by Lynn Hagen
“You have wings!” Jaycee shouted as his fingers dug into Wolf’s chest, the nails breaking skin and drawing blood. Wolf growled, pressing his chest harder against his mate’s fingers. He welcomed the pain. It was barbaric and savage and only heightened the sensations of claiming his mate.
“You did call me a winged vampire, zaterio,” Wolf teased.
“But I didn’t think—oh hell,” Jaycee’s head rolled back and forth against the pillow as he pulled his legs further back into his chest. “You feel so damn good inside of me.”
Wolf applied the weight of his body into his good leg, stretching out the wounded one and keeping as much pressure off of it as possible. He thrust his cock deeply into Jaycee’s ass, feeling it swell even further as his mate’s cock bounced freely between them. His mouth watered to taste his mate, but Wolf was too lost in the feeling of being inside the human to pull free.
“My zaterio,” Wolf growled and then sank his fangs into Jaycee’s neck. The sweet taste of his mate’s blood splashed over his tongue as Wolf drank from his mate, feeding the vampire in him and sating one of his needs.
As Wolf drank he saw his creation, along with Jaycee’s birth. Their two lives raced alongside each other at the speed of light as they played out until they crashed and intertwined, forever binding them together.
Jaycee cried out, his cock exploding between them, wetting both of their bodies with his seed. “How can I see your creation?” he asked in shock. “How can I feel you in my mind, my soul, my damn heart, Wolf?”
Wolf pulled his fangs free, licking the wound closed. “Because you are mine!” he roared, and then he fell backward over the edge of the abyss, tumbling down as his body convulsed with his release. He shuddered and jerked, and then pulled free of Jaycee’s body, rolling, taking his mate with him as he landed on his back, wrapping his mate in his wings.
“This is impossible,” Jaycee whispered. “You have wings, and I saw your life play out in my mind.”
“That was the binding, zaterio. It showed us our lives before we were joined, how lonely we were, until I claimed you, and then it joined the very fibers of our beings together. Never again will be we be two entities, but one.”
Jaycee curled into Wolf’s side, sighing contently. “I like that, Wolf,” he said softly. “I like belonging to you.”
As much of a fight as Jaycee had put up about belonging to Wolf, those whispered words meant more to him than Jaycee would ever truly know.
Chapter Seven
Wolf hissed as he woke, feeling the pain throbbing in his leg. Never again in his eternal life did he want to feel pain like this again. It was like a toothache and being hit by a bus all rolled into one.
He stilled when he felt a warm heat against his side. He glanced down to see his mate curled into his side, fast asleep. Wolf smiled as he brushed Jaycee’s long black hair from his face and remembered last night. It had been one of the best nights he had ever had. The claiming had been even more amazing than what Nazaryth had described to them. His commander hadn’t told Wolf that he would feel a connection so deep that he could feel it in his very bones.
Careful not to jostle his leg too much, Wolf turned onto his side, staring down at the stunning man. Truth be told, the man was the star of every fantasy Wolf had ever had. He just hadn’t known it was Jaycee starring in them until he had set eyes on his mate. And last night had been every damn fantasy come true.
He nuzzled his mate, inhaling his scent, and then licked his tongue over the twin pinpricks that were already healed. What a pity. Wolf would have loved to see Jaycee walk around with his mark.
“No licking the Cheerio first thing in the morning,” Jaycee grumbled as he turned over, pressing his very tempting and tight little ass into Wolf’s groin. If Jaycee didn’t like morning sex, then he should keep his nice round tush away from Wolf’s growing erection. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull. Wolf would take the challenge happily.
“Don’t even think about it,” Jaycee warned as he burrowed deeper into Wolf’s side. “My ass is still sore as hell.”
Wolf grinned as he pulled his hips away from the temptation and kissed the side of Jaycee’s ear. “Morning, mate.”
“Five more minutes, Ma,” Jaycee groaned. “I’m not a morning person, yet you keep insisting on waking me up at the crack of dawn. What’s a guy gotta do around here to sleep in?”
Wolf had many ideas, but he knew Jaycee didn’t want to hear them. They ranged from a quick blow job to his zaterio performing acrobatics as Wolf fucked him back into sleep.
