The entire world crashed down on Nick. He was alone, sure to be cast away by his master, no longer worthy of Todd’s love because of his infidelity. He wished harder than he had ever wished for anything in his life that the shack would collapse and kill him before Todd could ever know what had happened.
Chapter 8
Todd bent against the increasing winds as he crossed from the employee dorms to the security offices. Once inside, he happily shook off the raingear he’d thrown over his shoulders for the short trip and shook water out of his hair. Just as the door shut behind him, thunder ricocheted through the air, and lightning split the sky. A quick glance at his watch told him Nick had another few hours before school officially let out. Some of the children had been picked up already. He’d seen them leaving with their parents and heard other people talking about how bad this storm was and how it was only going to get worse.
Looking out the window at the slave sanctuary across the bridge, then leaning against the glass and turning his head to see the school, Todd shrugged his slicker back over his shoulders. Screw it, he decided. Even if the children Nick cared for were still in the school and his mate had to stay, Todd could at least wait with them. Todd loved Nick and wanted him to feel safe no less than those people loved their children, after all.
“Christ, there you are? Where the hell have you been?”
Before Todd could react, Witze had his arm in a vise-like grip and was hauling him down the hall, away from the door to the outside. “I…Larry…wait…I need…”
Witze shoved him through the door and practically ran across the office to his desk. “That kid…I’ve been looking all over for you…I’m sorry, Christ, Tyler, I’m sorry, I tried to stop it.”
“What are you talking about?” A cold knot formed in Todd’s stomach.
“That tall kid, the one from the train, the one you’re so taken with—”
The cold knot quadrupled in size in the space of a second. “Nick? What about him, has something happened to him?”
Witze dug through the desk, produced a key, and tossed it to Todd. “The chancellor’s turned into a real prick lately. He seems to have it in for that kid, and I have no idea why. I tried to stop it.”
“What the hell happened?” Todd’s lungs seemed to frost over, making it difficult to breathe.
“I have no idea why, but the chancellor dragged that boy in here a while ago, demanded he go into one of the shacks. I tried to stop him. I did go with them and make sure he didn’t hurt the kid.”
His ears felt like they were filling with cotton. The muscles along Todd’s back and arms went bowstring tight. He had to concentrate on Witze’s voice, and still, he was having a hard time focusing.
“I tried to talk him out of it. I went back to get that kid out, but he wouldn’t get near me, and I’m not exactly big enough to haul his ass out.”
Thunder slammed through the atmosphere with enough power to rattle the windows. Tree branches blew across the glass, casting odd shadows into the room when lightning erupted.
Todd’s hands clenched into fists, the key biting into his right palm. Gaze moving down to his hand, Todd sucked in a breath.
“Shit!”
Todd spun on his heels and ran from the office. Dodging people in the hall, shoving a few aside, he bolted for the door, pulling the slicker around his shoulders as he went.
Sprinting across the commons, Todd had to sidestep fast to avoid being hit by broken branches. He was nearly bent in half, pushing into the winds as he ran as fast as possible across the bridge. Slipping and sliding in the wet grass, Todd finally reached the shacks. Barely able to see from the rain pelting his face, he frantically got the key into the lock and the door open.
He was going to kill the chancellor. That thing was going to die slowly, painfully, and Todd was going to make it last as long as possible.
Nick was curled on his side, arms over his head, face pressed to the dirt floor. His body shuddered from head to foot with such intensity he was moving back and forth on the floor, his elbows and knees leaving a trail in the dirt a few inches wide. Dark bangs were plastered to his forehead, his eyes scrunched tightly shut. Todd saw Nick’s lips move, but he wasn’t making any noise.
“Nicky!” Todd shouldered his way into the small shack, reached down, grabbed Nick’s arms, and gave him a shake. “Nicky, come on, we’re leaving.”
Nick’s head rolled far enough to look at Todd, gaped at him, then cringed away when more thunder snarled, more lightning exploded. Branches and leaves crashed and banged into the outer wall of the shack, the sound echoing around the inside. Rain hit it, pinging and rattling through the small interior.
