by Lynn Hagen
He brushed aside a few strands of blond hair that had fallen over Kyle’s eyes. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for his zaterio, and once this mess with Kirk was over, Nikoli planned to see a realtor about getting a house in town. It was what his mate wanted, and Nikoli would go to the ends of the earth to make the man happy.
He still didn’t regret withholding information from his mate. He’d do whatever he had to in order to protect the man. Kyle could stay mad at him. Yes, that bothered him, but if it meant keeping Kyle sane, Nikoli would do it all over again.
When Kyle finally stirred, Nikoli ran his hand over his mate’s bare chest. He couldn’t stop touching the impala, regardless of the situation. Kyle was angry with him, but only death itself would keep Nikoli from needing his mate with his very soul.
Kyle turned over, and his ass aligned with Nikoli’s cock. Was the guy purposely tempting him? He gave a low moan as he pulled his groin away from Kyle’s ass.
Kyle scooted back. Yep, the man was purposely tempting him. Nikoli ran his hand down Kyle’s naked side, resting his hand on his mate’s hip. He kissed along Kyle’s neck, nipping him on his shoulder. “You’re awake?”
Raising his arms above his head, Kyle gave a long stretch, making Nikoli think of a lazy cat coming out of his sleep. His small body contorted, his ass pressing harder into Nikoli’s erection.
“I love these pillows,” Kyle murmured. “They’re so soft and comfortable.”
“Mmm.” Nikoli ran his tongue over Kyle’s smooth and warm skin. “So is your body.”
Kyle relaxed back against Nikoli’s chest. “I’m still mad at you.”
“And you can go back to being upset with me later.” Nikoli coaxed his mate to his stomach. Kyle rolled with ease. Nikoli kissed and licked his way down Kyle’s spine, stopping to tongue the dip on either side of his upper ass. Kyle moaned as he spread his legs.
Nikoli moved lower, spreading Kyle’s ass. He licked his mate’s puckered hole, delving his tongue inside the tight muscle. Kyle hissed as Nikoli palmed his mate’s heavy sac, tugging gently on the wrinkled skin.
He smiled when Kyle started fucking his tongue. Nikoli wet his finger and then pushed it deep inside Kyle’s ass. He wiggled his finger until he felt the walnut-sized gland.
“Oh fuck.” Kyle wiggled his ass as Nikoli slid his finger over the kill spot, and then added another finger, using his tongue to keep Kyle’s hole wet. He nipped one cheek and then the other as he worked his fingers to stretch Kyle.
Nikoli pulled back when Kyle moved away. The first thing that came to mind was that Kyle was too angry to continue, but seconds later, he pushed Nikoli to his back, turned, and then crawled over Nikoli until they were in the sixty-nine position.
“I want to taste you,” Kyle said before swallowing Nikoli’s cock.
Nikoli automatically thrust upward, moaning as Kyle sucked him to the back of his throat.
Nikoli licked at the cock bobbing above him. The head dripped with precum, tiny droplets too tempting for Nikoli to pass up. He licked the head clean before taking Kyle’s shaft into his mouth.
The musky and masculine scent drove Nikoli crazy. He thrust his fingers back into Kyle’s ass as he sucked at the head, humming slightly.
Kyle bucked, scraping his teeth gently down Nikoli’s cock. He grabbed Nikoli’s shaft and then slid his tongue into the slit at the head of Nikoli’s erection.
The guy was out to make Nikoli go insane. The feel of his zaterio’s mouth on him, his hands, and his weight eased the tightness Nikoli had carried in his chest for days. Kyle was upset but hadn’t rejected him. He still didn’t feel bad about what he’d done. He just hated the fact that Kyle refused to see why he’d done it or understand Nikoli’s need to protect his chosen one.
Kyle pulled away and then turned, straddling Nikoli’s hips. That was another sign that his mate wasn’t as mad as he’d been before. If he had been, he wouldn’t be facing Nikoli.
“Ride me?”
Kyle bit his lower lip as he nodded. He bent at the waist and latched onto one of Nikoli’s dark nipples. Nikoli hissed as Kyle bit and teased the pebbled flesh. He wanted to drive himself deep inside his mate but allowed Kyle to set the pace.
That didn’t stop him from touching every part of Kyle he could reach. His hands stroked up his mate’s sides, slid over his back, and then ghosted down to his ass, watching as Kyle shivered at his touch.