“We need to get up, Jaycee. We have a very long drive ahead of us,” he reminded his mate, waiting for Jaycee to turn over so he could look into the man’s pretty brown eyes once more. Wolf could get used to waking up like this. It was like having a piece of heaven handed to him first thing in the morning.
Jaycee groaned, and then rolled to his stomach, his naked ass in plain sight for Wolf to salivate over. “Can I go back to sleep on the way home?”
Wolf nodded as he carefully slid from the bed, hissing when he put pressure on his injured leg. He wasn’t used to dealing with this much pain. It was irritating as hell. “Since I can’t drive, Dog will be taking us back. You can sleep in the back of the Hummer.”
“What about Rico’s car?” Jaycee asked as he pulled the sheet around him, covering his naked form. If Jaycee was shy about being seen naked, the man was going to have a rude awakening. Wolf planned on seeing that beautiful body every chance he could get.
“Nazaryth will drive it back.”
Jaycee wrapped the sheet around him as he slid from the bed, heading toward the bathroom. Wolf grinned as he reached out and grabbed the sheet, snatching it out of Jaycee’s grasp. “Nice.”
His zaterio blushed seven shades of red as he hurried to the bathroom. Wolf thought it was endearing as hell. He had to use the sheet to wrap around his waist when someone knocked on the door. Limping, Wolf crossed the room to answer it. It was the shifter doctor.
“Good morning,” Dr. Sheehan said as he stood on the other side of the door. “I came to check your leg before you headed out.”
Wolf walked slowly, and painfully, to the bed and sat down, pulling the sheet aside. His leg was killing him.
“I’ll need you to lie down so I can remove the bandages and see what we’re dealing with.”
Wolf scooted onto the bed. From the pain radiating in his leg, it was any wonder he had claimed Jaycee last night. His thigh was throbbing so bad that Wolf would rather take on one hundred hell hounds than endure this shit another minute.
When the bathroom door opened, Wolf sat up. “Stay inside, zaterio. The doctor is here.”
Dr. Sheehan chuckled as he unwrapped Wolf’s leg. “I’ve seen naked men before, Wolf. Your mate can dress. I pinky promise not to turn around.”
Wolf glanced at Jaycee’s clothes on the floor. “Can you place his clothes by the bathroom door?” That was more acceptable to Wolf than his mate dressing in the room with another man present. That thought alone made Wolf see red.
“Sure,” the doctor said as he grabbed Jaycee’s clothes and deposited them by the door. “Your clothes are on the floor right outside the door.”
Wolf smiled when Jaycee’s arm appeared and the clothes were snatched up, the door slamming quickly closed.
“Shy?” Dr. Sheehan asked as he finished removing the bandage. Wolf ignored the question. He wasn’t going to discuss his mate’s shyness with anyone. He glanced down at his leg when it was bared, and he grimaced. Damn, it looked a fucking mess. The skin on his outer thigh, right below his hip, looked like it was melted. He couldn’t shift and heal like a shifter, so Wolf knew he was going to have a nasty scar once the wound did heal.
“I don’t see any pus or draining. I think you’re safe from infection, but I’d like to give you some antibiotics just to be on the safe side.”
He gritted his teeth from the raw pain that shot through his entire body as he watched Dr. Sheehan clean t
he wound. Fuck, it hurt! “Antibiotics won’t work with me,” he said between clenched teeth.
“Normally, I would agree,” Dr. Sheehan said as he used a strangely shaped sponge to clean away the dead skin and then irrigated the wound. Wolf wanted to howl it hurt so damn bad. “But Dr. Carmichael has come up with something that has worked on some paranormal creatures with success. I want you to try it.”
Wolf was willing to try anything if the man would stop touching his damn leg. Jaycee came out of the bathroom with his jeans and shirt on, crossed the room, and climbed onto the bed, opposite the doctor. “How is he?”
“He’ll live, but he’ll be scarred. I’m going to give you some supplies to take home with you, Jaycee. I want you to keep an eye on his wound. If it gets any worse, I want you to call Dr. Samuel at Pride Pack Valley General. He’ll know what to do.”
