by Gale Stanley
“And blow your house down,” Graham muttered.
Simon laughed. A real laugh because he knew he’d won. “I can take care of myself—and Noah.” He turned and risked a wink in the boy’s direction.
“You really think it would work?”
Simon could almost see the wheels turning in Graham’s head as he mulled over the idea. “Have I ever let you down before, Richard?” What could Graham object to, really? Graham, in the market for a fuck toy, had brought the kid here for his own use, but he knew damn well that Noah would be more useful back in New York. And with Simon keeping Noah on a short leash, Graham could hardly complain that the boy might run off or talk to outsiders. Say something, boss. Say yes.
“I’ll think about it. Meet me in the dining room in thirty minutes.”
Graham left him there alone with Noah.
“Did you mean it?” Noah said softly. “About taking me home with you?”
Simon gave him a noncommittal shrug. “Don’t get your hopes up. He’s got the last word.”
“It’s okay. No matter what happens, you tried, that’s the important thing.”
“Don’t look so excited, kid. Being my slave won’t be a bed of roses.”
Noah laughed. It lit up his whole face. “To me it will. All my life, I’ve been punctured by thorns.”
“If you can’t keep your mouth shut, I’d have to kill you.” Simon grinned to let the kid know he was joking.
Noah snorted and pointed to his stripes. “I never said a word.” His eyes got teary. “I wasn’t always like this.” Noah held up his cuffed wrists. “I fought at first. When the Weres took me.”
Simon’s heart twisted. Noah didn’t need to think about all that. Not now.
“I tried. I really tried to resist…” Noah’s voice trailed off, as if he was picturing it in his head.
“Hey, kid, I think you’re pretty damn brave.” Simon sat on the bed and removed the cuffs.
“So are you.”
A corner of Simon’s mouth twitched. “Me?”
“You have bruises on your arm.”
Simon lifted his arm and looked at it as if he was just noticing the black and blue marks. “So I do.” He smirked. “But you should see the other guy.”
Noah gave him that look again. Christ, the kid thinks I hung the moon just for him. That look just about did Simon in. He promised himself that he’d try his best to never let Noah down. “Don’t go anywhere, kid.”
“Yes, sir.”
Simon raised a brow, and Noah returned a sly grin. “Just practicing.”
Jesus. What have I got myself into? Simon hid his own grin and went to the bathroom for a wet towel to wash Noah’s wounds. The boy winced with pain every time Simon touched him, and he felt guilty all over again. He should have insisted on being here when Graham questioned Noah.
The door opened, and a guard Simon hadn’t seen before came in with a tray. He set it on the table, then turned and walked out.
“Okay, kid, I have to get back. Try and eat something.” Simon handed Noah the water and squeezed his hand. “Don’t get your hopes up. Remember, I’m not the boss here. The final decision is not mine.”
“But you want to take me?”
“Yes.”
“Then it’s okay.
Simon sighed. I sure hope so.
Chapter Twelve
Simon was surprised that Graham agreed to his plan so quickly. He must want the half-breed bad. Simon didn’t know what he would have done if Graham said no, but he would not have left Noah. Thank God, he didn’t have to worry about a plan B.
Once permission had been granted, things moved quickly. Graham wanted them off the island as soon as possible. Clothes had been found for Noah, and medicine for his wounds. Simon packed the few things he’d brought with him and tended to Noah. The ointment would prevent infection and decrease the pain. Healing Noah’s body would be the easy part. Healing the damage to his psyche would be a lot harder. Noah hadn’t gone through just one traumatic event. No, his life had been like a horror series of repeating nightmares, one worse than the next. A weaker individual would have been completely overwhelmed. Somehow Noah had managed to come through with his sanity intact. That didn’t mean they were home free. The boy might yet have a delayed reaction. Struggling to cope with his new circumstances might prove too much for him. If posttraumatic stress disorder developed, Simon would help him through it.
The boy had been drugged for his transport to the island. Simon asked him if he wanted something to make him sleep on the flight back to New York.
