Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian

Midnight Matings Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian The Gathering is called. The spell is cast. There is no escaping th...

Author: Evans Gabrielle

43 downloads 630 Views 485KB Size Report

This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book. If you own the copyright to this book and it is wrongfully on our website, we offer a simple DMCA procedure to remove your content from our site. Start by pressing the button below!
Report copyright / DMCA form

DOWNLOAD PDF

Midnight Matings

Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian The Gathering is called. The spell is cast. There is no escaping the Midnight Matings. Fletcher Martin has spent the majority of his life alone. Changing into a common house cat doesn’t exactly endear him to others who are looking for a mate, either. Everyone else might be upset at the elders’ trickery, but Fletcher just hopes he won’t be leaving alone. After centuries of hiding away from the rest of the paranormal world, Caspian Reyes just wants someone to call his own and ease the ache in his heart. The cute little kitty shifter and the gorgeous gargoyle may just be what the doctor ordered. Six thousand years of existing in the shadows has taken its toll on Shade Santiago. He doesn’t know if he’s worth it, but when Caspian and Fletcher decide to take a chance on him, Shade seizes the opportunity with both hands. The past has a way of holding on, though, and Shade’s secrets could prove deadly for them all. Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal Length: 40,501 words

FANTASY, LEGEND, AND THE GUARDIAN Midnight Matings

Gabrielle Evans

MENAGE AMOUR MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. 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, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer. WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK IMPRINT: Ménage Amour ManLove

FANTASY, LEGEND, AND THE GUARDIAN Copyright © 2011 by Gabrielle Evans E-book ISBN: 1-61034-708-0 First E-book Publication: August 2011 Cover design by Jinger Heaston All cover art and logo copyright © 2011 by Siren Publishing, Inc. 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. All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers Dear Readers, If you have purchased this copy of Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian by Gabrielle Evans from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book. The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment. This is Gabrielle Evans’ livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Evans’ right to earn a living from her work. Amanda Hilton, Publisher www.SirenPublishing.com www.BookStrand.com

DEDICATION To my awesome Yahoo group for giving me such wonderful ideas and helping me do research. You guys rock!

FANTASY, LEGEND, AND THE GUARDIAN Midnight Matings GABRIELLE EVANS Copyright © 2011

Chapter One “If you fail to bring a mate before this council by the stroke of midnight tomorrow night, you will be hunted down and executed as a rogue paranormal,” the elder was saying. Fletcher listened with half attention. He already knew all of this, of course. It was the entire reason he’d chosen to make his appearance at the gathering. Though not exactly old for a paranormal, at just over four hundred, he was tired of being alone. Looking down into his champagne flute, Fletcher smiled. He knew the elders had added something to their drinks. He’d already consumed three glasses of the stuff, and hoped the heat would take him soon. Maybe he’d find a nice shifter, or maybe even a fae to settle down with and live out his happily ever after. “And just in case you think to try and break this spell," the elder continued, “we have added a special clause.” Fletcher’s head snapped up, and his full attention rested on the dais where the elders were perched. He knew nothing about this, and the information unsettled him. “Anyone that attempts to negate the covenants of this spell will instantly be cursed as befitting their race.” Fletcher’s heart pounded in

Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian

9

his chest as he listened to the elder speak. “I'm sure you get my point.” Oh, he understood the point all right. What the crap did he do now? He’d seen the vision, understood that the elders were plotting to bring together the races. This was new and unwelcomed, though. Why hadn’t he seen this? What if he was unable to find a mate? “I am so screwed,” Fletcher muttered under his breath, even as gasps and growls rumbled through the crowd. “We expect to see each of you in twenty-four hours,” the elder finished with a little imperial wave of his hand. “May your hunt be successful.” The moment the words left the elder’s mouth, the ballroom exploded into a cacophony of noise. People snarled and hissed. Angry shouts went up around the room as the paranormals turned on each other, arguing amongst themselves. Fletcher shook his head sadly and pressed back against the wall. “This is exactly what the elders are talking about,” he mumbled to the guy standing beside him. Some of the shifters had even transformed into their animal counterparts as they raced around the room in search of a willing—or maybe even an unwilling—mate. “I think it’s a good idea,” the man responded. “This, however,” he waved a hand to indicate the chaos around them, “is nuts.” Fletcher studied his new ally with a detailed eye. Over six foot tall, broad shoulders, lean waist, tight ass packed inside even tighter denim—mmm, and what a nice ass it was, too. Closely cropped dark brown hair, eyes the color of melted milk chocolate, and a smooth creamy complexion that had Fletcher wanting to lick his tongue over every bare inch of the man’s skin. Lifting his nose, Fletcher sniffed the air subtly. The guy smelled of something wild and untamed, but so did most of the people in the room. The scent was neither rodent nor canine, though, and Fletcher exhaled on a happy little sigh.

10

Gabrielle Evans

“Fletcher Martin,” he said with a bright smile as he offered his hand. “Shadenious Santiago,” the man replied, taking Fletcher’s hand and giving it a firm squeeze. “Wow, that’s quite a mouthful.” “Call me Shade.” “I can do that.” Fletcher pouted his lips and batted his lashes, slithering up to the man and pressing against him. “Tell me, Shade, do you like kitties?” Shade’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, but his arms wound around Fletcher. “I’ve been with women before, but I prefer men.” Fletcher chuckled softly as he skimmed his nose along the underside of Shade’s chin. “That’s not the kind of pussy I meant.” “Oh,” Shade replied a bit breathlessly as he craned his neck to give Fletcher more room to play. “I like cats fine. Why? Do you have one?” “Something like that,” Fletcher mumbled before scraping his teeth over Shade’s jaw. A loud roar called Fletcher’s attention, and he jerked around just in time to see a very large, very muscled man slam into the wall beside them. Two men and a woman were on him in a flash, tearing at his clothes, pulling his hair, trying to touch any part of him they could reach while he struggled to fight them off. “Get off of me!” he shouted. Shade’s arms tightened around Fletcher protectively as he pulled him away from the fight. Fletcher purred in approval. He’d made a good choice with Shade. Still, it went against every one of his beliefs to just turn his back and walk away when someone was in trouble. “We should help him.” “He can take care of himself,” Shade replied quietly, still inching them farther down the wall. One of the men, a vampire from the looks of him, made a lunge for the man’s neck, his fangs fully extended as he snapped his jaws.


11

The guy might be big, but even he was no match for a three-on-one attack. While his attention was drawn to the vampire who was currently trying to make a meal out of his carotid artery, the other man delivered a stunning blow to his temple, and the big man’s eyes rolled back in his head as he slumped again the wall. Fletcher had seen enough. “I’m going to help him. You can stay here if you want.” Untangling himself from Shade’s arms, Fletcher closed his eyes and shifted. Stepping out of his clothes, he looked at them, then up to Shade, and meowed. He hoped the man would understand to hold on to his clothing so he wouldn’t have to walk around naked when he was finished. Then he spun around, his black tail curled over his back, took a running leap, and launched himself on the woman’s back. Hissing and yowling, he swatted at her face with his claws extended. She screamed, her hands flailing around her head as she tried to grab him. Fletcher didn’t give her the chance. Digging his claws into her shoulder for a steady grip, he hunched low and sprang across the open space, landing on the fallen man’s chest. He stared up at the attackers, hissing and arching his back as the hair bristled along his spine. The woman took off, but the men scoffed at him. “Here, kitty kitty,” the one that had delivered debilitating the blow sneered at him. His massive hand reached down toward Fletcher, but he never made it that far. Shade growled, his eyes flashing with anger, and lifted the man off his feet, slinging him several yards away. “Are you okay?” Fletcher meowed softly and turned to look up at vampire. He didn’t look like he was going to back down. Fletcher really hated to do it without the guy’s permission, but he didn’t see any other choice. Crawling up the man’s chest, he licked at his face for a moment then rubbed against every part of him he could reach, marking him with his scent. Once satisfied that his scent would linger, claiming the big man as his own, Fletcher peered up at the vampire again.

12

Gabrielle Evans

The man laughed and shook his head. “He’s still mine.” Before anyone could move or blink, Shade dropped to his knees, jerked the dazed man’s head back, and sank long, vicious-looking teeth into the side of his neck. He lingered for just a moment, moaning softly as he sucked on the wound, then he extracted his teeth and licked at the bite mark. “Now, he’s mine,” Shade growled, pinning the vampire with his gaze. The bloodsucker wasn’t smiling now. His eyes rounded, his mouth dropped open, and he nodded his head rapidly. “Right. Sorry. I’m just going to…I’ll…oh, shit.” Then he whirled around and sprinted away as if the Devil himself were after him. Shade stroked Fletcher’s fur and scratched behind his ears. Fletcher purred loudly, arching into the touch before leaping into Shade’s arms and rubbing against him. He’d claimed the semiconscious man on the floor out of an act of necessity. With Shade, it was different. Mmm, he wanted this man. “It seems we have a mate who needs our care,” Shade whispered softly as he rubbed his cheek over the top of Fletcher’s head. “I’ve claimed him, and I can’t give him up now.” Fletcher wasn’t really listening. He rubbed against Shade, nuzzling under his chin and along his neck, marking the man with his scent as he purred a mile a minute. “And it would seem you have claimed me as well.” Shade chuckled and gave Fletcher one last stroke before setting him on his feet. Dropping to his butt beside their unknowing mate, Shade scrubbed a hand over his face and sighed. “This is a damn mess.” Then he dropped his hands to his lap and looked at Fletcher. “How do you feel about sharing?” **** Caspian rolled the back of his head against the wall, groaning softly as his eyes fluttered open. His head throbbed, his muscles


13

cramped, and his neck felt sore and achy. Bolting upright to full attention, his hand went to his throat, feeling the skin for puncture marks. “That filthy bloodsucker bit me!” “No,” came a cool, smooth voice from beside him. “I bit you.” Turning his head slowly, Caspian eyed the man suspiciously. “Did you claim me?” The guy nodded. “It couldn’t be helped. It was either the vampire or me. Would you have rather I let him bite you?” “No.” Caspian tried to mask his anger, but inside he seethed. “I would have rather neither of you claim me.” The man just shrugged. He had a small black house cat in his lap, and his fingers stroked the feline lazily. “I’m not the only one that claimed you.” Caspian’s eyes rounded and his hand went back to his throat. “But, you said the vampire—” “No, not him.” His rescuer chuckled. “This little guy here fought like a hellcat for you.” He tickled under the cat’s chin. “No pun intended, little one.” It was the oddest sight to see such a large man cuddle and coo to a kitten. Scanning the room beyond, Caspian found that most of the commotion had died down, and people were beginning to trickle out of the ballroom. Swallowing his pride and pushing aside his wounded ego, he turned back to the man that had probably saved his life and nodded. “Thank you.” “I’m Shade,” the guy replied, “and this little guy is Fletcher. We’re sorry about mating you without your permission. We were only trying to help.” The cat stared up at Caspian and meowed as though offering his apology as well. “Are you two…” Caspian trailed off in question, glancing between Shade and the cat. “Not yet.” Shade wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I met him about two minutes before we had to save your ass.”

14

Gabrielle Evans

Sighing heavily, Caspian decided it would do no good to get angry about the situation. He pushed to his feet and even offered a hand to Shade to help him up as well. Turning his attention to the cat, he bowed his head. “Can you shift back, please?” There was a slight shimmer to the air and a few second later, a small man knelt on the floor where the feline had been. Shade handed him a pair of black slacks and a powder blue button-down shirt, and the man dressed quickly. Caspian couldn’t deny that they both were stunning. Smaller, more delicate, Fletcher had the same dark brown hair as Shade, but where Shade’s eyes were a creamy chocolate, Fletcher’s eyes were the most mesmerizing hue of pale green. Though slight in stature, his lithe body appeared lean and fit with sun-bronzed skin stretched over well-defined muscles. Shifting his attention to Shade, Caspian decided the man had a rougher edge to him with his wider frame and more defined muscles. Still, there was something gentle about his eyes that made him appear less threatening. “The elders are back,” he observed as he watched them milling about on the small platform. “Let’s go see if we can get this straightened out.” “You don’t want to be our mate,” Fletcher said in a small voice. It wasn’t a question, so Caspian didn’t feel the need to reply. “Mr. Manners,” Shade grumbled, taking Fletcher’s hand and leading the way toward the elders. Caspian ignored the slight and followed along. Had he behaved rudely? He didn’t think so, but apparently, Shade felt otherwise. Hoping to amend the unintended offense, he stepped up beside Fletcher and reached down to take his small hand. Fletcher gave him a light squeeze and a brilliant smile before returning to face forward. It did funny things to Caspian’s stomach, and he wasn’t sure if he found the sensation pleasant or not. The delicate hand in his was soft, the skin smooth and supple, yet held him


15

in a firm grip as they stood before the elders and dipped their heads respectfully. “Ah, Caspian,” Elder Swanson said. “It’s been many years since we’ve seen you out and about. You’ve come to record your mating, I presume?” Caspian began to deny that’s why they were gathered there, but Fletcher squeezed his hand hard and nodded. “Yes, sir. Fletcher Martin, Shadenious Santiago, and Caspian…” he trailed off, looking up at Caspian in question. “Reyes, but that’s not the point.” Caspian turned back to the elder, intending to argue his case, but found the man already scribbling in the book he had propped open in front of him. Searing pain lanced across his right shoulder, and he gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound. At the same moment, Fletcher cried out and Shade made a low hissing noise, both fidgeting where they stood. Caspian could only guess what it meant. “Your mating has been recorded,”—Elder Swanson held out an envelope—“and these are your mating instructions. We expect to see the three of you at the next gathering. Congratulations.” “Tangina!” Caspian shouted, snatching the envelope from the elder’s hand and stomping down the steps. “Did you just say vagina?” Fletcher asked as he jumped down the steps to land gracefully beside him. “Because if that’s what rocks your socks, I’m afraid you’re going to be more than a little disappointed.” Though he didn’t think it was possible, Caspian laughed. “I like you, Fletcher.” The smaller man preened at the compliment, smoothing his shirt and running his fingers through his hair. “Well, I like that you like me. I think I probably like you, too.” Shade crowded his back, and Fletcher rolled his eyes. “I like this big monkey, too.” Shade grunted.

16

Gabrielle Evans

“Oops.” Fletcher slapped a hand over his mouth when a giggle escaped. Caspian found it kind of cute. “I meant gorilla.” “Aren’t they the same thing?” Caspian tilted his head to the side as his eyebrows drew together. “Eh, close enough.” Fletcher shrugged, grabbed Shade’s hand, and then Caspian’s, and led them toward the double doors on the opposite side of the ballroom. “Now that we’re hitched, can we get down to the good stuff? ’Cause I gotta say, my damn skin is going to melt off if I don’t get a cock in my ass in the next ten minutes.” Caspian darted his eyes to the little man with a mingled look of shock and desire. Shade met his gaze for just a moment, nodded firmly, then grabbed Fletcher and tossed him over his shoulder. “Which way?” “My room.” Caspian didn’t stop to think, just flung open the doors and led the way to his sleeping quarters. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe he wouldn’t even like the men once he got to know them. Or maybe, it could be the best thing that had ever happened to him. There was only one way to find out, and he seriously hoped he didn’t come to regret it.


17

Chapter Two Hurrying through the door that Caspian held open for them, Shade tossed Fletcher onto the four-poster bed and began tearing at his clothes. His skin tingled, his body burned, and his dick throbbed, begging for relief and pretty fucking soon. “Hurry,” he growled. Fletcher bobbed his head eagerly, standing in the middle of the mattress and hopping around as he tried to pull his shoes off. He lost his balance, falling to his butt and bouncing several times, but never stopped his frantic movements to divest his clothing. Caspian chuckled at their mate’s antics, but it sounded tight and strained. Shade knew the feeling. Once he’d more or less shredded his clothing, Shade turned to Caspian, pouncing on the guy and attacking his luscious mouth like a man possessed. He’d have been more than happy to claim Fletcher as a mate and only Fletcher. Adding Caspian to the mix was more than a bonus. It felt right. Shrugging off the idiotic thought, Shade poured everything he had into the mating of their lips and tongues. He’d only met these two men half an hour ago. Nothing about their relationship should feel right other than someone’s tight ass wrapped around his cock. Oh, but his mates were gorgeous. Fletcher’s small, supple body, and Caspian’s dark tan and rippling muscles were all of his fantasies rolled into one. Shade didn’t believe in fate, but if such a thing existed, he figured the chick knew what the hell she was doing. Physically, he couldn’t have picked two more perfect men. Caspian stood a few inches shorter than him, a little narrower in the shoulders, but mostly, they were evenly matched. The man’s long

18

Gabrielle Evans

black hair fell down to brush between his shoulder blades in tiny braids that Shade decided looked hot as hell on his mate. The word “warrior” sprang to mind, and Shade went with it. Caspian indeed looked like a warrior. “Me,” Fletcher whined from the bed. Shade released Caspian’s mouth and held the man’s face in both hands, staring into eyes the color of bitter chocolate. Caspian might not have chosen them willingly if he’d been given a choice, but he looked fully invested now. His eyes darted to Fletcher and back to Shade several times with an unmistakable hunger burning in those dark depths. “Now?” Caspian sounded uncertain, as though he was unsure if his attentions would be welcomed. Shade couldn’t have that. “Definitely now. Lube?” “In the bathroom,” Caspian said as he jerked his head toward a door just behind them. “I’ll get it. Go get better acquainted with our mate.” Shade gave the man another scorching kiss then hurried into the bathroom to find supplies. It took only a minute to find the small bottle of lube inside the medicine cabinet. It appeared new and unused. Though it was just damn sad that a man as gorgeous as Caspian had not had the occasion to use the slick, Shade felt a thrill go through him at the knowledge. Of course his mate was not some blushing virgin, but he’d not been with anyone since arriving at the castle. Holding the bottle tightly in his fist, Shade rushed back to the bedroom and almost fell to his knees. Caspian was sprawled on his back in the middle of the bed, his legs splayed wide and his head thrown back on the pillows as Fletcher swallowed around the impressive length of his cock. “Fuck me,” Shade breathed as he prowled closer to the bed. Fletcher’s ass tilted upward, wiggling in delight as he dragged his lips along the hard dick in his mouth. He reached back with both hands,


19

grabbing the muscled cheeks of his ass and spreading them wide to reveal his puckered entrance. Shade closed his eyes, gripping the base of his cock in a strangle hold to keep from blowing his load then and there. Popping open the bottle in his hand, he poured a generous amount into his palm and slicked his pulsing shaft from root to tip, hissing as lightning bolts of pleasure spiked his need to a fever pitch. He dribbled a little more of the cool oil over his fingertips and tossed the bottle aside. Shade never took his eyes off of Fletcher’s fluttering entrance as he eased onto the bed behind him and caressed the little starburst gently. Fletcher moaned, wiggling his ass and pushing back against Shade’s finger. Caspian groaned as well, levering up on his elbows and staring into Shade’s eyes while he humped his hips into Fletcher’s mouth. With an effort, Shade looked away from the erotic sight and focused on stretching his lover’s clenching hole. Pushing in with one finger, he gasped when the muscles clamped around his digit and sucked him in. “So eager,” he whispered, pumping his finger in and out of Fletcher’s ass until he had loosed it enough to insert a second. Fletcher moaned again, rocking his hips and fucking himself on Shade’s fingers as he licked and sucked at Caspian’s long prick. “So responsive,” Caspian said softly, his hand caressing Fletcher’s cheeks with the back of his knuckles. He looked at their mate as though he’d never seen anything like him before. Fletcher lifted his head, popping off Caspian’s cock with a shuddering gasp. “Please,” he whimpered, the sound music to Shade’s ears. “Beg me, Fletcher. Beg for what you want.” Shade pushed in a third finger, twisting his wrist as he sawed in and out of his lover’s heated passage. “More! Harder! Faster! Oh, damn, just fuck me!”

20

Gabrielle Evans

Easing his fingers out, Shade quickly replaced them with the head of his dick, moving his hips gently as he fed his cock to Fletcher’s hungry ass. “Oh, sweet hell, you’re tight.” Groaning, he closed his eyes against the onslaught of intense pleasure. His gums itched and his teeth began to elongate as his beast called for him to claim the man as his mate. So lost in the sensations coursing through his body, Shade didn’t immediately realize that Caspian had moved off the bed until a warm weight settled over his back. Strong hands roamed his body, caressing over his hip and smoothing up his chest. Caspian’s fingers pinched at Shade’s nipples, tugging at them gently until they pebbled and throbbed, causing his dick to jerk inside Fletcher’s ass. Fletcher whimpered, pushing back against Shade and grinding against his groin. Caspian’s fingers skimmed along Shade’s crease in light hesitant movements. “Is this okay?” he whispered as he nuzzled against the back of Shade’s neck. “Fuck yes.” Shade leaned forward, covering Fletcher’s back and spreading his knees wider. “Hurry. I’m not going to last long,” he warned. He heard the snick of the bottle cap, then two slick fingers rimmed his needy entrance. “How do you want it?” “Hard and fast,” Shade growled. “Make me feel it.” Taking him at his word, Caspian shoved two fingers deep into his clenching channel, wiggling them around before he began to pump his hand quickly. Shade’s hips snapped forward, driving his cock deeper into Fletcher’s ass, then jerking back to impale himself on the long digits working in and out of his own heated tunnel. A third finger slipped in beside the first two, and by the time Caspian had inserted a fourth, Shade didn’t think he’d ever be able to breathe right again. He held perfectly still, his dick aching, and his ass clenching in greedy anticipation as Caspian extracted his fingers and lined up the spongy crown of his veiny cock. Shade groaned, dropping his


21

forehead between Fletcher’s shoulder blades when Caspian plunged inside his hole in one long, swift movement. “Move,” Fletcher pleaded, his inner wall convulsing around Shade’s prick in waves. “Please, someone fucking move!” It took a couple of stops and starts, but eventually they found a rhythm, Shade moving between his two lovers, gliding in and out of Fletcher’s tight heat and slamming back onto Caspian’s rigid length. The fire burned inside him, spreading out to his limbs and shooting up his spine until his head spun with sensation overload. His teeth had fully transformed and his mouth watered as he flicked his long tongue over the nape of Fletcher’s neck. Oh, gods, his mate tasted, felt, and smelled so good. “Mine,” Shade growled, grazing his teeth over Fletcher’s shoulder, careful to not damage to smooth skin. “Yes,” Fletcher hissed. “Claim me, Shade. Make me yours.” As though his beast has simply been waiting for permission, Shade sank his teeth into the yielding flesh where Fletcher’s neck met his shoulder. He made a low grumbling noise in appreciation when the sweet ambrosia of his lover’s blood washed over his tongue, filling his mouth and sliding down his throat. Fletcher screamed in ecstasy, his entire body tensing as he dropped his head to the sheets and shuddered through his climax. Shade followed him over the edge quickly, carefully easing his fangs from his mate’s neck and roaring out to the ceiling as he pumped his seed into his lover’s still twitching channel. “Exquisite,” Caspian sighed, wrapping his arms around Shade’s waist and plowing into him with abandon, prolonging Shade’s orgasm until he thought he’d pass out. Suddenly, huge, black wings fanned out around them, cocooning them in their feathery folds as Caspian squeezed Shade tightly and stilled. A long, deep groan fell from his panting mouth, and scorching wetness painted Shade’s inner depths as Caspian’s cock exploded inside him.

22

Gabrielle Evans

“You have wings,” Shade mumbled weakly, more proof that his brain had taken a temporary vacation. “So, is that it? Did you claim me?” “Not yet,” Caspian whispered. Then his nimble fingers plucked two feathers from his massive wings, and he rested his chin on Shade’s shoulder. He held the feathers up, twirling them in his fingers for a long time. He seemed hesitant to complete the ritual. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Before he could ask what the bigger man was apologizing for, Caspian took one of the feathers, and pricked the surprisingly sharp end in to Shade’s chest, just over his heart. At the same time, he used the other feather to poke Fletcher’s hip, pulling a sharp gasp from the little man. It didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt amazing. Whatever had been on the end of that feather was already coursing through Shade’s blood, acting as an aphrodisiac and causing his cock to swell once more inside Fletcher’s ass. Shade could feel his own libido spiral out of control, but there was something just on the fringes that made him suspect he was also absorbing some of his mates’ pleasure. “Thank you,” Caspian whispered, his own prick filling and throbbing inside Shade’s channel. The feather that still protruded from his skin began to glow a beautiful pale gold, and Shade gasped as pure, white-hot lust slammed into him. The feather faded until it disappeared completely, and Shade dropped his head back on Caspian’s shoulder. He screamed, actually fucking screamed, as never ending ropes of sticky cum erupted from his slit to overfill Fletcher’s spasming channel. He vaguely heard Fletcher scream as well, distantly felt the almost painful squeeze of his mate’s inner walls around his cock, then there was nothing. Shade sagged against Caspian and his eyelids drifted closed as he tumbled over the edge and into the abyss.


