Midnight Heat

by Lynn Hagen

  He saw clearly enough now, and he inhaled sharply when Matt smiled. It shouldn’t be legal for someone to look that damn sexy. "No problem. I think I should take another look at your eyes, just to be safe."

  Jason bit his bottom lip as he unlocked his door. He wasn’t in the habit of inviting strangers into his home. Jason teetered on uncertainty before he glanced over his shoulder. Matt’s masculine scent filled the small entryway inside his apartment. He thought about Benjamin’s advice once more and then led Matt inside.

  * * * *

  Colton spent the night searching for his brother. He tracked people for a living, yet he was hitting a dead end tonight with Anthony. His brother was the biggest fuck-up Colton knew, but he was still his brother. He wanted Anthony to explain what’d happened before the Consiglio issued the warrant.

  And they would.

  It was only a matter of time.

  Colton parked a block away from the warehouse on Dunham Avenue. The brick building had been remodeled into a nightclub. All the windows had been painted black for a reason.

  Black Dragon was vampire-owned.

  It was Friday night and the place was teeming with humans, a virtual smorgasbord for the undead. As long as Magnus’s vampires wiped the memories of those they fed from, no one bothered them.

  "You got nerve showing up here after what you did to Eric," Andreas said. The vampire was sitting on a stool, his arms crossed over his chest as he weeded out the undesirable from the line waiting to get into the club. Colton had dealt with Andreas and his ego before and it had never been pleasant.

  "He killed five people," Colton replied, keeping his cool. He needed to get inside, and pissing off the guy who manned the door would be counterproductive.

  Colton knew that Anthony handled some shady deals from time to time for the vamps. He needed to see if his brother had gone to them for shelter.

  Andreas gave a casual shrug. "Prove it."

  Colton wasn’t about to have a pissing contest with the bloodsucker. "Am I allowed to go inside?"

  Andreas glanced sideways at Colton, giving him the once-over. "You here to start trouble?"

  "Do I look like the type to start some shit?"

  Andreas smiled. The tips of his fangs showed, and Colton knew he’d done that on purpose. Vampires were arrogant as fuck.

  "Go inside at your own risk," Andreas said, then looked away, as though Colton was no longer a source of amusement.

  Directly inside the door was a long hallway with double doors at the end. To the right was a ticket window behind which a bored-looking vampire stood. To the left were the bathrooms.

  Colton stopped at the window to get the back of his hand stamped with an M in script lettering. Magnus was nothing if not vain. He thanked the girl and headed to the double doors, pushing them open to step inside.

  * * * *

  Matt glanced around the apartment. The living room was decorated with clashing, secondhand furniture, yet the contradictory layout was oddly homey.

  "Can I get you anything to drink?"

  He scented the male’s unease. It was just as potent as it had been earlier when Jason took his order at Grizzly’s. He stepped farther into the apartment. The living room opened into a kitchen with only a bar-style counter separating the rooms. The place was small, but nice.

  "Water." Matt smiled. "Since I seemed to have used mine to flush out your eyes."

  The male blushed before grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it with tap water. He dropped a few pieces of ice into it before turning. Matt placed his hands on the edge of the counter, trapping Jason. "But tasting you would be even nicer."

  Jason’s exotic scent—thick honey and wildfire—seeped into Matt’s skin, curling around his senses. He could tell the human wanted him. His pretty green eyes were wide as he stared at Matt. Dipping his head, Matt's lips hovered close to Jason’s, drawing in the male’s breath as he waited.

  The glass slipped from Jason’s hand and shattered against the floor as Jason grabbed Matt’s shirt and yanked him in. Shit, Matt hadn't expected the guy to take charge, but he didn’t mind as their lips collided and Matt’s tongue tangled with Jason’s before he bit Jason’s lower lip and pulled back slightly.

  Matt’s wolf drew close to the surface, but he forced it back, stopping the animal from trying to take over. Jason knew nothing of his world, and Matt wasn’t going to make the same mistake he’d made with Miles.

