Catching Rainbows

by Lynn Hagen

  “Basic kill spells?” Raven stared incredulously at his mate. “I wasn’t aware killing someone was basic.”

  Great. That was all Raven would think about now. Getting basically killed.

  Jet turned apologetic eyes on Raven. “You have no idea how truly evil most of my people are.”

  Raven had a clue since Jet’s people were called Unseelie. He gave Jet a quick kiss, and wanted to take it deeper when their lips touched, but he had to get moving if he was going to rescue Poppy.

  They’d pick up where they’d left off with that simple kiss, and so much more, later.

  “You better stay safe.” He walked away from the car but not before he made sure Jet ducked down in his seat. He didn’t like leaving his mate alone, but if the bad guys were still around, they would either be in the house or searching the woods. Or they could have left by now.

  He hoped.

  They’d made it about two hundred yards into the woods when Raven spotted Poppy’s neon hair. He closed his eyes and shook his head. If the guy was in hiding, he should’ve changed his hair color. He stuck out like a sore thumb, and Raven was shocked the man hadn’t been found already.

  “Poppy?” Raven whispered loudly. Werth and Jacoby stopped walking and looked around.

  “Poppy isn’t here,” the guy called out. “Just keep moving along.”

  Jacoby smirked, and Werth simply rolled his eyes. Raven was gonna have a long talk with Jet’s cousin about situational awareness and how not to call out when he was hiding.

  “I’m Raven, Jet’s mate. Come out so we can get going.”

  “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Poppy asked, still hiding behind the tree.

  “It’s Sheriff Werth, Poppy,” the wolf shifter called. “Come out, or we’re coming behind that tree to get you.”

  Werth spun and raised his shotgun. It took Raven a moment to hear the approaching steps. Someone was getting close. Raven didn’t want to stick around and see who it was since it might be dark fairies who had magic on their side.

  Raven shot forward and grabbed Poppy, slapping a hand over the man’s mouth when he looked as though he would scream. He ushered Poppy back toward the car, whispering for him to run to Jet.

  Two men with long blond hair came into view. They were tall, lithe, and looked regal in their suits. They stopped walking and looked Raven and the other men over. The one on the left had green eyes. The one on the right had blue.

  Poppy was out of sight. Thank fuck he’d done as Raven had said.

  “Looking for a fugitive,” Raven said, and thankfully, the cops didn’t contradict him. “You haven’t seen a man in an orange prison jumpsuit, have you?”

  The two men looked at each other. Blue Eyes balled his hands into fists at his sides. Green Eyes laid his hand on Blue Eyes’ arm, shaking his head.

  “No, we haven’t seen anyone like that,” Green Eyes said. “We’re actually looking for a guy with neon hair. Have you seen him?”

  Raven burst out laughing. “Neon hair? Are you serious? What kind of freak does that?”

  Jacoby chuckled, playing along. “My sister’s best friend dyed her hair neon pink. She even did her armpit hairs. I think it was a phase since she’s only sixteen.”

  “Pink?” Raven furrowed his brows. “Well, at least you can excuse it because of her age.”

  The two men turned and started away. Raven thought they were in the clear until Blue Eyes looked at Raven’s wrist. Fuck. The bracelet.

  Blue Eyes’ features darkened, and he raised his hand, a red ball of electricity forming. Raven shoved Werth and then Jacoby out of the way as the ball smacked Raven dead in his chest.

  Werth aimed his shotgun at the men, blasting them as Raven hit the ground, rolling onto his side in pain. The bracelet might’ve saved him, but Jet should’ve warned him how badly getting shocked would hurt.

  If he ever ran into Blue Eyes again, Raven would rip the bastard’s throat out. If felt as if he’d gotten hit with a sledgehammer.

  “They’re gone,” Werth said as he looked around.

  “Get to the car,” Raven sputtered as he rubbed his sternum. “I don’t want them finding Jet and Poppy.”

  Werth took off as Jacoby helped Raven to his feet. “Mind telling me what those men were?” He narrowed his eyes at Raven. “I don’t like being played for a fucking fool, and that’s exactly what you just did.”