23

**** Fletcher fell forward on the bed, hissing when Shade’s flagging prick slid from his hole. Rolling to his side, he looked up at his mates and grinned. “Did you kill him?” Caspian looked startled for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “He just passed out.” Fletcher chuckled as he slumped down on the bed. “I know. I was just teasing. It was a near thing for me as well. I’ve never felt anything like that in my life.” Easing out of Shade’s limp body, Caspian gently lowered their lover to the mattress beside Fletcher. “I’m sorry. I have heard it is intense, but having never experienced it myself, I didn’t realize it would be enough to knock out a grown man.” Fletcher peered up at the giant black wings that still hovered around them. His fingers itched to touch, to discover if the feathers were as soft as they looked. “May I?” In answer, Caspian lowered the wing closest to Fletcher, brushing it lightly over his chest. Fletcher moaned in delight. “They’re like silk,” he whispered as he stroked one hand over the downy softness. “What are you?” He hoped it wasn’t being to forward, but the man was his mate, after all. He figured he had a right to know. “Pegasus,” Caspian answered with a gentle smile. “A winged horse of myth and legend.” Fletcher’s face fell, and he pulled his hand back. “You must be so disappointed.” “How is that, little one?” Caspian tucked his wings behind him and closed his eyes. Within seconds, the appendages vanished, and he eased onto the bed to stretch out on Fletcher’s other side. “Why should I have reason to be disappointed?” “I’m just a regular old house cat, and you’re like this majestic being.”

24

Gabrielle Evans

“I’m just a man,” Caspian replied with a sad smile, “a man who has been alone for a very long time. I came to the gathering in hopes that I would find my mate. Instead, I found two. I do wish we would have had more time to get to know each other first, but I assure you, I am in no way disappointed.” “I came to the conference hoping to find a mate as well,” Fletcher mumbled, his cheeks heating at the confession. “Well, that makes three of us.” Fletcher rolled his head to the other side and smiled as Shade’s eyelids fluttered open. “Hey, big guy. How do you feel?” “Like I need a nap,” Shade said around a huge yawn. He scooted closer to Fletcher and cuddled around him. “You’re really warm.” “You came here looking for a mate?” Fletcher spoke quietly as he combed his fingers through Shade’s thick hair. “How do you feel about the ones you’ve found?” “I think one of my mates talks entirely too much.” Shade kissed his cheek, so Fletcher let the comment slide. “Seriously, I know nothing about either of you, but I think this could be a good thing.” “Shade, what are you?” Again, there was just no subtle way to ask someone that. “Don’t be scared, okay?” Fletcher tensed out of instinct. “Why would I be scared?” “Some people are,” Shade whispered, and he sounded so sad that Fletcher relaxed and put his arm around the man. “I’m a gargoyle.” “For real? That’s kind of awesome. I’ve never met a gargoyle or a Pegasus before. Do you have horns?” “When I shift,” Shade confirmed. “Are you scary?” “Most people think so, yes, but I would never hurt you.” “I know. You’re my mate. It’s ingrained in your DNA to protect me.” Fletcher took a deep breath and looked between his men. “So, we all came here looking for something. I guess the big question is what do we do now that we’ve found it?”


25

“I can’t leave my home. I have responsibilities there,” Shade said, but didn’t elaborate. “I can work from anywhere,” Caspian offered. “Same here.” Fletcher winked at Shade. “I guess we’re moving in with you.” “Where exactly is home?” Caspian asked. “Seattle.” Fletcher and Caspian both groaned. It was certainly not Fletcher’s ideal honeymoon destination, but he’d grow to love the rain, cold, and gloominess. Maybe. One day. If he tried really hard. “Why can’t you live in Hawaii,” he pouted. “I just have respons—” Waving his hand to cut his mate off, Fletcher huffed. “Responsibilities, I know. Is your house big enough for all three of us?” “I don’t think Shade asked us to move in,” Caspian chided him lightly. “Of course he wants us to move in. We’re his mates!” But now the doubt was there, and Fletcher flipped over on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows and staring at Shade. “Right?” Shade hesitated too long for Fletcher’s peace of mind. Eventually, he nodded, and Fletcher swore he heard the man mutter under his breath, “I’ll make it right.”

26

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Three “Did anyone ever read that letter?” Fletcher sat between his mates on the Boeing 752 en route to Newark, New Jersey. He assumed it contained some important information, or the elder wouldn’t have bothered giving it to them. “Hold on,” Shade said. “I grabbed it off the dresser this morning. It’s here somewhere.” He patted his pockets, digging through his jacket, and finally extracting the envelope from the inside of his leather coat. “Here ya go.” Fletcher took the envelope, studied the UPAC seal for a second, then ripped it open to extract the parchment inside. He read through the letter twice, his eyes growing wider with each passage. “Oh, wow. This gives whole new meaning to ‘until death do you part.’” “What’s it say?” Caspian asked distractedly. He had his laptop open on the lap tray and was typing away furiously on the keyboard. “Well, we’re bound together, all three of us. If one dies, the others do as well.” Fletcher bit his tongue hard to keep from laughing when the water Shade had been drinking sprayed from his mouth, covering the stately looking woman seated in front of him. He apologized profusely, jumping up from his seat and dabbing at her clothes with a napkin. Apparently, she didn’t take to kindly to him feeling her up because she began screeching at him and swinging her handbag at any part of the man she could reach. Caspian sighed and rolled his eyes. “Shade, sit down before the air marshal arrests your ass.”


27

Shade offered another hurried apology and plopped back into his seat. His cheeks were so red Fletcher could feel the heat pouring off of them. “Smooth,” he choked as he tried not to laugh. “You didn’t even hear the best part.” “There’s more?” Shade closed his eyes and slid down in his seat with a groan. “Get it over with.” He sounded like Fletcher was ripping a bandage off an infected wound. “Well, how much do you like sex?” he asked a little too loudly. The woman in front of him squeaked and turned in her seat to glare at them. “Perverts,” she snapped. “Prude,” Fletcher countered with a brilliant smile. “No one was talking to you.” “Why, I never!” “No, you probably haven’t, which would explain why you’re all bent out of shape. A good fuck would knock that snootiness right out of you.” Caspian’s entire body shook, and he squeezed his eyes and lips together, but tiny snorts escaped his nose. Shade groaned again, shifting further down in his seat until Fletcher thought he’d just slide right onto the floor. “Is there a problem here?” A young flight attendant stood in the aisle with his hands linked behind his back. “No,” Shade mumbled at the same time Fletcher answered in the affirmative. The flight attendant lifted his eyebrows and smiled, looking politely curious and nothing else. “She,” Fletcher pointed at the woman in front of them, “has a rather large stick up her ass. Is there a doctor aboard the plane?” “Yes, we may need to make an emergency landing,” Caspian added very seriously. “Oh, shoot me now.” Shade put a shaky hand over his face and as his face flamed a blazing scarlet. “Not you, too.”

28

Gabrielle Evans

“These young men,” the lady began. “Were having a private conversation that did not concern you,” Fletcher interrupted pleasantly. “Now go have no fun somewhere else.” “Ma’am?” The flight attendant looked as though he wanted to smile, but valued his job too much to do something so foolish. The woman glared at Fletcher for another long minute, then turned back to face the front of the plane. “No, everything is fine,” she said haughtily. “Thank you.” “Very well.” The young man flashed Fletcher a smile and gave him a quick wink as he walked past. “So, the letter says,” Fletcher continued as though they hadn’t been interrupted, “that we have to consummate our mating at least once every twenty-four hours until the next UPAC conference.” “Four years?” Shade gasped. “That is a whole lot of lovin’” “Every twenty-four hours,” Caspian said slowly. His eyebrows drew together and his lips moved, but he didn’t make a sound. He looked to be tallying something inside his head. “What happens if we don’t?” Fletcher skimmed the letter again. “We go into heat. It doesn’t say how long we have to correct the situation, but it does say that if we neglect to consummate our relationship that we will eventually go feral as though we had never mated in the first place.” “What time do we land in New Jersey?” Caspian asked urgently. Glancing at his watch, Fletcher shrugged. “In about three hours. Why?” “Our twenty-four hours is up in about ninety minutes.” **** Shade gripped Fletcher’s wrist and dragged him through the airport, scanning his surroundings for somewhere—anywhere—they could have at least the illusion of privacy. His skin itched, and sweat


29

poured off of him, dampening his clothes and causing them to stick to him. His cock jerked and throbbed, making a damn good attempt to break through his zipper. Caspian hurried along beside them, his long legs eating up the ugly vinyl flooring as he, too, searched for somewhere they could be alone. “The bathrooms don’t have doors,” he growled when they passed one of the lavatories. “They have doors on the stalls,” Fletcher panted as he jogged to keep up with them. “Not enough room,” Shade dismissed the idea. Besides, he’d had enough of bathrooms. They’d each made more than one trip to the lavatory on the plane to jerk off, and he was sure the flight attendants thought they were doing drugs. “Yes!” he shouted, drawing several strange looks. He ignored them and took off running when he saw a smallish man stepping out of a supply closet. Hurrying up to the janitor before he could close the door, Shade grabbed him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. “You saw nothing,” he growled. The man looked as though he’d protest for a minute, but Shade growled again and the custodian nodded rapidly before he hurried away. Fletcher stumbled to a stop in front of him, and Shade grabbed his mate, shoving him roughly into the closet. Following in behind him, he didn’t even wait for Caspian to close the door before he was attacking Fletcher’s mouth and pulling at his clothes. “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” Fletcher chanted between kisses as his hands fumbled with the button on Shade’s jeans. “Caspian, touch me,” he panted. Clothes flew everywhere as the trio twined around each other, sucking, biting, kissing, and licking. Caspian scooped Fletcher into his arms and spun him around so that his back pressed against Caspian’s chest. His arms looped under their mate’s knees, spreading his legs wide as Caspian leaned back against the wall. “Get him good and wet,” he ordered.

30

Gabrielle Evans

Shade groaned and dropped to his knees immediately. Spreading Fletcher’s cheeks, he dove between the rounded hills, licking and sucking at his lover’s pretty, pink hole. He swirled his tongue around the tight ring several times, then jabbed inside, fucking Fletcher with his tongue and wetting his mate’s entrance with his saliva. Fletcher moaned and writhed above him, his arms stretching up to link around Caspian’s neck. Caspian’s cock jutted out below Fletcher’s body as he humped against him, growling and shuddering as he held their mate in place. Shade licked at Fletcher’s hole again, then dropped lower, catching the leaking tip of Caspian’s cock between his lips and sucking hard. He dipped his tongue into the slit, then swirled it around the crown as his finger pushed into Fletcher’s heated tunnel and began sawing in and out. Both of his men groaned, and Fletcher actually whimpered. Shade glanced up to see Fletcher’s hand wrapped around his pulsing cock, jerking it roughly as he squirmed against Caspian’s chest. Popping a finger from his other hand into his mouth alongside the steel-hard cock, Shade wetted it thoroughly before skimming along Caspian’s perineum and tapping at his backdoor. Caspian spread his legs wider, bending at the knees, and Shade thrust his finger inside his lover’s clenching hole as he sucked hard on his cock. “Fuck!” Fletcher shouted when Shade pushed a second finger into his tight ass. “Now!” That was all the warning Shade got before Fletcher’s inner walls clamped down around his fingers and sticky ropes of cum erupted from his mate’s dick. A few drops landed on Shade’s cheek, and he moaned in ecstasy as he curled the digit inside Caspian’s velvet-lined tunnel and brushed over his prostate. “Shade!” Caspian roared, and salty seed filled Shade’s mouth as Caspian jerked his hips forward and unloaded down Shade’s throat. Satisfied that his men were well cared for, Shade extracted his fingers, let the slippery prick fall from his mouth, and dropped back to


31

the floor with a groan. He gripped his pulsing cock, stroking it roughly as he panted and trembled. Then his lovers were there, Fletcher kneeling in front of him and bending to engulf Shade’s cock to the root as Caspian jerked his head back by the hair and attacked his mouth. “Come for us,” Caspian growled against his lips. He yanked sharply on Shade’s hair again and scraped his teeth over Shade’s jaw. “Now!” Shade’s hips snapped up, driving his cock to the back of Fletcher’s throat and his body tensed as his climax overtook him. “Oh, gods!” he shouted, humping his hips frantically as he came inside his mate’s mouth. Fletcher swallowed it all, not missing a single drop, then licked him clean before sitting up and smiling. “Better?” Shade slumped against Caspian’s chest and panted. That’s the closest he’d get to an answer for a while. Fletcher looked down at his watch—the only thing he was still wearing—and grimaced. “Our next flight will be boarding in about twenty minutes.” “I wonder if airport security is waiting outside those doors.” Caspian chuckled. They dressed quickly, slipping out of the supply closet, and Shade actually gave a sigh of relief that no one seemed to notice them. Or at least they were tactfully ignoring them. They made it to their terminal with only minutes to spare, and the remainder of the trip passed without further incident. Fletcher slept. He looked so angelic and peaceful in sleep that Shade would have never guessed what a firecracker he really was. Caspian eventually nodded off as well, leaving Shade to his thoughts. He’d have preferred a distraction. His life was not an easy one, and he had no idea how to explain it to his mates. He didn’t have a fancy office job, though he made excellent money. He’d be able to provide for them financially, though

32

Gabrielle Evans

he imagined they each had their own wealth. When one lived for hundred, or even thousands of years, it just sort of accumulated. Still, they would never want for anything while Shade was there to see to their needs. Nor would they ever fear for their safety. Welltrained and highly lethal, Shade would protect them with his life. And he had a very uneasy feeling that it might just come to that.


33

Chapter Four Caspian felt weary down to his bones as he trudged into Shade’s house. The place was massive, very chic, and very…sterile. It went well beyond minimalist and bordered on cold and unwelcoming. “Wow,” Fletcher breathed as his tried to look everywhere at once. “Nice digs. What is it that you do to make this kind of money?” “Security,” Shade answered shortly. “So, you both said you could work from anywhere?” Fletcher didn’t seem to notice the tension that settled around Shade, but Caspian was very aware, and it made him uneasy. Their mate was hiding something from them. Then again, they didn’t know each other yet, so maybe Shade would open up to him once they’d settled into their relationship. “Well, I’m a freelance editor,” Fletcher offered with a smile. “I work for a couple of different publishing companies, so I always have plenty to do. It’s completely electronic based, however, so as long as I have my computer and internet access, I’m golden.” Shade smiled and nodded before turning his attention to Caspian. “I also freelance, though I do web development for a couple of major companies. Designing and maintaining their sites, developing software and interactive tools for customers and clients, that sort of thing.” “Wow, impressive.” Shade whistled and bobbed his head again. “Well, there’s plenty of room here. You guys can pick out a couple of rooms to turn into offices, and there is internet and cable in every room including the bathrooms and kitchen.”

34

Gabrielle Evans

“You have cable in the bathroom?” Fletcher tilted his head to the side as he considered this. “I also have a forty-two-inch plasma screen television in the master bathroom.” Shade winked at them. “Oh, now that, I have to see!” Fletcher bounced up and down on his toes. “Speaking of bathrooms, would it be possible for me to get a shower before bed?” “Absolutely.” Shade headed for the long, winding staircase. “I’ll give you guys a quick tour, show you your rooms, and then I’ll throw together something to eat while you settle in.” “Our own rooms?” Fletcher paused midstep, and his face fell, all the light leaving his eyes. Caspian wrapped an arm around his lover’s shoulders and squeezed him reassuringly. Shade hadn’t noticed anything amiss as he was still climbing the stairs. “You can sleep with me,” Caspian whispered. “Don’t take it personally. I have an idea that Shade is used to being alone.” “But, we’re his mates. Why doesn’t he want us with him?” Caspian didn’t have a good answer, so he decided to steer the subject out of dangerous waters. “So, did you arrange for all of your things to be delivered here?” This only seemed to depress his mate more. “Not yet,” Fletcher mumbled as he began climbing the stairs again. “The place I was renting came furnished, so besides some clothes and my books, there’s not much. I’ll call a friend tomorrow and see if she can arrange to have it sent. How about you?” “Same song, different dance,” Caspian said quietly as they reached the upstairs landing. “I called and had most of my things donated to the Salvation Army or Red Cross. My clothes, books, and a few personal items should arrive later in the week.” “What did the elder mean when he said he hadn’t seen you in a while?” They traveled down the wide hallway, curiously absent of


35

any pictures or wall hangings, following the sounds of Shade’s heavy footsteps. “I don’t socialize much,” Caspian hedged. Then he sighed and kissed the top of Fletcher’s head. His evasiveness was no different than Shade’s. “I’m tired now, but we’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay?” Fletcher shrugged and offered him a crooked smile. “We’ve all got demons, Cas. I understand.” “Hey! You guys coming?” Shade stuck his head out of a room a few doors down. He waited for them to join him then turned and waved a hand toward a door Caspian assumed was a closet. “That leads to an adjoining bedroom. I’ll let you guys work out who goes where.” “Where is your room?” Fletcher asked innocently. “The other end of the hall on the left,” Shade answered distractedly. He rubbed his hands together then seemed to lose steam as though he didn’t quite know what to do next. The situation was hard on all of them, Shade more so because he now had two people living in his home when he’d obviously led a very solitary life before. A house this big normally held a staff of at least four. Caspian hadn’t seen a single person since they’d arrived. Deciding to let the man off the hook for now, Caspian gave him a gentle smile. “So, what’s up on that food? I’m starving.” “Amen,” Fletcher agreed. “Airline food blows.” “Right. Food.” Shade seemed relieved at having a task to perform. “Okay, I’ll get that started and meet you in the kitchen when you’re ready. Uh, just go down the stairs, take a right and follow the hallway. You can’t miss it.” “We’ll find our way,” Caspian assured him. “Right,” Shade repeated. He hesitated for a moment longer, opening his mouth as though to say something, then shook his head and hurried out of the room.

36

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian led Fletcher into the private bath, listening to his mate exclaim over the enormous jetted garden tub. He helped Fletcher undress, kissing and touching him the entire time as the tub filled with steaming water. Lifting his mate into his arms, Caspian eased him into the tub, turned on the jets, and kissed his forehead. “Just sit here and relax. I’ll be back in just a minute.” “Mmm,” Fletcher hummed, his eyelids drifting closed. “I’ll be right here.” Chuckling lightly, Caspian rose to his feet, dried his hands, and left the room in search of Shade. **** “Stupid, stupid, stupid.” Shade rapped his knuckles against the side of his head as he paced the kitchen. He never should have brought his mates here. It wasn’t safe for them, and now he was nervous all the time that something would happen. His men weren’t stupid. Surely, they had already noticed the change in his behavior, the way he distanced himself, and the cold brush off he’d been giving them. And why the fuck had he said he would cook? He didn’t even have food in the house. He never had food in the house. On the rare occasions that he was actually home, he mostly ordered takeout or slept right through meals. There was another thing. If he had to consummate his relationship with his lovers once every twenty-four hours, he couldn’t leave them. If he didn’t leave, he put them in danger. If he stayed, he put them in danger. “Fuck!” Shade beat his fist against the side of his head again until long fingers wrapped around his wrist, pulling his hand away, and he found himself enveloped in strong, protective arms.


37

“Hush,” Caspian whispered. “Whatever’s going on, we’ll figure it out together. We’re partners now, a unit, and that’s what mates do. You don’t have to be alone anymore.” Oh, gods how easy would it be to just lean into his lover’s embrace and soak up the offered comfort? Shade almost allowed himself the small weakness but pushed it aside at the last second and stiffened his spine. He tried to pull away, but Caspian just tightened his arms, crushing Shade to his chest. “Stop. You don’t have to talk right now, but stop fighting me.” “I don’t have any food in the house,” Shade confessed. “Then we’ll order pizza.” “I don’t know how to operate the washer and dryer.” “I do.” Shade trembled, fighting against the urge to give in and melt against his mate. “Even if I had food, I don’t know how to cook.” “Me either. Hopefully, Fletcher does, and if not, we’ll learn together.” “You just have all the answers, don’t you?” “I have very few answers and a whole lot of questions. Now is not the time for them, though.” Caspian rubbed his cheek over Shade’s. “If you won’t let me help you, then at least let me hold you.” Shade finally lost the battle and sagged against his mate. “Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered, a ghost of a smile playing over his lips. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t think of ruining your reputation.” “I don’t want to be alone,” Shade confided so softly that he wasn’t sure if Caspian heard him. “Then don’t.” “I don’t want you to have your own rooms either.” Damn, he hoped he wasn’t pushing too hard, but he treaded in unexplored territory. After years of being alone, he’d gone to the gathering, hoping to find someone that might want to share a life with him. It had been a stupid dream on his part. He knew better than to think he

38

Gabrielle Evans

could ever have a different life than the one that had been handed to him. Caspian and Fletcher made it seem like a possibility, though. Shade barely knew them, but already, he could see himself building a future with these men. Why did they have to make it so damn easy to picture a happily ever after that he could never have? “Fletcher isn’t happy about that either.” Caspian chuckled and his soft lips landed on Shade’s cheek. “From what I saw on the plane, I think you’re better off just giving him whatever he wants.” Shade chuckled as well, his smile stretching across his lips as he thought about their little mate. “He’s certainly a handful.” “Well, at least we’ll always be entertained.” Sighing and feeling marginally better, Shade eased out of Caspian’s arms, and the man let him go. “Move your bags to my room, and I’ll call for pizza.” “That’s the best idea you’ve had all day.” Caspian kissed his lips and turned to stroll out of the kitchen. “What about the airport?” Caspian paused, but didn’t turn around. “Okay, pizza is the second best idea you’ve had today.” Shade nodded, though his mate didn’t see him, and dug in his pocket for his cell phone. With any luck, he’d come up with a few more good ideas that could secure a very long future with his men. After ordering pizzas with everything on them, Shade set his ringer on silent and tossed the phone on the kitchen counter. His problems wouldn’t go away by simply sweeping them under the rug, but for the moment, he had two gorgeous mates waiting on him. With any luck he’d find them still in the shower, naked, wet, and waiting.


39

Chapter Five “Where the hell are you?” Fletcher chuckled at his best friend’s phone-answering etiquette. “Well, hello to you too, darlin’,” he drawled. “The gathering was great, thanks for asking.” “Sorry,” she mumbled, though she didn’t sound in the least bit apologetic. “I’m glad the conference went well, but it ended almost a week ago. Now, where are you?” “Seattle, Washington. Tess, I need you to do something for me,” he hurried on before she could comment. “I need you to box up my clothes and books and send them to this address.” He read off the address quickly from the slip of paper Shade had written it on for him. “Wait, you’re not coming back?” Fletcher sighed. “Well, see, here’s the thing.” He continued on, telling her all about the elders’ trickery, the spell, the book their names were recorded in, and even his mating seal. “It’s in the middle of my lower back like a freakin’ tramp stamp,” he wailed. Tess laughed until he thought she’d pass out from lack of oxygen. “I’m sorry, Fletch, but oh, hell, that’s funny!” Then she burst into another giggling fit. “Can you send my stuff or not?” Fletcher grumbled. “Yeah, I’ll get it all boxed up for you.” There was a long, significant pause before her voice floated over the line again. “Are you ever coming back? Will I see you again?” Fletcher’s agitation melted away, and he smiled. “Of course you’ll see me. I’ll come visit once I’m settled in, and you’re always welcome here. Can’t live without my best girl, can I?”

40

Gabrielle Evans

Tess snorted, and Fletcher could just picture her rolling her eyes. “Don’t you try to charm me, Fletcher Martin. I am impervious to your evil ways.” They chatted for a while, Tess getting him all caught up on the gossip floating around their little town in northern Pennsylvania. It was all the same old shit, and Fletcher found his mind wandering. “Fletcher!” Jerking guiltily, Fletcher returned his attention to the conversation. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” “Tell me about your mates. What’s their names? Who are they? Are they shifters?” More than happy to ramble on about his men, Fletcher told her everything he knew about them, which was remarkably very little. “We’re just getting to know each other, but I like them a lot. They’re good guys, Tess. They treat me well.” Tess didn’t say anything. Pulling the phone away from his ear, Fletcher checked to make sure he still had reception. Yep, full bars. “Tess?” “Did you say Shade Santiago?” “Yes, do you know him?” “Fletcher, listen to me. I want you to leave right now. Just get up and walk out of the house. Don’t tell anyone you’re leaving, or where you’re going. Go to the nearest public place you can find, and call me back. I’m coming to get you.” “What? No! I can’t leave. What the hell is going on?” “Fletcher!” Tess snapped. “Just listen to me this once. You’re not safe there. I’m coming to get you, and I’ll explain everything then. Just go. Now!” “Even if I wanted to leave my mates, which I don’t, I can’t. I told you about the twenty-four hour thing. I’ve experienced what can happen firsthand if we’re not doing the bump and grind on schedule.” Fletcher blew out an exasperated breath. What had gotten into the woman? “Please, tell me what’s going on.”


