Rise to Love [Rise of the Changelings 1] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove)

by Lynn Hagen

  Enough was enough.

  Rick knew that this was far from over, but he didn’t want to contemplate what else might happen to Dorian. It made his gut clench at the possibilities that lay ahead.

  Clyde led them into the back entrance to an apartment building. They climbed the stairs, the stairwell echoing their footsteps. Rick still kept vigil. His eyes roamed over the concrete walls, the dimly lit hallway, and up the stairwell. Even though the bears were their next point of contact, Rick trusted no one.

  Two bears stayed by the entrance to the building and two were behind them, Clyde leading the way as they exited the stairwell on the third floor. He could hear noises coming from a couple of apartments, but they kept walking until they reached the last door on the left.

  Clyde opened it and stepped in.

  Rick stopped at the threshold. “If this is a trap, I’ll see you dead before any harm befalls my mate.”

  “And the same promise holds true for my mate as well,” Clyde replied. “As long as she is safe, yours is as well.”

  Rick took a step into the apartment, spotting a woman sitting on the couch breast-feeding a small infant. He quickly averted his gaze.

  “This is my mate, Kara, and my newborn cub, Isaiah.”

  Damn it. The man was a new father and he was helping fugitives? Rick was both impressed and appalled. How could he ask someone with a family, a newborn, to risk his life? He couldn’t stand the thought of Isaiah growing up without a father because he had helped Rick.

  “Maybe we should move on to our next contact,” Rick said as he pulled Dorian closer, needing the comfort, the contact. What he saw before him crashed into Rick with realism that none of the previous events had the power of doing. The fight became reality, the desperation to keep the changelings safe renewed. Rick knew that if anything happened to this small family that he would never forgive himself.

  But then again, hadn’t Miguel’s parents already sacrificed themselves to keep Dorian’s parents safe? Hadn’t the silent war already spilled over into the lives of the people he cared about the most?

  “Nonsense. Kara is just as adamant about this rebellion as you are. She believes every life is precious and shouldn’t be snuffed out because the government fears the unknown, fears our kind.”

  Rick glanced quickly at the mother and babe, and wanted to hunt down those responsible for starting all of this. He didn’t want Kara to become widowed and the cub fatherless. Weariness seeped into his bones as he stood there in the home of strangers willing to lay down their lives to help Rick and Dorian.

  “This is what I wanted to show you.” Clyde handed Rick a newspaper. “It’s also all over the news. I know you’ve been too busy running to know what has just happened.”

  Rick released Dorian and grabbed the paper. When his eyes settled on the front page, ice ran down his spine.

  It had begun.

  “There was a bombing in Georgia. Whoever was behind the heinous act killed twenty-five college students and two professors. Three witnesses said that they saw the man responsible fleeing the crime scene, shifting into his jaguar form before disappearing into the woods surrounding the campus. The government has declared that any changelings caught are to be detained and questioned. You know what that means?” Clyde asked, the anger and fear evident in his voice.

  “Yeah,” Rick replied as he read the details. “It means that any changelings caught won’t be heard from again.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Do you think a changeling was responsible?” Benito asked. Rick could hear the tears in the juvenile’s voice. “Do you think he killed those kids?”

  Rick shook his head, but wasn’t sure what to think. Benito needed reassurance that the world wasn’t falling apart, but Rick couldn’t give him that. It would be a lie. “I’m not sure. He could be responsible, or he could have been scared shitless and ran.”

  For all Rick knew, the jaguar could have been outed and was fleeing for his life, knowing he would be blamed.

  On the other hand, he could have killed those twenty-seven humans. Rick just didn’t know. But whatever the case, the bombing was enough for the government to openly declare war on them. They had double the proof they needed from the bombing and the massacre, and now nothing was going to stand in their way in exterminating the changelings, wiping them from existence.

  Omar walked quickly through the dark streets of Shelton. He looked over his shoulder, making sure no one was following him as he slid past a parked car and headed toward the bar on the end of the block.

  He stepped into the tavern, seeing the man he was supposed to meet sitting in a back booth, nursing a glass of beer. Omar headed for the man, ignoring the loud clap of pool balls and even louder music.

