Without a Trace

by Lynn Hagen

  Chapter Six

  Lincoln felt the moment Red shut down on him and detached from the intimacy. He was about to make this all about sex, no strings attached, and fuck if Lincoln was going to let his mate turn this into something meaningless.

  He’d been waiting for this moment for a month, had played things cool, had given Red the space he’d clearly needed. But tonight was about claiming what was his.

  Lincoln would make Red want him deeper than just physical. He knew Red felt the pull, or he wouldn’t have been finding excuses for the past few days to be around him.

  But it was more than that. For the past month there had been an attraction between them. Even when Red ran from him, he always came back around, as if he couldn’t stay away.

  Lincoln wanted to know about those scars, wanted to know everything about Red—what made him tick, kept him up at night, his dreams, where he’d been and where he saw his future.

  His mate stripped off his pants, and Lincoln had to bite back a curse. His left thigh had a deep, jagged scar, as if someone had stabbed him and twisted the knife to keep the wound open.

  Red stood and pressed his naked body into Lincoln. He curled his arms around Lincoln’s neck and pulled him down for another heated kiss, and Lincoln went without hesitation. He couldn’t get enough of kissing his mate, of touching him, of being so close he wanted to crush the guy against him.

  He gripped Red’s bare ass, squeezing his tender flesh, grinding his denim-covered cock into Red’s. The friction made Lincoln’s tiger purr. Lincoln punched his hips forward, running his hand through Red’s brownish-red hair.

  “Need you naked,” Red gasped as he tilted his head, giving more room for Lincoln to nibble along his neck. His fingers dug into Lincoln’s biceps.

  When Lincoln pulled back, Red lowered himself to his knees. He unsnapped Lincoln’s jeans and lowered the zipper. Red watched Lincoln carefully, his eyes rooted on him as his fingers dipped below the waistband of the underwear and skimmed over the heated flesh.

  Lincoln’s mate smiled up at him, licking his lips. Lincoln’s eyes became heavy-lidded, his jaw in a tight grip as Red lowered his underwear, revealing the hard erection. Gliding his fingers down the fully erect cock, Red leaned forward and placed a kiss on the tip.

  Fuck. Lincoln hissed and shuddered, closing his eyes briefly before snapping them back open.

  He glided his hand in Red’s hair as he watched. Red wasn’t about to give him a quick suck-off. Lincoln wasn’t going to let him keep this casual or detached. Not while he watched Red slide his tongue over the veins of his cock. Red licked a hot trail along the side of Lincoln’s cock, and then he took the length into his mouth, sucking vigorously.

  Lincoln punched his hips, fisting Red’s hair. He wanted Red to bring him off so badly he was practically shaking with the need.

  Holy fuck. The way Red looked up at him Lincoln was spellbound. Lincoln was burning up, trembling, his orgasm cresting as Red used his tongue as a weapon.

  God, Lincoln was right there, and all he wanted to do was pound into his mate’s mouth and tear that orgasm right out of his body. Ever since he discovered that Red was his mate, Lincoln hadn’t had sex with anyone else.

  He wanted to take this slow, to cherish every second because this was the first time with Red, but the way his mate worked Lincoln’s cock in his mouth, using his lashing tongue, tugging at Lincoln’s nuts, and probing at the slit in the head, no fucking way could he hold back.

  Red-hot tendrils of fire licked up Lincoln’s spine. He clenched his jaw, gripping Red’s hair harder, knowing he could take it, but with the savage way Lincoln felt, he was ready to burst free.

  He didn’t have to encourage Red to do a damn thing. His mate worked him like a pro, wringing Lincoln from the inside out. Lincoln’s cock pulsed in his mate’s mouth, and when Red gently scraped his teeth along Lincoln’s dick—skin so sensitive that every touch was torture—Lincoln’s canines descended as he threw his head back and came down Red’s throat.

  Pulses of cum were ripped from Lincoln’s balls. He jerked his hips forward as Red swallowed every last drop.

  With a snarl, Lincoln tore his shirt off then yanked back, pulling his cock from Red’s mouth.

  Red smiled up at him, a teasing smile, as if he knew exactly what he’d done to Lincoln, then his smile wobbled and fell.