  Grabbing the hem of Jason’s shirt, Matt drew the material over the male’s head, tossing it aside. Jason’s chest rose and fell in quick pants, his breathing shallow.

  He picked the man up, and Jason wrapped his legs around Matt’s waist as he walked to the living room, then dropped Jason to his back on the couch. Matt’s body was hard and tight as he bit, licked, and sucked at Jason’s mouth before latching on to his shoulder.

  He had a strong urge to bite and had to once again force his wolf to heel. It had never acted this way with a male before.

  But then again, Jason was different from the men Matt was used to being with. He hadn’t demanded Matt buy him an expensive gift or a new wardrobe in order to get laid. Jason was willingly giving himself without asking anything in return.

  It was a refreshing change that turned Matt on. Most thought he dated strippers because of their beauty, but Matt had dated them to fill a void. He was an alpha, a business owner, and so damn lonely that some days he wanted to walk away from it all.

  For three hundred years, he’d been looking for that one male who could take the place of the loneliness that was his constant companion.

  Matt slowed, taking his time as he kissed a path over Jason’s shoulder and then down his slim chest, where he sucked a nipple between his teeth. Jason’s hands were everywhere, and his subtle touch was driving Matt insane.

  Jason gasped, arching his back as he ran his hands through Matt’s hair. Matt reached between them, unsnapped Jason’s pants, and parted the material. He snaked his hand beneath Jason’s underwear and wrapped his fist around his lover’s erection.

  "Oh God," Jason said on a soft moan. His hips jerked as Matt slowly stroked him, rolling the hard nipple between his teeth. His own cock strained and throbbed against his slacks, desperate to be freed.

  He thrust his hips, and the slight friction made a low growl vibrate in his chest. He wanted inside Jason badly. His wolf howled in agreement.

  In one fluid motion, Matt flipped them both until he was seated and Jason was straddling his lap. He cupped Jason’s face and drew it down so he could kiss him.

  "What do you need me to do to please you?" Jason asked into Matt’s mouth.

  The question blindsided Matt. No one had ever asked him that before. He was caught off guard, unable to think for a moment. He pulled back, gazing at Jason and saw the truth in his green eyes. Jason was not only uncertain, but nervous.

  "Be the one who fits."

  Faint wrinkles formed between Jason’s eyes. "I’m not sure I understand."

  "Just being with you pleases me," Matt said and then winked. "But taking the rest of your clothes off would be nice."

  Jason stood and undressed. Matt pulled off his dress shirt before unbuckling his pants and sliding them down. He tossed his shoes and socks by the edge of the couch, then pulled his pants off.

  He hid his smile when Jason’s gaze went right to his groin. "I’ll get the lube."

  Matt watched Jason’s ass as the man strode away. His cock jerked, anxious to feel Jason’s body wrapped around him. Werewolves had their own natural lubricant, but since he was trying to hide what he was, he didn’t stop Jason from exiting the room.

  He leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling, letting out a deep sigh. For once he would love to be himself with a lover without worrying if that lover would turn on him and try to expose what Matt was to the world.

  When Jason returned, he stopped at the end of the couch. "Do you want me back on your lap?"

  Tenderness blossomed inside Matt as he stared
at Jason’s nervous stance. His lover's gaze darted around, never landing on Matt.

  Opening his arms, Matt nodded. "Come here, babe."

  Jason straddled his lap, and Matt wrapped his arms around him. He held Jason as he kissed him, unhurried this time, allowing the simmering heat to build into a roaring fire.

  As he continued to help Jason relax, Matt slipped the lube from Jason’s hand. He flicked the cap open and poured a generous amount over his length. Setting the bottle aside, he gathered some of the lube and circled his fingers around Jason’s opening.

  Jason hissed before he buried his face against Matt’s shoulder. His breath came out in gasps as Matt slid two fingers inside the tight heat. His canines threatened to lengthen as he worked to loosen the muscles.

  "Fuck me, Matt," Jason whispered into his ear.

  Withdrawing his hand, Matt grabbed his cock, and guided it to Jason’s entrance. His fist damn near strangled his erection. "Take me into your body, Jason."