  He hated bars. Omar would have much rather met the man in a library or coffee shop, but being this late at night, his choices were limited.

  “You made it.”

  Omar nodded as he took a seat. “Do you have the proof?”

  “Straight to the point.” The man chuckled. “No foreplay?”

  The man aggravated the shit out of him, but it was a small price to pay to obtain the information he needed. Sleeping with the guy hadn’t been what Omar wanted, but add in the man’s constant needling and crude comments and Omar wanted to kill the man. He didn’t blame his pack for how low he had sunk to get the information, but damn if he didn’t feel like a whore.

  Omar played nice. “If you have what I want, then you will get what you so rightfully deserve.” His smile was sweet, filled with a promise he didn’t intend on keeping.

  Carleton reached into the inner pocket of his suit jacket, and pulled out a folded manila envelope. “Yeah, I have it.”

  Omar reached for the envelope, but Carleton pulled it away before he could grab it. “First, I want my payment. As nice as your ass is to fuck, sex won’t do this time.”

  “That wasn’t the deal. You said nothing about any type of monetary payment.” Omar gritted his teeth, wishing like hell that he could rip the man’s throat out and be done with him. He was a cruel bed partner and liked to play mind games. Omar wasn’t into mind games or being beaten during sex. Carleton was a sadistic lover, and Omar prayed he never had to sleep with the man again.

  But they had never spoken of money. The thought only made him feel cheaper than he already did.

  Carleton shook his head. “Not money.”

  “Then what?”

  Leaning closer, a lecherous smile played at the man’s lips, making him look sinister and showing Omar that he had underestimated the human. “Changelings are now on the most wanted list. How much do you think I will be paid if I turn you in?”

  Omar froze.

  “That’s what I thought.” Carleton sat back, a victorious smile on his face. “Now you will play by my rules. I want the location of Enrique Marcelo and Dorian Campbell, and this envelope is all yours.”

  Omar licked his dry lips. “I’m not privy to that information, Carleton.”

  “Then I guess you are going for a little ride to the detention center Washington is setting up at this very moment.”

  “Wait!” Omar pulled Carleton back down when the man made to leave. “But I know who is. Give me a day to find out.”

  Carleton reached across the table, tracing his fingers over Omar’s lips, a cruel and sadistic gleam in his dull blue eyes. “You have twenty-four hours before not only you, but your family are outed. Cross me and not only will you be handed over with a ribbon tied around your neck like a dog collar, but I will make sure this envelope never touches your paws.”

  Omar knew he had to get that envelope. It contained a list of the names of his entire pack, addresses, included. He wasn’t sure how the detective had gotten his hands on it, but it had to be destroyed…along with Carleton.

  But now Detective Carleton Dayton had turned the tables on Omar, outwitting him. That made his back molars grind. Carleton was gorgeous, but had proven himself to be like all the other humans. Deceitful. Trea
cherous. Conniving. Sadistic.

  “Twenty-four hours,” Omar said and knew his hands were tied behind his back. If he didn’t get Rick and Dorian’s location, the entire pack was going to be arrested. He didn’t even know Dorian, but that didn’t matter. Omar wasn’t too keen on a human being the candidate for the alpha’s mate, but then again, Dorian’s seven days were up and Omar knew his chances of being Rick’s mate were looking grim.

  No matter his opinion, Alpha Enrique had to be protected. But how was he going to protect the man and get that envelope at the same time?

  “Same time, same place, tomorrow night.” Carleton stood, tossing a few bills on the table, and then walked out of the bar, leaving Omar with no choice but to find out where the alpha and the human were hiding.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Rick walked out of the bathroom and became instantly hard at the sight lying on the bed. Dorian was naked, lying on his side, his tempting ass exposed for Rick’s perusal.

  He could tell that Dorian was asleep by the slow and steady rise and fall of the man’s breathing. Ignoring the sight before him and going to sleep was absolutely futile. Rick not only craved Dorian now, but it seemed the human was in his blood. Not taking Dorian wasn’t going to be an option.