41

He could her muttering and cursing under her breath. “How could the elders let this happen?” she demanded. “Look, I’m calling UPAC. There has to be a way to break the bond. Just stay there and act normal until I call you back.” Then she hung up without another word. Fletcher sat on the edge of the bed in Shade’s room and stared at his phone for a long time. What on earth had gotten into his friend? Tess acted like he was mated to a serial killer. Anger, frustration, unease, and even a little fear waged war inside his brain until Fletcher didn’t know what to feel. “Fletcher?” Jumping as though he’d been caught doing something bad, Fletcher jerked his head up to see Shade standing just inside the doorway. He tried to smile, but the attempt was halfhearted, and he knew it showed in the trembling of his lips. Finally, after centuries of being alone, he had everything he wanted, and his best friend was trying to ruin it for him. Shade came over and sat down beside him on the bed, wrapping an arm around Fletcher’s shoulders and giving him a light squeeze. “What happened?” Fletcher could hardly tell Shade the truth, so he evaded with a question of his own. “What kind of security do you do?” He had a feeling his mate was more than some rent-a-cop. “I’m a night watchman at a high-profile bank.” He was lying. Fletcher knew it from the way Shade wouldn’t meet his eyes, the tense set of his shoulders, the subtle hesitancy when he spoke. Tess’s words came back to him, and panic reared its ugly head, sending his heart slamming against his sternum. “Oh, okay,” he mumbled. “Fletcher, did you fight with your friend?” “It’s not a big deal.” “Why won’t you talk to me?”

42

Gabrielle Evans

“Why do you keep lying to me?” Fletcher snapped, then pressed his lips together tightly as his eyes rounded. Shade’s face closed off, his expression unreadable, and his eyes shuttered. “I don’t know what you mean,” he answered flatly. There was a slight hiss in his voice, and his arm squeezed around Fletcher’s shoulders in a vise grip. “Shade, stop!” His mate didn’t seem to hear him, though. His eyes were focused straight ahead, but unseeing, and his arm continued to constrict around Fletcher. “Shade!” Fletcher struggled against the hold, but it was like a steel band wrapped around him. Caspian burst into the room, his head whipping around, apparently looking for the danger. He took in the scene before him and rushed over to kneel on the floor between Shade’s slightly parted knees. His hands reached up, cradling Shade’s face in both palms. “Shade, let him go,” Caspian said softly, but with authority. “You’re hurting him, babe. You don’t want to hurt him.” Very slowly, the life returned to Shade’s eyes as they focused on Caspian’s face. He dropped his hand from around Fletcher’s shoulders, jerking his arm away as though he’d been electrocuted. Fletcher watched the blood drain from his mate’s face, his eyes round, and his huge frame begin to shake and tremble. His lips moved wordlessly, his breathing came quick and shallow, and he looked like a scared, lost little boy. Watching his big, tough mate fall apart before his eyes made Fletcher’s chest constrict and his heart ache. Whatever was going on with Shade, it wasn’t from his doing. Fletcher chided himself internally for even letting a sliver of doubt enter his thoughts. Even if Shade did turn out to be some kind of ninja assassin, he’d never hurt Fletcher. No one could look that terrified and disgusted with themselves all at the same time and hold any menace in their hearts.


43

“Shade.” Fletcher spoke calmly, purposely keeping his voice soft and even. “Why does Tess think I need to leave?” This got his lover’s attention. Shade’s head snapped around, and his eyes narrowed into slits. “You are not leaving,” he snarled. Trying to keep his face impassive and his emotions hidden, Fletcher met Shade’s gaze steadily. “No, I’m not, but I want to know why she thinks I should. She said I’m in danger here, and she’s even talking to UPAC to find a way to sever our bond. That tells me some pretty major shit is going on here. Tess is not the type to overreact.” “They’re going to break the mating bond?” Shade looked scared all over again with a hint of sadness at the edges. “Is that what you want? Are you so afraid of me that you’d leave?” “I don’t know you at all,” Fletcher answered honestly. “I do, however, know that you’re hiding something. If it involves me, I believe I have a right to know. How does Tess even know who you are?” “A lot of people know who I am,” Shade answered vaguely. “Maybe she’s right.” Then suddenly, he was all business. “If the elders can indeed break the covenant, then I think that would be best. You can stay here until we hear word from your friend, of course.” “Of course,” Fletcher answered in a whisper. “So, you’re just kicking us out? What about Caspian?” “Yes, yes, I think it would be best if Caspian leaves as well.” He jumped up from the bed, almost knocking Caspian over in the process. He seemed lost inside his own mind as though no one else was in the room. “Yes, this is for the best. It’s the only way. I should have known better. Why did I ever think this would work?” He rambled on and on, and Fletcher had a feeling Shade didn’t even realize he was speaking aloud. “Stupid…never should have done this…should have stayed away…have to make it right.” Over and over he muttered, Fletcher only catching snatches of his words.

44

Gabrielle Evans

Then Shade’s fist began beating against the side of his head as he paced the floor in quick, jerky movements. “Stupid, stupid, stupid. No one wants you.” Fletcher looked at Caspian in alarm. Caspian smiled sadly and rose to his feet to place himself in front of Shade. His arms went around their mate, holding him in a crushing embrace, even as Shade began to fight and struggle. “We’re not leaving,” Caspian said firmly. “You can’t make us leave, and we won’t accept it if the elders decide to break the bond.” His lips skimmed along Shade’s temple, and he squeezed his eyes closed. “You don’t have to be alone.” Tears welled up in Fletcher’s eyes before he could stop them. To most people, it would appear that Shade had eaten a big bowl of crazy flakes for breakfast. He certainly seemed unstable. There was something in his eyes—something that looked frightened and desperate. He still fought to free himself from Caspian’s grip, but his own hands clutched at the man’s shirt, gripping it as though Caspian would disappear if he let go. Whatever Shade’s past held, whatever he was facing, he hated it. With a new determination, Fletcher slid off the bed, stalked over to his mates, and threw his arms around them both. “We won’t leave you, Shade.” Maybe Fletcher was the crazy one. Anyone in their right mind would be on the phone with UPAC, demanding a way to disassociate from Shade. Any sane person would run screaming from the sprawling estate. Absolutely no one would be willing to take on this whole fucked-up situation. Well, slap my ass and call me nuts, Fletcher thought as he tightened his grip on Shade. They were mates, a bond more sacred than marriage, and he wouldn’t just run from these problems. Shade finally stopped fighting them, slumping forward against Caspian’s chest and burying his face in the man’s neck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I should have never brought you here. I


45

shouldn’t have been at that gathering in the first place. I’m better on my own. It’s the only way.” “Come to bed.” Fletcher wrapped his fingers around Shade’s wrist and pulled him toward the mattress. Shade moved like he was in a trance, shuffling over and falling heavily on the edge of the bed. Caspian and Fletcher worked quietly as they removed Shade’s shoes and his clothing. Then Caspian urged their mate to the middle of the mattress and covered him with blankets. Fletcher slid in beside Shade on one side, while Caspian snuggled under the covers on the other. They molded themselves to their mate, caressing and kissing him, whispering words of comfort until Shade finally gave a long, exhausted sigh and drifted off to sleep. “We have to help him,” Fletcher whispered. “I don’t see how we can if we don’t know what’s going on.” Caspian spoke just as quietly as he combed his long fingers through Shade’s hair. “Whatever he’s dealing with, it’s not our fight. Maybe we should just do what he wants and leave.” “He doesn’t want us to leave. He’s afraid, and he needs us. I’m not going to abandon him just because things got hard.” “We’ve been here for a week,” Caspian argued. “Things aren’t supposed to get this hard, this fast.” “You told him we weren’t leaving. Did you lie? If you want to go, I won’t stop you, but I can’t go with you. I agree that I don’t know him well yet, but I can tell he’s a good man.” Caspian stared down at Shade’s face and grinned. “No, I didn’t lie. I just wanted to give you an out if you wanted one.” Fletcher rolled his eyes. “Okay, so it’s settled. We’re staying. I still don’t know how to help him, though.” “What about your friend? It sounds like she knows Shade, or at least of his reputation, whatever that may be. Can you ask her?” “I tried. Tess wouldn’t tell me anything. She just said to get as far away from here as possible, and she’d come get me.”

46

Gabrielle Evans

“Okay, so get her here.” Fletcher sighed and flopped back on his pillow. “Tess is my best friend. I don’t want to deceive her. I’ll call and see if I can get her to talk to me. If she still won’t give me any answers…” “Yes?” Caspian asked. “I’ll trick her then.” “It would be better if we could just convince Shade to tell us. I don’t like going behind his back.” “I agree.” Fletcher pushed up on his elbows again. “We’ll try to coax it out of him first. I think it would go a long way in healing whatever is broken if he can trust us enough to confide his secret.” “Clever kitty,” Caspian cooed. Fletcher stuck his tongue out, but on the inside, he was smiling. Settling back to the mattress, he curled around Shade and closed his eyes. He’d worry about everything when he woke up.


47

Chapter Six Caspian sat on the sofa in the living room with his computer in his lap. His fingers rested on the keyboard, but his mind wasn’t on his work. All week, he’d been trying to come up with a plan to get the information out of Shade that they wanted. Any and all previous attempts had been shut down hard. Shade had been more distant than ever since their little episode in the bedroom. He’d moved them out of his room without explanation, and though he still sought them out at night to consummate their mating, Caspian could tell the man’s heart wasn’t in it. His body responded, but it still felt cold and clinical. “Hey,” Fletcher said quietly as he eased down on the sofa beside him. “What are you doing?” The question sounded automatic, not curious in the least. Fletcher had just needed something to say. “I’m thinking about Shade.” Caspian had no desire to lie to his mate. There was enough of that going around without him adding to the mix. “Have you heard back from your friend?” “Yeah.” Fletcher sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Tess is fit to be tied. She won’t tell me anything, and she still insists that I get the hell out of here. She’s livid because UPAC refused to help her, and she’s ready to fly up here and drag me home.” “She sounds like a good friend.” “She is, but I don’t like all the secrecy. It doesn’t make sense, either. You’d think that if she wanted me out of here so badly, she’d give me a reason to leave.” Caspian considered this for a moment and nodded. It made sense. “So, you think our mate is not the only person hiding something.”

48

Gabrielle Evans

“Exactly. I just have no idea what to do about any of it.” “I’m sorry that I don’t have answers for you.” And he was. Caspian wished he could wave his hand and fix all of their problems. “We could withhold sex from him. A couple of hours of suffering through his mating heat might loosen his tongue a little.” “That seems a little extreme, not to mention mean. I don’t want to hurt him. I just want him to trust us.” Fletcher scooted closer and plastered himself to Caspian’s side. “He doesn’t trust us, and why should he?” “Why should he not trust us?” Caspian countered. His fingertips skimmed along Fletcher’s arm as he spoke. He really enjoyed touching his mate, even casually. Fletcher seemed to love it as well. It didn’t take much to make his lover purr with pleasure. “I just meant that he doesn’t know us. We’ve told him that we’re willing to stick this out and help him, but we haven’t done anything to prove it.” Caspian could practically hear the gears grinding in his mate’s head. “What do you have in mind?” Fletcher looked up at him and grinned like a Cheshire cat. “Instead of withholding sex, I say we seduce him.” Mirroring his mate’s grin, Caspian leaned down and kissed the tip of Fletcher’s nose. “I like the way you think. Where is he?” “Upstairs in his office.” Fletcher looked down at his watch and grimaced. “He’s been in there all day. I don’t think he’s even eaten anything today.” “How about we make him dinner?” Caspian suggested. “With a little Shade a la mode for dessert?” “We’ll have to run into town and get food. There’s not a thing in this house to eat.” Fletcher bounced a little and giggled. “I wonder if they have a sex toy shop here.”


49

Caspian didn’t know either, but with the depictions that one sentence had just etched into his brain, he’d drive clear to Canada to find one. **** Shade sat in his office, staring out the window as he watched his lovers speeding down the driveway in his pickup. Part of him worried that they wouldn’t come back. Another larger part of him worried that they would. If that were the case, he wouldn’t stop them. Before he could depress himself too much, his cell phone began to ring. With a heavy heart and a deep sigh, he picked it up from the desk, flipped it open, and held it to his ear. “You have to let him go, Santiago.” “I know. I just need a little more time.” “I’m afraid you don’t have time. You leave in three days.” Shade closed his eyes and clenched his hand into a fist. “I told you I wanted out. I don’t want to do this anymore. I have mates now— men who need me.” “They deserve better than you, Santiago. Can you deny it?” “No,” he whispered. It was the truth, no matter how he looked at it or tried to deny what was staring him in the face. “They won’t understand, though.” “They don’t need to understand. Tell them whatever you have to, but get them out of the house—especially Fletcher. Someone will be arriving to brief you the night before your departure. It would be…wise, if you were alone.” “I don’t want to do this anymore,” Shade repeated with a hint of desperation. “You knew there was no going back when you committed to this. Either you’re in, or you’re dead. Those are the rules. As long as Caspian and Fletcher are in your house, they are targets. I’m sorry, but there is no other way.”

50

Gabrielle Evans

“I’ll take them and hide them,” Shade said hopefully, but deflated almost instantly. He didn’t want to be looking over his shoulder for the rest of eternity, nor did he want that for his mates. “They’ll find you. It’s better this way, for you and for them.” The feminine voice softened, and Shade thought he heard a hint of sadness in her voice. “I’m sorry, Shade. I wish I could help.” “I’m sorry, too, Tess.” Then he closed the phone with shaking hands, placed it gently on the desk, and returned to staring out at the darkening sky. Eventually, headlights shone through the window, and his pickup flew up the driveway toward the house. Another car turned into the driveway as well, tires smoking and screeching as it fishtailed over the asphalt. Jumping to his feet with a feral growl, Shade sprinted out of the room, tearing his clothes as he went, preparing to shift and defend his lovers. He heard Fletcher scream just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, and his heart seized inside his chest. Then an engine revved, tires squealed, and Shade wrenched the door open just in time to see the dark SUV reach the end of his drive. Caspian sprawled on the ground, his legs spread and blood dripping from his mouth. Rushing over to his mate, Shade let out a stuttering breath in relief when he found the man’s pulse strong and steady. If they had wanted Caspian, they would have taken him instead of leaving him unconscious on the ground. Confident that his lover would be okay until he could return, Shade closed his eyes and rounded his shoulders, letting his rage feed his shift. His body grew bigger, wider, stronger, and vicious-looking talons sprang from his fingertips. Great, leathery wings burst from his back between his shoulder blades, and long, curled horns grew from his forehead. Once the transformation was complete, Shade pushed off with his long, clawed feet, flapping his wings and soaring into the air with a


51

primal cry. Cutting through the night sky, vengeance and fury made his blood run cold as he sped after the SUV. It took him only minutes to catch up, and he dipped lower, keeping pace with the vehicle until he landed on the roof hard enough to make it shake. Curling his fingerlike toes around the roof rack, he folded his wings close to his body, doubled up his powerful fist, and slammed it into the top of the car. He pushed right through the metal and immediately began prying the hole wider. Yells and shouts sounded from inside the cab, and Shade smiled at the sound. The men had taken his mate and thought to outrun the consequences. Soon, they would find out what happened when you fucked with a gargoyle that had nothing to lose. Ripping, prying, and tearing, Shade eventually had half the roof scattered over the street behind him. “Oh, fuck,” one of the men breathed and pointed a gun toward Shade with unsteady hands. Before he could pull the trigger, however, another loud cry filled the SUV, and Fletcher launched himself at the man, clawing at his face and eyes. “Leave him alone!” Fletcher screamed. Shade didn’t know what to think. No one had ever fought for him before. No one had ever been so vehement in their quest for his safety. It went a long way in cementing his feelings for the little spitfire. “Fletcher.” There was a slight growl, and an even less noticeable hiss to his voice. Giving one final blow to the man’s nose, Fletcher scurried off of him, and stood, holding his hands up to Shade. “Take me home.” Careful of his talons, Shade grabbed his mate under the arms and lifted him out of the cab. Fletcher plastered himself to Shade’s chest, wrapping around him and holding on tightly as Shade flapped his wings and shot straight up into the air. Though in reality it had taken him no more than two minutes to rescue his lover, Shade felt like it had been an eternity. Keeping his

52

Gabrielle Evans

arms around Fletcher, doing his best to shield him from the frigid wind, he flew them home, landing softly on the front steps beside Caspian. The man looked beaten, and worried out of his mind, but otherwise okay. The minute Shade’s feet touched the ground, Caspian was there, wrapping his arms around Shade’s neck and sandwiching Fletcher between them. “Thank the gods, you’re okay.” That’s all he said. He didn’t damn Shade for causing this mess. He didn’t cast blame, or freak because of Shade’s gruesome appearance. “Thank you for coming for me,” Fletcher whispered. “I knew you would.” That did it. Those softly spoken words of confidence and belief broke through the stone walls around Shade’s heart, and in that moment, he knew he’d do anything to keep these men in his life. “We need to talk,” he rasped. “Are we safe here?” Caspian leaned away and cupped the side of Shade’s face. “Are you safe here?” Shade nuzzled into his mate’s touch and sighed. “Yes. We will be safe here for now.” “We went to get stuff so we could make you dinner,” Fletcher whispered as he skimmed his nose along the column of Shade’s throat. “Sorry we didn’t tell you we were leaving, but we wanted it to be a surprise.” “I’ll get the bags.” Caspian stepped away and turned toward the pickup. “We’ll cook, and you can talk.” Setting Fletcher on his feet was harder than Shade imagined. All he wanted to do was hold the man in his arms. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and slowly felt the shift wash over him, transforming to his human appearance. Then a slim hand slipped inside his, and he opened his eyes to see Fletcher smiling. Tugging a little to get him moving, Fletcher led him inside the still-opened front door. Shade waited for Caspian to join them, then


53

closed the door and locked it. Releasing Fletcher’s hand, he turned to the painting on the wall just inside the entryway, and lifted it off of its hook. He ignored his mates’ muttered surprise, and punched in the security code on the digital keypad, scanned his thumb and retina, then pressed a little red button. A loud groan, then the sound of metal sliding over metal as steel plates slid into place over the windows and exit doors all around the house. “Holy moly!” Fletcher exclaimed as he stared around the room in awe. “This is wicked cool!” “It’ll keep us safe for now, but we’ll need to leave soon. I have another house in…” he trailed off and smirked. Fletcher wasn’t going to like this, “…Alaska.” Fletcher groaned in dismay. “Don’t you have a house somewhere warm?” “I’m afraid not. No one knows about this place in Alaska, though. We can go there and decide our next move.” “Okay, cook and talk,” Caspian said as he carried the bags toward the kitchen. Shade looked down at his nude body and shook his head. “Let me grab some clothes, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” “You’re not going to run, right?” Fletcher looked apprehensive as he shifted from foot to foot. Wrapping his fingers around the back of his mate’s neck, Shade pulled him into a brief, but passionate kiss. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen in two minutes. I promise.” It still amazed him that his men even wanted to be there. “Maybe I should come with you.” Shade chuckled and swatted Fletcher on the ass. “If you come with me, we won’t be eating for quite a while. You are much too tempting for your own good, kitten.” Fletcher wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms over his chest. “You do realize that I’m a man right? I’m okay with endearments and

54

Gabrielle Evans

stupid pet names, but maybe we can come up with something better than ‘kitten,’ yeah?” “Hmm.” Shade pretended to think it over for a minute. “No, I like kitten.” Fletcher threw his hand up and growled, then spun around and stomped out of the room. “You are a pain in my ass,” he called over his shoulder. “Not yet,” Shade yelled back. “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll get right on that, though.”


55

Chapter Seven “Who were those men?” Fletcher asked the minute Shade walked into the kitchen. He still felt shaken from the abduction, and it was becoming harder to hide his trembling. “Maybe we should start from the beginning,” Caspian suggested as he chopped vegetables on the wooden cutting board. “Who are you really, Shade?” Shade lifted himself onto one of the bar stools that sat around the kitchen island and pushed a hand through his hair. “There’s not really an easy way to say this.” “Then just spit it out. I think we have a right to know.” Fletcher didn’t mean to sound snappy, but his emotions were all over the place, and his patience was running thin. “Who do you work for?” “The Allegiance.” “As in the United Paranormal Alliance of Cooperation?” If Shade worked for UPAC, why was he trying to hide it? And who the hell were those men that had tried to kidnap him? “Not UPAC,” Shade said with a shake of his head, “though we are sometimes contracted by them. The Allegiance was around long before paranormals became organized and formed UPAC with the elders at its head.” Fletcher digested this bit of information for a minute. “Exactly how much longer?” “Almost a thousand years.” “And you’ve worked for them since their inception?” “Yes.”

56

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian carried the vegetables over to the gleaming wok on the stove and dumped them in. “Shade, how old are you?” “Six thousand, eight hundred and some change.” “Oh. My. God!” Fletcher felt his knees wobble and reached out for the counter to keep from sliding to the floor in a puddle of boneless goop. “How old were you when you started working for this organization?” “I was inducted into the Allegiance when I was nineteen.” Shade spoke in a calm monotone with zero inflection. His eyes looked glazed, his face immobile. “Caspian, how old are you?” Fletcher wasn’t sure he really wanted to know, but he couldn’t help but ask. “Not nearly that old,” Caspian said with a chuckle. “I’m just shy of eight hundred.” “Okay,” Fletcher breathed. For some reason, it made him feel better. Turning back to Shade, Fletcher took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “What do you do for The Allegiance? Why does UPAC occasionally contract you?” “Remember when Elder Burk said that if we didn’t claim a mate we would go feral and be hunted down and executed as rogue paranormals?” Fletcher nodded his head numbly. He had a very scary feeling to where this conversation was headed. Shade just arched an eyebrow at him, and Fletcher thought he’d pass out right there in the middle of the kitchen. “You really are a ninja assassin,” he mumbled. Surprisingly, this got a small chuckle from Shade before he became serious once more. “Not a ninja, though you’re spot on about the assassin part.” “You kill people for money!” Fletcher yelled hysterically. “Holy motherfucker, Satan on a pogo stick.” Caspian turned around, both eyebrows raised in shock, then doubled over in laughter. Fletcher didn’t see anything even remotely humorous about the situation. Ignoring the man, he returned his


57

attention to Shade. “And those men that took me?” He was almost afraid to ask. “Members of The Allegiance,” Shade answered in the same monotone as before. Then something flickered in his eyes and his brow creased. “Though, I don’t know why they took you and not Caspian.” “Hell, I don’t even know why they took me in the first place!” Fletcher waved his hands around wildly. “You work for them, so why would they want to hurt me? I could understand if it was some group from the opposition, but this doesn’t make sense. We were just driving along, minding our own business, and this SUV comes out of nowhere and damn near runs us off the road!” “Members of The Allegiance are destined to be alone. I broke the rules when I claimed you both as my mates and brought you here. You are a…distraction.” “Oh, goody, everyone needs to be good at something.” Fletcher huffed and rolled his eyes. “So, you broke the rules, and now we’re paying for it. Fan-fucking-tabulous.” “I’m sorry,” Shade whispered. “Tess is going to shit a damn brick when she hears about this.” Fletcher snapped his mouth closed and scowled. “She already knows, doesn’t she? That’s why she wanted me out of here.” “Yes, Tess is a member of The Allegiance—my superior to be exact.” Fletcher finally lost the battle with his shaky legs and slid to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his shins. “This is too much.” Then, because it was easier to be pissed off than afraid, he pointed at Caspian. “And you!” Caspian jumped and his eyes widened. “Me? What did I do?” “You stabbed me with a feather.” “Uh, yes?” Caspian cocked his head to the side in confusion. “Did you not want me to claim you? We already had the seal.”

58

Gabrielle Evans

Fletcher’s anger dissipated as quickly as it had flared. “No, I’m glad you claimed me. I don’t even know what I’m saying. This is nuts.” “Tess is still trying to sway the elders into breaking the mating bond,” Shade said quietly. “If she can convince them, then you’ll be free to go. Your memories will be wiped, and you’ll have no recollection of me, or any memories containing me. It will be as though you mated each other, and that’s it. No one will come for you once you’ve been reprogrammed.” His throat burned and his eyes stung as Fletcher absorbed the sadness in his mate’s voice. Shade had been alone for so long. All he’d wanted was someone to call his own—someone to share his life and erase the sourness of the last six millennia. “Why don’t you leave?” Caspian asked the question that had been sitting on the tip of Fletcher’s tongue. “There is no leaving. Once you pledge yourself to The Allegiance, there is no turning back.” “Why did you join them in the first place?” “I was young, rash, arrogant, and impetuous. The excitement and danger called to me, and I followed.” Shade shrugged. “I didn’t have any family, no personal ties to anyone, and I didn’t want any. It seemed like a good fit at the time.” “And now?” “I’m tired,” Shade whispered. “I hoped that maybe if I found a mate, then The Allegiance would release me from my obligations. But, like I said before, this is not something I can simply walk away from.” “What happens if you refuse to accept any more assignments?” Fletcher hugged his knees tighter and rocked back and forth as his heart raced and his head whirled. It wasn’t hard to guess the answer. “There is The Allegiance, or there is death. There is no in between.”


