag his attention from the
ceiling. He couldn’t wait until they were truly mated; then he’d be able to read Leif’s
every thought.
“I was thinking this would be an awesome room to fly in.”
Farro laughed. “It probably would be. Maybe after you talk to Kylen, you can go for
a little flight.”
“Thanks. I usually go for a morning flight, but I didn’t have time today.” The blush
covering Leif’s cheeks told Rhaegar his mate had been busy with his wolf friend.
Surprisingly, he didn’t find a sliver of jealousy going through him. It must’ve been
because the wolf already belonged to the raven and he saw them as a package deal. The
idea of anyone else touching the sexy avian shifter had his claws ready to emerge,
though.
Kylen entered, and the energy of the room shifted. The Fae King crackled with
suppressed power. To Rhaegar’s experienced eye, the King had gained more magical
energy now that he oversaw two kingdoms. Leaders gained magic from their subjects.
Mad leaders were unable to convert it properly, which was how the dragons always
knew when a ruler wasn’t the rightful king. Kylen wore his power like a cloak of energy.
He thrived on his rule. Despite Kylen’s reluctance to be king, Rhaegar had never been so
confident that the right man sat on the throne.
“Good afternoon, gentlemen.” Kylen shook everyone’s hand except the twins’; they
were given a hug while Gabe received a friendly smile but no extra touching. “Why
doesn’t everyone sit and I’ll have some food brought in.”
“Already ordered, love.” Farro settled beside Kylen to the right of the King in a
position of favor.
“Thanks. I’m starving. That meeting went far later than it should have. My advisory
committee is too fond of listening to themselves talk. I think I’m going to dissolve them
and begin a new one from scratch.”
Farro shook his head. “You could ruin a lot of alliances. You might need some of
their help one day. If you alienate them now, they might not be there for you later.”
“Maybe not.” Kylen shrugged. “But if I kill them now because they can’t stop
jabbering on, that would damage our relationship more, don’t you think?”
Rhaegar laughed. The king had a refreshing viewpoint.
Leif spoke first. “We’ve come to help, your majesty. What can we do to root out the
mutants?”
“We aren’t sure where Korl is hiding. I thought at first he was in the light kingdom
since the previous king claimed to be sheltering him, but my guards have found no signs,
or if they did, they lied about it.” Kylen tapped his fingers together as he pondered.
“You think that’s a possibility?” Leif asked.
Kylen nodded. “Yes. Although most are supporting me because of my One True
King status with the sword, there are many detractors who have their own favorites they
would prefer to put on the throne. Although I’ve been at court most of my life, it was as a
guard. To rise to the level of king is unprecedented.”
“You’ll do fine,” Rhaegar declared. He didn’t know if Kylen would or not, but he
liked the man and thought he needed a bit more confidence. With the dragons behind
him, he should have an easier time of things. Few fae wished to go up against the
dragons. The more support Kylen garnered, the better his chances of avoiding
assassination.
Kylen sighed. “I hope so. I just gained my crown, and I’m already tired of the
politics. I’m hoping to avoid getting killed anytime soon.”
“It’s good to have a goal.” Farro patted his mate’s hand.
“We’ll watch over you. My friends have already arrived, have they not?” Rhaegar
asked.
Vien spoke up. “I thought the dragons were supposed to keep the mountains clear
of trolls and mutants. What are you doing here?”
“I invited them here for my coronation as part of our agreement. They are providing
protection at the coronation in exchange for access to the Fae to look for their mates.”
“You’re pimping out your people to get bodyguards?” Viell asked. “Nice!”
Farro laughed so hard he had to grip the table to stay upright.
“That’s not how it is.” Kylen nudged Farro’s arm. “We have a mutually beneficial
relationship.”
“Well, not until the dragons find their mates. I don’t think it will remain friendly if
none of the Fae turn out to be their partners,” Farro warned.
“True. It is a bit of a gamble, but if it doesn’t work out, it’s not because I didn’t try,”
Kylen said.
“We will not hold you accountable. Our perfect matches are assigned by fate, not
fae. Besides, I suspect I already found mine.” He grinned at the shifters.
Blake crossed his arms. “That remains to be seen.”
“It does.” Rhaegar had little doubt the pair were his mates. They might need a little
sweet talking and coaxing, but they would be his. A dragon never gave up his treasure,
and mates were the biggest prizes in a dragon’s life.
“Enough, gentlemen,” Leif intervened. “Maybe if we get to know each other better,
we can determine if we are a good match or not.”
Rhaegar didn’t miss the hopeful expression in Leif’s eyes. From Blake’s scowl, he
hadn’t either.
The group remained silent as servants laid out platters of food. Rhaegar watched
Vien prepare Gabe’s plate before making his own. Viell added even more food to Gabe’s
collection. Rhaegar watched for a moment, fascinated to see if the wolf shifter could truly
consume that much.
“Do you need me to make your plate for you?” Kylen asked Farro.
“No. I’m just going to pine over your obvious neglect.” Farro fluttered his lashes at
Kylen.
Rhaegar almost choked on his steak.
Kylen shook his head at his mate’s antics. “Blake, I know you’ve seen Korl in person
and probably know his scent. I appreciate your assistance in the matter.”
“Of course, that’s why we’re here. Leif and I want to bring an end to this. Do you
need him back alive?” Blake asked. His eyes lit with fervor.
Rhaegar decided if Blake were a dragon he’d be spitting flame right now.
“Do what you have to in order to stop him. I would like to study his research, but if
you can’t stop him any other way, I won’t hold his death against you. Understand?”
Kylen’s intense gaze would’ve put another shifter off, but Blake appeared unfazed.
“Of course, your majesty. I’d be happy to help.” Blake hummed softly as he piled
another steak onto his plate.
“I can scout around and see if I can find him also.” Rhaegar disliked the idea of Leif
and Blake heading into possible danger alone. They might not be bonded mates, but they
were connected. If he lost his he might never meet another pair who fit him so well.
“I will provide additional soldiers to help you both. I appreciate you two coming to
lend your assistance. If there is anything you need, please don’t be afraid to ask. Rhaegar,
I’d prefer you stay here,” Kylen announced.
“No offense, your majesty, but I believe Leif and Blake are my mates. I’d prefer to
follow them. I need to guard them against danger.”
Kylen paused with his fork midway to his mouth. “They are both your mates?”
“As sure as I can be without sex.” Sex for a dragon was the final determination. If he
bit them during intercourse and they formed a soul bond, then he would know.
“That sounds like a great excuse to get us in your bed.” Blake scowled.
Leif grinned. “Yes, it does.”
Chapter Six
He’d been unable to convince his mates to let him drag them to his room.
Apparently, they weren’t convinced enough to let Rhaegar do a little sexual
experimentation. He might’ve been more worried if he didn’t know they planned to stick
around for at least a few more weeks. Now that he’d found them, his inner dragon was
fine with waiting to bond. As long as neither of them were put in immediate danger,
Rhaegar’s dragon was fine with the current status of their relationship.
Rhaegar examined the coronation yard with an eye toward security. Unfortunately,
castle walls surrounded the stone area, leaving many places a killer could hide. They
would need a couple of dragons circling overhead to keep an eye out for archers. If they
lost the Fae King in his first public event, they might never reach a peace accord again.
“This is an assassin’s paradise,” Rhaegar grumbled.
“I hope we at least get some mates out of this headache.” Hart eyed the room with
trepidation. Hart had joined Rhaegar as soon as he left the Fae King’s table.
Rhaegar hadn’t broken the news to his friend yet about Leif and Blake. Since they
hadn’t bonded, he couldn’t claim they were his mates even if his inner dragon grumbled
and huffed. If anyone else tried to lure them away, Rhaegar would kill them even if they
were only teasing.
