STORY EXCERPT

“You’re sending me where again?” Klaus glared at Benedict. He must have misheard what the man had said.

“I need you to go and interrogate this witch my son has taken in.” Benedict shook his head. “That boy is always taking in strays, but at least this one might have information on Asher’s whereabouts.”

Klaus kicked his feet up onto Benedict’s shiny desk. He saw the man bristle from his boldness. He had to bite back his smile. Let the man get upset. Klaus was older and had the full respect of the council even if, technically, he worked in the same sector as Benedict. Which kind of made the man his boss.

“I must ask again, what’s this hard-on you have for finding Asher?” Klaus cocked an eyebrow at Benedict. “If you ask me, it all seems rather odd to be wasting the council’s time on a vampire who has been missing for centuries. Who may very well be dead.”

“He’s not dead!” Benedict shouted as he slammed his hand down on his desk, splintering the wood surface.

Well, now they were getting somewhere. Klaus always had his suspicions where the two men were concerned, and Benedict’s behavior just kept fueling that particular fire. He dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward on his elbows. “How do you know? Did you gaze into your crystal ball or some shit?” he taunted the man.

Benedict fidgeted with the papers on his desk, avoiding eye contact with Klaus. “I just know, and let’s leave it at that.” He watched the mask of calm collectiveness slam back into place. “Like I stated earlier, I’m sending you to a town called Branson, Missouri. That is where my son has currently taken up residency, and you’re the one going because you’re the only witch I trust around my son.”

“Well jeez, thanks.” He snatched the papers out of Benedict’s outreached hand and thumbed through the report as Benedict carried on.

“It seems my son’s mate has befriended this witch that was being held prisoner with him. The man was held under Malcolm and Lucian’s care for over a hundred years. We will be lucky if he doesn’t go insane. If it turns out that he is damaged, I don’t want him around my son and his mate.”

Klaus glanced up from his papers. “Does this witch have a name?”

“It’s not in the report?” Benedict clicked away on his keyboard, searching through his computer. “Oh here it is. His name is Astrid.”

“Astrid?” he asked in disbelief. “Are you sure it’s a man?” He chuckled. Who would give a boy such a feminine name? With a name like that, the poor guy should be allowed to go a little crazy every now and again.

“From what my son has told me, this man, Astrid, was sold when he was thirteen years of age to Malcolm. He has no knowledge of where he comes from. He only spoke of a mother.” Benedict tapped his fingers on the desktop. “Pretty heartless if you ask me. God only knows what Malcolm did to the poor man. And in my book, it’s better to be safe than sorry. So if this Astrid is going to lose it, I’d rather him do it here at council headquarters where we can control the damage.”

Klaus studied the man. He brought up valid points, but there was more to it. The hairs on the back of his neck rose in suspicion. “So let me get this straight, you want me to go and question this guy for information on a witch he may not even know?” He arched an eyebrow.

Benedict looked up from his computer. “It’s not just about getting information on Asher, but for the safety of my boy and the other warriors in the house with this Astrid.”

Klaus chewed at the inside of his cheek. Since when did Benedict give two shits about his boy? Klaus wasn’t the most sensitive man, but Benedict lacked emotions more than he did. The man operated like a machine. Benedict was one-track minded and focused strictly on his job. And as of late, that focus had squarely been directed toward a vampire who had been missing for centuries now.

“Benedict, you don’t have to tell me your reasons, but don’t sit there and tell me it’s because of your son’s safety that you want this witch.” Klaus leaned forward and pointed his finger at Benedict.

“It is the truth,” he growled back. “Contrary to what everyone else thinks, including my son, I do care about him.”

Klaus didn’t want to argue with him. In the end it wouldn’t get him anywhere, and he would still be traveling to Middle-of-Nowhere, Missouri. “Fine, whatever you say, Benedict,” he said reluctantly.

“Okay then.” Benedict cleared his throat. “Like I said, I have the plane fueled up and ready to go. All that is holding up the mission is you.”

He stood up and headed to the door. Once there, he paused and turned back to the man sitting behind the desk. “Benedict, has it ever occurred to you that this man may just, in fact, be an innocent?”