“Waiting on something?” Nikoli’s breathing had grown heavy.
“I like drawing it out,” Kyle said as he moved to Nikoli’s other nipple. “It’ll make things much more intense.”
“It’s already intense.” Nikoli’s cock was so hard that it throbbed painfully.
With a smile, Kyle glanced up at him. Those light-blue eyes sparkled with mischief. He pushed back, the crease of his ass gliding over Nikoli’s cock. “Do you want in?”
“Are you seriously asking me that?” Nikoli grabbed the base of his cock and gave the hardened flesh a few strokes.
Kyle reached up and slipped his hands through Nikoli’s hair, tugging at the strands. Their lips brushed over the other’s before Nikoli plunged his tongue deep.
Kyle moaned into the kiss, rubbing the cleft of his ass over the head of Nikoli’s cock. “Fuck me,” he begged into Nikoli’s mouth.
In one fluid motion, Nikoli had Kyle on his back. He grabbed the oil and slicked his cock. Kyle kicked away and shoved his hands into Nikoli’s chest. “I said I wanted to ride you.”
With his hands held up, Nikoli fell to his back. Kyle straddled him again, grabbed Nikoli’s cock, and then slowly eased his way down. Nikoli arched his back at the tight, wet heat. Kyle’s ass gripped his shaft like a glove.
Kyle’s head fell to the side as his lips parted. It was as if an angel sat atop him. Nikoli couldn’t rip his gaze away as his mate slowly bounced up and down, his feet planted firmly on either side of Nikoli’s body.
He grabbed Kyle’s hips, holding tight as he punched his hips upward. Kyle dropped to his hands, his mouth devouring Nikoli as Nikoli thrust harder. Kyle cried out, pulling back as his puckered hole tightened around Nikoli’s cock. His cum erupted in spurts, painting Nikoli’s chest.
The smell of his mate’s release drove Nikoli over the edge. He sank his fangs into Kyle’s neck as he filled his mate’s ass with his seed. After Nikoli extracted his teeth and licked the wound, they both collapsed, panting heavily.
Nikoli’s sweat-soaked hair clung to his face and neck as he wrapped his arms around Kyle. The impala was his to protect, and no matter what, that was exactly what Nikoli intended to do.
Chapter Nine
Nikoli was determined to hunt Kirk down and end this. Although Kyle had finally gotten the rest he’d desperately needed, he couldn’t keep drinking the tea. Large doses weren’t safe, which meant Nikoli would have to take care of the reason Kyle was having nightmares.
If he eliminated Kirk, then maybe his mate could finally have peace of mind. Nikoli left his sleeping mate as he took off from the castle, heading into Pride Pack Valley. The sheriff said that Kirk had checked into the local motel.
All he had to do was find which room Kirk was in and take care of the bastard. Sheriff Dekalb met him on the outskirts of town. The patrol car pulled up next to Nikoli’s motorcycle, kicking up dust before he parked.
Nikoli sat sideways on his bike, his ankles crossed. The sheriff exited his car and moved to stand by Nikoli. “So you just plan to go into town and kill him?”
“Unless you have a simpler plan,” Nikoli said. “He’s tortured my mate for years, and now he’s come to town in order to get Kyle back. I need to take him out before he enlists the help of hellhounds or demons.”
“That would be bad.” Sheriff Dekalb gave a nod as he leaned on the trunk of his car, crossing his arms over his chest.
Nikoli admitted that the gray wolf shifter was good looking but never understood how Zeus’s men mated in threes. Nikoli had a hard enough time dealing with one mate.
“It would,” Nikoli said. “I just called you as a courtesy. You were the one to give a heads-up about him coming to town. Thought I owed you as much.”
“I appreciate it,” the sheriff said. “But what you’re talking about is cold-blooded murder. I can’t stand by and let that happen, Nikoli. We have to get Kyle to make a statement, to press charges. We take him down the legal way.”
“Human laws?” Nikoli hadn’t meant to raise his voice, but his back molars ground. “I won’t subject Kyle to any more of Kirk. He’s had enough already. I’m taking Kirk out, Sheriff Dekalb.”
“Did you just say human laws?” the sheriff scoffed. “Have you forgotten where you live? This isn’t Zanthar. You’re in the human realm. You abide by those laws.”