  Running the tips of his fingers over Dorian’s side, Rick felt the silkiness of his mate’s skin and burned to wrap his body around the smaller man. His gaze traveled to an exposed hip, appreciating the swell of his mate’s ass and the beauty of the image before him.

  All Rick wanted was to crawl into Dorian’s arms and stay there for all eternity. There was so much he wanted for his mate, so much he couldn’t give him. Taking a deep breath, Rick let the towel fall to the floor as he climbed onto the bed and pulled Dorian’s back into his chest.

  “Is it time to get up?” Dorian mumbled, sleep deeply lacing his voice. As his mate turned over, his eyelids slowly rising, Rick wondered how Dorian could look at him and not hate him for upheaving his life. Because of the candidacy, Dorian was now a part of this chaos, this battle to survive that had nothing to do with him and everything to do with loving a changeling.

  “No, gatito. You have only been asleep for twenty minutes.” His mate’s hair was still damp from his shower, but Rick ignored the wet strands as he nuzzled Dorian’s neck. “But I couldn’t resist you.”

  Dorian turned in Rick’s arms, his warm body comforting Rick in a way he never thought possible. How could anyone bring such peace to his tattered soul? The fight had only begun, yet Rick felt as if it had been raging on for decades. But somehow, Dorian’s body, his closeness, his acceptance of what they were now drowning in washed over Rick like warm rain on a summer’s day.

  He cupped the back of Dorian’s head, bringing them closer, kissing the man who had come to mean everything to him. His life was now interlocked with Dorian’s, his world revolving around the younger man.

  Burying one hand in Dorian’s hair, Rick concentrated on kissing and licking over lush lips. His mate arched into him, a breathless moan escaping his lips.

  His hand slid down Dorian’s back, stopping at the swell of his mate’s ass, and then he cupped it, pulling Dorian closer.

  Dorian broke the kiss, and then ran his tongue over Rick’s jaw. “No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always love you, Rick.”

  Rick closed his eyes as those words tugged at his heart. He knew without a doubt that Dorian was speaking the truth. He could feel love and determination coming off of Dorian like a heated caress. The man believed what he confessed.

  “Even though you intimidated the shit out of me before I got to know you.”

  Rick looked down at his mate as he reached for the lube under the pillow. “I did?”

  Dorian tossed his leg over Rick’s hip, opening himself up for Rick’s invading fingers. He wet his fingers, tossed the bottle aside, and then teased his mate’s pulsating hole. The muscle felt like heaven under his finger. Rick knew that he would never tire of exploring his mate’s body. It held a fascination for him that would never dwindle. He felt his cock swell and pulse as his mate’s lips parted and his head tilted to the side as Rick’s fingers finally breached his mate’s tight hole.

  “Yeah.” Dorian said the word as if it should have been obvious to Rick how intimidating he truly was. “You had this dark, dangerous look about you. I was scared shitless to even talk to you.”

  “And now?” Rick asked as he scissored his fingers in Dorian’s tight ass.

  Dorian groaned, pushing back onto Rick’s fingers, his cock erect and sliding against Rick’s. He was dying to grab both cocks and stroke them to finish, but there was no way he was passing up the chance to feel Dorian’s body impaled on his dick.

  Rick’s growl echoed through the room as his mate’s hole flexed around his fingers. He had to fight for control, fight now to take Dorian savagely. Rick prayed he could control the raging lust beating at him, demanding a hard, fierce fuck.

  His cock tingled, aching for release, his balls drawn and tight, and Rick hadn’t even entered the man. That was saying something about how Dorian affected him. Rick had never been this close just by fingering anyone before.

  “You still have that dark and dangerous look about you, but instead of being scared, I count on it to keep us safe.” Dorian leaned up and kissed Rick’s chin, glancing at Rick from under his dark lashes. The look made his mate look so damn sensual that Rick was burning for the man. “And I find it sexy as hell now.”

  It was good to know his mate didn’t fear him. Rick wouldn’t be able to deal with the fact that Dorian was too frightened to even speak to him. But he couldn’t resist teasing his mate. “Then I’m losing my touch.” He let his canines slide free, baring them at Dorian playfully.

