by Lynn Hagen
“Please,” he begged.
He heard a soft chuckle and knew it was Drake. The man loved to tease. But Casey didn’t have to wait long. Hot, hard, and dominant, Drake slid inside Casey and rode him hard. It was a claiming, pure and simple.
When Drake slowed, Casey looked back. His eyes hooded when he saw Panahasi behind Drake, easing into his body. Casey’s eyes fluttered closed when the rhythm picked back up, a hailstorm of emotions barraging into him as Drake took him in the most savage way. His grip on Casey’s hips was tight, almost painful.
“Come for me, Casey.” A dark whisper, a breath of air across his exquisitely sensitive flesh.
Casey tossed his head back and shouted, his hole pulsing as his seed emptied onto the bed. Drake rode him roughly through his orgasm, making Casey spin out of control. Never before had he fallen to unconsciousness from sex, but he could feel the edges of his vision blurring. Drake wasn’t backing down, either.
Casey dropped his head, his canines elongating as his mate plunged deeper inside of him. He could feel an extra force behind Drake’s thrusts and knew it was Panahasi. It was as if both of them were inside of him, both of them claiming him.
Drake stiffened and cried out at the same time Panahasi gave a loud, throaty grunt. Before Drake could pull free, Casey was falling to the bed, exhausted, sated, and mad as fuck that these two men had tricked him.
* * * *
“What’s your name?” Kobe asked as he watched the small man. The guy was looking out of his window, his body stiff.
“Zion.”
Kobe liked that name. It was definitely unique. It fit the man
perfectly. “I’m Kobe.” Zion glanced back, giving Kobe a disinterested look. “That’ s nice.”
Kobe gave a low growl. The man didn’t have to be a prick. It wasn’t like he planned on being back in Remtin. If it were up to him, he would blow this place off of the map. There wasn’t one fond memory he had of this city. And that was a damn shame, considering he grew up here on the harsh streets. He learned at a young age to guard his back and trust no one.
So why then did he trust Zion? The man could be working for those demons. Kobe didn’t know him from Adam, yet he was sitting in the guy’s apartment, hoping like hell the door wasn’t broken down by a mob of angry demons.
He needed to get out of here. His ribs were still hurting badly and his arm was still an open wound, but sitting here waiting for the enemy to arrive was not a very smart move.
Kobe pushed from the tattered couch, hissing at the pain.
“Where are you going?” Zion turned from the window, a frantic look in his indigo eyes.
Kobe stilled. Why would someone he just met look so worried? A creeping sensation washed down his spine. Something wasn’t right. “Home.”
“But,” Zion began, looking around frantically,“you’re hurt. You need to rest.”
Now Kobe knew something was wrong. His Spidey senses were tingling. “What did you do?”
Tears filled Zion’s eyes as he shook his head. “They’ll kill me.”
Grunting, Kobe moved closer to the small demon. “I don’t think you have to worry about them. If you betrayed my trust, dealing with those assholes is the least of your problems.”
“Please,” Zion whispered. “You don’t understand.”
“No,” he admitted, “I don’t. I trusted you, and that’s not something I do lightly.”
“Then get out of here,” Zion said desperately. “Hurry before they get here.” The words came out bullet fast, his eyes wide.
“What about you?” Kobe wasn’t sure why he cared. Zion had betrayed him, yet he was worried about the small demon. How screwed up was that?
“Don’t worry about me. They won’t kill me.”
But there were worse things than death. Kobe knew this. He had lived through it. Sometimes death was a welcome thing when in the hands of one’s enemy. He wasn’t even sure why he gave a rat’s ass, but he did. Kobe had a gut feeling that Zion was only a pawn in all of this. “Come with me.”
Zion shook his head, backing away. “I can’t.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
Zion turned, looking out of the window once more. “You would never understand.”
Kobe snorted. “You have no idea what I would understand.” His life hadn’t been easy. Far from it. He knew what it was like to be boxed in with no way out.