Jaycee nodded as he grabbed Wolf’s hand, holding it in his lap as he watched the doctor finish torturing Wolf and then rebandage his leg.
“I’ll give you a sheet with instructions on them that will tell you how to clean his wound and what to look for as far as infection goes.”
Jaycee nodded quickly as the doctor spoke, his eyes trained on what Dr. Sheehan was doing to Wolf’s leg. Wolf felt tenderness wrap around his heart that Jaycee would even consider tending to his wound. His zaterio looked nervous as hell, but paid attention to what the doctor was saying.
“Can you give me your phone number in case I have any questions?” Jaycee asked.
“Sure.” Dr. Sheehan reached into his back pocket, extracted his wallet, and handed Jaycee a business card. “My cell number is at the bottom.”
“Is he okay to travel?” Jaycee asked as he tucked the card into his back pocket.
“Yes, but I wouldn’t allow him to do anything strenuous until his leg has healed.”
Jaycee blushed and Wolf chuckled.
“Anything else strenuous,” the doctor said as he winked at Jaycee. “No more hanky-panky until his leg is better. Once he gets home, make sure he gets plenty of rest.” The doctor turned toward Wolf. “Once you are up to it, you can start some physical therapy if needed. I’ve already called Dr. Samuel and given him a heads-up, so he’ll be looking for your call.”
Wolf didn’t want to see any more doctors. He was fine. A few days of rest and he would be as good as new. Demon spit was not going to keep him down.
“He’ll get his rest,” Jaycee assured the doctor.
Wolf could imagine all sorts of ways Jaycee could keep him company in bed, although he was sure they went against the doc’s orders.
“Do that. I’ll have some supplies ready for you by the time you guys leave.”
Wolf and Jaycee thanked the doctor as he left.
“How are you going to keep me in bed?” Wolf asked as he wiggled his brows and reached for his mate. He gaped at Jaycee when the man batted his hand away.
“You heard the doctor. No fooling around until your leg is healed. The mating heat is gone, so I think you’ll be just fine.”
“Seriously?” Wolf asked. “You’re going to deny me because the doctor said so?”
Jaycee chuckled. “Stop whining. You’ll be all right. I don’t think a week without sex will kill you.”
“A week!” Gods, he was newly mated. There was no way he was waiting an entire week to have Jaycee back under him. He was hard-pressed not to have the man now. Wolf dropped his head onto the pillow, groaning as he stared up at the ceiling.
“I’ll go make sure everything is ready while you rest,” Jaycee said as he pushed from the bed. “Don’t get up.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Wolf grumbled.
Jaycee grinned as he walked around the bed. “Stop pouting. This is for your own good, Wolf.”
“Then give me a kiss.”
Jaycee shook his head. “I know where a kiss will lead.”
“Fine,” he said as he waved toward the door. “Go see Dog and ask him when I’m getting the hell out of here.” He was being a big baby, and he knew it. But the thought of Jaycee turning him down soured his mood.
“I’ll be back.” Jaycee left the room.
“I’m going to get some ass,” he promised himself out loud as he turned over, wincing from the pain. “Just as soon as my leg heals.”
Jaycee stood outside the bedroom door and wondered where he could find Dog. This place was huge. He had glanced around the home yesterday when he was brought here, but he had been so worried about Wolf that he hadn’t paid that much attention.
“Do you need help?” a slim man asked as he walked toward Jaycee. “You look a little lost.”
“I’m looking for Dog.”
The guy scratched his chin. “Is he one of the winged beasts I keep hearing about?”
Jaycee nodded.
“Then we should probably go ask Maverick. He knows everything that goes on around here.”
Jaycee shrugged and followed the man down a grand staircase. The place was decked out. He wasn’t sure whose home was nicer, this one or Wolf’s. They were both very posh. He noticed the man kept looking over his shoulder at Jaycee. “Is there something wrong?”
“No, nothing at all. I’ve just never seen a winged beast before,” the man said quickly. “By the way, I’m Murphy.”
“Jaycee.”
