Evans, Gabrielle - Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

The Moonlight Breed 6

Let the Rain Come Down

After spending a decade of doing exactly what he’s told and

having every minute of his life choreographed for him, Oscar has

no idea what to do now that he’s free. Keeping him and his friends

hidden from people who want to hurt them is top priority, but he

can’t help wanting something more for himself.

Neither completely man nor animal, but somewhere between,

Demitrius Accola has lived his life as an outcast, enduring the fear

and judgment of others because of his appearance. Assigned to

protect the new Moonlighters in Haven, he never thought he’d find

his mate. Nor did he expect that the little shifter would be

completely unafraid of him.

When the past Oscar is trying to outrun finally catches up with

him, there’s no question of how far Demitrius will go to protect his

mate. It’s only a question of if it will be enough.

Genre: Alternative (M/M or F/F), Paranormal, Shape-shifter
Length: 36,866 words

LET THE RAIN COME DOWN

The Moonlight Breed 6

Gabrielle Evans

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

MANLOVE

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK
IMPRINT: Everlasting Classic ManLove

LET THE RAIN COME DOWN
Copyright © 2012 by Gabrielle Evans
E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-955-2

First E-book Publication: July 2012

Cover design by Jinger Heaston
All art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without
express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance
to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of Let the Rain Come Down  by
Gabrielle Evans from BookStrand.com or its official distributors,
thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or
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This is Gabrielle Evans’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please
respect Ms. Evans’s right to earn a living from her work.

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LET THE RAIN COME DOWN

The Moonlight Breed 6

GABRIELLE EVANS

Chapter One

“You don’t have to leave, Mr. Accola.”
Demitrius stared back at the coven leader, Stavion, and

contemplated his options for a long time before finally responding. “I
think it’s best for everyone if I just go on my way.”

If not for the half-starved and beaten man who had shown up on

his doorstep, he wouldn’t have been in Haven at all. Other than a first
name, he didn’t know who the guy was, didn’t owe him anything, yet
he hadn’t been able to turn away the battered half-breed.

So, Demitrius had brought him—Jeremy—inside his small house

near the base of the mountains, fed him, and attended his wounds.
Once the sun had set, he’d practically carried Jeremy the entire four-
mile hike to the refuge he’d heard rumors about on his rare trips into
town for supplies.

No one wanted Demitrius around, and he was okay with being on

his own. In fact, he’d been alone for so long that he wasn’t even sure
how to act around people anymore. Even the two Enforcers standing
guard near the door of the coven leader’s office weren’t hiding the
fact that they couldn’t wait to see him gone.

“I hope you’ll reconsider,” Stavion urged. “We could use more

Enforcers, and I get the feeling that you need a little healing. That’s

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what this place is, Demitrius.” He waved a hand toward the dark
window behind him. “This is a sanctuary for the lost.”

“I appreciate it, but I’m more than aware of who I am and where

I’m going.”

“You’re angry,” Stavion replied bluntly. “Fate dealt you a shitty

hand, and you’re pissed off. I get it, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
There’s a cabin on the back edge of the property where you will have
privacy. Give people a chance. They might just surprise you.”

Demitrius highly doubted that. No matter where he went or who

he met, it was always the same reaction. Fear. He couldn’t change the
way he looked or make others see past his terrifying appearance, and
he didn’t have the patience for their bullshit anymore.

“I really need more Enforcers,” Stavion prodded, still doing his

best to convince Demitrius to stay.

Strangely, it was the right way to go about it. No one had ever

needed Demitrius for anything. More than that, Stavion wasn’t
treating him like he had some kind of communicable disease. Hell, it
had taken Demitrius a good ten minutes to realize that the vampire
wasn’t blind, because Stavion hadn’t reacted at all to Demitrius’s
huge size or animal-like features.

No, he didn’t like being alone. It was just easier that way. Could

he really make a new start, a new life for himself here in Haven? Or
would it just be the same old crap that he’d endured his entire life?
There was only one way to find out.

“What exactly would this job entail?”
A satisfied grin spread across Stavion’s face as he held his hand

out for Demitrius to shake. “Welcome to Haven, Demitrius Accola.”

* * * *

“Did you hear that?”
Three naked bodies huddled around Oscar near the back of the

cave that had been their home for the last four nights. Zavion held a

Let the Rain Come Down

death grip on his elbow, shaking from head to toe so violently that his
teeth clacked together. “It’s them. They found us. What do we do?”

“Hush,” Oscar breathed. “Just stay quiet.”
The sounds of boots crunching through the brush and rocks grew

louder, nearing the mouth of the cave. He couldn’t really tell how
many people were out there, but he was almost certain there were
more than two. Tucked back into the darkest corner, he hoped they’d
be hidden by the shadows, undetected by anyone who entered their
hiding place.

If the people closing in on them were human, everything would be

fine. If they were from The Hive, there was absolutely nowhere for
Oscar and his friends to hide. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t
afraid, but he honestly couldn’t believe that they’d been able to get as
far as they had without being caught.

“Hello? Is someone here?”
Four enormous shadows blocked out nearly all of the sunlight, but

Oscar breathed a little sigh of relief. The voice that called to them was
in a heavy Irish accent, and no one from The Hive had any type of
accent. Hell, they all kind of talked like robots in his opinion.

Still, he didn’t know if these strangers were friends or foes. Part of

him was desperate for help, for a white knight to swoop in and save
them. He had to be smart, though. Trusting blindly could very easily
have lethal consequences, and as the unofficial leader of their group,
he was responsible for more than just his own well-being.

“We can scent ya in there,” another man called, increasing

Oscar’s anxiety once again.

If they could smell them, the newcomers definitely weren’t

human.

“I’m hearin’ your hearts beatin’,” the third man added, which only

increased the already frantic rhythm of Oscar’s pulse.

“We’re dead,” Zuriel whispered nervously. “We are so dead.”
“Shut up,” Zavion reprimanded in a hissing whisper. “They’re

going to hear you.”

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“They can hear our heartbeats,” Zuriel snapped, abandoning any

attempt to keep his voice down. “It’s not like they can’t hear us
whispering.”

Cicero closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his

midsection as he pressed closer to the rock wall behind them. Other
than the muffled sound of his growling stomach, he didn’t make any
noise, and the trembling of his bottom lip was utterly heartbreaking.
Oscar just didn’t know what to do about it.

“Now, no one is wantin’ to hurt ya,” the first man said kindly.

“Come on out here.”

“Should we?” Zavion asked. “He said they won’t hurt us. Maybe

they can help.”

“What is it that you’re needin’ help with?” The man on the far left

shuffled a little deeper into the cave, keeping his hands aloft in a
nonthreatening way. “My name is Cian Murphy. These are my
brothers, Devlin, Farren, and Oisin. If you’re needin’ a place to go, I
think we can help ya with that. We’re knowin’ a place where you’ll
be safe.”

“Really?” It was too good to be true, but Oscar couldn’t stop the

hope from bubbling to the surface. Shaking off the hands trying to
hold him back, he crawled forward, blinking rapidly when the beams
of sunlight felt like acid in his eyes. “You really know a place?”

“It’s a place in Wyomin’ called Haven.” Cian crouched down to

Oscar’s level and held his hand out in offering. “You’ll be welcome
there.”

They were hungry, tired, and dirty, and the nights were growing

colder. The twins, Zavion and Zuriel, were little more than skin and
bones, and Cicero hadn’t spoken a word since they’d escaped The
Hive. Maybe it was a bad idea, but Oscar was out of options.

Placing his trembling hand in Cian’s, he glanced over his shoulder

to his friends and then back to the mountain of a man in front of him.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. If you can help, I’d really
appreciate it.”

Let the Rain Come Down

* * * *

They’d been living in the huge mansion in the Haven Coven for

nearly two weeks, and Oscar still couldn’t believe the sheer size of the
place. Rarely did he venture out of his room without an escort, but
even his room was nearly triple the size of the closet-like place he’d
shared with Cicero at The Hive.

Everyone he’d met had been very kind and accommodating. It

was very odd, and Oscar kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. In
his experience, people were never nice to him unless they wanted
something in return. Still, he had clean clothes, real food to eat, and a
warm bed all to himself. More importantly, his friends were taken
care of, and he wasn’t about to do anything to jeopardize that.

“Oscar?” There was a perfunctory knock on his door before it

opened and Boston Mackey stepped inside.

“Is it time?” He and his friends were supposed to be meeting some

people who knew a bit about their breed and were coming to help
them adjust to life at Haven. Boston had been a member of their
rather unconventional pack before he’d come to Wyoming to be with
his mates.

“Yeah, it’s time. There’s no need to be nervous. Xander is a big

guy, bigger even than most of the guys you’ve met here, but he’s as
nice as they come.”

“Okay.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Oscar

offered a wobbly smile and waved him toward the doorway. “I need
to get the others.”

“The twins are already down in the library pestering the hell out

of everyone.”

Yes, that sounded like Zavion and Zuriel. They were happy as

clams in Haven, and Oscar could see them growing in leaps and
bounds in just the couple of weeks since their arrival. It only

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reinforced his conviction that he’d do whatever it took to keep them
right where they were.

“What about Ro?” Cicero was doing better since their rescue, but

he still wasn’t talking. Oscar had seen him smile once or twice,
though, and to him, that was progress.

“He went down with Malakai.” Boston bumped their shoulders

together and chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was
trying to steal my mate.”

Cicero was comfortable with Malakai for whatever reason, and

Oscar didn’t want to take that away from him. If it was going to cause
discord within the house, however, he couldn’t let it continue. “I’m
sorry, Boston. I’ll talk to him.”

“Ease up, Oz.” Giving him a little push between the shoulder

blades, Boston got them moving down the hall and in the direction of
the library. “I’m just messin’ around. I think it’s great that he feels
comfortable with Malakai.”

Letting out a shaky breath in relief, Oscar smiled again and

bobbed his head. “Okay. Sorry. It’s just…well…”

“I get it, but it’s not like that here. No one is going to make you

leave, and no one is going to hurt you guys again.” A big hand landed
on his head and ruffled his hair affectionately. “My family is coming
all the way from Georgia to help you guys, and Stavion is having
cabins built on the adjacent property. This is your home for as long as
you want it.”

Looking away as they entered the library, Oscar quickly turned his

sniffle into a cough and rubbed his eyes on the sleeve of his shirt. He
was far too emotional since coming to the mansion, getting choked up
over the simplest of things. It had just been so long since he’d had
anything that even remotely resembled hope. How did he begin to pay
these people back for what they’d given him?

Checking out the others gathered in the room, he immediately

spotted several men he knew. Devlin and Cian Murphy were there
along with their brother and Boston’s other mate, Flynn. The coven

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leader, Stavion, was there as well, speaking with the guy who had to
be Xander. “Holy crow, he’s huge.”

Boston chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. “He’s a big

teddy bear. I promise.”

Cicero was sitting in one of the far corners with Malakai, and

though he wasn’t talking, he nodded continuously and smiled softly as
he listened to his new friend. Zavion and Zuriel were doing exactly as
Boston had said. The twins had parked themselves on one of the
sofas, boxing in Cian and jabbering away while waving their hands
around in identical displays of excitement.

Cian looked to be taking it all in stride, laughing right along with

them. It was such a huge weight off his heart to see how happy and
secure his friends appeared. Now he just needed to let himself feel the
same sense of safety and belonging. Unfortunately, he was more
resistant to the idea of letting himself get comfortable. Hell, he had a
bag packed and ready to go under his bed, just in case he needed to
make a quick exit.

“Hi!” A petite blond with spiky hair and painted eyes popped up

in front of him, almost as though he came right out of thin air. “I’m
Keeton.” He grabbed Oscar and pulled him into a crushing hug,
nearly picking him up off his feet. “You are absolutely adorable!”

Oscar’s eyes went wide, his heart raced, and his breathing

increased. Panic paralyzed him at having this very enthusiastic
stranger grabbing him like this, but he couldn’t even open his mouth
to stop it. Luckily, another stranger intervened, prying Keeton off him
so he could suck in deep breaths.

“You’re going to give him a heart attack, Kee.” Then he popped

Keeton in the back of the head and shoved him away. “I’m Braxton.
You must be Oscar.” He kept a respectful distance and held his hand
out for Oscar to shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Heat infused his cheeks, and Oscar could feel the blush working

all the way up to the tips of his ears. What a fantastic first impression.
He’d totally overreacted, but it was too late to take it back now. The

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best thing he could do was act as though it hadn’t happened and keep
moving forward.

Grasping Braxton’s hand, he shook it firmly but released it

quickly. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“Well, let’s introduce you to the gang so we can get started.”

Braxton placed a hand lightly on Oscar’s elbow, not grasping him, but
coaxing him gently as though he was a frightened child.

Honestly, that was exactly how Oscar felt. Twenty-three years

old, and he’d never made a single decision for himself—until he’d
escaped from The Hive and taken his friends along with him.
Unfortunately, he’d had no plan other than getting as far away from
the facility in Missouri as possible. He’d done the best he could, but
needless to say, he wasn’t leadership material.

“So you met Keeton. That gorgeous hunk of Latin love over there

is my mate, Xander. The one who looks like someone shot his puppy
is Talon.”

“Why do you always introduce me like that?” Talon groused,

wrapping his arms around a younger man and nuzzling against the
side of his neck. “See, I’m cuddly.”

Braxton rolled his eyes, but he was smiling as he did. “Fine, the

cute, cuddly one is Talon, and the guy he’s slobbering on is Jackson.”

“Hey, little dude.”
Dude? Oscar had never heard anyone use the word outside of

movies, but he took it as an affectionate term of friendship. Besides, it
was really hard to dislike someone as happy-looking as Jackson. The
smile on his face was so infectious that Oscar found himself grinning
back as he gave a small wave. Maybe this was really going to be
okay.

“The blond Keeton is trying to climb is Logan.”
Glancing in the direction where Braxton was pointing, Oscar

slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle the outburst of laughter.
Keeton had literally climbed up on the desk and was attempting to
attach himself to Logan’s back.

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“Slut,” Boston said in an ostentatious fake sneeze, which just had

Oscar laughing even harder.

Logan, however, barely reacted to the behavior. Reaching behind

him, he pulled Keeton around to his chest and pecked him on the lips.
“Behave, angel.”

“So, this is us,” Braxton concluded, waving his hand around the

group. “We’re going to move into the lower west wing of the mansion
until the cabins are complete, so someone will always be around if
you need something.”

“There are like a million people here.” Zavion cocked his head to

the side and frowned. “No offense, but why are you here?”

“We’re like specialists,” Xander explained, speaking for the first

time since the meeting had begun. “You’re all Moonlighters, right?”

“No.” Zuriel looked over at Oscar and then back to Xander in

obvious confusion. “We’re Desirables.”

Xander opened his mouth to say something but stopped, furrowed

his brow, and pressed his lips back together. His lips moved, silently
forming the word several times before he finally said it aloud. “What
exactly is a Desirable?”

Now, Oscar was confused. “Well, what exactly is a Moonlighter?”
“A white-pelted shifter.”
“Oh.” Well, they were definitely that, but why would they need

help for it? “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Is that a bad thing?” Every
shifter in The Hive had a white pelt. Other than the fact that they were
prisoners, the color of their coats seemed to be a very attractive trait.

“Oscar.” Boston stepped in front of him, took his hand, and held it

in both of his own. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but I think
we need to know what you’re running from. We can’t help if you
don’t tell us, and it could be putting everyone here in danger.”

And there it was. Just by being in Haven, Oscar was endangering

the lives of everyone who lived there. There was little doubt in his
mind that the Drones would come for them, and they’d cut down
anyone who stood in their way. “Maybe we should go.”

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“What?” Zuriel yelled. “No! I like it here!”
“Please, Oscar,” Zavion pleaded.
Even Cicero was in the corner, shaking his head rapidly.
“Maybe,” Boston said quietly, “you need to trust us.”
It was much easier said than done. When the coven learned

exactly what they were facing, Oscar doubted they’d be so willing to
offer their aide. It was only fair to warn them, though. Just because
Oscar and his friends left, there was no guarantee that the remaining
members of Haven would be safe. The Hive didn’t play by any rules
but its own.

“We escaped from a place in Missouri called The Hive. Desirables

are engineered and then trained to become a person’s every fantasy.
They will come for us.”

Stavion and Xander exchanged a look before the alpha stepped

forward and crossed his enormous arms over his chest. “Then we’ll be
ready for them.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Two

“Do you understand the situation?”
Demitrius kept his hands behind his back with his wrists crossed

and nodded curtly. “Yes, sir.”

“Cut it out.” Leader Stavion Shogard huffed and rolled his eyes.

“You know I hate that shit.”

He did, which was exactly why Demitrius did it. Keeping his

expression completely neutral, he stared straight ahead at a point
somewhere above Stavion’s shoulder. “Yes, sir.”

“Why are you such a dick?”
“We could go into great detail, but maybe it would be better if I

meet the guys I’m supposed to be guarding.” He did relax his stance
and gave the vampire a half smile.

Stavion had taken a big risk allowing Demitrius into the coven.

No one in his life had ever given him a chance. One look and people
literally ran in the opposite direction. Even the Enforcers and other
members of the coven were reluctant to allow him refuge in Haven,
but after a simple, twenty-minute conversation with Stavion, the
leader had seen something that no one else had ever bothered to look
for inside him.

For that, he felt indebted. At the same time, he viewed Stavion as

a friend—though he’d only known the vampire for a few weeks. It
was a new experience for him, since he’d never had a friend before,
and he was bound and determined to not screw it up. Whatever
Stavion needed him to do, Demitrius would make it happen. He just
had to convince the asshole that he didn’t need to be “fixed.”

“Have you found out anything else from Jeremy?”

Gabrielle Evans

Stavion sighed and shook his head. “He said he couldn’t

remember what happened to him or how he ended up at your house. I
don’t know if he was telling the truth, protecting someone, or just too
embarrassed to admit what really happened.”

“Why are you speaking in the past tense?”
“He’s gone.” Dropping his head on his shoulders, Stavion rubbed

at the back of his neck, looking tired and frustrated. “We give them
shelter, food, and compassion when they come here. I can’t make
them stay, though.”

Demitrius hadn’t seen Jeremy since he’d brought the half-breed to

Haven, so it wasn’t any skin off his nose if the guy wanted to move
on. They weren’t friends, and he didn’t owe the man anything. He’d
simply been the catalyst that had brought Demitrius to Haven. Still, he
hoped Jeremy was safe, wherever he was.

Right then, however, he had more important things to worry

about. “Okay, tell me about these shifters.”

“Nothing has happened yet, but we want to be prepared just in

case. Xander, Logan,  and Talon are big guys, and they’re doing a
great job with the newbies.  Here’s the problem, though. If shit goes
down, they’re going to protect their mates first.” Stavion pushed a
hand through his dark hair and sighed. “That’s the way it should be.
I’d do  the same with Jory, but who’s going to protect Oscar and the
others?”

Demitrius didn’t doubt Xander’s ability as a leader, and he didn’t

feel that Stavion was saying anything negative against the man, either.
If he had a mate of his own, he’d do everything in his power to keep
him or her safe. Unfortunately, he didn’t have high hopes that he’d
ever find a mate, especially one who would actually want to be with
him.

That was his lot in life, and he had made peace with it a long time

ago. Now, he needed to focus on more realistic pursuits. Keeping the
newest members of Haven safe was now that pursuit. There was one

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little hiccup in the plan, though. “Are you sure I’m the right guy for
this?”

From what he understood, the new guys had been through

something traumatic and still feared that someone was coming for
them. He was a little nervous about what they would think of having a
seven-foot-two, three-hundred-pound shadow.

“Seriously, I think they’re going to love you. Zavion and Zuriel

will try to climb you like a jungle gym. Considering what they’ve
been through, the twins are amazingly trusting, and they just want
people to like them.”

That didn’t seem so strange to Demitrius. In his experience, and

he had a lot of it, most people from bad situations were searching for
acceptance. Still, he had his doubts that they would be that accepting
of his particular condition. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

“Just give them a chance, Dee.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means nothing.” Stavion opened the door of his office and

exited without waiting to see if Demitrius would follow. “They’re
meeting us in the kitchen. I think Talon is trying to teach them to cook
eggs.”

They reached the kitchen sooner than Demitrius expected, and he

hung back in the entryway until Stavion introduced him. There were
only four men in the kitchen, all seated at the center island, and not a
one of them over five foot tall. He could definitely see why they’d
need a bodyguard.

“Hey, guys,” Stavion greeted. “Where’s Talon?”
“In the shower,” one of the twins answered. “He had a little

accident.”

“You threw an egg at his face and poured flour on his head,” his

brother added with a roll of his eyes.

Demitrius knew their names, but he had no idea who was who.

Hell, the only way he could tell the little blonds apart was by scent.
One of the other guys sat with his head down, his dark hair falling

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around his face while he pushed the food on his plate around with his
fork. He didn’t say anything, but Demitrius could tell he was taking in
everything going on around him.

“Yeah, well, he deserved it.”
“Zuriel,” Stavion said in an exasperated sigh. “Never mind. Look,

there’s someone here I want you to meet.”

“You mean the giant standing over there?” Zuriel leaned to the

side to see around Stavion and waved enthusiastically. “Hey! Come
eat!”

Demitrius gave a little wave in return, but most of his attention

was focused on the last guy in the room. He hadn’t said anything,
either, but he was smiling indulgently as he watched his friends
babbling excitedly to Stavion. “What’s your name?”

The man turned slowly in his direction and looked him up and

down with a curious expression. “Oscar. Who are you?”

“Guys, this is Demitrius Accola. He’s going to be hanging out

once the cabins are finished and making sure nothing bad happens.”

“You got us a bodyguard?” Zavion asked in awe. “So cool! Is that

why he’s wearing sunglasses?”

He was glad the runt approved, but Demitrius still couldn’t take

his eyes away from Oscar. The man was the most breathtaking thing
he’d ever seen with auburn hair that fell in a halo of curls around his
delicate cheekbones. Oscar’s lime-green eyes watched him with
guarded interest while his full, pouty lips quirked upward fractionally
on one side.

“Demitrius!”
“Huh?” Had Stavion been speaking to him? Shaking his head

several times, Demitrius tried to focus his attention on the coven
leader, but he couldn’t stop sneaking looks at Oscar out of the corner
of his eye. Maybe he wasn’t the right man for this job after all.

“I asked if you’d like to move into the lower west wing until the

cabins are finished.” Stavion arched one of his dark eyebrows, giving

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him a look that was just a little too knowing for Demitrius’s tastes.
“I’m sure you’d be very, uh, comfortable there.”

“Why did you say it like that?” Zavion climbed to his knees on his

stool and leaned forward over the counter. “What’s going on? What
did I miss?”

“Why is he looking at Oscar like that?” Zuriel adopted a pose

similar to his brother’s and turned his head back and forth between
Oscar and Demitrius. “Oscar, do you feel okay? Your face is really
red.”

Oscar’s cheeks were a little pink, but it didn’t make him look sick.

If anything, he looked even more stunning than he had seconds
earlier. “If you think it would be best for me to stay in the main house,
I guess I can do that.” He was going for nonchalant, but he wasn’t
sure he pulled it off judging by the smirk on Stavion’s lips.

“No,” Oscar said firmly. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”

His gaze flickered briefly to Demitrius before he addressed his
friends. “I think we should probably clean up this mess before Talon
gets back.”