“You’ll have access to the entire fae population. If you don’t find a mate here, we’ll
have to start examining other realms.” Rhaegar didn’t particularly want his dragon
friends to leave this world, but he also didn’t want them to have to be alone.
Hart froze. “You found someone, didn’t you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you said ‘you’, not ‘us’.”
Damn.
“I found two possible mates.” He wouldn’t claim they were more—at least not in
public—until they’d bonded.
“Rhaegar, that’s fabulous.” Hart hugged him.
A low, mean growl had them breaking apart. Blake stood beside Leif. His eyes had
turned entirely gold, and Leif’s fingers were curled into claws instead of hands. He’d
never seen anything sexier in his life.
“Step back,” he whispered to Hart.
Hart took several steps away from Rhaegar.
“Who is this?” Leif asked. Rhaegar could see the bird peering at him, the cold
predator evaluating his worth.
Leif might be slightly smaller than Blake, but Rhaegar wouldn’t classify him as less
dangerous.
“This is a member of my clutch—Hart. He’s helping me with security.”
“I bet he is,” Blake growled.
Rhaegar let his dragon to the surface. He wouldn’t act guilty when he’d done
nothing wrong. “As we don’t know each other yet and aren’t truly bonded, I’ll overlook
your lack of trust.”
“How kind of you,” Blake sneered.
“I’ve got something to do.” Hart rushed away, but Rhaegar didn’t turn to watch
him leave. He refused to look away from the two men who had him so enthralled.
The urge to touch both men rode him hard. His fingers trembled. Centuries of
searching and now he had finally found what he’d been looking for. From the cautious
eyes and the rigid body language, neither of them would be easily wooed.
Leif marched up to him and slid his fingers through Rhaegar’s hair. “I didn’t like
seeing that other man touch you.”
“Sorry, he was hugging me because I told him I’d found someone.”
The caressing fingers tightened their hold.
“You.”
“Oh.” Leif’s surprised expression almost made him laugh. “That’s all right, then.”
The stroking returned. Rhaegar leaned back into Leif’s touch.
“Dragons purr?” Blake raised his eyebrows.
“It’s more of a growl.” Rhaegar’s cheeks burned.
“He’s blushing. It’s so cute.” Leif grinned.
Rhaegar snarled. “I’m not cute.”
“Adorable.” Blake’s gold-brown eyes sparkled, teasing.
At least he didn’t look ready to murder an innocent dragon anymore.
“I’ll show you adorable.” He gripped Blake’s hand and yanked him close. “May I
kiss you?”
Although it might be sexy in stories to grab someone and kiss them, in real life,
people rarely appreciated being mauled by strangers, even fated mates.
“Yes.” Blake grinned.
The raven shifter moved between them, placing his body between Blake and
Rhaegar. “No, you can’t.”
Rhaegar glared at the pretty bird. “Why not?”
Leif tilted his head. “My raven doesn’t like it.”
The confusion on Leif’s face had Rhaegar releasing Blake. “I’m not trying to take
him away from you. I want you both.”
The raven shifter wrapped his arms around himself and stepped away from them.
“I don’t know what I want. My raven doesn’t feel a bond. I mean, I feel an attraction
because you’re gorgeous, but not a mating connection.” Leif turned to Blake. “Do you?”
Blake shook his head.
“That’s because with dragons, you don’t feel the bond until after sex,” Rhaegar
interjected.
“Convenient.” Blake snorted. “If you don’t feel the bond until sex, why do you think
we’re your mates?”
“I didn’t say I don’t feel anything. Dragons can sense potential mates, but they
aren’t certain until after intercourse. I’ve never met anyone who has triggered my mating
instincts like you two.” He’d wanted a few men and had hoped they were his mates, but
now he knew the difference between want and need.
Leif turned around. The raven shifter cupped Blake’s face between his hands. “Do
you think we’re his mates? I’m not even sure you and I are mates.”
“We are.” Blake’s tone didn’t leave any room for question. “I don’t know about him,
but you I’m certain about. Dragons are a hard species to mate with. The connection
between mates doesn’t become clear before we have sex. The attraction is there but not
the bond.”
Rhaegar growled. “I’m right here. You can ask me any questions you have.”
“I don’t want you touching Leif.” Blake kept his body between Leif and Rhaegar.
“That will make it difficult for us to decide if we’re mates,” Rhaegar said. “Can we
go some place more private to talk?” He kept his attention on the wolf shifter. Blake
appeared to be the more alpha of the pair, at least right then.
“Sure, we can do that.” Leif wrapped a hand around Blake’s arm, answering for
them both.
“Good. Follow me.” Rhaegar turned and walked away. Joy infused him. Maybe he’d
finally found his mates. All the signs were pointing toward the two men being his.
He led them to a small garden he’d spotted on his way to meet with Hart. Flowers
exploded all over the walls like curtains of blooms.
“Beautiful.” The raven shifter’s nose twitched. Leif wandered around the garden,
examining his surroundings.
“Yes, you are.” Rhaegar watched Leif for a while before turning his attention back
to the wolf. He folded his arms across his chest and waited.
“What makes you think Leif is yours?” Blake asked.
“I said that Leif is both of ours. I’m not trying to take him from you.”
Blake puffed out a bit of air. “I barely have him to take. We just got together
yesterday.”
“He does seem a little skittish.” Rhaegar watched Leif pace back and forth.
“His entire family was slaughtered. He just found me and probably is worried he’ll
lose me too.”
“Poor bird.” Rhaegar’s heart twisted for the vulnerable raven shifter. “Are you
really willing to give us a try?”
Blake sighed. “I just don’t want him hurt. He’s emotionally fragile.”
“I can hear you.” Leif glared at them. “I don’t need kid gloves.”
Before Rhaegar could say anything. Leif marched forward and threw himself into
Rhaegar’s arms. Instinctively, he caught the raven shifter. He barely had time to absorb
the feel of Leif’s body against his before Leif kissed him, not a tentative touch, but a no-
holds-barred, all-out-tackle kind of kiss.
Rhaegar moaned against Leif’s mouth, keeping his hands on the shifter’s back. Leif
tasted like musk and heat and pure male desire. Rhaegar wanted to roll around in his
essence and breathe him in.
Leif stepped back, licking his lips.
“You all right, Leif?” Blake ran his fingers through the shifter’s hair, soothing.
“Yeah.” Leif smiled. “I’m fine.”
“I didn’t assault him,” Rhaegar growled. “He kissed me.”
Blake turned Leif to face him. “What do you think?”
Leif shrugged. “Could be. Why don’t you kiss him and see? It’s sort of like touching
electricity.”
Rhaegar laughed.
“I like danger.” Blake approached.
Rhaegar opened his arms, sighing as Blake walked into them. “I thought you didn’t
like me.”
“It’s not a matter of liking you. I just don’t know if we’re mates.” Blake’s expression,
hopeful and wary, tugged at Rhaegar’s heart.
“So you don’t have anything against dragons?” Some species had prejudices toward
others.
“No.” Blake shook his head. “I have nothing against dragons.”
“Would you two kiss already?” Leif’s impatient tone made Rhaegar smile.
Blake grinned at the raven. “Don’t be so impatient, pretty. Anticipation is half the
excitement.”
“That’s not what you told me last night.”
Rhaegar laughed. “Luring the pretty bird to your bed?”
The image of the two men naked and twisting between the covers had Rhaegar’s
cock hardening.
“He is a pretty bird,” Blake agreed.
Rhaegar grabbed Blake and kissed him. The combined taste of his mates had him
groaning. He gripped Blake’s hips and yanked him closer. Unlike with the raven shifter,
Rhaegar didn’t bother being gentle. He let his lust off its leash. Claws sprouted from his
fingertips and pierced Blake’s pants, holding the wolf shifter in place while Rhaegar
ravaged his lips.
