by Lynn Hagen
“Don’t,” he said to Raven. “I’ll go with them.”
“The hell we will!” Poppy jumped across the table and ran behind Moose. “I’d rather die than go back with them, and you’re not going anywhere with them, either.”
“Your death can be arranged,” Sindri sneered.
“The hell it can,” Raven growled. “Come anywhere near my mate, and I’ll gut you both.”
“You’re interfering with a mating,” Cyril said as his claws slid free. “Take Jet and the Ultionem will come after you.”
Sindri’s eyes were still narrowed, but he looked as though he was mulling it over. Alston placed a hand on his partner’s arm. “King Arion will be enraged if we bring that kind of power down on him.”
Sindri appeared pissed as his jaw clenched. “This isn’t over. You’ve violated the king’s law of not leaving the realm. You’ve also violated Panahasi’s decree, as well.” He looked at Poppy who was peeking out from behind Moose. “But Poppy isn’t mated, so we’re taking him with us.”
Moose snarled, towering over the guards. “I’m his mate, and if you touch him, I’ll fucking eviscerate you both.”
Jet’s brows shot up. Moose was mated to the sheriff. What the hell was he talking about? If Arion went to the Ultionem with the charges, and they found out Moose was lying, the giant would be in serious trouble. Why would he put his neck on the line for Poppy, a guy he’d just met?
No one flinched at the lie. Not even Poppy. He stood there holding Moose’s hand as he looked everywhere but at the two fae.
“Is that true?” Alston asked. “Is he your mate, Poppy?”
Poppy shrugged. “It’s what Jet said.”
“Leave,” Cyril demanded. “Or do I need to call Prince Christian?”
“No, we’re going.” Alston grabbed Sindri’s arm and pulled him back.
Jet was shocked as hell that they were backing down. They were the two deadliest Unseelie, and they were shimmering away. What the stupid luck was going on?
As soon as the guards were gone, the diner went right back to normal. The din of talking reached Jet’s ears as people began to move again. The woman pouring syrup cursed and set the bottle aside. Half the contents was on her waffles, soaking them in a sea of brown thickness.
“You three,” Cyril said as he waved behind him. “Get in my kitchen, now.”
Jet grabbed Raven’s hand as they marched into the kitchen.
Chapter Seven
“We bought some time, but I have a feeling those two will be back.” Cyril leaned against the counter, crossing his arms. “Mind telling me what the fuck is going on?”
“Not really,” Raven said. He couldn’t let Cyril or Moose know that Jet and Poppy were Unseelie. He didn’t care how pissed the black panther became. Raven wasn’t betraying his mate.
Cyril pushed from the counter and bared his canines. “I just had two Unseelie guards in my diner, and you don’t think I deserve to know why?”
Raven was taken aback that Cyril knew what those men were. If he knew that, then he was fully aware what Jet and Poppy were. His hackles rose as he moved to stand in front of his mate. He grabbed Poppy’s hand and yanked the neon-green-haired man behind him, too.
Cyril narrowed his eyes. “You seriously think I would hurt either of them?”
Raven wasn’t entirely sure, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He glanced toward Moose, who had walked into the kitchen behind them and was currently standing by the stove.
Moose held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Don’t even think that thought, Raven. I might be large, but I’ve never hurt anyone who didn’t have it coming, and I’ve definitely never hurt a mate.”
“Relax,” Cyril said in a quieter tone. “Their secret is safe with us. We just want to know what the fuck is going on.”
Jet stepped from around Raven, even when Raven tried to stop him. The little shit was fast. “I left the dark realm, even after King Arion had forbidden it.” He waved to Poppy, who had peeked out from behind Raven. “My cousin no longer lives there. He’s been in hiding for some years, so he’s also broken the law.”
“They don’t perform dark magic,” Raven said with a snarl. “They’re no threat to anyone.”
Poppy raised his hand. “I do, against the critters that keep attacking my garden. But I don’t hurt them. I just make them go away. So, it’s not really dark magic. It’s a spell to keep away unwanted pests.”
Raven noticed how Cyril was trying to hide his smile. “I believe you.”