59

“Then why did you think claiming a mate would solve anything?” Fletcher snapped. “I was lonely and desperate,” Shade confessed. “It made me foolish.” “Dinner’s ready,” Caspian announced. “Oh, fuck dinner.” Fletcher pushed to his feet, and glared at Caspian. “You have barely said a word this entire time. Did you know about this?” “I knew about The Allegiance, but not that Shade was associated with them.” “Peachy,” Fletcher grumbled. Then he remembered something Caspian has said to him earlier in the week, and he pounced on it, grateful for a small reprieve from the craziness surrounding Shade. “You told me you’d explain about the elder’s comment.” He crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes further. “Explain.” “I’ve been in hiding for the last four hundred years.” “Why?” Caspian heaved a deep sigh as he began pulling plates down from the cabinet. “I was asked to join The Allegiance, though they don’t really ‘ask’ for anything. I refused.” “Oh, gods,” Shade gasped. “The Allegiance has been searching for you for centuries.” Smirking, Caspian nodded his head. “Which would be why I was in hiding.” “Wait!” Fletcher waved a hand to get his mates’ attention. “Why were they looking for you?” “You do not deny The Allegiance,” Shade answered before Caspian could speak. “Once Caspian refused, he was labeled as rogue.” Fletcher understood that, even if he did think it was a bit extreme. Still, it raised a whole new set of questions. “Then why were you at the conference if you’re supposed to be hiding out?” Fletcher turned

60

Gabrielle Evans

to Shade. “And why did they just leave him in the driveway if you’ve been searching for him all this time?” “Good question.” Shade looked at Caspian questioningly. “Once we’ve been given an assignment, we are imprinted with the target’s scent. I don’t recognize yours.” Fletcher’s mouth dropped open. “You were the one assigned to execute Caspian?” He didn’t miss the irony, and he started to laugh uncontrollably. “And now…you’ve…mated him,” he managed to gasp through his mirth. “Fletcher,” Shade growled in warning. “Can we please focus here?” With a great effort, Fletcher finally managed to calm himself. He leaned back against the counter and looked between his lovers as he waved a hand for Caspian to continue. In answer, Caspian turned around and pulled his shirt over his head to reveal his smooth, tanned skin. Tattoos ran from shoulder to hip in long columns on either side of his spine. Another smaller tattoo, identical to the one on Fletcher’s lower back, rested just over his right shoulder blade. It was all of their initials, wound together to form their mating seal. He wondered where Shade’s mark was. The other tattoos he didn’t recognize. Wasn’t even sure what language they derived from. Stepping closer, he lifted his hand and trailed his fingertips down Caspian’s back. He’d seen them briefly before, but his mind and body had been too wrapped up in the pleasure his men gave him to really think about it. “What are they?” “It’s a kulam, or a bewitchment, like a spell.” “Where did you get it?” Fletcher asked as he continued to trace the tattoos. “I got it from a Mangkukulam in the Philippine hinterland of Sumar.” “A manga-what?”


61

“Like a faith healer or a witch doctor,” Shade answered as he slid off the stool and came to join them. He ran his fingers over the tattoos as well, and Caspian shivered a little. “These are from the language of Tagalog. It’s a cloaking charm.” “So, you’re from the Philippines originally?” Though not the most important question he could have asked, Fletcher was curious. “I was born in Malaya, but my family migrated soon after I was born.” “Is Caspian your real name? It doesn’t sound very Malaya-y.” Wherever the hell that was. Caspian chuckled as he pulled his shirt back on and turned to face them. “I was born Khairul-azizi, named after my grandfather.” Fletcher nodded his understanding. “Yeah, I can see why you’d want to change that as soon as possible. Isn’t the Pegasus supposed to be Greek, though?” He felt like a damn five-year-old with all his questions, but figured it was best to just drag everything out while he had his men talking. “Aren’t all black cats supposed to be evil and go by Salem?” “Touché,” Fletcher conceded. “Why did you decide to come out of hiding now?” “I was tired of being alone,” Caspian answered simply. Fletcher scratched at the back of his neck as he bobbed his head. “So, what do we do now?” Caspian leaned over and kissed his temple. “We eat dinner.” “And after that?” Caspian glanced at Shade, then back to Fletcher and wiggled his eyebrows. “We have dessert.” Fletcher felt a definite spike in his mood and libido as his cock twitched in agreement to Caspian’s proposal. No matter the truths he had learned about Shade in the last half hour, he still desired the man unbearably. “Can I ask you something?” Shade asked after a moment of silence.

62

Gabrielle Evans

“I’ve asked you enough, I suppose it’s only fair.” Fletcher sighed dramatically, but winked at his mate. “You didn’t seem very surprised by the announcement at the gathering. Why is that?” Oh, shit! “Uh, well, I–I have these k–kind of…I s–see.” Fletcher stopped his stuttering and took a deep breath. It was only right that his lovers know everything about him after he’d just made them spill their guts. “I have visions sometimes. I had one about the conference, and just like both of you, I was tired of being alone. Not many people want to be mated to a common house cat, so I thought this might be my last shot at finding someone.” “Oh, fuck me running.” Shade groaned. “What?” “That’s why The Allegiance wants you. Can you imagine how valuable something like that would be to them?” “There are lots of true psychics out there,” Fletcher argued. “My visions only happen rarely, and they’re not very detailed. Why would they pick me? And how would they even know? I’ve never told anyone, not even Tess!” He felt himself begin to panic and made a determined effort to calm his labored breathing. “I can’t answer that right now.” Shade didn’t look too happy about it either. “I promise you, I’ll find out, though. I will protect you with my life,” he vowed. Then he grabbed Fletcher around the wrist and yanked him against his chest. “If you will still have me, after everything you’ve learned about me tonight, I would be honored to be your mate.” Letting out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding, Fletcher rubbed his cheek over the soft fabric of Shade’s T-shirt. How was he supposed to remain angry after a declaration like that?


63

Chapter Eight Dinner finished and the kitchen cleaned, Caspian’s body thrummed with anticipation. His cock swelled and throbbed inside its denim confinement, his skin burned, and his insides felt liquefied. They were pushing the time limit on the whole “sex every twenty-four hours” condition. “Fletcher,” he said as calmly as possible. He didn’t need to finish his sentence, though. The little man looked about ready to crawl out of his skin. Fletcher dipped his head curtly and raced out of the room. “It’s starting,” Shade panted as he scratched as his arms and chest. “I hate it when this happens.” “We’re going to take care of it soon,” Caspian assured him. “No more hiding, though. No more pushing us away.” “No,” Shade whispered. “I didn’t want it to be like that in first place. I hated how cold it felt. I want things back the way they were at the castle.” “Then lose the clothes and get on the table,” Fletcher commanded as he walked back into the kitchen completely naked. Shade swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing along his slender throat. “What’s in the bag?” “Don’t worry about that.” Fletcher arched one sculpted eyebrow. “You’ve been doing things your way for too long. It’s time you let someone else be in charge for a while. Now, strip.” Though Fletcher hadn’t been addressing him, Caspian started to shuck off his clothing as well. His gut tightened and his cock jerked at the commanding quality of his mate’s voice. Shade followed his lead,

64

Gabrielle Evans

undressing quickly then looking from Fletcher to the table with a whole lot of apprehension written on his face. “We’re not going to hurt you, Shade,” Fletcher said gently. “Trust us.” “I do trust you.” Shade looked over his shoulder at Caspian. “How do you want me?” Caspian shrugged and jerked his head toward Fletcher. “This is his show.” “I think we’ll start in one of the chairs.” “Start?” Shade gulped again, and Caspian almost felt sorry for the man. He looked so damn nervous, but there was also another emotion fluttering just around the edges. After a long contemplation, Caspian decided that his mate looked hesitantly hopeful. Taking the man by the shoulders, Caspian maneuvered him into one of the kitchen chairs and held him there. Fletcher hurried over, dropping his little bag of delights on the table and extracted a long, red, silk scarf and a matching blindfold. Shade tensed as Fletcher slipped the fabric over his eyes, but he didn’t comment. Working together quickly before their mate lost his nerve, Caspian gently pulled Shade’s hands behind the chair and held them while Fletcher wrapped the scarf around them, tying it in an intricate knot. Shade’s muscles tensed, and his hands twitched, but he didn’t struggle. Next, Fletcher pulled a small bottle of lube from the bag and handed it to Caspian before slithering around to straddle Shade’s lap. “Do you know why I’m doing this?” he asked as he nibbled at their mate’s collarbone. “No,” Shade whispered. “Why can’t I touch you or see you?” “Because I want you to shut down that brain of yours and just feel. I want you completely mindless with lust before I let you come. Let us make you feel good, Shade.” Their lover groaned, his head dropping back on his shoulders, giving Fletcher more room to play. “I want to touch you.”


65

“No.” “Can I at least see you?” Shade begged. “No.” Fletcher bit lightly at Shade’s pouty bottom lip in reprimand. “Caspian is going to stretch my ass for this beautiful cock of yours, and we’ll describe every second of it for you in great detail.” Caspian whimpered right along with Shade, his dick throbbing and leaking from the slit as it jutted proudly from his groin. Moving around the chair to kneel between Shade’s spread thighs, he popped open the lube and slicked his fingers generously. His hands shook as he gently parted Fletcher’s rounded globes and moaned at the sight of his tight hole. “Tell me,” Shade whispered raggedly. “Our mate’s sweet little hole is just begging for my touch.” Caspian stroked the clenching pucker up and down before swirling his finger around the muscles. Fletcher moaned, pushing back against his finger. Caspian obliged his needy lover, slipping his finger inside Fletcher’s hot channel and sawing his finger in and out. “His ass just sucks my finger in, clamping down and begging for more.” “More,” Shade demanded. Working in a second finger, Caspian continued to pump into Fletcher’s ass in long, slow strokes. “Can you feel him trembling, Shade? Can you feel how his body responds to my touch?” “Yes,” Shade hissed. By the time Caspian had four fingers thrusting into Fletcher’s tight hole, he wasn’t sure who was shaking more—him, Fletcher, or Shade. “He needs you, Shade.” Caspian frowned. He hadn’t meant to say that, but he knew the words were true. Though he had no doubts about Fletcher’s desire for him, their little mate needed to reestablish his connection with Shade. Easing his fingers from Fletcher’s clutching passage, Caspian patted him on the hip. Fletcher lifted himself obligingly, and Caspian

66

Gabrielle Evans

gripped Shade’s dick around the base, holding it upright as Fletcher slowly impaled himself on their lover’s thick cock. Shade growled, the muscles in his arms straining as he pulled against his restraints. “You’re so tight. Gods, you feel so good, baby.” Caspian doubted Shade even realized he’d uttered the endearment, but Fletcher gasped and his hips jerked as his fingers dug into their mate’s shoulders. Caspian sat back on his heels, palming his needy prick and stroking it lightly as he watched the erotic show before him. His men were gorgeous together, and he didn’t think he’d ever get enough of watching them together. Rising and falling, rocking and swirling, Fletcher rode Shade’s cock, fucking himself over and over on the turgid length as he panted and moaned. Shade growled, a sound more animal than man, and snapped his hips up, slamming into Fletcher with enough force to almost unseat him. Caspian leaned forward, cupping Shade’s heavy sac and rolling his lover’s balls between his fingers. He squeezed gently then a little harder as he kissed a path up Shade’s inner thigh. Drawing the flesh into his mouth, Caspian sucked up a mark on the creamy skin, then swirled his tongue over it to soothe the sting. Shade roared, and Fletcher moaned as they both stilled completely. Shade sagged in the chair, his body going limp, and Caspian couldn’t help but smile. They weren’t nearly done with the man. Sure enough, Fletcher slipped the blindfold off Shade’s face and grinned. “That’s one.” **** Shade’s eyes snapped open, and he blinked against the harsh fluorescent lighting. “One?” he choked. Fletcher smirked at him then turned to nod at Caspian. A moment later, Shade’s hands were unbound and his mates were rubbing the


67

circulation back into his arms. Fletcher climbed down from his lap and stood with his hands on his hips, his hard cock pulsing between his legs. He turned one way, and then another, looking around the kitchen as though searching for something. Shade’s heart pounded, and he licked his lips in nervous anticipation. While Fletcher was thinking, Caspian obviously had other ideas. His fingers tangled in Shade’s hair, turning his head around sharply and thrusting his hips so that the head of his cock pushed against Shade’s lips. Catching on quickly, Shade opened, sucked the hot length into his mouth, and right down to the root so that the spongy crown nudged against the back of his throat. Caspian moaned, his hips rocking forward in small movements. Shade curled his fingers around his lover’s hips, tugging on him and urging the man to move faster. Fletcher shimmied back up in his lap, straddling his hips, and rocking his weeping prick against Shade’s abs. “Gimme,” he whispered, jerking on Shade’s hair until Caspian’s cock slid from his lips. Then he dove forward, capturing the bulbous head in his mouth. Shade groaned, his arms winding around Fletcher’s back as he began licking and sucking at the delicate skin along his lover’s throat. His own cock began to fill in renewed interest, swelling and aching as it rose up to press against Fletcher’s crease. Then everyone was moving again, and before Shade knew what was happening, he found himself sprawled over the kitchen table, his chest pressing into the cool wood and his arms stretched out wide. Caspian covered his back like a living blanket, placing his hands over Shade’s and curling his fingers around the edge of the table. “Do not move,” he ordered firmly, and Shade shivered at the authority in his lover’s voice. Caspian’s foot nudged the inside of Shade’s calves, kicking his legs wider as one large hand pushed into the small of Shade’s back, until his hips arched and his ass tilted upward. Smoothing his hands over Shade’s rounded cheeks, Caspian gripped the muscled globes,

68

Gabrielle Evans

massaging roughly and pulling them apart to reveal Shade’s fluttering entrance. Shade growled, his asshole clenching greedily, hungry for his mate’s fingers, his cock, anything Caspian was willing to give him. Cool lube dribbled down his crack, and without warning, one long, thick finger shoved into his needy hole. Crying out as his muscles clenched, Shade nearly came undone when Caspian immediately inserted a second finger before pumping in and out of Shade’s ass in quick, hard jabs. “Open your eyes,” Fletcher murmured from right in front of him. Obeying without question, Shade flipped his eyelids back and almost wished he hadn’t. Fletcher sat on the table facing him, his legs spread so that his feet dangled off the edges of the table. He had his veiny cock in hand, stroking it quickly as he gazed down at Shade with heat blazing in his green eyes. Shade opened his mouth, rocking forward to catch his mate’s prick between his lips, but Fletcher flipped his cock up against his belly and shook his head. “Just watch.” He waited for Shade’s reluctant nod then went back to jerking his swollen length with increased tempo. His mouth watering as he watched, Shade swallowed convulsively, his fingers clutching desperately at the table. Two fingers became three, and finally four as Caspian continued sawing in and out of Shade’s ass, curling his fingers and brushing over Shade’s sweet spot on every inward thrust. On the next glide out, Caspian’s fingers vanished completely and something blunt and unyielding pressed against Shade’s anus. He started to turn his around to see what Caspian was doing, but a large hand landed on his ass, making the flesh sting as the sound of skin slapping against skin echoed around the room. “Eyes on Fletcher,” Caspian said roughly. He continued working the hard toy into Shade’s needy hole, teasing him with the slow, torturous pace until a flat base pressed


69

firmly against Shade’s ass. “I think he likes the butt plug,” Caspian said with a smirk in his voice when Shade slumped to the table and moaned. Gripping the base, Caspian wiggled the silicone around in Shade’s dark passage as his hand landed another stinging swat to Shade’s ass cheek. Again and again, he spanked him, fucking the toy into his hole, and sending Shade flying. Fletcher watched the show with a carnal hunger in his eyes as he stroked his cock frantically. “Harder,” he panted. “Fuck him harder with it.” Caspian pulled the toy from Shade’s ass until only the tip remained, then slammed it back into the base forcefully. Without giving Shade any time to recuperate, he did it again, once more, over and over as his other hand continued to smack over Shade’s ass, leaving his skin burning and his cock begging for relief. Dropping his forehead to the table, Shade tried to contain his growls of pleasure. He’d never experienced anything like it, and he hoped it would be a reoccurring theme in their relationship. Slim fingers slipped through his hair, pulling his head up from the table, and Fletcher snarled at him. “Right here. Watch me. See what you do to me, how much I want you.” “Oh, sweet hell. Fuck me, please fuck me,” he begged. He didn’t care how desperate and needy he sounded. “Come for me first,” Fletcher demanded at the same time Caspian’s hand spanked his crease just over the base of the toy. Throwing his head back, Shade screamed out to the ceiling, his stomaching twisting, and electricity racing up his spine as his cock erupted in heated ropes of sticky cum. “Damn, that’s sexy.” Fletcher grunted once, his hand flying over his dick as his own orgasm overtook him and pearly seed burst from his slit to land on Shade’s cheeks and lips. Then Fletcher bent slowly, his rough tongue licking over Shade’s face as he lapped up his own cream, and Shade thought he’d blow again. “Mm, I taste good,”

70

Gabrielle Evans

Fletcher purred. “See?” His mouth descended over Shade’s, and he thrust his tongue inside. Some still-functioning part of Shade’s brain realized that Caspian had yet to find his release, and he could only imagine what that meant for him. He truly didn’t think he had another orgasm in him, but he was damn sure willing to give it his best shot. With a strength he never realized his mate possessed, Caspian flipped Shade to his back, moving him up the table, and pushed his knees back to his chest. The plug was wrenched from his ass, Caspian’s cock replacing it immediately as he slammed into Shade’s convulsing hole with animalistic force. Shade gasped, his lips moving soundlessly as he whipped his head from side to side on the hard wood beneath him. Caspian’s fingers dug into the back of his thighs, pulling his legs apart and stretching him wider as he kept up the unrelenting pace. His thick cock raked over Shade’s straining walls, his balls slapped against Shade’s ass, and his lover’s upper lip curled over his teeth in a snarl. “Mine!” Caspian roared. The complete possessiveness in his eyes and tone shot straight to Shade’s gut like a lightning bolt. No one had ever used the term in reference to him. No one wanted to keep him for more than a night. Not that he’d ever given someone a chance. Still, these men had fought to stay with him, and that had to say something. “Ours,” Fletcher whispered as he leaned over the top of Shade’s head and claimed his mouth in another mind-numbing kiss. Shade whimpered into his mate’s mouth, straining his neck to get closer as his cock twitched and swelled once more. He’d never believe it was possible, but the proof jutted from between his thighs, slapping against his lower abs as Caspian continued to plow into him. “One more, come for me one more time,” Fletcher murmured against his lips. “Just let go and feel, baby.” The softly spoken endearment washed over Shade in a wave of ecstasy. His throat burned, his eyes stung, and he reached up, winding


71

his fingers around the back of Fletcher’s neck and pulled him into another kiss. His other hand moved down his body, covering Caspian’s where it still gripped his thigh. His lover turned his palm up, linking their fingers together and squeezed tightly as he drove into Shade’s channel, sheathing himself to the root, and froze. Scorching lava flooded Shade’s passage, splashing against his inner walls, and filling him to the brim. “Let go,” Fletcher murmured again as Caspian gave a little swivel of his hips. With a choking sob, Shade dropped his head back to the table, arched his back, and came once again. Cum dribbled from his slit feebly, his balls too drained for anything more elaborate, but the orgasm still rocked him to his core. “Stay,” Shade breathed when the air returned to his lungs. His brain felt too mushy to form complete sentences, but he hoped his lovers would understand his plea. “Not going anywhere,” Caspian answered him softly as he eased out of Shade’s hole. Fletcher crawled around the table to drape himself over Shade’s sweat-slicked chest. “We’ll figure this out together. You don’t have to be alone anymore. The Allegiance can just kiss my furry ass.” Winding his arms around Fletcher’s back, Shade clutched him close and sighed. He knew it wouldn’t be that easy. They had a long, hard road ahead of them, but he’d navigate it without complaint if it meant he could keep these men in his life.

72

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Nine The ringing phone woke Fletcher sometime in the middle of the night, and he groaned as he stretched over Caspian to fumble for it on the nightstand. Still half asleep, it took him a minute to realize it wasn’t his cell phone that was ringing. Judging by the heavy metal blaring from the speaker, it had to be Shade’s. With his eyes still closed, Fletcher flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear. “’Lo,” he mumbled around a yawn. “Fletcher?” “Tess?” His eyes finally opened, and he sat up straighter in bed. “Why are you calling Shade at three o’clock in the morning?” “Why are you still there?” she countered. “Look, I know everything, so you can cut the bullshit and stop pretending to be worried about me. What do you want?” He’d never spoken to his best friend that way, but he still hadn’t gotten over her keeping things from him. “He told you everything?” Tess groaned and cursed a few times. “Okay, in that case, I won’t beat around the bush. They’re coming, Fletcher. They may already be there. You and your mates need to get the hell out of there.” “Wait! Who’s coming? Why do we need to leave?” “I don’t have time to explain. Just get out. Call me when you get somewhere safe. I know Santiago has a safe house set up somewhere. Go there.” “Why are you telling me this?” If Tess was part of The Allegiance and Shade’s superior, shouldn’t she want Fletcher gone? “Why are you helping us?”


73

“Call me when you get there. I’ll explain what I can then.” She hung up, and Fletcher had no more pulled the phone away from his ear before he heard the sounds of glass breaking downstairs, followed by the high-pitched screech that sounded like claws over the steel plates. Snapping the phone closed, Fletcher flew out of bed and began dressing at top speed. “Shade! Caspian!” he hissed. “Get up. Someone’s downstairs!” Caspian came awake slowly, but Shade sprang out of bed like he’d been launched from a rocket. Crouching low, he took up a defensive posture as he snarled at their bedroom door. Though a little taken aback at his mate’s aggressive response, Fletcher recovered quickly and slapped Shade on the shoulder. “Get dressed. Tess called and said we have to leave.” “Tess called?” Fletcher rolled his eyes as he buttoned his jeans. “Yes, now please, we have to go.” The sound of something sharp scraping against metal sounded again and Fletcher shivered. He was damn tired of having to be brave. Finally catching on to the urgency, Caspian slid out of bed and began dressing without a word. “Is there a way out?” “Yes,” Shade answered distractedly as he pulled his boots on then hurried over to rifle through the closet. Carrying an enormous black block to the bed, he dropped it on the mattress, punched in a code on the keypad, and opened the lid. Fletcher almost swallowed his tongue when the top slid back and little blue lights illuminated the inside of the massive chest. Guns of all shapes, sizes, and calibers gleamed back at him from where they were nestled inside custom-fitted foam. The noises around the house, the guns, the urgency of which they were trying to flee, finally brought home how dangerous Shade’s life really was. Pulling some wicked-looking handgun from the box, Shade passed it to Caspian who took it with a calm assurance of one

74

Gabrielle Evans

comfortable with such a weapon. “Magazine?” Caspian did a few things to the gun, pulled this, checked out that, turned it one way and then another. Fletcher didn’t have a clue what he was doing. Then Shade held out a small, though still extremely lethal gun to him, and Fletcher held his hands up and stepped back. “Oh, no. I don’t know the first things about guns. I’ve never even touched one before.” Shade sighed in obvious exasperation, grabbed Fletcher’s wrist and pushed the weapon into his palm. “Now you have. I don’t expect you to need it, but if it comes to it, just point and pull. Got it?” Fletcher held the gun in both hands, his arms stretched away from his body as though it were a lethal viper poised to strike. “Shade, I can’t.” His mate’s hands cradled his face, and Shade bent closer until they were nose to nose. “You can. I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe, but I’m going to need a little help. Please? For me?” Fletcher nodded his head reluctantly and received a brief kiss on the forehead. “We need to move,” Shade said. He pulled two more guns from the trunk, slid the lid closed, and punched in some numbers. He stowed the box back inside the closet then jerked his head toward the bedroom door. “Follow me and stay close.” Holding the gun in his hand and trying to look like he knew what the hell to do with it, Fletcher followed Shade out of the room with Caspian right at his back. Down the stairs and through the kitchen, Shade led them out the door and into the massive six-car garage. Hustling across the cement floor, he pulled open the doors on one of the metal lockers lined up against the wall and extracted a black, leather backpack. “We’re going to have to fly,” he said distractedly as he began piling things inside the bag. Moving quickly, Shade went back to the locker and pulled two holsters from the shelf. He set them on the wooden workbench and began removing his clothing. “Shift first, and I’ll strap it on you.”