They slid their tongues together, tangling, retreating, then pushing in for another
taste. He could spend the rest of his life tasting this amazing flavor.
Blake nipped Rhaegar’s bottom lip. Rhaegar removed his claws from Blake’s clothes,
then stepped back. “Did I pass the test?”
“With flying colors,” Blake replied.
“Good.” Rhaegar looked over Blake’s shoulder. Leif watched them with wide, needy
eyes.
“I think that is an excellent beginning,” Blake said. “We’ll be here a while. We don’t
have to rush into anything.”
Blake motioned Leif closer. The raven wrapped an arm around Blake’s back, tucking
himself against Blake’s shoulder, not so much seeking comfort as wanting touch. Leif
flashed Rhaegar a bashful smile.
They couldn’t make it any clearer that they were a package deal.
Excellent
.
“I can’t wait. How about you both join me for dinner tonight?”
“I’d like that.” Leif spoke up, surprising Rhaegar. He hadn’t thought the raven
shifter would take the lead.
Blake kissed Leif’s forehead. “Me too.”
“Great! Let’s go examine the courtyard and find you good spots to watch the
coronation.”
His mates might not be interested in an immediate bond, but he could start with
dinner.
“Rhaegar, we have a problem.” Hart rushed into the garden.
“What’s the problem?” As far as Rhaegar was concerned, nothing could be wrong
now that he found his mates.
A loud roar shook the ground. “What was that?” Blake asked.
“Mutant dragons.” Hart paled. “Two of them.”
“Oh crap,” Blake whispered. He ran out of the garden toward the sound.
Before Rhaegar could stop him, the raven shifter rushed after him.
Rhaegar growled in frustration. Leif and Blake should’ve stayed here where it was
safe instead of running into danger. He hurried after them.
Reaching the courtyard, he let out a loud roar of his own. Two white dragons
surrounded his mates. Their long bony muzzles dripped saliva as they slashed and
stabbed at the shifters with razor-sharp three-inch claws.
It took him a moment to figure out what was wrong with the scene. While the
dragons tried to kill the raven, they appeared to be trying to capture Blake.
“We must get him for the master,” Rhaegar heard one of them say.
“He’s not going anywhere.” Rhaegar shifted. Fear and rage fueled his
transformation from human to dragon in seconds.
His vision went red hot and flame burst out of his mouth. Before he could properly
engage in battle, the mutants flew off. Rhaegar watched them go, surprised to see their
wings were stunted, not quite the size of a full dragon.
“Rhaegar, change back.” Blake approached, his hands out in a placating manner.
“They’re gone now.”
“They could’ve killed you.” Rhaegar pawed the ground, trying to resist the urge to
chase after the mutants. How dare they threaten his men! He snorted flames at the stone
beneath his claws.
“Change!” the bossy raven shifter demanded.
Rhaegar concentrated on being smaller, lesser…human. He shrank and transformed
until his scales wrapped around him like protective clothing again.
“Your magic clothes are seriously cool.” Leif smiled, his usual handsome face
becoming one of incandescent beauty.
“I’m glad you approve.” Rhaegar stroked Leif’s hair, enjoying the awe on the raven
shifter’s face.
“You are a gorgeous dragon.”
Rhaegar puffed out his chest. “Thank you.”
“Have you seen those mutants before?” Blake pulled Leif into the shelter of his
arms, no doubt feeling protective after the attack.
“No. I rarely leave my mountain. The king didn’t mention anything about them. I
think he would’ve said something if he had seen mutant dragons before.”
“We need to let him know,” Leif said. He slid his fingers through Blake’s and
tugged the wolf shifter behind him.
Rhaegar followed the pair to the King’s reception room. Kylen and Farro sat
together on matching thrones talking to a fae Rhaegar didn’t recognize.
“Did you know you have a mutant dragon problem? They tried to take Blake,” Leif
said, proving he had observed the same thing Rhaegar had.
Kylen frowned. “Why would they want you?” he asked Blake.
Rhaegar stepped forward until he bracketed Blake with Leif on the other side.
“Because I know more about the formula than anyone but Korl. Why they want me
if they have him I don’t know.” Blake shrugged.
“What are dragon mutants like?” a young voice asked. Farro’s son, Sammy, peeked
out from behind Kylen’s throne.
“These were completely white with stunted wings,” Rhaegar spoke up. “Stay away
from them, they’re dangerous.”
The last thing the Kingdom needed was for the King pair to lose their only child.
“But you’re a dragon. Are you dangerous?” Sammy asked.
“Yes, but not for you.”
Sammy giggled and ducked back behind the throne.
The adults laughed.
“We will need to add guards to Blake.” He refused to lose the wolf when he just
found him.
“I can watch him,” Leif said.
“From dragons?” Rhaegar raised an eyebrow. “I have no doubt you’re a tough bird,
but a raven has no chance against a dragon, even a mutant dragon.”
Leif opened his mouth, no doubt to argue, but he snapped it shut again.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not exactly a dragon, but if they are trying to capture me instead of
kill me, I can probably escape.” Blake rubbed Leif’s arm as if trying to soothe the raven
shifter’s ego.
“You’ll have guards with you at all times. We’ll make sure they are strong fae to
take down the dragons if they come after you again,” Farro announced.
“But if they take me, we can follow them back to Korl,” Blake proposed.
“No!” four voices shouted simultaneously.
“Okay, okay, it was just an idea.” Blake raised his hands, palms out.
“Bad idea,” Rhaegar groused.
“Very bad idea,” Leif agreed.
Finally they were on the same page. Maybe they could build a relationship on their
common goal of keeping Blake safe. They exchanged a grim look.
Good, they were together on this.
Chapter Seven
After spending the rest of the afternoon checking castle security with Blake and
Rhaegar, Leif knew he was in trouble. No longer would he have Blake by himself.
Rhaegar now had a claim. While Leif had considered multiple mates before, the reality
would be much more difficult. Balancing his and Blake’s needs with a strong alpha
dragon could lead to problems.
Dragons weren’t known for being patient.
The mutant dragons had been an unpleasant surprise, but really, it had been only a
matter of time before Korl successfully created another mutant breed. The big question
was why did the mutants want Blake, and how could they keep them safe?
“Why don’t you two make yourself comfortable in my room?” Rhaegar asked. “It’s
larger than average to accommodate my size in case I change.”
Leif knew what Rhaegar expected. He just didn’t know if they were ready for that
yet. Maybe he was expecting too much for a man who had waited centuries for his mate.
“What you think, Blake?”
Blake tilted his head and gave them a considering look. “If we’re going to be mates,
we need to get to know each other. Wolves do that by touch. I think we should sleep in
his room.”
Rhaegar didn’t bother to hide his pleasure. The large dragon swept Blake up and
spun him around before setting him back on his feet.
The unmitigated joy on Rhaegar’s face made Leif agree. “Very well.”
Blake beamed at him. Leif knew he’d do anything to keep that expression on his
wolf shifter’s face. Blake blamed himself too much for events of the past. The serious
shifter needed more fun in his life.
The room assigned to Rhaegar was four times larger than Leif’s condo.
“I think that’s the largest bed I’ve ever seen,” Blake said, awe shining in his golden
eyes.
“The better to tumble around on it with you,” Rhaegar teased.
“We’ll get to the tumbling soon enough,” Leif said. He didn’t know if he was ready
yet to deal with a rambunctious dragon.
“What is bothering you, raven? Are you truly against dragon-kind?” Rhaegar asked.
“What makes you think that?” Leif hadn’t meant to make Rhaegar feel as if he
wasn’t wanted.
“Probably because you’re more skittish than a cat with its tail on fire,” Blake
answered for him.
“I am not.” Truth was, Rhaegar intimidated him.
“Did I do something to offend you?” Rhaegar asked.