“I think he should clean,” Zuriel grumped. “He started it.”
Curious against his will, Demitrius walked around the island,

keeping his gait slow so as not to frighten anyone. The tiled floor was
a complete mess, covered in flour, water, strips of uncooked bacon,
and what appeared to be at least a dozen broken eggs. The countertop
near the stove hadn’t fared much better, and he found himself
chuckling at the chaos.

“I take it cooking lessons didn’t go so well.”
“Not true.” Oscar swirled around in his seat and folded his arms

across his chest. “Ro made the scrambled eggs we’re eating.”

“There’s more in the pan if you’re hungry,” Zavion added,

pointing to the stove behind Demitrius.

“I’m sure Mr. Accola has other things to do.”
The spark between them grew bigger and brighter the longer they

were together, and Oscar’s stubborn attitude wasn’t going to drive

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him away until he understood what that meant. “Actually, my only
job is to stick to you guys like glue, so I’d love to have breakfast with
you.”

“It’s technically dinner,” Oscar retorted. “We’re on vampire time

here.”

“Speaking of which,” Stavion said a bit louder than was

necessary, “I need to find Jory and get his cute little butt into bed.
Goodnight, everyone.”

Cicero stood, took both twins by the elbow, and ushered them out

of the kitchen without a word, leaving Demitrius alone with Oscar.
Since he really was hungry, that gave Demitrius the perfect excuse to
stick around and try to engage the little shifter in conversation. The
cold eggs in the pan didn’t look very appetizing, though.

“What are you doing?”
Rummaging around in the galley refrigerator, he pulled out

another carton of eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and cheese.
“Making a couple of omelets.”

“You know how to do that?” Oscar sat up a little straighter,

craning his neck to watch Demitrius assemble the ingredients on the
counter. “Is it hard?”

“It can be tricky at first, but it gets easier with practice.”
“Can I watch or would that make you uncomfortable?” It was

obvious that Oscar was intrigued and eager to learn.

If it kept him in the room and talking, Demitrius would make

breakfast—or dinner—for everyone in the coven. “I don’t mind.
You’ll learn faster if you try it for yourself, though.”

“Oh, uh, well, I’m not a very good student. Maybe I should just

clean up and go to bed.”

“Why do you keep doing that?” Demitrius didn’t understand it.

Oscar didn’t act afraid of him like other people, but he was obviously
anxious about something. “If you really want to leave, I’ll clean. No
need to make a production of it.”

“I’m not making a production of anything. You’re being rude.”

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“You don’t want my help. You don’t want me anywhere near your

friends. You want to watch me cook, but then in the same breath, you
can’t wait to get out of the room. How exactly am I the one being
rude?”

“Well…” Oscar trailed off and huffed, fanning the hair away from

his forehead with his breath. “Can you teach me how to make an
omelet?”

Turning back to the counter to hide his smile, Demitrius nodded

carefully. “Sure, but maybe we really should clean up a little first.”

“I’m really not a good cook. You make your dinner, and I’ll clean.

Then we can commence with the lesson. Otherwise, it could be sunup
before you get to eat.”

They both went about their tasks in silence, and Demitrius found

that it wasn’t uncomfortable in the least. While Oscar swept and
mopped the floor, Demitrius prepared his omelet, concentrating on
each step and thinking of ways to explain them to the shifter. He’d
never deliberately set out to teach anything to anyone, but it shouldn’t
be a big deal.

Food devoured and kitchen tidied, Demitrius washed, rinsed, and

dried his plate before setting it aside. “Okay, so what do you like with
your eggs?”

“I’m not sure.” Oscar worried his bottom lip between his teeth as

he surveyed the items on the counter. “They let us have ketchup
sometimes.”

Demitrius didn’t know who “they” were, and he didn’t think the

guy would appreciate him prying. Maybe one day Oscar would trust
him enough to share his secrets, and when that day came, Demitrius
would be ready to listen. “Do you like onions, mushrooms, and sweet
peppers?”

“I don’t know.” Sucking his lip back between his teeth, Oscar

shrugged and rubbed at the nape of his neck. “I’ve never had any of
those things.”

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“Good.” Removing three eggs from the carton and setting them

beside the cutting board, he placed the rest back into the fridge and
nudged Oscar forward to the counter. “We’ll fix it up with everything
then. If you don’t like something, you’ll know next time. That’s the
great thing about choices.”

Sucking in a deep breath, Oscar held it for a minute and then let it

out in a whoosh. “Okay. What do I do first?”

Settling onto one of the stools, Demitrius leaned back against the

island and watched, occasionally answering questions or giving
instructions. He didn’t know what Oscar had been so worried about,
though. It was clear that he didn’t have much experience in the
kitchen, but he followed directions well and was meticulous about
every detail right down to the direction he cut the onions.

“How do I know when these are done?” He pushed the vegetables

around in the pan with the spatula and frowned.

“You want them soft, but not mushy.”
Oscar nodded resolutely, but still continued to poke at the contents

of the pan. His bottom lip went between his teeth again, a sure sign he
was getting upset, and he started bouncing from foot to foot. Worry
lines marred his brow and his eyebrows drew together in an
expression of clear agitation.

“I think they’re ready, Oscar.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded once more and lifted the pan to

transfer the contents to the skillet with the eggs. “Then I just fold it
over?”

“That’s it.”
“What about the cheese? You put cheese on yours.”
“Well, you can put it on the inside or the outside. You can even do

both.”

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because the agitation

returned, accompanied by a soft grunt of what Demitrius took to be
frustration. Oscar did well with direct orders. When faced with

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making even a simple decision, he seemed to fall into a panic. “Do
you like cheese?”

“Yes. I love cheese!”
Ah, there was that smile Demitrius had been waiting for. “Okay,

then smother it in cheese. Hell, fill the whole skillet with it.”

The sweetest laughter echoed around the kitchen as Oscar emptied

the bag of shredded cheese into the pan. The laughter cut off abruptly
when he tried to move his finished omelet to the plate and accidently
broke it into several pieces. “Crap! I told you I couldn’t do this.”

“Relax, Oscar.” Rising from his seat, Demitrius forked a bit of the

mixture and held it to the man’s lips. “Maybe it’s not very pretty, but
that doesn’t change the way it tastes.”

Oscar looked skeptical, but after a short hesitation, he opened his

mouth and allowed Demitrius to feed him. The way his lips wrapped
around the tines was probably not as erotic as Demitrius found it, but
that didn’t stop him from being completely mesmerized.

“Oh, that is good.”
“See?” Coughing to clear the huskiness from his voice, Demitrius

placed the utensil back on the plate and took a hasty step in retreat.
“Uh, you should probably eat before it gets cold.”

“I’m not really hungry. You have it. You didn’t eat very much.”

Taking the plate to the table, Oscar sat it down in front of an empty
chair and indicated that Demitrius should sit. “Can I ask you a
question?”

“You just did, but I guess you could ask another.”
Oscar waited until they were both seated before he spoke again.

“Why won’t you take off your sunglasses?”

Shoveling a huge bite of eggs into his mouth, Demitrius chewed

slowly while he thought over how to answer. The question didn’t
bother him. He was used to people poking their noses into his
business. Oscar was different, though. His opinion mattered, and for
the first time in years, Demitrius was a little nervous as to the reaction
he’d receive.

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Oscar folded his hands on the tabletop in front of him and smiled

shyly. “Does it have anything to do with why you always look away
when you smile? Or duck your head when you eat?”

The guy was extremely astute, and it unnerved Demitrius a little

that Oscar had picked up on the subtle behaviors. People in general
didn’t pay much attention to him other than to gawk at his larger-
than-average size. That, he could handle. This thing Oscar was doing
was completely alien, and it made it hard for him not to fidget under
the scrutiny.

“Don’t be scared,” he blurted, which would naturally ensure that

was exactly what Oscar did.

Surprising him once again, Oscar just smiled and leaned forward

over the table. “I’m not scared. Nervous, anxious, and maybe even a
little jealous, but I’m definitely not scared.”

“Jealous?” Demitrius tipped his head to the side and frowned.

“Why on earth would you be jealous?”

The shyness returned, and Oscar’s cheeks tinted pink again.

“Because you’re mine.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Three

Demitrius Accola was his, all his, and he didn’t have to share with

anyone. It had taken a little while to figure out why the man made him
so jumpy, but then his instincts took over, and Oscar understood
perfectly.

“Your mate?”
Couldn’t Demitrius feel the buzzing between them? Good grief,

the feeling had practically slapped Oscar in the face the minute he’d
set eyes on the shifter. Of course, he hadn’t realized what it meant at
the time, but he’d known right away that he’d do anything to belong
to the man. The jealousy that rose up inside him when the twins had
expressed an eagerness to get up close and personal with their new
bodyguard was unfamiliar, and he probably hadn’t handled it well.

“I think so. I’ve never had a mate before, so I don’t really know. I

feel something, like I want to crawl up in your lap and rub all over
you so you’ll smell like me.”

A deep chuckle rumbled through Demitrius’s chest, and Oscar’s

cock responded by perking right up and pressing hard against his
zipper. The guy’s sheer size should have been enough to send Oscar
screaming, but he kind of liked the idea of having a mate as big as
Demitrius. Surely there wasn’t another place on earth that would be
safer than by his side.

“I think you’re right, because I feel the same way. I want

everyone to know you’re mine. I’d probably rip someone’s arm off if
they tried to touch you right now.” Demitrius’s lips snapped together,
and he breathed deeply through his nose before continuing. “I’m
sorry, Oscar. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

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He was anything but scared. What Demitrius described sounded

more than okay in his book, especially since he wanted the same
things. It was a very uncommon feeling for him to covet anything, but
maybe just this one time he could allow himself to be selfish.

Sacrifice was the name of the game when he was trying to keep

the people he loved safe. He’d given up a lot, even before they’d
escaped from The Hive, and now it was his turn to have a little
something to call his own. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.

So, why did he feel so rotten?
“You’re going to be guarding all of us, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’ll keep my friends safe? You won’t let anything happen to

them?”

“I’ll do my very best, Oscar. I can’t predict the future, and I won’t

make a promise that I can’t keep. Whatever happens, though, I do
promise to do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens
to you or the people you care about.”

He really couldn’t ask for more than that, and he was impressed

that Demitrius hadn’t tried to calm him with empty hope and
meaningless vows. Oscar considered himself a realist, and
realistically, he accepted the fact that bad shit was going to happen.
No one defied The Hive and got away with it. Dodging them for as
long as they had was, in itself, a miracle. They couldn’t hope to avoid
discovery forever.

It would be easier for him to feel calm and safe if he could just see

Demitrius’s eyes. So many emotions were expressed through the eyes,
and it was much easier to tell if a person had honorable intentions or
was just blowing smoke up his ass. “Will you please take off your
sunglasses?”

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
There was that nervous tic again. The minute Oscar had

mentioned the shades, Demitrius’s head dipped, hiding most of his
face from view. His long, black hair fell down past his shoulders,

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obscuring even more of his features, almost as though he was trying
to burrow into himself.

“I’m not so delicate.” He’d seen a collection of amazing things

during his life in The Hive. “I don’t startle easily.”

Demitrius didn’t appear convinced. Behind his sunglasses, his

eyebrows rose skeptically, and a disbelieving smile quirked one side
of his mouth upward. “You’ve already proven yourself to be very
capable, but everyone has secrets, Oscar. Please, allow me to keep
mine.”

While he understood the desire to keep some things hidden, Oscar

didn’t feel that it applied in this situation. Demitrius was his mate, and
mates shouldn’t have secrets between them. It wasn’t as though he
expected the guy to spell out his life story right away. Whatever
Demitrius was determined to keep from him seemed pretty major,
though.

Perhaps if he started off slowly, he could work his way up to the

bigger questions. “What type of shifter are you?” It was a fairly
important question, but still, a relatively minor detail in the forward
progression of their relationship.

“Feline,” Demitrius answered in a clipped tone. He said nothing

further, and Oscar couldn’t understand how the question had been
offensive. His mate obviously didn’t want to talk about it, but that
didn’t stop him from prodding.

“What kind of feline exactly?”
“You wouldn’t recognize the breed.”
Okay, now he was starting to get pissed. “I’m not stupid. Just

because Cian found us in a cave doesn’t mean I was raised by
wolves.” Sighing heavily, he rose from his chair and shook his head.
“This isn’t working.”

“So, that’s it? Just because I won’t answer your questions, you’re

leaving?” The sad part was that Demitrius didn’t sound as upset as he
probably thought he did. He actually sounded a little hopeful.

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“I’m not going to keep banging my head against a wall and

wonder why I have a headache. When you’re ready to talk, you know
where to find me.” With that parting statement, he exited the kitchen
without a backward glance.

Oscar had baggage of his own and more than a few trust issues.

He was constantly looking over his shoulder and always expecting the
worst, but he’d open up to Demitrius if the guy showed even the least
bit of interest. For most of his life, he’d been prepped and trained for
a Master, and therefore, no one had ever taught him about what it
meant to have a true and fated mate.

It was ironic that he would find Demitrius now. Before coming to

Haven, Oscar hadn’t even realized that such things as bonded pairs
existed. Watching all of the happy couples within the coven was
shocking at first, especially hearing them argue. When  Braxton had
chewed Xander up one side and down the other  shortly after their
arrival, Oscar had been paralyzed with fear.

The first rule of being a Desirable was to defer to his Master in all

matters. The punishment for disobedience was severe, ensuring all
Desirables strived for perfection. To hear Braxton speak in such a
way to the alpha of their pack was disconcerting, but even more
confusing was the way Xander had smiled at his mate before lifting
him into his arms and kissing the breath out of him.

Keeton seemed to have some type of meltdown on a daily basis,

and usually over the minutest problems. Braxton called him a drama
queen, and though Oscar had needed to inquire as to the definition of
the description, once Braxton explained it to him, he had to agree.
Logan took it all in stride, though. Not once had he shouted, lifted a
hand in anger, or really done anything more than huff and roll his
eyes.

It all appeared to be the pack’s natural way of life. Oscar, on the

other hand, was feeling sick to his stomach about storming out of the
kitchen the way he had. The only thing that saved him from sprinting

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back and begging forgiveness was the fact that Demitrius had
honestly seemed relieved that he was leaving.

Keeton and Braxton had made their mission in life to teach Oscar

to stand up for himself and not allow everyone to walk all over him
all the time. Oscar didn’t view himself as a doormat, but he could
admit that he had some problems asserting himself when it came to
authority figures. As alpha, if Xander told him to strip naked and
stand in the middle of the front lawn, he’d do it without question.

“Oscar!”
Stopping in his tracks and spinning around, Oscar was so shocked

to see Demitrius jogging toward him down the hallway that his mouth
fell open and started flapping like a guppy. “What are you doing?”

“Wait.” Coming to a halt in front of him, Demitrius took both of

his hands and lifted them to his mouth. It was kind of funny given
their height difference, but the gesture was sweet nonetheless. “I’m
sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have just left like that.” Having a mate

was unlike any feeling Oscar had ever encountered. He wanted to
please Demitrius, not because it was required of him, but because he
really and truly wanted to make the man happy. Being in his presence
was exhilarating, and it made his heart pound hard and fast against his
sternum.

“Look, we can do the whole blame game later. You were

absolutely right, though.” Demitrius looked up and down the hall
before returning his focus to Oscar. “Is there somewhere more private
we can talk? I’ll tell you everything, but I don’t really want an
audience for it.”

“We can go to my room.” Oscar’s belly fluttered a little at the idea

of having the gorgeous shifter alone in his room, but he pushed away
his anxiety, kept a firm hold on Demitrius’s hand, and led the way
toward the staircase.

Neither of them spoke as they navigated the long and winding

corridors to the west wing located on the first floor. Once inside his

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room, Oscar closed the door quietly and linked his fingers behind his
back as he turned to face his mate. “Well, this is it.”

Easing down on the end of the bed, Demitrius held his hands up

when Oscar started toward him. “Stay right there.” When Oscar did as
asked, he nodded curtly, took a deep breath, and reached up to pinch
the earpieces on his sunglasses. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“You can’t scare me. Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ve seen something

even stranger.”

Demitrius mumbled something under his breath that Oscar

couldn’t hear and removed his shades. His eyelids remained firmly
closed, however, and it took a lot of self-control for Oscar not to
laugh out loud. He knew this was a big deal for his mate, and he
didn’t want to mock the trust Demitrius was offering, but the man was
acting as though he was going to shoot laser beams from his eyes or
something.

Shuffling across the carpeted floor, he was pleased to note that

Demitrius didn’t try to stop him this time. Insinuating himself
between the man’s massive thighs, Oscar fluttered his fingertips over
the delicate skin below Demitrius’s eyes and smiled. “Open up.”

Huffing as though he was completely exasperated with the entire

process, Demitrius opened his eyes with excruciating slowness. The
eerie glow was the first thing Oscar noticed, but after only a second,
he found it beautiful rather than frightening. His vertical pupils were
fully dilated, but the part that really caught Oscar’s attention was the
lack of white around the burnt-orange irises.

Okay, so he hadn’t actually seen that before, but it still wasn’t

shocking enough to send him screaming from the room. Demitrius’s
eyes were actually very pretty once he got over the surprise of seeing
cat eyes staring back at him from a human face. “They’re stunning.
Why would you hide all the time?”

Demitrius snorted rather rudely and shoved his sunglasses back on

his face. “Don’t patronize me, Oscar. I know what I look like, and I
wouldn’t use ‘stunning’ to describe my appearance.”

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“Well, it’s a good thing that I have you around to tell me what I

think. I would hate to make decisions on my own.” That was partly
true in a way. Oscar still had the damndest time even deciding on
what color of socks to wear. Still, his sarcasm button was fully
engaged, and he didn’t appreciate Demitrius’s snotty attitude.

“Are you always so mouthy?”
Stepping back to put distance between them, Oscar squared his

shoulders and steeled his courage. “Not usually, no. Braxton says that
I need to speak up for myself and let people know when they do
something I don’t like. It’s not easy, but I’m starting to see that he’s
right.”

His face was probably six different shades of red, and he could

feel the heat emanating from his cheeks, but he pressed on anyway. “I
can understand that life hasn’t been easy for you simply because of
the way you look. It’s my experience that most people don’t take the
time to look beneath the surface. I was not patronizing you, however.
Please don’t treat me like a child who doesn’t know his own mind.”

His heart was pounding up in his throat by the time he finished

speaking, making his voice a little wobbly. His stomach twisted
painfully, and his palms were drenched with sweat. The short
monologue had been polite, but that didn’t make it any easier to know
that he had said such things to a superior.

Anyone other than another Desirable was considered a superior

according the teachings of The Hive. After ten years of living that
way, it was going to take longer than a couple of weeks to reprogram.
The first step had been escaping—the ultimate act of rebellion.
Hopefully, everything else would come with time.

“You’re going to shake right out of your clothes.” Demitrius

reached toward him, and Oscar reacted on instinct by flinching away
and throwing his arms up to cover his face.

Again, it was standard protocol. Any act of defiance was dealt

with swiftly and brutally. Since a Desirable’s face was the first thing
potential Masters saw, they were taught to always protect their heads

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when receiving punishment. Failure to do so landed them in the
isolation block, and bad things happened to Desirables in that dark
part of The Hive.

Demitrius didn’t strike him, though. Instead, his hand landed

gently on Oscar’s elbow, and he tugged, encouraging rather than
demanding. “It’s my job to protect you, and not just because I’m your
guard. Now, come here.”

Sitting in Demitrius’s lap and being surrounded by big, powerful

arms was another new experience for him, and one he hoped to repeat
frequently. A quiet voice inside his head told him that his mate would
never do anything to bring harm to him, and Oscar suddenly felt
ashamed of his earlier reaction. “I’m sorry.”

“You spend a lot of time being sorry, and there’s no need for it.

Someday when you’re ready, you’ll tell me about it. For right now,
let’s just agree that we’re both going to make mistakes.”

His gentle giant was being incredibly sweet, and Oscar could get

used to the treatment with very little effort. “Would you like to go for
a walk and see the sunrise?” It was one of the things on his very
simplistic bucket list, and he’d like nothing better than to share it with
his newfound mate.

“I would love to go for a walk with you.”
Smooth lips brushed over his forehead in a chaste kiss that sent

tingles right down to Oscar’s toes. Maybe if he played his cards right,
he could get a real kiss before they returned to the mansion. “Lead the
way.”

“I have a better idea.” Urging him to his feet, Demitrius rose from

the bed as well and took Oscar’s much smaller hand in his huge paw.
“How about we walk together?”

Like equals. Oscar was a self-admitted coward and went out of his

way to avoid conflict. Demitrius was very quickly becoming someone
he could see himself fighting tooth and nail for, though.

“Together it is.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Four

“What else is on this to-do list of yours?”
Demitrius wrapped his arm around Oscar’s shoulders and tucked

the smaller man next to his side. Their sunrise walks had become
something of a routine, and even after two weeks, he looked forward
to them every morning. Though their relationship had progressed to
little more than hand holding and the occasional cheek kiss, Demitrius
found he liked just spending time with Oscar.

“It’s not a big list. I’d like to make a snow angel, dance in the

rain, and maybe learn how to paint.”

No, it wasn’t a big list at all, but Demitrius found it refreshing.

Oscar didn’t want to travel the world, earn fortune and fame, or
anything else extravagant. The innocence in his smile and the way his
eyes lit up at the smallest things was addicting, and Demitrius often
found himself devising ways to bring out the response in his mate.

It wasn’t his first guard detail, and he doubted it would be his last.

Oscar was different, though. It wasn’t so much a job or an obligation
as it was an ingrained need to keep him safe and happy at all costs. If
someone had told him he’d feel so strongly for Oscar after such a
short time, Demitrius would have laughed in their face.

“Are you ever going to kiss me or at least let me see you smile?”
It hadn’t happened right away, but in the last few days, Oscar had

talked him into going without his sunglasses when they were alone.
Demitrius still kept them close at all times in case they were
interrupted, but Oscar made it easy for him to forget his odd
appearance. This was a bit different, though.

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The tendency to turn away or cover his mouth when he smiled or

talked was something he’d done since puberty, and he barely realized
he did it anymore. Under different circumstances, he would refuse
and possibly even become agitated. Oscar deserved to know the real
him, though. It was only fair for the shifter to understand what he was
getting into before things went any further between them.

Stopping under a large tree near the pond, he knelt down in the

grass to compensate for their vast difference in size and rested his
hands on Oscar’s hips. “I want to show you, to tell you everything,
but just remember that no matter what I look like, it doesn’t change
who I am on the inside.”

Oscar rolled his eyes and tapped Demitrius on the tip of his nose.

“You worry too much. I’ve already decided that I want to belong to
you, so stop stalling.”

That was an odd way to phrase it, but Demitrius couldn’t refute

how it made his heart flutter and warmed him right down to his soul.
It was easy to say those kinds of things when life was uncomplicated,
though. Unfortunately, Demitrius was about to complicate the hell out
of their relationship.

Instead of smiling, he simply opened his mouth and tilted his head

back on his shoulders, giving Oscar a perfect view of his sharp,
pointed teeth with slightly elongated canines. Removing one hand
from his mate’s hip, he pushed the hair back from his face, exposing
the pointed tip of his right ear.