  Lincoln’s canines. They hadn’t retracted. They stood boldly in his mouth. They locked eyes as Lincoln waited to see his mate’s reaction.

  He wasn’t gonna lie. He was nervous. His worst fear was that Red would run and everything that had led to this over the past month would be ruined.

  “What species?” Red cocked his head to the side while continuing to stare at Lincoln’s mouth.

  Shocked, Lincoln replied, “Bengal tiger.”

  Red grinned. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t say gazelle or bunny. That would’ve been adorable, but…” A chuckle escaped. “That wouldn’t have been my cup of tea. You’re built stronger than that.” He nodded. “Bengal tiger. Nice.”

  “How do you know?”

  “About shifters?” Red shrugged. “I’ve been in dark places on the internet. For the lame, it’s called the dark web. You’d be amazed at what you’ll find there. It’s not a place you’d want to be, though. Some really shady characters hang out there.”

  “Like you?” The side of Lincoln’s mouth twitched.

  Red walked away, and Lincoln’s gaze zeroed in on his ass.

  “We’re not going to pretend I’m not a computer genius. We both know the truth. I like to test my skills, see what I can get into without detection. I poke around in a lot of places because I’m curious by nature.”

  Red had just given Lincoln one of his many secrets. The layers were finally being peeled back, and Lincoln found his mate intriguing.

  Lincoln sat on his bed and removed his shoes then stood and finished undressing. They might be talking, something that was long overdue, but he still planned on claiming his mate.

  That hadn’t changed.

  “Is Mercy a shifter?” Red walked casually around Lincoln’s bedroom, looking at the books on his shelves, opening drawers, and peeking into his closet.

  “No. He was adopted when he was young. My mom’s best friend died of cancer, and she took Mercy in and gave him a home since he didn’t have any other living relatives.”

  Lincoln stretched out on the bed, resting on one elbow, and watched as his mate explored his bedroom. How many times had Lincoln imagined Red being there, in his bed, naked and begging Lincoln to fuck him?

  Too many times to count.

  But he’d never imagined his mate talking so matter of fact as he opened the fancy tin can and looked inside. Red smiled. “You collect change.”

  “It comes in handy and adds up,” Lincoln said. “Did you know that we throw away around sixty-two million coins every year?”

  “Yes.”

  Of course the genius knew that.

  Red wandered to the bed and crawled onto it. “So, tell me what I don’t know about shifters.”

  “Tell me what you saw on the dark web.”

  Red shoved Lincoln to his back and straddled him. Even though Lincoln had just come, his cock hardened at the sight of Red atop him.

  “They like to buy something called liquid wrath, though I could never find out what that was. There’s a private chat group that you have to be invited into that contains nothing but shifters. They buy guns, drugs, and more sinister things that I prefer to forget.”

  Lincoln would have to tell the Ultionem about the chat group. Only because of what liquid wrath did to nonhumans. Vampires succumbed to bloodlust, killing anyone they attacked. The drug masked a shifter’s scent, gave them a high, and made them extremely aggressive.

  The list went on, and none of it was pretty.

  “You know shifters exist. Is that the extent of your knowledge?” Lincoln placed his hands on Red’s hips. His mate’s cock was erect and so damn inviting.
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  “That about sums it up.” Red nodded.

  “Most nonhumans are just like everyone else. All we want is a home, a normal life, and a family. We coexist in peace, but you have your bad apples in every species. That’s why we have leaders who police preternatural. They’re called the Ultionem.”

  “Just shifters exist?” Red slid his hand up Lincoln’s chest then leaned forward and rested on his forearms.

  “No.” Lincoln was finding it hard to concentrate with Red wiggling his ass. “Vampires, demons, fae, and a lot more.”

  Red looked as if he was mulling that over. He wasn’t freaking out, which most humans did. It was as if he was using his genius brain to break things down and analyze them.

  “We also have something called mates.” This was important for Red to know since he was Lincoln’s. He’d planned on claiming Red, but Lincoln had a feeling his mate liked to be informed of things, and Lincoln didn’t want to bind Red to him without the guy fully knowing what was going on.

  “And what is that?” Red twisted his lips to the side. “Is that kind of like soul mates?”