“What about the preternatural world?” Nikoli asked. He pushed to a standing position and faced the shifter. “You know as well as I do that we have our own set of laws, especially when it comes to mates. We protect them at all costs.”
“Damn it,” the sheriff said. “I’d rather have him rot in jail for the rest of his unnatural life than give him mercy by killing him. Can you imagine a guy like that locked away? It’s the worst punishment you could give him.”
“You know he can’t be locked away for that long,” Nikoli argued. “He’s a shifter. What happens when he doesn’t age like everyone else?”
The sheriff cursed. “I keep telling Zeus we need our own type of prison for our kind.”
“It’s called the underworld,” Nikoli reminded the guy. “Are you suggesting we send Kirk there?”
“To relive his worst nightmares over and over again for the rest of his mangy life?” Sheriff Dekalb chuckled. “It would be fitting.”
“Set it up,” Nikoli said. “Do it soon because I’m not going to wait for too long. I told you I’m not going to sit on my thumb while Kirk makes a deal with some hell creature to get to Kyle.”
“I’ll have Zeus talk to the demon warriors. I’m pretty sure they can get their hands on Kirk and take him to the Keeper.”
“You make it sound so easy.” Nikoli wasn’t sure he liked that. He wanted to exact his own justice against the wolf shifter. Kirk deserved to be punished, but it was Nikoli who wanted to dole out that punishment.
“It won’t be easy,” Sheriff Dekalb said. “They’re not just gonna take someone there without proof. Kyle’s gonna have to tell them everything, and Panahasi is gonna have to make that judgment call.”
And if the demon warrior leader felt Kirk hadn’t committed a heinous enough crime? Then what? Nikoli couldn’t let Kirk escape what was rightfully due to him. “Yeah, okay.”
The sheriff narrowed his eyes. “I mean it, Nikoli. We go through the proper channels.”
“You bet.” Nikoli turned and swung his leg over his bike. He slid his sunglasses into place. “Proper channels. Gotcha.”
Fuck that. He wasn’t going to take any chances that Kirk might not be convicted and sent to the underworld. He would take matters into his own hands, and if there was fallout, he would deal with that, but at least Kirk would be nothing more than a distant memory.
Kirk sat in his car, watching the sheriff talk with another man. Somehow he knew they were talking about him. He’d seen the stranger with Kyle in town. He would have to take care of the biker-looking guy. He would stand in Kirk’s way, and Kirk refused to allow anyone to stand between him and his pet.
Nikoli noticed a car following him down the long stretch of highway. It was a tan sedan. He wouldn’t have thought anything of it since this was one of two ways to get in and out of Pride Pack Valley. But Nikoli was going way past the speed limit, and the car was keeping pace.
Still unsure if the car was truly following him, Nikoli slowed. Someone who drove that fast wouldn’t give up the opportunity to speed around him, yet the car behind him slowed as well.
The slower Nikoli drove, the more the car decelerated. Nikoli was positive it was following him. He had a feeling he knew who was behind the wheel. He made a U-turn in the road and drove past the car before the driver had a chance to hide his face.
It was Kirk.
Nikoli came to a hard stop and dismounted, letting his leather slip from his shoulders. He placed it on the seat of his bike and slid his sunglasses atop his head. If the bastard wanted a fight, Nikoli would gladly give him one. With the way he’d been wound up for the past week, he looked forward to releasing some of his pent-up energy.
The car pulled to the side of the road. The driver just sat there. He didn’t exit his car. Nikoli walked forward, ready to yank Kirk out. As he passed the trunk, he slammed the side of his fist on the car. “Get your ass out of there.”
As he drew close to the driver’s door, he saw Kirk watching him from his side mirror. Something was off. The man seemed too calm. There was even a slight smirk on his face.
Nikoli paused. He was walking into a trap. He realized that too late. The shine of something sticking out the driver’s window momentarily blinded Nikoli, and a sharp pain stung his neck. Nikoli staggered backward as his vision blurred. The world went wonky before he fell on his ass.
Hissing, Nikoli pulled a dart from his neck. He glanced at it before it fell from his hand and he crumpled the rest of the way to the ground. A shadow appeared in his line of sight.
Nikoli reached up, grabbing at air as he heard someone chuckle.