Moose scratched at his jaw. “What’s an Unseelie?”
“Cyril will explain it to you,” Raven said. “Right now I want to get Jet and Poppy home.”
“But what if those guys come back?” Cyril asked. “You need protection.”
“I can have Darren or Malik come over,” Moose said. “I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.”
Raven shook his head. “I’m not asking the nonhuman deputies to take time off work to come babysit me. I can handle Frick and Frack.”
“Really?” Cyril narrowed his eyes. “They made all the humans in the diner into statues. Can you do that? What if they try that little trick on you? How’re you gonna help Jet and Poppy if you’re frozen? Just because we threatened them with the Ultionem doesn’t mean they’ll stay gone long. And even if you report them, I’m pretty sure the king will send others. Dark fairies aren’t known for taking orders from outsiders.” He looked at Poppy and Jet. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Poppy said.
“Fae,” Jet corrected. “We’re fae, not fairies.”
Poppy raised his hand again. “Between me and Jet, we can place some spells over Raven’s house and his garage. Nothing evil, just a larger keep away the pests spell so Sindri and Alston can’t locate us.”
Raven looked down at Jet. “Can you do that?”
Jet shrugged. “I’m not sure. I haven’t tried anything that large before, and with what happened to me, I don’t know if I even can.”
Raven still wanted to piece together Jet’s two weeks, but right now, his main priority was keeping Jet and Poppy safe.
“We’ll still be checking on you,” Cyril said. “You’re a part of Maple Grove, and we nonhumans stick together.”
“And humans,” Moose added. “We do have human mates and friends.”
Cyril nodded. “You know damn well I was including them.”
Raven hadn’t been a part of a community in a very long time. Not since he’d walked away from his pack. And even then most of them wouldn’t have gone out of their way to help him.
His father thought he had a strong pack, but in truth, most just steered clear of Robert McCoy for fear of his wrath. They hadn’t been united in a very long time, even before Raven had taken off.
And it was nice to know he had friends who stood by his side and would have his back. “I appreciate it.”
Moose grinned. “No problem. I’ll get ahold of Russell, Ben, and Milo, too. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind helping out a friend in need.”
Raven frowned. “Who the hell are Ben and Milo?”
“Some guys who just made Maple Grove their home,” Moose said. “Ben is a wolf shifter, and Milo is a jaguar.”
“Thanks for clearing that up,” Raven groused.
Cyril rolled his eyes. “What he’s saying is that you’ll have people keeping an eye on your place.”
That made Raven feel better. He would fight to the death to keep Jet and Poppy safe, but in the back of his mind, he knew going up against two dark fae guards would probably get him killed. And Raven didn’t like feeling fucking helpless. He hated the fact that the two guards had magic on their side, while Raven had only his brute strength.
“Go finish having your breakfast,” Cyril said. “I don’t think those two will bother you while you’re here.”
Raven had lost his appetite, but Jet and Poppy hurried out of the kitchen. Since they were out of earshot, Raven asked Moose, “Why’d you lie about Poppy being your m
ate?”
Moose shook his head. “I have no idea, but I couldn’t stomach the thought of those assholes hauling that little guy away. But now that I know their story, why should anyone be punished for living where they want to live? It just isn’t fair that they can’t come and go as they please.”
Raven agreed. He grinned. “I’m so gonna tell Grayson that you said Poppy was your mate.”
Moose narrowed his eyes. “Not if you like your spleen where it is.” He looked at Raven and Cyril. “Not a fucking word to my mate about what I said.”
Cyril held up his hands, smiling. “I’m not saying a word.”
Raven slapped Moose on his huge arm. “As many solid favors as you’ve done me, I wouldn’t drop a dime on you.”
He was so dropping a dime on Moose.
* * * *
“I got a job!” Poppy announced three days after the incident at the diner.
Jet was seated in Raven’s office while his mate worked on a car that sounded as though it were dying. Raven had been working hard the past three days to get caught up on his work, and Jet wished there was something he could do to help. His mate looked exhausted every night when he closed up his shop, and Jet hated that Raven was working so hard.