Blake stripped off his shirt and tossed it to the floor. He’d apparently become tired
of waiting for anyone else to make the next move.
“I like where this is going,” Rhaegar said.
Leif shook his head. “I guess I’m being silly. I’m attracted to both of you. If you
think I’m your fated mate I’m willing to explore our attraction.“
“That’s the spirit,” Rhaegar said. His eyes glowed with approval. Between one blink
to the next, the dragon shifter lost his clothing.
“That was fast.” Blake beamed with approval.
Leif took off his shirt. Stepping closer, he dropped to his knees before Blake. If he
was going to do this, he would do it his way. He needed to be the one in control this first
time.
“If this makes you more comfortable, Leif, you can be in charge,” Rhaegar offered.
“Good,” Leif didn’t even turn around to face the dragon shifter. Just for a moment,
he pretended Rhaegar wasn’t standing behind him. If he focused on Blake, he could
pretend they were alone once again.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love watching the two of you. But I won’t be dismissed,”
Rhaegar growled as if he could read Leif’s mind.
Rhaegar stepped around until he stood behind Blake. Wrapping his hands around
Blake’s shoulders, he held him still and pinned the wolf shifter to his strong form. Blake
sighed and tilted back his head as if trying to increase the points of contact between
them.
“That’s it, my handsome wolf, cuddle up against me while Leif takes care of you,”
Rhaegar growled.
Unable to resist the beautiful sight of the two men together, Leif unbuttoned
Blake’s pants and slid down his zipper. Blake’s cock sprung out to meet him. The bulbous
tip dripped with sticky nectar, tempting Leif.
“Suck him,” Rhaegar demanded.
Leif glanced up just long enough to frown at the dragon shifter. He didn’t need to
be ordered to do his duty. He enjoyed touching, licking, devouring his wolf shifter.
Blake must’ve read his mind. “He knows what he’s doing.”
Rhaegar grinned, a toothy dragon-like grin. “Just because he doesn’t need it, doesn’t
mean I don’t enjoy ordering him about.”
This is what came of having more than one lover. Blake’s rough but sweet
disposition suited Leif more than Rhaegar’s bossy ways.
“Trust me, you’ll get used to it,” Rhaegar promised.
“We’ll see.” At this point, Leif wasn’t willing to agree to anything. He would wait
and see how they all interacted. If Rhaegar mistreated Blake, all bets were off.
Determined to ignore Rhaegar for now, Leif swallowed Blake down. Immediately,
he was swept away in the flavor of his lover. If perfect matches were chosen by pure taste
alone, then the fates had done a great job.
“Oh fuck,” Blake groaned. He sank his long fingers into Leif’s hair, holding him,
caressing his locks, and massaging his skull. Even in the throes of passion, Blake didn’t
forget Leif’s comfort. Leif had had lovers in the past who forgot their superior power or
didn’t care, but never Blake. The wolf shifter was always courteous.
“Looks like you know what you’re doing, bird man,” Rhaegar teased.
Leif lifted his mouth long enough to speak. “If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll find out.”
Blake’s barked laugh eased his tension. Determined to show off his skill, Leif
swallowed Blake down to the root. Blake howled and poured his seed down Leif’s throat.
Leif got to his feet and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “If we truly are
mates, I’ll show you my skills sometime.”
Instead of being offended, Rhaegar laughed. “I look forward to that day, my pretty
bird.”
Before Leif could say anything else, bells rang throughout the palace. Not the
celebration bells of an impending coronation, but the danger bells alerting the palace
occupants to intruders.
“I wonder if the mutants returned?” Blake asked, his face paling. The wolf shifter
quickly pulled his clothes back on. Leif had a moment of mourning watching that buff
body be covered up before dressing himself.
Once clothed, the three men ran out of their room to find the palace in an upheaval.
Fae soldiers were screaming and running around, while servants collided in their rush to
escape. Growls and roars filtered down the hall as if coming from a long distance.
Farro hurried down the corridor toward them. “The mutants are attacking! They
broke down the front gate.”
“Where’s Sammy?” Leif asked. Fear for the boy made his voice sharp.
“Safe,” Farro said without giving details.
Leif nodded. It wasn’t wise to discuss the boy’s location when enemies were about.
The mutants would love to have the bargaining chip of a king’s son at their disposal.
Before Leif could ask for instructions, mutants thundered down the halls and
headed toward them. These creatures were not like the ones in their world; they were
bigger, meaner, and looked as if they would happily tear Leif limb from limb for the
sheer joy of the slaughter.
The crackle of energy alerted Leif to Rhaegar’s transformation. The dragon’s wide
body barely fit in the corridor, but Leif didn’t care if he got trampled as long Rhaegar
kept Blake safe.
“Rhaegar, watch out,” Farro shouted.
A particularly clever mutant had brought a sword to the fight. Rhaegar swiped the
weapon out of the creature’s hand, removing most of his fingers in the process. The
mutant screamed and ran away sobbing.
“Go to the courtyard, Rhaegar,” Farro said. “That’s where they’re invading.”
The dragon obediently ran down the hall toward the sound of fighting.
Leif’s heart pattered rapidly in his chest. Fear for his men had his hand shaking as
he fetched two knives out of his boots. If he lost either of his lovers, he would never
forgive himself.
“We have to help him,” Blake shouted.
“You can’t go into battle; they’re after you.”
Blake handed over his sword. “For protection. I don’t want you close enough to use
your knives.”
Leif’s heart melted over his mate’s actions. He tucked his knives away and accepted
Blake’s blade. “What about you? If you give me this, you won’t have a weapon.”
“I am a weapon,” Blake said. Without giving Leif another chance to argue, Blake
pulled off his clothes and transformed. A gorgeous wolf stood in Blake’s spot. He licked
Leif’s hand, then raced away toward the sound of fighting.
“Damn it, Blake, you aren’t going anywhere without me.” Leif chased after his wolf.
The howl of another wolf indicated Gabe must be in the thick of battle since Farro stood
behind them. As far as Leif knew, there were only three wolves, besides Sammy, in the
entire Fae Kingdom.
One moment, they were running down the corridor; the next, they were in the
middle of the action. Swords clinked and flashed, the ringing from their impact almost
deafening. Leif watched the action for a moment. Tossing Blake’s sword to his left hand,
he then used his right to grab a knife out of his boot. When a mutant wolf threw himself
at Blake, Leif flung the knife, smiling when the blade impaled the mutant’s neck. He had
no pity for the creatures attacking his man.
Rhaegar roared. Leif stepped out of range as Rhaegar’s wings flared out. The
mutant wolves didn’t fare as well. Rhaegar stomped four of them out of existence before
they were able to do more than growl.
Blake vanished into the crowd of mutants. Leif flipped the sword back to his right
hand. He wasn’t as comfortable with a larger weapon, but there were so many of them it
was more of a hack-and-slash situation than any fine weapon skills. He worked his way
over to where he last saw Blake. He didn’t worry that Rhaegar could take care of himself.
The dragon had already killed all the mutants in his direct area.
Leif fought his way to the far side of the courtyard, only to find Blake gone.
“Blake!” he yelled. Looking around for his lover, he didn’t see so much as a hair of
his lover’s tail. Leif spun around, hoping he’d missed Blake among the chaos.
Rhaegar shouted his triumph. Leif spotted Blake fighting beside Gabe, and his heart
calmed to a reasonable patter. That second when he thought he’d lost Blake had been
almost unbearable.
Kylen and Farro came to a sliding halt beside him. Gabe and his mates joined them
soon after. Blake trotted over and sat at Leif’s feet.
“That’s a lot of mutants,” Farro said. “I didn’t know we had that many in the Fae
World.”
“They’ve steadily been increasing, my love,” Kylen said. “I didn’t want to worry
you.”
“I would feel less worried if I didn’t think you were keeping things from me,” Farro
scolded.