“Looks like the predator just turned into prey.”
“He should have been back by now,” Kyle said as he stood in the kitchen, watching Morgan make himself something to eat. “I’ve tried to call him, but Nikoli isn’t answering.”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” Morgan said around a mouthful of sandwich.
Kyle waved toward his stomach. “I have a gut feeling. What could it hurt to check things out? Nikoli went into town. That’s a five-minute flight for Renato. It’ll help ease my mind.”
Kyle thought about going into town himself to look for Nikoli, but since that had worked so fabulously that last time, he decided against the idea. That and the fact that Kirk was in town. Kyle wasn’t ready to face the monster in the flesh. He chewed his nail as he waited for Morgan to say something. The guy was eating his sandwich as if Kyle’s world wasn’t about to explode.
“Will you hurry up and eat?” he asked.
Morgan licked his fingers as he chewed and swallowed the last of his food. “Trying not to choke to death. Forgive me for eating slowly.”
“Are you gonna ask Renato?” If Renato wouldn’t help him, Kyle just might flip out up in this castle. He was losing patience, and fast. Nikoli wouldn’t have been gone this long. It had been seven hours since he said he would check things out in town. Seven hours. The town wasn’t that damn big. Even if Nikoli had done several sweeps, he should’ve been back by now.
“All right. I’ll ask him.”
Morgan headed out of the kitchen, Kyle on his heels. His insides had twisted into knots, and Kyle felt as if he’d throw up at any second. He knew what kind of dick Kirk was, but then again, Nikoli was a strong warrior. It would be hard to take the winged beast down.
But Kirk was underhanded…evil…a sadist… Fuck, Nikoli was in deep trouble if Kyle’s ex got the drop on him.
No, Kyle refused to think that. He had to stay positive that Nikoli had gotten caught up in some business and was just late getting home.
You know that’s bullshit.
Ugh! Kyle was ready to pull his hair out. He pressed a hand to his stomach. It really hurt. All this stress was eating him alive. His headaches had gotten worse, and Kyle hadn’t been eating lately. It felt as if a hole was burning in his gut.
“You really are worried,” Morgan said as he stopped to look Kyle over. “And you look like crap.”
“Gee, thanks.” Kyle wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “Glad you think I look so stunning.”
Morgan twisted his lips. “You know what I mean. When’s the last time you ate?”
“Can you just go as
k Renato and stop trying to diagnose me?” Kyle waved toward the hallway.
“Someone needs to,” Morgan said. “I think you need to see a doctor.”
“You’ll need one if you don’t get moving.” He was losing more patience, and Kyle didn’t have much more to give. His mind conjured up Nikoli lying on the side of the road somewhere, having wrecked his bike. Or his mate had gotten into a fight and was gasping for his last breath. Or some aliens had abducted him. Gah, he really needed to stop thinking, or he’d have a nuclear meltdown. He wasn’t that far away from one as it was.
Morgan entered his bedroom, Kyle right behind him. Renato was sliding his long swords into a sheath strapped to his back. This couldn’t be good.
“What’s with the war gear?” Morgan asked.
When Renato glanced from Morgan to Kyle, Kyle knew it would be bad news. His gut twisted even harder. Acid rose from his gut to his throat, and it felt as if the acid was burning a hole through his esophagus.
“What?” Kyle asked. “Don’t you dare try and hide anything from me.”
“Nikoli’s motorcycle and leather were found on the side of the road,” Renato said. “But Nikoli is nowhere to be found.”
“Can’t Nazaryth use his commander thing to locate him?” Morgan asked.
“Something is blocking it,” Renato said.
“Is that easy to do?” Kyle asked.
Renato shook his head. “No. Which means someone from hell is in on this.”
Kyle took a few steps back, his hand pressed against his flat stomach. He spun and bent over, coughing and gagging as he vomited. He hadn’t eaten in the past few days, so the only thing to come up was stomach acid.
Morgan was at his side, pressing a hand to Kyle’s back. “You really need to lie down, hon.”
Kyle used his shirt to wipe at his mouth. He shook his head, tears stinging his eyes from throwing up. “How the hell am I supposed to lie down when Nikoli is in trouble?”
He straightened, the smell of his stomach acid putrid. “I’m sorry about that.” Kyle shook as he slid a hand through his hair. “I’ll clean it up.”