Jet jumped up and closed the office door before he swirled and pinned Poppy with an angry glare. “You’re not supposed to leave the house. If Raven finds out, he’s gonna kill you.”
Poppy leaned in close and whispered, “Then don’t tell him.” He straightened and huffed. “I’m a free spirit who won’t let the fae guards keep me down. I can’t be trapped inside a house for days on end. It’s driving me crazy, Jet.”
Jet looked out the large window to make sure Raven was still under the hood of the ugly orange car before he turned to his cousin. “And how do you plan on working this new job without Raven finding out?”
“Well…” Poppy scratched his head. “That’s a really good question, but it’s a great job, Jet. And I’ve already accepted it. I start tomorrow morning.”
His cousin looked so happy, and Jet didn’t want to rain on his parade, but Poppy needed to see that they were in real danger and he couldn’t shimmer in and out whenever he wanted to. What if Sindri and Alston found him? What if they grabbed Poppy and took him back to their realm? Jet would be beside himself if anything happened to his cousin.
And he told Poppy all that.
“I’ve been living on my own for years,” Poppy argued. “I can handle myself.” He looked toward the floor then at the wall. “Besides, I may or may not have been practicing my spells to make myself more powerful.”
“Poppy!” Jet grabbed his cousin’s upper arms. “Why have you been using dark spells?”
Poppy yanked his arms away. “Because I cherish my freedom. I haven’t used them against anyone except the vermin in my garden. But if someone found me, I wanted to be able to defend myself or, at the very least, buy some time to get away. That was how I eluded Sindri and Alston when they invaded my house.”
Jet didn’t like this. Not one damn bit. Poppy was mediocre at best when it came to using spells. Jet was surprised his cousin hadn’t accidently shimmered himself to another planet, even if he was trying to get better at his dark magic.
“The only reason you probably got away from your house is because you dated Alston. He probably made some noise to alert you rather than one of your spells working against two fae guards who are a lot more powerful than you and can easily counter your spells.”
“You weren’t saying that when we used those spells to protect this property.” Poppy narrowed his blue eyes. “I’m really sorry for whatever happened to you, Jet. I really am. And if there is any way I can help you piece those two weeks together, I will. But I left the realm for my freedom, and I’m not going to let you or anyone else take that from me.”
Before Jet could argue any further, Poppy shimmered away. Jet shouted to the ceiling, letting his anger and frustration out. Unfortunately, that made Raven run into the office.
“What’s wrong?” He looked around as if danger were in the room.
“Poppy,” Jet snapped. “He’s so stubborn sometimes.” Although Jet completely understood Poppy’s point, that didn’t remove the fact that they were still in danger.
He told Raven about their conversation. Raven leaned against the desk, spreading his legs and pulling Jet between them. He curled his arms around Jet’s waist.
“Rainbow, you can’t stop Poppy. He’s an adult. As much as I would love to keep him here and protected, you can’t protect someone who doesn’t want it.”
“But he looks at the world through rose-colored glasses,” Jet argued. “He thinks just because he hasn’t been caught in all this time that he’s safe, but he’s not. The guards might not know where in Maple Grove we are, but they’ve found the town. It’s only a matter of time before they find out where Poppy is, where I am.”
“I’m not going to let them take you from me,” Raven said as he tugged on a strand of Jet’s hair. “As far as Poppy goes, like you said, he hasn’t been caught in all this time. Give him some credit for knowing how to take care of himself.”
Jet didn’t like this one bit. Raven should’ve been pissed and plotting how to keep Poppy here. His mate wasn’t supposed to be on Poppy’s side. But dammit, Raven and Poppy were right, even if Jet wanted to chain his cousin to the couch.
“I’m just afraid they’ll catch him.”
“I know. This is a fucked-up situation all around.” He pressed a kiss to Jet’s forehead. “But I’ve decided to file a formal complaint with the Ultionem. Those guards are interfering with our mating, and that’s the leaders’ number-one rule. I don’t like going to them, but I begrudgingly admit that I can’t take Sindri and Alston on my own.”
