BreakingthePlayboysCurse

On the Road: Breaking a curse has never been so much fun…

Vail Tamang is a playboy. He’s never claimed to be anything else. What he does claim is that he

doesn’t want a mate. The truth is a little more sinister. When he scents Draven Mansetti, Tim’s half-
vampire, half-warlock mentor, he realizes his worst fear has come true. Draven is his mate. Vail tries
to avoid the man, but Draven manages to track him down anyway. He’s left with no choice and shares
a family secret. His family line is cursed. Can Draven convince Vail that some curses can be broken?
Or will Vail walk away before giving them a chance?

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Breaking the Playboy’s Curse

ISBN: 978-1-77111-489-9

Cover art by Carmen Waters

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Breaking the Playboy’s Curse

Kontra’s Menagerie: Book Ten

Chapter One

“Hey, you ready for lunch?”
Draven Mansetti looked up from his paperwork and at his partner, Ricky Malone. “Sure,” he

replied. “Just give me five minutes to send this report off, and I’ll meet you out front.”

He watched the fellow police detective give him a smirk and a salute. Ricky turned away, and

Draven heard him mutter, “Work-a-holic,” under his breath as he walked away.

Not responding to the jibe, after all, the human certainly didn’t think he could hear him, Draven

returned his focus to the drug bust report he was putting the finishing touches on. As he double-
checked everything, he felt his stomach rumble. True, he was hungry, and a burger would hold him
over for a while, but what Draven was truly hungry for was something else.

The memory of the scent he’d noted in Kontra Belikov’s rented mansion came to mind. He’d

visited the place over a week ago, but still, the delicious aroma lingered in his nostrils, as if he’d
smelled it just an hour before.

My beloved.
His vision had come true, finally, just as he’d known it would. They always did, well, the clear

ones anyway. The ones that comprised of shadows in the dark and half-formed faces…those were the
tough ones. The ones that was harder to figure out. Sometimes, he didn’t understand them until they
happened.

Draven pushed the thoughts away and clicked send. Rising, he grabbed his leather trench coat and

swung it over his shoulders. He received all kinds of shit from Ricky for wearing it, but it was
comfortable, and he needed all the hidden pockets he’d sewn into the lining to hold all his wards and
charms. One could never be too careful.

Leaving the building, Draven slid into the passenger seat of Ricky’s vehicle. The man always

insisted on driving. Draven had decided long ago that the human was compensating for something, but
he’d never asked what, and if he were honest with himself, he didn’t really give a shit. The man was a
bigoted asshole and if Draven hadn’t had a vision that showed him meeting his beloved in San
Francisco, he sure as hell wouldn’t have put up with the man.

Now, his vision had come true, and he needed to figure out how to approach the shifter. Draven

idly wondered what kind of shifter his beloved was.

He thought about just showing up at the mansion the biker band of shifters were renting and

announcing  that  he  was  the  one  who’d  be  training  Tim,  but  he  really  wanted  the  other  warlock  to
come  to  him.  He  knew  Tim  was  a  warlock  hybrid  like  himself,  although  part  shifter  instead  of
vampire.  His  ever-changing  visions  of  the  man  who’d  bring  much  upheaval  into  Draven’s  life  kept
him apprised of Tim’s progress.

“You all right, man?”
Draven lifted a brow and turned to look at Ricky. “Fine.”
“I’ve been talking about our missing person’s case for the last five minutes and you haven’t heard

a word I said,” Ricky said, a scowl on his face as he glanced over at Draven. “You’ve been
distracted for days. What gives?”

Draven knew they’d find the fifteen-year-old girl within the next twenty-four hours. He’d had a

vision  about  it  that  morning.  He  was  just  waiting  for  the  anonymous  call  that  would  send  them
searching  the  abandoned  home  where  her  ex-boyfriend  was  hiding  her.  This  was  the  time  he  hated
visions.  He  couldn’t  always  act  on  the  information  he’d  been  given  until  something  happened  as  a

trigger, a catalyst.

If Draven went in without a warrant, evidence could get tossed out of court, allowing the perp to

walk. At times, he really just wanted to say, screw the system. He’d even given in to that desire once
and as a result, been sent to internal affairs. Draven had been forced to leave town early and create a
whole new identity for himself. Advancing technology made that more and more difficult, but at least
he had the added bonus of being able to cast a glamour if need be to confuse people.

Jerking his attention back to Ricky before the human thought he was even stranger, Draven said,

“Just thinking about that Land fellow. Did his sister ever tell you how he’s doing?” It was fairly close
to the truth.

Ricky curled his lip. “Why the fuck do you think I’d ask about him? As if I care about her fag

brother,” he muttered.

“You also have a fag brother, if I’m not mistaken,” Draven pointed out mildly, not able to resist

verbally poking at the bigger man just a bit.

His partner’s face turned an interesting shade of magenta. “Shut up,” he snarled.
“A hockey player, isn’t he? Big man, hits pucks and checks people for a living?” He twisted the

knife just a little bit. “You know, not all homosexuals are effeminate. Take that big bear of a guy at
that mansion where Land lives now. Kontra, I believe his name is.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Ricky snapped. “No way in hell is that biker dude a fag.”
“Cop or not, you’d probably get your ass kicked if either one of them heard you calling them that.

Besides,” he added, “as an officer of the law, you should know there’s a steep penalty for being
involved in hate crimes.”

Ricky’s eyes narrowed. “You accusing me of something?” he snapped.
Draven rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Just tired of your language,” he admitted.
“What the hell do you care what I call…” His voice drifted off as he pulled into a parking stall,

slammed his car into park, and glared at Draven. “You got somethin’ you want to tell me, Mansetti?”

He’d wondered how long it would take Ricky to get his head out of his ass. For being a detective,

he couldn’t see what was right in front of him. Draven grinned, not at all put off by the bigger man’s
snarling. Good thing, too, because the guy snarled a lot. Maybe he was repressing something. Hmm…

Draven opened the door and climbed from the car. He leaned back in and smirked at the man.

“It’s about time you noticed,” he quipped. “If I stared at guy’s asses any harder, their pants would
start on fire.”

Without waiting for an answer, Draven shut the door and started toward the diner. It occurred to

him that he could end up getting left without a ride, but then his clearly enraged partner growled his
name. The car door slammed and he heard the crunch of shoes on gravel.

Or Ricky could do something stupid…like attack me.
He imperceptibly slowed his pace, guaranteeing that Ricky’s hand dropped on his shoulder at the

same time they passed an alleyway. Draven grabbed his partner’s wrist, then spinning, gripped his
arm in his other hand and pinned Ricky’s arm behind his back. He propelled the man into the shadows
and against the wall.

Ricky had enough time to lift his free arm, keeping himself from face-planting against the stone.

Draven didn’t need his vampire strength to hold the man in place, but it was nice just in case Ricky
surprised him. His partner didn’t.

Draven leaned close and murmured, “You really shouldn’t presume that being gay makes someone

less capable of taking care of themselves, Malone.”

Ricky looked over his shoulder at him, his features easing. “So, what? This was a test? You’re

not really…gay?”

Chuckling, Draven eased his grip. “Oh, I bet it just killed you to use that term, didn’t it?” He

winked. “See? You’re learning to be more tolerant every day,” he said, not bothering to confirm or
deny Ricky’s words. He released his partner and turned his back on him. “Come on. I’m ready for a
burger.”

Draven knew the guy would figure it out soon enough. He wondered if he’d end up with a new

partner because of it? Giving a mental shrug, Draven figured it didn’t matter either way, although—in
Ricky’s favor—the other detective was reliable and good at his job. His personal life was what
seemed to be in shambles.

A couple seconds later, he heard Ricky jogging up behind him. He could tell by the sound of his

footsteps that his partner had calmed. Draven found it interesting how aggressive footfalls seemed to
have their own ring to them.

When Ricky punched him in the forearm, he turned and lifted a brow as he looked at the man. He

knew it was Ricky’s odd way of apologizing. The dude seriously had macho issues.

A bell jingled overhead as Draven opened the door and strode through. The welcoming sound

drew the attention of the hostess, who greeted them with a smile. She led them to a booth at the
window and placed a menu in front of each of them. After she walked away, ignoring the menu,
Draven lounged against the backrest of the bench seat and looked out the window.

Draven noted a man across the street that appeared lost. He just kept his eyes from narrowing in

interest as he realized who the guy was. Tim. Draven’s soon-to-be warlock apprentice stood on the
sidewalk across from the diner, put his hands on his hips, and looked around slowly.

Well, well, it was clear that the man was searching for something. When Tim’s gaze landed on the

diner and his focus riveted to Draven, he couldn’t help it. He smirked at Tim. Lifting a brow, he tilted
his head toward the diner’s door, non-verbally inviting him in.

Tim’s brows creased, and he looked at a large man in jeans and a black motorcycle jacket.

Kontra. Both men headed toward the crosswalk.

The arrival of the waitress with coffee interrupted his perusal of the men. Draven sure was glad

that the myth about vampires only drinking blood was false, otherwise he’d have to come up with all
kinds of excuses to avoid eating with his partner. He placed his order for a grilled turkey and cheese
on sourdough with whatever greens the diner was specializing in that month.

“What’s the point of substituting green beans for the fries if you’re eating all those carbs from the

cheese and bread anyway?” Ricky asked, smirking. “It seems counter-productive.”

“Did it ever occur to you that I like green beans and carrots?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Ricky snorted, rolling his eyes.
Yeah, they both knew it was bull-shit. Draven chuckled. “I’m not a fan of salt,” he admitted. “I

avoid it when I can.”

“See, why didn’t you just say that in the first place?” Ricky asked.
A shadow fell over the table, interrupting them. Draven knew who it was before he looked up.

Ricky’s scowl told Draven that he recognized Kontra, at least.

“What do you want?” Ricky asked belligerently.
Draven, instead, looked at Tim and gave him a small smile. He lifted a brow, waiting.
“It’s you, isn’t it?” Tim whispered the question.
“Say what you mean, Tim,” Draven ordered softly.
Tim glanced toward his mate, who was standing beside him, then back at Draven. “Here?” he

asked dubiously, frowning.

Draven chuckled softly and held his hands out, palms up. “No one is paying us any attention,” he

murmured, still smiling.

Frowning, Tim crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re Draven. You’re the man from my vision.

You’re to be my mentor.”

“Ah, see? Now was that so difficult?” He grinned. “Yes. Yes, I am.”
“What the hell? Vision? Mentor? What the hell are you guys talking about?” Ricky snapped.
Draven focused on Ricky. “Keep your voice down, Malone. We don’t want attention.” He turned

back to Tim. “I’m on my lunch hour. I’ll swing by after work, Tim. We’ll talk then.”

“That would be better than talking here,” Kontra agreed. Lifting a brow, he scowled at Ricky.

“Don’t bring him,” he ordered.

Chuckling, Draven nodded. “I won’t,” he agreed.
After they left, Draven ignored the sound of Ricky clearing his throat. His partner obviously

wanted information—information that Draven did not intend to give him. He smiled at the waitress
when she arrived. After she’d placed their food in front of them and left, Draven picked up his fork
and grinned at the man.

“You don’t really want to know what I plan to tutor Tim on, do you, Malone? Some things,

personal things,” he added, lowering his voice in obvious innuendo, “are better left unsaid. Don’t you
think?”

Ricky paled, then flushed, then focused on his food.
Draven hid his grin and followed suit.

Chapter Two

Vail Tamang stared at the car parking outside the mansion. He stood in an upstairs bedroom, an

empty one, in the large house he and the rest of his biker gang rented. He smiled as he thought of the
guys he rode with. After leaving his pack over twenty-five years before, he’d never dreamed he’d
find a new family. Now, he had one.

And, damn it all, he didn’t want a mate…couldn’t have a mate. The arrival of the man, now,

vampire, if he’d heard correctly, would create nothing but problems. Namely, his dick was hard as a
rock just looking at the guy stride confidently up the walk to the front door.

Whipcord leanly muscled legs were accentuated by form fitting jeans and the way the guy’s black

leather trench flowed around his knees. Vail watched as the vampire ran a hand through short, dirty
blond hair as he swept his blue-eyed gaze over the front of the mansion, then over the courtyard,
taking it all in.

Once the man disappeared from view, Vail grabbed the windowsill in both hands and leaned

against it, letting his head hang for a second. He wanted to go downstairs and see if the man smelled
as good as he remembered. He’d only caught a small whiff of him when he was in the house over a
week ago, and Vail had jacked off to the memory every night since then and sometimes in the shower.

He knew his friends wondered what was up with him. They’d gone out, exploring the city several

times over the last ten days, but he hadn’t joined them. In fact, the only time he’d left the place was to
help Payson and Land move the human’s stuff from his small apartment to here. He knew the newly
mated couple was in the process of deciding what Land would keep and what he would sell, or give
away.

Pushing away thoughts of the couple—he was happy for them, sort of—Vail settled on the bed in

the room, his back to the headboard. He rested his head against it and heaved a sigh, trying to think of
anything other than the fact that his mate was downstairs, probably talking with Kontra, his alpha, and
Tim, Kontra’s mate, about Tim’s warlock training. He’d overheard his alpha talking with his mate
about Draven’s impending visit.