Kylen shrugged. “Then we have a difference of opinion.”
Rhaegar glared at the royals. “How did they get so far inside the castle? They have
to have an inside contact.”
“That’s my suspicion also,” Kylen agreed.
“Now what do we do?” Rhaegar asked. “The coronation’s tomorrow. Do you want
to go forward with it, or should we call a halt to the proceedings? It’s not like they can’t
declare you King either way.”
“That’s not entirely true,” Farro argued. “They can declare him unfit to rule. If he
can’t keep the mutants under control, they could request the second-in-line to take over.”
“I heard that was Gallien. Surely they don’t want him to rule,” Vien said. “He’d be a
horrible ruler.”
“Why’s that?” Rhaegar asked.
“Because he’s a selfish, power-hungry asshole and the Fae already had one of those
before,” Farro answered for them all.
Rhaegar growled. “They can’t unseat Kylen anyway. He made a pact with the
dragons. We won’t agree to another ruler of the Fae.”
“You might want to make that opinion public,” Farro said. “It will keep the
detractors at bay at least for a little while.”
“Are you worried they’re going to try to overthrow Kylen?” Leif asked. He had no
idea their appearance would be in the middle of political unrest. He thought the Fae
monarchy had been established with Kylen getting the sword.
“The fae get bored after a while,” Farro said. “I think they battle half the time just to
give themselves something to do.”
Leif had to agree. The problem with long-lived species was sometimes they lost bits
of their humanity and compassion. It was one of the reasons some of the Fae didn’t have
any problem with the mutants. They didn’t understand the morality problem in
transforming a shifter into a mutant.
“I’ll be fine,” Kylen. “You are such a worrier, my love.”
Farro immediately wrapped Kylen in his arms and gave him a hard hug. The royal
couple made a beautiful pair. Leif could almost see their love shining through their
touch.
“Despite the battle today, I want you to the keep on your original mission.” Kylen
looked from Leif to Blake and back again. “And keep a careful eye on your wolf mate. I
think those mutants weren’t just here to attack me. They were also after Blake. If we have
a traitor in our midst, it could be because I’ve bonded with a wolf shifter.”
“Rather hypocritical since it was the Fae who created them.” Rhaegar scowled.
“I never declared the Fae to be completely reasonable,” Kylen argued.
“That’s true,” Leif agreed. The only reasonably tolerant fae he knew were that way
because their mates were wolves.
“Everyone should get some sleep. I will need all the help I can get tomorrow.
Rhaegar, did you work out the security detail for tomorrow?”
“I hope so, but we’ll have to reinforce the front entrance after this attack. It isn’t as
secure as we were counting on.”
“Do what you can. If they come, we will battle them. We can’t put off this
coronation any longer.” Kylen’s grim expression revealed how important this was for his
leadership. “If they have a reason to call into question my rule, they will. Most of the
light court isn’t happy with me joining the two kingdoms.”
“They will just have to adjust,” Farro said. He gripped Kylen’s shoulder in silent
support.
Chapter Eight
Blake padded after Rhaegar and Leif, keeping his wolf form. He didn’t have any
other clothes, and he wasn’t going to walk bare-assed down the halls. The fae weren’t as
comfortable with nudity as their wolf brethren, and he refused to embarrass Leif. He
doubted it was possible to embarrass Rhaegar.
They ended up in Rhaegar’s room. Blake waited until the door closed behind him
before he transformed. The appreciation in the dragon’s shifter’s eyes had him
hardening. He turned to check Leif’s progress. The raven shifter watched them with a
cautious expression in his dark eyes.
“Hey.” Blake wrapped his arms around Leif. “Are you all right?”
Leif flung himself at Blake and held on tight. Drips of water slid down Blake’s neck.
He leaned back to see tears streaking down Leif’s face as he silently sobbed.
“Pretty bird, what’s wrong?”
“I-I thought I’d lost you.” Leif’s words came out stuttered as he tried to hold back
the tears and talk at the same time. “You vanished behind the mutants, and when I got
there, you were gone. I thought I’d lost you.”
Leif shook. Blake had never seen the calm raven shifter upset before. The expression
of utter despair gutted him. “Shh, I’m fine. You see me. I didn’t get hurt.”
Rhaegar went to stand on the other side of Leif, rubbing the raven shifter’s back. “I
wouldn’t have let him be injured. I had an eye on him the entire time.”
Blake grabbed Rhaegar’s waist and pulled him closer. Leif needed the contact of
both his mates. Despite his initial questioning, Blake knew now it would take both of
them to keep Leif safe. A lone raven shifter would quickly become fodder for any
mutants.
“Let’s take you to bed and make you feel better. You can check me over and make
sure I’m all right,” Blake soothed. He kissed Leif’s forehead. “Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
With careful hands and tender kisses, Blake stripped off Leif’s shirt. Rhaegar kissed
a line across Leif’s shoulders while Blake dropped to his knees. He helped Leif with his
boots. Leif placed a hand on Blake’s shoulder for balance as Blake yanked off one, then
the other. A pair of knives clattered to the bottom of the shoes. “Want me to leave your
knives here, or do you keep them some place special?”
“Leave them there. That way if I need them in a hurry, I know where they are.”
Blake nodded. He wished it wasn’t necessary, but with mutants invading the castle,
they needed to stay on their toes.
“Are you comfortable with Rhaegar seeing you naked?” Blake asked. He wouldn’t
strip Leif if he had a second’s hesitation.
Leif looked over his shoulder at the dragon shifter. Rhaegar took advantage of his
angle and kissed Leif. They made a beautiful couple. If something happened to Blake,
Rhaegar would be able to take care of Leif. The sweet, brave raven would never be sad
and lonely again.
When their mouths separated, Leif turned his attention back to Blake. “Yeah, go
ahead.”
Rhaegar growled, a low seductive noise that almost had Blake coming. Kneeling at
Leif’s feet, the pair couldn’t see how much Rhaegar’s sounds affected him.
“I can smell your desire, my wolf. Let’s move this to the bed.”
Rhaegar helped Blake strip off Leif’s clothes and set them aside. Rhaegar lifted Leif
in a fireman’s carry and tossed him on the bed. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
Blake stood beside the dragon shifter and admired their mate. “He is gorgeous.”
“Really, the two of you are just going to stand there and admire me. Fine.” Leif
wrapped a hand around his erection and pumped it in slow, tantalizing motions.
“I didn’t give him permission to do that, did you?” Blake asked Rhaegar.
“Nope. We can’t have him coming without us. That’s just rude.”
“I agree.” Blake reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small length of coiled
rope. “We could tie him down.”
A soft squeak had them both grinning.
“You like that idea, don’t you, pretty bird?” Rhaegar purred.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Leif tried for innocence. To Blake’s shock, the man
almost pulled it off despite jacking off while they had a conversation. “And where did
you get rope?”
Blake grinned. “The guards are very accommodating.”
“Tie him,” Rhaegar ordered.
“Listen, dragon, you might be king of the hill around here, but in this relationship,
we are all equal.” Blake refused to be put in the category of weaker mate. He might not
be a dragon, but he was strong in his own way.
Rhaegar snorted. A wisp of smoke puffed out of his left nostril. “I’ll respect you
whether you top or not, but I need to be in charge. My dragon is a predatory beast. He
isn’t going to let you top me in the bedroom. That doesn’t mean I don’t respect you or
your decisions. One has nothing to do with the other. Now can we get on to making Leif
a very happy bird?”
Blake nodded. “Yes, let’s do that.”
