by Amber Kell
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Keeping Dallas
ISBN # 978-1-78184-137-2
©Copyright Amber Kell 2012
Cover Art by Posh Gosh ©Copyright November 2012
Edited by Stacey Birkel
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2012 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom.
Warning:
This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has a heat rating of Total-e-simmering and a sexometer of 1.
This story contains 65 pages, additionally there is also a free excerpt at the end of the book containing 8 pages.
Magical Men
KEEPING DALLAS
Amber Kell
Sometimes secrets have to be exposed in order to capture something worth keeping.
Torn between two alphas, Dallas has to decide if he is willing to give up his position in the pack to keep his human master happy. Born a submissive wolf shifter, Dallas has dreamt of finding the perfect mate. Unfortunately, none of the other shifters attract him as much as his sexy Laurence.
Laurence is riddled with guilt over the secrets he keeps from his beautiful sub. He wants Dallas for a long time to come, but he’s nervous about exposing his inner abilities to a man who he loves but might not be able to trust.
Two men with secrets have to learn to give a little in order to keep the one they love.
Dedication
To my fans who like their men with a little extra magic.
Trademarks Acknowledgement
The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction:
The Law of the Jungle: Rudyard Kipling
A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There: Aldo Leopold
Chapter One
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
—Rudyard Kipling
Dallas kept his head bowed as the conversation buzzed around him. He fought against the urge to fidget or to find a more comfortable spot on his knees. Master Laurence wouldn’t appreciate any unnecessary movement. Dallas’ ass still remembered the spanking from last week when he had accidentally talked back to his master.
The wolf lurking beneath his skin growled to be let out so it could curl up at its owner’s feet. Although Dallas knew intellectually that Laurence didn’t own him, he couldn’t convince his animal half of that fact. To his wolf, Laurence should be obeyed.
This close to the full moon Dallas struggled to stay in touch with his submissive side. He might not be an alpha wolf but his inner beast knew he could take down an average human. Luckily, Master Laurence didn’t have an average bone in his body, and even though his master didn’t know of Dallas’ feral nature, Laurence had no difficulty bringing his submissive to heel.
Dallas forced his muscles to relax. He didn’t dare risk his lover’s censure again. If his master became too annoyed, he might not take Dallas home with him. Dallas would do anything to prevent that from happening. The temptation to lay his head on his master’s knee for petting had Dallas instinctively leaning towards the stern man before he caught himself.
Damn!
A short whine almost worked its way up his throat. Dallas ruthlessly tamped it down, as he did with all his other canine urges. He couldn’t betray his true nature—not if he planned on remaining Laurence’s submissive.
The Doms continued their discussions on politics and business but their words held no interest for Dallas. He saved all his attention for his master. Peering through his lashes, he admired the firm line of his lover’s chin, the lush shape of Laurence’s mouth and the slight five o’clock shadow growing on his lean cheeks. Dallas longed to lick at the hairs, to lap their rough texture with his tongue. Nothing excited him like his master’s skin, scent, or seed.
“Dallas, fetch me a drink,” Master Laurence commanded. A brief stroke across Dallas’ head conveyed the ‘please’ his master would never say before the other men at the table.
Without a word, Dallas rose gracefully to his feet and walked over to the bar. He’d practiced each movement until he could go from knees to standing in one smooth motion.
“Scotch on the rocks,” he told the bartender, Eric. The flirtatious man had started working at Club Silence soon after Dallas had first visited the place with his master nine months ago. Although the gorgeous bartender radiated sex appeal, Dallas never responded to any of his advances. It would kill Dallas to cause his master even a moment of distress.
The bartender blatantly admired Dallas for a moment before handing over the scotch. “You ever get tired of your master, you come and see me, beautiful. I’ve got all kinds of things I can show you.” The bartender let his desire show in his hot, dark gaze. “Here’s a bottle of water for you. I don’t know if you can ask for a drink tonight, but I thought you might be thirsty.”
Laurence’s rules changed according to his mood. Some nights Dallas could ask for something to drink and other nights his master made Dallas go without until they had finished their scene. Master Laurence hadn’t explicitly said that Dallas couldn’t have a drink, so he accepted the bottle held out to him. Laurence would tell him if he wanted Dallas to hold off on consuming liquids.
“Thanks.” Dallas allowed a small smile to cross his lips at the bartender’s consideration. Even though Eric always propositioned Dallas, he never crossed the line by touching him. Eric knew the rules and wouldn’t break them even though he flirted shamelessly with everyone who walked by.
Returning to the table, Dallas set the glass of scotch by his master’s left hand before retaking his position on the floor beside Laurence’s chair. With a quick glance at his master, he waited for the nod before quietly opening his bottle of water. Still feeling Laurence’s eyes on him, he took a long sip, trying not to move restlessly beneath his master’s gaze.