“No, sir,” he responded. “I would like to be awake.”
“Awake it is.”
Simon helped him get dressed and then scooped him up in his arms. Noah winced a little, and Simon apologized for hurting him. “The cream will help, but I have something even better waiting for you at home.”
When he sees the teddy bear waiting back at the condo, his pain will be forgotten.
“Home? Thank you, sir.”
Jesus. Simon blinked back a tear. He’d never take his home for granted again. Thinking about home reminded Simon that a whole host of problems were waiting there for him. He resolved to cross those bridges when he came to them. Cradling Noah against his chest, Simon carried him out to the Jeep. The driver nodded and opened the door. Thankfully Graham was not coming with them.
* * * *
It was a long flight. Simon sat across the aisle from Noah, and they didn’t speak much. As soon as Noah opened his mouth, Simon put a finger to his lips in warning. The boy understood immediately. Caution was the order of the day. Simon didn’t know the pilot, and he expected there were monitoring devices in the cabin. Better to wait until they were home to discuss future plans. The black sedan was waiting for them at the airstrip in New York, and it was a silent drive from the airport.
It was the middle of the night and they were both beyond exhausted when they reached the condo. Simon led his new slave inside. He hadn’t yet told Noah that Levi was here. He wanted to, but he’d been half afraid that the wolf-shifter might have taken off while he was gone and he didn’t want Noah to be disappointed. Why get the boy’s hopes up only to have them dashed again if Levi had disappeared? He hoped like hell that Levi was asleep in the bedroom and he urged Noah in that direction. “You need some rest. Time enough to look around tomorrow.”
The bed had been slept in, but it was empty now. The bathroom door was ajar and Simon took a quick look inside.
Fuck! Where the hell are you, Levi?
The possibility remained that Levi had been forced to use the safe room. As anxious as Simon was to find out, Noah came first. He would tuck the boy in and then deal with the Werewolf.
Despite Noah’s fatigue, he looked up with lustful eyes as Simon undressed him. Noah was perfection, and it took every bit of Simon’s self-control not to reach out and pull him close. Instead, he ignored Noah’s seductive gaze. The boy didn’t owe him a thing.
Their Master-slave relationship was just a sham, an act that he hoped would fool Graham into leaving the boy alone for a while. Simon hoped this little charade would buy them some time until he could come up with something better. He intended to set Noah free. Of course he would help him make a new start somewhere, maybe even with Levi, if that’s what he wanted.
Simon’s heart twisted at the thought of losing Noah. Crazy shit. He was becoming much too attached to the boy. The sooner he sent him away, the better. He would explain all this to Noah tomorrow. Right now Noah needed to rest and Simon needed to tend to his other houseguest. Hopefully he still had another houseguest.
Simon told Noah to lie on his stomach and he applied more cream to Noah’s back. When Noah rolled over those baby blues looked up at him, and Simon wanted nothing more than to crawl under the covers next to the boy and fall asleep, but he had another man to worry about. Christ, for thirty years he’d had only himself to look after. Now he had two men who were dependent on him for their survival. He wasn’t sure he was t
he man for the job.
“Are you coming to bed, sir?”
Simon was about to tell Noah it wasn’t necessary to call him sir when they were alone, but he thought better of it. He didn’t want Noah to forget himself when they were in public.
“Not yet.” He brushed the hair back from Noah’s face. “I have some work to catch up with. You go to sleep and I’ll be in later.”
“Sir?”
“Yes, Noah?”
“I love you.”
Stunned, Simon could only stare at the boy, as Noah’s eyes fluttered shut. Never had another man told him he loved him. Well maybe in the middle of hot sex. When a guy is coming it’s easy to get caught up in the moment and say a lot of crazy shit. But Noah looked like he meant it. No. Noah had been brutalized and he was confusing love with gratitude. Simon would have to address this, but not now. Noah was already falling asleep.
Simon crossed the room to the door, closed it quietly behind him, and made his way across the hall to the safe room.