The reaction he received wasn’t at all what he expected. Rather

than show fear or disgust, Oscar actually smiled at him as he traced
the cartilage of Demitrius’s ear with his fingertips. Then Oscar
caressed the side of his face as he leaned in and pressed their lips
together lightly, lingering just long enough to get his pulse racing.

“Is that your big secret? Pointed ears and sharp teeth? You really

thought I couldn’t handle that?”

Shifters didn’t have a half-and-half form. They were either

humans or animals. Somewhere in Demitrius’s genetic makeup, there

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was an abnormality that prevented him from completely changing into
either. Being an early bloomer, his first attempt at a full shift came at
the age of twelve. He’d been stuck in this bizarre, and often
frightening, body ever since, only growing larger with each passing
year.

As he tried to explain all of it to his mate, Oscar just kept smiling

and rubbing at his ears, which was incredibly distracting. Each gentle
caress and every tug at his lobes sent shivers down his spine until it
was all he could do to keep from groaning.

“You’re really not as scary as you think you are,” Oscar teased

when Demitrius had finished speaking. “You’re just a big old
pussycat, aren’t you?”

It probably should have pissed him off that Oscar was talking to

him like he was a child, but Demitrius found it so damn hard to be
mad at anything when the guy  was around. Besides, Oscar wasn’t
being condescending or mean. His mate  was being playful, and no
one ever felt comfortable enough to tease him. It was actually rather
nice and allowed him feel included for once.

“Don’t worry,” Oscar assured him, bending closer so he could

whisper in Demitrius’s ear. “Your secret is safe with me. I’ll never
tell a soul.”

Completely forgetting himself, Demitrius wrapped both arms

around Oscar’s waist and pulled the smaller man down to the grass.
His movements were controlled so as not to injure his mate, but he
hadn’t considered how terrifying it probably was for Oscar to have a
man twice his size pinning him to the ground.

As usual, Oscar surprised him, however, laughing right from his

belly as he reached up to slink his arms around Demitrius’s neck.
“Are you ever going to tell me what kind of kitty you are?”

“A caracal. A lot of people refer to the species as the—”
“Egyptian lynx.” Oscar lifted both eyebrows and wiggled them. “I

have been known to read from time to time.”

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“Here I thought you were a nice guy. You’re kind of a pain in the

ass, though.”

For the first time in nearly fourteen years, Demitrius realized he

was grinning openly. His sunglasses were lying discarded on the
ground beside them, and even his hair was tucked behind both ears.
Not a single part of him was hidden, and Oscar wasn’t flinching away
from him or curling his nose in distaste.

“You really are gorgeous, Demitrius. Never in a million years

would I have thought that someone like you would want me. The guy
who signed my contract was…” Oscar trailed off, his bright green
eyes rounded until they looked in danger of popping out of his head,
and his lips pressed together into a tight, white line.

So, it would seem that Demitrius wasn’t the only who had been

keeping secrets. His briefing had been fairly vague when Stavion had
asked him to keep an eye on the new Moonlighters. Oscar and his
friends had been found in a cave in Missouri. They were on the run
from someone who wanted to hurt them. It was possible that whoever
this person was could be searching for them at that very moment. That
was really all he’d been told.

“Tell me, sweetheart.” Holding himself up on one hand, Demitrius

used the other to brush the curls back from Oscar’s sweet face. “You
know all of my secrets now. I think I can handle yours.”

Oscar curled his fingers around Demitrius’s wrist and nuzzled his

cheek against his palm. “This is nice. I love the way you smell.”

“Stop trying to distract me, brat.”
“A second ago, you said I was a sweetheart. Now, I’m a brat? You

really should get your story straight.”

With a silent sigh, Demitrius pushed away from his mate and

rolled to his side, pulling the little shifter with him. Oscar fit perfectly
against his chest, and the sweet smile on his lips made Demitrius feel
like a king. “We don’t have to talk about it now.” He placed a soft
kiss to Oscar’s forehead and pulled him a little closer. “We should be
getting back to the house.”

Let the Rain Come Down

“Are you mad?”
“No, baby, I’m not mad. When you trust me, you’ll tell me. I can

wait.”

Oscar pushed at his chest, leaning back so he could look up into

Demitrius’s eyes. “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I’m embarrassed,” he
admitted.

“Whatever happened to you wasn’t your fault. You have no

reason to be embarrassed, baby.”

“Intellectually, I guess I know that. However, it doesn’t change

anything. I can’t change what they’ve made me.”

“And what would that be?” Another question occurred to

Demitrius before he even had an answer for the first one. “What type
of shifter are you?”

“A hedgehog.”
“Really?” Demitrius hadn’t meant it as an insult. He was honestly

just surprised, because he’d never met a hedgehog shifter before. The
way Oscar’s face fell was unacceptable, however.

Slipping a finger under his mate’s chin, Demitrius lifted his head

and pecked him on the lips. “I bet you are adorable.”

Oscar shrugged halfheartedly. “I guess. It’s not exactly

intimidating.”

“Who on earth do you need to intimidate?” Stretching his right

arm out to the side, Demitrius made a fist and curled it toward his
shoulder to make his bicep bulge. “With me attached to your hip, who
in their right mind would even think about breathing in your
direction?”

His antics did the trick, and Oscar chuckled under his breath—

even if he rolled his eyes as he did it. “Fine, you win. I’m adorable.”

“Mmm,” Demitrius purred. “Yes, you are.” Sliding his fingers

from Oscar’s chin, he cupped his hand tenderly around his mate’s
cheek, holding him delicately as if he was made of the finest crystal
and would shatter just as easily.

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“Did you know that your eyes sparkle when you smile?” Oscar

arched his neck, bringing his mouth closer to Demitrius’s. “You really
don’t see yourself clearly.”

Demitrius knew exactly what he looked like, and he’d seen

firsthand hand how others viewed him. Perhaps it was because of the
mating bond that Oscar saw him differently, but Demitrius could live
with that. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that his mate’s opinion
was the only one that mattered, but Oscar’s approval made it a little
easier to endure the stares and whispers.

Careful of his sharp teeth, he dipped his head the last inch,

pillowing his lips against Oscar’s in a tentative kiss. It had been a
very long time since anyone had been willing to venture that close to
his mouth, and he half expected Oscar to shy away. So, when the
arms around his neck tightened, dragging him closer, and a sweet
little moan filled his ears, Demitrius was momentarily struck
immobile.

Once his brain caught up with what the rest of his body already

knew, it was game over, though. Rolling on top of his mate, he pinned
Oscar to the dewy grass and slanted their mouths together. There was
no struggle for dominance or power. Demitrius was in charge. End of
story. Oscar seemed more than agreeable to give him that control,
though, and let him lead them where they needed to go.

His small body trembled, and gasping moans poured from his lips,

but when Demitrius pulled away to make sure he was okay, Oscar’s
only response was to jerk him back into the kiss. Their tongues slid
together, twining and caressing in a slippery dance that mimicked
things to come. As hard as his dick was and as much as he ached to
claim Oscar right there by the pond, Demitrius wouldn’t allow their
first time together to be anything but perfect.

“Time to go home, baby.”
“Don’t want to,” Oscar panted, chasing his lips and trying to pull

him closer again.

Let the Rain Come Down

Demitrius chuckled, holding his mate easily at bay. “The shifters

and weres will be waking up soon. Let’s find us a bit of privacy.”

Nodding dazedly, Oscar mouthed his agreement, but he still

wouldn’t release his hold on Demitrius’s neck. The sheer joy of
knowing that his mate wanted him without reservation had him
grinning from ear to ear. Grabbing his sunglasses off the ground,
Demitrius shoved them on, looped one arm around Oscar’s waist, and
rose easily with the man clutched to his chest.

Immediately, Oscar’s legs went around his waist, and he hitched

himself up higher, still trying to capture Demitrius’s lips with his
own. “Hold still.”

The little imp was seriously testing his self-control, but with his

long strides, Demitrius was almost to the main house. Since Stavion
had been kind enough to grant the lower levels to the shifters, they
didn’t even have to venture around to the front doors but could enter
Oscar’s room directly through the door of his private patio.

“Do you remember your key code?”
“Huh?” Oscar stared at him blankly for a moment before shaking

his head quickly like a dog flinging off water. “Oh, yeah, I remember.
Four, two, nine, eight, four.”

It was Demitrius’s turn to be dazed. The numbers were the same

as his birthday, right down to the year. He couldn’t believe Oscar
would think the date of his birth would be something important
enough to remember. Hell, he hadn’t even been allowed to celebrate
his birthday after he’d turned twelve. His parents had acted like the
day was cursed, and he’d often been left alone and ignored
completely until he’d left at seventeen.

He’d been on his own ever since, living on the edges of society.

His family was embarrassed of him, he didn’t have any friends, and
strangers shunned him. Hiding out in the mountains or scarcely
populated wooded areas had served him well for a while, but he
would forever be grateful that Stavion had talked him into staying at

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Haven. Without that little push, he probably never would have met
Oscar.

It wasn’t the time to reminisce on his old life, though. Demitrius

wasn’t going to let the past intrude on this moment. This time was for
him and Oscar, and with any luck, he’d be moving forward to make
new, happier memories. Yeah, his life had sucked, but he didn’t feel
sorry for himself. The way Demitrius saw it, a man without scars was
a man who had never lived.

He hadn’t realized he’d spoken aloud until Oscar arched up and

kissed the underside of his jaw with a smile. “We’ve all got scars,
Demitrius. Some are just more visible than others.”

Maybe that was true and maybe it wasn’t, but Demitrius wasn’t

going to waste time debating it. He’d met plenty of men and women
who’d been born to privilege and weren’t shy about flaunting their
good fortune. Exactly what burdens did they bear? Oh, he imagined it
must be horrible to have everything in life handed over in a silver
bowl with a pretty blue ribbon.

“You’re making that face,” Oscar chastised. “The face that says

you’re thinking hard about something that’s not very pleasant.”

How the hell did Oscar do that? Sure, they’d spent almost every

waking moment together in the last two weeks, but that didn’t seem
like a long enough time for the guy to be able to read him so easily. It
wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was a bit unnerving, especially
to someone like Demitrius who’d strived for more than half of his life
to be invisible.

When they reached the private entrance to Oscar’s room,

Demitrius decided to ponder the enigma that was Oscar later.
Punching in the numbers on the keypad, he waited impatiently for the
steel plates to slide back from the doors to admit him entrance.

He couldn’t wait until the cabins were finished. While he

understood the need for the plates to protect the vampires of the coven
during the daylight, it did make coming and going rather

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inconvenient. It was no wonder that most of the residents of the
mansion—even the shifters—had taken to a nocturnal existence.

“Hurry,” Oscar breathed against the side of his neck as he licked

and nibbled at the sensitive flesh.

No matter how much he wanted his mate, Demitrius wouldn’t be

rushed. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m going to take very good care of you.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Five

Electricity raced up and down his spine in tingling currents that

chased each other on an endless loop. His body burned, heating him
from the inside out until his skin felt like it would melt off his
muscles. His senses dimmed, cocooning him in a quiet hush as though
everything else in the world had suddenly faded away into
nonexistence.

The only thing Oscar could see was Demitrius. The rays of

sunlight spilling into the room shone through his long, raven locks,
giving them an inky hue that stole the breath from his lungs. When
Demitrius set him on his feet and pulled his shirt off to reveal his
naked torso, Oscar didn’t think he’d ever be able to breathe again.

Sun-kissed, evenly bronzed skin stretched tight across the most

powerfully sculpted muscles he’d ever seen. Oscar’s fingers twitched
involuntarily as he fought against the desire to reach out and trace the
eight tightly packed bricks that made up Demitrius’s abs. The man
was completely and deliciously smooth, utterly hairless other than the
gorgeous strands that flowed down over his broad shoulders.

For the last four years, Oscar had been trained in the subtle art of

foreplay and taught several different ways to bring a man to orgasm
without even removing his own clothes. He knew how to read his
Master’s signals, when to be submissive, and how to take the lead if
that was what was required of him.

Every technical aspect of a sexual relationship had been

programmed into him through a series of intense training sessions.
Hell, they’d even forced him to take classes in human anatomy,
massage therapy, and acupuncture. He’d been subjected to every kink

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and fetish known to man and knew exactly how to play his part to the
hilt.

Applying those learned techniques in his current situation made

him feel ashamed and unworthy of Demitrius’s affections. The
Trainers in The Hive had taught him how to fuck like a porn star, be it
down and dirty or slow and sensual. Nothing in his sexual repertoire
included the how-tos of lovemaking, though.

Demitrius’s pupils contracted into slits, and a feral growl rumbled

through his massive chest. “Do you like this shirt?”

Oscar shook his head numbly, unable to take his gaze away from

the heated light in his mate’s eyes. He didn’t even remember what
shirt he was wearing, nor did he know why it mattered what he
thought of it. His answer came swiftly, though, when Demitrius took
hold of the collar with both hands and ripped the fabric right down the
center of Oscar’s chest.

His gasp of surprise caught in his throat, and his cock jerked

inside his jeans, pounding against his zipper at the raw, masculine
display of strength. His body quivered in anticipation, nervous but
eager for that first skin-to-skin touch.

“You like that, don’t you?” Demitrius’s voice was low, gravelly,

and full of a barely restrained desire that made Oscar shudder
violently with his own arousal.

“Yes,” he whispered, his mouth too dry to speak any louder. Was

Demitrius serious? Oscar had never been more turned-on his life.
Apparently, his kink wasn’t one that the Trainers had thought to
educate him on.

“You like that I’m so much bigger than you.” Demitrius prowled

forward like a predator stalking his prey, urging Oscar backward until
his knees pressed against the mattress. “It gets you hot thinking of all
the ways I could take you, manhandle you, pin you up against the
wall, if that’s what I wanted to do.”

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“Yes.” His voice was shaking now, barely more than a breath, and

Oscar felt like he was going to spontaneously combust if he couldn’t
have the man inside him soon.

Demitrius casually kicked his boots off and pushed his jeans down

his lean hips so that they pooled on the floor around his ankles. His
hard cock jutted proudly from his groin, pointed almost accusingly in
Oscar’s direction. A translucent drop of pre-cum glistened at the tip as
it beaded from the slit in his cockhead.

The long, thick shaft flexed while the dark blue vein that snaked

along the top pulsed with each rapid beat of Demitrius’s heart.
Oscar’s mouth watered, and his knees began to tremble. More than he
wanted air, food, or water, he wanted that beautiful cock in his mouth.

His lover obviously had other plans for him, however. Demitrius’s

arm looped around his waist, lifting him easily and positioning him in
the center of the bed. Long, nimble fingers made easy work of the
button on his jeans, but once the zipper lowered, Demitrius paused,
smirking at him in a way Oscar knew meant trouble.

A slight jerk was his only warning as Demitrius ripped his jeans

down the crotch and along the left inseam. His eyes rolled back in his
head, and Oscar moaned at the erotic sounds of tearing fabric and the
growling groans that tumbled through his mate’s parted lips.

After divesting him of the remainder of his clothing, Demitrius

settled between his splayed thighs, encouraging Oscar’s legs around
his waist. Their heavy erections pressed together, sliding over one
another to create a mind-numbing friction that had Oscar panting
within moments.

“Shh, sweet baby.” Soft lips pressed against his own in a kiss so

sweet Oscar thought his heart would shatter from the emotions the
simple touch elicited. One of his lover’s hands slid into his hair and
cradled the back of his skull as Demitrius rubbed their cheeks together
like a cat seeking affection. “Tell me what you want, Oscar. I’ll give
you anything you want.”

Let the Rain Come Down

It was Oscar’s primary function in life to provide what his partner

needed. No one had ever asked him if he had a preference, and
honestly, he couldn’t think past the pounding of his cock. There was
only one clear thought in his lust-addled brain. “You. I want you to be
mine, Demitrius. Just mine.”

Clearly, it was the right answer, because Demitrius’s lips stretched

into a wide grin against the side of his neck. His hand disappeared,
and Oscar distinctly heard the sound of his nightstand drawer sliding
open. “I promise that you’ll never want for anything, sweetheart.
Everything that I have, everything that I am, belongs to you and you
alone.”

Gods, the man was going to melt him into a puddle of goo right

there on the mattress if he kept saying things like that. Never in his
life had Oscar had a single thing to call his own. He didn’t know what
he’d done to deserve someone like Demitrius, but he vowed to do
everything in power to be worthy of the gift he’d been given.

A bottle cap clicked open, causing him to tense when the sound

was much louder than he’d expected in the quiet room. With only a
small amount of effort, he willed his body to relax again, and even
sighed in contentment when Demitrius’s middle finger slipped
between his cheeks and ringed the fluttering muscles of his opening.
Never had he wanted anything more, and as the thought flittered
through his mind, the brief apprehension dissipated.

“Tell me if I go too fast.” Then his lover’s mouth was on him

again, his tongue tickling the seam of Oscar’s lips as he demanded
entrance. The single digit at his entrance pushed with steady pressure
until it popped through the guarding ring of muscles. “So tight,”
Demitrius moaned into his mouth, and Oscar inwardly preened that he
could draw such a sound from the big warrior.

Their tongues met and tangled while Demitrius’s finger pumped

in a slow, steady rhythm, loosening his hole and preparing him for
more to come. When a second finger was introduced to his straining
channel, the burn only pushed him higher until he was teetering

Gabrielle Evans

precariously on the edge of orgasm. By the time his mate had three
fingers sawing in and out of his tunnel, Oscar was holding onto his
self-control by the skin of his teeth.

“Please,” he whimpered, bucking upward so he could rub his

aching length along the corrugated expanse of Demitrius’s
midsection. “Can’t last.” His back bowed, his abs clenched, and a
generous amount of pre-cum dripped from his slit. “Demitrius! I need
you.”

“Okay, baby, okay.” The big shifter petted the hair back from

Oscar’s damp forehead as he extracted his fingers and reached for the
lube once more. “Just breathe, Oscar.”

When the spongy crown of Demitrius’s dick pressed against his

hole, Oscar’s eyes flew open, and he clutched at his lover’s shoulders
in a desperate attempt to ground himself. He’d seen Demitrius’s
impressive size, but he hadn’t fully realized how huge the man was
until the thick shaft was invading his innermost depths.

“Tell me if it’s too much.” His voice was strained but resolute, as

if to say that Oscar had to only say the word, and Demitrius would
stop immediately.

Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Oscar smiled up at his

mate and cupped the side of his neck. “I won’t break, love.”

Demitrius rested their foreheads together, and they both groaned

when he bottomed out, his tight sac pressing firmly against the
rounded globes of Oscar’s ass. “Fucking hell, you’re tight.”

“Fucking hell, you’re huge,” Oscar echoed with a soft moan. His

inner walls convulsed as they tightened around the enormous shaft.
His ass clenched greedily, trying to pull Demitrius even deeper, even
closer.

With extreme care, Demitrius pulled out until only the flared

helmet remained, and Oscar swore he could feel his lover’s heartbeat
through his cock as it pulsed inside him. Placing a hand flat against
the headboard, Demitrius flexed his hips, sliding in to the root once
more in torturously slow movements.

Let the Rain Come Down

On the next outward glide, Oscar fisted both hands in his lover’s

hair and jerked him into a rough, demanding kiss as he thrust his hips,
fucking himself on Demitrius’s rigid cock. It took only seconds for
Demitrius’s control to snap. With a primal growl, he looped one arm
under Oscar’s knee and jerked him open wide as he pounded into his
ass with lightning-quick strokes.

The bed shook violently with the force of his thrusts, slamming

the headboard against the wall over and over and knocking the
artwork to the floor. The springs of his mattress squeaked in a
rhythmic melody to accompany the grunts, growls, moans, and panted
breaths. Skin slapped against skin, his hair rustled against the pillow,
and even the birds outside the open patio door lent their voices to the
erotic symphony.

When the pressure in his sac and the throbbing of his cock was

more than he could bear, Oscar turned his head to the side, baring his
throat in not only a show of surrender but a plea for acceptance.
Demitrius didn’t disappoint. Without hesitation, his canines pierced
the dewy flesh, sending a firestorm of unadulterated pleasure coursing
through Oscar’s veins.

The scream that erupted from his mouth was unlike anything he’d

ever heard, but he couldn’t stop. Oscar screamed until his throat was
raw as his cock jetted a never-ending river of pearly cum to
completely soak his stomach and chest.

A huffing grunt sounded next to his ear when Demitrius extracted

his fangs, and his mate’s fiery, wet release filled him to overflowing.
Prying his eyes open, Oscar smiled lazily, feeling exhausted but
utterly content. Something tickled the edges of his thoughts,
something he needed to do, but he couldn’t concentrate long enough
to remember what it was.

Thankfully, Demitrius was there to take care of him as always,

piercing the pad of his index finger on his sharp canines and silently
offering the bleeding digit to Oscar. While he wanted to mark his

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mate, to have visible evidence that Demitrius was forever his, he
wanted to complete the connection between them more.

Taking his lover’s wrist, he pulled Demitrius’s hand closer and

wrapped his lips around the tip of the man’s finger, sucking gently as
he flicked his tongue over the meaty part of the digit. Electricity
sizzled through him as their bond snapped into place, and it suddenly
felt as though a hole had been filled, like a part of him he hadn’t
known was missing had finally returned.

“What the hell was I thinking?” Demitrius frantic thoughts

slipped into Oscar’s mind, though his face was totally impassive.
“He’s so small, so fragile. Gods, I was so rough with him. How can
he be smiling at me like that?”

Despite the seriousness of the inner monologue, Oscar couldn’t

hold in his laughter. “I am not fragile. Don’t you dare hold back on
me.”

Demitrius frowned as he gently eased out of Oscar’s body and

rolled to his side. “I acted like a fucking caveman. You should be
furious with me right now.”

Rolling his eyes, Oscar inched closer until he could curl himself

into his mate’s warm, protective embrace. “Well, I’m not. I don’t
even have words to describe how amazing that was, how incredible
you are.”

“I swear I’ve never lost control like that.”
Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Oscar bit at Demitrius’s nipple in

reprimand. “I don’t want to hear about your other sexual conquests
while your cum is still leaking out of my ass.”

To his annoyance, his lover actually chuckled, though he did

squeeze him closer and kissed the top of his head. “Duly noted, sweet
baby. Have I told you how sexy you are when you’re pissed?”

“It’s kind of strange, really. I mean, I usually get sick to my

stomach when I even think about arguing or standing up for myself. I
don’t feel that way with you, though. I would never be rude or
disrespectful, but speaking my mind isn’t nausea inducing, either.”

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“I want a partner, Oscar,” Demitrius said firmly as he took

Oscar’s chin between thumb and forefinger, “not a doormat. Never be
afraid to tell me what’s on your mind. Even if I don’t agree, even if I
don’t like it, I will always listen and respect your opinion.”

“I know.” Oscar spoke with conviction, feeling the truth of the

words right down to his soul. “I feel so safe with you.”

“Good.” Nodding once, Demitrius offered a crooked smile before

dipping his head and placing a kiss on the tip of Oscar’s nose. “Now,
let’s get you cleaned up and tucked into bed.” His fingertips gently
caressed the skin under Oscar’s right eye. “You haven’t been getting
enough sleep.”

“Well, it’s hard to sleep when you’re gone.”
Demitrius winked and patted him lightly on the bottom. “Then I

suppose I’ll just have to stay.”