“What did Eric say to you?”
Dallas took a slow breath to get his emotions under control. Having his master’s attention focused on him made Dallas harder than diamonds.
“He said if I ever tired of you, he’d be happy to take care of me,” Dallas replied honestly. He didn’t have anything to hide and Eric, while flirtatious, hadn’t crossed the line.
A small smile crossed Laurence’s handsome face. Dallas knew his master liked it when Dallas told him the truth.
Too bad he couldn’t do it more often. Some things were pack business and couldn’t be shared.
“Will you take him up on his offer?” Laurence’s voice held nothing but curiosity in its depths but Dallas knew that tone. It meant his master didn’t want to share his emotions.
“No, Master,” Dallas said, shocked.
Dallas didn’t play games—he was a loyal wolf. He’d stay until the day his mas
ter no longer wanted him. Gossip around the club chattered about how Dallas had already outlasted Laurence’s past three relationships. He had little hope his master planned to keep him much longer. It never took long before Dallas’ inner wolf tried to test his Dom and found them unworthy. Being a shifter and a submissive brought with it many problems.
“Your pet is quite devoted,” a silky voice spoke above Dallas’ head.
Dallas jerked at the unexpected sound. He should’ve smelt the stranger or at least heard him before the man had reached halfway across the room. Only practice and training kept Dallas’ eyes focused on the floor. He didn’t recognise the new voice but he didn’t dare glance up at an unknown master. Some men took it the wrong way and Dallas tried to stay out of trouble while keeping Laurence company. The rest of the time, all bets were off.
“Yes, he is.”
Dallas smiled at the satisfaction he could hear in his master’s voice, even as his nerves strummed with uneasiness. Dallas took a subtle sniff but the man didn’t smell like anything.
Nothing at all.
He completely lacked a scent.
Vampire.
To Dallas’ limited knowledge, vampires were the only species that didn’t have a scent—something to do with being undead. No one had ever explained it to his satisfaction. Now he wished he’d paid more attention to his pack alpha’s lectures. Dallas made a silent plea to make it out of there alive so he could swear to Rolf, his alpha, to always listen when he spoke. If nothing else, it would be worth the expression on Rolf’s face.
He tensed, waiting to see if he needed to protect Laurence from the vampire.
A familiar touch stroked his head as if Laurence knew Dallas needed reassurance. Even as he relaxed beneath his master’s touch, Dallas silently wished the stranger would move on.
Nothing to see here—I’m not the werekin you’re looking for…
Maybe if he thought loud enough, the man would leave.
“I don’t suppose you’d be open to lending him out?” the vampire asked.
Crap. Apparently his wishing-for-the-creature’s-absence technique still needed the bugs worked out.
Dallas shivered slightly as the chill of the unknown threatened to make him break his position. They’d never discussed sharing him with others. He didn’t even know if they had an exclusive arrangement. No words of love or devotion ever crossed either of their lips. It had worked well for the past nine months. Why fix something that wasn’t broken?
However, if his master offered to give him away for the night, Dallas would leave and never return. By tooth and claw, Dallas had kept his position among his pack and proved his value. Unfortunately, the human world had different standards…lesser standards. Dallas would happily shred any sub who thought they could kneel at his master’s side, but he wouldn’t be passed around like a plaything.
“I don’t share my pet.” His master’s firm answer flooded Dallas with relief.
“Shame,” the vampire continued. “He’s such a pretty thing.”
An unfamiliar touch stroked his hair. It took all Dallas’ resolve not to recoil beneath the vampire’s hand. Any non-pack contact other than his master’s made his skin crawl. It had for the past month. Dallas worried that some time in their nine months together he’d imprinted on his human. He knew Rolf would have more than a few words to say about that when he found out.
It sucked to be torn between two alphas—the alpha of his pack and the alpha of his heart.
“Don’t touch him,” Laurence snapped, his voice sharper than any whip.
“Sorry.” The other man didn’t sound sorry at all, but after a moment Dallas watched his feet move away.
Dallas released his breath. He hadn’t even realised he’d been holding it.
Laurence stroked a hand down Dallas’ back, soothing his frayed nerves.
“Watch yourself with that one, Laurence.” One of the other masters at the table spoke. “I don’t like how he looked at your boy.”
“Agreed. Come, Dallas, let’s go home.”
Dallas waited until his master stood before rising to his feet.
Laurence Campas watched with a critical eye as his sub stood. To him, no one in the club came close to the beauty of his boy. Sweet, lovely Dallas might be submissive, but he had the ability to crush Laurence’s heart in his delicate hands. They had met when Dallas bumped into Laurence at a coffee shop downtown. After one glance, Laurence had known he wanted to keep the gentle boy as his own. Not once had he regretted that decision.