“Nick! Now!”
Gaze making a sluggish path around the shack, Nick was slow to focus on Todd. Nick’s movements were jerky and unsure as he got his legs under him and unfolded off the ground. In the next instant, Nick’s arms were wrapped around Todd’s shoulders, his face pressed to the crook of Todd’s neck. He was shuddering continuously and hard enough that Todd staggered back a few steps and out the door.
“No.” Nick whimpered on an exhale and threw his weight back, nearly knocking the two of them down.
“Nicky, buddy, we’ve got to go. We can’t stay here.”
Shaking his head, Nick tried tugging Todd back into the shack. His eyes were impossibly wide, his skin pale, his breathing rapid and shallow. An audible gust of wind picked up something and smashed it into the back of the shack. They both jumped away from the sound. Todd wrapped part of his slicker around Nick, threw an arm over his shoulder, hunched into the wind, and propelled Nick into the storm and away from the shack.
The slave dorms were closer, so Todd headed there, along with many other people dashing to the building to take cover. This entire part of the protectorate was prone to storms of even higher intensity than this one. The buildings here had been built and reinforced to withstand much higher winds and falling trees.
They weren’t more than a few dozen yards from the building entrance when an old tree gave way in the high winds, bowing precariously for a few seconds before cracking in half and crashing to the ground between them and their safe haven. Todd skittered sideways, shoved Nick ahead of him, and changed direction, making their way to the bridge.
Nearly halfway across the bridge, Nick pulled away from Todd, trying to drop to his knees, arms coming up and over his head when thunder ripped through the atmosphere, exploding the air surrounding them. The sound was still ringing around them when lightning streaked the sky.
“No, no, Nick, no!” Todd twisted around and yanked on Nick more harshly than intended, causing his mate to stumble partially to his feet, then nearly fall back to his knees on the wooden bridge. Wheezing out a soft, panicked sound, Nick finally found footing and scrambled to his feet.
For the first time ever, Todd completely understood Nick’s terror. It was a waking nightmare, being stuck out in this storm, something Todd had never experienced before. The world seemed to be lashing out at them from all directions and with all sorts of things. Rain hit hard enough to make Todd’s face and hands sting. The winds plowed into him, making it difficult to breathe. Branches and leaves bounced off his back, and the sound of breaking wood joined the racket of thunder when trees were struck by lightning.
It felt like years passed before Todd finally stumbled, Nick in tow, through the door to the employee dorms and down the hall. Bracing Nick against the wall while he fumbled for his key and got the door open, he had to keep a hand against Nick’s shoulder to keep him from oozing to the floor in a heap. When he slipped one arm around Nick’s waist to guide him through the door. Nick sagged against him. Gritting his teeth, Todd leaned down and wound his free arm behind Nick’s knees, scooped Nick up, and carried his mate to the small couch in the outer room.
Steam from the rain mixed with sweat and rose off Nick’s skin. A heady aroma of Nick combined with something else swirled through Todd’s nostrils and beat a path directly to his brain and co
ck, causing one to cloud over and the other to lengthen and swell, raging heat rising between his thighs.
“I hafta…” Nick’s voice sounded weak and far away. Propping himself on one hand, he struggled with his tunic and pants with the other.
Shaking off the need to take, mark, dominate, Todd darted to the bathroom. “Sit still,” he snapped and grabbed a towel.
Nick was still trying to shed the clothing as Todd disliked so much, nearly making Todd’s heart break in two. Even more unconscious than not, he was trying desperately to follow Todd’s wishes.
“Be still,” Todd growled, grabbed hold of Nick’s arms, and pulled them down. Immediately, Nick stopped moving and sat staring, wide-eyed, at Todd.
The second Todd’s fingers touched Nick’s skin, jolts of electricity coursed along from his fingertips and up his arm to spread through his chest and body, blasting his system with powerful desires to overcome, dominate…take. A want so great raged through him that Todd had to fight to control himself like never before. His brain filled with thoughts of Nick, of how Nick was his and he was damn well going to prove it…but to whom? Nick certainly never challenged Todd’s ownership. In fact, he’d encouraged it at every turn.
