by Mandy Rosko
He shifted his body, mindful of aching joints that flared with pain that made him hiss. Jamie moved, barely. The pain sharpened in his back especially, and like that was the jolt he needed to remember, everything came back to him in one sharp, sudden rush of information to his brain, like it was being downloaded in high speed. He remembered exactly where he was and why, and it was so damned painful and scary that he was able to ignore the pain completely after that.
He sat up with a jerk, the heavy net that was around his body made it impossible for him to get to a comfortable sitting angle, but he was up and aware at least. The dart that he'd been shot with was still sticking out of his skin. It was red right where the needle pierced him, and a small bruise was starting to discolor his skin to a dark purple color just where he'd been hit with it.
Anger filled him up like liquid being poured into a cup, and Jamie yanked the thing out of his skin and tossed it away. It didn't go very far thanks to the stupid net.
That fucking bastard had actually shot him. Ethan had netted him like he was some kind of fish, and then shot him.
That was about when the anger melted away. Panic buzzed inside of Jamie like a swarm of insects were droning and pulsating within him. That was the noise he usually heard whenever his abilities were getting out of control, and he searched around for—
There he was. Ethan Frost was lying right where Jamie had left him. Still unconscious after Jamie threw a bolt of electricity at his chest.
He'd been lucky. His aim had been spot on, and Ethan had gone down, but not before he'd fired his gun with the tranquilizer inside of it. Jamie had wondered which of them would wake up first before the drug in the dart pulled him under. Now he had his answer.
Jamie never thought he'd be on the run from him of all people. Jamie was usually running toward him.
Ethan didn't give off the evil hunter who got his rocks off by chasing paranormals vibe. That was what Jamie got for getting taken in by such a pretty face.
Of course a guy who was that well in shape, that good in bed, that attractive, and supposedly that into Jamie, was a hunter.
Ethan's chest rose and fell as he lay on the cold, damp leaves in the woods. The man had caught up to Jamie when his car had broken down, and then chased him into the trees when Jamie had run for it. He would've put Jamie in shackles, boxed him inside one of those coffin-like contraptions, and then brought him to a lab.
Now, Ethan almost looked innocent, with the way his long lashes rested against his cheeks as he slept, pink lips slightly parted as he breathed. He was so close that Jamie could still make out these features, could see the burn mark that had been left behind on the man's jacket from the electrical charge Jamie had thrown at him.
Ethan looked as relaxed and casually handsome as he always did. It was beyond not fair that he could be so good looking, even while being sweaty and dirty from the chase.
Jamie's body heated up just looking at him. He could almost trick himself into thinking they'd come out here on purpose for a quickie or something.
He panicked when his cock twitched and his testicles tightened.
No! Cut that out! Bad! Don't even think about it because it was clearly never going to happen again.
Then Jamie thought of something else that took his breath away for an entirely different reason. Wait a minute. Was he unconscious? Or was he actually sleeping? If he was just sleeping now, then that meant he could wake up at any minute. The slightest noise could get him up and reaching for his tranq guns and other weapons, and Jamie was still beneath this stupid net.
He had to be as quiet as he possibly could. But the net was heavy, and it was weighed down with metal balls that each weighed a ton. Considering how quickly Ethan had been chasing him, Jamie had no idea how the man had managed to throw this over his head to begin with. Jamie had known the man was strong and had muscle, that was part of what had attracted him to Ethan to begin with, but Jesus.
Maybe it wasn't so much a strength thing. Maybe Ethan was a robot in disguise.
Jamie's body was still sluggish, his fingers especially. Probably an after effect from the drug inside of the stupid dart he'd pulled out of himself, but the more he moved, the better he could control himself.
Every twig that was beneath him made tiny noises as Jamie shifted and squirmed. Even the cold mud and leaves beneath his body seemed to squish loudly as he worked his way out from under the net. Every breath he took even seemed like the volume was cranked up on high, and he was kind of stunned that no one heard him all the way back in the city.
All the while, he watched as Ethan slept. Jamie didn't dare look away from him. The man didn't move, he didn't open his eyes, and he didn't do something that normal sleeping people did, like scratch his nose or twitch or something.
Jamie had watched Ethan do that once or twice in the times they'd shared a bed. Now that Jamie thought about it, he was the one who always woke up first after they'd been together. Jamie had always taken a minute to admire how unfairly handsome Ethan was, even in the early morning when anyone else would have bags under their eyes and tired skin. Not Ethan. The man was a regular sleeping handsome, whereas Jamie always looked like shit after waking up. Puffy eyes and saggy face and everything.
Ethan had never seemed to mind, though. The man had always smiled as he stretched himself awake, putting a hand into Jamie's hair and brining him down for a leisurely morning kiss that always seemed to lead onto something deeper.
Christ, now look at them.
Jamie held his breath at times as he slowly got to his feet. It was almost like he was fighting to not wake a sleeping dragon, or a flesh eating zombie, instead of a man or something, but right now Ethan was having that effect on him. The guy was taller than Jamie, and wider in the shoulders. Basically, he could snap Jamie in half if he really wanted to, and Jamie was so drained in more than one sense of the word. He was tired, his muscles felt useless, and he was pretty sure his powers over electricity wouldn't help him now.