He didn’t need to be in charge, and the beauty of two mates was he could screw
Leif if he had to be inside a man. Leif needed so sweetly. The self-contained raven only
let go in the bedroom. Blake left Rhaegar to do whatever he wanted. He had a mate to
soothe. Whatever the raven might think, Blake knew they were mates. He wasn’t as
certain about the dragon, but he figured Rhaegar could plead his own case. Blake would
do whatever Leif wanted. Wolves didn’t tend to share their mates, but there were
enough examples of ménages within the Moon Pack that Blake was willing to give it a
try.
Climbing over the bed to Leif, Blake kissed his way up the raven shifter’s legs and
bit down on Leif’s right nipple. He couldn’t resist the pink bud jutting out for attention.
Leif squirmed on the bed. “More.”
Blake kissed Leif’s neck. “When we get back home, I’m going to get some nipple
clamps and watch you squirm.”
“You are home.” Rhaegar’s deep voice rumbled across his skin. “Well, you’ll be
home when you come back to my cave. I’m keeping you both.”
Blake didn’t bother to argue; they had enough things to work out. Rhaegar moved
up the bed on Leif’s other side. The dragon shifter cupped Leif’s cheek and turned him to
face Rhaegar. Blake watched them kiss for a few minutes, letting them have their
moment.
He slid back down and lapped at Leif’s cock. The wet tip drew his attention. He
speared Leif’s slit with his tongue. Leif jolted beneath Blake’s touch.
“Whatever you’re doing, do it some more,” Rhaegar ordered.
“You’re a bossy dragon,” Leif commented, but his tone didn’t indicate he minded.
“I am.” The low, sexy growl had even Blake whimpering.
“I want to fuck him while he sucks you. Are you up to that, my pretty bird?”
“Yes.”
Rhaegar turned his attention to Blake. “You in agreement?”
“Yeah.” He wanted to screw Leif but knew the dragon shifter needed to find out if
they were mates first.
“Come here, sweet.” Rhaegar pulled Leif down and flipped him over. “Blake, come
up here and lean against the headboard.”
Blake obeyed. The dragon shifter’s commanding tone sent shivers down his skin. He
never thought he’d enjoy being bossed around, but maybe he didn’t mind as much when
it involved sex. He positioned himself how Rhaegar demanded.
“Hi.” Leif tilted his head up for a kiss.
Blake took the invitation and pressed his lips against Leif’s. The mixed taste of
Rhaegar with Leif almost had him coming without a touch. “Mm.”
When Leif tore his mouth away, Blake almost chased it.
“I thought you wanted a blowjob?” Leif teased.
“Yeah, right. I don’t think I’ll last long.” His entire body ached with need.
Leif’s breath against his erection almost had him coming.
Blake didn’t realize he’d closed his eyes until he heard Rhaegar moving about. He
lifted his lids to catch sight of the dragon shifter grabbing a bottle off the table.
“Lubrication,” he said when he caught Blake watching him. “I don’t want to hurt
our boy.”
“I’m not a boy,” Leif growled, rather well for a bird shifter, Blake thought.
“Compared to me, you are a youngling, but I don’t want to argue. I want to claim
you as mine.”
For a moment, Blake thought Leif was going to call the whole thing off and tell the
bossy dragon exactly what he thought of him. Instead, Leif sighed and went back to
giving Blake attention.
“I won’t be ignored,” Rhaegar growled against Leif’s neck.
“I’m not ignoring you. I’m resisting the urge to punch you in the face,” Leif said
calmly.
Rhaegar threw back his head and laughed. “I like my men with spirit. I’m glad to
see you’re both strong.”
Blake stroked Leif’s hair, eager to get them all back in the proper frame of mind.
“You all right?”
“Yeah.” Leif smiled up at him. Blake relaxed when the expression reached the raven
shifter’s eyes.
“I’m going to prepare you now,” Rhaegar warned. “Relax and concentrate on
pleasing Blake.”
Instead of making a snarly comeback, Leif obeyed. Blake moaned and sighed as Leif
gave him his total attention. The hot cavity of Leif’s mouth had Blake gripping the sheets
to resist the urge to buck into the warm wetness.
“You’re killing me, mate.”
Leif’s eyes widened at the endearment, but Blake refused to take it back.
“See, even the wolf knows we belong together,” Rhaegar said in a satisfied tone.
Blake sighed. “I’m going to finish before you even get inside him.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Leif finds his pleasure.”
Watching the dragon shifter’s careful preparation and Leif’s soft sounds of
enjoyment, tension unfurled from Blake’s chest. He had worried Rhaegar’s bossy side
would make him less than sensitive when prepping Leif.
“I said I wouldn’t hurt him,” Rhaegar growled.
“You did, I’m sorry.” Blake offered a conciliatory smile but didn’t say anything else.
Rhaegar continued to prep Leif until he pushed back into Rhaegar’s touch and
swallowed down Blake’s cock.
“Oh fuck,” Blake gripped Leif’s head, careful to keep his hold firm but not ripping
hair out from the roots.
He knew the instant Rhaegar entered Leif. The bird shifter tensed and didn’t relax
until Rhaegar began to move inside him.
“That’s it, babe, take him. Take him all,” Blake encouraged.
Rhaegar’s hands converted to claws as he continued to pound into Leif.
“That better be the only thing changing. If you fuck him in dragon form, I will stab
you through with a sword,” Blake said.
“Nice to know you’re looking out for him,” Rhaegar said. “Even if it’s not
necessary.”
It was always necessary to check on his mate. What did dragons know about more
fragile creatures? Blake didn’t know much about dragons, but he was about to learn.
“I’ll always watch over him.” He said the words for Leif, not Rhaegar.
Leif lifted his mouth off. “I have been taking care of myself for a while now.”
Rhaegar draped himself across Leif’s back, supporting most of his own weight.
“Talk later.”
The dragon shifter did something that made Leif’s eyes roll into the back of his head
and let out a birdlike screech.
“Oh, do that again,” Blake urged.
“Yes,” Leif agreed, arching his back to encourage Rhaegar. “Again.”
The bed shook with the force of Rhaegar’s fucking. Blake wrapped a hand around
his erection and enjoyed his live porn show.
“Mine,” Leif growled.
“Just keeping it warm for you.” No way could Leif give him a blowjob while the
dragon shifter fucked him through the mattress. “Scoot up.”
Leif tried to move forward. Rhaegar roared and clamped his hands on Leif’s hips.
“Hey, he’s just coming up here so I can take care of him. He’s not running.”
Rhaegar’s eyes had shifted, his dragon instincts taking over.
“Easy.” Leif patted Rhaegar’s hand.
“Sorry.” Rhaegar lifted Leif, still embedded on his cock, scooted them up until Blake
and Leif were face to face, then set him back down. “There.”
Leif shuddered. “Th-thanks.”
Blake laughed. “Gotta love shifter strength.”
“Mmhm,” Leif agreed.
A hard kiss put his mind back into the proper train of thought. Leif’s body shook
each time Rhaegar slammed into him. Blake wrapped a hand around both of their
erections and gave them a slow pump. Pre-cum slicked their hard shafts and gave him
enough lubrication for him to slide his hand up and down without stripping the flesh off
their cocks.
“I’m not going to last,” Leif groaned. His eyelids fluttered closed.
“Open your eyes, Leif.” He couldn’t check on the status of the raven if he couldn’t
see his expression.
It took a few seconds for the words to sink in and another few before Leif obeyed.
“So good.”
“Come now.”
Leif spurted out his release on command. A loud roar from Rhaegar shivered down
Blake’s spine and triggered his orgasm.
Blake accepted Leif’s weight as he collapsed on him. Rhaegar pulled out and
stroked Leif’s back.
A low rumbling purr emitted from the dragon shifter. “Mate. My mate.” Rhaegar
crawled up the bed to them and wrapped his arms around Leif.
“I’ll go get a towel.” Blake found a small bathroom attached to their room. He
returned and pried Leif away from Rhaegar to clean him up back to front. The dragon
growled a bit, but he allowed the action.