Vail resigned himself to having to stay upstairs for the foreseeable future, at least, until he heard

Draven’s vehicle start up.

This is going to be a long couple of hours.
The creak of the door hinges made Vail crack open his closed eyelids. To his surprise, Lamar

strolled into the room. Of all the members of their group, the peacock shifter was the most…well,
reserved. Lamar always looked clean and nice, even after riding with the gang for eight hours. He
was pretty quiet most of the time, but had helped everyone else learn to trade stocks, which was how
they made their money. A few of the guys teased him about being snobbish, but they also made sure
Lamar knew he was well accepted, too.

“You smell upset and horny. Why are you hiding in here?” Lamar asked bluntly.
Vail scowled. He didn’t particularly want to explain this to Lamar, but his friend would know if

he lied. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Lamar settled on the end of the bed, his back against the footboard. He lifted one brow and tilted

his head, studying him. “You haven’t been out much. That’s not like you. I know several of the guys
are feeling a bit pent up from having to stay in San Francisco for so long,” he mused. His eyes
narrowed as he looked at him. “But I don’t think that’s your problem, is it?”

Damn the man for being so perceptive. Lamar obviously saw a lot more than he normally let on.

Vail rubbed his temple and fixed his gaze on the wall. “I think Draven is my mate,” he admitted. “I’m
waiting here until he leaves.”

“Ah, I see,” Lamar murmured. “You’ve always claimed, quite vehemently, really, to not want to

find your mate. I’ve never actually believed you,” he said, smirking. “Everyone wants to be loved and
accepted by a partner just the way he is.”

Vail couldn’t help it. His jaw dropped. Lamar knew he’d been whistling Dixie all this time? “Do

all the guys think that?” he asked incredulously.

Lamar shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. I think some of the others definitely have their doubts.” He

leveled a searching look on Vail. “Wanna tell me the real reason you’re avoiding the man? Is it
because he’s a vampire? I’d think you’d enjoy the pleasure brought on by providing for your mate,”
he pointed out, reminding Vail of his love of pleasure.

What would it hurt to tell him? He knew Lamar could keep a secret. And at this point, Vail wasn’t

sure he wanted it a secret anymore anyway. He could feel his wolf clamoring at his insides, wanting
out to find their mate. He’d need his friend’s help to keep a level head about himself. He couldn’t
endanger his mate.

Letting out a deep breath, he told Lamar, “The short of it is…my family was cursed by a witch.

My grandfather is alpha of my old pack. At the time, he was already mated, though it wasn’t to his
true mate. He ran across a witch, Eliza, who got it in her head that she was his true mate. When he
disagreed, she went after my grandmother. My grandfather drove Eliza from his territory, but as she
left, she vowed that should any of his descendants dare to mate, the mate would die within a year.”

“My God, that’s quite the curse,” Lamar muttered, his eyes wide.
Vail grimaced. “At first, they thought it was foolishness. Then his eldest son took a mate. My

father.” He stared at the ceiling vacantly, remembering how sad his father often was, how he’d find
him staring off into the distance from time to time, and how he’d drummed into Vail’s head the
importance of taking the curse seriously.

“So, what I told everyone was true, from a certain point of view.” Vail met Lamar’s concerned

expression and gave him a pained smile. “I never wanted to find my mate. I never wanted to be put in
that position,” he admitted, shrugging.

“Shouldn’t you at least tell Draven?” Lamar urged. “This does affect him, too,” he pointed out.
Hating how reasonable Lamar was being, Vail grimaced. “I’m not sure I can face him without

wanting to jump his bones,” he mumbled. Flicking his gaze over Lamar’s surprised expression, he
continued, “Come on. It’s not like I have the best track record for maintaining self-control.”

“To every spell, there is a counter-spell, or a way to break it.”
The softly spoken words washed over Vail, making his wolf howl in the back of his mind and his

shaft, thicken in his jeans. His jaw dropped as the bedroom door swung open to reveal the object of
his lust.

“We just have to find it,” Draven continued.
“Draven,” Vail whispered, gripping his thighs to keep from rising and heading toward his mate.

He drank in the sight of the man, liking his lean, wiry form even better up close, without the coat. He
ached to touch, to be touched.

The guy’s blue eyes darkened to red for several seconds as he stared back at Vail. “Hello, Vail. It

seems we have quite a few things to discuss, don’t we?” he murmured, his eyes returning to their
original, vibrant blue.

Vail sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I guess we do.”
Draven’s eyes narrowed. “You guess?” He planted his feet, crossed his arms over his chest, and

frowned at Vail. “Perhaps you like being cursed. Is this a ploy you utilize to pick up men, playboy?”

His temper soared. How dare his mate speak like that to him. Slowly getting to his feet, a low

growl rolled up his chest. “I didn’t enjoy watching my father suffer years after losing the woman he
loved. I didn’t enjoy watching my uncle walk away from his human mate because he loved her so
much he’d rather let her live a long happy life with some other man than see her dead. I didn’t enjoy
seeing my grandfather die a little each time one of his children couldn’t have their mate because of his
actions.”

As he spoke, he mindlessly stalked forward until he found himself directly in front of Draven.

“No,” Vail whispered hoarsely. “I don’t enjoy knowing that should I bond with you, it’d mean both
our deaths.” He swallowed hard, fighting his emotions as frustration warred with anger and grief.
“No, there’s nothing about this situation I enjoy. And I’ve never told anyone about it before.”

Draven moved his arms from his chest to his hips and a smile flitted around the edges of his lips.

“Good. That’s the fire I wanted to see.” Without waiting for a response from Vail, Draven grabbed
his head and pulled it down the inch or so needed to kiss him.

The light peck on his lips, really just a brushing of lips, wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy Vail. He

leaned forward, chasing Draven’s mouth as the other man pulled away. Draven tightened his grip on
Vail’s head, stopping his action.

Vail grunted, fighting his mate’s hold for just a second before he regained his senses and froze. If

a little kiss could scramble his brain that badly, he was more than a little concerned about what
actually making out with the man would do, or touching the vampire’s skin, or feeling Draven’s hands
on him.

Groaning, Vail forced himself back a step. Draven’s grip, which had slid from his head to where

his shoulder met neck, wouldn’t let him put any more space than that between them. “Now,” Draven
said. “Let’s get comfortable, while your friend gets the rest of the guys, then we’ll go over the witch’s
words and see if we can’t find a way to break it, hmm?”

Inhaling deeply, which only filled Vail’s nostrils with Draven’s heady scent, didn’t do much to

clear his head. He nodded absently. “You gonna take over my life now, vampire?”

Draven chuckled, the sound throaty and deep did funny things to Vail’s balls. He reached down

and adjusted his dick.

Vail turned his head and found Lamar near the door, staring with great interest at a painting of a

yacht. “Lamar, will you round up the guys? We could meet in the rec room so we’re comfortable. I
guess I have some explaining to do.”

Lamar gave him a reassuring smile. “Sure, Vail. You know no one’s going to hold it against you,

right? We all have our…issues.”

Vail smiled at Lamar. He probably knew the least about the peacock shifter. Other than being

crazy computer smart and appreciating the man’s sense of dress, Vail couldn’t remember Lamar
actually talking about his own past. Maybe he needed to listen more.

He nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for listening.”
Lamar inclined his head, then lifted a brow as he glanced between them. “You sure you don’t

need a half hour?”

Vail glanced at his mate, then shook his head. “No,” he stated firmly.
“As you wish,” Lamar responded, once more reverting to his more formal, stuffy self. His hand on

his stomach almost looking like he was about to bow, but then he just nodded again and slipped from
the room. Vail would definitely have to be more aware of the man, see if he could figure out what
made Lamar tick.

Chapter Three

Draven followed Vail through the house, his gaze slipping to the wolf shifter’s ass repeatedly.

Hmm, very nice. I can’t wait to tap that! Putting his desires on the back burner completely sucked,
but after overhearing his beloved’s words, Draven knew he had to solve this problem first. And it
could turn out to be a big problem.

Kontra and Tim were still sitting together, curled up together on an overstuffed chair in the

entertainment room, right where Draven had left them. He’d been far too distracted by how heavily
Vail’s scent hung in the room to concentrate, so he’d told the pair the truth, that he thought Vail was
his beloved and went to track him down. Learning about a curse had definitely been a surprise.

Glancing around his surroundings, Draven focused on what would need to come next. A pool

table, a foosball table, and a wet bar dominated one-half of the room. Leather couches, end tables,
and a coffee table loosely clustered around a massive entertainment system took up the other half of
the room. The TV was off.

Men were crowded around the room in clusters, talking quietly. Kontra cleared his throat,

drawing everyone’s attention. He waved a hand toward Vail and Draven. “I’d like to introduce
everyone to Draven Mansetti. He’ll be joining us for a while, at least.” He lifted a brow in silent
question at Vail.

Draven recognized the look. He’d seen it pointed at himself on a number of occasions by

whatever local law enforcement chief he was under at the time. It meant…Start talking.

Vail did exactly that. He cleared his throat and said, “Not only will Draven be assisting our

alpha-mate with developing and controlling his abilities, he is also my mate.”

A big blond, whom Draven didn’t know the name of, grinned largely. “Hey, congrats, man!” he

exclaimed. He held out his fist, clearly expecting Vail to bump it. Vail’s jaw worked for a couple
seconds, his tension clear, but finally, he leaned forward and gave the man what he wanted, tapping
their fists together.

“Thanks, Adam,” Vail whispered.
Suddenly, Adam’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit,” he hissed. Oddly enough, Adam glanced from Vail to

Draven and back again. “Did you…Does he know?”

For just a second, Draven thought maybe Adam was asking Vail if he knew the pair had a sexual

relationship. Then, Vail grimaced and his words eradicated that idea. “Yeah, he knows I wasn’t
looking for a mate,” Vail said. “That’s part of why I’ve asked you all here.”

As Vail started explaining why he’d never looked for a mate and about the curse the witch had

placed on his family, Draven wondered why he’d never told his improvised pack about any of this.
Then he wondered how he’d met them all.

A throat clearing caught his attention, making Draven start. He found just about every set of eyes

staring at him. He lifted a brow and smirked. “Sorry. My beloved’s scent is quite distracting and,
well…” He shrugged. “I haven’t eaten since scenting you over a week ago.” Draven stared
meaningfully into Vail’s eyes. “Your smell drives me to distraction, beloved.”

To his pleasure, Vail snorted and rolled his eyes. “Exactly how vampiric are you, Draven?” he

asked.

Grinning, he showed off his fangs. “Enough to give you plenty of pleasure, Vail,” he vowed.
“Mmm.” Vail grunted, arousal thick in the air around them.
“Maybe you should just tell us the part of the rhyme your grandfather remembered,” Kontra said.

The comment pulled Draven’s attention away from his aching dick and his beloved’s alluring

scent. “If you know part of the curse, I may be able to tell you the rest,” he said, then shrugged. “Or, at
least, be able to understand enough to know how to break it.”

“You know how to curse people, too?” Vail murmured, clearly stricken.
Trying to reassure him, Draven squeezed his shifter’s shoulder. “If you are a magick-wielder and

know the words and are powerful enough, you can curse someone. Those who are honorable, do not
do such things.”

Vail stared at him, his dark eyes intense as he seemed to try to search Draven’s soul. “Have you

ever cursed someone?”

“Yes,” he admitted, unwilling to lie to Vail. “I was young and foolish and it wasn’t my finest

moment.” He squeezed the shifter’s shoulder again, trying to redirect Vail’s attention. “I’ll tell you all
about it another time, if you wish. Right now, why don’t you tell us what you can remember, hmm?”

Vail stared at him for a several seconds, his expression pensive. Finally, he seemed to shake

himself out of his stupor and nodded. “Yeah,” he muttered. He paused again, his gaze on the floor,
clearly searching his memory. “Uh…Two hearts forever torn asunder, For all those born by your
chosen’s loins, Down the line continuing to wander, Keeps separate on pain of death any who’d join.
Until such time where one will give, With no thought to his own safety, Aid to a stranger so he’ll live,
With no recompense that he can see.”

After Vail remained silent for a couple seconds, Adam muttered, “Well, that was clear as mud.”
Draven held up a hand before everyone could start talking and distract him. He narrowed his eyes

and thought about Vail’s carefully recited words. “The first verse is obviously part of the curse itself.
It’s stating that your grandfather’s family line and their chosen one’s, if they mate, they will be torn
asunder, pulled apart…in this case, one of them killed.” He frowned and cocked his head as he
thought slowly. “I find it interesting that there’s no stipulation that whoever you bond with has to be a
true mate. This curse is truly harsh,” he muttered.

“You don’t say?” Vail snapped dryly.
Lifting a brow, he looked at his upset beloved and grimaced. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and

turned his attention to the second verse. “The last lines tell us how to break the curse.”

“It does?”
Vail looked so hopeful when he asked, Draven’s mouth dried at the sight of it. He nodded,

swallowing twice to get moisture into his throat. “I told you there’s always a way to break a curse,”
he said gently.

“So what is it?” Kontra asked, leaning forward, eyes narrowed.
“In essence, if I’m interpreting this correctly,” Draven said, “You have to save a stranger’s life

and not get anything in return.”