  “I’ll explain later.” Raven hurried toward the car, though running was out of the question. He was barely able to stand upright as it was.

  A relief so profound hit him in the chest, harder than the blast ever could, when he saw rainbow and neon-green hair through the windshield of the car. Raven nearly ripped the car door open to pull Jet into his arms. Never again would he take his mate on this kind of mission. His heart wouldn’t be able to take the strain. It was already beating erratically from that blast he’d taken. What he needed was to shift and rest from the blow.

  Just as soon as he thought of a damn good lie to tell the cops. Then he needed to get his mate and Poppy home.

  Chapter Five

  They’d made it out of Brac Village with half-truths that the cops thankfully believed. Even so, Jet couldn’t stop checking out the window every few minutes.

  “Are you sure it was Alston and Sindri?” Jet asked his cousin. “Are you sure it was them?”

  Of course King Arion had sent his two deadliest guards. Normally Alston and Sindri were reserved for the most heinous of crimes. Why would Arion send them for a simple realm breach? That made no sense to him.

  Poppy nodded his head as he poked around Raven’s living room. “I know because I dated Alston once. And we both know Sindri is never too far from him.”

  Jet gaped at Poppy. “You dated Alston? Are you out of your mind?”

  “What?” Poppy stopped looking through Raven’s bookshelf and turned. “He’s hot.”

  “He’s deadly,” Jet said between clenched teeth.

  “Who are these two guys?” Raven asked as he brought a mug of tea to Jet, who appreciated the gesture. His nerves were wound tight, and he couldn’t seem to relax after what had just happened.

  Raven slid his arm around Jet’s waist and pulled him close, careful of the hot cup in his hand. “You need to sit down. This pacing isn’t good for you, and you still aren’t fully recovered.”

  “I keep telling him that,” Poppy said. He took his shoes off and sat on the couch, tucking his legs under him as he rested his head on the arm. “He never listens to me.”

  Jet narrowed his eyes. “You never once told me to sit down.”

  “I was thinking it,” Poppy countered.

  “Speaking of thinking.” Jet took a sip of his tea and sighed at how good it tasted. There was just enough honey in it to make it sweet, but not too sweet. “Do you remember when I left your house the last time I visited?”

  Poppy nodded. “That tea looks delicious.”

  Raven kissed Jet on his temple. “I guess I can make him a cup since he did need rescuing.”

  “Thanks!” Poppy gave Raven a goofy grin.

  When Raven was gone, Jet turned to his cousin. “Did I just leave, or was there something suspicious about it?”

  “You sort of shimmered…or you just walked away. I wasn’t really paying that much attention.” He tapped his chin with his finger. “On second thought, I saw a silhouette move from the side of my house. It just kind of faded away like a shadow when the clouds move in. I just thought I was seeing things because it was a sunny day.”

  What type of creatures just faded away like a shadow? Jet had no idea. When Raven returned and handed Poppy his mug, he asked his mate if he knew of anyone who could do that.

  Raven shook his head. “I’ve never heard of that.”

  Great. Jet was back to square one.

  Raven grabbed his hand. His mate looked at Poppy as he pulled Jet behind him toward the hallway. “You’re welcome to the couch. I have to make sure Jet gets his rest.”


  “And feed him,” Poppy called out as they entered the hallway. “He tends to forget to eat.” Poppy hurried to the hallway, making Raven stop as they both looked over their shoulders. “Hey, can I help myself to something, too? I’m starving after that fiasco.”

  Raven waved a hand. “Eat whatever, but clean up after yourself.”

  Poppy was gone before Raven finished what he was saying. Jet smiled. He was newly mated, and all he could think about was getting Raven into bed, but he loved having his cousin around. At least with Poppy here, Jet could keep a closer eye on him.

  “Are you really making me rest?” Jet asked when they entered the bedroom.

  Raven closed the door and pinned Jet to it, kissing him so fiercely that Jet thought he would run out of air. He guessed the kiss answered his question. Raven had just wanted to get him alone.

  Jet dropped to his knees and yanked Raven’s jeans and underwear down his hairy thighs. He rubbed his cheek against Raven’s powerful leg, luxuriating in the feel of the hair against his skin.