Because of the secrets he kept from Dallas, Laurence knew eventually his sub would tire of Laurence’s need for privacy and move on. Dallas wouldn’t be the first man who had left Laurence over his failure to open up, but he would be the only one Laurence ever cared about.
Being a sorcerer and a witch judge had its ups and downs. Although Laurence made a good living and enjoyed the prestige of being a judge, when others didn’t agree with his rulings, life could get tricky. He’d recently heard rumbles of a particular coven not liking his decision against one of their minor witches, however, when you start taunting zombies, there had to be repercussions.
Laurence shrugged off his concerns and concentrated on Dallas. After absently scanning Dallas for signs of distress, Laurence led the way out of the club. He hadn’t expected a vampire to wander into the place, and he definitely hadn’t expected the bastard to touch Dallas. If Laurence hadn’t needed to keep his abilities a secret, he would’ve smoked the asshole. The best he could do was usher Dallas out of the area before the vampire could return and possibly try to bite him. Even if it took revealing his magic, Laurence would protect his man.
He listened to Dallas’ footsteps behind him as they headed towards the car. After going to the club, they always ended Saturday nights at Laurence’s condo. In all the time they’d been together, Laurence had never even seen Dallas’ home, much less been told where he lived. He’d tentatively asked a few times but Dallas had brushed off his questions in his polite way.
Either Dallas’ home embarrassed him or the sub wasn’t comfortable enough with his master to share that information. Laurence didn’t like to push his shy lover, except in the bedroom, so he didn’t pursue the line of questioning. A sudden horrible thought had him whipping around to face his man.
“Dallas, you’re not seeing anyone else, are you?”
The sub’s wide eyes told the true story. “No, Master, of course not.”
“Good. Good. I’m not, either. I don’t want you dating anyone else while we’re together, understand?” He should’ve made that clear months ago. Relief swept through him that Dallas hadn’t taken advantage of Laurence’s stupid oversight. The idea of Dallas allowing another man to touch him made Laurence ill. He absently rubbed his stomach as he waited for his sub’s response. If Dallas refused to be exclusive, Laurence didn’t know what he’d do.
“Yes, Master, I understand. I won’t see anyone else.” Dallas’ sincerity rang in the air.
A weight Laurence didn’t know he’d been carrying lifted off his heart while the airplanes playing chicken in his stomach landed safely. Hell, he’d given life-changing sentences with less stress than that short conversation. The amount of relief surging through him at Dallas’ soft vow had him smiling like an idiot.
Dallas always took a cab to the club, then home from Laurence’s townhouse so they could leave together. Laurence wondered for the first time if his lover had a car. Why had he never asked before?
“Do you have a car?”
“No, Master.” Dallas tilted his head and gave Laurence the inquiring puppy look Laurence found so endearing. Now he felt like a selfish prick. Dallas couldn’t afford a car and Laurence made him spend money he didn’t have on a cab ride every Saturday. What an inconsiderate ass he’d turned into.
“Next week I’ll pick you up from home,” Laurence informed him.
“No! I mean, that isn’t necessary,” Dallas finished smoothly, but Laurence had seen the panic flash in
Dallas’ eyes and suspicion prickled his nerves.
At this rate he would get an ulcer before the night ended. “Is there something you’re not telling me?” He made sure to use his Dom voice. The tone always instilled total obedience from his beautiful lover.
“M-my family doesn’t approve of my dating you,” Dallas stumbled over the words as if they were torn from his soul.
Laurence wondered if Dallas’ family had any idea of what he’d be willing to do to keep his sweet boy happy. If they did, they’d think twice about making Dallas uncomfortable over his choices. Laurence would make them disappear if necessary. No one upset Dallas!
“Is it the gay thing, the master thing, or the older man thing?” He wondered how much about their relationship Dallas had shared.
Dallas stared at his master for a moment. It was the ‘not a wolf thing’ that had his pack up in arms about Laurence. They couldn’t understand why he’d submit to a human. They also didn’t think that some human men could be alphas, too. To their way of thinking, dominance only happened with strong wolves.
Sometimes Dallas fantasised about a meeting between his master and his alpha.
Generally, those fantasies turned into nightmares.
“A little bit of everything,” he conceded, though he wondered about his master’s sudden interest in his life outside their relationship. They’d got along so well without this unnatural interest. Laurence’s lack of curiosity was one of his best features.
“Ahh.”
He received his lover’s warm smile and relaxed his guard a little. Laurence’s questioning rarely crossed the line into intrusive, making it easy for Dallas to keep his lover away from the pack house and avoid him during full moons. He hoped Laurence didn’t plan on changing any time soon. Leaving his master would break Dallas’ heart.