“Wait a minute,” Vail said, holding up a hand. “How is that possible? If I save a life and it breaks

the spell, I’m getting something from it. That won’t break the spell.”

“Well, shit,” Draven muttered. He frowned, thinking about the phrasing. With no recompense that

he can see. “What a devious bitch. By the very nature of the spell, if the cursed one understands it, it
cannot be broken.”

“So now that I know how to break it, I can’t break it?” Vail leaped to his feet and glared at

everyone. “Look, I came to grips with not being able to mate decades ago. This…” He waved his
hands between himself and Draven. “…doesn’t change anything for me.” His voice continued to rise,
his tone clearly pained, as he stalked halfway across the room and back again, expressing his
agitation. Vail paused and scowled at Draven. “I know it will take you time, but you’ll just have to

accept it. We can’t mate. You can do your training with Tim, and I’ll stay out of your way.”

Draven slowly rose, frustration coursing through his system. “Now, wait just a damn minute. Do

you always give up this easy?” he snapped.

Vail bared his teeth in anger. “Regardless of who you are, I’d rather see you alive than dead. And

now that I know you’re my mate, I won’t even consider putting you in danger that way.”

Touched by the words, for just a second, Draven didn’t respond fast enough. He remembered

himself just in time to see Vail’s backside as he disappeared from the room. “Son of a bitch,” he
hissed, dropping back to his seat. His brain seemed to shut down as he glared at the floor.

Now what am I going to do? How do I convince him to change his mind? Give us a chance?
“I’m sorry,” Kontra said, standing over him. “It’s not you. He’s been adamant about never

wanting a mate since the day we met him. Now that we know why, I can’t imagine a way to change
his mind.”

Dread flooded Draven, and he swallowed hard. Looking into Kontra’s dark, sympathetic eyes, he

asked, “Can a shifter really walk away from their mate?”

Kontra glanced around the group and shrugged. “It’s not easy, but we can do it. We’ll fight

depression, mood swings, even rages, but with the help of family, it can be done.”

Resting his head in his hands, his elbows on his knees, Draven struggled with his instinct to hunt

Vail down and force his beloved to accept him. That wouldn’t solve anything and would create many
more problems. “Vampires aren’t that lucky,” he admitted finally, lifting his gaze to Kontra’s narrow-
eyed look. “Eventually, I will become unable to drink from other sources. The magick on my father’s
side may have made it so I’m only half vampire, but I’m still a vampire. I still require blood to
survive. If I don’t figure out how to break Vail’s curse, I will sicken and die without his blood.”

“Ouch, that sucks,” Adam murmured.
“Yeah,” Draven mumbled. “Yeah, it does.”
He climbed to his feet, suddenly really wanting to be alone. He’d had a long day fielding

questions and snide comments from Ricky, and really just wanted to rest.

And find a blood donor.
“I need to think,” he told them quietly. “I—” He shook he head and started toward the door,

running a hand through his hair. Confusion warred with frustration. He shook his head again, trying to
figure out why he hadn’t seen this complication before. His visions of them together had been so
clear, to the point of arousing. “Why didn’t I see this!” he whispered harshly to himself. “What am I
missing?”

“Wait,” called someone behind him.
Draven sighed. He really wanted to leave, but if he were to get along with these men one day, he

shouldn’t ignore them. Turning back, he swept his gaze over the group, lifting a brow.

A short, slender man sporting spiky black hair with frosted white tips stepped forward. He

twisted his fingers together nervously while glancing over his shoulder at a light brown haired human.

“Yes?” Draven asked, drawing the word out.
“If the spell was already broken, how would we know?”
Draven’s brows shot up. “Now that…is a very good question,” he replied, giving his full

attention to the skittish shifter.

Chapter Four

Vail stalked through the mansion, growling under his breath. He wanted to find a forest, shift, and

run. His wolf wanted out. Unfortunately, he also knew where his wolf wanted to run to…to find the
vampire, his mate, Draven. His growl transformed into a pitiful whine at the reminder of his mate.

As he slammed the door to his suite of rooms behind him, Vail thanked the gods above that

everyone was gathered downstairs and couldn’t hear him. He crossed the room to the window.
Resting his palms and forehead on the cool pane of glass, he tried to get his turbulent thoughts under
control.

He didn’t know how long he stood there, but the click of the door handle caught his attention. The

heady aroma of his mate hit him, calling to him. He closed his eyes, wondering how rude he’d have to
be to get the man to leave. Why couldn’t Draven have listened the first time?

Feeling a pair of strong arms wrap around him, Vail stiffened. Draven rested his chin on his

shoulder as he held him tightly. Vail’s body practically vibrated at the intimate embrace, barely
catching himself from leaning against the man.

Finally untying his tongue, he whispered hoarsely, “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Your friends have been telling me some interesting stories,” Draven said, surprising him.
“What? Why?” Where the hell was Draven going with this? Sharp teeth scraped up his neck,

pulling a harsh gasp from him.

“Well,” Draven murmured, drawing the word out and breathing warm air across the hairs on his

nape. “According to the guys, you’ve already saved a couple strangers.”

“Huh?” Vail was having a hard time concentrating.
“A buffalo shifter named Darrell,” Draven crooned, seducing with his voice. “You assisted in

saving him and his mate, Lydia, and their two cubs. You didn’t know any of them, and you didn’t get
anything out of it. Then, Yuma said you helped save his mate, Hunter. You’d been introduced less than
thirty minutes before helping save him from an ex, I believe he said. You didn’t get anything out of
that, either, did you?”

Draven rubbed his lips over the tendon running the length of Vail’s neck, sending shivers across

his skin and down his spine. Finally, what Draven was possibly saying clicked into place and he
untied his tongue. “You think the spell is already broken?”

“It’s entirely possible.”
Possible? Wait. Vail tensed. As much as he hated losing the feel of his mate’s lips on his body,

Vail gently eased forward and turned. Draven let him. “How would we know for sure? Your life is
too important to leave to possibilities.”

Nodding, Draven licked his lips, drawing Vail’s attention to the thin slash of a mouth he really,

really wanted to taste fully. “I’d like to do a reading on you.”

Vail blinked. “A reading? What’s that?”
“It’s simple, really. You relax, I say a chant, and it will tell me if any curses, enchantments, or

anything else is attached to you.”

He could feel his wolf curl up in his mind. He agreed with his animal. The idea of someone doing

magick to him curdled his stomach. The fact that it was his mate offering to do it didn’t make him feel
any better about it. Vail didn’t actually know the man.

Unfortunately, Vail realized it could be his one shot at being with Draven. Swallowing hard, he

nodded. “Okay.”

The smile he received from Draven settled something inside Vail. He liked having pleased the

man and knew his decision was the right one, even if it turned out that the curse wasn’t broken after
all. Plus, it’d be nice to know.

“Where…” Vail paused and frowned. “How do we do this?”
Draven lifted his hands and cupped his jaw. “First,” he murmured, leaning close. “I taste these

magnificent lips of yours.”

“Okay,” he managed to reply before Draven captured his mouth.
Draven wasn’t gentle or shy. He claimed Vail’s mouth, dominated it, taking it over like an army

storming a castle. His tongue thrust into his mouth and Vail tangled his own with it, tasting, and
teasing the other man. Draven growled into his mouth, one hand sliding around to cup Vail’s head to
hold him in place.

Vail felt the window behind him against his shoulders as Draven pressed into him with his lean,

muscular body. He wrapped his arms around the man and held on, letting Draven take them where he
wanted to go. It wasn’t often he took the backseat in an encounter, but it felt natural with Draven.

Finally, when breathing became paramount, Draven broke the kiss and leaned his forehead against

Vail’s. With only an inch or two differences in their heights, it was all too easy to just relax in the
other man’s arms.

“Okay,” Draven murmured, looking deep into Vail’s eyes. “The sooner we get this done, the

sooner I can fuck you through the mattress.”

Vail smirked. “You think I’m gonna let you top me, vampire?” he teased.
Draven grinned, showing off his fangs. For a second, his eyes changed to red, then back again.

“Oh, yes, and you’ll beg for it.”

He thought of how he could turn the tables and seduce the man. It’d be fun to convince his mate of

the pleasures of submitting to him. But first, the problem of the curse. “You’ll have to release me
first,” he pointed out.

Sighing, Draven loosened his hold and pulled away from him. “Of course.” He looked around the

room. “Strip down to your briefs and lie on the bed,” he ordered, pointing.

Vail slowly moved to obey. Shifters weren’t modest by nature, since they had to lose their clothes

to shift or risk getting caught in them. Not a fun prospect. Still, he was curious. After pulling off his
shirt, he toed off his sneakers and asked, “Why do the clothes have to be removed?”

It wasn’t until he’d ditched his jeans and stood in his birthday suit—few shifters bothered with

underwear—that Draven answered. “I really just wanted to see if you’d do it,” he said, his voice
thick with arousal.

Vail’s brows shot up and he looked over his shoulder, pausing in where he crawled onto the bed.

The vampire’s eyes once more glowed red and his focus seemed to be riveted to Vail’s ass.

“Cheeky bastard,” Vail mumbled
Draven grinned and moved toward him, all fluid grace, and confidence. “I won’t touch you until

we’re sure it’s safe, but damn I am enjoying the view. Love that you go commando. So sexy,” he
growled.

Vail couldn’t help grinning. It felt good that his mate obviously wanted him so much. If the guy’s

red eyes hadn’t given him away, the scent of arousal flooding the room and the large bulge in his
jeans certainly would have. Vail’s fingers twitched, itching to touch. Forcing his gaze away, he
reclined on the bed.

“Damn, I wish I hadn’t said I wouldn’t touch,” Draven said.
Vail lifted a brow and followed Draven’s gaze. He refused to blush when he realized what caught

Draven’s fascination. Vail’s erection jutted from his groin, thick and heavy, a bead of moisture leaked
from the tip.

“Just do your damn test,” he snapped, his sexual frustration causing his words to come out sharper

than intended.

Draven chuckled, not at all offended. “Of course.”
He strolled over to his coat, which he’d left over the back of a chair, and rummaged through the

pockets. Pulling out two pouches, he returned to the bed. From the first pouch, he pulled a small
saucer and a lighter, from the second he pulled a tiny, dark-brown, inch-tall cone. Draven lit the tip
and a thin line of smoke rose into the air.

Vail crinkled his nose at the odor. “What is that?”
“Incense,” Draven stated.
“Made from what? It stinks.”
Draven chuckled. “Are you sure you want to know?” he asked, lifting a brow.
Vail scowled at him. At least it had wilted his erection.
“Powdered deer antler mixed with powdered bull penis and compacted into a cone.”
Yup, his erection was most certainly gone and now his balls wanted to crawl up inside his body.

“What?”

“You asked,” Draven stated. “Now shut up and relax. In fact, maybe you should just close your

eyes. This will only take a couple of minutes.”

After rolling them first, Vail did indeed close his eyes. He didn’t really want to watch anyway.

Vail heard Draven start talking in a foreign language, the syllables fluid and musical. Not
understanding the words, he tuned them out, and instead focused on taking slow even breaths.

Goosebumps suddenly broke out on his skin and shivers racked his body. It took everything in him

to keep his eyes closed and he hissed through clenched teeth. The shivers turned into tendrils of pain.
“Draven?”

Draven didn’t stop with his chanting. Instead, he placed a hand on Vail’s chest, nearly causing

him to jump out of his skin. His eyes flew open. He had to blink twice to clear his vision. By the time
he could see, Draven had stopped chanting and the odd sensations were gone.

The vampire stared down at him, a wrinkle between his brows. “How are you feeling, now?” he

asked, concern filling his voice.

Sucking in a deep breath, he assessed himself. “Fine, now. What was that? I thought you said it

wasn’t supposed to hurt.” He mentally cringed at how accusatory that sounded. He didn’t want his
mate thinking he was weak. “Sorry. Just took me by surprise.”

“Normally, it doesn’t hurt,” Draven admitted. He sat down on the side of the bed. With his hand

still on his chest, Vail realized just how close the vampire was, his scent once more drowning out the
disgusting smell of incense and doing predictable things to his cock. “The reason it hurt was because I
ran into a tracking spell, which I cleared.”

“A tracking spell. What’s that?”
“Just like it sounds,” Drave replied. “Someone was keeping tabs on your where-a-bouts.” Before

he could think up more questions, Draven leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “We’ll
figure that out later. The good news is, you are no longer cursed, my beloved.”

Draven’s last couple words came out a throaty growl and before Vail could respond, Draven

captured his mouth again. Vail buried the fingers of one hand in Draven’s short hair and gripped his
upper arm with the other. He opened willingly to his soon-to-be lover, dueling with the man’s tongue.

When Vail sucked lightly on Draven’s tongue, Draven growled into his mouth and the fingers of

one hand plucked at Vail’s nipples. The bite of pain made Vail’s dick jerk. He grabbed the man and
bucked, rolling them until he lay on top.

Breaking the kiss, Vail levered away from Draven and made quick work of the vampire’s clothes.

Jerking the shirt over his head, and his jeans down his legs, taking the man’s shoes and socks with it.
Draven made no move to help or to stop him, lying passive under him. Once he had the man naked,
Vail paused and drank in the sight. The dips and ridges of Draven’s lean muscle called to him, and he
wanted to trace every one of them with his tongue.