Being unconscious for...however long they'd been there, had rejuvenated him somewhat, but he doubted if he could even summon the energy to defend himself if Ethan did jump up and attack him. He probably couldn't even charge a watch battery.
Instead of turning around and running for the hills, like what would have been the smart thing to do, Jamie started moving his feet over to where Ethan was lying on the ground, and he was dragging the heavy ass net with him.
It wouldn't stop the man, but hopefully waking up beneath it would confuse him enough that it would buy Jamie a little more time to get to the highway, get back to his car so he could pick up his stuff, and then hitch a ride with someone and get far away from here.
Jamie stopped, holding the net as he stood over Ethan. He stared down at the man, at the dirt smudged on his forehead from when he fell, and the way his chest rose up and down as he breathed. A lurch in his chest made itself known to him, as though someone had sucker punched him, and it fucking hurt so damned much that Jamie couldn't bring himself to move for a few seconds. His hands gripped the net so hard and powerfully he might've been shocking his fingers in place without even realizing it.
Ethan was so attractive without even trying. Why did Jamie have to be the kind of guy who only fell in love with a man's face? Ethan had been the perfect one, exactly Jamie's type, Dark hair, excellent muscle definition, good sense of humor and a smile to die for.
He'd also been a damned tiger in bed.
But it wasn't even just that Ethan was charming and good looking. Jamie had liked him. He really had. Then it turned out that he was a fricken' hunter.
He should've known. He really should have.
Okay, whatever. He needed to suck it up and take a deep breath. He had no time for this. Jamie was basically risking his life just by standing there and doing nothing, so he needed to do what he was going to do and make like the Flash already.
He draped the net over Ethan's still body, careful to keep the ropes from touching his face, or the metal
weights from coming into contact with his hands or legs.
Jamie almost wanted to lean down and give him a quick kiss goodbye before he turned and walked away. As scary as it had been running away from the man, he could still remember how it had felt to lie in bed next to him, both of them naked, sweaty and smiling, while chatting to each other and learning all they could about one another.
Except for what Ethan did for a living, or the fact that Jamie was a paranormal with sometimes hard to control electricity powers.
How could he have been so damned wrong? It was like every romance movie he'd ever watched had lied to him.
Jamie shook his head at himself. He wasn't going to give the man on the ground a kiss. Aside from being way too melodramatic, that would be just pushing his luck even more, and he had to get out of Dodge already.
Jamie sighed, keeping his words soft. "I'll see you around," he said, and then turned and walked briskly away.
With Ethan, the bastard, was a Hunter, and chasing after Jamie, the odds were pretty good that he would see the other man again. And how fucked up was he that he clung to that fact just to keep his stupid chest from imploding on him?
Jamie waited until he was several feet away before his resolve to walk with his back straight and his head held high crumbled. Every step away from the man hurt like hell, and he wanted to go back. He was actually considering going back! His reasoning was sound, sort of. What if Ethan really was hurt somewhere and Jamie didn't see it? He could have a small cut somewhere and an animal could come along. Ethan would be helpless under that net against a bear or a wolf.
"Keep going. Don't turn back. Don't even think about it."
Jamie could see through his own stupidity, and even then it was hard to put one foot in front of the other, like he was chained to a giant anchor and had to drag it behind him.
The idea, the very thought, that he was even considering going back scared him as much as the mental image of being stuffed into a metal box, because he knew that was basically what he'd be setting himself up for if he went. Jamie started running for it.
He ran for maybe ten seconds before a noise that made his guts quiver and his skin crawl made him skid to a halt, kicking up mud and twigs and leaves. The sound stopped him because it was a scream.
Not just any scream, either. It was almost a shriek. The sound he heard was the kind that erupted from a man's throat when he was in so much pain that his body didn't know what else to do except for scream. Jamie knew the difference. Normally a sound like that wouldn't be cause for him to stop and listen. It would be a reason for him to send mental pity to whomever was being tortured and run the fuck away, but that was Ethan's voice, and Jamie's limbs, skin, blood and bones, went so cold that he started to shiver.
Holy fuck. What was happening to him?
Didn't matter. Did. Not. Matter. Jamie turned and ran back for him.
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About Mandy Rosko
Mandy Rosko lives as a hermit with her scared of everything dog, and she works in Ottawa, Ontario. Every once in a while she peels herself away from writing and Internet surfing to socialize with real people. She loves videogames, Sailor Moon, and her dog.
Other Paranormal Romances by Mandy Rosko
Things in the Night Series:
The Vampire's Curse Book 1
The Legend of the Werewolf Book 2
The Dragon and the Wolf M/M Novella
The Shepard's Agony Book 3
Dangerous Creatures:
Burns Like Fire Book 1
A Shock To Your System Book 2 Coming Soon
As Cold As Ice Book 3 Coming Soon
Others:
The Princess' Dragon Lord
Just One Touch
My Angel Lover, Have Mercy on Me M/M
Mate of the Wolf
Night and Day Book M/M Book 1
The Calm Before the Storm M/M Book 2
All Hell Breaking Loose M/M Book 3
Medieval Romances by Rizzo Rosko:
Lady Thief Book 1
Lady Deception Book 2
Copyright © 2014 Mandy Rosko
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