Are you in there, Levi?
Simon used his remote to disarm the lock and opened the door carefully. Shocked, he took a step back as a snarling wolf prepared to pounce on him. Why the hell had Levi shifted? “I know you understand me, Levi. Shift, we need to talk.”
* * * *
Noah bolted up in the unfamiliar bed, trembling and panting. The dream had been so real that he actually felt the sting of the giant’s strap. It occurred to him that he wouldn’t dream if he had drugs in his body. But those days were over. Noah had even refused a sleeping pill on the flight home. He didn’t want to go through life in a drugged haze anymore. And he didn’t need the drugs. Not really. He only needed Simon to make him feel safe. He ached for Simon’s comforting touch.
Alone in the bed, Noah gathered the blanket around him and brought his knees up to his chest. He hugged himself and rocked back and forth. Trembling, he stared into the darkness. Should he go look for Simon? He wanted to. They could take care of each other.
The man had done so much for him. Simon had changed his life in so many ways. And he had brought Noah pleasure on the island. I can do the same for him. Noah had no real education or talents, but he was well skilled in pleasing men—with his mouth or his hands. His body was all he could offer his new Master, and he would give it gladly. He cared for Simon—a lot. He was pretty sure he loved him.
Back on the island, he’d been sure that Simon wanted him, too. But something had changed and Simon seemed distant.
Of course he has a lot on his mind. Butmaybe Simon has someone here in New York that he cares about, someone smarter than me. Noah didn’t want to think about that. He hoped it—
A growl from outside the bedroom turned Noah’s blood cold.
Wolf!
The silver-haired man had told him that the giant was a wolf. Maybe he’d followed them here. Noah pressed a palm to his heart and took a deep breath to calm himself. More frightened for Simon than for himself, he slipped from the bed and padded to the door. When he opened it, he saw Simon standing in the hall.
“Calm down.” The big man stood at the doorway to another room. Noah couldn’t see who he was talking to, but by the sounds he knew it wasn’t human, at least not completely.
Noah stepped closer and stood behind Simon. A wolf, with its teeth bared and ears laid flat against its skull, let out an aggressive snarl and was preparing to lunge at Simon.
“No!”
Werewolf and human both turned toward Noah at the same time.
Noah ran to the animal. He threw himself at the wolf, wrapped his arms around him, and buried his face in the black fur.
The wolf went still then nuzzled Noah’s neck with its nose. Noah’s sharp shoulder blades shook with harsh, tearing sobs he could not control. The wolf lifted its head and howled pitifully.
Chapter Thirteen
Simon had never heard such a mournful sound in his life. The tearful reunion made his heart ache. He knew he’d done the right thing bringing Noah back with him. But could he keep the boy safe? And the wolf? A lot would depend on them. Noah trusted Simon and would go along with any plan he came up with. The wolf, not so much. Obviously, Levi still didn’t trust him, not completely. Winning the shifter’s trust could take some time, time they didn’t have. Graham would be returning to New York and expecting results. Simon’s mind whirled with possible scenarios. In the end he knew he’d have to rely on Noah. Levi would find it hard to listen to Simon, but he would trust Noah implicitly.
Noah had his fingers tightly wound in the wolf’s fur, as if the animal might disappear if he let go. The wolf licked the tears from the boy’s face, touched its chin to its chest, then rolled its head back, stretching its neck until Simon heard small cracking noises. The fur disappeared like a retreating tide, leaving human flesh in its wake.
Instead of being horrified, Simon watched mesmerized. The miracle of transformation would never cease to amaze him. Graham called the Weres freaks and monsters. They were anything but. No wonder Graham feared them. The shifters were the next step in human evolution. This species had made a quantum leap to superhuman status. A tiny warning voice whispered in Simon’s head.
You should fear them.
But he didn’t. At least not this Were. Noah had experienced the worst possible treatment from humans and Weres, and yet the boy had an unshakable belief in Levi. That was good enough for Simon.