Draven smiled up at him, his eyes glowing red with lust. “Come here, Vail,” he ordered, holding

out a hand.

Vail wasted no time in obeying. With his knees on either side of Draven’s thighs, he blanketed the

man. He let out a low moan as their dicks rubbed together, smearing the pre-cum leaking from both
their erections.

Sighing, Vail rested his forehead against Draven’s shoulder and slowly rutted against the other

man, content just to feel. After suffering blue balls for the last week, and not expecting relief, to have
his mate in his arms, naked and willing, was something he wanted to take a moment to treasure.

Placing open-mouthed kisses on Draven’s collarbone, Vail worked his way up his neck to his ear.

He pulled the fleshy lobe into his mouth and sucked, reveling in the low grunts and groans escaping
the man beneath him. Draven rocked his hips up to meet each of Vail’s thrusts and skimmed his hands
over the muscles of Vail’s back.

When he reached Vail’s butt, he gripped the cheeks of his ass and used the hold to increase the

force of their ruts. A second later, the tip of one of Draven’s digits fingered his pucker for a couple
seconds, sending a shiver up his spine. When Draven breached his ass, sliding a finger into him, Vail
moaned. Releasing Draven’s earlobe, he growled. It’d been a long time since he’d allowed anyone
inside him, but his mate had made it plain what he wanted, and Vail wanted to give that to him.

He turned his head and captured Draven’s mouth in a quick kiss. Pulling away, he murmured,

“Hold that thought.”

Chapter Five

Draven watched as Vail pulled away from him and scrambled to the side of the bed. His dick was

harder than steel and he couldn’t wait to bury himself in the tight hole he’d felt. The man had a fine
ass, too. One he really wanted to mark.

With that thought in mind, as soon as Vail procured lube from the nightstand, Draven grabbed his

ankle and yanked. Vail let out an undignified humph, but didn’t fight Draven as he pulled him closer.
Once Draven had the wolf shifter sprawled in the middle of the bed, he blanketed his beloved with
his body and nipped his lover’s neck.

His dick rode Vail’s ass crack as he sucked up a mark at Vail’s nape. His words were muffled by

the skin he worked. “Mmm, we have plenty we’ll need to work out,” he conceded, not completely
gone with lust, yet. “But if you don’t want this, you’d better say now, or I’m going to fuck you through
the mattress and bond us.”

Vail moaned, his hips moving restlessly. It didn’t take a genius to realize he was rutting against

the mattress. “Never thought this day would come,” he panted. “Take me.”

Growling excitedly, Draven took his beloved at his words. He tugged the lube free of Vail’s

unresisting grip, then started kissing his way down the shifter’s spine. He explored the knobs with his
tongue and lips, while caressing the firm muscle and taught skin of his back and sides with his hands.

Vail shivered and snickered when he reached the dimple above his ass, and Draven grinned. “Ah,

sensitive spot,” he crooned, then scraped one fang lightly over the area.

Moaning and shuddering, Vail spread his legs wider and canted his hips, offering himself so

sweetly. Gripping his lover’s ass, Draven pulled the cheeks apart and licked the dark ring of muscle
he planned to fill. Vail groaned and pushed his butt up, obviously searching for more. Draven gave it
to him. He licked, sucked, and nibbled the ring, loosening it, until he could easily dip his tongue into
the hot passage.

He added a finger, penetrating deeper in the saliva-coated hole. Getting to his knees, he poured

lube on Vail’s crack, letting the slick drip onto his finger. He worked a second digit into Vail’s
channel.

Vail grunted, his ass tightening, telling of his discomfort.
“Easy, Vail,” Draven crooned. He pressed sucking kisses up Vail’s spine. Reaching beneath him,

he gripped his lover’s dick and stroked, pleased to find it still hard as nails. “I’ll take good care of
you,” he promised.

“Just fuck me already.”
Vail’s snarled words surprised Draven. He nipped Vail on the ass, hard. Vail jerked, turned his

head, and glared at him over his shoulder. “Ow,” he stated, glaring.

Draven grinned. “Guess I should warn you. I’m a biter.”
“Good to know,” Vail replied, still frowning.
Keeping his grin firmly in place, Draven held his beloved’s gaze as he scraped his fangs down the

firm globe of one ass. He crooked his fingers and rubbed Vail’s prostate as he bit into Vail’s cheek
just hard enough to draw blood. To his pleasure, Vail moaned and shuddered, rocking on his fingers.
He licked the drops of blood from the small wound, liking the sight of his mark on the shifter as well
as the goose bumps that spread across his back. He slid a third finger into Vail’s rectum, carefully
stretching his tight lover’s channel.

“Ready, lover?” he asked. Draven sure as hell hoped so, because his dick felt harder than a steel

pipe and he really wanted relief.

“Yes,” Vail urged. “Do it now.”
Draven fought back a shiver at the need in his lover’s voice. He gently eased his fingers out,

grabbed Vail’s hips, and lifted them so he could rub his dick between the man’s thighs. It took every
bit of self-control he had to keep from thrusting every time his head rubbed over the man’s puckered
entrance.

“You sure?” he prodded.
Vail glared over his shoulder at him. “Yes, damn it. Fuck me.”
Chuckling, Draven didn’t wait any longer. He thrust forward, sinking his dick into the tight hot

vise of Vail’s body. His laughter morphed into a long, throaty groan and he forced his body to freeze.

Draven stroked his beloved’s sides, soothing the tension from his muscles. Draping himself over

Vail’s back, he placed sucking kisses behind his ear. “How long’s it been?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Vail admitted, understanding what he asked. “Decades.”
Draven hummed, immensely pleased Vail was letting him in. “I’m honored.”
Vail smiled at him. “You’re my mate.”
Grinning back, Draven nodded. “That I am.”
The pressure around Draven’s dick eased slightly, telling him Vail was ready. He continued

placing sucking kisses to Vail’s neck, the scent of his beloved’s blood calling to him. The couple
tasty drops he’d licked off Vail’s ass-cheek had only whet his appetite for more. Slowly, he pulled
out and pressed back in, relishing the sucking, massaging muscles that seemed to give way and
welcome him.

He let out a long sigh as he moved, marveling at the squeeze and the knowledge that he was

finally connecting with the man he’d watched in visions for years. “My beloved,” he crooned.

Draven wrapped his arms around Vail, holding him tight to his chest as he moved. Tracing the

ridges of his lover’s abs with one hand, he wrapped his hand around Vail’s dick and jacked it in time
with his thrusts. Shifting his angle, he made certain to peg his lover’s gland with each one.

He felt a growl rumble through Vail’s torso. The noise excited him, telling him how much he

pleased his lover, and he sped up his strokes. He swiped his thumb over the head of Vail’s dick,
spreading around the beads of pre-cum oozing from his slit.

Slamming in one more time, Draven pulled on his last reserves of control and froze. Vail groaned

underneath him. “Come for me,” Draven urged while rotating his hips.

At the same time, he used his

thumb massaging Vail's cockhead to apply pressure to the eye of Vail's dick.

Vail groaned, his body shuddered, and his chute tightened on Draven’s dick. Hot jism coated his

fingers as his lover twitched, jerked, and moaned. “Dra…ven,” Vail ground out.

He nearly came from the squeeze of Vail’s chute on his cock. Once his beloved’s shivers slowed,

Draven gave in to his urge to bond them and sank his teeth into Vail’s artery. His moan almost
drowned out Vail’s gruff rumble. More seed spread across his fingers as Vail’s channel once more
clenched around him. Moaning, this time Draven didn’t fight his body, and his dick unloaded in his
lover’s ass.

After regaining some semblance of control, Draven pulled out his fangs and swiped his tongue

across the wound. He sipped up the last couple drops of blood while sealing the claiming mark.

Resting his head against Vail’s nape, he held his beloved and struggled to slow his breathing. The

heaving chest he cradled told him Vail was in a similar state. He smiled.

Finally finding his breath, Draven admitted, “I have visions. I’ve seen us together numerous times

and dreamed of us together even more.”

“How come you didn’t seek me out until now, then?” he asked curiously.
Draven’s softening cock shifted in Vail’s ass. Sighing, he slid to the side. Unwilling to lose

contact with his beloved just yet, Draven maneuvered Vail so his back was to his chest and pulled
him close. Vail was a bit taller, but he made it work. He slung a leg over Vail’s thigh and wrapped
his arm around him.

“It wasn’t time.”
Vail wriggled in his grip, turning until he was on his back and could see Draven. “How’d you

know?”

Smiling wryly, Draven explained, “I’ve had a lot of years to practice. My ability to read my

visions is far more powerful and far more developed than your alpha-mate’s. As far as spell-casting,
once Tim gets the hang of it, he’ll easily surpass me.” At Vail’s questioning look, he added, “My
visions are often very clear. I see faces, I see places, I see dates on newspapers, and times on clocks.
I’ve gotten very good at figuring out where I’m supposed to be and when.”

“And us?”
Draven leaned over and kissed Vail’s shoulder. “I knew you’d be here, but I couldn’t approach

until Tim had enough ability to read a vision on his own.” He shrugged. “At least, a little bit. I did
give him a head start, after all.” He winked. “Guess I got tired of waiting for you.”

Vail’s brows drew into a frown, and he stared absently at his fingers as he swiped them slowly

over Draven’s lean hip then down over his thigh. Gripping Draven’s muscle, he squeezed lightly then
ran his palm back up the thigh and to his ass.

Draven smiled at the soft caresses, until he saw the expression on Vail’s face. “You okay?”
“I’ve never been in a relationship—not really. I’ve never even thought one was possible. Lying

here with a lover…” Vail grimaced, his expression closing down. “I have spunk leaking out of my
ass,” he growled, pulling away.

Draven let him go, but when he didn’t say more and climbed out of bed, he followed him. Finding

himself in the bathroom, Draven grabbed his lover. Vail glared. Not willing to let his lover get away
with that, Draven grabbed Vail’s arm and pulled him close. “Part of a relationship is talking to your
partner,” he murmured. “What’s going on?”

Vail closed his eyes and tipped his head back. “This—” He waved his hand between them. “I

don’t know how to do this.”

A mildly acrid scent teased Draven’s nostrils. He sighed, realizing what that smell was. Fear. He

pulled his beloved into his arms and ran his hands down Vail’s spine to his ass. “You’ve only
engaged in one night stands and brief flings, never connecting with your partner.”

He nuzzled his cheek against Vail’s, knowing his beloved’s wolf would appreciate it. Being a

vampire and warlock, Draven had made it his mission to know particulars about other paranormal
species. He wanted his shifter mate calm for his next words.

“I understand that you’re a bit…scared of all the changes being thrust upon you. It’s not

surprising, really,” Draven said. “You never thought you’d be able to keep someone for yourself.
Actually find your mate. And if you did find your mate, you never expected to be able to claim him.”
He rested his forehead against Vail’s. “You are experiencing anxiety because of all these sudden
changes. It’s understandable.”

Vail stared at him blankly for several seconds, his body tense. Draven waited patiently, even

though he didn’t want to, waiting for some sign from the shifter. Finally, Vail heaved a sigh and
sagged against him. “I’ve been telling myself that I didn’t want a mate for so long…” he whispered
hoarsely.

Draven liked that Vail was willing to listen to him. He lifted his head, then bumped it back against

Vail’s. He grinned. “I appreciate that you’re willing to share your thoughts. That’s a start.”

He allowed his fingers to delve into Vail’s crack and trace his hole. Oozing fluid made it easy to

slip his finger into him to his first knuckle and back out, then he did it again. “God, that’s sexy. I want
to sink my cock back in your ass, using my cum as lube.”

Vail moaned, rocking his hips and rubbing his half-hard dick against his hip. Before he could say

more, the trill of his phone caught his attention, the sound muffled through his pants pocket.

Draven groaned. “Son-of-a-bitch!” he growled, drawing away.
“What is it?” Vail asked, worry filling his voice as he followed Draven back into the room.
“The girl. Damn, I thought this call would come later.” He glanced at his watch and his brows

shot up. “Never mind, it’s an hour later than I thought,” he admitted.

Grabbing his phone, he held it to his ear. “Mansetti here.”
“We got a tip,” Ricky stated without greeting. “There’s an abandoned home on Gormick Street.

I’m guessing the caller was a kid breaking in for a quickie with his date, but he says he heard crying
coming from what was supposed to be an empty home. We have a warrant to search the place for
Matilda.”

“I’m on my way,” Draven replied. Flipping the phone closed, he turned and grabbed his pants.

“I’m sorry, lover,” he said, glancing Vail’s way. “There’s a case I’m working on of a missing girl.
She’s going to be found this evening at an abandoned home on Gormick Street. I need to be there.”

“How do you know?” Vail asked, settling on the side of the bed.
Draven appreciated his mate’s lack of modesty and looked his fill as he pulled on his jeans. Once

he’d pulled his shirt back on, he grimaced. “Visions, remember? The ones where I can’t do anything
right away are the ones that suck,” he admitted. Picking up his coat, he paused and strode back to
Vail. Burying his hand in the shifter’s short dark hair, he tilted Vail’s head back and took his mouth in
a thorough claiming. After ending the kiss, he said, “I’d like to come back here tonight, if that’s okay.
I’d like to talk some more.” He nipped his lover’s lip and grinned. “Maybe fuck again.”