  The guy was very intuitive. “Sort of. We feel something called the pull. It attracts us to our mates. An unseen force that pulls at our very core. Mates are handpicked by fate for a certain nonhuman, and when they have sex, they solder their souls together.”

  It took all of five seconds for Red to narrow his eyes. The guy was too fucking smart. “I’m your mate, aren’t I?”

  Lincoln’s heart kicked up a notch when he nodded.

  “And we’re about to do the nasty and bind ourselves to each other, aren’t we?”

  His mate was stretched out over him, their bodies aligned. Lincoln brushed a hand down Red’s back. “Tell me about your scars.”

  Red tried to roll away, but Lincoln hooked an arm around him and pulled him back. “Don’t run from me. Trust me, Red. Please.”

  Lincoln wasn’t sure if Red was conscious of the fact that he’d touched the two bullet wounds. “Did a favor for a friend and nearly died.”

  “How long ago?”

  “Several months ago.”

  When his mate first arrived on the ranch, he’d been quiet, reserved, and jumpy. Now Lincoln understood why.

  “Got stabbed in the thigh and shot twice in the chest. I crawled out, and some guy found me, took me home, and saved my life. I was fucked up in the head, still am, and took off without even thanking him.”

  Lincoln curled his arms around Red and crushed his mate to his chest. If that stranger hadn’t found Red, fuck, Lincoln would’ve lost him without even knowing he existed.

  Now he also knew why Red had reacted the way he had when Lincoln had shot that coyote. The sound of gunfire must have triggered those memories.

  “I’m keeping a low profile so no one knows I’m alive,” Red said. “Just in case the men who did this come after me. I’ve disappeared without a trace, no body, no proof that I’m still living and breathing.”

  “Do you know who the guys were?”

  “No clue,” Red said. “Thugs who wanted the thumb drive I was trying to crack. I never caught a name.”

  Pressing his palms into Lincoln’s chest, Red reared back. His eyes were bright and sparkling as he slid his ass over Lincoln’s cock. “Enough talk, handsome. Fuck me and make me yours.”

  Lincoln furrowed his brows. “Are you sure? You’ve been running from me at every turn. Why the change of heart?”

  Not that Lincoln was trying to talk his mate out of being claimed. He just wanted to see where Red’s head was.

  Red shrugged. “That hand job with you and the fight with Jason. I’ve just been thinking lately that I want my old self back. Not that I want to announce to the world that Redford Cohen still walks the earth, but it’s time I started enjoying life.”

  “Cohen?”

  “I faked my last name. It’s not Wailing.”

  Lincoln chuckled. “You suck at fictitious names.”

  “Hey.” Red slapped Lincoln’s chest. “I couldn’t part with Red. It was my father’s name.”

  Lincoln rolled them, placing Red on his back. He rested his arms on either side of Red’s head and cupped his face. If any of those “thugs” came after his mate, Lincoln would tear them apart.

  He distracted himself from those dark thoughts by reaching between them and fisting Red’s cock. His mate’s eyelids fluttered closed as he shivered.

  Lincoln couldn’t ever remember feeling this needy before, this turned on. The desire in him surged as he leaned sideways and rummaged through his nightstand drawer, snagging the used bottle of lube.

  He wet his fingers and pressed them between Red’s cheeks. His mate sucked in a breath and spread his legs wider as Lincoln inched two fingers into his mate’s ass.

  “Oh fuck,” Red moaned. “I haven’t had my ass played with in forever.”

  Red made him feel raw, wild things. Lincoln didn’t want this moment to end. It was Red he wanted to wake up to every morning and go to bed with every night. The thought of spending a lazy Sunday in bed as they cuddled and watched a movie or made slow, sweet love made Lincoln’s chest hurt.

  A rumbling purr escaped Lincoln. “You like that, sweetheart?”

  “Fuck yeah.” Red’s eyes fluttered closed as he'd begun to thrust his ass downward onto Lincoln’s fingers.

  He scissored his fingers and crooked them, grazing Red’s prostate. His mate whimpered and writhed, clutching Lincoln’s biceps.

  Lincoln pulled back, removing his fingers before he lubed his cock. He locked gazes with Red as he slowly entered the man.