  “Hardly.” Dorian chuckled and then groaned when Rick added a third finger. “But I know you would never hurt me.”

  “Never, gatito.” Rick turned, placing his body above Dorian’s and removing his hand. Dorian pulled his legs to his chest, giving Rick full access to his beautiful body. Unable to stand it any longer, Rick pushed his cock into Dorian’s body slowly. They groaned in unison as Dorian braced his hands against the headboard and pushed back.

  Gritting his teeth, Rick eased back, wanting to scream at the incredible pleasure from the friction of Dorian’s flesh against his. Rick was overwhelmed by the heated tightness surrounding his hard cock and the look of pure ecstasy on Dorian’s face.

  He may have protested about having a mate, but Rick was damn glad he had Dorian. The human had turned Rick’s world on its ear and showed him that being mated wasn’t as bad as Rick had thought.

  Slender legs wrapped around his waist and each of his own thrusts were met in kind by his eager mate. Dorian pressed the heels of his feet into Rick’s lower back, shoving his cock deeper into his lover’s ass.

  Rick grabbed Dorian’s hips and started to move back and forth, his cock completely buried, slowly at first, pulling almost completely out and then pushing back inside.

  The feeling was incredible.

  Rick leaned forward, scraping the tips of his canines along Dorian’s shoulder, teasing his mate as his cock was buried over and over again.

  “My god, you fuck like a dream,” Dorian said and then whimpered.

  Rick smiled, making sure it was purely wicked as he clasped Dorian’s shoulders from underneath—careful of the man’s still healing wound—and began to lift and lower Dorian as his thrusts increased in their intensity.

  Dorian arched his back, his lips exploring Rick’s throat as Rick felt his orgasm racing along his spine, building, growing in waves and threatening to take him under.

  Rick reached between them and wrapped his hand around Dorian’s pulsating erection, the hot flesh sending waves of pleasure through him. He began to stroke his mate in time to his thrusts, Dorian gasping and writhing beneath him.

  “You have no idea the power you hold over me,” Rick murmured as he thrust his cock deep inside his mate, luxuriating in the silk
en channel that held a tight grip around his dick.

  “I highly doubt that,” Dorian replied as he dug his nails into Rick’s chest. “I can’t see myself taming the wild beast inside of you.”

  And the man would be wrong. There was nothing he would deny Dorian. His beast was already tame around the smaller man, finding a peace Rick never thought to feel. Dorian was like a balm to his aching heart.

  Dorian lifted his hips, his moans becoming more intense. Rick hastened his strokes, both with his hand and his body. He wanted to watch as his mate came unglued, crying out Rick’s name in passion.

  His breath halted in his chest when Dorian arched his back and cried out, Rick’s hand filling with his mate’s warm seed. Lifting his arm, Rick locked eyes with Dorian and then licked the seed clean from his hand.

  Dorian’s eyes grew heavy with sated lust as he watched Rick intently.

  Once his hand was clean, Rick grabbed the headboard, unleashing part of himself on the human, and praying he didn’t break Dorian in the process. Changeling sex was rough, but Rick made sure he didn’t injure his mate.

  He had been savage the first time he had claimed Dorian, but even then Rick had held back. The man had no idea the damage Rick could unintentionally inflict on his mate.

  “Stop holding back,” Dorian begged beneath him. “I can handle you.”

  Rick shook his head as the sweat dripped down his back. “No.” He gritted his teeth, his thrusts hard, but measured. “I can’t risk—” Before Rick could finish, Dorian shoved at him, taking Rick by surprise and sending him careening onto his back. Dorian climbed onto Rick, impaling himself.

  “Then I’ll risk it for us both.” His mate leaned forward and bit into Rick’s chest, right above his heart, his blunt teeth sending Rick over the edge. Rick grabbed the smaller man’s hips and shoved his cock to the hilt. He repeatedly battered Dorian’s ass, his control gone, washed away when his mate claimed him. His wolf took over, claiming Dorian and showing him who was in charge as Dorian curled his fingers around Rick’s biceps and held on.