Vail grabbed his coat and kissed him back, murmuring against his lips, “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like

that.”

Chapter Six

After a shower, Vail headed downstairs to find some dinner. He figured he’d missed eating with

the guys, but that’d been his plan. He wasn’t ready to be bombarded by questions quite yet. He was
still assimilating all the changes himself.

While he was rummaging through the fridge, Adam walked in. The white tiger shifter greeted him

with a nod, then leaned over his shoulder and grabbed a beer. When he straightened, he muttered,
“Congrats.”

Vail frowned and shut the door, setting the Chinese take-out container on the counter. “You

okay?” he asked, eyeing his friend. The man looked seriously…depressed.

Adam grimaced. “Awe, I don’t want to rain on your parade, man. I’m just...” He shrugged and

took a swig of his beer. From the smell of the man, this wasn’t the first couple he’d had this evening.

“Just what?” Vail asked, concerned. It wasn’t often he saw the big, friendly shifter down.
“Eh, it’s nothing,” Adam said, putting him off. “I just need to get laid, that’s all.”
It suddenly hit him. Vail wrapped his arm around the man and squeezed. “You’ll find your mate,”

he assured. “You know none of us will stop searching until every last one of us is happily mated off.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know.”
Grinning, Vail teased, “Maybe you and some of the guys should head out to a club or something. I

bet letting loose would lift your spirits.” He pulled away as he spoke and picked up his food. Shoving
it into the microwave, he rested his hip against the counter and waited for Adam’s response.

The big shifter nodded and gave him a smile that appeared just a little forced. “I’m sure that’d do

a number of us good. It’s been a while since we’ve been cooped up this long.”

Vail agreed. “You got that right. If I didn’t need to stick around because of Draven, I’d love to get

on my bike and ride to the beach. Spending a day surfing sounds like a blast right now,” he stated
ruefully.

Adam seemed to brighten. “I bet I could get a couple of the guys to do that with me. Spend a few

days scoping out hot, half-naked guys on the beach…” Once more grinning, he took a swig of his beer.

Smirking, Vail took his food from the microwave and grabbed a fork. “Now you’re making me

jealous.”

Bumping shoulders with him, Adam winked. “Where is Draven, anyway?”
Vail shrugged. “Off doing his cop thing, rescuing some girl, if I understood him right.” He

grimaced, thinking of the kidnapped girl’s family. “I’m sure her parents will be happy to have her
home,” he murmured absently.

“I bet having visions is wicked helpful in his line of work,” Adam said, using his fingers to grab

one of the fried pork pieces from Vail’s sweet and sour pork.

Vail gave him a mock glare and stabbed at him with his fork. After they both chuckled, he stated,

“It didn’t really sound like it. I mean, how do you explain to your partner when you find a kidnap
victim, but have no evidence or clues that led you to them.” He cocked his head and frowned. “That
wouldn’t put him in a very good light,” he mused.

Adam grimaced. “Didn’t think of that.” Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Vail. “How about you?

How you doin’?”

“Well, I don’t know,” he admitted. “I mean,” he waved his fork around as he chewed and thought.

“It never occurred to me that the spell could be broken. I just assumed I’d spend the rest of my life
alone.” He chewed another bite and swallowed, trying to analyze the jumble of feelings going on

inside him. Finally, he just shrugged.

“Change is never easy,” Kontra stated, striding into the room. He leaned over Vail and took a

piece of pork. Before popping it into his mouth, he added, “You’ll adjust. We all do.”

“Geez, this is my dinner,” Vail groused. He picked up the container and held it to his chest.
That earned him a chuckle from the other two men. “Guess you won’t want any pizza, then,”

Kontra stated casually, pulling a couple bottles of beer from the fridge. Smirking, he slid one across
the counter to Vail.

Vail caught it on reflex. “I was sure you all would have already eaten,” he groused.
Kontra shrugged. “Adam’s the best cook, and with how depressed he was, it didn’t take a stretch

to realize he wasn’t interested in feeding us.” Kontra gave Vail’s shoulder a squeeze. “Thanks for
cheering him up, by the way.”

Appreciating his alpha’s praise, and his touch—his wolf always liked being reassured that he

was an accepted member of the pack—Vail grinned. “I just told him the truth.” Kontra lifted a brow
in silent inquiry. “We’ll never stop looking until all of us have found that special someone,” Vail told
him, then winked. “And to go surfing at the beach so he can ogle half naked men.”

Chuckling, Kontra nodded. “Yeah, he and a few others would like that.” Settling on a bar stool, he

asked, “How are things with you and Draven? Think he’s going to be willing to move on with us? Or
do you think we’ll have to stay here for a while?”

“Damn, I didn’t even think of that,” Vail admitted, his brows creasing. “I sure hope he’s willing

to come. After spending over twenty years as a nomad, staying in one place sure would suck.”

“Yeah, it would,” Kontra agreed. “And there’s no telling how long it will take him to train Tim. If

Draven thinks it’ll take years, I just might have to see what kind of bribes we need, so we can talk
him into traveling with us,” he said ruefully. “I gotta admit. I like the guy better than I thought I
would.”

Vail’s brows shot up, his fork pausing halfway to his mouth. “Huh?”
Kontra snorted. “What, with the way our first introduction went. Land’s sister bringing a couple

cops here as if we were holding him against his will.”

“Well, we kinda were,” Vail pointed out.
“Eh,” Adam said, dismissing the notion.
All three of them chuckled.
Vail felt bad for how Payson’s human mate had been introduced to shifters. Seeing his one-night-

stand turn into a hyena would be traumatizing for anyone. The group had rallied around Payson and
helped Land understand. Fortunately, the human had been well in the thrall of the mate-pull and it
hadn’t taken too much for him to accept their world.

“When is Draven coming back?” Kontra asked.
“Supposedly tonight,” Vail replied, tossing the empty container in the trash. “I gave him the codes

to the gate and a key to the garage door,” he admitted, praying his alpha wouldn’t mind him doing that
without asking permission first.

Kontra just nodded.
Relief filled Vail.
“Tomorrow is soon enough to find out if he’s willing to travel with us.” Kontra clapped him on

the shoulder. “Enjoy tonight. We’ll get down to business tomorrow.”

He nodded and watched his alpha head toward the doorway. “Kontra,” Vail called.
The big grizzly bear shifter paused and turned to look at him.
“I’d like to go back to see my family,” Vail admitted. “To tell them the curse is broken. Any

chance we can head toward Oregon next?”

Kontra crossed his arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes. “Were you kicked out because

you’re gay? I don’t want to put my people in danger,” he pointed out.

Vail smiled, memories of his family flooding him. Yes, on occasion they’d been sad—living

under the threat of a curse—but just as often they’d been happy. They’d banded together, accepted
each other for who they were, and looked past the little problems faced by everyday living. Funny
how knowing you couldn’t have a mate and always living alone put being gay into perspective.

“I wasn’t kicked out,” Vail told the men. His smile saddened as he remembered the true reason.

“A young human became a little too attached to me,” he admitted. “He was in his early twenties. I
was in my late forties, not that he knew that.” Vail grimaced, remembering warm, steamy nights. He
hadn’t meant to lead the guy on, but the human had been flexible, hot, and viral. “I sought him out one
too many times. When he asked me to move in with him…” He shook his head. “I explained to my
father and left town. I always figured I’d go back, ya know?” Pushing the memories away, he added,
“But after meeting up with you guys, well, ya’ll were more fun.”

Adam threw his head back and guffawed. He slapped him on the shoulder. “That we are,” he said.
Kontra rolled his eyes, chuckling. “Nice. Yeah. We’ll head up that way,” he agreed. Still

snickering, he left the room.

“Well, I ain’t dancing tonight,” Adam told him. “How about—” The beep of someone at the front

gate interrupted them. “Ha-ha! Pizza!” he crowed, hustling from the room.

Vail snickered and followed him. Pizza sounded pretty damn good right then. The leftover sweet

and sour pork had only scratched the surface of his hunger. Shifters as a whole had an accelerated
metabolism, which—while helping them easily stay in shape—also required them to eat more.

He followed Adam to the front of the house.

Vail knew staring at his phone or checking for texts every ten minutes wouldn’t make Draven

contact him any sooner, but that didn’t stop him from glancing at it between each hand of poker.

“You know if you stare at it long enough, it will grow wings and fly,” Sam teased.
Rolling his eyes, Vail frowned at the big bull shifter. “Very funny.”
“Relax,” Lamar cut in, staring at his cards. “He’ll return soon enough.”
Vail nodded. “I sure hope so.” Grimacing, he muttered, “Damn, when was the last time I wanted a

lover to come back? Normally, I’m trying my damnedest to find a way to make certain I never have to
see him again.”

Lamar reached over and patted his shoulder, still looking at his cards. “Your mate makes

everything different.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. Grinning at the peacock shifter, he asked, “What do you want in a

mate?” It’d be nice to get the attention away from him.

That finally got Lamar to look at him. The blond blinked, as if just focusing on him. “I want what

everyone wants. A guy who accepts me for who I am, who doesn’t mind my quirks.” He actually
grinned lasciviously. “Being good in bed’s always a plus,” he said, snickering.

Everyone laughed and the game resumed.
Vail tried to be more discreet about looking at his phone, but he didn’t think he was completely

successful if the way Lamar winked at him was any indicator.

Chapter Seven

Draven let out a quiet sigh as he watched Child Services accompany the girl in an ambulance. He

knew they had contacted the girl’s parents and were being escorted to the hospital to meet the
ambulance.

“That poor girl,” he heard one of the officers say before climbing into his car.
He was inclined to agree. The conditions they’d found her in, locked in a room, wrists and feet

bound together, and roped to the iron rails of the headboard. At least he’d overheard the paramedics
say that the only injury was a knock on the head, probably sustained when she’d been kidnapped two
days before. Not ideal, but it was something.

What he really hated was knowing that he could have rescued her that morning, but didn’t. All

because of a fucking career.

“I’m done,” he muttered, fatigue hitting him hard.
“Me, too, man,” Detective Malone said, misunderstanding him. “Let’s call it a night and take care

of these reports in the morning,” he said, slapping him on the shoulder.

Draven grimaced and ran a hand through his short hair. “No, Malone. I’m done. I’m resigning.

Seeing this…” He waved a hand and shook his head. He knew the man wouldn’t understand. He’d
been at this for seventy-eight years, catching bad guys according to the rules of the law. He was done.
He had a lover waiting, who was part of a nomadic pack, and he was ready to leave this life behind
him. Maybe I’ll go vigilante, he thought absently.

“One case too many,” he finally said. Looking Ricky in the eye, Draven told him, “I’m calling it

quits. Turning in my resignation tomorrow. Sorry, man. I’m done.”

Ricky’s eyes widened. “Wow, really? But you just transferred here from Minneapolis two years

ago.” Then his eyes narrowed. “Wait, does this have something to do with that guy who stopped at
our table today?”

“Well, not him in particular, but one of his buddies, yes,” he admitted, seeing no point in lying to

the man. Ricky was a detective after all, and if he really wanted to figure something out, he would.

His jaw clenched for a second, then, he cleared his throat and asked, “A guy?”
“Yeah,” Draven replied levelly. “A guy.”
“But if you just met him, why would you quit your job for him?” Ricky wouldn’t meet his gaze as

he asked the question. “It just seems…sudden.”

“Ever hear of love at first sight?” He couldn’t help chuckling as he said it.
Ricky snorted. “Yeah, right,” he muttered, striding toward his car. Waving a hand over his head,

he called, “See you in the morning.”

He waited until his partner got into his vehicle before getting into his own. He smiled slightly as

he watched Ricky drive away. “That went better than expected,” he muttered, starting the vehicle.
Maybe all the crap he’d had to take from Ricky earlier that day had been worth it.

The flash of headlights as a car drove toward him blinded Draven for a second, then everything

around him changed. He found himself in a forested clearing, surrounded by motorcycles and pack-
members. Draven swung his gaze to the left, and spotted a vintage fire-engine red jaguar parked
nearby. Leaning against a fender was a tall, slender blonde with killer legs and cold, cruel blue eyes.
She was grinning.

Pain shot through Draven’s side. He hissed and clenched a hand over the area, but when he

looked down, he saw his coat and the interior of his car. The vision had ended. Licking his lips,

Draven sucked in a deep breath and the pain faded.

“Eliza,” he whispered, frowning. Draven thought over what he’d seen and came to two

conclusions. They weren’t done dealing with the witch, and Draven would be injured and he had no
way of knowing how badly.

Bowing his head, Draven gripped the wheel tightly. Just how much do I tell Vail? Thinking of his

beloved, all Draven wanted was to be with him again, holding him, and to be reassured that Vail was
okay.

On his way back to Vail’s, Draven swung by his place and tossed a change of clothes and some

toiletries into an overnight bag. Once done, he hustled back to his vehicle. As he drove, he thought
about his lover. The man had a lot of things to work through, and he wondered what kind of reception
he’d receive.

After waiting for so long to meet up with the shifter, Vail wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Somehow, he had to convince Vail that they could make this work, and no witch was going to stop
him.