“Punch me.”
Kobe cocked his head, ignoring the pain. “What?”
“Punch me. It’s the only excuse they’ll accept for you missing.”
Kobe was not about to punch this guy. He was maybe a hundred and ten pounds. Kobe would knock the man’s head off of his shoulders. “No.”
He watched Zion cross the room, a determined look in his eyes. Before Kobe could stop the man, Zion punched Kobe dead in his ribs.
“Son of a bitch!” he shouted. Sweat broke out over his entire body as Kobe stumbled backward. “I’m going to kick your ass for that one.”
Zion leaned in. “Go ahead.”
Kobe hissed, trying to ride through the pain. He could see what Zion was doing, and it wasn’t going towork. “No.”
“Come on!” Zion shouted. “Hit me, you fucking pussy!”
“You are one twisted little puppy.”
“I’m a survivor.”
Kobe wasn’t going to argue. There was no way he was laying a hand on the little demon. “Come with me.”
“No.”
“Then you are on your own.” Kobe walked toward the door, each step as pain-filled as the last. He didn’t want to leave Zion behind, but he wasn’t going to hit the man either. He did have his honor.
“Please,” Zion begged again.
“I’m not hitting you, Zion.”
“Then I’m dead.”
Chapter Fourteen
Panahasi gritted his teeth. He wanted to go after his missing warriors, but wasn’t about to leave his mates defenseless. Jaden had proven twice already that he could get to them. He had also proven that he could send people into Panahasi’s penthouse.
He was half-tempted to take his mates with him. They had proven that they could handle themselves, but the idea of them being in harm’s way didn’t sit well with him. He knew Casey was right. They couldn’t stay locked up in the penthouse forever. Even if he managed to get Jaden off of them, there was always going to be someone else.
Panahasi needed to face the fact that his mates would never be truly safe, and the only thing he could do was trust that they wouldn’t put themselves in harm’s way. That didn’t mean he was going to let them out of his sight. It just meant he had to take them with him.
“I need to go to Remtin.”
“Where is that?” Drake asked.
“A place outside of Serenity City that will give any sane man
nightmares.” He wasn’ t trying to scare his mates, but he wasn’t going to candy coat a damn thing for them. Drake had asked for honesty, and he was going to get it.
“Sounds peachy. Can we come?” Casey asked. Every cell in Panahasi screamed no, but he wasn ’t going to leave them behind. “If you promise to do what I say, no questions asked.”
“Scout’s honor,” Casey replied.
“You were never a scout,” Panahasi mumbled as he gathered his mates into his arms. “Just keep your damn ass safe, both of you. Go get a backpack and put a change of clothes in there. If you need to shift, I don’t want you walking around naked.” Panahasi released them.
Casey ran to do just that, and then returned a few minutes later, backpack secured to his back.
Panahasi pulled them into his arms again and then opened a portal, stepping in, and then closing it behind him. They were standing on the city streets of Remtin, and all was quiet.
That was not a good sign.
Remtin was usually filled with lecherous beings that lived on the streets, stealing and killing at random. But as he looked around, Panahasi saw no one. Not one single soul was out here.
“Stay close.”
His mates nodded.
“Who are we looking for?” Casey asked.
“Kobe.”
“Why would he be here?” Drake asked, the disgust in his tone apparent.
“I have a feeling Jaden sent him here.”
“Why would he do that?” Drake asked.
“To show me that I can’t even protect my own warriors.” Panahasi began to walk, making sure his mates were at his side. He didn’t like having them here. It wasn’t safe. But where would they be safe? His penthouse was not the sanctuary he had hoped it would be for the two shifters. There was nowhere he could tuck them away. Not while Jaden was still around.
Anticipation simmered in Panahasi’s blood, veins filled with the most physical energy he ever felt. His main goal was to keep the two men at his side safe. His second goal was to get Kobe out.