Jet knew that took a lot for someone like Raven to admit. His mate was definitely an alpha-type male, and it had to be a blow to his ego to say that. But Jet would rather have Raven realize that instead of trying to take the guards on and be killed.
He touched the bracelet that was still on Raven’s wrist. “Promise me you won’t take this off, for anything.”
It wouldn’t protect Raven if both guards attacked with a killing spell, but if only one of them used it, Raven should be safe. It was the one protection spell Jet was good at, but when it came to his mate’s life, he wasn’t one hundred percent sure about anything.
“I promise not to take it off.” Raven pulled him even closer and brushed his lips over Jet’s. The kiss wasn’t demanding, but it still ignited want and need inside him. Jet would never, ever get enough of his wolf.
He ran his hands up Raven’s strong arms and settled them on his mate’s shoulder as Raven slanted his head and took the kiss deeper. Oh god. Jet would melt from the heat pulsing inside him. He would turn into a puddle of goo if Raven kept kissing him that way.
Like Jet mattered.
When they broke apart, Jet felt lightheaded. He brushed his fingers over the collar of Raven’s blue work shirt as his lips tingled. “You smell like oil.”
Raven grinned, showing off a set of bright, beautiful teeth. “That’s not always a bad thing.”
“No it’s not.” Jet nipped Raven’s chin, running the tip of his tongue over the hairs on his mate’s jaw. Raven gave a small growl as he gripped Jet’s hips. “It makes you smell manly, and I adore a guy who smells masculine. It gets me all hot and horny.”
One of Raven’s brows arched as his grin turned lopsided. “Oh yeah? Should I go into the bay and drench myself in oil?”
“Not that manly.” Jet ran his fingers over Raven’s throat. “You have the perfect combination right now. No need to unbalance it.” He slid his hands down Raven’s arms. God, Jet loved touching his mate. He loved being in Raven’s powerful arms. Everything about his mate turned him on. Add to the fact that Raven had saved his life and hadn’t batted an eye when he found out Jet was Unseelie and Jet was putty in the man’s hands.
Raven gripped Jet’s ass, bringing him impossib
ly closer as he stole the very breath from Jet’s lungs with a toe-curling kiss. Raven explored Jet’s mouth with his tongue, gripped Jet’s ass tighter, and yanked Jet deeper between his outstretched legs.
It was as if Jet were drowning in everything Raven. His smell. His touch. His lips. His body. And that gorgeous fucking smile.
He’d known the wolf shifter only a week, but already Jet felt as though he was falling hard for him. He didn’t want to imagine a world without Raven in it. That would be too unbearable. Raven was coming to mean so much to him.
For the first time in Jet’s life, he felt wanted.
He reached between them and unfastened Raven’s dark blue work pants. A smile curled the side of his mate’s mouth as Jet fisted the man’s cock.
In a deep, guttural voice, Raven asked, “What do you plan on doing with that, Rainbow?”
With a smirk, Jet bent over and sucked the head into his mouth. Raven hissed and gathered Jet’s hair into a fist as his hips punched upward. Jet used the flat of his tongue to bring his mate pleasure.
“Fuuuuck.” Raven leaned farther back as his hold on Jet’s hair tightened.
When Jet glanced up at his mate, Raven’s eyes were heavy-lidded as he stared at what Jet was doing.
“Hang on.” Raven pulled away, leaving Jet whimpering. His mate pulled the shade to the window down, locked the office door, and then went to the chair behind the desk. He pulled his pants and underwear down to his thighs and sat.
Jet moved around the desk, dropped to his knees, and took Raven’s cock back into his mouth.
“Better,” Raven moaned. “So much fucking better.”
Jet grinned around the hard flesh before doubling his efforts. He loved the taste of Raven, loved the saltiness as he took the cock down his throat.
“Shit!” Raven thrust in short bursts, fucking Jet’s mouth. “I’m already close, Rainbow.”
Jet palmed Raven’s balls and massaged them in his hand, tugging on the sensitive flesh as Raven shot down his throat, grunting and yanking on Jet’s hair as he came.