Dragging in huge breaths through his nose and blowing them out his mouth, Todd helped Nick strip out of the soaked, dirty clothing and rubbed Nick down with the towel, careful not to touch the broad expanse of Nick’s chest, the smooth skin over his mate’s muscular shoulders. Todd couldn’t look at Nick’s abdomen, flat and ripped, how muscle glided under his skin with his every shaking inhale and exhale. Nick’s thighs trembled as Todd backed him up toward the bed. Todd had to force himself to look away, or he was going to slam his mate onto the bed and rip into him with force enough he’d likely hurt Nick badly.
Giving Nick a push, Todd mumbled, “Get in the bed.” When Nick reached for him, Todd jerked away as if stung. Without touching Nick, he wrapped sheet and blanket around Nick’s quivering form and backed away. Wide, dark, wounded eyes watched his every move, but Nick said nothing.
“Just…” Holding a hand up in front of him, Todd backed away. “Just…stay…don’t…I’m here, won’t leave you alone, but don’t…” He shoved his fist into his mouth and backed away, not stopping until his legs hit one of the armchairs and he dropped into it.
Todd pulled his feet up, hooked his heels on the edge of the chair, hugged his knees, and rocked back and forth. His cock was so swollen it ached and sent throbbing pains through his groin and down his legs. There wasn’t enough air in the room. He couldn’t breathe and couldn’t inhale the scent surrounding him enough to satisfy his need. Tendrils of lust coiled through Todd, eating away at his reason and control. His entire system reverted to nothing but base animal instinct and drive.
The winds died down and the rain softened. The sound of Nick’s quiet, steady breathing reached Todd’s ears. Reason was being beaten down by something assaulting the most primitive part of his brain, the part that dictated he claim his mate.
Sexual predator. Attacks with pheromones.
When Nick rolled onto his side, bedclothes around his waist and back to him, Todd saw a roundish mark. Even from where he sat, he saw it was from teeth. A bite mark. Nick had been marked by someone, and it wasn’t Todd.
Todd had bitten Nick more than once, but never with enough force that it left deep, angry red welts.
Someone had touched his mate, left their own mark, their own scent on Nick.
Marks and touches and scents that needed obliterating.
Todd’s upper lip curled into a silent snarl. His fingers opened and clenched closed repeatedly against the chair. His nostrils flared with every breath drawn in, harsher than the one prior. The scent was overpowering, overwhelming, the sight of teeth marks on Nick’s skin infuriating.
Out of the chair and crossing the room, Todd didn’t give much thought to his actions. The only thing he knew for certain was that he wanted his scent on Nick. His scent would wipe away any others, take away the offending intruder, and allow Todd to reclaim his mate. The room swam around him as he advanced on Nick, sleeping soundly in the bed.
Mine…mine…mine…the word ricocheted around Todd’s skull.
On his knees and crossing the bed to Nick, Todd jerked open his belt and pants. He grabbed his cock in his hand and pumped rough and hard. He was already dripping with precum before he’d even touched himself, and it took him barely minutes to climax. His semen burbled out and over his hand. Inching close enough that his seed squirted over Nick’s back and trickled along his mate’s spine, Todd bit his lip to keep from crying out. The warm, thick white strands on his hand, he smeared across Nick’s shoulders.
He knelt beside his mate, staring, hardly blinking at the sight of Nick, asleep and streaked with Todd’s ejaculate.
Why had Nick nearly passed out between the shack and Todd’s quarters? Todd rubbed his forehead. Nick hadn’t even twitched when Todd had shot semen over him, rubbed it on him. It was wrong, very wrong, and Todd’s brain refused to kick into gear and get ahold of the answers.
Grunting, he shoved away from Nick and landed hard on his ass on the floor beside the bed. He crab-walked backward until he could stand and retreated once again to the chair, pulling his pants and belt into place as he climbed in and curled his legs up to his chest.