Okay, it had been a sneaky trick, but Oscar couldn’t feel too bad

about it since he was getting exactly what he wanted. Besides, it
hadn’t exactly been a lie. When Demitrius dropped him off at his
room after their walks, it usually took a while for his pulse to return to
normal.

He wondered if Demitrius slept naked, and if not, could he talk

the guy into it? Waking up to all those warm, naked muscles pressed
against him sounded like heaven.

With a playful growl, Demitrius rolled him to his back and pinned

him against the mattress, trapping his wrists above his head with one
hand. “One-track mind,” he teased, having obviously heard Oscar’s
lustful thoughts. “You, my sexy little mate, are going to be big
trouble.”

Wiggling his eyebrows, Oscar smiled mischievously as he arched

up to nip at Demitrius’s lower lip. “Well, I’m definitely going to try.”

Gabrielle Evans

Chapter Six

Waking up later that evening with Oscar draped over him like a

living blanket, Demitrius stared up at the ceiling for a long time as he
drew lazy circles on his mate’s back with his fingertips. He’d have to
get up soon and go meet with Xander and Stavion, but he just wanted
to hold Oscar for a few more minutes before the outside world
imposed.

“Mmm,” Oscar purred against the side of his neck. “Did you sleep

well?”

“Better than I have in a long time.” It was true. Demitrius couldn’t

remember the last time he’d slept so soundly and for more than a
couple of hours at a time. “Unfortunately, I have a meeting in about
an hour.”

“Okay.” Rolling to his back, Oscar stretched and yawned hugely.

“Well, you should eat something first. What would you like for
breakfast?”

Demitrius knew exactly what he wanted, and it had nothing to do

with food. Grabbing Oscar’s wrists, he pulled the shifter on top of
him and pushed the unruly curls back from his face. His hand paused
at his mate’s temple, and Demitrius’s eyebrows drew together in
concentration. “There’s something different about you.”

“Oh?” Oscar’s lip went between his teeth, and he chewed on it

vigorously. “What exactly would that be?”

Earlier in the day, Demitrius had been so worried about hurting

his lover because of his miniature size. Hell, Oscar had barely reached
up to his sternum, but now, they were nose to nose, yet he could feel
the guy’s toes against his ankles. It was impossible. He was just

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imagining things. There was absolutely no way Oscar could have
grown several inches while they slept.

There was something else different as well. Those bright, lime-

green eyes that had mesmerized him upon their first meeting were
now a dark, dusky blue. Even his auburn locks looked darker with
only a slight hint of red. What the fuck was happening?

The way Oscar was gnawing on his lip gave Demitrius the

impression that the man not only knew what had happened, but was in
no way surprised by the changes to his body. “Is there something you
want to tell me, Oscar?”

“Uh, not really.”
“Well, I think you might want to anyway. You’ve grown at least

eight inches, your hair is darker, and your eyes are a completely
different color. Did I do this to you?” What was he saying? That
didn’t even make a lick of sense, but he was so damn confused.

“In a way,” Oscar mumbled, dropping his head and refusing to

look Demitrius in the eyes.

“What way is that?” Slipping his fingers under his mate’s chin,

Demitrius coaxed his face up so he could look into his eyes. “You’re
starting to worry me.” How had he caused this? Was it dangerous?
Was Oscar in pain? “Please talk to me, Oscar.”

“You’re not the only one with a genetic abnormality.”
“I know. You’re a Moonlighter.” They’d discussed it briefly, and

Demitrius could see where that might be cause for concern.

Alpha Blaise Taylor was working to dispel the myths about the

Moonlighters and had even developed a tranquilizer to prevent the
breed from shifting on the full moon if they desired. Most didn’t,
since the drug had some pretty nasty side effects, though.

None of that explained the random transformation of his lover in

the last few hours, however.

“That’s not my only defect,” Oscar said with a curl of his upper

lip. “Just as I have no control over the fact that my pelt is white, I
don’t have any control over my other…oddity, either.”

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“Okay, start over, because you’ve lost me. What defect? What

oddity? Oscar, you’re starting to worry me. Are you sick?” Shifters
didn’t get sick as a general rule, but there were certain rare diseases
that threatened a few species of the populace.

“No, I’m not sick. I’m a Desirable. A genetically engineered and

highly trained companion, capable of fulfilling my Master’s every
need, wish, or desire.”

“You…genetically…companion…what?” Demitrius hadn’t

understood a damn word of that statement, but he was interested in
hearing the details. “Where were you living before you came to
Haven?”

Sighing heavily, Oscar rolled off of him, sat up on the mattress,

and wrapped the blanket around him to hide his nudity. “It’s a long,
complicated story that I’m not sure I can finish before you have to
leave for your meeting.”

“Fuck my meeting,” Demitrius growled. His mate was far more

important. “You can tell me, Oscar. Whatever it is, we’ll figure it out
together.” There wasn’t anything the guy could say that would make
Demitrius feel any differently about him, and he hoped Oscar could
see the truth in his eyes.

“I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start from the start. They say that’s usually the best place.”
One side of his mouth curled up in a half smile, and Oscar bobbed

his head for a long time before he spoke again. “I guess I had a fairly
typical childhood up until I shifted for the first time. I really can’t say
how I ended up in The Hive, though. I don’t know if my parents
freaked, or if they saw a way to make money because of what I am,
but I doubt I was just randomly kidnapped by strangers.”

“The Hive?”
Oscar held his hand up and shook his head. “I’ll get to that.”
Demitrius pressed his lips together and waited patiently. It wasn’t

easy, but things like this couldn’t be rushed. There was pain and
sadness in Oscar’s eyes. That kind of hurt didn’t just spill out after

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years of bottling it up. It had to be forced out, purged, and Demitrius
probably understood that better than anyone.

“I went to sleep one night and woke up in The Hive the next

morning. It was a pretty normal room expect for the one wall that was
made completely of bulletproof glass.” He took a big breath and let it
out slowly. “Anyway, they took a lot of blood, and there were some
other tests that I didn’t understand. I mean, I was only thirteen.”

“Understandable,” Demitrius agreed, trying to keep his tone

neutral and rein in his anger. Now that they were mated, Oscar would
be able to feel his agitation, and he might misinterpret the cause of it.
The last thing Demitrius wanted was for the man to think he’d done
something wrong.

“I don’t know anything about genetics, but the theory was that if

shifters could change from human to animal, then we should be able
to change our human appearance at will as well.”

“The Hive is a genetics lab?”
Oscar chuckled darkly. “Yes, but to outsiders, it was simply a

home for troubled youths.” He sat quietly for a moment, apparently
gathering his thoughts before continuing. “See, I never knew that
being a Moonlighter was a bad thing until I came here and the others
told me. We were kind of like the golden children in The Hive,
because only those of us with white coats were Desirables.”

Demitrius would bet everything he owned that it was because of

the breed’s powerful magic. That meant that whoever was in charge
of this lab understood how that magic worked and had been able to
not only control but manipulate it. That bit of information was
troubling, but he pushed it to the back of his mind to discuss with
Xander and the others later.

“D-212 is injected into the hip through a cylinder with five

needles.” His face took on a pinched look, and Oscar rubbed absently
at his hip—no doubt the same location where he’d received his own
injection. “I’m no scientist, and it’s not as though they let me in on

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their evil schemes. I honestly can’t say how they developed the
formula. Sorry.”

Taking his lover’s hand, Demitrius caressed the knuckles with his

thumb and smiled. “No one would expect you to know that. Tell me
what else happened, Oscar.” Gods, he didn’t know if he wanted to
hear anymore, but he knew Oscar needed to get it out, to finally tell
someone about the hell he’d endured.

“The first few years were spent learning how to control and alter

my physical appearance at will. When I turned sixteen, I began
learning about the human body, especially about how to encourage
relaxation and relieve stress. From there, I moved on to the different
pleasure points and how to manipulate them. After my eighteenth
birthday is when the real fun began, though.”

Demitrius didn’t need it spelled out for him, and thankfully, Oscar

didn’t go into great detail about the training he’d received in how to
be a proper sex slave. Companion, my ass. His blood boiled with
barely suppressed rage, and Demitrius wanted to find this place and
burn it to the fucking ground.

First, there were still a few questions he needed answered.

“Okay,” he said slowly, still trying to sound as though he wasn’t mad
enough to spit nails. “You said that I somehow changed you. Care to
explain that?”

“Once we finish our training, we are then eligible for contracts. To

seal the contract, we must exchange blood with our new Master,
forming the link that will allow a Desirable to interpret and anticipate
a Master’s every desire.” Oscar spoke in a stilted monotone as though
reciting directly from a handbook.

“I’m not your Master, Oscar.” He wanted to be very clear on that

subject. Just thinking about his sweet little angel being owned like a
pet was enough to make his stomach heave.

“I know.” Blinking several times, Oscar shook his head as though

coming out of a daze and finally met Demitrius’s worried gaze. “This

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morning, you wished I wasn’t so small. I also know that red is your
least favorite color, and that dark blue is your most favorite. So…”

“Oh, Oscar.” Demitrius didn’t think it was possible for him to feel

even worse than he had just seconds ago, but he did. He felt like the
fucking scum of the universe. “Come here, sweet baby.” Gently, he
pulled Oscar back into his arms and held him lovingly. “You can be
whoever the hell you want to be. If this is what you want, I’m happy.
Yes, I was afraid of hurting you, but I don’t ever want you to change
for me or anyone else.”

Oscar appeared to be thinking it over for a long time before his

lips split into a wide grin. “Really? You’re okay with how I looked?”

“You are gorgeous no matter what, but those amazing green eyes

were the first thing I noticed about you when we met in the kitchen.
They hypnotized me like magic, and I knew right then that I’d never
want anyone else.”

Before he’d even finished speaking, the dark blue slowly began to

lighten and change, until Oscar’s eyes were once again a dazzling
green. “Better?”

Yes, but that wasn’t what he’d meant at all. “Is it better for you?”
Oscar nodded firmly. “The way I came to Haven is how I look

without any modifications. I really just want to be me, Demitrius.”

“Then be you. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”
That sweet, innocent smile returned, and Oscar craned his neck to

whisper their lips together. “Oh, I’m very happy right where I am.”

“Music to my ears,” he teased, twirling one of Oscar’s curls

around his finger and tugging gently. “So, tell me something. This
place you came from sounds like friggin’ Alcatraz in terms of
security. How the hell did you escape, let alone get your friends out
with you?”

“Those tranquilizers you told me about? I think you called them

Inhibitors? Well, they gave us something like that to keep us from
shifting at will.”

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Demitrius kept his expression neutral, but he didn’t like what he

was hearing. As far as he knew, members from the International
Council for Preternatural Justice had been the ones to develop
Inhibitors—as well as Inducers—as a way to control prisoners within
the system. Hearing that The Hive had the same type of
pharmaceuticals could be just a coincidence, but it certainly raised
suspicion.

“A couple of months ago, I found out that a Master had not only

purchased my contract, but Cicero, Zuriel, and Zavion were coming
with me.” Oscar squeezed his eyes closed and growled under his
breath. “I couldn’t let that happen to them. The day we were supposed
to meet this guy, they didn’t give us the Inhibitors because he wanted
to see us shift into our animals.”

“That’s how you got away,” Demitrius surmised. “You shifted

and ran.”

Oscar bobbed his head in agreement. “No one is allowed inside

The Hive, so we were taken to the ground level—the ‘staging area’ is
what they called it. I convinced one of the Trainers that it would be
more impressive if we appeared as animals first and then transformed
to our human skins. When the front door opened, we ran like hell.”

“Loyal, sexy, brave, and intelligent,” Demitrius said as he beamed

with pride. “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“I think you’re a little biased.” Snuggling back into his arms,

Oscar pressed his lips to the skin just over Demitrius’s heart. “I can
live with that.”

A perfunctory rap sounded at the door before it opened and the

vampire Enforcer, Raven, stepped into the room. “Hey, Oz, have you
seen Demi—oh.” Stopping in his tracks, he took in the scene before
him and a slow, devilish smile spread over his face. “The meeting
starts in ten minutes. You might want to get dressed, man.”

Oscar’s cheeks flushed such a deep red that his skin was almost

purple. “Hi, Raven.”

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“If you were looking for action, you should have said something.

I’d have been more than happy to warm your bed, and then you
wouldn’t have had to settle for this mangy asshole.”

Before he realized the intent to do so, Demitrius was out of bed

and had his hand around Raven’s throat, pinning him to the door.
“Watch your mouth, bloodsucker.” Growling viciously, he pulled the
vampire toward him and then slammed him violently against the door
again. “Talk to my mate like that again, and you’ll be getting up close
and personal with the sun. Are we clear?”

To his irritation, Raven continued to smile, and his eyes lit up

with merriment. “Relax, Dee. I was just fuckin’ around. I have no
designs on your mate. Congrats, man.”

Closing his eyes briefly, Demitrius groaned as he released the

Enforcer and stepped away. “I really hate you sometimes.”

Raven laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “C’mon, I have

to give you a hard time.”

“I suggest you find a different topic in the future.” While

Demitrius had a certain fondness for the smart-ass, no one
disrespected his mate and got away with it.

“Wow, I thought sex was supposed to make people mellow.”

Raven looked over Demitrius’s shoulder to Oscar and arched one dark
eyebrow. “Maybe you’re doing it wrong.”

“Damn it, Raven!”
“I’m just sayin’ that you’re kind of growly. With those eyes and

teeth, I can’t tell if you’re going to fuck him or eat him.”

Demitrius was two seconds away from ripping Raven’s balls out

through his navel when the cutest giggle he’d ever heard reached his
ears. Glancing over his shoulder, he found Oscar with both hands
pressed to his mouth as he tried to contain his laughter.

“See,” Raven interjected. “He likes me.” Pulling the door open, he

paused inside the doorway and winked roguishly. “By the way, no
one here cares what you look like. Stop hiding behind the sunglasses,
dude. They make you look like an idiot.”

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“Told you so,” Oscar called in a singsongy voice, and he even

went as far as to stick his tongue out. “You’re freakin’ hot, love. Stop
trying to hide it.”

Everything had happened so quickly that Demitrius hadn’t even

thought to shield his appearance before attacking Raven. It was too
much to ask that everyone in the coven would be as accepting of his
condition, but with Oscar at his side, he finally felt like he was home.

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Seven

“I’m bored. Why can’t we shift and go play down by the pond?”

Zavion flopped down on the sofa in the common room of their new
dorm and pouted.

Everyone had come together and worked hard to construct the two

five-bedroom cabins for the resident Moonlighters. It was only
supposed to be temporary until they could finish building the private
cabins, but since Oscar and his friends had never been on their own,
they weren’t in any hurry to be separated.

“Because it’s freezing-nuts cold out there, dumb ass.” Keeton

smacked Zavion in the back of the head as he dropped down on the
cushion beside him.

“Plus there’s a freakin’ foot of snow on the ground,” Braxton

added, curling his nose at the white fluff as he stared out the window.

“I love the snow!” Zavion and his twin, Zuriel, exclaimed in

unison.

“What are you guys even doing here?” Oscar asked Braxton and

Keeton as he bounced across the room to crawl up into his mate’s lap
where he was sitting near the fireplace. Wrapping his arms around
Demitrius’s neck, he nuzzled their cheeks together and hummed.
“Hello, handsome.”

Long fingers slid into his hair and massaged his scalp. “Hello

back, sweet baby.”

He loved when Demitrius called him that. Even more, he loved

that though Demitrius was a big, tough warrior, he was so sweet and
gentle when they were together. It had been almost three weeks since

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they mated, and though the L word had yet to be uttered by either of
them, he could see it in his lover’s eyes and feel it in the man’s touch.

Oscar’s heart felt full to bursting, and he was happier than he

could have ever imagined. Still, there was a dark cloud that continued
to hang over their heads, and he knew he wouldn’t truly rest easy until
the threat from The Hive had been eliminated. He found it strange that
no one had come for them yet, but it was just a matter of time. They
were all too valuable—and knew too many secrets—to hope that
they’d been forgotten.

“Ugh!” Keeton sighed dramatically and fell sideways into

Zavion’s lap. “Logan has abandoned me.”

“They all have,” Braxton agreed, and his lower lip slid out as he

turned away from the window to face them. “Since they became
Enforcers, I never see Xander anymore. I am feeling very neglected.”

Oscar didn’t know exactly what was happening, but he did know

the Enforcers had been really busy lately. Demitrius said it was best
for him not to know too much, and in this case, Oscar had to agree.
He had been able to get a bit of information out of his mate, though.
Apparently, shit had hit the fan shortly after their arrival, and a nearby
coven was in some deep trouble for the kidnapping and slavery of
fellow paranormals.

“You’re crushing me, you goof.” Zavion shoved at Keeton,

sending the man tumbling to the floor. “This place is boring.”

“I could paint your nails.” Keeton rolled to a sitting position and

held his hand up in front of his face, wiggling his fingers as he
admired his own nails. “We could do whole makeovers!”

“That’s my cue to leave,” Demitrius muttered just loud enough for

Oscar to hear. “The full moon is tonight, so I’ll be back before the sun
sets.” He kissed Oscar’s temple and ushered him out of his lap before
raising his voice to address the rest of the room. “No one leaves until I
get here. Understood?”

The twins grumbled their agreement, and Cicero nodded

obediently. Thankfully, they understood the need for discretion and

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why none of them could wander off on their own, so their easy
acquiescence wasn’t because they were afraid of Demitrius. Oscar
kind of felt bad that his mate had been assigned to babysit them. On
the other hand, it was nice to have him so close all the time rather
than roaming the country with the other Enforcers.

One last peck on the lips, and Oscar sighed as he watched

Demitrius step out into the harsh winds and blowing snow. It wasn’t
often that they were separated, but he always felt a little sad when he
had to watch his lover walk away. It was only temporary. He’d see the
man in a few hours, but that didn’t mean that he had to like it.

Then again, why did he have to sit around and wait? Demitrius

didn’t have any pressing business that required his attention. He just
didn’t want to get caught up in Keeton’s eagerness to fluff, gloss, and
primp everything in sight. If he hurried, he could probably catch up
before the big cat got too far away.

“You’re not serious!” Zuriel looked absolutely horrified with his

eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.

Instead of closing his eyes and groaning like he wanted to, Oscar

stiffened his spine, squared his shoulders, and glared at his friend.
“Stay out of my head.” After spending years in The Hive with Zuriel,
he should have been used to the man’s telepathic abilities, but there
were still times like this where it caught him off guard. “Besides, you
just said that you wanted to go out there. Don’t be a hypocrite.”

“Uh, big difference,” Zavion defended his twin. “We’re arctic

foxes, dude. We’re kind of made for the snow. No one would find
your little pokey butt until the snow melted.”

Good grief, it wasn’t like he planned to shift into his hedgehog

and burrow through the mountain of snow after his mate. Why was
everyone making such a big deal about it, anyway?

“You heard what Demitrius said,” Braxton reminded him. “No

one leaves until he gets back here.”

“I’m going to get him.” It was so hard not to stomp his foot and

roll his eyes. “It’s practically the same thing.”

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“What has gotten into you?” Zavion demanded. “You’ve been

acting weird for weeks now. What gives?”

Oscar couldn’t stop the growl of jealousy, but he did cut it off

quickly when every set of eyes in the room turned to look at him.
Keeton’s knowing smirk was the worst, but he was getting used to it.
The guy was such a busybody that he knew absolutely everything
about everyone.

“He’s all pink and glowy like a cute little lovebug,” Keeton cooed.

Then the asshole started making kissy faces as he crossed the room
and began pinching Oscar’s cheeks. “Oscar’s in loooove.”

It was bad enough to have someone inside his head, listening to

private thoughts, but for the most part, he was able to block Zuriel out
when he wanted. Keeton was a whole other ball game. With his
ability to see auras, everyone’s emotions were wide open to him. And
emotions were much harder to control than thoughts—if not totally
impossible.

On the other hand…
“What do you see when you look at Demitrius?”
It really was underhanded, but there were still things Demitrius

was keeping from him. Though he hid it well and never spoke of it,
there was something sad and almost broken about the man.

Oscar wasn’t deluded, however. He was self-aware enough to

realize that he had just as much emotional baggage as his mate.
Maybe that was why fate had led them to one another. Separately,
they were fragmented, but maybe together they could finally be
whole. Unless he knew what was wrong, he couldn’t repair the
damage.

Keeton grew very somber, an expression so foreign to his visage

that Oscar almost recalled his question. “Red. There’s a lot of anger
there.”

Anger wouldn’t put the look on Keeton’s face like that. There had

to be something more. “What else?”

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“Gray. Dark, depressing gray. I don’t think I have ever seen that

much sadness in one person before.” Huffing dramatically, he crossed
his arms over his chest and wouldn’t look Oscar in the eyes. “I’m not
saying he’s perfect, but under all that, well, whatever that is, he’s a
good guy.”

“I knew that.” As far as Oscar was concerned, Demitrius was

perfect. His heart was pure, and he was one of the most selfless
people Oscar had ever met.

He didn’t know where the anger was coming from, because

Demitrius always seemed so sweet and mellow around him. The
sadness, however, he had detected, and it broke his heart. More than
anything, he wanted to take away that shroud of gray and bring his
lover back into the sunlight where he belonged.

“Don’t go doodling your names inside little hearts just yet,”

Keeton warned, pointing a finger in Oscar’s face. “Did you
completely miss the whole anger and sadness part? This guy is like…I
don’t know. Damaged.” His hand flopped back and forth on his wrist
as he waved it around the room. “Being mated to that man isn’t going
to be all glittered-coated butt plugs and shavings of chocolate
confetti.”

There was a heartbeat of silence before Braxton groaned and the

rest of the room erupted into unrestrained laughter. It wasn’t the first
time something like that had come out of Keeton’s mouth, and Oscar
highly doubted it would be the last. It did prompt another question,
though.

“Do you seriously own a glittery butt plug?”
“In three different colors,” Keeton answered without skipping a

beat. “So, are we going to do these makeovers or what?”

During his years in The Hive, he hadn’t been allowed a stitch of

clothing—not even a damn loincloth. Things were different now, and
though he seldom asked for anything, Oscar had found that he
absolutely adored colors. Painting his fingernails didn’t make him feel
feminine, but it did make him happy. A little lip gloss never hurt

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anyone, either. So what if his clothes sometimes didn’t match? The
more colors he wore and the brighter they were, the happier he felt.

Luckily, Keeton had an affinity for such things as well, so no one

had ever batted a lash at the things he liked. He’d been trying to keep
things very casual with Demitrius, however, and now, he honestly
didn’t know what to do. How would his mate react to the things Oscar
found appealing?

“Be yourself,” Keeton said as though he’d been reading his mind.

“I learned that the hard way, so believe me when I say it. He’s gotta
like you for you, not for who you pretend to be.”

“What if he doesn’t, though? I mean, what if he doesn’t like the

normal me?”

So far, he hadn’t hidden much from Demitrius, and the guy had

yet to complain. This was a bit different, though. Demitrius Accola
was the epitome of masculinity, and Oscar was more than a little
nervous about what the man would have to say if he showed up with
eyeliner and nail polish.

“Then tell him to fuck off,” Zavion answered with a shrug.

“Demitrius is freakin’ cool. Plus, he kind of adores you. I don’t think
he’d care if you showed up with a clown nose. If he does, though,
well, what do you want an asshole like that for, anyway?”