Once everyone was as clean as they were going to get without a shower, Blake
returned.
“Get in bed,” Leif ordered Blake.
Blake smiled and scooted obediently to where Leif pointed. Leif snuggled against
him, and Rhaegar cuddled up to Leif’s back.
Sated, Blake quickly began to slip into unconsciousness. Only a niggling concern in
the back of his head had him worried. Why hadn’t Rhaegar tried to claim him?
Chapter Nine
Rhaegar woke with a start. The pain stabbing him in the heart didn’t come from
him. Blinking, he tried to find the source. Scanning the bed, he found his lovers missing.
“Mate?”
“Hey,” Leif’s voice came from the foot of the bed.
“Why are you dressed?”
The raven shifter was sliding on his boots. Rhaegar tore his gaze from the
distracting shimmy. “What’s going on?”
“Blake is missing.”
“What do you mean he’s missing?”
“Well, he’s not here, and there isn’t a note so he’s missing.” Leif glared at him as if
he were somehow responsible.
“Why are you mad at me?”
Leif sighed, the motion deflating him as if his anger had been the only thing
holding him together. “Because I’m worried and you’re here. Usually I get to purge my
anger before I see anyone else.”
Rhaegar got to his feet and wrapped Leif in his arms. “I’m here for you, mate. Let’s
go find our wolf.”
“Ours?” Leif leaned back to look Rhaegar in the face. “You haven’t claimed him
yet.”
“No. But I can feel the connection between you. He will be mine as soon as we find
him again and claim him.” Rhaegar could feel the mate connection through the raven,
tenuous but there. It would snap into full effect after he pinned Blake to the bed and
screwed him to the mattress. Dragons didn’t do wine and roses; they forged their
connections with teeth and seed, then dared anyone to touch their mates.
“He’ll want to fuck you too. He’s a wolf. In order for him to feel truly bonded, he’ll
need to mate with you.”
Rhaegar’s dragon growled. “Trust me, we’ll be mated, but first, we need to find the
man.” He stood and transformed his scales into clothing with a thought. “Come on, let’s
go find our wayward mate.”
“I wish I could do that with my feathers. That’s an awesome trick.”
Rhaegar examined Leif’s aura. “You don’t have a great deal of magical energy, but I
bet you could learn with a little instruction.”
Ravens weren’t ever going to be as mighty as dragons, but his cute mate could pick
up a few tricks. He’d have to work with Blake to keep their prickly mate from harm, but
he had no doubt between them they could keep their raven lover safe.
“He went this way.” Rhaegar led the way down the hall.
“I could’ve figured that out,” Leif grumbled. “There is only one way.”
Rhaegar laughed. “Are you cranky before your morning coffee?”
“No, I’m cranky when I go to sleep warm and cuddled and wake up without one of
my mates.” Leif froze. “Oh crap. It’s true. You are both my mates.”
Rhaegar resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He grabbed Leif’s wrist and dragged him
down the hall. No sense in talking to the raven shifter while he was having a mate crisis.
He followed Blake’s scent until they reached the inner courtyard.
Leif inhaled. “What happened?”
“Can’t you smell it? Mutant dragons. They were here.”
“I didn’t hear an alarm sound.” Leif frowned and looked around. The place had no
one else there.
“I don’t see anyone around to let out an alert.”
“What about the guards on the parapets?” Even if no one was on the ground when
the mutants came, someone should’ve seen them approach.
Leif transformed. One second, Rhaegar had a slim wrist in his hand; the next, a
raven flapped away.
Rhaegar growled. He jumped in the air, shifting as he went. He quickly overtook
the raven. A bird couldn’t outfly a dragon. They landed at the top of the guard towers.
The people lying on the stone weren’t moving. Leif hopped down, avoiding the spray of
blood across the stones, then transformed.
“Their throats were slit,” Leif noted. “They were murdered but not by mutants.”
Rhaegar transformed as he landed beside his mate. “We need to tell the King. There
might be more in the palace.”
They both transformed back and flew down to the King’s throne room.
Rhaegar stopped at the closed doors. Leif landed beside him. When he changed,
Rhaegar touched his shoulder. With a little push, he helped Leif turn his feathers into
clothing. He glared at the guards who were watching avidly for a peep show.
They both gave Rhaegar disappointed looks.
“This isn’t a strip club,” Rhaegar growled. “We need to see the King.”
“King Kylen is in conference,” the guard on the right replied in a haughty tone.
Rhaegar let the dragon shift into his eyes. “And we just found his guards
slaughtered at the top of the castle. I’m thinking he’ll want to see us.”
The guards stepped aside and yanked open the doors to let them through. Rhaegar
didn’t relish his victory. Men were dead, and no one knew who was responsible.
Kylen sat at a small table in the corner with his mate. They were having a morning
bite with Sammy bouncing up and down in his seat as he chattered away at his parents.
They marched in and bowed before the royals. “If we could have a moment of your
time, your majesty.” Rhaegar glanced pointedly at Sammy.
“Sammy, why don’t you go to the garden and feed the fish,” Kylen said.
“Yes, Poppa.” Sammy grabbed a piece of bacon, then hopped from his chair. A large
fae soldier followed the young prince from the room.
“We have a problem.” Rhaegar outlined what they had learned.
“You think they have Blake?” Kylen asked.
“We’re pretty certain. I’m going to gather my dragons and get our mate back. I
suggest you postpone your coronation. If they are kidnapping people within your castle
and murdering your guards, it won’t be safe,” Rhaegar said.
“I’d like to send some warriors with you,” Kylen announced.
“No. Sorry, your highness, but I don’t know which of your people to trust. Besides,
they will just slow us down. We’re going to fly.”
With those words, Rhaegar turned on his heel, dragging his quiet mate with him.
“Do you think I’ll slow you down?” Leif asked.
Rhaegar yanked Leif close and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “No. You are
riding on my back. I wouldn’t go anywhere without you.”
Chapter Ten
Blake woke with a start. Water seeped through his shirt, shocking him awake.
“There you are,” a scratchy voice said. The tone rasped across Blake’s ears, an
unpleasant twitch.
Blake blinked to get the water out of his eyes. He tried to bring his hands down, but
something stopped his hands. Glancing up, he saw he was attached to the wall by a pair
of metal shackles.
“Don’t worry, we won’t leave you there for long. Korl wants to see you.” The cold
voice sent tremors of unease through Blake. “And don’t try to escape. Those are shifter
cuffs; you can’t transform.”
His speaker stepped out of the shadows. Blake tensed, trying not to flinch.
Horns jutted from a human head. The man’s neck had fur of some type, and the
clomp of his footsteps had Blake looking down to see hooves instead of shoes.
“Where’s Korl?” He tried not to think about what puree of genetics Korl had to mix
to get the creature before him.
“He’s waiting for you in the lab. He doesn’t like it when his creations turn on him.”
The mutant grinned, revealing double rows of razor sharp teeth, not unlike a shark.
What the hell has Korl done?
“What does he want with me?” Blake couldn’t think of anything he had that Korl
needed.
“He needs your help.”
Blake almost missed what the mutant said, his fascination with the creature’s
mouth moving distracting him from the words.
“Help? From me?” Blake had no wish to help Korl do anything.
“Yes.”
A banging on the cell door distracted the mutant from whatever he was going to
say.
“What?”
“He’s ready,” a gruff voice said. This one sounded like he gargled shattered glass for
breakfast.
Blake didn’t struggle when the mutant unlocked his shackles from the wall. The
cuffs remained on his wrists along with the chain between them.
“I can’t have my puppy escaping,” the mutant laughed gleefully as if he’d made an
amazing joke.
That time he couldn’t resist the shudder. He knew his men would come for him, but
could they find him before Korl did something even Anthony couldn’t take back?