  In the dark realm, Jet had felt so invisible, so alone. That was why he risked his visits to Poppy’s. His cousin had made him feel wanted and had brightened Jet’s day.

  And now Raven did the same, but in a more intimate way. In a more special way, and Jet loved how much Raven wanted him. For the first time in his life, besides when he visited Poppy, he felt as if he was being seen and not an annoyance to be around.

  “You gonna kneel there and snuggle my leg all night?”

  When Jet looked up, Raven was smiling. His mate wasn’t rushing him, just making Jet aware of what he was doing. He wanted to thank Raven for not turning his back on him, for not trying to kill him when he found out what Jet was.

  But he kept the words trapped behind his lips as he kissed his way up Raven’s thighs then swallowed the man’s cock down his throat. Raven hissed and bucked his hips as his hands came down on Jet’s hair.

  Jet loved the sounds Raven was making as he licked and sucked the man’s cock. Those sounds were music to his ears because he was the one making Raven so needy. He was bringing his mate pleasure, sharing in something so intimate.

  “God, those fucking lips,” Raven moaned. “Don’t stop your talented tongue.”

  Jet didn’t plan on it. Instead of verbally telling Raven how thankful he was, Jet poured all his emotions into what he was doing. He licked up one side of his mate’s length then worked his way down the other, stopping long enough to nuzzle Raven’s balls.

  He smiled when Raven whimpered. He wasn’t moving fast enough for his wolf shifter, but Raven could handle the sensual torture. Not that Jet was trying to torture him. He just wanted to get well acquainted with every inch of his mate’s body.

  “You’re killing me, Rainbow,” Raven gritted out. “Stop teasing me.”

  Jet chuckled. “My poor baby isn’t getting his cock sucked fast enough?”

  Raven tightened his fist in Jet’s hair. “Something like that.”

  Having mercy on his mate, Jet went back to sucking the man’s cock, swallowing Raven down as far as he could take the length then sliding the flat of his tongue up as he pulled back.

  “Fuck, you’re going too damn slow,” Raven growled. He picked Jet up from under his arms and tossed him on the bed. Jet laughed as Raven flipped him to his hands and knees and pulled his pants and underwear down his legs.

  He made quick work of stretching Jet before he drove his cock deep inside Jet’s ass. They groaned in unison before Raven grabbed Jet’s hips and pounded into him.

  Jet didn’t keep quiet, although he knew his cousin was down the hall. He would never hide how Raven made him feel as his mate made love to him.

  “Fuck, you’re loud.” But Raven didn’t slow his pace. He blanketed Jet’s back and nipped his ear. “And I love it.”

  Jet shivered and neared to his orgasm the more Raven licked at the point of his ear. It was an erogenous zone for fae. The tips of their ears were an area that heightened them, turned them on, and quickly brought them closer to their climax. Jet wasn’t sure if that was true for all fae, but it was definitely true for him.

  “Raven,” he whimpered.

  “I love when you say my name,” he murmured into Jet’s ear. His voice had grown deeper, huskier, telling Jet his mate was close to the edge, too.

  When he sank his canines into Jet’s shoulder, Jet’s body erupted into more pleasure than he was able to handle. He writhed and bucked, crying out Raven’s name over and over again.

  Raven removed his canines and licked the wound, howling out his own pleasure as his cock throbbed in Jet’s ass.

  Jet collapsed to the bed, forcing Raven’s cock from his body. His mate fell beside him, kissing Jet’s temple. Jet felt deliciously sore as Raven made circular patterns on his back.

  He curled into his mate, content and sated. Jet had never been happier in his life. He hated not knowing what had happened in that two-week span, but a part of him was glad it had happened. It had brought him to Raven, and Jet would never regret that.

  * * * *

  His mate accepted the small slice of meat and cheese Raven handed him as they shared a step on the back porch. The sun was setting, and the view was gorgeous. A plate of summer sausage and Colby-Jack cheese sat between them, as well as Raven’s favorite knife.

  This wasn’t a bad way to spend a Friday night. Raven enjoyed going into town and hanging out at Tilted, but this was so much better, especially since Jet was sharing this moment with him.