Oscar didn’t think it was quite that cut and dry, but he supposed

the guy had a point. He couldn’t spend his entire life being what he
thought Demitrius wanted. The topic had never come up in their
conversations, so he really didn’t know how the guy would react. It
was a bit shitty of him to play the whole thing out and decide how it
would end without even letting his mate in on the fact that there was
an issue.

“Okay, let’s do it.”
An hour later, Oscar was dressed in a pair of jeans so tight, he was

pretty sure his balls were going to suffer permanent damage. The
skintight shirt he wore was a gorgeous pastel green, but it was made

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of such thin material that it was see-through, clearly showing off his
erect nipples.

Keeton had insisted on giving him a facial, buffing his skin until it

practically glowed. His wild curls had been trimmed, styled, and now
had streaks of copper mixed with the auburn locks. Some mascara, a
bit of eyeliner, a smidge of lip gloss, and a full manicure—complete
with neon green nail polish—finished off his new look, and Oscar
couldn’t have been more pleased with what he saw in the mirror.

“Wow, you’re fucking hot,” Zuriel exclaimed as he bounced on

his toes. “Me next!”

“You are definitely in good hands.” Turning to Keeton, Oscar

pulled the guy into a crushing hug and planted a smacking kiss on his
cheek. “Thank you.”

“You’re going to knock his socks off, Oscar.” Keeton smirked as

he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I want full details.”

“Awesome. Wish me luck!”
“Whoa, hold up, Oscar.” Braxton placed a hand on his shoulder to

stop him when he started walking toward the door. “Where are you
going?”

“To see Demitrius. That was kind of the point of all of this.” He

held his hands out to the side and twirled in a circle.

“He’ll be here in a couple of hours. Can’t you just wait?”
“No.” Crossing his arms over his chest, Oscar took up a defensive

posture and frowned. It was nice to have friends who cared about him,
and he appreciated Braxton’s protective attitude, but he wasn’t a
child.

Braxton looked like he would argue further, but a quick glance at

Keeton had him sighing in resignation. “It stopped snowing, but at
least change into some boots and grab your coat.”

Deciding it was solid advice, Oscar darted down the hall to his

room, pulled his snow boots on, and hustled back before anyone had
time to come up with a good reason to stop him. “I’ll be back,” he
said a bit breathlessly as he waved to his friends.

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“Get your coat!” Braxton ordered.
“Yes, Dad,” Oscar groused with a roll of his eyes. Reaching for

his puffy coat that hung on a hook just beside the front door, he
paused with his hand still outstretched and examined the green polish
that adorned his nails.

“No, sir,” Keeton said firmly, grabbing Oscar’s coat and holding it

up for him to slip his arms through. “If he doesn’t think you are the
sexiest thing on two legs, he’s a damn fool.” Leaning closer, he
lowered his voice and whispered into Oscar’s ear. “Red and gray, yes.
There was also a whole lot of very warm purplish blue in your mate’s
aura. Demitrius is crazy about you, honey.”

Armed with the encouraging information, Oscar zipped up his

coat, smiled at his friends, and slipped out the door before he could
second-guess himself again. His outward appearance wasn’t as
important as what was on the inside, but he definitely couldn’t wait to
see Demitrius’s reaction when he walked through his mate’s door.

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Eight

Demitrius grumbled under his breath the entire way to his little

cabin near the back of the property. Going to the main house had been
a spur-of-the-moment decision, but he was glad he made the trek.
Though the sun was still up, the mansion had been buzzing with
activity. Twenty-two new paranormals had been brought in, all
malnourished, naked or nearly so, and frightened of their own
shadows.

It had taken months for the Enforcers to locate the coven in the

nearby mountains that they’d been searching for, since the vampires
were continuously moving to throw them off the trail. In the end,
Bannon Murphy had come through, though, and a lot of people had
been saved. It was a day of victory, and Demitrius was happy to have
been even a small part of it.

He wasn’t nearly as happy about the damn snow, though. Gods,

he hated the crap. Seeing Xander standing on his front steps with his
arms crossed over his broad chest didn’t really give him the warm
tingles, either. The guy looked like he had something on his mind, and
judging by his body language, Demitrius wasn’t going to like what he
had to say.

“Why the fuck do you live all the way back here by yourself?”
Well, that certainly wasn’t what he expected. “I like the privacy.”
“Bullshit,” Xander replied at once. “I didn’t even know there were

cabins this far back here.”

It really wasn’t that far from the dorms where Oscar stayed.

Xander made it sound like Demitrius lived on another planet or
something. The reality was that his home was barely a quarter mile

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from the dorms, though it was on “vampire” lands rather than the new
acreage purchased for the shifters. It just happened to back up to the
forests.

“What do you want, Brighton?” If the guy was there to give him

shit about Oscar, he could take his concerns and shove them right up
his sanctimonious ass.

Surprisingly, Xander sighed and relaxed his aggressive posture.

“Braxton called. I’m sure you can guess why.”

Yeah, he knew why. Gossip had spread like wildfire about his

mating to Oscar in the last couple of weeks. He was honestly
surprised that it had taken the alpha so long to come speak to him
about it. While most were happy for him and his mate, there were still
some who were frightened for Oscar’s well-being. Apparently,
Braxton was one of those people. It hurt a little, because he’d thought
he got along okay with the little twerp, but he supposed he should
have known better.

On the other hand, he did like knowing that Oscar had someone so

protective of him, someone other than Demitrius to look out for his
best interests. The connection between them was too strong for him to
see things objectively, but if he was causing Oscar more harm than
good, he hoped someone would be brave enough to point it out to
him.

Xander arched an eyebrow at him and smirked as if he knew

exactly what was running through Demitrius’s head. “Look, I’m not
here to bust your balls. However, when my mate says jump, I ask how
high, how far, and how many times. So, let’s pretend that I gave you
the big brother spiel, you told me to fuck off, and everyone lived
happily ever after.”

“You tell me that you’ll feed me my sac if I hurt Oscar. I tell you

my intentions are honorable. You don’t believe me. I don’t care. Is
that kind of what you’re looking for?”

Let the Rain Come Down

Xander bobbed his head a couple of times while he chuckled

under his breath. “If you didn’t go out of your way to be such a dick,
people might actually like you.”

“I seriously doubt it. Are we done here?” He knew what the

majority of people thought of him, knew that despite Xander’s words,
the shifter had warned his pack to be on guard because Demitrius was
dangerous. It wasn’t anything new, but he wouldn’t have someone
stand on the steps of his home and lie to his face.

He got along well with the Enforcers. Stavion respected him.

Oscar’s friends were very much in favor of him hanging around all
the time. So far, Oscar had shown no signs that he wasn’t perfectly
happy sharing Demitrius’s bed, and Demitrius really didn’t give a
flying fuck what the rest of the coven thought of him.

“Yeah, we’re done, but only because you have company.”
“I don’t…” Demitrius trailed off when he heard the crunch of

snow coming from the distance. “Oscar.” He should have known that
the guy wouldn’t stay safely inside his dorm like Demitrius had
ordered. There was a flicker of fire in his eyes that proclaimed him a
fighter, and more than once Demitrius had been on the receiving end
of the man’s stubbornness.

“I didn’t come here to be a fucking babysitter,” Xander continued.

“Oscar is grown, and he knows his own mind. If anything were to
happen to him, though, Braxton would be very unhappy. When
Braxton is unhappy, I end up sleeping on the couch. Do you see
where I’m going with this?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat him. He’s too thin. Probably be

chewy.” Demitrius backed away a couple of steps, barely resisting the
urge to turn and run to his mate.

“Let’s just address the elephant in the room right now.” Xander

descended the stairs to face Demitrius head-on. Standing that close,
there wasn’t much of a height difference between them, but Demitrius
was definitely the wider of the two. “Yes, I told Braxton to keep his
distance and that you could be dangerous. I tell him that about

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everyone until I get to know them. He’s my whole world, and I won’t
apologize for protecting him.”

“And you shouldn’t have to.”
The explanation didn’t exactly appease him, but he did understand

Xander’s position. Not only did he have his mate to worry about but
an entire pack that looked to him to make the tough decisions. Now
that he had a mate of his own, Demitrius could respect the guy’s
suspicious nature. He’d just ignorantly thought that after nearly two
months of working together, the alpha might trust him just a little.

“Go get him before he ends up burying himself in all of this damn

snow.” Xander wrinkled his nose as he stared down at the ground.
“This is unnatural.”

“You’ll get no argument from me.” Demitrius hated the shit.
Shaking his head as though clearing it of unwanted thoughts,

Xander rested his hands on his hips and stared out toward the
direction of the new property. “I’ll bring the rest of the guys to the
dorms before sundown, but I’d appreciate it if you could stick around
to keep an eye on things tonight. I don’t like leaving Braxton and
Keeton alone while we hunt.”

“If you take the twins and Cicero, I’ll stick around the dorms with

Oscar, Braxton, and Keeton.” Oscar was too small in shifted form to
be out in the knee-high snow anyway, so hopefully, he wouldn’t put
up a fight about running around the common room instead of roaming
the woods.

“Do you have any idea what kind of shifter Cicero is?”
Demitrius opened his mouth to respond, but closed it just as

quickly and frowned. “Actually, no. He doesn’t talk when I’m
around.”

“He doesn’t talk at all,” Xander corrected. “I’ll definitely keep an

eye on the twins, but maybe you could ask your mate about Cicero. It
might be a good idea to keep him at the dorms tonight as well if he’s a
small shifter.”

“Right. Got it.”

Let the Rain Come Down

“I really do appreciate it, man.” Xander clapped him on the

shoulder, giving him a little push. “I’ll let Braxton know that
everything is on the up and up.”

“Right,” Demitrius repeated as he glanced over his shoulder. He

couldn’t see Oscar, but he knew the guy was there, and it was killing
him to be so far away.

“Go get him,” Xander said with a chuckle, giving him another

shove to get him going. “I’ll see you at the dorms tonight.”

Dipping his head once, he turned on his heels and jogged back

toward the dorms, though fighting the packed snow wasn’t an easy
task.

“Oscar!” He wasn’t sure what prompted him to yell the man’s

name like some bad eighties movie other than the fact that he wanted
his lover to know he was on his way. He could feel Oscar’s
frustration, laced with just a hint of fear, and he wanted him to know
that he wasn’t alone.

“Demitrius? Crap, am I glad you’re here. I’m stuck.”
Cresting a small incline, Demitrius couldn’t stop himself from

smiling when he spotted his mate struggling to walk but repeatedly
falling like a drunken hobo. “Just be still. You’re only making it
worse.”

“Gee, I would have never guessed,” Oscar shot back sarcastically,

clearly irritated by his lack of progress. He did stop moving, though,
fisting his hands on his hips and huffing indignantly. “Well, are you
going to help me or just stand there and laugh?”

Reaching Oscar in just a few strides, Demitrius lifted him easily,

swinging the man around so that he clung to his back like a monkey.
“What the hell are you doing out here? Didn’t I already save your ass
once today?”

It was a bit of an exaggeration. He’d simply dug the guy out of the

snow near the front porch of the cabin where he’d been attempting to
make his first snow angel. He had, however, told him to stay put until
he could return at sundown.

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“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize there was a limit. Is there a point

system? Do they roll over into next week? Is there a rescue fee if I go
over my minutes?”

Biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing, Demitrius

pulled Oscar’s legs tighter around his midsection and held him in
place as he started the trek back home. His mate was spitting mad,
and Demitrius didn’t have a clue what to do about it. He thought it
was pretty damn cute, though.

“You never answered my question. What are you doing out here?

I thought I told you to stay inside until I got back.”

“I did for a while, and just for the record, you’re not my mom.”

Oscar paused for a moment and his arms tightened around
Demitrius’s neck. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh, is that right?” It had to be a pretty damn big one for Oscar to

brave the foot of snow on the ground to come see him. Demitrius
hoped it involved them both naked, but he seriously doubted he was
that lucky. “Nice coat, by the way.” It wasn’t really flattering on
Oscar’s small frame, but he supposed it was functional.

“Well, it completely swallows me, and it’s black.”
The first part of that sentence made sense, but Demitrius didn’t

know what the hell the color of the coat had to do with anything.
“Why does it matter what color it is?”

“Black is boring.” That was all Oscar said, and a wave of unease

wafted off of him. It was damn strange to be able to feel someone
else’s emotions, but Demitrius wasn’t complaining. The connection
could mean the difference between life and death if they were ever
apart and Oscar needed him.

“Well, this is it,” he announced as he stepped into the warmth of

his home and helped Oscar slide down his back to the floor. “You
know I’m going to have to carry you back, right?”

“Oops. Sorry.” Oscar beamed brightly, not sounding apologetic in

the least. Slowly unzipping his jacket, he kept eye contact with

Let the Rain Come Down

Demitrius until the material parted, and he slid the coat off his
shoulders, letting it fall to the floor behind him. “Surprise.”

Holy mother of hell, Demitrius suddenly couldn’t breathe. He

couldn’t think, either. All the blood in his body had rushed south to
pool in his groin, hardening his cock in record-breaking time.

He hadn’t really gotten a good look at his mate out in the snow,

but he was definitely looking now. Oscar’s hair was much shorter, but
it looked good on him—lighter with the addition of a copper color
that Demitrius found extremely alluring.

Though subtle, the dark liner adorning his bottom eyelid was

provocative in a way he couldn’t explain. It didn’t make him look
feminine or even edgy, but it made the greens of his irises even
brighter, and Demitrius could feel his heart pounding faster the longer
he stared into those mesmerizing depths.

His lips were shiny, almost glistening in the sunlight that spilled

through the windows, and they called to him, begging to be kissed,
licked, and nibbled. The clothes covering his tight, firm body looked
painted on, molding to each dip and curve in pure perfection. The
outfit would have looked cheap and slutty on someone else, but Oscar
wore it with style. Demitrius wanted to drop his knees and worship
the angel before him.

“Please say something,” Oscar whispered, tugging self-

consciously on the hem of his shirt. “It’s okay if you don’t like it. I
can change.”

The neon green polish on his nails made his slender fingers look

even more delicate, and Demitrius found himself wondering if his
lover’s toenails matched. Not that he’d had many previous lovers—it
was kind of hard looking the way he did—but none of them had come
close to the physical perfection of Oscar.

“I’m going to come in my jeans if you so much as breathe in my

direction, sweet baby.” Makeup, barely there clothing, and nail polish
weren’t things he normally found attractive, but he was ready to hump

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Oscar’s leg like a bitch in heat if the man gave him any indication that
it was okay to do so.

“You don’t think it’s too girly? I mean, I don’t want to embarrass

you.”

Closing the distance between them, Demitrius took Oscar’s hand

and brought it to his zipper, pressing hard so the guy could get a good
feel of exactly what his appearance was doing to him. “Does this feel
like I’m embarrassed?”

“No,” Oscar said huskily, curling his fingers to give Demitrius’s

throbbing cock a good squeeze. “Maybe you should give me a tour of
your house…starting with the bedroom.”

Demitrius had his mate in his arms and was racing toward his

bedroom before Oscar had even finished speaking. Sex wasn’t
anything new to their relationship, but the urgency was almost
frightening. After their first time together when he’d practically lost
his mind with need, Demitrius had been firmly in control of his
desires, always careful with his much smaller lover, and determined
to never repeat the same mistake again. This time, however, he was
spiraling into the void of no return at a rapid pace, and he didn’t even
have the man naked yet.

Kicking the door open with such force that it banged against the

wall of his bedroom, Demitrius lowered Oscar to his feet and held his
hands up when the man tried to approach him. “Just give me a
minute.” Fuck, it was so hard to think when Oscar looked so good and
smelled even better. He needed to slow down, though, before he
ended up inadvertently hurting the one person who had become his
entire world.

Instead of standing quietly and allowing him time to compose

himself, Oscar began a slow sway of his hips as he teasingly popped
open the buttons on his shirt. When the thin fabric fell away, he went
to work on his jeans. By the time he was standing naked in the middle
of the room, Demitrius was holding onto the doorknob to keep from
attacking him like a wild, uncivilized animal.

Let the Rain Come Down

Giving him a sly smirk, Oscar sauntered over to the bed, shaking

his ass invitingly as he went. Then he placed his palms flat against the
mattress, spread his ankles apart, and arched his back seductively,
putting his gorgeous, taut ass on clear display.

A loud crack echoed around the room, and Demitrius looked

down to find the doorknob still in his hand—though departed from the
door. “Oscar.” He was barely able to choke out the one-word
warning, but it made no difference. His mate was obviously intent on
torturing him until he cracked.

Clearly unsatisfied with Demitrius’s reaction so far, Oscar bent

lower until his chest rested on the bed and reached back with both
hands, gripping his ass cheeks and pulling them apart with a soft
moan.

He hadn’t even moved from his place by the door, and beads of

sweat already dotted Demitrius’s brow. His dick continued to swell,
though there was no room for the expansion, and he was left with
little choice but to remove his pants or risk permanent damage.

Upping the ante, Oscar reached for the nightstand, smiling

wickedly when he found a bottle of lube sitting right on top like an
offering. Stretching out on top of the comforter, he rolled to his back,
coating his fingers generously with the gel, and spread his knees wide
once again. He didn’t start slowly, either. Two fingers pushed into his
tight hole, stretching the muscles and nearly dropping Demitrius to
the floor.

He knew he should do something, say something, but he was

completely helpless to stop the skilled seduction. Demitrius couldn’t
remember touching the thermostat, but it was far too warm in the
room to be comfortable. By the time he’d removed the last article of
clothing from his damp skin, Oscar had pushed three fingers into his
ass, pumping hard and fast while his other hand flew over his swollen
shaft in a blur.

Demitrius could feel his lover’s arousal as if it was his own, and

his cock jerked while his balls drew tight to his body. The muscles in

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his thighs quivered, and his knees threated to buckle when electricity
surged up his spine, causing his abs to clench in impending orgasm.

“Fuck!” Oscar’s cry tapered away into a strangled groan as his

hips arched up off the bed and thick, creamy semen spurted from his
cock to splash over his stomach and chest.

Demitrius gripped the base of his own prick and squeezed his eyes

closed, feeling his mate’s orgasm roll through him. The sound of
Oscar’s heavy breathing, the scent of his release, and the sight of him
covered in his own seed was too much, and Demitrius’s control
snapped like a frayed bungee cord, launching him across the room.

Jerking his lover into his arms, he quickly flipped their positions

so that he was sitting on the edge of the mattress with Oscar in his lap.
His hard, aching cock found the shifter’s slick, loosened entrance
without fail, sliding into the heated depths as Oscar’s inner walls
contracted around his length.

Digging his fingers into the flesh at his mate’s waist, he held him

immobile as he snapped his hips, driving into him at a demanding
pace. When he couldn’t get deep enough, couldn’t thrust hard enough,
he pushed up from the bed with Oscar still impaled on his cock and
pinned him against the wall near the bathroom door.

Their mouths crashed together, cutting off Oscar’s wail of

pleasure. Holding his lover’s arms trapped above his head, Demitrius
tongue-fucked his sweet, delectable mouth with the same intensity he
used to drive into Oscar’s yielding body.

A small voice in the back of his mind screamed for him to slow

down, to take more care with the smaller man, but it was easily
drowned out by the sounds of Oscar’s cries for more. “Harder,” he
demanded. “I won’t break. Fuck me harder.”

Releasing the last strand of control, Demitrius unleashed the

animal within him. A primitive, primal growl exploded from his lips
to echo around the room as his hips snapped in lightning-quick
thrusts, slamming into his mate hard enough to shake the wall.

Let the Rain Come Down

Oscar clung to him, his fingernails biting into Demitrius’s

shoulders, and the pinch of pain only increased his desire. It was
down and dirty, rough and gritty, and the kind of sex every man
dreamed of but was usually too afraid to ask for. His whole body
burned, engulfing him in flames of indescribable pleasure, and
Demitrius didn’t care if he even survived it.

His orgasm crested, roiling through him like a tidal wave, but he

wasn’t finished with his little man just yet. Sliding out of Oscar’s
clenching hole, he spun once again, pushing his mate down face-first
on the mattress and lifting his pert ass into the air. Covering his
sweat-slicked back, Demitrius pushed into his eager entrance once
more, plowing into his velvet-lined tunnel like a man possessed.

Insinuating a hand between Oscar and the comforter, Demitrius

fisted his lover’s pulsing cock and stroked the rigid length in tandem
to each forceful plunge. “Come for me, sweet baby. Squeeze my cock
and scream my name. Let everyone know who you belong to.” Then
he punctuated the command by embedding his canines into the supple
flesh at the crook of Oscar’s neck.

“Demitrius!” As asked, Oscar screamed loud enough for any

paranormal within a five-mile radius to hear him. His body bucked
and shuddered, and hot, wet cum spilled over Demitrius’s wrist.

Satisfied that he’d wrung every ounce of pleasure from his lover,

Demitrius extracted his fangs and buried his face against Oscar’s
shoulder, groaning pathetically as he shook through his own climax.

“Holy shit,” Oscar breathed. “I think I’m in love.”
Logically, he knew his mate was referring to the spectacular sex

and was exaggerating his compliment. Demitrius, however, had been
on a long fall since the moment he’d walked into the kitchen to see
the little imp staring back at him suspiciously. “I know I am.”

“Oh, thank fuck.” Wiggling out from beneath him, Oscar gasped

when Demitrius’s softening cock slipped from his ass. Flipping
around and pushing up on his knees, he grabbed Demitrius’s face in

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both hands and yanked him into an earth-bending kiss. “I don’t care
what those other idiots say. It’s not too soon, and I love you.”

Demitrius didn’t know who these “other idiots” were, and in that

moment, he didn’t really give a damn. No one in his whole miserable
life had loved him. He didn’t plan to take even a second of this
newfound happiness for granted, nor would he waste time worrying
about the naysayers. “Then I guess you’re stuck with me, aren’t you?”

“Yep.” Oscar beamed as though he’d won the lottery, but

Demitrius knew he was truly the lucky one. “I’m pretty happy with
the arrangement.”

“You know I don’t deserve you.”
“I know.” Winking mischievously, Oscar wiggled off the bed and

padded toward the bathroom. “You’ll figure out a way to make it up
to me.”

The shifter was a total brat. He’d probably make Demitrius want

to pull his hair out more times than not. “I look forward to it.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Nine

“So, I have to stay inside the dorm tonight?” Oscar was trying his

best to sound indignant, but he figured he probably just sounded
relieved. As a hedgehog shifter, he wasn’t particularly fond of snow,
preferring warmer, dryer climates. Plus, his small size combined with
his white coat practically guaranteed that he’d end up lost in the deep,
wet fluff.

“Yes,” Demitrius answered in his no-nonsense tone that terrified

most people. Oscar just found it sexy. “I think you’ll have fun,
though. I have a surprise for you, too.”

In Oscar’s experience, surprises usually meant something bad. He

knew Demitrius would never do anything to hurt him, however, so for
the first time, he was actually excited. He was also pretty excited
about letting his animal out to play as well.

The first full moon in Haven, he and his friends had opted to take

the Inhibitors to keep from transforming. The drug wasn’t quite the
same as what they’d given them in The Hive, though, and after the
headaches and vomiting, none of them were anxious to repeat the
experience.