It was nearly one in the morning when he punched in the gate code and drove up the driveway. He

parked in the open garage bay, pleased to find it left open, just as Vail said it’d be. He grabbed his
bag and headed toward the door. Taking a deep breath, praying for an amicable welcome, Draven
walked into the house.

A hard body slammed into his and muscular arms wrapped around him. The heady scent of his

beloved filled his senses right before warm lips pressed against his own, hungrily seeking entrance.

Draven moaned into his lover’s mouth, never having expected this welcome. He buried his hands

in Vail’s thick hair and pressed close. His dick went from flaccid to hard as steel in seconds. His
back hit the wall behind him and an answering ridge pressed against his own.

Grunting, Draven thrust against Vail. His lover roved his hands roughly down Draven’s chest,

pulled his t-shirt from his jeans, then warm calloused palms scraped up his sides.

Turning his head, Draven broke the kiss and gasped for breath. His skin felt like it was on fire

everywhere Vail’s hands touched. No one had stimulated him so fast and furious before, and his dick
jerked and leaked in his jeans.

“Vail,” he gasped. “Fuck, man, you okay?” Draven hated trying to talk when all he wanted was to

open both their pants and rut to completion, but he needed to know what had gotten into the shifter.

“Missed you,” Vail mumbled. His hands began to slow, still touching, still rubbing, still tracing

the muscles of his pecks, abs, and sides, but the urgency had begun to abate. “Don’t know why I
missed you so much,” he admitted, tucking his head into the crook of Draven’s neck, inhaling deeply.

Draven leaned his head against the wall and tilted his neck, letting Vail breathe in his scent. He

knew it’d help settle the wolf shifter. “You need to claim me,” he mumbled, enjoying the affection.
“Just as I claimed you.”

“Yes,” Vail hissed. “I’m hard as a rock for you, Draven.”
“Then you shall have me.” Draven replied, more than happy to bottom just as much as top. “Take

me to your bed, lover,” he insisted.

Vail wasted no time obeying. He drew away, grabbing Draven’s hand as he moved, so he could

lead him through the dark, quiet mansion. Draven liked his beloved’s enthusiasm and happily
followed.

“Guess I shouldn’t have been worried about my reception,” he teased.
Pausing for just a second, Vail murmured. “We’ll talk after…after I claim you.”

“Works for me,” Draven agreed. He knew they had plenty to discuss, including the new

development of his vision, but even that could wait. If Draven had his way, they’d have centuries
together to get it right.

Suddenly, Vail’s grip was gone. Draven paused, his night vision telling him they were in Vail’s

suite of rooms. A soft click sounded behind him as his lover closed the door. Vail prowled around
him, back into his line of sight, a feral look on his face and lust glinting in his eyes.

Unbelievably, Draven’s dick hardened even further, oozing in his jeans.
Vail’s nostril’s flared. “You should remove your clothes if you ever want to wear them again.”
His lover’s warning was clear. Draven grinned, liking this side of Vail, the confident, sexy side.

Quickly, he stripped his clothes, letting them fall where they may. Once nude, he held his arms away
from his sides and grinned.

“This what you wanted?” he crooned.
“Oh, yes,” Vail responded, prowling around him.
Draven smiled, his eyes narrowing. He liked seeing the need and hunger etched across his lover’s

face. It reassured him, told him his shifter just might be more open to making their relationship work
than he’d initially thought. Draven stood quietly for several seconds, letting Vail drink his fill. He
knew what the man saw, a leanly muscled man who appeared fit, confident, and extremely aroused.
Draven didn’t have to look down to know his dick stuck out from his body, firm, proud, and long,
moisture gleaming at the tip.

“Sexy fucker,” Vail muttered.
Smirking, Draven sauntered toward the bedroom. “Yes, I am.”
He’d almost made it to the bed when he felt an equally naked body press against his backside and

warm arms wrap around his waist. Rough lips pressed lines of wet kisses along the vertebra of his
neck. Draven leaned against his lover, letting Vail hold some of his weight.

Vail nuzzled his neck and whispered, “This is what I’ve always needed. This closeness. The

freedom to hold a lover without worrying about how they’ll react or what they’ll expect in the
morning. With you, I don’t have to worry. I already know.”

Draven waited a couple heartbeats, wondering if Vail would say more. Instead, his lover started

sucking up a mark on the sensitive patch of skin behind his ear. He shivered and let his eyelids slide
shut. He lifted a hand, buried it in Vail’s hair, and just held on for the ride.

One of Vail’s hands slid up and began plucking a nipple, pinching and pulling lightly. The man’s

other hand lowered and threaded through his thin patch of pubic hair, sending shivers of sensation
through his groin and up his torso. When Vail shifted his grip to his dick and squeezed firmly, Draven
groaned, long and low.

“Yeah,” Vail urged, jacking Draven’s dick. “Show me how much you like my touch.”
Draven’s balls tightened and he grabbed onto Vail’s hip with his free hand. “Gonna come if you

keep that up,” he warned, struggling to catch his breath as his lover worked him. The rough hand on
his dick felt magnificent and he thrust into Vail’s hold.

“Go ahead and come, sexy,” Vail said. “I’ll get you hard again in no time.” He kissed his

shoulder, then added, “Promise.”

Seeing no reason to deny himself with that kind of guarantee, Draven groaned and came. His body

shuddered, his hips bucked, and his cock shot stream after stream of seed across the floor and Vail’s
hand. Vail continued to pump him through his orgasm, heightening his pleasure and stimulating him at
the same time.

He grinned up at the ceiling, resting his head on his lover’s shoulder as he enjoyed the endorphins

pinging through his system. Letting out a pleased sigh, he looked up at Vail. He rocked his hips
backward and rubbed his ass against his lover’s erection, earning a nice growl from his lover.

“Can I help you with that?” he asked cheekily, inserting his hand between them and gripping his

lover’s dick.

“Most definitely,” Vail growled, rutting into his hand.
Vail pushed him forward, toward the bed. Draven released his shifter and went with the

movement. He crawled onto the mattress and, following Vail’s urgings, he rolled over onto his back.
Holding out a hand, Draven invited his lover to join him.

Taking Draven’s invitation, Vail took his hand and crawled up next to him. Instead of lying next to

him, Vail lowered his head to his groin and licked up a path along his half-mast dick, scooping up
traces of cum. Draven shivered with pleasure, tingles shooting through his system. He spread his legs
wide, giving his beloved more room.

It wasn’t long before his dick was hard again, and Vail swallowed him down. Draven groaned,

his hips bucking up, forcing his dick further into the hot, wet, sucking mouth pleasuring him. “Ah,
Vail,” he breathed. “So good.” Smiling at the pleasure, Draven teased, “You trying to make me come
again?” Draven found himself surprisingly close to a second orgasm, shocking him with how swiftly
his ardor rose.

“Wouldn’t want that,” Vail murmured, lifting his head from Draven’s dick.
Draven hitched a moan as a lubed finger probed his ass. Rocking his hips, he welcomed Vail’s

digit. “Mmm, yeah,” he grunted, sparks shooting through his system as his lover pegged his gland.
When Vail did it again, Draven chuckled roughly. “You keep that up and I’m going to come.”

He couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed sex this much.
Vail smirked down at him. “What’s the matter? You too old to get it up a third time?”
Snickering, Draven replied, “Do your worst.”
“Oh, a challenge,” Vail crooned. “I like it. How about I just slide into you and fuck you into

coming? Hmm?”

Draven reached his arms up and grabbed the bars of the headboard. The move spread himself out,

showing off his lean torso and the nice muscles of his abs and arms. He grinned up at his lover and he
planted his feet. “If you think you can.”

Vail growled, taking that as the challenge it was. His eyes narrowed. His lips curved in a feral

smile. “Oh, it would be my pleasure.”

Chapter Eight

Excitement coursed through Vail’s system. His mate’s teasing and playfulness awakened

something that had always been missing…completion. He needed what this man gave him—this fun,
this excitement, and this uninhibited acceptance. It took him seconds to grease his dick, then guided
his head to Draven’s hole, and pushed.

Vail groaned deep in his throat while loving the sound of his vampire’s hiss and grunt. Spikes of

pleasure shot from his dick and up his spine as he sank his erection balls-deep in his lover. “Draven,”
he grunted. His hips bucked, and it took two strokes to still his thrusts.

Meeting his lover’s gaze, he was shocked to see Draven grinning at him. There was no hint of

pain or hesitation in his expression. Instead, he teased, “That the best you can do, lover?”

Draven’s chute clenched rhythmically around his shaft. Vail sucked in a breath at the exquisite

sensations shooting up his stalk into his balls. “Oh, fuck!” he groaned. Unable to hold still a second
longer, Vail started moving. He settled his weight on one elbow and grabbed his lover’s thigh with
the other, lifting Draven’s hips and pushing him wide, letting him sink just a little bit deeper.

“That’s the idea,” hissed Draven through clenched teeth.
Grinning, Vail let his body take over, thrusting into his mate. He adjusted his angle, searching for

his lover’s gland. When Draven shouted and his body jolted, he smirked, knowing he’d found that
magic button. “Yeah.”

Draven’s eyes bled red, blocking out the man’s blue irises. A glance up showed that his vampire

lover’s fingers had lengthened into claws and dug into the wooden rowels of the headboard. His chest
was flushed pink, his dick stood out straight and weeping, and the cords of his muscles called for
Vail’s bite.

Vail found it stunningly sexy.
His thrusts sped up. “You’re gonna come for me, aren’t you, mate? Gonna come on my cock?

Gonna spew one more time?”

“Argh! Yeah!”
Draven’s back bowed, his body tensed, and his chute clenched down almost painfully on Vail’s

dick. Watching his lover paint his chest with creamy white strings of seed, combined with the
pressure on his dick, was more than Vail could take.

Vail sank his canines into Draven’s neck as his orgasm bowled through him. Moaning around the

flesh in his mouth, Vail swallowed his mate’s blood. His wolf howled in the back of his mind, and he
mentally joined in.

Beneath him, Draven bucked and came again, spilling more seed between them.
When he regained some semblance of brain function, Vail carefully pulled his canines free and

licked up the last drops of his lover’s blood, sealing the wound with his saliva in the process.
Nuzzling Draven’s cheek, he got a grunt and an unintelligible grumble.

Chuckling, Vail nipped his lover’s ear, then asked, “You doing okay?”
Draven snickered and cracked open an eyelid. “If I were doing any better, I’d be dead,” he

muttered.

Inordinate pleasure flooded Vail. I’ve pleased my mate.
Sliding his softened penis from his lover, Vail pressed a kiss to the mating mark he’d left on

Draven’s neck. “Come on,” he urged. He rolled off the bed and to his feet. “Let’s get cleaned up.”

“Umph,” Draven grunted, following his instructions lethargically. “Couldn’t we do this in the

morning?” he complained.

“And deny me the chance to clean my mate?” Vail teased, wrapping an arm around Draven’s

waist and helping his lover into the attached bath.

Draven leaned against the shower wall. “You know you’re a sexy man, Vail,” he commented, his

words slightly slurred.

Vail adjusted the water temperature, hiding his smile, then turned and helped his lover into the

shower. “Thank you,” he replied. “As are you.” Pouring soap onto his palm, he lathered up Draven’s
short hair. “How old are you, sexy vampire?” he asked, wanting more information about the man.

“Hmm.” Draven leaned into his touch, then replied, “Just over a hundred. How about you?”
Vail smiled. “Seventy three. I hope you like younger men.”
Draven chuckled. “Of course. It means you’ll be able to keep up with my viral appetites,” he

teased.

Chuckling, Vail nodded then maneuvered the obviously exhausted man under the stream of water.

“This probably isn’t the best time to ask,” Vail said, “but I’d really like you to travel with me. I can’t
imagine staying in one place after living as a nomad for so long.” He pressed a kiss to Draven’s
cheek, then scrubbed his lover’s body with soap. “What must I do to convince you to come with me?”

Straightening, Draven smiled at him. “That works out perfectly,” he whispered, plastering his

wet, naked body against Vail’s. “Because I plan to give my resignation tomorrow. I’d love to travel
with you.”

Vail’s brows shot up. He hadn’t thought it would be that easy. “Really?” He rubbed his hands

down his lover’s back, holding him close. “Why?”

“I’ve seen enough pain, enough death, enough cruelty between humans,” Draven murmured. “I’d

like to see something else for a change.”

“Oh, hell, babe,” Vail exclaimed softly. He cupped his lover’s jaws and tipped his head back,

careful to block the spray so he didn’t get a face full of water. He gently sipped at the vampire’s soft,
full lips. “You come with me, and I’ll do everything I can to make your life rainbows and sunshine.”

To his surprise, Draven chuckled. “You can’t have rainbows and sunshine all the time, babe.”
“Ya caught me,” Vail replied, urging his lover out of the shower. “Let’s get some sleep.”
As Vail dried Draven off, his lover gave a jaw-cracking yawn. “Good idea,” Draven murmured,

already almost dead on his feet.

As domestic as it was, Vail enjoyed helping his lover to bed. He curled up around his mate, who

quickly conked out, and realized he’d do it every night if it meant he’d keep experiencing this kind of
pleasure and relaxation.