Yes, call him a bastard, because if things went south, Casey and Drake were his first priority. His warriors would understand. All of them knew what a mate meant, and no one would fault him for taking care of his.
“I think we have company,” Drake said under his breath.
Panahasi snapped out of his thoughts to look up. He saw three men watching them with not-so-friendly interest. Their body posture alone broadcasted their intent.
“Stay on guard.” Panahasi took the lead, his mates an inch behind him and to his right, the strangers to his left.
“You willing to share?” one of the men called out, lust an undercurrent in his tone.
Panahasi ignored him. He wasn’t going to stop and engage in a debate over his mates. That was what they wanted, for him to stop.
“Not a word,” he warned his mates. Panahasi could see the scowl on Drake’s face and knew the shifter wanted to give the man a piece of his mind, but thankfully he held his tongue. If they argued with every single soul who stopped them, they would never find Kobe.
The hairs on the back of Panahasi’s neck stood, and he knew the three men were following them. They kept their distance, but he had no doubt what they were up to.
“They’re following us,” Casey whispered.
“I know. Just keep walking.”
Panahasi turned down an alleyway midstride and prayed he wasn’t making a mistake. He had to trust the two shifters, even if he wanted to grab them and take them home. Exposing them to violence was not something he wanted to do. He knew they had lived on the streets before meeting him, but that knowledge still didn’t bring him any comfort.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Drake asked.
Panahasi nodded. “Don’t get yourselves killed.” He snarled the words.
“We won’t,” Casey assured him.
“I’ll take the largest of the three,” Panahasi said and then pressed his back into the wall, his mates doing the same. He would rather ambush the demons than wait for them to attack them.
For the first time in Panahasi’s life, he felt alive, and he wasn’t going to change that by losing one of his mates. He could take all three down without breaking a sweat, but he knew his mates needed to prove their independence. He didn’t like it, but understood the need to be accepted, to be respected.
Panahasi felt, more than saw, them coming. They were close, and their intentions weren’t friendly. His jaw clenched at some of the images he was catching. His anger began to boil at what they planned on doing with Casey and Drake.
Thank goodness none of them knew who he was. Panahasi had kept a low profile, hardly out in the public eye in the demon realm. Demons knew his name, but were hard-pressed to put a face with it. If they had known who he was, bigger trouble would be heading their way. He could handle the low-level demons. His mates could as well. The creatures in the outlying cities didn’t know what he looked like, and that was to his advantage.
He gave his mates the signal to get ready. They nodded in unison.
Taking a deep breath, Panahasi reached out and grabbed the largest of the lot just as they walked past. He wasn’t going to kill the man. Not unless he had to.
“Why are you following us?” he asked as he slammed the man into the brick wall. The guy’s eyes rolled, and Panahasi knew he had gone too far. He released the unconscious man, watching as he slumped to the ground and then turned toward his mates.
They were in their shifter form, attacking with savage intensity. As worried as he was for them, Panahasi was impressed at their brute strength. He had pinned Casey as quiet and naïve. He was glad he had called that one wrong. He liked having two feisty mates. It made life more interesting. He may have been used to his solitude, but Panahasi knew without a doubt that he would give that up, and the peace and quiet, to be with these men.
And damn if they weren’t sexy as hell when they were all teeth and claws.
“Call them off,” one of the demons shouted. “We give.”
Panahasi grabbed the closest one, shoving him into the brick wall, careful this time not to use so much force. “Where is the demon warrior?”
The man’s eyes snapped up. “You wanting to hurt him, too?”
As much as he wanted to pound the shit out of this man, Panahasi thought it smarter to let the guy think he was after Kobe for malicious reasons. “What I want with him is none of your business. Just tell me where the bastard is.”
Casey cocked his head, his baby blues questioning. Drake was busy guarding the other man, his canines bared.
“He is with Zion, waiting for us to show up. Campton isn’t going to be too happy that you got to the demon warrior first.” The demon looked down at the unconscious man and then over at Drake. “But I ain’t about to get eaten alive.”