“I think Ro should probably stay in as well.”
Demitrius squeezed his bottom and hitched him a little higher on

his back as he stomped through the snow on the way to the dorm. “I
meant to ask you about that. He doesn’t talk to anyone, and no one is
sure what his animal is. Xander said he’d take the twins, but we were
a little concerned about Cicero.”

“Ro is an Ash Gray ladybug.”
“Hmm, interesting. He’s still a guy, right?”

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Oscar snorted and rolled his eyes. “Yes, love. Cicero is

completely male. Well, mostly.”

“What does that mean?” Reaching the front porch of the dorm,

Demitrius helped Oscar down to his feet and turned to face him with a
deep scowl on his face. “How can he be ‘mostly’ male?”

“Well, we all are.” Oscar twisted his fingers together nervously

and chewed on his bottom lip with great enthusiasm. He should have
kept his big mouth shut. It wasn’t really a big deal, and there was no
need for Demitrius to worry about it.

“Oscar,” Demitrius said in his “alpha” voice, and this time it

wasn’t nearly such a turn-on. “Tell me.”

“Desirables are designed to fulfill a Master’s every wish. That

includes reproduction if that’s what is required of us.”

Demitrius stumbled a step backward and leaned heavily against

the porch railing. “So, you…you could be…in there.” He jabbed a
finger at Oscar’s midsection as his face paled alarmingly.

“No.” Crap, this was so far out of the ordinary, even for

paranormals, that Oscar didn’t even know where to begin explaining.
“I can change my appearance at will, Demitrius. Hell, I can shift into
an animal the fraction of my usual size in under a minute.”

“Yes, but men don’t just fucking grow uteruses!”
“I can transform completely into a woman if that’s what you

wanted.”

To prove his point, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let

the magic flow through him until he nearly suffocated under the
onslaught. When he opened his eyes, his hair was longer, his hips
shapelier, and his chest sported a pair of small, firm breasts.

“Not everyone who signs a contract is a gay man. Some of them

want women.”

“Fuck me sideways.” Demitrius dropped his head and turned

away, gripping his temples in both hands. “Please change back. Holy
crap, just fucking change back.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Oscar did as asked, shaking in his boots as he waited for his mate

to say something else. He knew he was a freak, but he couldn’t stand
the thought of Demitrius looking at him that way. If it meant keeping
the man in his life, he’d gladly take those damn Inhibitors every day
until he died.

“Okay.” Demitrius bobbed his head a couple of times and sighed.

“Okay.”

“Okay, what?”
“I’m sorry that I freaked on you.” Stepping forward, he pulled

Oscar into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “I’m sorry this
happened to you, sweet baby, but it doesn’t change anything. You’re
not pregnant, though, right?”

Oscar chuckled and nuzzled his cheek against the soft cotton of

Demitrius’s shirt. “No, I’m not pregnant. I just thought you should
know that it is possible.”

“Thank you for being honest. I don’t know how I feel about

children, though. That’s a conversation for much, much later.”

All Oscar cared about was that Demitrius still loved him. He’d

never been around children before, and he wasn’t at all certain that he
wanted to be. Good grief, he could barely take care of himself without
getting into trouble. “Can we not tell anyone? Please?” The last thing
he wanted was for someone to look at him like he was some kind of
circus attraction.

“Yeah, I think that’s best, not to mention safer.”
The front door swung open, and Zuriel bounced out onto the

porch. “Are they here yet? Can we go now? My freakin’ skin itches.”

Now that it had been brought to his attention, Oscar felt like his

skin was crawling as well. The sun sank below the horizon, finally
releasing its hold on the land and giving way to the night. Several
loud howls carried on the wind, and Oscar jumped about a foot into
the air, pressing closer to his mate’s side. “What the hell is that?”

“The resident werewolf pack, I’d guess.” Demitrius sounded so

calm about it, but Oscar had never met a werewolf before. On the

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night of the full moon didn’t seem like the most opportune time to
make their acquaintance, either.

“Right. Great. Awesome. Can we go in now?”
“No!” Zuriel pressed his legs together and wiggled his hips,

looking like a small child who needed to use the restroom. “I haven’t
shifted in forever. He”—he pointed up into Demitrius’s face—“said
we could go tonight.”

A high-pitched whistle rent through the night, and Oscar peered

over his shoulder to see Xander marching toward them, flanked by
two leopards and a wolf. “Let’s go, pup!”

“Hell yeah!” Grabbing Zavion by the wrist, Zuriel dragged him

out onto the porch, and the brothers quickly stripped before darting
out into the snow, shifting as they went. Seeing a furry white tail on a
very human ass was probably the most comical thing Oscar had
witnessed in a long time.

“Don’t come home all muddy!” Braxton called as he waved to his

mate from the doorway.

“And don’t kill anything cute,” Keeton added, appearing beside

his friend. “No eating bunnies!”

“They’re going to eat bunnies?” Oscar’s hand went to his mouth,

and he turned to glare at his friends’ backs.

“No,” Keeton argued adamantly. “Didn’t you hear me? I said to

not eat bunnies.”

Demitrius huffed and pushed Oscar toward the doorway. “They’re

totally going to eat bunnies. Get over it.”

Well, his big mate was just a ball of sunshine, now wasn’t he?

“You don’t have to be so crass.”

Shrugging casually, Demitrius gave him another nudge and jerked

his head in the direction of the hallway. “Go shift. I’ll get your
surprise ready.”

Resisting the urge to squeal, Oscar hurried to his room, stripping

out of his clothes and leaving them scattered all down the hall.

Let the Rain Come Down

Making a detour into the bathroom, he scrubbed his face clean,
pushed his boxers down his hips, and jumped up on the counter.

It was kind of silly, but he’d always wanted to see what he looked

like as he transformed from man to animal. Standing tall, he stared at
himself in the mirror as he stopped fighting the change and allowed
himself to shift. It was very odd watching his body shrink and reform.
His scalp kind of sucked his hair back into his head, and spines
exploded all over the rest of his body.

When his metamorphosis was complete, he had to laugh inside his

head at the picture he made—a tiny pygmy hedgehog, standing up on
his hind legs and reaching his front paws toward the sky. He was
actually pretty damn adorable, if he did say so himself.

He was also stuck. In his excitement, he’d neglected to plan an

escape route and had no way of getting down from the high counter.
“Demitrius, I’m stuck.”

“What did you do now?”
Well, that wasn’t fair. Demitrius made it sound like he got into

these types of situations every day. Just because his mate had needed
to save him twice from the snow in one day didn’t mean he was a
klutz. He was just…gracefully impaired. “Can you just come help
me?”

“Where are you?” There was a chuckle in Demitrius’s voice, and

Oscar just knew he was never going to live this down.

“In the bathroom.”
“Do I want to know?”
“I wanted to see myself shift in the mirror. I’m stuck on the

counter. Come help me and stop being an ass.”

Footsteps sounded in the hallways, and the bathroom door opened

to his lover’s smiling face. “You are trouble.”

“Can I have my surprise now?”
Still laughing, Demitrius scooped him up and settled him onto one

broad shoulder. “Remember how you said you wanted to learn to
paint?”

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Yes, he remembered, but Oscar didn’t understand how he was

supposed to paint like this. He didn’t even have opposable thumbs, for
pity’s sake. Instead of questioning it, however, he curled close to his
mate’s neck and nibbled at his ear affectionately.

“Stop that.” Demitrius reached up and tapped him on top of the

head with one finger. “It tickles.”

He did as asked but had another idea right away. Burrowing into

Demitrius’s long locks, he scrambled up the man’s hair like a cat
climbing a curtain and perched on top of his head. “Wow, you’re
really tall. I can see Canada from here.”

“You cannot.” Huffing indignantly, Demitrius reached up to

retrieve him, but Oscar was quicker, dodging his mate’s hand and
scurrying down his neck to crawl inside the neckline of his shirt.
“Oscar!”

Poking only his head out, he looked up at his lover and blinked

innocently. “Yes?”

“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Stepping into the common room,

Demitrius arched an eyebrow and scratched behind Oscar’s furry ear.
“Are you going to stay in there all night?”

Warm, safe, and close to his lover had a certain appeal, but the

curiosity about his surprise got the better of him. So, when Demitrius
eased down on the sofa, Oscar ducked back into the guy’s shirt and
ran down his chiseled torso, across his thigh, and finally slid down his
denim-clad shin to the floor.

“Okay, gimme.”

* * * *

Careful not to squash his mate, Demitrius rose from the cushions

and sauntered over to the open space on the floor near the fireplace.
Oscar scuttled across the carpet, his short legs moving rapidly as he
hurried to keep up. Demitrius wasn’t really the rainbows-and-

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butterflies sort, but even he had to admit that the guy was damn
adorable.

Settling down on the hearth, he pointed to the large sheet of white

paper he’d spread across the floor. The sheet crinkled under Oscar’s
paws as he walked across it to investigate. Stopping in the middle, he
sat down on his butt, looked up at Demitrius, and tilted his head to the
side.

“I don’t get it.”
Instead of answering verbally, Demitrius reached behind the chair

to his left, moving large, shallow bowls of paint and lining them up
side by side on the edge of the paper.

Oscar looked from the paint to the paper and back several times.

“I still don’t get it.”

“Come here.” Lifting the hedgehog around the midsection, he

dipped his feet into the blue paint and then sat him back on the paper.
“Go for it.”

The shifter didn’t look like he much cared for the sticky goop on

his paws, but once he saw the prints on the white sheet, he let out the
cutest squeak of excitement. Oscar ran to one corner of the paper and
back, poking his nose at the different colors before finally settling on
the yellow.

“You did good,” Braxton complimented as he plopped down in

the chair beside Demitrius. “He looks happy.”

“This is so awesome!”
Demitrius watched the hedgehog dance around as he created his

art and smiled fondly. “He likes it.”

“I have an idea.” Keeton flounced across the room, snatched

Oscar up, and held him with his belly pointed toward the ceiling.
“Calm down,” he chastised when Oscar started to squirm and squeal.

“What the hell is he doing to me?”
“Keeton,” Demitrius said warningly.
“Relax. I’m not going to hurt him. Trust me, little dude.” Then he

dipped Oscar’s back into the red paint, covering his quills with the

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bright color. Plopping him back down on the paper, Keeton laughed
and scratched under Oscar’s chin. “Now roll.”

After a moment of hesitation where he simply stared at Keeton,

Oscar curled himself into a ball, causing his spines to poke out all
over his body, and started to roll. When he reached the carpet on the
other side, he flopped over on his belly, stretched out, and Demitrius
swore he heard a happy purr.

“Holy crow! This is freakin’ awesome!”
It didn’t take long for him to get into the spirit of things after that.

Demitrius eased down to the floor and crossed his ankles, chuckling
quietly when his mate did a belly flop into the purple bowl and
twisted around in the paint.

His heart swelled with love, and it warmed him to his soul to see

Oscar so happy. The guy had been through so much. He deserved far
more than Demitrius could ever give him, but by some miracle, Oscar
found him to be enough.

Keeton sprawled across the stone hearth on his back and stared up

at the tiny, white ladybug crawling over his hand. “Isn’t Cicero so
cute? He’s my new lucky charm.” He rolled so his shoulder bumped
against Demitrius’s back. “Your aura looks much better, by the way.”

Demitrius shrugged as he glanced over his shoulder. “I feel

better.”

He’d spent too much of his life being angry or depressed about the

hand he’d been dealt. It was fucking exhausting to hold onto that level
of animosity, especially over something he couldn’t control.

There had also been too much time wasted going out of his way to

avoid people. No matter what he said—and had even convinced
himself for a while—people really weren’t meant to be alone. Haven
made a small difference. Oscar had done all the rest.

“Because of Oscar?” Keeton asked cheekily.
Returning his gaze to his mate, Demitrius smiled affectionately

and bobbed his head in agreement. “Because of Oscar.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Chapter Ten

“You wanted to see me?” Demitrius knocked lightly on the

doorframe before stepping into Stavion’s office. He hoped whatever it
was didn’t take long because the snow had finally melted, meaning he
could resume his walks with Oscar to watch the sunrise—which was
only an hour away.

There were only two other men in the room besides the coven

leader and himself—Xander and a small, geeky-looking man he’d
never met before. Alarm bells instantly went off inside his head when
the stranger rose from his chair and gave him a cold smile that didn’t
reach his eyes.

“This gentleman here,” Xander began, only to be interrupted.
“Joseph Mahoney.” The newcomer took a step forward and held

his hand out to Demitrius. “And you are?”

Demitrius fisted one hand at his side and reached up with the

other to remove his sunglasses, snarling as he did so to show off his
jaggedly pointed teeth. Being a monster wasn’t always a bad thing. As
much as he wanted to fit in, he wasn’t above using his appearance to
intimidate an asshole like Mr. Mahoney.

Clearing his throat to gain everyone’s attention, Xander rested his

hip against the top of Stavion’s desk and crossed his arms over his
chest. “As I was saying, this gentleman is under the assumption that
we have something that belongs to him.”

“Is that so?” He knew exactly what that “something” was, but he

had bad news for the guy. Oscar wasn’t going anywhere. “Sorry. I
don’t know who you are, and I’m sure that I have nothing that

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belongs to you.” With that, he turned to leave, wanting to get to his
mate as soon as possible.

“I’ve seen you together,” Joseph said to his back. “I’ve been

watching you for days.”

The news sent a chill of dread down his spine, and Demitrius

whirled around to loom over the pint-sized asshole. Before he could
say anything, however, Xander stepped between him and Joseph with
his hands upheld.

“If Mr. Accola says he doesn’t have anything of yours, I believe

him. I think you need to leave.”

“I’m not leaving without my property.” Reaching into the inside

pocket of his jacket, he extracted a stack of folded papers and waved
them in Xander’s face. “I have signed contracts for all four
Desirables. They belong to me, and you will bring them here
immediately.”

“Ah, I see,” Xander answered calmly, extracting the papers from

Joseph’s hand. “You don’t mind if I look at these, do you?”

Joseph waved his hand uncaringly as he glared up at Demitrius.

“You might think you have some kind of claim to my Desirable, but
you are sadly mistaken. I paid good money for the four of them, and I
expect to have each one returned to me.”

Demitrius opened his mouth to tell the guy exactly where he could

shove his expectations, but a glance at Xander had him pressing his
lips together. It was only a minute movement of his head, and he
didn’t even look at Demitrius, but the action was received loud and
clear—keep his caustic remarks to himself until they could figure out
a plan.

Seemingly unhappy with Demitrius’s lack of argument, Joseph

crowded closer and jabbed a finger into his midsection. “Your little
whore is leaving with me. Maybe you should go say your good-byes.”

The slight to his mate accompanied by the threat of having Oscar

taken from him snapped Demitrius’s self-control. His right hand

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darted out, wrapping around the fucker’s throat and lifting him off his
feet in the span of a heartbeat.

“Maybe you should say your good-byes,” he growled viciously,

taking great satisfaction in watching the man wiggle in his grasp as he
fought for air. “Let me tell you how this is going to work. You’re
going to walk out that door and forget all about Oscar, all about
Haven. If you even speak his name again, I’ll know. People have a
way of disappearing when I’m unhappy, and I don’t imagine anyone
will miss you.”

With a lazy flick of his wrist, he sent the man sailing across the

room to land in a heap on the coffee table, reducing the stylish piece
of furniture to a shattered mess.

“I really liked that table, too,” Stavion mumbled as he pushed a

hand through his dark hair.

“I think I just got wood.” Xander glanced between the groaning

man on the floor and Demitrius with a smirk on his lips. “Impressive,
man.”

“Oh, dear,” Stavion gasped in mock surprise as he lit a match and

dropped it onto his desk, igniting the contracts binding Oscar and his
friends to Joseph. “Well, that is a shame.”

“Accidents will happen,” Xander added with a shrug. “Terribly

sorry about that, Mr. Mahoney.”

“You won’t get away with this,” Joseph said breathlessly as he

struggled to his feet. “I’ll be back, and I won’t be alone.”

“Uh-huh.” Rolling his eyes, Stavion pushed a button on his

intercom and leaned closer to the desk. “Raven, Demos, could you
please escort our guest to the front gates?”

Two Enforcers appeared in the doorway almost at once, both

looking very pleased to carry out their task. “Should we give him a
friendly reminder?” Raven asked with a shit-eating grin.

Stavion seemed to consider it but shook his head. “I think

Demitrius took care of the warning. Have someone follow him to
make sure he leaves town, though.”

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“Got it, boss,” Demos responded with a dip of his head, taking

Joseph’s elbow and jerking him around roughly.

“Don’t call me boss!” Stavion called, garnering only laughter

from the Enforcers as they shoved Joseph out of the room hard
enough to actually send him to his knees.

“Oops.” Raven grabbed the man around the collar and hauled him

to his feet. “Watch that last step, dude. It’s a doozy.”

“Why him? Oscar says The Hive is huge. Why haven’t they come

for him?” Once the vampires were out of sight with their unwelcomed
guest, Demitrius turned back to Xander and pointed toward the pile of
ashes on the desk. “Did you get anything useful?”

Reaching behind him, Xander extracted a stack of folded papers

from his back pocket and wiggled his eyebrows. “There’s an address
on here,” he answered as he unfolded the contracts. “I doubt it’s legit,
but it’s a place to start.”

“Also a registration number,” Stavion added with a curl of his

nose. “Oscar and his friends were microchipped like fucking
animals.”

“Is there a way to remove the chip?” They’d have to find it first,

and with a shifter’s ability to heal without scarring, that could prove
tricky.

“We’ll figure it out,” Xander assured him as he continued to

peruse the papers in his hands. “This Hive place is smart. According
to this, once a contract is signed, a Desirable becomes the
responsibility of the Master.”

“Meaning?”
“This agreement hereby absolves Redway Corporations from any

further obligations in relationship to the Desirable in question. Should
the Desirable become lost or stolen, the Master is responsible for the
reclamation, as well as any costs incurred relating to search and
seizure of property. Unless the Master wishes to sign an additional
contract, all communications with Redway Corporations will cease
upon the signing of this document.”

Let the Rain Come Down

Demitrius grinned smugly as he listened to Xander read. “So Mr.

Mahoney is shit out of luck.”

“Yes,” Stavion answered slowly as he shared a look with Xander

that Demitrius couldn’t decipher. “We have bigger problems,
though.”

As far as Demitrius was concerned, anything that threatened the

health and safety of his mate was top priority. Still, curiosity got the
better of him, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking, “What
problems?”

“You know why Haven was formed, right?” Pausing for

Demitrius’s affirmation, Stavion pinched the bridge of his nose and
sighed before continuing. “The abused paranormals coming in from
all over the country are directly related to one man—Cyrus Redway.”

The figurative light bulb clicked on, and Demitrius wasn’t any

happier about it than the vampire. “Cyrus Redway as in Redway
Corporations.”

“As in, The Hive,” Xander added in a subdued tone.
“Well, where is he? How do we find him?”
The alpha shared another one of those annoying looks with

Stavion before shaking his head somberly. “We don’t. He was killed
almost two years ago.”

“Someone is continuing his work.” He’d seen the abused and

broken flowing into Haven, but he’d never given much thought to
where the problem had started.

Hanging around the mansion, Demitrius had heard snippets of

discussion about an illegal slave trade and strange experiments, but
since none of it related directly to him, he’d pushed the information to
the back of his mind and continued on about his business.

With Oscar now under threat, he wanted to know everything, and

he wanted to know it in a big damn hurry.

* * * *

Gabrielle Evans

“No.” Oscar stopped in his tracks and jerked his hand out of

Demitrius’s grasp. His knees trembled, his hands shook, and bile rose
up in his esophagus. “They found us. Oh, gods, they found us.”

While scared, a small part of him was pissed that Demitrius had

chosen their routine walks to deliver the damning news. It was the
part of the day that he always looked forward to, rising well before
the sun in his excitement. Why did the man have to ruin this special
time?

“Oscar, breathe.”
How in the hell was he supposed to breathe? He’d become

complacent, almost arrogant that he’d been able to outwit his enemy,
and now he was paying for his arrogance. “Where are they now? How
many are there?” His thoughts strayed to his friends, and the panic
almost overwhelmed him. “We have to go. I have to get the others
and go.”

“Oscar!” Demitrius grabbed him by his upper arms and held him

still. “No one is here. You’re not listening to me. It was one guy, and
he’s gone.”

Maybe it was one guy now, but others would come. “Demitrius,

let go of me. I have to get the others. We have to hide. I’m not going
back there!”

“Goddamn it, Oscar, stop!” Dropping to his knees on the dirt path

that led to the pond, Demitrius held Oscar’s face in both hands,
forcing him to finally meet his mate’s gaze. “I’m not going to let
anything happen to you. Do you really believe there is anything I
wouldn’t do for you? If I have to face an entire army, I’m not letting
anyone take you.”

Time stood still while they stared into each other’s eyes. Oscar

heard, felt, and saw the truth in the words, but it only caused his heart
to beat more frantically. It was his fault. He’d brought this danger to
the coven, his new friends, and now his mate. How could he live with
himself if something happened to Demitrius because of him?

Let the Rain Come Down

Throwing his arms around his lover’s neck, he clung to him with

all his strength. “You don’t know these people, love. They won’t fight
fair.”

Demitrius actually laughed as he held Oscar close and kissed the

side of his neck. “Have you looked at me lately? I’m not afraid of
these assholes. Besides, I’m not above using every dirty trick in the
book if the need arises.”

“I love you, Demitrius. Please don’t get yourself killed.”
“If I die, you die. Keeping my ass alive is equal to keeping you

safe. I don’t want you to worry, but I won’t lie to you, either. I will do
anything—and I do mean anything—to protect you.”

His body was starting to calm down, but Oscar’s mind was still a

snarled mess of confusing, conflicting thoughts. “Can we go home?”
He needed to talk to his friends, let them know what was happening.
It didn’t seem very smart to be standing out in the open anymore,
either.

“Have you ever seen your contract?”
Oscar shook his head. “Why do you ask?”
“A man named Joseph Mahoney signed the contracts for all four

of you. He was stupid enough to bring them with him to Haven.
Stavion has them in his office right now.”

Loosening his hold enough so he could see his lover’s face, Oscar

tilted his head to the side and frowned. “He signed the contracts
before we escaped?”

“Not sure, but it would seem so.” Demitrius dipped his head and

pressed their lips together. “Your contract says that this guy is on his
own to reclaim you. The Hive releases all claim or knowledge of you,
and will not get involved in the matter.”

That sounded way too good to be true. “Do you think it’s for

real?”

“They’ve put a lot of time and money into you guys, not to

mention all the secrets you know. A ten-year investment and they’re
just going to let you walk away? I don’t see it.”

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Those were Oscar’s thoughts exactly. “You think he was a spy.”
“I’m thinking more of a scout to find out how much resistance

we’ll put up if they try to waltz in here and take you. I believe, and
Xander agrees, that the contracts were just smoke and mirrors to make
us lower our guards.”

Oscar nodded slowly as he mulled it over. “If you think The Hive

is disassociating from this, you’ll get lazy and won’t be expecting an
attack.”

“Exactly.”
He would have said more—there was a lot to say on the subject,

after all—but a loud, terrified scream interrupted his thoughts. Jerking
around, Oscar stared in the direction of the pond with wide eyes.
“Someone’s in trouble.”

“Stay here,” Demitrius commanded, rising to his feet and taking

off toward the sound of the scream at a jog.