  Red’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he cupped his hands behind his knees and pulled his legs back. His lips parted, and Lincoln wanted to kiss them again. He wanted to kiss every part of the man’s body.

  As he inched inside, Lincoln grabbed Red’s ankles, spreading the man’s legs apart as he watched his body joining with his mate’s.

  The skin hugged him so tightly that his teeth ached from gritting them. He wanted to make this last all night but knew he couldn’t. Red was too much of a temptation, and Lincoln wasn’t going to last that damn long.

  “So fucking good,” Red breathed out.

  Lincoln groaned. “So damn good.”

  He pulled back and then slid inside, slowly at first and then faster. He couldn’t stop himself. His hips began to thrust his cock harder inside Red, the pleasure so damn good he wanted to growl with it.

  His mate was eager, matching Lincoln thrust for thrust. Lincoln took Red’s lips in a blazing kiss.

  Red was so hot, so tight around Lincoln’s cock, the muscles gripping Lincoln like a slick, velvety glove.

  “You kiss like a dream,” Red murmured when their lips parted.

  Lincoln grinned and drove deeper. “That’s because you taste like heaven.”

  Red’s brows furrowed. “Your canines.”

  Lincoln couldn’t help it. He was drowning in lust, in passion, and his tiger was close to the surface. But fear crept its way in. Lincoln didn’t want Red to reject him.

  “Are you afraid, Red?” Lincoln didn’t want this moment ruined.

  As if Red could taste Lincoln’s trepidation, he shook his head and brushed his hands down Lincoln’s arms. “I think you look wild and sexy.”

  Lincoln flexed and was rewarded with a swift intake of air from Red. The man looked reverently at him, and Lincoln never wanted that look to diminish.

  That thought only drove Lincoln to fuck Red faster, harder, and deeper. Red’s skin glimmered with a fine sheen of sweat as he wrapped his legs tightly around Lincoln’s waist.

  Even after our weeks, Lincoln was still in awe that Red had wandered onto his ranch, had come right to him as if fate had guided Red’s way.

  And now he was claiming the man, was buried balls-deep inside his ass—a place he never thought he would be with the way Red had acted for a month.

  He kissed Red again, slowly this time, exploring his mate’s mouth as he punched his
hips forward, sending them closer to their climaxes. Lincoln’s orgasm was cresting, no matter how badly he wanted this to last.

  The kiss broke apart, and Lincoln licked along Red’s shoulder. He stopped where his shoulder met his neck and sank his canines deep. It felt as though something slugged him in the chest, dead center, and gripped him with a stranglehold.

  Red gasped and jerked beneath Lincoln, clinging to him as he cried out. His hold tightened around Lincoln’s cock, the pressure making it almost impossible to move.

  Their souls had soldered together, their connection solidified. Lincoln extracted his teeth and licked the wound. “Mine,” he snarled.

  Lincoln reared back and grabbed Red’s legs, spreading them as he pounded into his mate’s tight ass.

  Then he buried himself and roared his release. His body quivered, and his tiger snarled.

  Red grabbed Lincoln and yanked him down, devouring his lips as the last of Lincoln’s cum emptied into Red’s ass.

  Lincoln eased out of Red’s body and kept kissing his mate as he stretched out beside him, glorying in the fact that he’d claimed his mate.

  When their petting slowed and Red yawned, Lincoln rolled to his back and pulled his mate onto his chest.

  Then he saw it. Looking toward the window, Lincoln saw a reddish-orange glow. He jackknifed to a sitting position when he realized the stables were on fire.

  Chapter Seven

  Red raced into the stables and threw his arms up at the blazing heat. He’d never felt anything so intense.

  “Stay back,” Lincoln yelled at him, but Red was determined to help. He could hear the horses’ panicked whining. There was no damn way he was backing out of the stable and letting Lincoln handle this on his own.

  Shouts erupted behind him as Brett and Roger rushed in to help. Red made his way to Rhinestone’s stall, coughing as his eyes burned. The black stallion kept rearing up, kicking his front legs. Red feared the horse would hurt himself if he didn’t get him out.

  There were five horses in all. Red knew that Lincoln owned Rhinestone and two other horses. The others were being kept there for training.