  He gritted his teeth as Jason slowly worked Matt inside him. They both groaned when the head of his cock breached Jason. His hips instinctively jerked. Matt locked his muscles into place, allowing Jason to adjust to his length as smooth wetness surrounded his cock.

  He gripped Jason’s hips, tilting his head back as pleasure wrapped around him. A long and deep moan escaped from him as Jason rocked up and down.

  Matt fought the growl threatening to erupt. The incredible pleasure of Jason’s flesh against his was nearly maddening. Unable to stand it any longer, he thrust hard, groaning on every stroke at the tight heat clasping him.

  Instinct guided him now. Matt couldn’t control it. He thrust his cock inside Jason, the pleasure so damn good he wanted to howl with it.

  "Matt, don’t stop." Jason’s plea was a hard gasp, a breathless moan as his hands went to Matt’s shoulders and his nails bit into Matt’s skin.

  "Don’t plan on it, babe," Matt whispered as he moved his hand to Jason’s swollen cock and stroked it gently.

  He didn’t plan on stopping until they both were spent and sweaty. This was the first time he had ever been at the point of losing control so quickly. His balls drew up tight against his body and he knew it wouldn’t be long.

  Matt was overwhelmed by the tight heat surrounding his hard shaft and the look of pure ecstasy on Jason’s face. His lover moaned, calling out his name as he came. Jason’s hot seed spilled between them, and his hole clamped around Matt’s cock.

  Matt’s growl echoed through the room, and the need to bite was so strong that he couldn’t stop himself. He sank his canines into the flesh between Jason’s neck and shoulder. Something powerful unleashed inside of Matt. A primal need to protect and cherish Jason rocked him, along with his orgasm. His heart stopped beating for a microsecond before it started up again, echoing Jason’s as their hearts synchronized, beating as one.

  He released Jason’s neck and licked the wound closed as Jason sagged against him. Matt struggled to catch his breath, still thunderstruck with the knowledge that he’d found his mate.

  Matt glanced down to see Jason’s eyes closed. The man had fallen asleep. The thought of sharing a life with his mate made Matt ache. The possibility that Jason could grow to love him was a fool’s dream considering Matt’s own father couldn’t stomach him. Although he knew his friends cared for him, that wasn’t the same as having the love of a mate.

  "Jason," Matt whispered gently as he smoothed his hand down the male’s damp back. He turned and placed Jason on the couch before curling in behind him. He’d never thought he would find his mate. The odds were astronomical, yet here lay with the one male fate had handpicked just for him.

  Matt stopped the growl from forming when his phone rang. Talk about bad timing. He reached for his discarded pants and dug it out. Nick’s name was on the caller ID.

  "This better be damn good." Matt kept his voice low so he wouldn’t wake Jason.

  "Better get to Black Dragon before the vamps end Colton’s life."

  Chapter Four

  Matt got to Black Dragon in record time. Andreas—who normally wore a superior smirk whenever he saw Matt—didn’t look his way as Matt passed him. He entered the vestibule to find Colton standing in the middle Magnus and half a dozen of his vampires. The wolf looked as though he wanted to murder every last one of them.

  Colton’s left eye was swollen and a cut on his lip was still bleeding. Some of the vampires didn’t appear to have come out of the fight unscathed either, but they looked at Colton’s lip like the scent of blood would tip them over the edge at any second. If any of them attacked, Matt would tear their fucking hearts out.

  "You have five seconds to tell me why I shouldn’t kill this whelp," Magnus said to Matt, though his murderous gaze never strayed from Colton.

  Matt’s hackles rose at Magnus’s demand. He moved past the circle of vampires to take a stand next to Colton. "For the same fucking reason I handed Eric over to you. Capture order or not, I should have ended his goddamn life and you know it."

  "But you did have a capture order for Eric," Magnus said heatedly.

  "Only because your Master is part of the Consiglio." Matt felt smug satisfaction when Magnus’s eyes widen slightly. The bastard didn’t know he was privy to that information.