Vail leaned against his bike, waiting for Draven to arrive. Over the last couple weeks, between

having to share his mate’s time with Tim and his lessons, and with Draven wrapping up his work and
handing off cases, Vail wasn’t getting nearly enough time with the man.

The vision Draven’d had a couple weeks ago didn’t help soothe him any, either. Vail had wanted

to keep his lover close, but Draven had calmly reminded him the encounter would take place in trees.
He had no defense.

“Hey, what’s got you so tense?” Adam asked, bumping his shoulder into him.
Grimacing, Vail really wished his mate were there. He glanced over at his friend, pleased to see

the tiger shifter more relaxed after getting back from his week-long trip to the beach. “Draven had a
vision a couple weeks ago,” he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “It’s got me on edge, that’s
all. I hate having him out of my sight.”

“What was the vision?” Lamar asked from where he stood on Vail’s other side.
Vail glanced at the peacock shifter and realized he was now the center of attention. Kontra and

Tim drew close, and he saw every gaze was watching him. Shrugging, Vail said, “There wasn’t much
to it. Draven saw a beautiful woman with blonde hair and blue eyes leaning against the fender of a
red, vintage jaguar. He didn’t know the year, but guessed seventies. He couldn’t tell location other
than amidst conifer trees, but he got a definitely malicious feel to the woman’s smile.”

“Damn, that’d be a pretty car,” Adam muttered, immediately fixating on the wheels.
“Would that be your witch?” Sam asked, focusing on the real issue. He cocked his head, rubbing a

thumb down the scar on his left cheek, showing his unease. Realizing what he did, Sam crossed his
massive arms over his chest.

Shrugging, Vail’s lips twitched. “No idea. I don’t remember my family discussing what she

looked like.”

“Well, we all should keep our eyes open,” Kontra cut in. “When is Draven supposed to arrive?”
“Any time,” Vail replied.
Everyone returned to talking amongst themselves. Kontra stepped close and gave Vail’s shoulder

a squeeze. “Try not to worry too much. We all have each other’s backs.”

Vail nodded, forcing a smile. “I know.”
The rumble of a powerful engine caught everyone’s attention. A red and black Victory Kingpin

rolled up to the gate. The leather-clad driver leaned over and punched a code into the box, and the
gate opened.

Seconds later, the motorcycle rolled to a stop next to the group. The driver rested the bike on the

kickstand, then pulled off his helmet. Draven smirked at them and winked at Vail.

“Nice bike,” Vail called, striding toward his lover. “Why didn’t you tell me you had one?”
Draven snickered. “One, you didn’t ask. And, two, I didn’t have one.” He opened his arms,

welcoming Vail into his embrace. “I traded my car in this morning for it,” he admitted. “Not like I’m
going to need it traveling with you guys.”

Vail wrapped an arm around his lover and cupped Draven’s jaw. Sliding his lips across

Draven’s, he held the man close as he showed him how happy he was to see him. He eased away and
swept his gaze over the man. He could smell the newness of the leather jacket and chaps. “Well, it’s a
good look for you,” he crooned. “Guess I won’t get to feel your arms around me as we travel.” He
had to admit, this was just a bit disappointing to him.

Pressing a quick butterfly kiss to Vail’s lips, Draven threaded his fingers through Vail’s hair.

“Don’t worry. You’ll feel my arms around you plenty to make up for it,” he promised.

“I better,” Vail replied.
Draven winked.
“All right, everyone,” Kontra called. “I know we’re all restless. It’s time to get a move on.”
“About time,” muttered Payson. He squeezed his mate and winked at Land. “Ready to get the hell

out of San Francisco?”

The slender human smiled at Payson and nodded. “I haven’t been anywhere. It’ll be nice to see

some sights.”

“Let’s ride,” Kontra called, excitement filling the big grizzly’s voice.
Vail squeezed Draven’s shoulder. “How long have you ridden motorcycles? Has this thing been

thoroughly checked?” he asked, suddenly worried. If his lover had just picked up the used bike this
morning, he wanted to make certain they rode at a speed where Draven could keep up.

Draven smiled and bumped their heads together gently. “Don’t worry about me,” he assured. “I’ve

been riding since the invention of the thing. I just didn’t have one because I’ve been a cop for so long
and didn’t see the point of having one.” He smirked. “Can’t take a perp in on a bike,” he added,
winking.

Chuckling, Vail nodded. “All right,” he replied. Kissing him gently then releasing him. “Let’s

roll.”

After Draven swung a leather-clad leg over his Victory and put his helmet back on, Vail headed

back to his own bike. “We’re on channel six,” Vail said as he climbed onto his own bike and put on
his helmet.

As they left the driveway, Draven took a position to his right. Vail glanced at him periodically,

making certain his lover appeared comfortable with his bike. Draven glanced over at him and
winked. Something in his gut eased, and he grinned back, then focused on the road.

The group wound their way slowly out of town, heading north. They stopped at a roadside diner

for supper, then drove for several more hours. When darkness fell, they found a small town with a
motel. Due to the size of the place, doubling up on rooms became a necessity.

With privacy at a minimum, Vail found him and Draven paired up with Caleb and Emmett.
Draven lounged on one of the queen beds and looked at the two shifters. “So, you’re not the same

species. Is it okay if I ask you what your animal is?”

Caleb smiled from where he was tucked in Emmett’s arms. “I’m a chameleon. Emmett’s a white

buffalo.”

“Ah, yes. His fellow herd-mate is one of the people Vail assisted in saving. I guess we’ll never

know if that was when the spell broke or later while helping Yuma’s mate.” He glanced toward Vail
and lifted a brow. “Maybe before, even. You seem the altruistic sort,” he teased.

Vail rolled his eyes while the other two men chuckled.
Draven’s eyes narrowed. “In fact, you all seem very…helpful. You give bikers a good name.”
Emmett shrugged. “I think it has more to do with the bumps of life,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Draven asked curiously.
Vail knew what he meant, but kept his mouth shut as the mated pair exchanged looks. Caleb turned

to Draven and said, “We’ve all had some problems in the past, either getting beaten, or kicked out of
our pack, or living on the street.” He shrugged. “At one time or another, we’ve all been helped by
someone. If we can help someone out of a tough spot, we want to pay it forward.”

Draven nodded. “Noble.”

Chapter Nine

Although he enjoyed just holding Vail all night long, Draven liked fucking his beloved in the

shower even more. He really liked that Vail was as versatile as he was, and the man’s playfulness
ramped up his excitement. Draven knew he’d never get enough of the shifter.

Draven wrapped a towel around Vail’s shoulders and pulled him close. Drying his lover, he

asked, “How far away is your family?”

“Oh, another five or six hours,” Vail said.
“When was the last time you saw them?”
Vail’s brows creased as he looked over Draven’s shoulder, obviously racking his brain.

“Twenty-five, twenty-six years, I guess. I call my dad on his birthday, he calls me on mine, and we
talk on Christmas. He knows I travel with Kontra, which eases his worry quite a bit.”

“I look forward to meeting him,” he said, rubbing Vail’s hair with the towel. He resisted the urge

to lick the drop of water slipping down his chest. “Do they know you’re coming?”

“Uh, no. This is something I really wanted to tell my father in person,” he admitted.
“Ah, then let’s get going,” Draven replied, slapping his lover on the ass.

Draven watched the fields give way to mountains and pines. He relished being able to ride a

motorcycle again. His last few days with Ricky had been bittersweet. The man actually seemed
almost accepting, all things considered, and he certainly understood wanting to do something that
didn’t involve dealing with the dredges of humanity on a daily basis.

They’d agreed to keep in touch, and for a few years, Draven probably would. Sadly, because of

his lack of aging, he couldn’t keep human friends long or they’d start to notice.

After stopping for lunch, Vail took the lead. Draven rode to the shifter’s right, with the gang

keeping pace close behind. Eventually, his lover slowed and turned onto a narrow, two-lane road.
Draven noted houses tucked between the trees every half mile or so. It seemed like a stunning place to
live. He bet, as a wolf shifter, Vail loved growing up there.

Vail slowed again, then turned onto a gravel drive. “Careful, everyone. This stuff’s a bit loose.”
“I smell plenty of wolves, boss,” Payson warned.
“Understandable,” Kontra replied. “We’re well in the territory of the Tamang Pack. Be on your

best behavior, everyone. Due to Vail’s connection to the pack’s alpha and shifter law, we are
allowed to remain here for a week, as long as we don’t cause problems,” he warned.

Adam grunted. “Does fucking the wolves count as causing a problem? I could stand to get laid.

The pheromones all you mated couples are putting off are driving me nuts,” he grumbled.

Lamar hummed in obvious agreement.
Luc, introduced to Draven as Tim’s father, actually snickered. “You got that right, Adam. Geez,

it’s like a regular fuck-fest around you all.”

A house appeared between the trees.
“That’s enough, everyone,” Kontra said, but from his tone, it was easy to tell the big man was

smiling.

The roar of all the bikes were probably what drew the man from his home. Tall and muscular

with dark hair and high cheekbones, it was easy to see where Vail got his looks. The guy swept his
gaze over them, frowning, until his focus landed on Vail.

Vail stepped off his bike and took off his helmet. “Hi, Dad,” he greeted warmly.

“Vail!” the man exclaimed, hustling down the steps. The pair embraced, complete with grins,

backslapping, and laughter. “Son! What are you doing here?” He glanced around the group, his gaze
landing on Kontra. “You must be Alpha Kontra Belikov. Thank you so much for taking such good care
of my boy,” he said, nodding to the man in deference to his position.

Kontra stepped forward and shook the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you…” He lifted his brows.
“Sorry,” Vail responded, smiling. “My father, Abbott Tamang.”
“Abbott,” Kontra said, nodding.
“Dad, there’s someone else I’d really like you to meet,” he said, glancing at Draven and

motioning him forward. “I’ve met my mate.”

Abbott went white as a sheet in two seconds flat. “Vail, you didn’t?” he whispered, his eyes

widened.

“Dad, I—”
“Son of a bitch, you did!” Abbott cried, taking a step back. He glared at Vail. “After everything

we’ve told you? After everything that’s happened?” He swept his gaze over the group and snarled,
“Which one of these men have you condemned to die?”

“Take a deep breath, Abbott,” Kontra soothed. “Everything will be fine.”
Abbott glared and pointed a finger at the bear shifter. “You don’t understand.”
“They do, Dad,” Vail cut in. “I told them about the curse.”
Vail’s father looked like he’d just been slapped in the face. “You told them?”
Draven decided it was time to step in. Moving forward, he cleared his throat. “I am Draven

Mansetti, your son’s mate.”

Abbott inhaled deeply, then growled. “You’re a vampire.”
“And a warlock, which does give me a unique ability to help your son,” he stated calmly. “Your

son broke the curse on him before we mated. If you let me test one of your family line, I’d be able to
tell you if Vail breaking his curse removed it from just him, or if all of you are now free to mate
whomever you choose.”

Shaking his head, Abbott’s jaw dropped. “A warlock.” He glanced between them, then swept his

gaze over the rest of the gang, finally returning to Kontra. “You let a magick-wielder into your pack?
How… Why?” His entire body tensed. “You’re okay with this?”

Kontra crossed his arms over his chest, accentuating his broad shoulders. “My own mate is a

warlock, Abbott. No, I don’t have a problem with them.” He held out a hand, and Tim joined him.
“My mate, Tim Laurent.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tim stated, holding out his hand.
Abbott appeared and smelled completely disoriented. Even as he reached out and shook Tim’s

hand, his mouth worked, but no sound came out. After he let go, Abbott looked around at them again.
“Wow, I’m—” He frowned. “I don’t think I’ve heard of a group quite like yours,” he said slowly.

“Dad,” Vail said, wrapping his arm around his shoulders. “Wouldn’t it be nice to know our

family is now curse-free?”

Swallowing hard, Abbott grimaced before whispering, “Are you sure you can trust him?”
Draven held his tongue, just managing to keep from pointing out that he was right there and could

hear every word spoken. He tried not to hold his breath as he waited for Vail’s response.

“Yeah, Dad,” Vail said, smiling. “I’m sure.” He turned that sexy smile on Draven, and it nearly

took his breath away. “I think I might be falling in love with him.”

And that really did take his breath away. Draven gasped, his eyes widened, and his heart beat

faster. Words stuck in his throat, so he just grinned—and he knew he probably looked like an idiot.

Vail returned his focus to his father. “We should head inside and—”
The crunch of tires on gravel caught everyone’s attention. A fire-engine red jaguar rumbled up the

drive. Draven’s eyes widened as he realized where he’d seen that car before. The window rolled
down and a gun appeared out the window.

“Down!” he roared. He leaped sideways, grabbing Vail and Abbott and shoving both men to the

ground.

Draven heard the pop-pop-pop of bullets firing from a gun followed by the thunk of them hitting

trees, the ping of them hitting metal, and the clatter of them skittering through gravel. He curled his
body around the men. Pain tore through his side, making him grunt.

“Put the gun down!” yelled a voice Draven easily recognized, even through the haze of pain. He

turned his head and spotted Detective Ricky Malone stalking out of the woods, pointing his own
sidearm on the gunwoman. “Put the gun down, now!” he ordered again.