75

Caspian nodded as though this was a perfectly reasonable request, and began removing his clothes as well. Fletcher started to tremble. He didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on, and no one seemed in the mood to explain it to him. Shade took the gun from Fletcher’s hand, slipped it inside the backpack, then began fastening one of the holsters to his calf. “Get ’em off, babe.” As though in a trance, Fletcher started undressing, his entire body shaking and making it difficult for him to undo the buttons on his jeans. Once everyone stood naked in the middle of the garage, Shade gathered up their clothes and stuffed them inside the bag as well. “Shift,” he ordered. With the fear coursing through him, it took Fletcher much longer than Caspian and by the time he was done, a huge, winged horse stood where his mate had been. The beast was majestic, almost ethereal in his beauty. His black wings folded against his back, and he pawed at the floor with his front hoof, his long tail swishing behind him, while Shade fastened the other holster to his back leg and secured the gun inside. Without a word, Shade rose to his feet, snatched up the backpack and slung it around his shoulders. Then he closed his eyes, shifting with a speed that left Fletcher in awe, but he figured that after six thousand years of practice, it was probably second nature to the man by now. Shade crouched down, opening his arms to Fletcher and wiggling his extremely long fingers. Fletcher leapt at him without hesitation, and his mate caught him, snuggling him against his chest. “Hold on,” Shade said in the hissing growl his voice became when in his gargoyle form. “Straight out and up,” he told Caspian. Caspian snorted softly and swished his tail again. Fletcher meowed, curling in closer to his mate’s chest. He had no doubt that his mates would do whatever it took to protect him, but he had a

76

Gabrielle Evans

feeling it was going to be a very long time before he ever felt safe again. Shade used one vicious-looking talon to tap in some more numbers on yet another keypad. It was like living with freaking James Bond. The steel barriers slid back from one of the garage doors, and Fletcher could hear shouting and running footsteps outside. Gods, he just hoped they didn’t die. Then Shade pressed one more button, and the garage door rumbled as it slowly rose on its tracks. When the door had made it to the halfway point, three men dressed in black slipped underneath it, guns trained on them as they fanned out in front of the door. Fletcher began yowling in earnest, clawing at his mate’s chest. He’d crawl right inside Shade if he could. They were going to die. There was no two ways about it. Then Caspian whinnied loudly and sprinted past them, his hoofs clopping on the cement floor as he thundered toward their attackers. The men yelped in surprised, but didn’t back down. Shots rang out, the sound deafening inside the confines of the garage. Caspian spread his giant wings, clipping two of the men in the head and knocking them to the ground. The other guy had enough wits about him to hit the ground and roll out of the way. It was the opening they’d needed, and Shade growled as he ran out of the garage and lifted them straight into the air. His arms curled around Fletcher protectively, his shoulders rounding to form a cocoon of safety around him. Fletcher still didn’t feel very safe. His whole furry body shook violently as he closed his eyes and buried his head under Shade’s arm. Loud reports ripped through the night air as bullets whizzed past them, and angry shouts floated up from the ground below. Still, his mates continued to soar, speeding through the sky and dodging shots with skilled determination. Once the sounds of gunfire had died away, and the only thing Fletcher could hear was the roaring of the wind, Shade took the lead.


77

Nothing in his life had prepared Fletcher for this, and he didn’t know whether to throw up or faint. Passing out sounded like the better option, so that’s what he did. **** Caspian followed Shade to the ground, landing heavily in the icy snow in front of a small cabin. They’d been flying for hours through the frigid winds, and he felt frozen solid. Though, that could also have to do with the amount of blood he’d lost. His shift was long and painful, and when he’d finally transformed, he found himself kneeling in the snow, moaning and panting as blood dripped from his shoulder to mar the fluffy white ground. A strong arm wound around his waist, helping him to his feet and practically dragging him inside the cabin. Shade took only a minute to shut and lock the door, securing their sanctuary before ushering Caspian to the kitchen and depositing him in a chair. “Fletcher?” he slurred. His eyes wouldn’t focus, his head swam, and each intake of breath came shallower than the last. “Still passed out,” Shade answered distractedly as he inspected Caspian’s shoulder where the bullet was still lodged in the meaty part just below his left collarbone. “He’s fine, just scared. It’s his body’s way of coping.” “Hurts,” Caspian mumbled. “I know, babe.” Shade kissed Caspian’s temple and hurried out of the room. He came back seconds later with a large fleece blanket and covered Caspian’s shaking body with it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “No time.” “Once we get the bullet out, you’ll be able to heal.” Shade held Caspian’s face in both hands and grimaced. “I’m not going to lie. It’s going to hurt like hell. I’m sorry.” “Just do it.” Caspian couldn’t think. He only knew he wanted the pain to stop so he could sleep. “Tired.”

78

Gabrielle Evans

“Okay, Cas, okay. Just hold on. Stay with me, and I’ll get you fixed up.” Caspian checked out of consciousness for a while, and when he came to again, Shade was straddling his lap, his hand pressing Caspian firmly back against the chair. Their limp cocks rubbed together, and Caspian couldn’t help but ask, “Are you making a pass at me, Santiago?” “Not yet.” Shade kissed his lips quickly. “Let’s get you better first, then we’ll talk about it.” “M’kay.” “Are you ready?” “No. Do it anyway.” “Deep breath.” Caspian did as instructed, breathing in as much air as he could, and then let it out on a loud yell when Shade began digging around in the wound to extract the bullet. “Got it.” Shade sighed and rose from Caspian’s lap, pinching the deformed metal between his bloody fingers. Then minutes later, the injury was cleaned and dressed, and Shade was helping him to the bedroom. Caspian eased down on the mattress, gritting his teeth as pain lanced through his shoulder. “How long will it take you to heal?” Shade asked as he arranged the blankets around Caspian’s chest. “Not long. A couple of hours maybe.” “Caspian?” Fletcher’s tiny voice wavered as he stepped into the room, still completely nude. “Oh, Caspian, what happened?” “He’s okay,” Shade hurried to assure their mate. “He just needs rest. Let’s go find our clothes.” “You got shot, didn’t you?” “Yes, but I’m fine now.” Caspian lifted his good arm and crooked his finger at Fletcher. “Come here.” Fletcher shuffled over to the bed obediently, but looked nervous about coming any closer. “I don’t want to hurt you.”


79

“Need to hold you.” Though Caspian had been the one injured, his main concern had been for his mates. He needed to touch them, hold them, and reassure himself they were okay. “Shade?” Shade helped Caspian maneuver to the center of the bed, and lifted the blankets for Fletcher to crawl in beside him. Caspian wrapped his arm around Fletcher and tucked him in close to his side. “Much better,” he whispered. “I have some phone calls to make, but I’ll check in on you in a little while.” Shade leaned over the bed and kissed Fletcher’s forehead, and then Caspian’s. “Just rest.” That was one order Caspian was willing to follow without question. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to sleep before Shade even made it out of the room.

80

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Ten Shade pulled his wrinkled jeans from his backpack and tugged them on, not bothering to zip or button them. Some great protector he’d turned out to be. One mate had passed out in fear, and the other had actually gotten shot. Tess had been right. His men certainly deserved better than him. Pushing the depressing thought away, he dug through the bag again, pulling out his cell phone and dialing quickly. “You made it,” Tess answered without preamble. “Yes.” “Where are you?” “I need some answers first. Why are you after Fletcher?” “He needs to be protected.” Shade growled. “He almost got fucking shot! How is that protecting him? I’m done with this shit. I want out, and I want you to stay the hell away from my mates!” “I’ll help you as best I can, but you’re going to have to hand over Fletcher. I promise he won’t be harmed.” “No,” Shade answered flatly. No way was he going to sacrifice his mate so that he could be free of The Allegiance. “You’re supposed to be his friend. Why are you doing this to him?” “I am his friend.” Tess sighed wearily. “I’ve been protecting him since he was just a baby. He has to be kept safe.” “Then why were there men trying to break into my house with semi-automatic weapons? That doesn’t sound very safe to me, Commander.”


81

“Tell me where you are. This isn’t something we should discuss over the phone.” “How do I know I can trust you?” Shade paced the small living room, running a hand through his short hair. He’d known Tess for centuries, had fought beside her and watched her back. Right now, though, she was allied with the enemy. “I would never do anything to put Fletcher in danger.” If Tess had told him that he could trust her, that she wouldn’t betray his whereabouts to The Allegiance, or pulled rank on him, Shade would have hung up on her. Her genuine caring and concern for Fletcher’s wellbeing was his undoing, though. “Alaska.” “Give me your location, and then turn your phone off and remove the battery. I have to tie up some loose ends here and make sure I’m not followed. I’ll be there within the week.” Shade understood by her tone that one of those loose ends included finding someone to take on his assignment. His informant would have been arriving that night to brief him and provide him with the target’s scent to imprint. He wouldn’t apologize, but he did have something to say. “I’m not taking another assignment. I’m out, Tess. I’ll take my mates and go into hiding if I have to, but I won’t do this anymore.” “Just don’t say anything right now,” Tess warned. “I might have a way to help you, but it’s going to take some fancy talking on my part. Give me a week…”—she paused for just a moment—“maybe two. Don’t leave, and definitely don’t go out in the open. I’ll be there when I can.” Then she hung up, leaving Shade standing in the middle of the living room frowning. He had a few non-perishables in the cellar behind the house, but they’d need supplies if they were going to stay there for two weeks or more. Sending his mates into town without him wasn’t an option. Going to town and leaving his men at the cabin unprotected wasn’t an option. He’d have to figure out something, though.

82

Gabrielle Evans

The cabin had most of the modern necessities including electricity and running water. What it lacked, however, was a central heating unit. With fireplaces in the living room, bedroom, and even the bathroom, they should stay warm enough, though. He had some firewood in the cellar along with the canned goods, but he’d never made provisions for anyone besides him to need use of the place. “It’s f–freez–zing in h–here,” Fletcher chattered as he stepped into the room completely naked. Shade dropped his cell phone on the sofa, snagged the blanket off the back of it, and rushed over to his mate to settle it around his shoulders. “I’ll get your clothes and start the fires.” Fletcher pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders and leaned against Shade, rubbing his cheek over Shade’s chest. “You’re always so warm.” “Fletcher,” Shade said tightly as his cock responded to his mate’s closeness with inappropriate enthusiasm. “I need to get the fire going.” “I was so scared. I’ve never been so afraid in my life. Then Caspian got shot, and I just knew something would happen to you. Don’t do that to me again.” “Weren’t you worried for yourself?” Shade couldn’t stop his arms from winding around Fletcher and drawing him closer. With a happy little sigh, Fletcher opened the blanket and molded himself to Shade’s body before closing it around both of them. “Oh, I was plenty scared for myself, but I was mostly worried about you and Caspian. Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, did you? Please tell me the truth, Shade.” “No, kitten,” Shade whispered, his heart melting into a puddle of goo. When had anyone ever been concerned for him? “I promise I’m not hurt. I’m so sorry I brought you into this mess.” “Well, I don’t like being shot at, hunted down, or feeling afraid all the time.” Fletcher’s rough tongue slithered up the side of Shade’s neck. “But, I think you’re worth it.”


83

It was like he’d been dumped in a bucket of cold water. Untwining Fletcher’s arms from around him, Shade took a step back and shook his head. “I’m not.” He started to turn, heading toward the back door so he could get the logs to start a fire. Everything he’d done had been selfish and idiotic. He’d done absolutely nothing for his mates, except put them in danger at every turn. He was the last person on earth that deserved Fletcher’s loyalty. Slim fingers encircled his wrist, jerking on his arm hard enough to spin him around. Fletcher glared at him, the effect lost a little when his body started shaking from the cold. With a deep sigh, Shade bent and picked the blanket up where it pooled on the floor around Fletcher’s ankles. He tried to place it around Fletcher’s shoulders again, but his lover brushed him off and pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t you dare tell me how I feel, Shadenious Santiago! I may not be as old as you, but I’m nowhere near being a child. I’ve waited my whole goddamn life to feel this way, and you are not going to fuck it up for me!” Then he spun on his heels and marched out of the room. Shade stood frozen to the floor, the blanket clutched in his hands as he watched his mate storm down the short hallway. As far as exit lines went, he had to admit that was a damn good one. He didn’t understand what it meant, but the vehemence in Fletcher’s voice, the fierceness blazing in his eyes had been tantalizing. Shade’s cock gave a hard jerk inside his jeans, swelling rapidly and threatening to burst through its confinement. Shaking his head, Shade reached down to readjust himself. “Not going to happen,” he muttered under his breath. His little man might have looked sexy as hell when he got pissed, but that didn’t mean he was going to give Shade the time of day until he’d cooled down a bit. So, what the crap did Shade do now? Did he chase after his mate and beg forgiveness? Hell, he didn’t even know what he’d done wrong. He replayed the conversation in his head several times, lingering on Fletcher’s departing line. He’d waited a long to feel…what? Did Shade dare even ask him?

84

Gabrielle Evans

Pushing a hand through his hair, he gripped it in a firm hold and yanked. Why did this have to be so fucking hard? Instead of that stupid envelope, the elders should have given him a manual on Mating and Relationships 101. It would have been a hell of a lot more helpful anyway. Or maybe a guideline on Deciphering The Ambiguous Things Your Mate Says. Shade didn’t realized he’d released the hold on his hair and was rapping his knuckles against the side of his head, until his arm was forced down to his side and strong, muscled arms wrapped around him. “Why do you do that?” Caspian whispered. “Why are you out of bed?” Shade used the blanket still clutched in his hands to wrap around his lover. “You’re supposed to be resting.” “I was until Fletcher came flying in there like a mad cat. No pun intended,” Caspian added with a weak chuckle. “Now, answer my question. Why do you do that?” Shade shrugged and looked away in embarrassment. “I don’t know I’m doing it most of the time.” Caspian wouldn’t let him hide, though. His fingers gripped Shade’s chin, forcing his face back so that he had no choice but to look at Caspian or close his eyes. Closing his eyes seemed a whole lot childish, so Shade stared into his lover’s eyes and swallowed hard. He was a trained assassin, his body a lethal weapon. He had hunted and executed some of the most dangerous and deadliest paranormals in the world. So, why did these two men scare the hell out of him? “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he finally admitted, dropping his guard and leaning into Caspian’s touch. His lover snorted and rolled his eyes. “And you think I do? I have had exactly one relationship that lasted past breakfast the next morning. It’s one day at a time for me, and I know I’m going to screw up occasionally. I just hope that whatever good I do will outweigh the bad.” “That’s beautiful,” Fletcher wailed from behind them.


85

Shade looked around Caspian’s shoulder, his eyes going wide. “Why are you crying?” Gods, he really didn’t like tears. They made him very nervous. “Are you hurt? Did I do something? What’s wrong?” Caspian chuckled again and kissed Shade’s mouth to cut off his rambling. “Sometimes people cry when they’re happy, too,” he whispered against Shade’s lips. Nodding like he understood what the hell Caspian was talking about, Shade peeked around at Fletcher again. Tears streamed down the man’s soft cheeks, and his eyes looked swollen and puffy, but he had a huge smile on his face. “He leaks a lot.” Caspian started laughing so hard, he had to wrap his arms around his stomach and lean against the back of the couch to hold himself up. Then his laugher turned to a pained groan, and he clutched at his injured shoulder. “Don’t make me laugh,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “It’s mostly healed, but it’s still sore as hell.” Fletcher hurried over and slipped his arm around Caspian’s waist. “You need to be resting. Let’s get you back to bed, you big stubborn fool. Shade can you help me, please?” It took a little convincing, but eventually, they managed to talk Caspian back into bed. Fletcher was right. The man was as stubborn as an ox. Shade found the quality oddly endearing. “We need to get supplies,” he said once they had their lover tucked under the blankets again. “I have enough food and firewood to last for maybe five days. I never imagined I’d be bringing anyone here with me, so the place is only stocked for one.” “Will it be dangerous?” Shade didn’t want to lie to his mate. Reaching out, he stroked Fletcher’s cheek with the back of his knuckles. “It can, and probably will be. I don’t want to leave you alone, but I can’t take you into town with me either.” “Caspian will protect me when he’s better,” Fletcher said with conviction.

86

Gabrielle Evans

“Actually,” Caspian said slowly. “Maybe it would be better if I went into town and got the stuff we need. No one would recognize me, and you’d be here to keep Fletcher safe.” Shade didn’t like it, but he had to admit it was the best plan they had. Scooting up on the bed, he bent over Caspian until their noses were almost touching. “Not until you’re well, and you will take every precaution and do exactly as I tell you.” He bent further and kissed his mate’s lips hard. “You will come back to us.” Caspian just smiled dopily. “Yes, sir.” “I’m sorry to interrupt your little display of dominance, but do you think we could get that fire started now?” Fletcher lifted an eyebrow. “It’s colder than a polar bear’s balls in here.” Shade chuckled and rose from the bed. “What do you expect for March in the far north of Alaska?” “I expected you to have a hidey hole in Fiji,” Fletcher grumped. “Don’t worry.” He smiled impishly and batted his long black eyelashes. “I’ll train you yet.” Shade glared playfully over his shoulder as he stomped out of the room. On the inside, however, he had to admit that if anyone could tame the beast in him, it would be the little pussy cat with big green eyes.


87

Chapter Eleven “Shouldn’t he be back by now? It’s almost dark. I don’t like this. Maybe we should go after him.” Fletcher paced in front of the fire in the living room. Caspian had been gone almost all day, and Fletcher had been a wreck ever since. “He’ll be fine,” Shade remarked, but Fletcher could see the tense set of his jaw and the worry that tightened the corners of his eyes. “His shoulder is healed, and he’s strong. Caspian’s smart, too.” “I’m so tired of being scared.” The strain of always waiting for danger had taken its toll, and Fletcher felt exhausted. They’d been hiding out in the little cabin for four days, and he didn’t know how much more he could take. The walls seemed to close in a little more each day until he felt like he’d suffocate. With his distress, Caspian’s injury, and Shade’s agitation, their sex life had taken a definite turn for the worse. Though they still felt the heat every twenty-four hours and were powerless to stop it, it was less than earth-shattering. It felt more like a chore or obligation, and Fletcher cringed each time his skin begin to tingle and his cock started to rise. Where the hell had their passion gone? “Maybe the truck slid off the road or something in all of this ice.” Fletcher didn’t know why he’d been shocked to learn that Shade had a pickup with four-wheel drive hidden just down the hill from the cabin. The man was always prepared for anything. “He’ll be fine,” Shade snapped. “Just stop whining!” He flew up from the sofa and stomped out of the room without another word. A week ago, Fletcher might have felt hurt or even angry. Now, Shade’s pissy attitude didn’t even faze him. They’d all been wound

88

Gabrielle Evans

up and tense, snapping at each other for the smallest infractions. Just this morning, he’d yelled at Shade for chewing too loudly. Dropping his chin to his chest, Fletcher groaned. Okay, so he’d been the one doing most of the hissing and complaining. He knew Shade was only doing what was necessary to keep them safe, but he hated not knowing what the future would bring—or if he’d even have a future. Each night he went to bed thinking it would be his last, and each morning he woke up, not grateful, but surprised to see the sun. It had to stop. Though his mates had broad shoulders, they weren’t wide enough to hold up the problems of the world. It was time for him to get his head out of his ass and man up. He might not be as physically strong as his men, but he could be tough for them. They had enough to worry about without walking on eggshells around him just so he wouldn’t fly off the handle. Girding his proverbial loins, Fletcher drew up to his full height and marched down the narrow hallway to find his lover. He had a lot of apologizing to do, and though it piqued his pride, he knew if Shade wanted him to grovel, he’d do it. He deserved nothing less after his childish behavior. When he stepped into the bedroom, the sight that met his eyes knocked the breath out his lungs and made his heart shatter right there inside his chest. Shade sat on the edge of the bed, rocking back and forth and mumbling under his breath. His eyes were open but unfocused, and he had one hand clenched in his hair while the other fist knocked smartly against the side of his head. “Not supposed to be this way. He deserves better. They both deserve better.” Shade’s voice grew a little louder with each sentence, and he’d yet to notice Fletcher’s entrance. “Can’t be what they want. Can’t do it. Not good enough.” Then he began repeating the last line over and over, as though it had become his own personal mantra. He jerked harder on his hair, and Fletcher winced when he actually saw some of the locks pull free from his scalp. “Shade?”


89

Shade gave no sign that he’d heard his name. “Shade!” Still nothing, and Fletcher became increasingly concerned. He’d watched Shade have these little episodes before, but none had been this dramatic. Plus, Caspian was usually there and knew exactly what to do to pull their mate back from the brink. Fletcher was swimming in uncharted waters—and floundering. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to his lover and knelt on the floor in front of him. “Shade, look at me.” He spoke calmly, soothingly, as he reached up and tried to unwind the man’s fingers from his dark hair. Shade still ignored him. Trying to imitate what he’d witnessed Caspian do before, Fletcher cupped Shade’s face in both hands and leaned in close. “Shade, look at me. Right here, baby. I’m right here. You’re not alone.” When that still didn’t work, Fletcher huffed out an exasperated breath and pushed to his feet. Well, what the fuck did he do now? He couldn’t just sit here and let Shade hurt himself. With every rap of his knuckles against his head, Fletcher’s chest tightened and his gut clenched. “Not good enough. Deserve better,” Shade continued to mumble. Anger boiled Fletcher’s blood. He didn’t know who had brainwashed his mate and drilled those awful things into his head, but he wanted to find them and shred them into little pieces. Crawling into his lover’s lap, Fletcher curled his hands around Shade’s wrists and tugged as hard as he could. “Shadenious Santiago, you listen to me! I don’t know who told you those awful lies about yourself, but they’re not true. You are a good man, and a good mate.” Fletcher spoke with a vehement conviction. “I adore that you think I deserve better, but it’s not possible because I already have the best. You and Caspian are the most perfect mates anyone could ask for, and I’m damn lucky to have found you both.”

90

Gabrielle Evans

Giving up on trying to loosen the man’s grip on his hair, Fletcher grabbed his lover’s jaw and planted a searing kiss on his mumbling lips. Dipping his tongue inside, he explored the warm, sweet depths of Shade’s mouth. He poured everything he had into the kiss—every ounce of emotion, affection, and devotion he had in him. It had been barely three weeks since he’d met his men, and Fletcher couldn’t honestly say he loved them, but he knew he was quickly headed in that direction. He knew for a fact that he didn’t want to live without them. Despite the danger and the utter chaos his life had become, the time spent with his mates had been the best of his life. For once someone wanted him, cared for him, and was willing to give up everything just to keep him safe and happy. Who couldn't fall for a man like that? Caspian may not have had as much to lose, but he’d still given up everything in his old life to be with them. He never let a single day go by without telling Fletcher and Shade how much he appreciated them and was proud to be their mate. Yep, claiming Shade and Caspian had been the best decision he’d ever made. These were his men, and he’d stand beside them, fight with them—for them—and he’d take on anyone who thought to claim them as their own. He continued to suck at Shade’s slack mouth, desperately trying to draw a response from his mate. Whatever it took, he wouldn’t let Shade slip away from him. “Damn it, Shade!” he screamed. “You will not quit on me!” Then he attacked the man’s lips once more as his heart thundered inside his chest and his eyes stung with the threat of tears. Of all the things that had happened to them in the past week, this had Fletcher more frightened than anything. Growling in frustration, he pulled Shade’s lower lip between his teeth and bit—hard. Shade growled in return, and suddenly his arms were around Fletcher like steel bands, crushing him closer as he thrust his tongue into Fletcher’s mouth and devoured him.


91

By the time Shade finally came up for air, Fletcher felt fully and truly ravished, and all he’d done was kiss the man. His cock throbbed painfully inside his wrinkled jeans, straining against the fly and demanding attention. As much as he hated it, as much as his overheated body screamed at him to shut the fuck up and spread himself out on the mattress in offering, he knew there were things to be said first. A quick, hard roll in the sheets might be satisfying, but it wasn’t going to give him answers or solve any of their problems. Panting and trembling, Shade stared into his eyes, his hands skimming up Fletcher’s back and over his neck to cradle his face in both palms. “You are the perfect one,” he whispered thickly. Relief flooded Fletcher that though Shade had seemed impervious to his words, they had somehow managed to seep through and penetrate his muddled mind. Shade wasn’t crazy. He’d just never had someone to love him. With a deep sense of…rightness, Fletcher realized he wanted to be that someone. Along with Caspian, he wanted to heal Shade’s heart, prove to him that he was worthy of caring and tenderness. “You have to stop,” Fletcher begged without meaning to. “It kills me to watch you hurt yourself. Why do you do that?” He’d heard Caspian ask their lover the same question, but they’d never gotten a straight answer. “The pain here,” Shade tapped the side of his head with one finger, “lessens the pain here.” His hand moved from his head to rest over his heart, and Fletcher almost lost the battle with his tear ducts. “You’ve really been alone for all these years?” “I’ve been alone since I was fourteen.” “But, who took care of you?” “I took care of myself,” Shade said firmly. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment. “I don’t know how to be around people. I’m no good at this, Fletcher.”

92

Gabrielle Evans

Caressing his mate’s face with his fingertips, Fletcher waited for Shade to open his eyes and look at him before he spoke. “You’re better than you think. Who told you that you weren’t good enough?” “Everyone. I have one purpose in life, one thing I’m good at, and that doesn’t include being a good mate. I’m sorry.” “You’re lying to me and to yourself. If you’re so awful, then why didn’t you just let those men take me? Why did you come after me? Why did you risk your life to save me?” Shade’s eyebrows drew together, and his mouth turned down at the corners. “I didn’t think about it. The minute I knew you were gone I got so fucking pissed off…” Shade trailed off and shuddered. “I wanted to kill them for hurting you.” “Why?” “Because you’re mine,” Shade growled. “And?” “I can’t breathe without you. They took the light from my life, the air from my lungs, and the heart from my chest.” “And?” Fletcher felt like a damn broken record, but he wanted Shade to come around to the point on his own. “Though I was acting like such a dick, for the first time in my life, I was truly happy,” Shade whispered. “They took that from me.” “So, you have purely selfish motivations for coming after me?” Fletcher arched an eyebrow and smirked. “Absolutely.” Shade nodded curtly. “I’d do anything to keep you safe, because I can’t lose you.” Fletcher figured it was as close as he’d get Shade to professing his feelings for the time being. He decided not to prod any further, and reward his mate for opening up as far as he did. Slipping his arms around Shade’s neck, he licked his lips until his lover opened for him, and he could dip his tongue inside. He kept the kiss slow, gentle, and when he finally pulled back, Shade was trembling again. “What’s wrong, baby?” “I like when you call me that,” Shade murmured.