“No one is ever completely innocent. Least of all, witches.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Without a second thought, Klaus fisted his hand in Astrid’s shirt and rolled until he lay on top of him. Astrid gasped in surprise, and Klaus grinned down at his angel. The yearning that crossed Astrid’s face was all the go-ahead he needed.

Klaus covered Astrid’s lips with his own. He sipped from Astrid’s heavenly entrance. His tongue came out to lick at the seam of Astrid’s lips. The need to plunder the velvety, moist mouth had his body humming to claim what was rightfully his.

He teased Astrid’s lips apart and coaxed Astrid’s tongue into playing with his. Astrid timidly sucked his tongue farther into his mouth, and white-hot pleasure raced through Klaus’s body from the top of his head down to his toes.

The need to breathe had him pulling away from Astrid. Klaus rested his forehead against Astrid as he tried to focus. He took deep breaths, trying to calm his racing heart.

Slow. He needed to go slow.

“Okay, angel, I’ll give you what you want.” He placed a finger against Astrid’s lips when he started to speak. “But at my pace. I want to take things slow with you.”

“You’re just making excuses.” Astrid pushed at his chest. “You don’t want me.”

Klaus grabbed Astrid’s hand and placed it over the rock-solid erection he sported behind his zipper. Astrid’s eyes widened in shock.

“Does it feel like I don’t want you?” He moaned as Astrid gave an experimental squeeze to his length. “I want you more than the next breath I take, but we need to take one thing at a time. We have all the time in the world. There’s no need to rush it.”

Astrid continued to stroke Klaus’s cock through his pants. Astrid knew what he wanted, and he was taking control of the situation. Klaus could get used to this side of his angel.

The need to come had Klaus pulling Astrid’s hands up to the sides of his head. He smiled down at his mate as he wiggled beneath him.

“Keep your hands right here.” He tightened his hold on his mate’s small, fragile wrist to emphasize his request. Astrid gave him a jerky nod.

Klaus held his angel’s gaze as he slowly trailed his fingers down Astrid’s clothed body. He would have liked for his mate to be wearing nothing at all. The need to feel soft, smooth skin had Klaus yanking Astrid’s shirt up to his chin. He left the shirt there and went for Astrid’s zipper. The prize lying inside was what he truly wanted at the moment. Klaus wanted to taste Astrid and get drunk on his liquid magic.

He popped the button on Astrid’s pants and peeled back the sides. The head of Astrid’s cock peeked out of the top of his briefs. Klaus reached up and used both hands to pull down the sturdy denim. Astrid raised his hips off the bed to help him.

“God you’re beautiful,” Klaus said as he got his first glimpse of Astrid’s naked body. Astrid had pale skin from head to toe with lightly tanned nipples that hardened from his touch. He worked his way down to the heavy cock resting against Astrid’s stomach. The head peeked out of the foreskin, showcasing a drop of pre-cum at the tip. God how he loved his men uncut.

Not giving Astrid a chance to decide if he wanted Klaus’s mouth on him or not, he leaned forward and swallowed his mate down until his nose met the thatch of golden hair surrounding the base. Astrid grunted and thrust his hips into Klaus’s face as he moved up the length. He rolled down the thin tissue and tongued every ridged contour. He hummed around the head as he brought his other hand up to gently massage Astrid’s balls and pull on the soft orbs lightly. With mouth on cock, one hand jacking the length and one hand fondling his man’s bits, he very quickly pushed Astrid over the edge.

Astrid threw his head back and screamed as hot cum shot down his throat. Klaus ran his eyes up the length of Astrid’s body as he came undone. The tendons of Astrid’s neck bulged as he succumbed to the love Klaus showed him.

Klaus sucked his mate’s throbbing length until he milked all the cream his mate had to give. The taste of pure bliss erupted on his tongue. He released Astrid’s softening shaft from his lips and sat up, straddling Astrid’s legs. Klaus growled in frustration when he couldn’t get his pants undone quickly enough. The intoxicating, sweet taste of Astrid on his tongue drove him to insanity.

He breathed a sigh of relief as he finally worked his prick free from his pants. Klaus looked up to his mate when he heard Astrid’s sharp inhale. This was the first time his mate had seen his naked shaft. His size had intimidated many men but not his Astrid. Astrid licked his lips as he ogled his hard cock.