“Don’t do it,” the other man warned right before Drake bit his leg. “Fuck!”
Panahasi grinned at his mate. They made a pretty damn good team, with lowlevel demons. “Tell me where he is,” Panahasi said with a snarl.
“I can show you.”
Panahasi didn’t trust the man, but had no choice. Not if he wanted to get Kobe back. He knew Jaden must have taken Kobe’s powers. That was the only explanation as to why the warrior was still here. And that pissed him off. He knew the life Kobe lived before Panahasi had come to get him for his training.
Even though Kobe was born a warrior, he was untrained, and that made him the biggest target in this wretched city. He was going to teach these demons a lesson if Kobe was fucked up. He shoved the demon toward the street. “Try anything and I’ll let my wolves have you for dinner. They haven’t eaten yet.” His tone was deadly, letting these two demons know he was serious.
Casey shivered and Panahasi wanted to laugh. His mate didn’t like the idea of eating one of these demons. Without either demon seeing him, Panahasi winked at Casey. To his surprise, Casey rubbed his fur over Panahasi’s leg in a catlike gesture.
He gave a quick shake of his head, telling Casey not now. Casey caught the movement and joined Drake, snarling at the two demons.
“Let’s go,” Panahasi said, grabbing the backpack from the ground.
His mates stayed in wolf form, and Panahasi was glad. It would be easier for all of them. Already in shifter form, they could attack with ease.
“What do we get out of this?” one of the demons asked. “I’m not putting my neck on the line just to hand the warrior over to you. You may have knocked Campton out, but he ain’t nobody to screw over.”
Panahasi grabbed the man by his hair, yanking his head back. The games were over. He allowed the burning fire to scorch his eyes as he stared into the demon’s eyes. “You get to live.”
He could feel the man trembling under his fingers. His eyes were so wide that Panahasi thought they would fall out. “Okay.”
Releasing the man, Panahasi took up a position behind the two demons. “Get moving. And if you try anything, my wolves will be the least of your worries.”
Both demons looked back at him, both with fear in their eyes. Good. Maybe he could get to Kobe without incident. It was an empty wish, but Panahasi hoped
nonetheless. These two were demons who lived in Remtin, after all.
No sooner had the thought left his mind than the two demons took off.
“No!” Panahasi shouted when Drake and Casey started to give chase. “Let them go. I don’t want you two running around this city on your own.” It was going to make finding Kobe harder, but at least his mates would be at his side.
Panahasi tried one more time to mentally locate Kobe. He had been unsuccessful in his penthouse, but hoped that being so close, it would work. Jaden not only took Kobe’s powers, he was blocking the warrior from everyone. Pushing harder, Panahasi received a faint signature not too far from where he and his mates were presently standing.
“I think I found him.” The signal had been weak, but enough for Panahasi to know which direction to hunt. He would try to locate Kobe again once he was closer.
Panahasi walked down the deserted street, one wolf on each side of him. As he looked around, the city of Remtin reminded Panahasi of Serenity City before the demon warriors were brought into the picture. His beloved city had resembled this place. He clenched the backpack tighter as he remembered how people were afraid to leave their own homes. The demons and other creatures from hell had terrorized anyone unfortunate enough to be caught outside.
Even after the demon warriors were trained and unleashed on the city, it took a long time for people to trust that it was truly safe. Sense of community hadn’t come back for a very long time.
With Jaden in Serenity City, Panahasi prayed the dark days would not return. He wanted his mates to see the beauty he saw. He wanted them to experience the different restaurants and go shopping with the other mates, take in a movie, or hang out at Jake’s Java.
He wanted them to have a normal life.
But as long as Jaden was a threat, Panahasi kept the two shifters under lock and key. Yes, it made him feel guilty to do so, but losing them was not an option. Not after craving a mate for so long that Panahasi had thought he would go insane.