“How the hell did we miss him?” Vail muttered, shifting underneath him.
Grunting in pain, Draven rolled to his knees. “He’s a detective,” he hissed.
“Are you okay?” Vail asked, gripping his shoulders.
Draven groaned. Looking down, he pressed his hand to his side and felt liquid ooze between his

fingers. When he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. “Well, son of a bitch,” he snarled.
That explained his injury in the vision, at least.

“Draven!” Vail called, gripping his shoulders. “You’ve been shot!”
Rolling his eyes, Draven grimaced. “Yeah, I caught that.” He looked down and frowned. “It’s just

a flesh wound,” he grumbled. “Son of a bitch, it does hurt, though!” He returned his focus to Ricky,
who was ordering the woman out of the car.

She smirked coldly. “I can either keep my hands where you can see them, or I can open the door,”

she sneered. “Which is it?”

Ricky glared. “Keep one hand visible, and open the door with the other,” he snarled.
The woman—Eliza—huffed, then chuckled. “Sure. Whatever,” she responded dryly.
Seconds later, she slid one lean, toned bare leg out of the car, revealing plenty of calf and thigh. A

second later, she stood and stepped around the car door, her steps careful in her mini-skirt and five-
inch platform heels. She leaned her hip against the fender and smirked at them, her hands on her hips.

“So, you finally broke my spell.” She shrugged. “No problem. I’ll just kill you and reestablish it.

No biggy.”

“Spell?” Ricky frowned. “What the fuck are you talking about, lady?”
The witch rolled her eyes. “Look, human,” she sneered, “you’re in way over your head.”
“Malone,” Draven called, getting to his feet. “What are you doing here?”
“The morning before you left, I got wind that this bitch was sniffing after your…man,” Ricky

replied, stumbling a bit, showing he still struggled with the notion. “When she headed north after you
all, I took a few days off and followed her. It wasn’t difficult to figure out where ya’ll were headed,
what with Vail’s family up here and all.” He spared Draven a glance. “We might not still work
together, but I got your back, man.”

Draven was touched. He hadn’t realized they’d connected that strongly. Ricky had more loyalty

than he’d given him credit for. “Thanks,” he replied, smiling in surprise. His gaze strayed to the
woman, reminding him of the paranormal shit his ex-partner had stumbled into. How will he handle
the truth?

Before Draven could decide how to proceed, Kontra made the decision for him. The big grizzly

shifter stalked toward the woman. “You put a spell on a line of shifters and attempted to murder

members of my pack. By shifter law, you will be stripped of your powers and handed over to the
nearest pack for processing.”

Draven wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but he suspected processing was just a nice term for

being put to death. For everything she’d done and tried to do, it would be fitting.

“Wait a minute,” Ricky cut in, lowering his gun. “What the hell are you talking about?”
It was the opening Eliza had obviously been waiting for. The witch chanted a couple words and

pointed at Ricky. A flash of light exploded in front of him, the force knocking him on his ass and the
gun flying from his hand.

A snarl followed by a yip rent the air and seconds later, a large hyena bounded toward her, the

threat of death glinting in his gray eyes. The woman said a couple more words and swiped her arm as
if flicking away a fly. A gust of wind slammed into Payson, sending him careening sideways into a
tree.

Eliza cackled with obvious glee.

Chapter Ten

Pandemonium broke out.
Vail watched, frozen in terror—funny what years of conditioning could do to a man—as several

of his friends shifted, while others herded their human mates farther away. He waffled between
shifting and attacking, too, but didn’t want to leave Draven unprotected. When Adam’s tiger collapsed
under a branch she’d magically cut off a tree, Vail came to the realization that they couldn’t get near
her. She kept batting them away with spells as if she were shooting ducks in a barrel.

“How did you drive her away last time?” he called to his father, almost needing to shout so his

father could hear him over the sound of growls, roars, and malicious laughter.

“She was young and inexperienced,” Abbott replied.
Draven pulled a pouch from an inside pocket, and poured what looked like dust into his cupped

palm. Lifting his hand to his mouth, he blew the powder into the air. Vail watched in astonishment as
the powder solidified and formed vines, which flew through the air toward her.

As she was distracted by that, it gave Kontra’s bear the opportunity to shove Sam’s bull away

from her, since she seemed to be having way too much fun popping flash sparks too close to his eyes
and blinding him.

Tim appeared by Draven’s side.
Vail stripped and shifted. Draven grabbed his ruff, and he looked up at his mate. “Distract her. I

need a minute.” Vail nodded and took a step forward, but Draven’s grip tightened, redrawing his
attention. “You be careful.”

He nodded again and Draven released him. Slinking forward, he spotted Payson circling her on

the other side. He caught the hyena’s eye and sniffed. Payson chuffed. A glance overhead showed him
Luc’s large owl swooping overhead, watching.

From out of nowhere, a massive white buffalo thundered toward the woman. Vail knew how hard

it was for Emmett to shift to animal form, since he’d been trapped for over eight years as his buffalo,
and so didn’t do it often. Vail appreciated Emmett’s courage now, and took advantage.

The witch had just finished releasing herself from the vine ropes, and she turned toward the

ground-shaking buffalo’s charge. She squeaked in surprise at how close he already was—showing the
first chink in her façade of armor—and swung her arms as she spewed a couple words.

A three-foot tall sapling two feet in front of and to the right of Emmett burst into flames. The

buffalo bellowed and swerved. Vail and Payson used the distraction to lunge at the witch, while Luc
dive-bombed her from above.

Pain exploded through Vail’s chest and he found himself flung into a bike, sending both of them

crashing to the ground in a clatter of metal, claws, and fur. Vail lifted his head and realized that
Payson had managed to get his teeth into her before she blasted him with a spell. Blood dripped down
her thigh.

Luc had hold of her shoulder, digging his claws in deep. She cast a spell that sent the big owl

slamming into a motorcycle. When he didn’t move, Vail desperately hoped the shifter would be okay.

The witch snarled at Payson where he lay unmoving at her feet. She lifted her hands and opened

her mouth, obviously getting ready to blast the downed hyena with another spell. Kontra roared and
lumbered toward her. Vail scrambled to his feet and followed, limping heavily on his right hind leg.
He didn’t think it was broken, but he’d definitely messed up something.

They were too slow, and the witch fired an electrical charge at Payson. Instead of hitting him,

though, it seemed to hit an invisible wall. The shield crackled, revealing a dome around Payson, then
it reflected the spell back at the caster.

Eliza screamed as the charge hit her instead, knocking her back several feet. Kontra reached her

and slapped her with one big paw. The smell of blood flooded the clearing as she was sent flying
through the air. When she landed, she lifted her head and glared at the once more advancing bear.

Pointing a finger, Eliza snapped off another spell. This time, a ball of fire appeared in front of her

and flew through the air toward Kontra. Kontra roared defiantly, not stopping his charge, even in the
face of the oncoming, inevitable pain.

Once more, the spell crackled around an invisible field, then reversed course and hit Eliza. The

witch didn’t get her own shield up quickly enough, but she did roll sideways and was only hit by
sparks when it scorched the ground where she had been.

Eliza looked toward Draven and Tim. Still limping toward her, Vail followed her gaze and

spotted the pair sitting cross-legged inside a circle of gray powder, facing each other, hands clasped
between them, chanting steadily. Tim had closed his eyes, while Draven followed the action.

Screeching, Eliza cast another spell, this time at the seated pair of men. Vail leaped, praying his

injured leg would hold, and managed to intercept the spell. Pain flared through him, fire singeing his
fur as he fell to the ground.

Roars, howls, and growls reached him mutedly, drowning out his whimpers. Suddenly, something

was thrown over him and he felt like someone was attempting to suffocate him. Vail thrashed, trying
to get away.

“Vail, stop. Settle down,” Draven ordered.
His mate’s voice calmed him and he did as he was told, knowing his mate wouldn’t steer him

wrong. The burning sensation eased to a dull ache. He let out a long breath, and then he could see
again. He realized his mate had used a blanket to smother the flames of Eliza’s last spell.

Eliza!
Vail turned his head, trying to see where she could be. Draven must have realized his intent, for

he rested a hand on his head and scratched behind one ear while saying, “Relax. Eliza is dead.
There’s no more threat.”

He nuzzled into Draven’s affection and relaxed. Summoning the last of his energy, he shifted.

Once he could open his mouth, Vail moaned, shivering as pain ripped through his system. “Damn, that
hurts,” he finally managed. “How?” he asked, glancing toward the bloody corpse. He could just see
the sightless eyes of the witch, and relief flooded him that it was finally over.

“Once she no longer had her magic to defend her, who’s to say which of Kontra or Abbott’s

blows finished her off,” Draven replied. He ran a finger down Vail’s cheek and gently admonished,
“My foolish, beloved. Why would you get in the way of her spell like that? Did you think I wouldn’t
know to protect us? The circle would have kept us safe.”

Vail rolled his eyes and grimaced. “How the hell was I supposed to know that?” he grumbled.

“It’s not like I know anything about magick.”

Draven nodded and leaned down to kiss him. “I know, love. I know. I will teach you, so we will

never be in this situation again. You won’t be able to cast anything, but at least you’ll know what to
watch for.”

He shivered. The fact that magick had cursed his family for so long made the idea of learning

more about magick concerning, but he trusted his mate. After one more glance at the dead witch, he
again focused on Draven’s face. “Okay. I trust you.”

Draven nodded. “I’m honored.” He frowned. “Might I ask why?”

“I love you,” Vail revealed calmly, liking that he could finally express that to a lover, and not just

any lover, his mate. “You deserve no less.”

Grinning smugly, Draven leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to Vail’s lips. “As I love you.”
As soon as the more slender man leaned down to kiss him, it pressed part of Draven’s weight on

him. Vail shuddered, and not in a good way. Pain roared through his system. Draven immediately
straightened. “Shit, shit, shit! I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking.”

Vail managed to chuckle through clenched teeth. “You were thinking, just not with the right head.”

He glanced around and spotted Eli, their pack doctor, checking Adam, who was still in tiger form and
appeared to be out cold. At least he spotted Tim helping a dazed Luc to his feet. Beside Payson, who
was looking around with a groggy expression on his hyena face, crouched Land, and Eli’s wolf shifter
mate Sam, who was a registered nurse.

“I think I’m going to have one of the guys take a look at these burns,” he said.
“Let me help you up,” Draven said.
Remembering his lover’s injury, Vail asked, “How’s your side?”
Draven shook his head. “Just a flesh wound. It’s already healing. Don’t worry about it.”
He nodded, and once he was on his feet, Vail again looked around the clearing that made up his

father’s front yard. “Uh, maybe you should talk to your ex-partner,” he said, nodding toward a
cowering, pale-as-a-sheet figure hiding behind Kontra’s massive Harley and staring around the group
in wide-eyed terror.

Draven grimaced. “Yeah. You gonna be okay?”
“I’ll help him,” Abbott stated, appearing at their side.
After a nod from Draven, and a toe-curling kiss that acted as a great distraction from his pain,

Vail’s lover headed toward Ricky.

“You’ve done well for yourself, Vail,” Abbott said softly, slipping an arm around his blanket-

wrapped waist. “I’m proud of you.”

Vail smiled, pleased by his father’s words. “Thanks, Dad,” he said.
“You chose a very unorthodox pack, and ended up with an even more unorthodox mate, but it suits

you,” Abbott commented as he helped Vail toward Sam.

“I know it wasn’t what you would have wanted for me, but they’re good people.”
“That they are,” Abbott replied. He squeezed Vail’s waist. “And all I actually want is for you to

be happy.”

Vail paused and smiled at his father. “I am happy, Dad.”
His father stared into his eyes for several seconds, as if determining the truth, then nodded.

“Good.” He got them moving again. “Let’s get you fixed up, so you can get back to your mate.”

Grinning at Draven’s back, he watched his lover rest a hand on Ricky’s shoulder and speak to him

earnestly. Ricky seemed to begin to calm, although his gaze constantly darted around to look at the
people filling the clearly. Vail knew the guy had a lot to accept.

Vail remembered his father’s words as Abbott urged him forward again, and he found he liked his

dad’s idea very much. He wanted to find a bed and curl up with Draven for several days, but first, he
had to get well.

“That’s a damn good idea,” Vail said, grinning, already looking forward to all the ways he was

going to express his love to Draven. Now that his family’s curse was broken, nothing sounded better.

About the Author

Charlie lives on a mini ranchette in Utah with her husband and furry, four-legged children. She

started  writing  fantasy  when  she  was  eight,  and  after  stumbling  onto  her  first  erotic  romance  at  age
nineteen,  she  realized  her  true  calling.  She  now  focuses  on  writing  erotic  romance,  normally  of  the
paranormal variety, with heroes and heroines of all kinds. You can often find her curled up with her
laptop  and  a  cup  of  tea  or  glass  of  wine,  creating  her  next  adventure.  Charlie  enjoys  exploring  the
mountains on horseback, 4-wheeler, or motorcycle. Her favorite exercise is jumping lessons with her
Arabian  gelding  Apache  or  her  Thoroughbred  mare  Repo.  And  she  can’t  get  enough  of  sexy
highlanders with their kilts and swords. Right now, she and her muse are working with dedication on
her Wolves of Stone Ridge series and Kontra’s Menagerie series.

She can be reached at ch.richards2010@yahoo.com
Or visit her at www.charlie-richards.com

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