93

“Mmm,” Fletcher purred as he rubbed himself against his lover. “My baby.” “I like that even more,” Shade said huskily before capturing Fletcher’s lower lip and sucking it into his mouth and nipping at it. “I want to be yours, Fletcher.” “Damn good thing because I’m not letting you run from me.” Sadness and hope warred for dominance in Shade’s chocolatecolored eyes. “Don’t.”

94

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Twelve It was well past dark when Caspian pulled the old rusted pickup into its hiding place in the trees and climbed down from the driver’s seat. It had taken him nearly three hours to gather everything they needed. Then he’d drove in circles for another hour, just to be sure he wasn’t followed before making his way back to the cabin. Lifting the heavy duffle bag from the bed of the pickup, he dropped it to the ground then pulled the camouflaged tarp out from behind the seat. Covering the vehicle and tying down the corners, Caspian pocketed the keys, grabbed the tote, and began the short trek up the hill to where his men waited for him. When he crested the slope and found Fletcher standing on the front porch, hopping from foot to foot and looking very nervous, a huge grin spread over his face. How long had it been since someone had awaited his arrival with such anticipation? Picking up the pace, he trudged through the snow, eager to have his lover in his arms. What a sappy fool he was. Only a few hours away from his men, and he’d missed them unbearably. A lot had happened in the weeks since their union. Running for your life just had a way of bonding people. Pushing the morbid thought away, he barely had time to drop the bag to the snow before Fletcher flung himself off the porch and into Caspian’s arms. “You’ve been gone forever. Shade won’t admit it, but he’s beside himself right now. He was getting ready to go look for you when we heard the truck.” Lifting his mate in his arms, Caspian held him close and sighed. It disheartened him that he’d caused his lovers even a second of worry.


95

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to be sure I wasn’t followed. I was trying to be smart and keep you and Shade safe.” “I know, big guy. Just glad you’re home.” Fletcher skimmed his nose up the column of Caspian’s throat. “Missed you.” It was the most perfect welcome he’d ever received. Keeping Fletcher locked around him, Caspian bent and picked up the duffle before carrying his lover inside. The warm air from the fire washed over him, and he let out a long, contended sigh. Shade stepped into the room from the kitchen just as Caspian set Fletcher on his feet. The man looked paralyzed—all but his eyes, which raked over Caspian as though he were a drink of cold water in a hot desert. Caspian couldn’t put his finger on it, but something had happened in his absence. The atmosphere felt different, less tense. Casting his eyes to Fletcher, Caspian grinned goofily when his mate just gave him a casual shrug and a roguish wink. Returning his attention to Shade, Caspian found his lover still hadn’t moved, but the look in his eyes made Caspian’s heart flop over in his chest. With anything else, Shade was confident and assured. When it came to emotions, however, Caspian had never met a more insecure man in his life. Easing the tote off his shoulder and setting it on the sofa, he closed the distance between them, grabbed Shade’s face in both hands, and claimed his luscious lips in a kiss that left little room for doubt or misunderstanding. Shade responded hesitantly at first, but as Caspian licked inside his mate’s mouth, leaving no part unexplored, Shade’s intensity grew until Caspian felt like he was being consumed. When he finally broke away, he rested his forehead against Shade’s, moving one hand around to grip the back of the man’s neck, and struggled to catch his breath. “I’m glad you’re home,” Shade panted.

96

Gabrielle Evans

Home. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a real home.” A small hand drifted over his lower back, and Caspian reached around to pull Fletcher into his embrace as well. Shade’s arms looped around them both, holding them to him as though he thought they’d disappear. “I’ve never had a real home,” Shade confessed. “Well, you do now. It’s not the four walls that matter, or where you rest your head at night. It’s being with the people you love.” “Love?” Caspian’s heart threatened to climb up his throat. Did he love these men? It had only been a couple of weeks. Surely he couldn’t fall for them so quickly. Maybe Fletcher was using the term loosely. He’d been hunted for years, almost caught a few times, and he’d even been shot. He’d faced those things with courage and bravery. The L word scared the shit out of him and gave him a rash. Shade’s eyes widened, and he tried to turn his gasp into a cough. Apparently, he was of the same mind as Caspian. Fletcher, on the other hand, began to laugh uncontrollably. “Oh, you should see your faces!” When he finally gained control of himself, he stretched up on his toes to kiss Caspian’s cheek, and then Shade’s. “It’s not a dirty word, but you don’t have to say it.” Caspian opened his mouth to respond, then snapped it closed when he realized he didn’t know what to say. He’d never been in love before, and didn’t know the first thing about what it should feel like. He cared for his men, would do anything to make them smile. When they were happy, it made him happy. When they hurt, he hurt. The mere thought of being separated from them left a deep aching inside his chest. Was that love? He couldn’t say. Fletcher eased away and took one of Caspian’s hands, and one of Shade’s, tugging gently for them to follow him. “You don’t have to say it,” he repeated quietly. His smile became seductive, and his hips swayed invitingly. “Come to bed and show me.”


97

**** A week later, Shade still hadn’t heard from Tess, and he was beginning to get antsy. Her two weeks were almost up, so where the hell was she? If she didn’t show up soon, it would be another week before she made it. The National Weather Service had issued a blizzard advisory, urging residents to stock supplies and seek shelter. Shade had spent the majority of the morning chopping enough firewood to keep through the storm, and Caspian had gone into town for more supplies. Fletcher hummed around the house, straightening this, or cleaning that. His little mate seemed completely unconcerned with impending snowfall. Things had changed perceptively in the last week. Or maybe it was Shade’s perception that had changed. He still had moments of doubt, times when he felt his mates would be better off without him. Those times were coming fewer and farther between, though. He couldn’t imagine his life without the two gorgeous men. He’d been nothing but an empty shell before they came into his life, coasting through each day on autopilot. Now, however, he looked forward to the dawn each morning, his heart warming each time he opened his eyes to see his lovers’ sleeping faces. Their lovemaking had become explosive, their bond tighter. They’d stayed up late into morning most nights, talking about their likes and dislikes, their pasts, and Shade’s favorite part, their future. He’d do whatever it took to keep his men in his life and make it a safe place to be. If he had to find a Mangkukulam to tattoo them from head to toe in concealment charms, he would. Dropping the last of the wood into the box beside the fireplace, Shade straightened and arched his back with a groan. Fletcher sat on the stone hearth, staring up at him with a mingle of worry…and a whole lot of lust. The look went straight to Shade’s cock, causing it to swell inside his pants. He went from tired and sore, to hard and needing in seconds flat.

98

Gabrielle Evans

Taking a step closer, Shade dropped to his knees between his mate’s spread thighs and gripped his hips. The pale green eyes shined back at him, piercing him down to his soul, and Shade gave a violent shudder. “Be careful, kitten,” he whispered. “You’re playing with fire.” “Oh, I intend to play with a whole lot more than that. I’ve been watching you be all manly, chopping wood and carrying it inside. I’ve watched those gorgeous muscles stretch and tighten…” Fletcher leaned forward and flicked his tongue over Shade’s lips, “…imagining them flexing for whole other reasons.” “Should we wait for Caspian?” Shade had never been in a relationship before, let alone with two men at once. He didn’t know the rules, and he wouldn’t risk hurting one of his mates for anything in the world. “Tell me something, baby,” Fletcher drawled in that smooth, sexy voice of his. “If you walked in on Caspian fucking me into the wall, would you be jealous or angry?” The image had Shade’s cock jerking inside his jeans. He buried his face in Fletcher’s neck and inhaled deeply, loving the earthy scent of his mate. “No,” he panted. “Gods, that sounds hot as hell.” “Oh, you like to watch, do you? I might just have too much fun with that knowledge.” Fletcher chuckled breathily, his warm breath fanning over Shade’s ear and causing him to shiver. “Need you, baby.” They’d been going at it in every position imaginable, on every flat surface they could find, and still Shade couldn’t get enough. Fletcher had taken to calling him “baby” more often than not. With a feral growl, he locked his arms around his mate’s waist and jerked him to his chest as he pushed to his feet. Fletcher’s legs went around his hips, and he latched onto Shade’s mouth as he rocked against him frantically. The passion, the hunger, the unrelenting need clawed at Shade until he was reduced to little more than a primal beast. The fingernails


99

on one hand elongated into claws, and he began tearing at Fletcher’s clothing, careful not to scratch his lover, but desperate to feel the man’s smooth skin beneath his palms. Fletcher went wild, crying out and humping against him harder. Dropping his mate to the floor only long enough to finish shredding their clothing, Shade picked him up again, crushing their mouths together as he walked them toward the bedroom. His claws retracted, and he dug his fingers into his mate’s hair, tugging his head back and scraping his teeth along the sensitive flesh of his throat. “Fuck, I want you.” “Then have me,” Fletcher replied on a moan. Turning sharply, Shade anchored his lover between him and the wall, devouring his mouth once again as he thrust his hips, rubbing their leaking pricks together. Each glide of Fletcher’s tongue against his, each muffled sob from Fletcher mouth, sent Shade’s head reeling and his body burning. He’d take his mate right there against the wall, but… “Lube,” he growled in frustration. “Already taken care of,” Fletcher groaned and his hips snapped forward. “I stretched myself while you were bringing in the logs.” “You planned this,” Shade accused, and he couldn’t have been more thrilled. “You bet your sexy ass I did. Now, fuck me like you mean it.” Holding his lover in place with one arm, Shade gripped Fletcher’s ass, running his finger down the crease until he found the prize he sought. He growled in delight when he found his mate’s hole wet and waiting, clenching in need and begging for his touch. He pushed a finger inside, then another, quickly working up to three and rubbing against his lover’s sweet spot as his hips snapped forward. Fletcher dropped his head back to the wall with a thud, his entire body going rigid as his ass clamped down around Shade’s finger and cum erupted from his cock to soak the area between them.

100

Gabrielle Evans

“Gods, you’re gorgeous.” Gathering the warm seed from Fletcher’s stomach, Shade use it to coat his throbbing cock, then looped both forearms under Fletcher’s knees, tilting his hips and spreading him wider. Reaching between their damp bodies, Fletcher seized Shade’s slippery length and lined it up with his sweet hole. “More,” he demanded. Shade leaned forward, pressing a hard kiss to Fletcher’s mouth. “Deep breath,” he warned, then slammed home in one powerful thrust. Fletcher cried out, his hands gripped at Shade’s sweat-slicked shoulders, and he jerked forward, impaling himself further on Shade’s cock. The look of pure rapture on his lover’s face made Shade feel like a king. Resting his brow on Fletcher’s shoulder, Shade slammed into him, loving the feel of the velvety heat surrounding his dick and sucking him in deeper. “Holy hell, you feel good,” he ground out. “Love the way your ass just eats up cock. So hungry for me.” “Yes!” Fletcher wailed, moving with Shade as much as his position would allow. “Harder!” He thrashed back and forth against the wall, his cries full of wanton desire. “Whatever my kitten wants.” Spreading Fletcher’s knees even wider, Shade unleashed, driving into his mate with an abandon that bordered on feral. “You love my cock, don’t you, Fletcher? Love the way it fills you up and stretches you. Do you want more, kitten? Tell me how much you want me.” “Shade! Yes! Oh, my god!” Fletcher’s head tilted to the side, exposing the luscious flesh along the apex of his neck and shoulder. Swirling his tongue over the salty skin, Shade’s mouth watered, his teeth began to elongate, and his sharp claws extended once more. His voice dropped lower, coming out in a raspy grumble. “I want to mark you, brand you.” He licked at Fletcher’s neck again. “Do it,” Fletcher panted, stretching his neck farther to the side.


101

“Beg me for it. I love the way you beg, kitten. Love all the sounds you make when you’re so desperate for me.” “Please, baby. Bite me, and come inside me. I need it.” Shade nuzzled his face into the crook of Fletcher’s neck. “Mmm, that’s it. Wanna hear my kitten purr.” He pulled his hips back until only the flared head of his cock remained, then plunged back into Fletcher’s tight grasp as he sank his teeth into his mate’s neck. Fletcher screamed, his muscles tightened, and his inner walls convulsed in waves, massaging Shade’s cock and milking him. “Shade!” The sweet blood bathing his tongue, the firm hold of Fletcher’s ass, the overwhelming pleasure coursing through him became too much, and Shade swirled his hips against Fletcher’s rounded globes as he filled his lover’s passage with his seed. A loud groan vibrated his chest, and Shade extracted his fangs, licking over the bite mark lazily. “Love you,” Fletcher whispered, wrapped his arms around Shade’s head and holding him close. “I know it scares you, and I don’t expect you to say it back. I just can’t hold it in any longer.” “Neither can I,” came a deep, rich voice from behind him. Large hands cupped Shade’s ass and squeezed as a warm weight molded against his back. Shade tensed until he caught Caspian’s scent. Still, how lost was he that he hadn’t even heard the man enter the house? If it had been anyone but their lover, they’d be dead where they stood, and the entire blame would rest squarely on Shade’s shoulders. “Stop it,” Caspian whispered as he trailed his lips down the back of Shade’s neck. “Don’t go there right now. Just let me hold you.” He pressed closer, leaning over Shade’s shoulder to capture Fletcher’s lips. Their tongued dueled for a long minute, and Shade’s cock began to swell inside Fletcher’s hole as he watched his men together. Would it be so bad to let them love him? Could he offer the same in return?

102

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian released Fletcher’s lips and turned his head to claim Shade’s mouth. “You’re doing it again,” he admonished lightly. “Stop thinking so hard, baby.” Caspian peppered little kisses over Shade’s cheek and jaw as his palms smoothed up Shade’s ribs. “It terrified me, too, but I can’t imagine a world without you two. It’s so much easier to just let go and feel.” His long braids slithered over his shoulder, tickling at Shade’s collarbone and making him shiver. He wanted Caspian to stop. He didn’t want to hear the words. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to beg the man to keep going. Gods, he was so messed up. “I love you, Shade.” The words were barely a breath across his face, but they hit Shade like a Mac truck. “Hey, what about me?” Fletcher pouted. If Shade’s head hadn’t been spinning from his lovers’ declarations, he would have laughed. It was a damn strange sight to watch his mate pout while Shade’s cock was still buried in his tight ass. “Yes, sweetheart, I love you,” Caspian whispered, leaning forward to press his lips to Fletcher’s once again. “I can’t deny it any longer.” The smile that spread over Fletcher’s face was bright enough to rival the sun. His eyes sparkled, and he swallowed hard. “I love you, too, Cas.” Shade wanted to say the words, but he still didn’t know how he felt. When he professed his feelings, he wanted them to be true, to mean something—not just pretty words and empty promises. His heart ached, his stomach clenched, and his head hurt. Would they leave him because he couldn’t tell them how he felt? And just how did he feel? Damn, he was so confused. The anxiety went a long way in cooling his ardor, and his soft prick slipped from Fletcher’s ass, but he continued to hold his mate against the wall as his brain swirled.


103

I’m not good at this. I don’t know what I’m doing. Can I give them what they need? Maybe I should just let them go. They deserve so much better. He didn’t realize he’d spoken his thoughts aloud until Caspian’s arms wound around his chest and squeezed him tight. Fletcher’s fingertips stroked Shade’s face, and silent tears streamed down his pink cheeks. “Don’t say that,” Fletcher whispered. “Don’t ever think that. You’re amazing, and we love you, baby. We won’t ever ask for more than you can give, though.” But wasn’t that the point? He knew Fletcher meant every word he said, but his men deserved someone who could give them everything they needed. They deserved someone whole—not the broken and lost man they’d been saddled with. The tears cascading down Fletcher’s face only pushed Shade further into despair. Slowly easing his lover to the floor, Shade held him steady while Fletcher found his legs. Then he slowly untangled himself from Caspian’s hold and went directly to the shower without a word. The least he could do for them was have his breakdown in private.

104

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Thirteen “No.” Fletcher shook his head and growled. “I am not letting him hide anymore.” He started to stomp toward the bathroom, but Caspian’s arm caught him around the waist and lifted him off his feet. “Whoa there, tiger.” Caspian chuckled and held him against his chest. “Let’s give him some time to process everything. He’s confused and afraid, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about us.” Fletcher wasn’t having it. He was tired of Shade’s self-debasing attitude. He couldn’t stand to watch the hurt and fear in his lover’s eyes. “Once we’re out of this mess,” he said quietly, “I’m going to find whoever it was that did this to his self-esteem and torture them slowly.” Caspian’s voice turned hard and frigid. “Agreed.” Then he sighed, his body relaxing around Fletcher’s and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “Just give him time.” He started to relent, but the muffled sob he heard over the spray of the shower undid him. “No,” Fletcher growled. “I won’t sit by and watch Shade do this to himself. He needs us, Cas, and he needs us now, not in an hour, not tomorrow. Now!” “And this is why I adore you, mahal ko.” Caspian rubbed his cheek over the top of Fletcher’s head. “You are so fierce in everything you do. It’s sexy as hell.” Fletcher snorted and rolled his eyes as he turned in Caspian’s arms. “Sweet talker,” he accused with a smirk. “Flattery will get you everywhere.” His eyebrows drew together, and he tilted his head to the side. “What did you just call me?” He hoped for Caspian’s sake that it had been a compliment.


105

“Mahal ko,” Caspian murmured against his lips. “My love.” “Oh, I like that.” Fletcher melted into the kiss. Mmm, Caspian kissed like a dream. “Can we please go get him now?” he whispered a moment later when they pulled apart. “My heart is breaking for him. I can’t just do nothing.” Caspian sighed and dipped his head. “Don’t try to force him, baby. It will only make things worse. But, I agree that he needs us right now.” Something flashed in Caspian’s eyes that made Fletcher’s heart stop and flop over in his chest. “What? What is it?” “I don’t want to crowd him. I know he needs time to work through his emotions.” Caspian tugged at the ends of his hair. “I don’t think we should leave him alone right now, though.” “You mean, like he’s going to hurt…” Fletcher’s eyes went wide, and he sprinted into the bathroom, throwing the door open and letting it bang against the wall. His stomach churned and bile rose in his throat as panic made his legs wobble. Through the foggy glass of the shower door, he could see Shade leaning under the spray, his forehead pressed against the tiles, and his arms hanging limply at his sides. His entire body shook with repressed sobs, and Fletcher couldn’t help but wonder how long his mate had been bottling up his emotions inside himself. For the last six thousand years, if he had to guess. Reassured by Caspian’s presence at his back, Fletcher covered the distance to the shower, and slid the door back on its tracks. Stepping under the warm water, he waited for Caspian to join them in the confined space and slid the glass back in place. Shade never even flinched. Fletcher hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. Then he wound his arms around Shade, crossed them over the man’s chest, and rested his head between his mate’s shoulder blades as the water rushed down over them. “Don’t slip away, Shade. Not again.”

106

Gabrielle Evans

To his complete surprise, Shade spun around, grabbed Caspian by the back of the neck, and jerked him close, sandwiching Fletcher to between them. He slammed his mouth down on Caspian’s, eating at his mouth like a starving man as his other hand began to roam Fletcher’s body. He was wild, unheeded, his hands everywhere, and everywhere in a hurry. Breaking the kiss, Shade snarled and delivered the same mindmelting attention to Fletcher’s mouth. Fletcher responded, but remained passive, giving Shade the control he so obviously needed. “It wasn’t supposed to be this way.” Shade growled. He turned both Fletcher and Caspian, pressing their backs against the cool tiles of the shower wall. A little thrill raced through Fletcher, but uneasiness crept into the edges. He knew Shade would never hurt him in his right mind, but he looked far from stable at the moment. “I never thought I’d be allowed to keep you,” Shade continued, unaware of the covert glances Fletcher and Caspian were casting at each other. Fletcher could tell by the tense set of Caspian’s jaw that the man was preparing to intervene if Shade lost control and became violent. Shade’s hands roamed their bodies, smoothing over their slick chests and down to cup and fondle their cocks. Though apprehensive about where this was going, Fletcher’s body couldn’t help but respond to his mate’s touch. His cock began to swell inside Shade’s loose grasp and ache for a firmer hold. “I just wanted someone to ease the pain for a little while.” Shade’s voice had taken on the gravelly, hissing quality it got when he shifted or was close to it. Fletcher prayed the man wouldn’t unleash his gargoyle in the small, cramped space. Shade lowered himself to his knees and took Fletcher’s pulsing cock into his mouth, swallowing him down in one easy glide of his lips. He continued to stroke Caspian, jerking on the hard length as his long tongue did sinful things to Fletcher’s libido. He’d only felt Shade’s gargoyle tongue once before, but holy shit did he love it!


107

Dragging his lips up Fletcher’s dick, Shade let the turgid flesh slip from his lips and looked up at them again. Some of the light had returned to his eyes, and Fletcher felt the first flickers of hope inside his chest. “I can’t do it anymore, though,” Shade whispered, and Fletcher’s tiny vestige of hope shattered. He wasn’t being fair, though. He’d promised Shade that he wouldn’t ask for more than the man could give, and Fletcher was determined to keep his vow no matter how much it hurt. Caspian’s hand slid down Fletcher’s wrist until he could twine their fingers together. Using his other hand, he caressed the side of Shade’s face. “Do what makes you happy, baby. That’s all we want for you. Whatever you decide, we’ll understand.” Caspian’s voice was gentle and steady, but his hand squeezed Fletcher’s, belying his calm façade. Shade closed his eyes, a deep, contended rumble rising up from his chest as he nuzzled his cheek against Caspian’s palm. Fletcher glanced up at Caspian in surprise before quickly returning his attention to their other mate. “I can’t have just half anymore,” Shade murmured. “I want it all. Not just for a little while. Not just until someone tells me I’m not supposed to have this.” He opened his eyes, staring up at them with longing. “I want it all, and I want it forever.” Ignoring his hard cock and screaming desire, Fletcher eased into Shade’s lap and twined his arms around his lover’s neck. Caspian lowered himself to the floor as well, spreading his legs and pulling Shade between them so that his back rested against Caspian’s chest. His long arms wound around them both, and he rubbed his cheek against Shade’s. Fletcher rubbed his face against Shade’s other cheek and down the side of his neck. His eyelids drifted closed, a serene smile ghosted over his lips, and he began to purr happily, knowing how much both

108

Gabrielle Evans

of his mates loved the sound. “We’re not going anywhere,” Fletcher vowed. Shade’s head dropped back against Caspian’s shoulder, and he tightened his arms around Fletcher as he sighed in contentment. “I wanted to suck you, but you messed up my plans,” he murmured. Fletcher giggled. He couldn’t help it. Caspian’s deep chuckles joined in, and soon they were all three laughing like loons. “Don’t worry, baby. You can suck my cock any time you want,” Fletcher assured his mate with a provocative twist of his hips. “Oh, yes,” Caspian agreed. “I think I could be convinced to endure morning blow jobs twice a week.” Shade growled at them playfully as he leaned up to nip Fletcher’s chin. Then he settled against Caspian’s chest again and turned his head to scrape his teeth of the man’s jaw. “I love you.” His voice wavered and cracked, but the smile on his face forced Fletcher to swallow around the lump in his throat. “I love you both so much. I know I have issues, but I’m trying. Don’t give up on me. I need you.” Stronger men had surely been brought to their knees by such an open confession of love. Fletcher kissed Shade’s lips tenderly, lingering for just a moment before moving on to Caspian. Then Shade joined them, the kiss turning sloppy but heated as all three tongues slid together. Whatever it took, Fletcher would fight to keep this. “I’ll never give up on us.” **** The storm blew in three days later, but the ambiance inside was calm and welcoming. Caspian sat at Shade’s computer, trying to get caught up on the last three weeks of work he’d missed. With no internet access, he wouldn’t be able to test any of his coding, but at least he was being productive.


109

The wind howled outside, driving snow to the ground in a great white sheet. The cabin groaned around them, the logs crackled inside the fireplace as the flames dances merrily, and Caspian grinned. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled so much, and it felt damn good. Maybe they’d just stay here forever, hiding out from the rest of the world, and lost in their love for one another. “Crap, it’s so big!” Fletcher shouted. Caspian’s head snapped up, and he started to chuckle. Shaking his head, he sat the laptop on the nightstand beside the bed, and climbed to his feet. Since making their feelings known, his men had become completely insatiable. It had become second nature to walk in on someone fucking someone at any given time of the day. And when they all three came together, there were times Caspian was surprised he’d survived it. “Oh my god, it hurts!” Fletcher wailed. “Get it out. Get it out!” Caspian froze midstretch, and his eyes widened. That didn’t sound like his baby at all. The bigger, faster, and harder, the better as far as Fletcher was concerned. Worry settled over him, and Caspian hurried out of the room, following Fletcher’s continued sniffles to the kitchen. He found his mate sitting in one of the kitchen chairs, Shade kneeling in front of him with Fletcher’s wrist held securely in his hand as he inspected their lover’s finger. “Yep, that’s a big one, kitten. I don’t think we’ll have to amputate, though.” Shade looked up at Caspian and winked. Caspian let out a relieved huff and crossed the room to kneel beside Shade. He gave the man a quick peck on the lips, then turned his focus to Fletcher. Looking down at the bleeding finger, he found a large shard of wood buried deep inside the skin. Oh, poor baby. “What happened, mahal ko?” “I was trying to put another log on the fire, and the damn thing bit me,” Fletcher whined. “I’m not doing it anymore.” His lower lip slid out, and he shook his head defiantly.