Oscar had no intentions of doing anything of the sort. He wasn’t a

fighter, and there wasn’t a whole lot he could do, but he wouldn’t just
stand around and twiddle his thumbs if there was even the barest
chance that Demitrius was in danger.

Reaching the clearing that surrounded the pond, Oscar spotted the

damsel in distress immediately. Her jeans were ripped at the knee and
covered in blood, her hair a tangled mess of blonde curls, and Oscar
swore he could hear her heart pounding against her sternum. She
didn’t look in his direction but stared straight ahead toward the sleek
mountain lion stalking her.

It wasn’t another shifter, simply a normal, everyday cougar, and

he looked hungry. The cats didn’t usually venture into populated
areas, but all living things would resort to desperate measures when
food was scarce.

Demitrius stepped in front of the mountain lion, raising his hands

above his head and roaring in a high-pitched, cat-like way.
Apparently, the cat knew when it was outmatched, because it

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hunkered closer to the ground and slowly backed away before turning
and darting off into the trees.

While the resolution was somewhat anticlimactic, Oscar imagined

it would have ended much differently if Demitrius hadn’t been there.
Rushing over to the woman, he knelt down beside her in the yellow,
dry grass and examined the wound on her leg.

“Shifter?” he asked, trying to determine what type of paranormal

she was and how quickly her injuries would heal.

“Y–Yes, coyote,” she answered shakily, still staring at the spot

where the cougar had been. Then her attention whipped around to
Oscar, and she practically threw herself into his arms. “Thank you. It
happened so fast, and I just knew I was dead. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome, but it’s not me you should be thanking.” He

patted the woman lightly on the back and smiled up at his lover.
“Demitrius did all the work.”

The girl sniffled against his shoulder and bobbed her head. Finally

releasing him, she tilted her head back to gaze up at Demitrius, and
Oscar knew what was coming even before she let out another
bloodcurdling scream. Pushing away from him, she scrambled
backward in a weird crab walk, appearing more afraid of Demitrius
than she had been of the mountain lion.

“Please. No. Stay away!”
Oscar understood that she was scared, but his temper rose at the

treatment his lover was receiving after just saving the silly twit’s life.
“Shut up,” he snapped her. “Demitrius is the kindest person I know,
and he just put himself between you and a fucking cougar. Shame on
you.”

“He’s a monster,” she argued with him, still trying to get away.

“He’s a freak.”

“No,” Oscar answered quietly. It was his first glimpse into the

sadness Keeton spoke of that lurked inside his lover. “You’re the
monster—prejudiced, small minded, and unable to look past the

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outward appearance to see the goodness in his heart. People like you
make me sad for our kind.”

Leaving her to her struggles, Oscar pushed up from the ground,

walked over to his mate, and took Demitrius’s hand. “Forget it, love.
She’s not worth it.”

Knowing the man Demitrius was, it didn’t surprise him when the

guy refused to leave the woman without offering some kind of
assistance. No matter that she’d screamed at him, called him names,
and acted like a total idiot, he was still more concerned for her well-
being than his own pride or feelings.

“Can I help you get somewhere? Or is there someone I can call for

you?” Demitrius asked as he retrieved his cell phone from the front
pocket of his jeans.

The girl finally stopped trying to run away and closed her trap,

staring up at Demitrius in confusion, as though she expected him to
attack her rather than offer any sort of help. “I…I…”

“Hey,” Oscar said, snapping his fingers in her direction. “Do you

want help or not? And what the hell are you doing out here alone,
anyway?”

“I was going to visit someone at that cabin across the pond.” She

pointed to the center cabin near the opposite bank and blushed, giving
Oscar the impression that her “someone” was most likely more than
just a friend. Peeking up through her blonde lashes, she chewed on
her bottom lip for a long time while she watched Demitrius. “I’m
sorry for my behavior. It was rude and ungrateful. Thank you for
saving me.”

She still appeared a bit apprehensive, but she had apologized and

was attempting to rectify her previous behavior. Oscar wasn’t totally
appeased, but he was feeling a bit better about the situation.

“Can we walk you around the pond?” Demitrius offered.
There was a long hesitation while she contemplated him again, but

she eventually climbed to her feet and nodded. “That would be nice.
I’m Cecilia, by the way.” Her eyebrows drew together, and she wrung

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her hands together nervously. “I’m sorry, but you are really, really big
and kind of scary.”

“I get that a lot,” Demitrius answered with an easy smile. “I

promise I’m not going to eat you, though.”

His casual dismissal of her statement pulled a cute giggle from the

woman, and she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Your
partner was right. You are a sweetheart. I’m sorry again for acting
like a total ass.”

Oscar liked the girl more the longer she talked. He could admit

Demitrius’s appearance could be unsettling at first—even if he
thought his mate was beyond delicious. If people would just take two
minutes to get to know him, they’d find out that their fears were
completely unwarranted, though.

“Let’s get you to your destination,” Demitrius said with a wink,

though he kept a respectful distance.

So, they took off around the small body of water, talking and

laughing as though the unfortunate incident hadn’t happened at all.
Not that Oscar expected anything less. It was almost too easy to like
Demitrius once people gave the guy a chance.

In that moment, Oscar decided that would be his new project. He

hadn’t been the most sociable person, either, and he felt both he and
Demitrius needed to interact more with the coven members. How
were people supposed to get to know them if they never left the
dorms?

It wouldn’t be a walk in the park, but hopefully, they could start

changing everyone’s opinion, one conversation at a time.

100

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Chapter Eleven

Desire coursed through him as he allowed his mate to lead him

back along the dirt path that would take them to the dorms. Never in
his life had anyone defended him so adamantly. More to the point, it
was obvious that Oscar believed every word he’d said.

He knew how hard it was for the guy to speak his mind or stand

against the popular opinion. His defense of Demitrius’s character was
only more touching because of it. Pride filled Demitrius’s heart, but
untamed—and less noble—arousal swelled his cock. Then again, it
was hard to even think of Oscar without it making his dick throb.

This was different, though. The feeling engulfed, squeezed, and

almost suffocated him. The dorms suddenly seemed miles away, and
Demitrius wanted his mate naked and moaning five minutes ago.

“Demitrius!” Oscar’s gasp was cut off abruptly when Demitrius

pushed his back against a nearby tree and plundered the depths of his
mouth until they were both panting and moaning. “What was that
for?”

“Can’t wait.” Demitrius’s brain shut down, instinct took over, and

all he could think was, “Mine. Need. Fuck. Now.” Over and over the
words chased each other around his brain until he was crazed with
need.

Unbuckling his belt, he pulled the strip from its loops and fastened

the leather around Oscar’s wrists. After another scorching kiss, he
dropped to his knees, working feverishly to remove Oscar’s jeans.
When his long, slender cock popped free of the denim confinement,
Demitrius actually whimpered as he wrapped his fingers around the
heated length.

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101

Oscar didn’t speak a word, just pressed back against the tree

trunk, spread his legs wider, and placed his bound hands on the top of
Demitrius’s head. His cock flexed in Demitrius’s grasp, leaking clear
drops of pre-cum from the slit. The small bead of moisture
mesmerized him, beckoned him, and Demitrius groaned as he dove
forward to capture the bulbous head in his mouth.

His lover’s taste exploded over his tongue, pulling another

growling groan from deep in his chest as he worked the turgid flesh in
and out of his mouth. Fumbling with his own pants, he managed to
extract his aching prick, stroking it quickly while he continued to
push Oscar closer to the edge with lips, tongue, and his other hand.

Whether it was the suddenness of the sexual onslaught or the

rather public venue for their tryst, it didn’t take long before Oscar was
humping against him, pushing his cock deeper into Demitrius’s
mouth. The spongy crown bumped the back of his throat, and Oscar
shuddered as a strangled mewl burst from his swollen lips.

Demitrius wasn’t finished with his little man, though. There was a

reason he’d bound the shifter’s hands, even if it was a bit hard to think
coherently at the moment. Squeezing the base of his erection to stave
off his own orgasm, he let his lover’s dick slip from his lips just as the
first splash of semen landed on his lower lip.

Lifting his other hand, he cupped it around the tip, stroking his

mate to completion as Oscar filled his palm with an impressive
amount of cum. Using the slippery substance to coat his own
demanding dick, he spun his lover around, pushing his chest against
the tree, and used the excess semen to slick his fingers.

They’d come together so many times in the last couple of weeks,

and the guarding muscles of Oscar’s rim loosened almost
immediately, inviting him inside. A few pumps later, he extracted his
fingers, pulled the shifter into his lap, and stretched his lover’s arms
so that his bound hands looped around Demitrius’s neck.

Oscar’s tight channel convulsed around him, grasping his cock as

he slid into the most glorious heat he’d ever felt. Wrapping both arms

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around Oscar’s torso, he kept the man motionless as he arched his
hips, driving up into his clenching ass.

His heart thumped wildly, his skin burned, and his vision dimmed

around the edges. Every sense he possessed was fully concentrated on
the man in his arms from the sweet scent to the way he writhed and
bucked on Demitrius’s lap.

“Someone’s watching us,” Oscar panted, but he didn’t sound

overly concerned about it.

Though completely wrapped up in his mate, Demitrius had sensed

the three men through the trees. They posed no threat, however, and if
Oscar was okay with it, he didn’t see any reason to deny them such an
erotic show. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare,” Oscar shot back, contracting his inner walls to

grab at Demitrius’s cock.

“Can you smell their desire?” Demitrius scraped his teeth lightly

down the side of Oscar’s throat, pulling a deep shiver from his man.
“Do you see how they’re watching you?”

“Oh, gods.”
“They want you, but you’re mine.” It was a powerful aphrodisiac,

knowing the young werewolves watching them had a hard-on for
what belonged to him. The jealous, protective part of his psyche
wanted to shield Oscar from view, but the possessive part of him
reveled in the idea of showing off his prize and making others covet
such a treasure.

“I’m yours,” Oscar agreed, arching his back, allowing Demitrius

to thrust deeper. His cock bounced between his splayed legs, slapping
against the inside of Demitrius’s thigh and coating it with translucent
moisture. “Fuck, I’m close, love. Touch me.”

“No,” Demitrius growled. “I’m all you need. Let go, sweet baby.

Don’t fight it. Just fall, and I’ll catch you. Scream, Oscar. Tell them
who has you, who can make you fly.”

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“Demitrius!” His head dropped back against Demitrius’s shoulder,

and Oscar went stiff in his arms, every muscle tightening as he gasped
and groaned through his orgasm, coating the grass in milky cream.

Resting his forehead against Oscar’s nape, Demitrius held his

lover close to his chest as he rocked and shuddered through his own
release, filling Oscar with his seed until his hole overflowed. “Love
you, sweet baby.”

“Mm-hmm,” Oscar agreed, twirling his fingers in Demitrius’s hair

and nuzzling against the side of his neck. “That was hot.”

Demitrius agreed, but while the sex was scorching, the outside

temperatures were near freezing. “We need to get you inside where
it’s warm.”

“Okay,” Oscar agreed easily, sounding dazed and a little

disoriented, which brought a smile to Demitrius’s lips. “Did they
leave?”

Glancing toward the spot where the men had stood to watch the

show, Demitrius kissed Oscar’s temple and shook his head. “They’re
gone.” Now that reasoning had returned to his brain, he imagined it
was a good thing, because he doubted he’d be quite so
accommodating with all of his wits about him.

Releasing the belt from around Oscar’s wrists, he rubbed feeling

back into his mate’s arms, taking care to massage his hands and
fingers as well. “Thank you,” Oscar mumbled around a huge yawn. “I
think I need a nap.”

Demitrius could go for a little shut-eye as well, and he couldn’t

think of a better place to rest than with the man he loved in his arms.
“Shower?”

“Ugh!” Oscar groaned and wiggled around until he could stand on

wobbly legs. “Can I sleep in the shower?”

He looked so cute, his debauched angel, and Demitrius couldn’t

deny him anything. “I’ll take care of you.”

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Bobbing his head tiredly, Oscar put his clothes to rights and

slipped his hand into Demitrius’s to help him up from the ground.
“You always do.”

* * * *

“I’m sorry. You want me to do what?” Oscar turned the football

around in his hands and frowned. “Let me get this straight. You want
me to take this and run. Then you are you going to chase me, tackle
me, and I end up in the mud.” He cocked his head to the side and
glared up at his lover. “Exactly what part of that is supposed to be
fun?”

“I promise to take it easy on you. C’mon, Oscar. Live a little.”
His idea of a good time didn’t involve broken bones or being

covered in mud from head to toe. Besides, it was freaking cold. The
vampire Enforcers who’d joined them didn’t seem to mind the
temperatures, but Oscar wasn’t so enthusiastic. “I want to be on your
team.”

“Deal,” Demitrius answered immediately.
“I think the other team should be skins!” Zuriel shouted, licking

his lips as he looked the Enforcers up and down. Then he bumped his
hips against Oscar’s and grinned. “Look at all those hunky guys with
no shirts on. This is going to be awesome!”

“I’m on their team,” Zavion announced, bouncing on his toes next

to his brother. “I do love team sports.”

Was Oscar the only person who saw this as a bad idea? Judging

by the excitement buzzing around the clearing, he had to say yes.

“All you have to do is run toward that tree line,” Demitrius

explained. “Then I’ll throw the ball to you. All you have to do is catch
it and keep running.”

“Oh, that’s all I have to do. Wonderful,” Oscar grumbled. Yeah, it

sounded easy when Demitrius said it. That didn’t mean he could do
any of it. “Fine. When do I run?”

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“I’ll tell you. Just line up over there at the end next to Jackson.”
Oscar did as he was told, but he didn’t have to like it. In fact, he

hated it. He was going to make a total fool out of himself, or worse,
end up with a concussion. Football was a barbaric sport as far as he
was concerned, and he just couldn’t understand how getting hit by a
man twice his size was supposed to be fun.

Everyone lined up in their positions and crouched low to the

ground. Everyone except Oscar, that was. He stood straight, his hip
cocked out to the side and his arms crossed over his chest. Oh, his
dear mate was going to get an earful after this.

“Oscar, go!”
“Crap.” Taking off across the field, he ran toward the tree line,

just as Demitrius had told him. After a few yards, however, something
hard smacked him in the back of the shoulder, nearly knocking him to
the ground.

“You’re supposed to catch it,” Demitrius called to him, looking as

though he was trying not to laugh, though Oscar could see his teeth
gleaming in the moonlight.

“You hit me!” he yelled back. “Why the hell did you hit me?”

Fuck, he hated this game.

“Just come back. We’ll try again.”
Grumbling under his breath the entire way, Oscar stomped back to

his place beside Jackson. “This sucks.”

“Lighten up, little man,” Jackson said to him with his trademark

boyish grin. “Look over your shoulder when you run so you know
when to catch it.”

On the second run, Oscar did as Jackson suggested, watching over

his shoulder as he jogged down the field. It didn’t help in the least,
however. Instead of smacking him in the back, the football hit him in
the side of the neck this time, knocking the air out of him for a
moment.

“Get off me!” one of the Enforcers said in annoyance. “I’m on

your team. You don’t tackle your teammates.”

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Zuriel just clung to the guy’s naked back and grinned like a loon.

“Oh, oops. I got confused.”

“You okay, Oscar?” Demitrius strode over to him, tilting Oscar’s

head one way and then the other as he examined his neck. “Sorry
about that.”

“I think I’m just going to go home. This really isn’t my thing,

love.” As much as he wanted to spend time with his friends and feel
included, getting knocked around really wasn’t worth it. The game
couldn’t last forever, and then he could do more pleasurable things
with his lover.

“Aww, don’t go.” Good grief, a man that big should not pout.

Furthermore, it should not be so effective.

“I suck at this, and I’m okay with that. What if I just watch from

the side rails?”

“Sidelines,” Demitrius corrected automatically. “One more time.

Can you just try one more time?”

Oscar huffed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t see how

it will make any difference. I’m not going to magically get better just
because the third time is supposed to be the charm.”

“Trust me. I have an idea.”
Oscar’s eyes went wide, and he batted at Demitrius’s hands when

the shifter reached for the button on his pants. “What are you doing?”

“You need to take your clothes off.”
“Are you insane? How is being naked going to help me catch a

football?” Oscar glanced around at the people milling about the field
and shook his head. “No way.”

“Well, then I guess you’ll have to shift with your clothes on.” The

wicked grin his lover gave him did little to instill confidence in this
plan. Demitrius pulled a small foam football from the front pocket of
his jeans and wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “No one will be able to
catch you.”

This was most likely true, but…“How the hell am I supposed to

catch it without hands?”

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“I’ll just hand it off to you.”
“If you can do that, why were you throwing it at me in the first

place?” He had a few choice words for his mate that he hoped wiped
the smug smile right off his ridiculously handsome face. Not wanting
to disrespect the man in company, however, he decided to save them
for later. “I will get you back for this.”

“I have no doubt,” Demitrius answered with a chuckle. “Hurry up

and shift.”

Standing behind Demitrius for a bit of privacy, Oscar quickly

stripped out of his clothing, knelt down to the cold ground, and
shifted into his hedgehog form. If he got stepped on and squished, he
was going to be highly upset. Then again, he had a feeling that
Demitrius would be even more pissed if someone were to hurt him,
even accidently. The knowledge gave him a small amount of comfort,
but he still didn’t see how this would work.

“C’mon, ladies. Let’s go!”
“We’re waiting on you, asshole.” Xander shoved Demitrius good-

naturedly before taking up his stance facing one of the vampire
Enforcers. “You are going down, Cass!”

“Bring it on, shifter,” the vampire returned, smiling broadly to

show off his elongated fangs.

Good grief, there was far too much testosterone in the clearing.

Oscar didn’t have long to ponder it before Demitrius called his name
and crouched down to place the tiny football close to his mouth.
Biting into the disgusting foam, Oscar did exactly as he’d been told,
darting between feet as he scrambled through the mud and grass
toward the opposite tree line.

“There he is!” someone shouted. “Get him!”
Bodies flew toward him from all direction, and hands reached

down to try and snag him, but Oscar was too quick. The big, bad
Enforcers laughed loudly as they continued to chase him, some
running half bent over, while others were practically crawling on all
fours through the mud to catch him.

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“You got it, Oscar!” Demitrius voice was pure excitement when it

slipped into Oscar’s mind. “Go! Go! You’re almost there!”

Dodging the last of his pursuers, Oscar stopped near one of the

trees, spat the ball out of his mouth, and rose up on his hind legs to do
a sort of victory hop around in a circle.

“Yes!” Demitrius yelled over the cheers and laughter that floated

on the night air.

Oscar was feeling pretty damn elated as well—until someone

stepped from the shadows of the forest and plucked him right off the
ground. “Gotcha,” the man whispered menacingly.

Then he backed away, disappearing into the woods with Oscar

held securely in his grasp.

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Chapter Twelve

“Demitrius!”
He’d felt Oscar’s panic before he heard his mate’s voice in his

head, and Demitrius was already sprinting across the clearing,
shoving people out of his way as he went. “Oscar!”

“What is it?” Xander demanded, appearing at his side along with

most of the other men in the field. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. He’s scared, and I don’t see him.” His night vision

was superb, but he couldn’t locate his mate anywhere. Oscar’s scent
was everywhere, but it didn’t take Demitrius long to pick up the trail
that led into the forest. “That way.”

“Can you talk to him?” Logan asked. “Find out where they’re

taking him.”

“Oscar? Can you hear me, baby? Where are you? What’s

happening?”

“Of course I can hear you.” Demitrius felt a measure of relief at

Oscar’s disgruntled tone. If he could be more indignant than afraid,
then at least he wasn’t hurt. “There are three of them, Drones from
The Hive. We’re headed toward the back fence that faces the
mountains.”

“Southeast border of the property,” Demitrius related to his

comrades. “They’re headed toward the mountains.”

“Shit,” Talon cursed. “If they reach the mountains, we’re fucked.”
“Stop!” Xander grabbed Demitrius around the elbow and jerked

him to a halt.

Wrenching his arm away, Demitrius snarled viciously at the alpha.

“You can do whatever you want. I’m going after my mate!”

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“We’re going to get him back, but let’s have a plan. We

outnumber them, and we know this land better than those assholes. If
we use that to our advantage, we’ll get Oscar back a hell of a lot
faster.”

“We’ll hit the south fence and try to cut them off,” the Enforcer,

Raven, said, already moving in the direction with the rest of the
vampires.

“Someone has to stay back with the others.”
Demitrius agreed with Xander, but he damn sure wasn’t

volunteering for the job. Thankfully, Jackson stepped forward,
offering to stay behind with Oscar’s friends and the other mates who
couldn’t protect themselves.

“Call Boston,” Talon ordered his mate. “Get him and Flynn to the

dorms to help.”

Demitrius finally understood exactly what Stavion had been trying

to tell him when he’d first been assigned to guard the new
Moonlighters. Everyone was so busy trying to keep their own lovers
safe, there didn’t leave much left over for finding Oscar. If they didn’t
get on with this wonderful “plan” soon, he was leaving without them.

“Logan, Talon, you’re the fastest. Shift and follow Oscar’s scent.

We’ll be right behind you.”

Unwilling to wait any longer, Demitrius took off through the trees

at a run, heading in the direction of the mountains. Fear gripped him
and held on tight, but as long as he could still feel Oscar, could still
communicate with him, it was manageable. When he reached his
mate—and he would—heads would roll. No one fucked with the
people he loved and got away with it.

“They can’t have much of a head start,” Xander stated as he ran

alongside Demitrius. “He’s going to be fine. Why don’t you check in
with him?”

“I’m coming, baby. Everyone is coming for you. Are you okay?

Did they hurt you?”

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111

“They keep poking me with needles, but I’m not hurt. I think they

gave me one of those Inducers and then maybe an Inhibitor. I don’t
know, but I’m cold, naked, human, and I can’t shift back.”

“The Enforcers should be getting close. Listen. Can you hear

them?”

“I can’t hear anything. Demitrius, I’m scared. My head feels all

funny.”

“Just keep talking. Keep talking to me, Oscar.”
“What’s happening?”
Demitrius glanced sideways at Xander as they pushed through the

other side of the forest near the back fence that surrounded the coven.
“Where is everyone?” The Enforcers should have reached the area
long before them, not to mention Talon and Logan. “Where the fuck
are they? Oscar!”

“Look.” Xander pointed down at paw prints in the mud around the

bottom of the fence. “Logan and Talon came through here. I can smell
them.”

Scaling the eight-foot wrought-iron fence easily, Demitrius made

a mental note to have a little chat with Stavion about the security
around Haven. The minute his feet hit the ground on the other side, he
took off at a sprint, following the bond to his mate that grew stronger
and brighter with every step. “We’re getting close.”

Screeches of twin leopards ripped through the night, but the sound

that alarmed him the most was the revving of a car engine. Lights
flared up ahead, illuminating the darkness as the vehicle sped parallel
to the mountains, traveling toward the main road that would
eventually lead them to the highway. If they were allowed to make it
that far, Demitrius might never see his mate again.

How the hell were any of them supposed to catch a moving car?

Not even if he was able to shift into his cat would he have had enough
speed to reach the SUV before it arrived at the paved road and was
able to accelerate.