  “This is so amazing.” Jet bit into his snack. “We don’t have views like this in my realm. Everything is so dark all the time. I mean the sun shines there, but the trees are so thick in numbers that the brightness can barely penetrate through the canopy above.” He smiled at Raven. “And we definitely don’t have summer sausage and cheese.”

  Raven brushed his fingers over Jet’s neck. His mate still looked well-fucked, radiant, and glowing. How long had it been since Raven had looked out for someone other than himself? How long had it been since Jet had anyone looking out for him? Even though they were mated now, every so often over the past four days, Raven had caught a lonely, far-off look in Jet’s eyes.

  His mate had already confessed to Raven that his parents had treated him as if he’d been invisible. That had to have made for one lonely fucking existence. Raven had had the opposite problem. His father had paid too much attention to him, always demanding more out of Raven, always expecting him to be the exemplary leader for their pack.

  Raven might have been able to deal with those demands. But when his father told him he had to pick a woman to be at his side, to produce an heir, Raven had drawn the line, and no amount of arguing from his father would ever change that.

  “Fine,” Raven had argued late one night. “You need a new woman at your side since mom has passed away. Why don’t you take a guy to your bed? Would you do it for the good of our pack?”

  That had been the wrong thing to say. His dad had backhanded Raven so hard that Raven had flown across the room and slammed into the wall.

  “You will not speak of such vile things to me!” His father moved to where Raven was sprawled out on the floor and shouted at him.

  With anger igniting inside him, Raven snarled, “Exactly! I would no more ask you to go against your nature than you should ask me to go against mine. I’m gay, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

  Then his father had had the audacity to suggest Raven take a male lover to appease his depravities.

  Depravities. What a fucking dick.

  Even now, three decades later, Raven’s jaw still clenched at the memory of the last time he’d seen his father. Even if he’d become destitute and homeless, Raven would never return to his pack.

  Ever.

  “Hey.” Jet bumped his arm against Raven’s leg. “Where’d you go? You got this murderous look on your face.”

  Raven moved the tray out of the way and pulled Jet onto his lap. He buried his face in his mate’
s hair and inhaled deeply. The scent of Jet settled his soul. “I’m right here with you, Rainbow.”

  Jet curled into Raven’s chest and sighed. Raven’s mate would never be invisible again. Not with Raven at his side. He brushed his hand over Jet’s hair, playing with the strands as the sun sank lower in the sky.

  Jet slapped at his arm. “Darn mosquitoes. Even the bugs think my blood is too sweet to pass up.”

  Raven frowned. “What does that mean?”

  His mate looked up at him with those pretty amber eyes. “You don’t know about fairy blood?”

  Raven shook his head.

  Jet sighed. “Our blood is sweet and irresistible. If you were a vampire, I’d be worried. I’ve heard horror stories about fairies being drained.”

  That was…that was fucked up. “I thought you didn’t like the word fairy.”

  Jet shrugged. “Not just fae blood. Elves, too. Preternatural, especially vampires, are drawn to it.”

  Raven hadn’t known that. “I don’t think you have to worry about me trying to drain you dry. I’m not really into drinking blood.” The thought actually nauseated him.

  Jet gave him a friendly elbow in the ribs. “If you tried, I’d shimmer you to the bottom of the ocean.”

  “If you had your powers.” Raven nipped Jet’s ear. “Besides, you and I remember the ocean a bit differently.”

  Jet blushed. “I haven’t forgotten. I still have sand in unmentionable places.”

  Raven chuckled. “Liar. I’ve been near your unmentionables with my mouth and cock since then, and I can guarantee you’re free of sand.”

  Jet wrinkled his nose, and Raven wanted to kiss that look right off the man’s face. “It isn’t that gross.”

  “No, it isn’t,” Jet agreed as he blushed. “I just wish you hadn’t said that in front of Poppy.”

  Looking over his shoulder, Raven saw Poppy standing by the back door, a small bag of chips in his hand.

  Poppy stuffed one into his mouth then licked his fingers. “You two can keep talking dirty. Don’t stop on my account.”

  Raven threw a slice of sausage at the screen door. “Mind your own business.”