110

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “I’m sorry you got hurt, baby.” He looked at Shade out of the corner of his eye, and Shade nodded fractionally. “What was that? What was that look?” Fletcher asked, his voice rising. “We have to get it out,” Caspian said reasonably. “Just take a deep breath.” The second Shade’s finger touched the splinter, Fletcher yowled and jerked his hand away, holding it to his chest. He shook his head frantically. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt that much. It will come out when it’s ready, I’m sure.” His bottom lip trembled, and Caspian thought his mate looked adorable. Rising up on his knees, Caspian moved around to Fletcher’s side and gripped his lover’s chin between his thumb and the knuckle of his forefinger. “You are so beautiful,” he cooed, trying to soothe his mate. Dipping his head closer, he brushed his lips across Fletcher’s, softly, teasingly. “Love this mouth.” Fletcher moaned breathily, mashing his mouth to Caspian’s and used his good hand to wrap around Caspian’s neck. Letting his mate set the tempo, Caspian opened for Fletcher’s questing tongue, and wiggled his fingers behind his back at Shade. He hoped the man got the idea. The kiss went on and on until Caspian began to contemplate the need for oxygen. Though he loved nothing more than sinking his cock into his lovers’ warm, willing bodies, he could kiss them forever. There was just something so intimate about the slippery glide of their tongues together, the way their lips pillowed against each other. What had he ever done to deserve two such perfect men? He didn’t know, but he wasn’t about to argue with fate. Something had driven them all to that gathering against their natures and better judgments. Something had pushed them toward each other, bringing them together when they each needed it most. Call it fate,


111

destiny, or just a fortuitous coincidence—Caspian didn’t care. These men were his, and he’d be thankful for them every day of his life. “Got it,” Shade announced, breaking into Caspian’s thoughts. Fletcher pulled out of the kiss and panted for breath as he glared at Caspian. “You tricked me.” “Maybe, but you loved every minute of it,” Caspian teased. Instead of answering, Fletcher’s eyes went wide and vacant. His muscles tensed, his joints locked, and he became completely immobile. “Fletcher?” Caspian looked over his shoulder at Shade in shock. “What’s wrong with him?” Shade pushed between Fletcher’s legs and cupped his face, patting his cheeks lightly. “Look at me, kitten. Tell me what’s going on.” Caspian’s palms began to sweat, and his heart thundered against his sternum. “Fletcher, you’re scaring us, baby.” “Kitten, can you hear me? Come on, sweetheart, look at me.” Fletcher blinked and gasped, his whole body trembling as he fell forward into Shade’s arms and clung to him. Shade held Fletcher to him, staring up at Caspian with concern written all over his face. Smoothing his hand down Fletcher’s spine, Caspian tried to remain calm and keep his voice even. “Fletcher, what happened?” Their mate whispered something he couldn’t hear, but Shade’s eyes went huge, and he crushed Fletcher even closer to him. “What did he say?” Caspian didn’t like the chalky gray Shade’s skin was turning. Shade swallowed loudly, then his features darkened, a storm raging in his eyes. He growled once, the color rushing back to his face to mottle the skin in angry red patches. “Take Fletcher and hide,” he ordered. Caspian shook his head firmly. “Tell me what he said.” Shade met his eyes, a wicked snarl curling his lip. “They’re coming.”

112

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Fourteen Fletcher didn’t understand his visions or how they came to him. There had only been six of them spread throughout his life, but each one left him feeling shaky and nauseous. “There’s a blizzard outside,” Caspian said soothingly. “No one is going to be able to get to us in this.” “How did they find us?” Shade growled. “No one except Tess knows about this place.” His eyes darkened, and he flew to his feet so fast that Fletcher ended up on his ass. “That bitch!” “Calm down.” Caspian helped Fletcher to his feet, and turned to face Shade. “We don’t know if she betrayed us or not. Is there another way they could track us? Maybe they used your scent.” “They’d have to be close enough to get a trail on it. Since we flew here, it’s not possible. I just…” Shade trailed off, spinning around and slamming his fist on the kitchen table. “My fucking cell phone! Tess told me to dismantle it, but I completely forgot. Hell, I don’t even know where it is.” He shook his head and sighed as he scratched at the back of his neck. “I can’t afford these kinds of mistakes.” “How long do we have?” Caspian asked. Fletcher let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. For his mates to believe him so implicitly, made him feel warm all over. “I don’t know, but soon.” “In this?” Caspian asked Shade incredulously, waving a hand toward the window and the raging snowstorm beyond. Shade simply nodded. “I don’t know who will come, but trust me when I say that they’ll be prepared.”


113

Fletcher had no doubt that his mate spoke the truth. Stepping forward, he took Shade’s hands in his own and squeezed. “Tell us what to do.” “We don’t have time to run, so we’ll have to fight.” Shade looked like he was about to apologize, but Fletcher reached up and covered his mouth. “Tell me what to do,” he repeated. Shade looked at him for a long minute and nodded. Then he pulled Fletcher out of the room, motioning for Caspian to follow them. They headed into the bedroom, and Shade released Fletcher to dig through the closet for his backpack. Fletcher had completely forgotten about the thing. Pulling the gun out that he’d given Fletcher in Washington, Shade pressed it into Fletcher’s hand once more and caressed his cheek. “If someone tries to hurt you,” he whispered, “you hurt them right back.” Fletcher gulped, but jerked his head in what he hoped his mate would take for his understanding. Shit, he didn’t want to shoot anyone. “How?” “Point, aim, and fire,” Caspian said as he began going over the inspection of the gun in his hand. Fletcher hoped he wouldn’t need the knowledge after this fiasco, but he made a firm decision to have his mates teach him all about guns as soon as possible. He’d never be unprepared or stumbling around in the dark again. He wanted to be an asset to his lovers, not a hindrance. He opened his mouth to ask what they would do now, when a loud screech sounded from outside, distant, muffled against the howling of the wind, but much too close for comfort. “They’re here,” Shade said as though speaking of guests to a party that he’d unwillingly agreed to host. He turned, grabbed Caspian around the neck, and kissed him hard and fast. Then he spun around and delivered the same scorching heat to Fletcher’s mouth. “Remember what I said. They won’t be merciful. They’ll do whatever

114

Gabrielle Evans

they have to do to get their hands on you. Don’t give them the chance.” Before Fletcher could ask why these people were after him in the first place, a loud crash sounded against the front door, making him jump. “Would ‘lock and load’ be the appropriate sentiment?” Shade chuckled and kissed Fletcher’s forehead. “It’s as good as any. Stay away from the windows, keep low, and do exactly what I tell you.” Fletcher nodded. “Good. Now stay here.” “What?” “I want you to hide, kitten. Shift and squeeze into some place small.” The sound of shattering glass sounded from down the hallway, followed by the loud bang of the front door being forced open. Cold air swooped into the room, chilling Fletcher to the bone and causing him to shiver. “Santiago, we know you’re here,” a deep masculine voice called. “We just want the cat. Hand him over, and we’ll leave all peaceable like.” “Go!” Shade hissed. “Hurry.” He reached for the gun in Fletcher’s hand at the same time the bedroom window burst inward, raining glass onto the hard planks of the floor. “Go!” Shade screamed at him, whirling around and lifting the gun in his hand as two men rolled in through the window. Heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway, men shouted, shots were fired, and Fletcher stood paralyzed in the middle of the war zone. He gripped the gun in his hand and squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could. As though his arm—or possibly the gun?—had a mind of its own, Fletcher’s arm flung straight out to the side and his finger curled around the trigger. His arm dropped a little and moved to the left, and he squeezed the trigger again.


115

“What the fuck?” someone shouted from the doorway. Without opening his eyes, Fletcher’s arm reached across his body. He fired. Up and to the right no more than a few inches, and the gunshot echoed around the small room. Then everything went eerily quiet except for the roar of the wind streaming in through the broken windows. “Fletcher,” Shade said quietly. Fletcher’s arm whipped around to point straight out from his body, in the direction of Shade’s voice. Fear seized his heart, and Fletcher’s eyelids snapped open. “Duck!” he screamed. He didn’t know what was happening, but he was powerless to stop it. His finger pressed the trigger once more, and the widow behind Shade shattered. The man that had been peering inside screamed, grabbed his shoulder, and disappeared from sight. “Oh, crap. Oh, crap. Oh, fucking crap.” Fletcher began to shake violently, and he guessed his eyes had to be as big around as dinner plates. “Did I…are they…” “Not dead,” Shade answered. He was looking at Fletcher very strangely, as though scared to approach him. Staring down his arm to the gun still clasped in his hand, Fletcher watched the metal gleam in the overhead light as it wobbled in his grip. He couldn’t let go of it. Gods, he wanted to, but he couldn’t release his hold on it, and his panic began to double. Caspian approached him cautiously, giving the barrel of the weapon a wide berth. “Give me the gun, baby.” “I can’t let go.” Shade moved to Fletcher’s other side, and began stroking his face, urging him to look up and meet his eyes. “You did wonderful, kitten. I know you’re scared, but it’s over now. Give Caspian the gun.” “I can’t let go,” Fletcher repeated with slightly more hysteria than he was comfortable with. Caspian warm hand rested over Fletcher’s, his other hand moving underneath the handgun. “Let go,” he whispered.

116

Gabrielle Evans

And just like that, Fletcher’s fist sprang open. Caspian caught the weapon and tossed it on the bed before jerking Fletcher into his arms and hugging him until Fletcher could hardly breathe. “What just happened?” He hated the quavering in his voice, but that was some freaking shit straight out of the Twilight Zone. “I don’t know,” Shade answered as he pressed against Fletcher’s back. “We need to get out of here, though. These guys will come around soon, and we don’t want to be here when they call for reinforcements.” “We can’t fly in this.” Caspian sounded sure and confident, but Fletcher could hear his mate’s heart pounding beneath his ear. It made him feel a lot better to know that he wasn’t the only one who was shook up. “We don’t have a choice.” Shade sounded matter-of-fact, not the least bit apologetic. That made Fletcher feel better as well. At least one of them knew what the fuck to do, because he didn’t have a goddamn clue where to go from here. “Where will we go?” Shade kissed the top of Fletcher’s head. “I still have some cash. We’ll fly south and find a hotel. I’ll try to get in touch with Tess, and then we can decide what to do from there.” Fletcher started to giggle madly. “What’s so funny?” Caspian asked, and he didn’t sound very happy. Shaking his head, Fletcher tried to get a hold of himself, but it was no use. He’d finally lost his mind and fell over the edge into insanity. This shit was just too much to cope with, and if he didn’t laugh, he’d probably start crying. Not the manliest thing he could do, and his mates would probably think him totally addled then. So, he continued to laugh, little snorts escaping his nose every time he tried to reign in his amusement. “Fletcher?” Uh-oh. Shade already sounded worried. “Why are you laughing?”


117

With a deep sigh, Fletcher finally managed to get himself under control and peeked over his shoulder at Shade. “Pack up so we can fly south for the winter.” Then he fell against Caspian and started laughing all over again. **** Shade ushered his mates into the rundown hotel room and went directly to the bed, ripped off the blankets, and wrapped them around Fletcher. The man’s skin was cold as ice, his lips were blue, and he trembled so hard, Shade thought he’d shatter into a million pieces. The weather was much calmer in northern Oregon, but they’d had to fly through some pretty nasty stuff to get out of Alaska. He hated that his lovers had to suffer that, but there really hadn’t been a choice. Caspian cranked the heater up to full blast, stripped out of his clothes, and gestured for Shade to do the same. They weren’t exactly toasty, but they’d both fared much better than Fletcher. Once they’d removed their clothing, Caspian helped him strip down their mate as well, then scooped him into his arms and carried him to the bed. Shade grabbed the blankets from the other bed as well, slid in on Fletcher’s other side, and arranged the covers over all three of them. Caspian pressed against Fletcher’s back, and Shade molded himself to his mate’s front, hissing as Fletcher’s frigid skin met his. “Damn, kitten, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I–I’ll b–be fine in a m–minute.” Fletcher’s teeth clacked together loudly as he spoke, and Shade felt completely helpless. Looking up, he met Caspian’s eyes and pleaded silently for forgiveness. Caspian must have grasped the meaning because he reached over and cupped Shade’s cheek. “You kept us alive. That’s all that matters. Love you, yeah?” Maybe it made him weak, but Shade couldn’t resist leaning into the touch and nodding slowly. “Yeah. Love you, too.”

118

Gabrielle Evans

“M–Me, thr–ree,” Fletcher chattered. His lips were returning to their natural pale pink, though, and Shade sighed in relief. He rubbed his nose against Fletcher’s and chuckled softly. “Love you, too, kitten.” Caspian dropped a quick kiss on the side of Fletcher’s neck. “Ditto, babe.” When Fletcher had finally stopped shivering and drifted off to sleep, Shade slid out of the bed and tucked the blankets around his lovers. Dressing quickly, he walked around to Caspian’s side of the bed, bent over, and kissed his lips quickly. “I have to find a phone and make a call. I won’t go far, and I won’t be gone long. Try to get some sleep.” “Yes, Mom,” Caspian mumbled sleepily, but he gave Shade a crooked grin. “Watch your back, babe.” With a dip of his head, Shade pocketed the room key and slipped out the door. He waited for just a moment, debating the risks of leaving his mates unprotected. Then the doorknob clicked, there was a muffled tap, and finally the sound of metal sliding over metal. Shade grinned in approval. Caspian could take care of himself, and he’d die before he’d let anything happen to Fletcher. Forcing himself to believe they would be safe until he returned, Shade jogged along the sidewalk and across the parking lot to the twenty-four hour gas station. Spying the pay phone near the dimly lit corner of the building, Shade prayed it was in working order. Strolling to it as casually as possible, he lifted the receiver from its cradle and almost sighed at the electronic buzz of the dial tone. Rummaging in his pocket for the quarters he’d gotten from the front desk of the motel, he dropped them in the slot one by one and punched in the numbers quickly. “Who is this?” “Tess, we have trouble.”


119

“Oh, my god, you’re okay!” A broken sob drifted over the phone, and Shade pulled it away from his ear to stare at it in shock. He’d never known Tess to cry. Settling the phone back to his ear, he waited for his commander to gain control of herself. “Tess, what the fuck is going on?” “Is Fletcher safe?” “Yes. Shook up, scared out of his mind, but he’s not hurt.” “Thank you,” she whispered. “I need answers.” “Where are you? I’m on my way.” Shade gave her the location of the motel and the room number. “I suggest you announce your presence, because I’m more likely to shoot first and ask questions later.” “Understood. Let me get dressed, and I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Tess’s supernatural ability of transportation was one Shade had envied for as long as he’d known the witch. There was a long pause before Tess spoke again. “How is your other mate? Caspian, is it?” Shade’s fingers curled around the receiver in a death grip until he was afraid he’d snap the damn thing in two. “You leave him alone, Tess. I won’t let you hurt him.” “I don’t want to hurt him, Shade. I was wrong before. You deserve to be happy. Protect them, because second chances don’t come to people like us.” The sadness in her voice tore at his heart, but Shade pushed the feeling away quickly. “Get your ass down here, and come with answers.” “On my way,” she said curtly, sounding much more like herself, and the line went dead. Dipping into the convenience store, Shade purchased what he could find for them to eat—which didn’t amount to much more than donuts and chips—added three bottles of water, and three steaming

120

Gabrielle Evans

cups of coffee to his order, paid the clerk, and hurried back across the parking lot. He wished he had time for a quick nap before Tess arrived. He’d never felt so tired in his life. Things were probably going to get worse before they got better, but for a couple of minutes, he’d allow himself to bask in the love and warmth of his mates.


121

Chapter Fifteen The loud rap at the door had Caspian jumping out of bed and reaching for the handgun on the nightstand. He held it to his side and crept toward the door. Shade rambled off something in a language Caspian didn’t understand as he came to stand beside him. Shade was so old it was possible the language didn’t even exist anymore. A female voice replied in the same dialect, and Caspian felt his mate relax beside him. Touching Caspian’s shoulder, Shade gave him a quick squeeze and hurried over to the door. He peered through the peephole, nodded his confirmation, then began unlocking the door. “It’s Tess,” he called over his shoulder. “It’s okay, babe. Get some clothes on and wake up Fletcher.” “I’m awake.” Fletcher sat up in bed and stretched his arms over his head. “Did you say Tess is here?” The smile that covered his face lit up the entire room. He looked down at his bare chest and the blankets covering his waist and squeaked. “Shit! Don’t let her in!” He scrambled out of bed and began digging through the clothes on the floor to find his own. Caspian tried to push away his unease at having a member of The Allegiance on the other side of the door and pulled on a pair of jeans. His T-shirt hit him in the chest, and he looked up to see Fletcher’s disapproving scowl. “Put it on,” he demanded. With a wide grin, Caspian tugged the shirt over his head. “Jealousy looks good on you.” Fletcher snorted. “Just protecting my assets.”

122

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian sidled closer to his mate and smoothed both hands down Fletcher’s sexy ass. “I’d like to do a lot more with your assets.” Shade cleared his throat, and Caspian jumped away from Fletcher like he’d been burned. He grinned innocently at Shade and shrugged. “Tell me you can resist him.” “Not arguing, but there isn’t time.” Shade looked a little disappointed at this, which just made Caspian laugh. “Let me in, fucker! It’s freezing out here.” “Okay, ready,” Fletcher announced. Shade reached for the doorknob, but Fletcher squeaked again. “Wait!” Caspian bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing again. Shade groaned and looked over his naked shoulder. “What now?” “Are you really planning on opening the door with your cock hanging out?” Fletcher crossed his arms over his chest and raked his eyes up and down Shade’s nude body with a frown on his lips. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Caspian closed his eyes and shook his head, refusing to give into his amusement. “There,” Shade grumped a few seconds later, and Caspian felt it was finally safe to open his eyes. His lover had a pair of jeans on, but he’d left them undone, and the smooth skin of his chest made Caspian’s mouth water. Without giving Fletcher the chance to argue, he marched back to the door and flung it open. A tall, shapely woman with long blond hair and bright green eyes rushed into the room and began shedding her coat. “Tess!” Fletcher took two long strides and collided with the woman, hugging her fiercely and kissing her temple. “I missed you,” he said in a softer tone. “I missed you, too, baby doll.” She hugged him back just as tightly, burying her face in his neck and breathing deeply. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”


123

Caspian cleared his throat to hide the growl that rumbled up from his chest. Man, woman, or three-headed pig, the sight of his mate in someone else’s arms set his teeth on edge. Fletcher sighed heavily and released his friend. “My men are a little possessive. Please forgive their rudeness.” Tess laughed and waved her hand. “I’d expect nothing else.” She cupped his cheek and leaned forward to kiss the other one softly. “I’m glad you have them.” Fletcher smiled beautifully as he looked at Caspian, and then to Shade. “Me, too,” he whispered. He introduced Caspian, and though he nodded his head, Caspian didn’t offer his hand. He didn’t know this woman, and he didn’t trust her. After an awkward moment, they settled on the beds, Shade beside Caspian on one, and Fletcher beside Tess on the other. “Start talking,” Shade said immediately. Fletcher frowned at him, but Caspian took Shade’s hand and squeezed in gratitude. He wanted answers as well. “Where the hell have you been? Why didn’t you show up at the cabin?” Tess took a deep breath and dipped her head curtly. “There might be a way for you to disassociate with The Allegiance without having to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life. I wanted to talk to the e—uh, Chief, before I came to find you.” Caspian didn’t miss the stutter in her speech. What had she been about to say? Before he could interrupt, she continued. “He was held up at the UPAC Conference, though, and only returned yesterday. By then, it was too late. I did my best to help you.” She gave Shade a pointed look that Caspian couldn’t decipher. It made him uneasy. “What’s the condition?” he asked, latching on to the part of the conversation he was able to follow and most interested to hear about. He was probably speaking out of turn, but he knew everything came with a price. Tears welled in her eyes, and she took Fletcher’s hand. “That you forget I ever existed.”

124

Gabrielle Evans

Caspian could live with that, but judging by the look on Fletcher’s face, his little mate was not as accepting of the terms. “What do you mean? I won’t ever see you again? No!” Fletcher pulled the woman into his arms again. “I don’t understand. Why?” His voice cracked twice, and Caspian suddenly felt about two inches tall. “It’s the deal I bargained for you,” Tess whispered. “It’s the only way.” “Well, I don’t like it. Find a different way.” Caspian watched the pair with great interest, something niggling at the back of his mind. The way they interacted wasn’t so much like friends, or even lovers. It was more…familial. During their late-night discussions at the cabin, Fletcher had told them that his parents died when he was younger, and he had no other relatives. Still, something just didn’t feel right. Shade’s eyebrows were drawn together, and he seemed to be concentrating on something. His lips twisted as though he’d tasted something sour, and his hand tightened around Caspian’s. “Martin,” he said, drawing out Fletcher’s last name. “Tonya and Drake Martin.” “Those were my parents,” Fletcher said as his head popped up to look at Shade. “I never told you their names. How did you know that?” He looked back and forth between Tess and Shade several times. “Someone answer me!” Caspian had a bad feeling that he knew where this was heading, but he said nothing and waited. As inept as Shade was at any kind of social interaction, it was highly unlikely he’d been bosom buddies with Fletcher’s parents. That left only one way for the gargoyle to know their names. “They were targets,” Shade finally answered Fletcher’s demand. Their mate’s eyes almost popped out of his head, and his mouth gaped open in shock. Then he pressed his lips together as tears began to glisten in his eyes. “You killed my parents.” The heartbreak and underlying sense of betrayal in those four little words made Caspian’s gut curl painfully.


125

Shade didn’t even flinch at the accusation. He looked right into Tess’s eyes and shook his head. “Not me.” **** Fletcher popped up off the bed like a jack-in-the-box and stumbled backward, away from his best friend. It hurt less to know that Shade hadn’t been the one to leave him as an orphan, but only marginally. “You were supposed to be my friend,” he whispered. “You killed my parents in cold blood.” The tears that streamed down Tess’s face only pissed him off. The woman had no right to her guilt or sadness. She had taken away his parents then tried to do the same with his mates. She’d lied to him, deceived him, and made a fool of him. Closing his eyes, Fletcher tried to tame his racing pulse. “Just go,” he said quietly. “I’ll have no problem forgetting you ever existed.” “Fletcher, let me explain.” His eyes snapped open, and his upper lip curled over his teeth. “I do not have to listen to anything you have to say!” he screamed. “Now, get the fuck out!” “Fletcher, I didn’t have a choice,” she tried to plead with him. Losing the thin hold he had on his self-control, Fletcher launched himself at the woman, but never reached her. Strong arms wrapped around his torso, dragging him back to the opposite bed. “Leave,” Shade growled as he struggled to keep Fletcher in his arms. Kicking, yelling, and clawing, Fletcher made every effort to free himself from Shade’s hold. Everything around him had disappeared, and his only thought was to get to Tess and cause her as much pain as possible. Rising slowly, Tess extracted an envelope from her back pocket and stared at it for a long time before placing it on the bed. She

126

Gabrielle Evans

looked into Fletcher’s eyes and took a shuddering breath. “I’m so sorry. I won’t see you again, but I hope one day you can forgive me.” Fat chance, Fletcher thought to himself. Tess’s eyes shifted to Shade. “He will be your Guardian.” “No!” Shade roared. In a flash, Fletcher found himself in Caspian’s lap, and Shade had Tess around the arm, dragging her out of the motel room. The aggressive reaction finally cooled some of Fletcher’s anger, and he stopped struggling. “What does that mean?” Caspian looked as confused and angry as Fletcher felt. “I don’t know.” Shade was gone for a long time. When he finally stormed back into the room and slammed the door behind him, he looked spitting mad. He paced restlessly, raking his hands through his hair and making it stand up on end. After he’d seemed to work off some of his built-up hostility, he came over and knelt on the floor in front of Fletcher. “I’m sorry, kitten. I’ll make it right, I promise.” “Make what right? What did she mean?” Shade sighed sadly and dropped his chin to his chest. “Maybe I should just start from the beginning.” He sat back on his heels and fisted his hands in his lap before looking up at Fletcher. “I’m sorry about your parents.” “Tell me why.” Fletcher didn’t remember his parents well, but he did know they had been good people and loved him unconditionally. “It was a botched job.” Shade sighed again and rubbed at the back of his neck. “It was supposed to be a simple in and out, take down a rogue shifter, and disappear before anyone knows you’re there.” “My parents weren’t rogue,” Fletcher defended them firmly. “No, they weren’t.” While Shade spoke, Caspian eased Fletcher out of his lap and moved to the other bed to retrieve the envelope. Tapping it against his palm, he looked up at Fletcher with his eyebrows raised in question.