Levi was running his fingers over the tangle of scars and fresher wounds on Noah’s body. The half-breed’s eyes narrowed suspiciously at Simon. Simon stared back without flinching. He didn’t want to fight, not now. They needed to band together.
Noah put his hand out and caught Levi’s chin, forcing the half-breed’s face to turn to him. “He saved my life,” the boy said softly. “And yours, too.”
“You trust him?” Levi shook his head doubtfully.
“Yes.”
Levi fixed his gaze on Simon. “Did you send anyone here while you were gone?”
“No.” Damn, he’d been afraid of this. “Is that why you used the safe room? Did someone break in?”
“A couple of men with guns. I woke up in time to hide. I don’t think they knew I was here.”
Simon breathed a sigh of relief that Levi hadn’t been caught. “My boss probably sent them to check up on me. The man doesn’t trust anyone. I was lucky to get Noah off the island. I only wish I could have managed it before they hurt him.”
Levi’s expression was like someone who had been struck in the face. He touched a red welt on Noah’s chest. “This is my fault. Everything that happened to you is my fault.”
“No.” Noah’s voice was strong and steady. “I won’t let you take responsibility for someone else’s actions. There are monsters in this world, but you are not one of them.”
“Noah’s right,” Simon broke in. “What the DSA is planning is monstrous. I had no idea. The director was feeding me information piecemeal. Graham wants to breed you, both of you. Maybe others. He’s looking to create a shifter that can be easily controlled.” Simon looked first at Levi, then Noah. “He wants to mate you with a human woman. And if he can get his hands on a female Were, he intends to impregnate her with Noah’s sperm.”
Snarling, Levi turned to Simon, his features shifted, and for a second Simon saw the face of the predator under the man’s human skin. Levi’s mouth twisted into a smile that set Simon’s teeth on edge. “I want that bastard.”
“Are you willing to work with me?” Simon asked quietly.
Levi turned to Noah, a question in his eyes.
Noah nodded. “I trust him with my life. And yours.”
“Count me in,” Levi said.
* * * *
Simon had two gorgeous men in his condo, and yet he lay sprawled on his leather sofa, alone in the living room. Noah and Levi needed to talk, and he’d given them his bedroom so they could have the privacy they deserved. He wished he could shift to a fly on the wall so he could be privy to their conversation. Maybe he was be
tter off not knowing, especially if they were being intimate with each other.
Considering the severity of their situation, Simon knew he should not be thinking about sex, but danger and the accompanying adrenaline rush always ramped up his libido. And Noah and Levi were two of the hottest men he’d ever seen. The two men were so different, and yet Simon wanted both of them. Levi was six foot two, while Noah was only five foot eight. Levi was dark with gold-green eyes. Noah, a blond, had eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean.
Despite the fact he’d been abused and used as man’s sex toy for most of his life, Noah still retained an innocence and faith that was totally endearing. The boy’s sweet, trusting personality brought out Simon’s protective and possessive instincts. He tried to squelch the possessive part. No matter what Noah had said to him, he knew the boy’s heart belonged to Levi.
Simon wondered if they were fucking right now. He knew all too well that Levi liked to bottom, but the half-breed could be dominant, too. Simon had recognized that side of him as well. Now he knew where it came from. Hell, the man was half-Were. An exciting combination. Simon pictured Levi pounding into Noah’s ass. Hot! Cursing himself for being a horny bastard, he slipped a hand inside his pants and stroked his stiff cock.
* * * *
Levi was conflicted. When he and Noah were younger, he’d had some crazy thoughts about the boy, but Noah had been like a younger brother to him and he had stifled any thoughts of a sexual nature. It had been tough. At sixteen, he’d been well past puberty, and wolves were highly sexual. Having to hide his identity from the outside world, he had no outlet, other than his own hand, to relieve his physical urges.
A few times Levi had caught Noah watching him with a hungry and lustful expression, but when they locked eyes, Noah would flush scarlet and turn away. Levi figured it had been his imagination coupled with wishful thinking. He had been so fucking horny back then.