Todd sat trembling, barely processing what he’d just done. It had been primal and vulgar, and those were things Todd was not. Gripping his hands tightly together over his legs, Todd sat there, watching Nick sleep, pulling jerky breaths into his dry mouth, rocking to and fro.
When sunlight started filtering through the window, Todd realized through the haze in his head he’d sat there all night. His jaws ached from how hard his teeth were clenched. His back throbbed, tense and rigid. He watched Nick stir with gritty, dry eyes. Through it all, the one thing that was crystal clear was the driving need to restore his authority, take on his challenger, and reclaim his mate.
Now all Todd had left to do was seek out that opponent and make him pay. Pay dearly he would.
Chapter 9
Nick pried his eyes open. His lids felt heavy and hurt. Pushing onto his elbows and forearms and off the bed, he looked around, trying to figure out where he was and what had happened.
The skin across his back itched, and when he reached over his shoulder to scratch, something flaked off.
“You all right?” Todd’s voice, thick, gravelly, odd in a way Nick had never heard before, came from the far end of the room, making him forget about whatever covered his back.
Turning his head far enough Todd came into view, Nick resisted the urge to gasp and move away. His master looked horrible. Obviously, Todd hadn’t slept, or not much, at any rate. His eyes were red and raw, with deep, dark purple streaks underneath. Overnight, his cheeks seemed to have hollowed out. Nick’s gaze was drawn to Todd’s hands, clenched tightly around his legs, knees pulled to his chest. They were shaking. Todd’s hands never shook. Todd was made of rock and steel, he wasn’t afraid of anything, yet now he shook like a newborn infant, shattering Nick’s world down to its foundation. The man who was the center of that world looked like some crazed madman. Todd was frightening like this—out of control, desperate, Nick didn’t know for what, but it terrified him.
Nick nodded, slowly inched to the side of the bed, and stood up. “Todd, are you okay?”
Todd uncurled from the chair and paced close, but not close enough to touch or be touched. Nick watched, uncertain what to do as Todd’s fists clenched and his face reflected some inner struggle. “We have to…get rid…of it…today.”
Hunts using pheromones.
“It knows I’m a sentry.”
Whirling to face Nick, Todd nearly knocked himself over. “It touched you!”
Taking a step back, Nick nodded and ignored how the backs of his eyes pricked and stung. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t…” He had to explain. He begged, “Please, Todd, listen, five minutes, that’s all I—”
“Did it touch you?” Todd shouted, charged forward, and pulled up short before getting too close. He backed off at once.
Master getting a little out of control?
It made sense, Todd shoving him away the night before, telling Nick to stay back. He knew of Nick’s infidelity. Being found out as a sentry wouldn’t produce much more than mild irritation from Todd; that happened. They’d dealt with it before. Nick would never be blamed for that turn of events.
Biting his lip, Nick nodded again. Hand fluttering near his chest brand, he said, “He grabbed my tunic, saw my brand. I’m sorry…Todd…”
“Later, Nick.” Todd waved a hand in the air, dismissing Nick’s words. He paced back and forth, muttering, “We can’t let it know there are two of us, can’t tip our hand. There’s a meeting later this morning. The chancellor will have to be there. I have to be there, too, as part of security. You’ll go back to the school. We pretend nothing has happened. If he gets wind of a trap, he’ll either jump hosts or bolt. Either way, we lose him.” Todd stopped and stared at Nick, eyes narrowing. “And I’m not losing to that piece of crap. I’m killing it.”
Nick took a few steps forward and said, “Todd, will you listen to yourself? You can’t go in like this.” Images of the real chancellor wrapped up in the cocoon flashed through Nick’s head. That was what would happen to Todd if the kelbit got to him.
Stumbling back, Todd said, “Stay back…Nick, I can’t think straight when…the way you smell…” Todd was across the room and out of reach in seconds.
Your master is mine.
Nick froze, cold fingers clenched around his heart, and his stomach squeezed in on itself. He was an abomination to his master, his mate. He’d so horribly let Todd down, and now was being punished, told to stay away.
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