The mutant pulled Blake through the doorway and past the other speaker so
quickly Blake didn’t get a glimpse of more than a flash of blue feathers before being
yanked down the narrow hall.
Dark stone surrounded him. They were in a cellar or a mountain, someplace
underground. The occasional drip of water didn’t give him any hints. It could be an
underground river for all he knew.
He stumbled a few times along the way, but his mutant guide didn’t slow or show
any signs of caring if Blake fell on his face and cut his head open.
Eventually, after enough turns he was beginning to feel like a rat in a maze, the
corridor opened up into a large cave. Tables, cages, and tubes filled the area. They hadn’t
run into anyone until then. Here was where Korl had holed up; no wonder they couldn’t
find him. He’d taken over a subterranean lair.
Blake wondered whose land they were on.
His eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of a small mutant dragon hobbling across
the cave using his wings like crutches to help him. It hurt to watch him move.
“Get a good look, Blake. Our master has done well,” the mutant said.
Blake had to focus not to hurl.
“Blake! There you are, boy!” Korl walked over, a wide smile on his face. It wasn’t
until he came closer that Blake could see the scientist had started experimenting on
himself. His skin had a blue hue and what looked like a third eye growing in the middle
of his forehead.
“Korl. What have you done?”
The third eye blinked at Blake, distracting him with its long lashes.
“I’ve expanded. Now I’m not held back by merely one form of mutant. As long as I
use wolves as a base genetics, I can add other DNA to the mix.”
“Why?”
“Why what?” Korl appeared genuinely surprised, or maybe that was his new
permanent expression.
“Why would you do this to another being?”
“Power! Soon I’ll have enough creatures to take over both worlds, fae and human.”
Korl scowled at Blake. “Don’t worry. I’ll fix you and make you a powerful beast once
again. Let me make you up a special potion.”
The scientist spun and hobbled away. He’d never limped before. Blake didn’t want
to know what hid beneath his clothing to cause his odd walk.
“I can smell your panic, wolf. You should be afraid,” the mutant whispered in his
ear. “Sometimes when he’s done, he gives me his experiments. I can’t wait until he’s
done with you.”
The mutant licked Blake’s cheek, leaving a long strip of saliva across his skin.
Blake swallowed to keep the bile down.
A loud roar vibrated the stone beneath his feet. The sound of rushing flame and
screams echoed down the stone corridor.
“Blake!” The worried shout rolled the boulder off Blake’s heart.
“Here!”
“You shouldn’t have done that, puppy,” the mutant said.
Blake grinned. “You’re gonna wish you’d killed me.”
He slammed his foot down on the mutant’s cloven foot. The crackle of bones
beneath his heel and the mutant’s scream were a symphony in his ears. Slamming his
elbow in the mutant’s stomach, he ran toward the sounds of screaming instead of away.
His mates rushed over to him, Leif in human form and Rhaegar as a dragon. Smoke
puffed from the dragon’s nostrils as if the fire were just banked, ready to come to life at
any moment.
Rhaegar transformed into a human and entered the building like a king entering his
castle. His eyes glowed with power.
“Ooh, a dragon, can I have your DNA?” Korl asked. His eyes were full of madness.
“This is Korl,” Blake said.
Leif grinned. “Perfect, I have something for you.” A flash of metal whipped
through the air and embedded in Korl’s throat. The scientist tumbled to the ground,
blood pouring from his wound.
“Nice shot,” Blake said.
“Yes, it was.”
Rhaegar stared at the raven shifter. “I don’t think you’ve ever been sexier.”
Leif snorted. “You are a strange man.”
“That’s because I’m not a man; I’m a dragon,” Rhaegar retorted.
Blake looked at all the mutants either caged, chained, or walking around, assisting
the scientist. “What do we do now?”
Rhaegar reached over and snapped Blake’s shackles. “This looks like something for
the King to sort out. He needs to weed out the betrayers and take care of the ones who
want to be converted back.”
The mutant who’d captured Blake laughed. “You’ll never find them all. They are
like the mist. We will cover the land.”
Leif reached for another knife. Blake halted him. “No, this one is mine.”
Blake shifted his right hand into wolf claws. With a smooth swipe, he ripped out the
mutant’s throat. “That was oddly satisfying.”
“You both need to be in my bed now,” Rhaegar growled.
“There is something seriously disturbed about you,” Blake said, shaking his head.
Leif nodded. “Yep.”
A group of men entered the cavern. They all had the same air of command Rhaegar
carried about him. Rhaegar tipped his head at the group. “I brought backup, just in case.”
“That’s sweet.” Blake smiled at the group. His lover had brought in the cavalry.
Rhaegar stepped forward and cupped Blake’s face. “I couldn’t leave my mate.”
Blake shivered beneath the dragon shifter’s touch. The kiss came, but not the hard
passionate one he’d expected. Instead, Rhaegar brushed his lips in a soft embrace as if he
needed to savor the taste of Blake and make sure he was safe.
He stepped back after another kiss. “You need to stay safe. I can’t handle Leif
without you.”
“Hey!”
Blake turned to see Leif scowling at them. He held out his arm, and Leif threw
himself against him.
Leif shivered and clutched him tight. “I was worried they’d kill you before I told
you we were mates,” he whispered.
“You don’t have to tell me, love. I already know.” Blake kissed Leif, a hard
commanding embrace. “Let’s go see what we can do to help.”
Blake didn’t know if he could help reverse the potion, but he would do whatever he
could for these obviously troubled people. It might take some time, but he would help
them. He took Leif’s hand in his own and let Rhaegar walk ahead. The dragon shifter
wouldn’t let him walk into trouble anyway.
“After this, I’m taking you back to the palace and marking you,” Leif said.
“No. We’ll go take care of the unfaithful fae, help the King have his ceremony, then
I’m taking you back to my cave.”
Blake didn’t mention any wish to return home. They both knew a dragon shifter
had no place in the human world. He couldn’t hide like a crow or a wolf.
“I’ll move in with you, but I’m getting my cat.”
“You have a cat?” Rhaegar asked.
“Don’t go there,” Blake advised.
Rhaegar swallowed back whatever he had planned to say. “All right, then. I look
forward to meeting your cat.”
Blake could tell he didn’t mean it, but he didn’t call his mate on that fact. If Leif
wanted his cat, neither of them would deny him. Hell, if he wanted a herd of the damn
things, Blake knew he’d fetch them himself.
At least right then he had something to keep him busy and two gorgeous mates.
* * * *
Be careful. He’s coming!
Anthony sat up in bed, fear pounding his heart.
“You all right, love?”
“Um, yeah. Just a bad dream.”
Silver pulled Anthony back down into his arms and snuggled him close. “I’ve got
you, nothing can hurt you now.”
Anthony wished he could believe that, but the voice in his dream sounded just like
his grandfather…Zeus.
He wondered who was coming and why all of a sudden his grandfather decided to
speak to him in dreams instead of just stopping by and having a chat.
Shivering, Anthony snuggled closer to his mate. Even the heat from his wolf-shifter
mate didn’t warm the chill inside. He’d have to keep an eye out. It was never smart to
ignore a warning from a god.
The End
About the Author
Amber Kell is a dreamer who has been writing stories in her head for as long as she could
remember.
She lives in Seattle with her husband, two sons, three cats and one very stupid dog. To
learn more about her current books or works in progress, check out her blog at
http://amberkell.wordpress.com.
Her fans can also reach her at amberkellwrites@gmail.com.
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/people/Amber-Kell/1772646395
Email:
amberkellwrites@gmail.com
Blog:
http://amberkell.wordpress.com
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/amberkell
Document Outline
- Prologue
- Chapter One
- Chapter Two
- Chapter Three
- Chapter Four
- Chapter Five
- Chapter Six
- Chapter Seven
- Chapter Eight
- Chapter Nine
- Chapter Ten
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