  "I have no idea what you’re talking about," Magnus said. "But you need to put a leash on your boy. He trashed the bar and started a fight with five of my vampires."

  Matt wanted to put his foot up Colton’s ass. The wolf knew better than to brawl in public. If he had to even a score, he should’ve done that shit on the down-low. No competent alpha would allow someone to get away with this kind of disrespect. Magnus had to save face in front of his coven, and now Matt had to play nice to diffuse the situation.

  Mercury wouldn’t survive a war between wolves and vampires.

  "Send me the bill for the damages." Matt’s voice was as mild as honey. He even threw in a tight smile. "And I’ll deal with my boy."

  "You may leave with him," Magnus said with a dismissive wave. "But tell your wolves they are no longer welcome in my club because of Colton’s actions. The next time I have a problem with your kind, I won’t be so accommodating."

  Was this pompous prick for real?

  "Are you threatening me?" Matt’s intentions of playing nice were gone now. He was ready to tear Magnus to pieces. Alphas and egos were a deadly combination, and Matt had to take a deep breath before he did something he would regret.

  Like burn Black Dragon to the ground.

  "I’m merely stating a fact," Magnus said, though his calm words belied the rolling anger in his eyes. The vampires moved closer, as if readying for an attack. Matt bared his canines before he turned on his heel and walked out, telling himself he wasn’t tucking tail but saving Mercury from an apocalypse.

  Matt slid into his Hummer and slammed the door, seething as Colton got in on the other side. When he was a few blocks from Black Dragon, Matt slammed on his brakes and turned to Colton, the pulse in his temple throbbing. "What the fuck was that about?"

  "It was a misunderstanding." Colton ran his hand down his face and let out a long sigh. "I lost my temper."

  Matt gripped the steering wheel as he counted to ten, reminding himself he would regret it if he killed Colton. He also tried to remind himself that none of his men were truly stable and he’d pulled them out of worse shit than this.

  Those reminders didn’t work, though, because the root of his anger was twofold. First, he’d had to walk away after Magnus had talked shit. He was downright pissed that Colton’s hotheaded ass hadn’t handled the situation better. The guy didn’t even seem grateful that Matt had pulled his rotten ass out of the fire.

  Second, Matt was livid that he’d had to leave his mate in order to deal with this bullshit.

  He could’ve been waking Jason for round two right now. Instead, he was sitting on an empty street with his night shot to hell. "You are to stay put at the Pit and you are not to leave until I tell you."
r />   "But—"

  "Unless you’re about to tell me what the hell is going on with you, I strongly suggest you swallow whatever you’re about to say."

  Matt drove to the agency in silence. He pulled into the parking lot and watched as Colton got out and stormed through the front door.

  It bothered him that Colton was going through something and hadn’t turned to Matt for help. He’d known the guy over a hundred years and thought they were close friends.

  He sighed as he drove back to Jason’s apartment. His men came from sordid backgrounds and were the surliest, roughest bunch. That was one of the reasons he’d demanded Colton not leave the Pit. The guy would go back to Black Dragon to finish what he’d started.

  The Pit was more than just their break room. Over time the men had added on to it, and it now had a bar, pool table, a television, and furniture. Some even considered that part of the building their second home. It even had bedrooms down one hallway where men could crash between warrants.

  Matt parked the hummer behind the bakery and took the back steps two at a time, anxious to get back to Jason.

  * * * *

  Andreas stiffened when Magnus exited the club. He could tell his leader was in a dark mood.

  "Those wolves need to be taught a lesson," Magnus said.

  Andreas didn’t agree but wasn’t suicidal enough to protest. Before he’d been turned twenty years ago, Andreas had been a social worker, fighting to keep siblings from broken homes together.

  Andreas felt Colton’s actions had been justified.

  Yes, he’d given the wolf a hard time, but Andreas had never liked the furry. Regardless of how he felt toward the wolves, the only thing Colton had wanted to do was take his brother and leave. Andreas knew what caring for a younger sibling was like, although he would never see his again.

  Trey would grow up believing Andreas had abandoned him when that was far from the truth.