127

Fletcher shrugged. He didn’t give a fuck about what was inside, but if Caspian wanted to read it, then whatever. Returning his focus to Shade, Fletcher nodded. “Continue, please.” “The target was your uncle. He’d been hiding out with your parents.” “I didn’t have an uncle. I remember a man lived with us for a while, but he was just a family friend.” Shade placed his hand on Fletcher’s knee and rubbed. “No, kitten, he was your uncle. I wouldn’t lie to you.” Fletcher nodded. Most of his life had been a lie, why not this as well? “When Tess went in, your uncle was ready for her. He had the entire house rigged, and the minute she stepped inside, the place went up like the Fourth of July.” Fletcher digested this for a minute. “So, she didn’t kill them?” Shade shook his head. “Technically, no. If she’d waited for backup, though, they may have been able to subdue him before anyone got hurt. It was an idiotic and arrogant move on her part.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before continuing. “Tess heard you screaming and damn near got herself killed to get to you. You were young, but you’d seen her. The Allegiance doesn’t leave witnesses.” Rubbing a hand over his chest, Fletcher blinked back the tears that welled in his eyes. Tess hadn’t killed his parents—not purposely anyway. She’d risked her life to rescue him. Though there were still things broken between them, maybe he could eventually forgive her. “I wasn’t there,” Shade vowed. “I never saw you, and I didn’t know what became of you afterward. According to the little discussion I just had with Tess, though, The Allegiance was reluctant to execute a child in cold blood. You were placed in a human orphanage, and Tess was assigned to you.” Shade said the last part as though it were very important. “What does that mean?”

128

Gabrielle Evans

“She was responsible for you. If you should ever remember that night and feel the urge to blab, she would be forced to keep you quiet.” Shade looked into his eyes pointedly. “You mean kill me.” Fletcher shuddered involuntarily and placed his hand over Shade’s where it still rested on his knee. “You had no idea who I was when you met me at the gathering?” He felt like an asshole for asking, but he had to be sure. “No.” Shade closed his eyes and his shoulders slumped. “It’s my fault they’ve been after you. If I’d had known who you were, I’d have kept my distance. Once our names were recorded in that stupid book, The Allegiance believed I’d let the cat out of the bag.” “Oh, hardy har.” Fletcher snorted and rolled his eyes when Shade blushed and gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry, kitten, I didn’t mean it like that.” “So, why didn’t they just kill me instead of kidnapping me?” Good grief, could this day get any stranger? Here he was having a conversation about his own death as though they were discussing nothing more fantastical than the weather. “Because we’re bonded. If you die, so do I. The Allegiance didn’t want to lose me if there was any way possible. The only reason Tess outranks me is because I refused the job.” Shade wasn’t being boastful. There was no cockiness in his voice. He was merely stating facts, and Fletcher couldn’t help but be impressed. “So, when Tess would go away for weeks at a time and say she’d tell me where she was going, but then she’d have to kill me—she was serious, huh?” Shade nodded. “I’m sorry.” “Stop. You didn’t do this.” Fletcher caressed his thumb over Shade’s knuckles. “What is a Guardian?” Shade snarled, and his hand curled into a fist beneath Fletcher’s palm, but he didn’t answer.


129

“According to this,” Caspian spoke for the first time since Shade had reentered the room, “it means you are now responsible for both me and Shade.” Lifting his gaze to his other mate, Fletcher arched an eyebrow. “Responsible how?” “The Allegiance is like a ghost,” Shade answered. “A myth, a legend whispered in dark alleys and questionable establishments.” He smirked a little before he became serious once more. “In the beginning, Allegiance members who defected were hunted down and executed. Over the years, things changed and when the current elder took over The Allegiance, he established a new law.” “One of the elders runs The Allegiance?” Fletcher asked in awe. “Which one?” Shade gave him a look, but ignored his question. “Now, when a member finds his or her mate, they are offered immunity upon one condition.” “You lied to me,” Fletcher growled. “You said it was either The Allegiance or death. You mean to tell me you had a way out of this the entire time?” “It’s comparable to death,” Caspian muttered. “I don’t like it.” “It was too dangerous,” Shade added. “I couldn’t put you in that position.” “Stop talking in circles and tell me what the fuck is going on!” Fletcher’s chest heaved, and he didn’t know how much more he could take. He was on information overload, and his emotions were wildly out of control. “When a member finds their mate and leaves The Allegiance, said mate becomes their Guardian. Basically, it’s an assurance that the order remains hidden and unknown. If they suspect that I have made any mention of them, and mind you, they don’t need proof…” “Well?” Fletcher crossed his arms over his chest and glared. “What happens?”

130

Gabrielle Evans

“Your life is forfeit,” Caspian answered quietly. He held the letter up and waved it a little. “According to this, since I’m mated to you as well, and my only crime was refusal to join, I have been given immunity as well.” Fletcher thought this over for a long time. He didn’t like that The Allegiance didn’t need proof to hunt them down, but if it would get Shade out from under their rule… “How often has a Guardian been executed?” “Since the law was established six hundred years ago, only twice.” “So, the odds are slim that something will happen to me?” Shade nodded slowly. “Yes, but it’s not a chance I’m willing to take.” “Tough shit.” Fletcher smirked when Shade’s eyes rounded. “If this gets you off the hook, and there’s only a fractional possibility that I’ll end up dead, then I say we do it.” Interpreting his expression, Shade smiled. “What do you want to know?” “What about my visions?” As long as he was getting answers, he might as well ask one of the biggest ones. “And what’s the deal about that whole freaky thing with my arm just doing whatever the fuck it wanted back at the cabin?” The remembrance of having no control over his actions still scared the hell out of him. “You know Tess is part witch right?” Shade asked hesitantly. Fletcher bit his lip and nodded. What did Tess have to do with this? “She’s been sending you visions when she believes there is something you need to know that she couldn’t tell you directly.” “In other words, something she wasn’t supposed to tell me.” Fletcher scrubbed at his face. “I’m assuming The Allegiance has no clue about this?” Shade nodded. “It would be best for you and for Tess if they never find out either.”


131

“I’m not stupid, Shade.” Fletcher rolled his eyes. “So why send me to the gathering if she didn’t want me mated?” “Oh, she wanted you mated,” Shade assured him. “She just didn’t want you mated to me. She hoped that once you found a mate, she could convince the elder to make that person your Guardian so that you would continue to be protected if something should happen to her.” “She really did care about me, huh?” Fletcher felt a deep ache in his chest and struggled to breathe around it. He’d never see his friend again, and the last things he’d said to her had been vile and hateful. “Yes,” Shade answered simply. “So, what about the incident at the cabin?” “If Tess had a clear connection with someone, she can see things through their eyes as they are happening. You’ve been friends for a long time, kitten. She’s very well in tune with you.” “You’re saying Tess made my arm act all crazy?” Fletcher snorted. “So, what? She’s like a voodoo priestess or something?” Shade didn’t even crack a smile as he nodded. “Oh, fuck me running,” Fletcher breathed. “I’ll fuck you anyway I can get you,” Caspian muttered just loud enough for Fletcher to hear, and it sent him into peals of laughter. Another thought occurred to him, and the smile slid right off his face. “So, since I’m your Guardian does that mean that I have immunity as well?” “Yes,” Caspian answered. “You will be governed under the same laws as Shade and myself.” “Okay, then I’m in.” Fletcher tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. “Just in case, maybe we better pay a visit to that witch doctor in Sumar, though.” Caspian jumped his feet and bobbed his head enthusiastically. “I’ll get us flights out tomorrow.”

132

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Sixteen “What?” Shade jerked against his restraints as his cock throbbed painfully between his legs. “What the hell do you mean, I can’t touch?” Fletcher giggled at him and wiggled his eyebrows. “You said you thought it would be hot to watch Caspian fuck me. I’m only granting your wish, baby.” Shade dropped his head back to his pillow and groaned. His little mate was going to torture him slowly before he killed him. He’d awoken that morning to a wonderful heat wrapped around his morning wood and three fingers sawing in and out of his hole. Unfortunately, he’d been so distracted by Caspian’s expert blow job that he hadn’t realized Fletcher had handcuffed him to the bed before it was too late. Now he was fucked, and definitely not in the good way. “How about a little something to take the edge off?” Fletcher smoothed his hands down his bare chest and palmed his leaking cock. “Please,” Shade begged. Nearly six months together, and he no longer gave a shit about always looking tough and in control around his mates. They loved him unconditionally, even when he was less than perfect. Caspian crawled on to the bed, positioning himself between Shade’s spread thighs. His tanned skin stretched across his sculpted chest and made Shade’s mouth water. Licking his lips as his cock flexed in appreciation of all the smooth bare flesh on display, Shade arched his hips up from the bed.


133

The smile on his mate’s face, the wicked glint in his eyes, told Shade that Caspian had something delicious planned for him. He couldn’t wait for it. No matter how many times they came together, each time felt like the first. Shade hoped the feeling never faded. Fletcher sashayed over to the bed and crawled up to straddle Shade’s stomach, shielding his view of Caspian. Then he bent down and licked lazily at Shade’s lips before delving inside to explore the recesses of his mouth. Shade knew his lover was distracting him, knew he should probably be concerned, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. Then something slick and hard pressed into his hole, and Shade jerked his head away and gasped as the toy slid inside him until the flat base rested against his clenching cheeks. Glaring up at Fletcher’s innocent face, Shade growled. “You wouldn’t dare.” Oh, but they did. Caspian pumped the plug inside him a few times before settling it against his ass once more, and both of Shade’s mates crawled off the bed. “This is cruel and unusual punishment,” he whined. “I didn’t even do anything!” Fletcher cocked his head to the side and tapped his chin. “You did eat the last of the pizza I said I wanted.” Shade gaped at him. “I swear to all that is holy, I will never eat pizza again.” His mate just giggled at him and shook his head. “Nice try, big guy.” While Fletcher teased him, Caspian eased himself into the overstuffed armchair near the closet and patted his thighs. “Climb on, mahal ko.” Shade’s cock jerked and his ass clenched, pulling the toy further into his passage so that it rubbed against his prostate. He bit his lip, breathing deeply through his nose so as not to cry out in pleasure. It would only spur his mates on, and he’d never receive the attention he wanted.

134

Gabrielle Evans

“Watch,” Fletcher ordered as he strolled over to Caspian, shaking his ass and driving Shade out of his mind. Turning around, he gave his gorgeous cock a few good strokes and licked his lips as his gaze bore into Shade’s. “Are you watching, baby?” Shade could only nod as his breaths came in shallow pants, and his dick hardened further. Fletcher spread his legs wide and bent over at the hips to rest his hands flat on the floor, presenting his upturned ass for Caspian’s viewing pleasure. Caspian looked like he would swallow his tongue, but he recovered quickly, producing a bottle of lube from who knew where and slicking his fingers. Shade’s ass convulsed around the butt plug once more, and he fought not to blow his load as he watched Caspian’s fingers disappear into Fletcher’s tight hole. Damn, that was pretty, and it set Shade’s head spinning as his balls drew closer to his body. Fletcher moaned and writhed, rocking back against Caspian’s hand, fucking himself on the longer fingers. Two became three, and eventually Caspian had four fingers pumping into their mate’s hungry channel. When Fletcher was nice and stretched, Caspian gently extracted his fingers and gripped Fletcher’s hips, tugging him back. Fletcher rose from his bent position, took Caspian’s pulsing cock in hand, and lined it up with his puckered entrance. Then he sank slowly, impaling himself on the thick length until his ass rested snugly against Caspian’s groin. Shade’s body burned, his heart raced, and lightning bolts of pure pleasure slammed into him every time his ass clutched around the toy. His men were so beautiful, and even more amazing together. He was one lucky bastard. Planting his feet on the chair on either side of Caspian’s thighs, Fletcher leaned back against Caspian’s chest and began a slow grind. Caspian groaned, wrapping his arms around Fletcher’s chest and


135

thrusting up into him as his lips trailed along the creamy skin of their mate’s throat. Fletcher’s eyes never left Shade’s as he began to rise and fall, spearing himself on Caspian’s hard dick over and over. “Do you like watching me ride his cock, baby? Does it make you burn with desire to see us together?” “Yes,” Shade hissed, pulling at the handcuffs again in a futile attempt to reach his throbbing prick. “Tell me what you want,” Caspian said as his eyes landed on Shade as well. “Harder,” Shade moaned. “Fuck him harder.” Fletcher braced his hands on the arms of the chair and held himself up until only the flared crown of Caspian’s cock remained lodged inside his hole. Caspian gripped Fletcher’s hips and growled, his control dissipating as he began to slam into their lover with powerful thrusts. Shade moaned and whimpered, his own cock so hard he just knew it was going to break off. Pre-cum oozed from the slit and pooled on his belly as his balls churned and his ass clenched greedily. Fletcher cried out again and again, tossing his head back on Caspian’s shoulder and losing himself in wanton delight. Abandoning his grip on Fletcher’s waist, Caspian wrapped his hand around Fletcher’s bouncing cock and began to stroke him frantically. “Oh, fuck!” Shade cried out as more pleasure slammed into him. “Make him come,” he begged. He loved seeing his kitten when he came. There was nothing on earth to rival the blissed-out expression on his face. “Come for us,” Caspian growled, giving a sharp twist of his wrist around the head of Fletcher’s dripping dick. His hips drove upward as he buried himself to the base inside Fletcher’s body and roared out to the ceiling. Fletcher gasped, his eyes rolled back in his head, and long, creamy ropes of semen erupted from his slit.

136

Gabrielle Evans

Shade held his own orgasm at bay by sheer force of will. His mates might be trying to kill him, but he couldn’t think of a better way to go. **** Caspian hissed as his mate rose off of him, and his still-hard prick pulled from Fletcher’s clutching hold. Damn, the man had a fine ass. His gaze shifted to Shade, and Caspian’s cock throbbed hungrily again. His lover looked like a buffet spread out for a starving man. His chest rose and fell in rapid succession, his skin glistened with a fine sheen of sweet, and his delicious cock jerked with every beat of his heart. Pushing up from the chair, he slapped Fletcher on the ass and growled. “I think our mate deserves a reward for not coming.” “Oh, yes,” Fletcher purred as he began to prowl toward the bed. “What would you like, baby?” “Touch me. Suck me. Anything,” Shade begged desperately. Caspian loved seeing his man like this—all walls torn down, his passion overwhelming him, and his need reducing him to a pile of mindless goo. Fletcher wasted no time in grabbing the extra bottle of lube from nightstand and slicking Shade’s steel-hard cock. Then he tossed the bottle behind him into Caspian waiting hands, and climbed up to straddle Shade’s hips. He lined the engorged head up with his opening, and seated himself in one swift drop. Shade bellowed, his back arched off the mattress, and he jerked wildly at his restraints until Caspian worried his mate would hurt himself. Debating for several seconds, he finally decided he wouldn’t risk it. With Shade so obviously wild with lust, there was a real possibility he would break the skin or even his damn wrist. Hurrying around the bed, Caspian snatched the key up from the bedside table and unlocked the handcuffs.


137

He’d barely gotten the second one undone when Shade reared up, wrapped his arms around Fletcher’s back and flipped him over on the mattress. Growling and snarling like a man possessed, he shoved back into Fletcher’s welcoming body, driving in deep and swiveling his hips. Fletcher yelled out, the look on his face pure rapture as he bucked up to meet Shade’s demanding thrusts. “You love it rough, don’t you, kitten? You’re so fucking tight. So perfect. Gonna make you scream. Will you scream for me, kitten?” Caspian grasped the base of his cock to stave off the climax that barreled down on him. Shade had something going with this voyeuristic thing. The sounds of skin slapping against skin, the smells of sex and sweat, the naughty words pouring from Shade’s mouth all combined until Caspian’s body began to tremble with need. Kneeling on the bed behind his lover, he gripped the base of the butt plug and gave it a few twists before removing it from Shade’s spasming tunnel and dropping it to the bed. Shade grunted, his rhythm slowing, and he peeked over his shoulder. The heat in his eyes settled over Caspian like a palpable force. Digging his fingers into his mate’s hips, he slid into Shade’s silky channel in one long stroke. They groaned in unison, Fletcher’s soft whimper adding to the harmony of erotic sounds, and Caspian began snapping his hips, plunging into Shade’s yielding body with enough force to rock him forward. Fletcher cried out, his legs hitching up Shade’s waist until his feet pressed against Caspian’s sides. They’d come together just like this the first time, and Caspian would never forget it. Working together, moving as one, they found their rhythm. It took only minutes for Caspian’s climax to bear down on him, driving him to increase the tempo as he rocked into Shade’s body with demanding intensity.

138

Gabrielle Evans

“Come for me, my loves,” he ground out through gritted teeth. He wouldn’t last much longer, but he wanted to make sure his mates were satisfied first. The tight heat gripping his cock convulsed around him in a strangle hold, and Caspian almost lost it. Burying his face in the back of Shade’s neck, he begged for self-control. Fletcher found his orgasm first, screaming loud enough to pierce Caspian’s eardrums. Shade followed quickly, groaning deep in his chest as his inner walls clenched in waves, milking Caspian’s cock, until he had no choice but give in to his body’s demands. Wrapping one arm around his mate’s chest, Caspian drove into Shade’s welcoming heat, his thrusts jerky and uncoordinated as his brain short-circuited. With one final plunge, he encased himself to the base and moaned like an uninhibited slut against the damp skin of Shade’s neck. His balls tightened, his belly clenched, and his balls unloaded, spraying from the tip to fill his mate’s ass with his cum. They all slumped together, Fletcher bitching about being crushed beneath the two of them. Slowly, they moved apart, rolling off of their smaller mate, and Caspian sprawled on his back with his eyes closed and a hand over his racing heart. “You are going to kill me,” he panted. “I was thinking the same thing when I was tied to the bed,” Shade agreed. Fletcher just giggled. “You guys are too much. Sex never killed anyone.” “Whoever said that apparently isn’t doing it right,” Shade grumbled, and Fletcher laughed harder. They lounged in bed for a few minutes before finally struggling off the mattress and heading to the shower. As Caspian followed behind his lovers, he couldn’t help but tease a little. “So, if Shade is a legend”—he smirked when Shade turned around to glare at him, but otherwise ignored the look—“and Fletcher is our Guardian…”


139

Fletcher looked up at him as well and fisted his hands on his hips. “Yes?” “Then what am I?” He had meant it as a joke, but deep down inside, he sometimes wondered what his role in their relationship was. Did he really even have one? The look in his mates’ eyes told him that he just might. They stalked closer to him, invading his personal space as they plastered themselves to his sides. Shade licked at Caspian’s throat, and Fletcher rubbed himself over every inch of skin he could reach. “You,” Shade whispered in his ear as Fletcher began to purr, “are our every fantasy come to life.” A sappy grin spread over Caspian’s face, and he turned his head to capture Shade’s roaming mouth. When he finally pulled out of the kiss, he wound his arm around Fletcher, and reached up to cradle the back of Shade’s head. “I can live with that.” **** “So, what do you guys think about having a baby?” Fletcher asked causally as they sat around the table at dinner. His head snapped up when Shade began choking, and Caspian jumped to his feet to pound on their mate’s back. “What?” Shade gasped. Caspian had a similar look of terror on his face that Fletcher found absolutely adorable. He had no doubt in his mind that his men would make amazing fathers. They both had such tender hearts and so much love to give. “I didn’t mean right away of course, but I thought maybe it’s something we could think about.” Fletcher bit his lip and blushed when his mates continued to stare at him as though he’d grown a third eye. “Never mind.” Caspian resumed his seat, and leaned forward with his elbows on the table. “What brought this on?”

140

Gabrielle Evans

“I dunno,” Fletcher mumbled. He’d thought it was such a great idea, but from his lovers’ reaction, they obviously didn’t. “I thought it would be nice to have little Shades and Caspians running around.” “Kitten, none of us have a uterus, in case you haven’t noticed.” Shade rubbed a hand over his pale face. “I know, but we could use a surrogate.” Fletcher had done all kinds of research over the past couple of weeks. Hell, he’d even gone as far as to search for baby names. “Are you not happy?” Caspian asked, and the crestfallen look on his face tore at Fletcher’s heartstrings. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life,” he hurried to assure his men. “It’s just, well, I always wanted a family. It sucked growing up not knowing mine and being all alone. Babies are so cute and cuddly, and then when they get older there’s T-ball, and cheerleading, and all kinds of fun stuff.” “Then they turn into teenagers and make your life hell,” Shade argued. “But, they’d be ours,” Fletcher whispered. He knew he wasn’t explaining it right. It wasn’t that he wanted a doll to dress up and parade around. He’d always loved children, and the thought of having one or two of his own made his heart soar. “I don’t know anything about babies,” Caspian admitted, but he sounded a little more accepting of the idea. “I know some,” Fletcher rushed to say. “I can teach you, and what we don’t know, we’ll learn.” “Fletcher, I don’t know.” Shade groaned and shook his head. “I can barely take care of myself. I’m not good with people. I don’t want to hurt you, kitten, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for anyone to have me as a father.” Sliding out of his seat, Fletcher hurried around the table and crawled up in Shade’s lap. He wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and pressed their lips together lightly. “You’re wrong. You take care of Caspian and me all the time. You are one of the most loving


141

and giving people I’ve ever met. Any child would be damn lucky to you have as a dad.” Shade remained silent for a long time, rubbing his cheek over the top of Fletcher’s head. “Can I think about it? I mean what are we going to do about The Allegiance? Are we just going to tatt the kids up, too?” Fletcher thought about the tattoos that ran down his back, just like the ones Caspian had, and now Shade as well. Caspian hadn’t lied about booking them a flight right away after Tess had left. The experience had been strange, the tattoos painful, but if they worked, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. “I’m sure there are ways of protecting them as well. We have plenty of time to look into it.” Shade nodded slowly. “Let me think about it.” Fletcher bit his tongue to keep from shouting with joy. Instead, he nodded his head slowly until he’d gained control of his excitement. He didn’t want to scare his mate off of the idea. “Absolutely. I don’t think we’re ready for kids yet, but maybe in another year or two.” Caspian came around to kneel on the floor beside Shade’s chair, and Fletcher reached out to take his hand. “What do you think, Cas?” “I want a girl, and I want her to take my side,” Caspian said seriously. “I’m tired of you two ganging up on me.” A wide smile stretched across his face, and he winked. “Honestly, I think you’re right that we’re not ready yet, but I’m not opposed to the idea a few years down the road.” Happy right down to his toes, Fletcher nodded eagerly. “I probably should have waited to spring it on you, but I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. I just wanted to know what you guys thought before I started getting my hopes up too much.” “Like we could deny you in anything.” Shade chuckled and kissed Fletcher’s temple. “You know you always get your way.” “Because I’m always right,” Fletcher huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and let his bottom lip slide out. It was a rotten,

142

Gabrielle Evans

manipulative move, and he knew it. His men were suckers for his pouty face. “Maybe we should practice this baby making thing,” Caspian said huskily. Fletcher started to giggle. “I’m pretty sure Shade was right, and none of us have a uterus.” His smile turned into a scowl, and he pointed a finger in Caspian’s face. “And you will be jacking off into a cup, not dropping the kids off at Camp Cervix.” Caspian blinked twice, then threw his head back and roared with laughter. “Dropping the kids off at Camp Cervix? Oh, hell, mahal ko, you are something else.” “I still think we should practice,” Shade murmured as his lips trailed up the back of Fletcher’s neck and made him shiver. Caspian’s eyes darkened with lust, and he shot to his feet and began stripping out of his clothes. Fletcher’s mouth watered and his cock began to swell and throb. He licked his lips in anticipation as Shade ground the impressive bulge in his jeans against Fletcher’s ass. “Please,” Fletcher whimpered without even knowing he’d meant to say the word. The filter between his brain and mouth always seemed to go haywire when his men wanted to play. “It’s been a while since we played in the kitchen,” Shade panted against Fletcher’s neck. “What do you say?” The sounds of plates crashing to the floor drew their attention, and Fletcher looked up to see Caspian sprawled across the table on his back, his thick cock in hand as he stroked it slowly. He held up his unoccupied hand and crooked a finger at them as his smile turned seductive. “Gentlemen,” Caspian whispered raggedly, “your fantasy awaits.”


THE END WWW.GABRIELLEEVANS.COM

143

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gabrielle Evans grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma. We are talking one red light that may or may not work depending on the day of the week. She married her high school sweetheart and the rest is pretty much history. They have two very active boys and one high-strung wiener dog that keeps her constantly on the go. For now, she parks her car in central Indiana, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Gabrielle believes in love at first sight, falling hard and fast, taking chances, and grabbing your happy-ever-after with both hands. She also believes that a great cup of coffee can cure anything.

Also by Gabrielle Evans Siren Classic ManLove: Gods of Chaos 1: Devil Did Grin Siren Classic: Salem Nights 1: Life Out Loud Ménage Amour: Wicked River 1: Keeper of the Light Siren Classic ManLove: Lawful Disorder 1: Lipstick and Handguns Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Fire and Ash Siren Classic ManLove: Midnight Matings: Myth and Mischief Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 1: Leap of Faith Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 2: By the Light of the Moon Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 3: Whispers in the Night Ménage Amour ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 4: Softly Spoken Lies Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 1: Dark Devotion Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 2: Upon Crimson Waters Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 3: Firestorm Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 4: Hell’s Tempest Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 5: Shades of Black Siren LoveXtreme Forever ManLove: Fatefully Yours 6: Hypnotic Healing

Available at BOOKSTRAND.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc. www.SirenPublishing.com

Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian

Fantasy & Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles

Fantasy & Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

the Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Fantasy, Legend, and the Guardian

Fantasy & Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles

Fantasy & Legend Scroll Saw Puzzles

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

the Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

The Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Guardian

Recommend Documents