“Can you show me what a winged beast looks like?” Murphy asked. “Just as long as he isn’t armed, that is.”
Jaycee cocked his head. What the hell did that mean?
“Never mind. I can’t take the time right now anyway. I have a soap to watch. If you follow this hallway, you’ll find Maverick’s office on your right.”
“Thanks,” Jaycee said, glancing at the strange man once more before heading down the hallway. And he thought his roommates were loony? Jaycee was relieved when he spotted Dog and Nazaryth standing in the hallway with Maverick. He hadn’t been looking forward to searching the place.
“How is Wolf?” Nazaryth asked.
“Better, but his leg is going to need time to heal.” Jaycee slowly approached the men. They were pretty damn big, especially the one that looked like a biker man. He usually wasn’t intimidated, but knowing these men weren’t human didn’t help his nerves.
“Did the doctor clear him to travel?” Dog asked.
“He’s cleared, but was told not to do anything strenuous.”
Dog chuckled, as if he already knew the inside joke. Jaycee was embarrassed as hell that any of them knew what he and Wolf had done. Not that he would deny Wolf, but he didn’t want to sit down and have tea and talk about it either.
“It’ll be a smooth ride,” Dog promised. “Nazaryth and I will get Wolf down here. You can wait in the foyer.”
Jaycee nodded and then turned toward Maverick. “Thank you for helping…with all of it.”
“You are welcome, Jaycee.” Maverick watched Jaycee with those eerie grey eyes until Dog and Nazaryth were gone, and then he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his large chest. “Are you going to run again?”
“I hadn’t planned on it, but if you’re asking if I will bring more trouble to your town, the answer is no.”
“I can handle my town, as you saw. What I want you to know is that finding a mate for any species is very rare. I would think long and hard the next time you panic and run.” Maverick pushed from the wall and walked into the room behind him, leaving Jaycee to stand in the hallway by himself.
He wasn’t going to feel guilty for running. But he did hate the fact that trouble had followed him. The people in this town had been nice enough to extend their hands, and Jaycee had brought the hounds and demons to their doorstep.
He was ready to get out of here.
“I can walk!”
Jaycee hurried down the hall when he heard Wolf shouting. He had never heard the man yell like that before. He wasn’t sure who his mate was yelling at, but Jaycee knew he needed to see what was going on.
“Fine, idiot.” Dog snapped a reply at Wolf and then moved
away. Jaycee yelped when Wolf began to fall forward, but Dog caught him in time before his face smacked against the floor. “Have I made my point?”
“Fuck you,” Wolf growled as Dog chuckled. Nazaryth grabbed Wolf’s other side, his expression grim as they began to carefully walk Wolf toward the door. Jaycee ran for the door, opening it so they could walk Wolf through unhindered.
“Can you open the door to the Hummer?” Nazaryth asked.
“Sure.” Jaycee stepped outside and looked around, making sure there were no creatures with the word hell attached to their name before darting across the lawn and opening the back door to the truck.
“Don’t touch my ass,” Wolf barked at Dog.
“I didn’t!”
“I know you too well,” Wolf replied.
“You better be lucky I didn’t kick your ass into the truck,” Dog mumbled as he stepped back and slammed the door. “If he doesn’t stop bitching like an old woman, I’m going to knock him unconscious. Hell if I’m listening to that shit all the way home.”
Jaycee ran back to the house and grabbed the bag Dr. Sheehan had left by the front door for Wolf. He prayed as he ran back to the truck that Wolf didn’t piss Dog off. The man was their ride home, after all.
“Take me to town so I can drive the other vehicle home,” Nazaryth said as Jaycee climbed into the back of the truck.
“Will do, boss,” Dog replied as he started the truck and pulled from the gravel drive. Jaycee was glad to get out of there. He wasn’t sure about the castle they were headed to, but since he was mated to Wolf now, he was going to have to get used to it.
“Thank you for helping,” Jaycee said from the backseat.
Nazaryth nodded.
Jaycee sat back, blowing out a long breath. He knew the winged guys were mad at him for leaving. All sorts of crap had happened from that one decision. He regretted what happened, but damn it, he was scared. What part of that didn’t they understand?