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That didn’t stop him from trying, though. Pumping his legs as fast

as they would carry him, Demitrius sprinted along the fence line, his
heart pounding frantically with fear, anger, and adrenaline. As the
distance between him and the car lights grew, the prospect of rescuing
Oscar before he disappeared began to diminish, but he wouldn’t give
up.

Like a beacon of hope, three sets of headlights crested a hill in the

distance, driving straight toward Demitrius and their retreating
enemies. The SUV was too large, too top-heavy, to attempt the
evasive move the driver tried next, sending the vehicle airborne
before crashing back to earth and rolling several times.

With his heart lodged in his throat, Demitrius wouldn’t have been

able to shout if he wanted to, not even if his vocal chords weren’t
paralyzed with dread. “Oscar! Oscar, answer me! Talk to me. Fuck,
fuck, fuck!”

He received no response, but he could feel Oscar’s terror.

Sickening pain lanced through his head, blinding him momentarily
before it passed. His shoulder felt like it was on fire, as though
something had stabbed him, and he could swear his right leg was
broken, though he was still running on it.

“Oscar! Damn it, talk to me, baby. Talk to me. Oscar!” Over and

over he pushed his thoughts to his mate, desperate for an answer.

“Demitrius?” Even through their telepathic link, Oscar’s speech

sounded slurred and disoriented. “What happened? Gods, my head
hurts.”

Men surrounded the overturned vehicle, prying the doors open

and dragging men out one by one. Demitrius made his way through
the multitudes, pushing, shoving, and growling. “Move. Let me
through. My mate is in there!”

The SUV hissed, and steam poured out from under the hood. One

of the wheels still spun in the air, but the metal was so mangled,
Demitrius didn’t see how anyone could have survived the crash.

“Demitrius?”

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Though hoarse and quiet, Oscar’s voice was the sweetest sound

he’d ever heard. Dirty, bleeding, and battered, he was still beautiful as
he reached one hand out to Demitrius from where he was held in
Devlin Murphy’s arms. Demitrius had no idea how he would ever
begin to repay the shifters. There wasn’t enough gold in the world to
replace what they’d given him back.

“Thank you,” he whispered roughly when Devlin gently

transferred Oscar to him. Cradling his mate, he swallowed past the
lump in his throat and squeezed his eyes closed, fighting desperately
to dispel the moisture that gathered there.

“Give him blood,” Xander suggested. “He’ll heal faster.”
Oscar’s button nose wrinkled. “Eww. No thank you. I’m already

healing. It’s just a sprained knee and a few cuts. I’m fine. Really.”

“You scared the hell out of me, sweet baby. What do you have to

say for yourself?”

Leaning his head against Demitrius’s shoulder, Oscar closed his

eyes and sighed. “When I said I would pay you back for the football
thing…this is so not what I meant.”

* * * *

“This is Alpha Blaise Taylor of the Cloud Peak Pack, and his

mate, Cole Cunningham.” Stavion introduced the wolves, but
Demitrius couldn’t care less who they were. He was more interested
in finding out how the bastards who’d hurt his mate had gotten into
Haven in the first place.

“I’m here to help,” Blaise said, stepping forward and offering his

hand. “I have two mates of my own, so I can understand that you’re
fucking pissed.”

That was an understatement of the highest magnitude. Still, he

shook the shifter’s hand and offered his name. Then he turned to
Stavion and fisted his hands at his sides. “How the fuck did they get
in?”

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A dark look settled over the leader’s face, and he took up a similar

pose with his hands fisted near his thighs. “They came in with the
refugees a couple of weeks ago from that group we found in the
mountains. We rescue so many, Dee. No one could have known.”

Rationally, Demitrius knew it was true. When it came to Oscar, it

was hard to be rational, however. The guy was absolutely never
leaving his sight again. Even now, Oscar was just down the hall in the
library, surrounded by not only his friends, but eight Enforcers.
Overkill, maybe, but Demitrius wasn’t taking any chances.

“Something has to change. We need better security.”
“I agree,” Stavion said solemnly. “We’ve already installed heat

and motion sensors along the fences. We have Enforcers patrolling
the perimeter at regular intervals. What else can we do?”

“More Enforcers. Electric fences. Quarantine the captives coming

in until you can assess them.” Demitrius ticked his list off on his
fingers as he delivered the advice. “There are not nearly enough
security personnel for the number of residents living here. This can’t
happen again, Stavion.”

The vampire bobbed his head a couple of times before he spoke.

“Okay. Congratulations, Demitrius. You are now the new head of
security.” He waved a hand toward their visitors. “Blaise is here to
talk about lending us some of the Enforcers from his pack. You can
talk to him about the changes you want made around here.”

“We’re not a large pack,” Blaise’s mate, Cole, said as he rose

from the sofa and shuffled forward.

Demitrius had to give the guy credit. Though the smallest person

in the room, he held himself with an air of authority and didn’t appear
intimidated by Demitrius’s size or appearance. “You can’t loan us
Enforcers if it endangers your own pack.”

“We’re growing by the day, same as Haven. Probably sixty

percent of our pack are Enforcers or could be with a little training.”
Blaise glanced toward his mate, who nodded in return. “We can spare
those who wouldn’t mind making the move.”

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“Snake River Coven, my previous coven, has also agreed to help

with our security. Someone will be here tomorrow night to discuss it,”
Stavion added. “This was supposed to be a place for paranormals to
come to feel safe. Shit just keeps blowing up in our faces left and
right, though.”

“You know these bastards from The Hive will send more.”

Demitrius planned to do whatever necessary to make sure they didn’t
make it inside the gates next time.

“Agreed,” Blaise answered firmly. “This place poses a threat not

just to Haven, but to our entire world. We have to shut it down.”

“We have to find it first.” Cole rubbed the top of his head,

mussing up his short hair. “I guess that will be my job. I’ll steal
Jackson away tomorrow and see what we can come up with.”

“Cole is Jackson’s brother,” Blaise explained when Demitrius

frowned in confusion. “Together, they probably know more about
computers than anyone I’ve ever met. If there are electronic records to
be found, they’ll find what we need.”

“The prisoners are banged up, but they’ll live.” Stavion didn’t

sound overly concerned about their survival, though. “You guys take
your mates home and get some rest. I’ll call if we get anything out of
them.”

His need to be with Oscar overrode his desire for information, and

Demitrius dipped his head, shook with Blaise once more, and hurried
out of the room to find his mate.

* * * *

“I’m fine. Would you please stop worrying?” It had been three

days since the accident, and Demitrius still hovered around him like
an old mother hen. “Everything is healed, and I feel great.”

“You almost died. Maybe you can cut me a little slack just this

once.” Demitrius pushed a plate of bacon and eggs across the table
and pointed at it. “Eat.”

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“I’m not hungry.”
“You’re always hungry.”
“Am not.” Oscar leaned back in his seat and rested his hands on

the tabletop on either side of his plate.

“Just eat.”
“I don’t want to eat.”
“You’re going to feel like crap if you don’t eat. Do you want to

get a headache?”

No, he didn’t, but he didn’t appreciate being treated like a child,

either. “So, do you officially live here now?” The guy refused to leave
his side since his kidnapping—with good reason, Oscar supposed—
and he showed no signs of wanting to return to his private cabin.

“I wouldn’t feel right about taking you and leaving your friends

on their own, so yeah. I guess I’m moving in.” Sliding into the seat
across from him, Demitrius picked up his fork and poked at the eggs
on his plate. “Why? Do you not want me here?”

“You know I do. Don’t be an ass.” Oscar didn’t want to fight

anymore. He knew his lover had been worried for him, and it would
take some time before that fear dissipated, though he doubted it would
ever fully disappear. Demitrius would always have that worry in the
back of his mind—and so would Oscar. “Did Stavion find out
anything from those Drones?”

“Is that what they were?”
Picking up his fork, Oscar pushed the food around on his plate,

but he hadn’t been joking when he said he wasn’t hungry. “Doctors,
Teachers, Trainers, and Drones. Drones do all the odd-and-end jobs
around The Hive. Top on that list is security.”

“To answer your question, no, they haven’t said anything. Jackson

and Cole can’t find any records of the place, either. I, uh, I had an
idea.”

Demitrius rarely hesitated, and when he did, it usually meant

trouble for Oscar. “Tell me.”

“If we could find your parents, they might know something.”

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“I doubt it.” Okay, it wasn’t as bad as he thought. He just wished

he could be more help. “I grew up in Utah, love. Cicero is from
Arkansas, though.”

“Yeah.” Demitrius sighed and shook his head. “We just have to

get him to talk first.”

It was concerning that his friend still hadn’t spoken a word. He

seemed normal otherwise, but the lack of communication couldn’t be
a good thing. Maybe they should look into getting a professional in to
speak with him. Whatever was going on with Cicero, it was beyond
Oscar’s ability to fix.

“I don’t know why he won’t talk. I mean, I thought he was just

scared at first, but we’ve been here for almost three months. He seems
happy, but still nothing.”

“You guys have been through a lot, baby. Everyone deals with

trauma differently. Maybe this is just Ro’s way of coping.”

Maybe, but Oscar was still worried. “Can we ask Stavion about

bringing in a doctor or something?”

“I think that’s a good idea. Finish eating and we’ll go talk to him

now.”

“Have you ever seen a doctor about your inability to shift one way

or another?” If he could shift just about anything at will, maybe a
geneticist could help Demitrius. “It might be worth a shot.” Oscar
loved how his mate looked, but he doubted Demitrius would ever be
completely comfortable in his skin.

Neither of them said anything for a long time, and he was pretty

sure Demitrius was about to deny him. To his surprise, however, his
lover gave him a nod along with a roll of his eyes. “I don’t think
anything will come of it, but I guess it can’t hurt.” Pausing, he
wiggled his eyebrows playfully and pointed to Oscar’s plate. “Only if
you eat, though.”

It was a sneaky, underhanded trick, but Oscar was just desperate

enough not to care. Cramming food into his mouth, he chewed as fast

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as he could and swallowed. Then he drained his glass of water and
jumped up from his seat. “Ready.”

Demitrius laughed as he cleared the table. “If we hurry, we might

be able to catch Cole. Maybe he can find something on Cicero that
will help us in the right direction.”

“Even better. Move your sexy ass.”
“Hey, Oscar?”
Tapping his foot impatiently, Oscar fisted his hands on his hips

and growled. “What?”

“I love you.”
All the aggravation he had about Demitrius babying him ebbed

away, and Oscar felt all warm and gooey inside. It wasn’t fair in the
least. He had every right to his irritation. They weren’t just words,
though. He could feel the love his mate had for him wafting off the
guy like a tangible force. “Let’s get this meeting over with and you
can show me how much.”

Oscar’s laughter rang throughout the dorm as Demitrius lunged

across the room, scooped him up, and bolted out the door. No one
questioned that Demitrius was bigger, stronger, and ultimately more
badass than him. Still, it was good to know that even warriors like his
mate had their weaknesses. Being that one weakness was just a
candy-coated bonus.

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Chapter Thirteen

This had better work.
It had been nearly a week since the accident, and, though caring

and attentive as always, Demitrius still refused to touch him except
for barely there kisses and light cuddles. Those things were nice, but
Oscar wanted the man to take him to bed and fuck him through the
mattress.

Keeton and Braxton were all for the plan. Both had been through

similar situations where their overprotective mates had coddled them
rather than giving them what they really wanted. So after a shower, a
little primping courtesy of Keeton, and some help getting his wrists
secured to the headboard with two bright silk scarves, he hoped he
presented an irresistible temptation for his lover.

“Demitrius, I’m stuck.”
“Again?” the shifter answered through their mental bond. “How

many times do you have to see yourself shift? I’m still in a meeting
with Blaise at the other dorm, sweet baby. Can you get someone else
to help you?”

Well, hell. What was he supposed to do now? That stupid meeting

should have ended forever ago. Desperate times called for desperate
measures, because he definitely wasn’t going to stay tied to the bed
waiting for another hour until Demitrius could get to him. “I really
need you, love. Please, Demitrius. I can’t move.”

“Are you okay? What happened?” Oscar winced at the concern in

Demitrius’s voice. “I’m coming. Be still and don’t move.”

“No problem with that,” Oscar sent back without thinking.

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The front door of the dorm banged open, and booted feet stomped

down the hallway. “Oscar! Where are you? Baby, answer me!”

“In here!”
A heartbeat later, the bedroom door flew open, and Demitrius

rushed inside as though the hounds of hell were on his heels.
Stumbling to a stop almost immediately, his eyes traveled over
Oscar’s body from the top of his styled hair to the tips of his painted
toes. Unfortunately, he didn’t look very pleased about what he was
seeing.

“You scared the hell out of me,” he accused. “Are you serious?

This was the big emergency? What the fuck, Oscar?”

His heart fell, his stomach rolled uncomfortably, and Oscar turned

his head away. This had completely blown up in his face, and he
couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and anger on his lover’s face.
“Can you untie me, please?”

“No.”
Though the rebuff was stated firmly, Oscar could hear the smile in

Demitrius’s voice. A rustling sound at the foot of the bed drew his
attention. There stood his mate, breathtakingly nude and smirking
down at him. “What?” Oscar asked in confusion, sure he was missing
something fairly important.

“I told you what would happen if you ever scared me like that

again.” Placing his knees on the mattress, Demitrius prowled up
Oscar’s body until they were face-to-face, their heated flesh pressing
together in all the right places. “Maybe you need to be punished so
you’ll remember the rules next time.”

“Punished?” Oscar swallowed hard and bobbed his head numbly.

He wasn’t sure what kind of reprimand Demitrius had in mind for
him, but his body thrummed with pent-up desire, and his cock swelled
to the point of pain at the idea. “I’m really sorry, love.”

“I’m sure you are. I’m not letting you off the hook that easily,

though.” The love shining from his eyes and the tender way he

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121

stroked Oscar’s side were a direct contradiction to his words, but
Oscar was more than willing to play the game.

“Tell me what to do to make it up to you.”
A hard, crushing kiss was his only answer. Their tongues swirled

together, twining and separating, driving his lust higher until his skin
burned with it. The scarves around his wrist gave way, allowing his
hands to fall to the mattress, but Oscar didn’t have time to be
disappointed.

With a primal growl, Demitrius sat up and grabbed him around

the waist, flipping him over to his stomach and hoisting his ass into
the air. “Oh, gods.” The words were somewhere between a breath and
a whimper, and Oscar smiled into his pillow.

The neon pink, glittery butt plug wiggled around in his hole as

Demitrius manipulated it from the base. The rubber ridges along the
shaft raked over the sensitive muscles guarding his entrance as
Demitrius pumped the toy in slow, measured movements.

“You interrupted an important meeting,” Demitrius said almost

casually. “That’s one.”

Oscar didn’t have time to ask what “one” was. A hard, stinging

swat landed on his upturned ass, sending heat radiating straight to his
cock. Biting into his pillow to mute his cry of ecstasy, he gripped the
sheets in both fists, shuddering through the intense pleasure.

“You lied to me,” Demitrius continued. “That’s two.” His open

palm landed on Oscar’s other cheek as he pushed the plug deep into
his channel to rub against his prostate. “Someone  had to tie you up,
which meant someone other than me saw you naked.” Smack!  “You
almost made my heart stop beating twice.” Smack! Smack!  “How
many is that, sweet baby?”

Demitrius wanted him to think? His ass burned, his dripping dick

throbbed angrily, and his head was floating somewhere above his
body. The toy pumped in and out of him continuously, harder, faster,
pushing him closer and closer to the edge of no return.

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Gabrielle Evans

“I asked you a question. How many is that?” Smack! Smack!

Smack!

“Ahh!” The cords in his neck strained, his back arched, and his

muscles quivered as he fought to find the right answer. “Seven.”

“Wrong.” Demitrius swatted him again, right over the base of the

plug, and Oscar thought his balls were going to explode if they drew
up any tighter. “How many?”

“Ten! It was ten!” Fuck, he needed to come. His orgasm was right

there, dancing just out of his reach and teasing him. “Please,” he
whimpered.

“Shh, easy, Oscar.” Soft, gentle strokes passed over his heated

flesh, soothing him in a way that only Demitrius could. “Good, baby.”
The snick of a bottle cap echoed around the room, and the toy slid
from his hole, leaving him feeling empty and bereft.

His lover’s huge palm slid under him, pressing flat against his

chest and holding him tightly as Demitrius fed his enormous cock to
Oscar’s greedy ass. “Is this what you need, my love?”

“Gods, yes,” Oscar breathed, shuddering through the

overwhelming feelings coursing through him. “I’ve missed you.”

Demitrius nuzzled against the nape of his neck and sighed in

contentment when he bottomed out, seating himself balls deep into
Oscar’s yielding body. “I’ve missed you, too, sweet baby.”

Slow and easy, his mate made love to him as he whispered

promises of devotion and love into Oscar’s ear. Warm, moist lips
ghosted along the curve of his neck. Long, strong fingers caressed his
oversensitive skin. Demitrius surrounded him, giving him the peace
and security he’d been missing in the past week and making him feel
cherished.

The tempo never increased. There was no biting, scratching, hair

pulling, or dirty words spoken. It was simply the two of them, riding a
wave that would lead them to the same destination. The orgasm that
rolled through him was more intense than anything he’d ever felt,

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123

literally stealing the air from his lungs and causing his heart to skip a
beat.

Demitrius’s hold around Oscar’s midsection tightened, and he

groaned gutturally, shaking and gasping through his own climax as he
filled Oscar’s channel with hot, creamy seed. Neither of them moved
for a long time, content to stay as they were and simply hold one
another.

“I really am sorry I messed up your meeting.”
“I wasn’t in a meeting,” Demitrius confessed with a small

chuckle. “Blaise kind of ruined your secret.”

“Oh, well. I’ll do better next time.” He’d remember not to let big

blabbermouths in on his plans.

“Next time?”
Grinning wickedly, Oscar turned his head so he could capture his

mate’s lips over his shoulder. “Someone has to keep you on your toes,
love.”

* * * *

“Oscar, wake up.”
“Huh?” Gods, his eyes felt like someone had poured a bucket of

sand into them. “What time is it?”

“C’mon, sleepyhead, I want to show you something.”
Cracking one eye open, Oscar peeked at the alarm clock and

groaned. “Demitrius, it’s three o’clock in the morning. Whatever it is,
it can wait until a decent time—like noon.” He hadn’t been able to
crawl into bed until almost midnight, and it had been a long and
exhausting day.

After hours of various tests and scans, three different doctors and

two vets—yes, vets—no one knew how to remove the microchip
implanted just at the base of his skull. Then, to put the nice cherry on
top of a truly shitty experience, it had then been determined that it
didn’t matter.

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Gabrielle Evans

Others from The Hive were most likely on their way to Wyoming

already. Running would only buy them time, and the Enforcers all
agreed that they’d rather duke it out on their own turf.

His body and mind were so damn tired, and Oscar figured he

could sleep for the next week if people would just leave him alone.
“Go away,” he grumbled when Demitrius began poking him in the
ribs.

“Come with me now, and you can sleep all day. I’ll even bring

you all your meals in bed.”

“Plus a blow job.”
“Deal.”
“Two blow jobs?” After three days of awesome sex, he kind of

felt entitled. It had been his idea to seduce his mate in all kinds of
delicious ways, after all.

“Don’t push your luck.”
“It was worth a shot.”
“Fine, two blow jobs. Will you please come with me now?”
Cursing his mate’s name under his breath, Oscar rolled out of bed

and stumbled toward the dresser to find something to wear. After
nearly falling on his face twice, he was beginning to question whether
getting his dick sucked was worth it.

“You don’t need clothes.”
Surely Demitrius didn’t expect him to shift. If that was the case,

Oscar was going back to bed. Hell, he was so tired, and he wasn’t
even sure if he could shift. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”
Allowing his mate to lead him through the dark cabin, Oscar

padded along, mostly just going through the motions so he could get
back to his pillow as soon as possible. When Demitrius opened the
front door and a cool gust of wind swept over his bare body, Oscar
began to have serious doubts as to his lover’s sanity.

Rain pelted the ground, forming puddles and pinging off the

flower pots on the wooden porch. “I’m not going out there.”

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125

“It’s the last thing on your bucket list,” Demitrius reminded him,

and it was only then that Oscar noticed the guy was just as naked as
he was. “It’s not usually this warm in January, sweet baby. Let’s take
advantage of it.” Backing slowly down the porch steps, Demitrius
held both of Oscar’s hands in his own, pulling him forward with
gentle pressure.

The rain soaked him quickly once he’d left the shelter of the

covered porch, drenching his hair so that it clung to the sides of his
face. He probably looked like a drowned rat, but his lover just
continued to smile at him in that way that made his knees weak.

When Demitrius pulled him into his arms, however, all of that

ceased to matter. Surrounded by the man’s warmth and strength, he
sighed in contentment and rested his cheek against Demitrius’s chest
as they swayed together. The night was quiet but for the occasional
roll of distant thunder and the splash of rain against the forming
puddles.

It was peaceful and serene, almost as though the moment had been

designed and created specifically for the two of them. There were a
lot of hills to climb before they could settle into their life without
constantly looking over their shoulders. For a few minutes, life was
perfect, though.

“Now you’ve danced in the rain,” Demitrius murmured to him. “I

think this means that you’ll have to make a new list.”

“I’ll work on it.” He already had everything he wanted. What else

could there possibly be? He was willing to devise a new list, however,
if it meant that there would be more surprises like this one in his
future.

It didn’t matter if he was cold, wet, or standing naked under the

moon where anyone could see him. The gesture was romantic in a
way he couldn’t describe, and he loved that Demitrius cared enough
to remember the things he said. Even if dancing in the rain hadn’t
been on his to-do list, he couldn’t complain.

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Gabrielle Evans

Right in his mate’s arms was where he always wanted to be. If

getting a little wet was the price he paid for that gift, let the rain come
down, because he would gladly pay it a hundred times over.

“Are you ready to go inside?”
Cuddling closer, Oscar placed a kiss against his lover’s cool,

damp skin. “Just another minute.”

“Whatever you want, baby. We can stay out here until the sun

comes up.”

“You know, when you were so sad, I wanted to give you the sun,

like a ray of light to break up the clouds.” It was kind of ironic that
some of his best memories with Demitrius involved the walks they’d
taken to watch the sun rise or set.

His lover didn’t speak for a long time, but when he did, the words

were so full of emotion that a lump formed in Oscar’s throat and tears
gathered in the corners of his eyes.

Gently cradling the back of his head, Demitrius bent and

whispered into his ear. “Why do I need the sun when I have you?”

THE END

WWW.GABRIELLEEVANS.COM

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gabrielle Evans grew up in a small town in southern Oklahoma.

We are talking one red light that may or may not work depending on
the day of the week. She married her high school sweetheart and the
rest is pretty much history. They have two very active boys and one
high-strung wiener dog that keeps her constantly on the go. For now,
she parks her car in central Indiana, but who knows what tomorrow
will bring.

Gabrielle believes in love at first sight, falling hard and fast,

taking chances, and grabbing your happy-ever-after with both hands.
Most importantly, she believes that a great cup of coffee can cure
anything.

Also by Gabrielle Evans

Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 1: Leap of Faith

Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 2:

By the Light of the Moon

Siren Classic ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 3:

Whispers in the Night

Ménage Amour ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 4:

Softly Spoken Lies

Ménage Everlasting ManLove: The Moonlight Breed 5:

Endless Midnight

Available at

BOOKSTRAND.COM

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