STORY EXCERPT

“Leave him and go,” Julius ordered as he stared down his guards with a look of bored contempt.

If the werewolves found the command odd—and they probably did—none of them were stupid enough to argue with him. Shoving the man toward Julius, the guards turned on their heels and marched away, leaving him alone with the intriguing creature standing before him.

“My name is Prince Julius William Marionette, and this is my home.”

“Good for you,” the guy shot back, crossing his arms over his chest and curling his upper lip. Blood slowly trickled down his chin, but he made no move to wipe it away, nor did he give any indication that he even noticed the injury.

“I’m not your enemy, little one.”

“From where I’m standing, that’s debatable.”

Oh, he had fire. Julius just hoped he could redirect that passion into more pleasurable pursuits. “What’s your name, little one?”

“Stop calling me that. My name is Kennedy Colfax, not ‘little one.’ Besides, I’m not even that little. Five-seven is a perfectly normal height. It’s not my fault your parents fed you Miracle-Gro as a kid.”

Julius arched an eyebrow, but he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. “I hardly think six feet is comparable to a giant pumpkin.”

“I—” Kennedy’s lips snapped together, and he tilted his head to the side as his brow furrowed. “You’re not like the others.”

That wasn’t strictly true, but he figured it also depended on the examples of his kind that Kennedy had witnessed. Most immortals were decent, hardworking people, trying to find their place in the new world, just like everyone else. They didn’t trust humans, but they generally didn’t despise them, either.

“Well, the way I see it, you have two options. You can head down to the dungeons with the other blood slaves, where you will be washed, vaccinated, fed, and given a place to sleep.”

Kennedy grimaced and shook his head quickly. “What’s the second option?”

“You can play nice, and I’ll take you into the main house. You can have a hot shower in private, clean clothes, a quiet meal, and a soft bed.”

“What’s the catch?” Kennedy asked skeptically.

Julius smirked and linked his hands behind his back. “It’s my bed.”

“As much as I’d like to keep my blood inside my body where it belongs, I’d rather put my vein on tap than be your sex slave. Not happening, Dracula.”

“I have no intentions of touching you inappropriately. I’ll even sleep on the floor if that’s what you wish. I’m offering you refuge, Kennedy Colfax, not forcing you into servitude.”

“Why…why would you do that? What do you want from me?”

It didn’t surprise Julius that the man would think that. With his limited knowledge of the paranormal world and those that inhabited it, what reason did he have to trust one of the “monsters” that had taken over the world he’d once known? He’d been running and hiding, trying to avoid capture, and now he found himself right in the hands of the enemy he’d tried so desperately to evade.

Julius didn’t have to hear Kennedy’s story to know it. He’d seen it happen time and time again with other rogues. They weren’t all human, either. Some were hybrids, elves, pixies, fae, and even a few vampires and werewolves as well. Their stories were all the same. They’d rather sleep in the mud and starve to death than become someone else’s property.

“I don’t want to own you, Kennedy. I want you to be my royal consort, my mate.”

Kennedy arched a disbelieving eyebrow and snorted. “Is that like mates in the wild or human soul mates, Your Majesty?”

“Please, call me Julius.”

“Maybe.” He’d lost some of the hostility in his tone, and he wasn’t looking like he wanted to attack Julius anymore. “Explain this mate thing to me.”

It wasn’t a demand, but it wasn’t quite a question, either. Some of the pungent odor of fear had dissipated, however, and he didn’t seem quite so tense. If Kennedy agreed to be his consort, Julius was definitely going to have his hands full with the strong-willed little imp. Surprisingly, he found he was looking forward to it.

“I suppose it’s a mixture of both. Our animalistic instincts draw us to our mates and allow us to identify them through scent. We are very territorial and possessive with our mates, but that also comes with a heightened sense of protectiveness. The human side of that is the emotion, the instant connection and recognition involved.”

“Like love at first sight?” Kennedy asked.

“It’s a strong connection,” Julius answered slowly. “I don’t know if I’d call it love, though.”

Kennedy’s lips quirked up on one side in a cocky half smile. “Good answer.” The grin fell away, a quiet sigh puffed from his lips, and his chin dropped to his chest as though all the fight had just drained out of him. “I feel something, and I know I’m not as afraid of you as I am the others. I don’t understand any of this.”

“I know you don’t trust me.” Taking a chance, Julius stepped a little closer and held his hand out to the smaller man. “Come inside with me, and I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Just give me a chance to prove you wrong.”

Kennedy looked one way and then the other before shaking his head with a huff. “I can’t believe I’m going to do this.” Another moment of hesitation, and then very slowly he placed his hand into Julius’s. “I’m probably going to regret this.”

“I’ll do everything I can to make sure you don’t.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Julius pumped his heavy cock, and beads of translucent pre-cum wept from the slit to drip down the side of the crown. Kennedy’s mouth flooded with saliva, a deep shiver raced up his spine, and he actually snarled as he prowled toward his lover on his hands and knees.

No matter how much fire burned in Julius’s gaze, Kennedy had serious doubts that Mr. Prude and Proper was up for leading the charge into this adventure. It didn’t matter, though. Sure, Kennedy liked being dominated and manhandled inside the bedroom, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t take control if the situation called for it.

“Come here,” Julius ordered, his voice deep, raspy, and dripping with arousal. Releasing his engorged cock, he lifted his hand and crooked a finger. “Come here, sweetheart.”

Well, that was new. Kennedy didn’t know what to make of this side of Julius, but he certainly wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. His dick throbbed angrily, aching for immediate release. The wait would only make his climax that much sweeter, though.

His tongue darted out to wet his lips as he pushed the plastic bottle of gel into Julius’s free hand. “Keep that close.” Then he gripped his lover’s dripping cock by the base and wrapped his lips around the spongy crown.

Pre-cum coated his tongue, making him groan as his eyes rolled back in his head. Sucking dick was one of the few things in life that he excelled at, and it didn’t hurt that he loved doing it. He could suck-start a Harley given the right motivation, and a sexy-as-sin man with a hard-on all for him was the perfect provocation.

Keeping a tight suction around the shaft with his lips, he hollowed his cheeks as he flicked his tongue along the length and under the crown. He hummed and moaned, sending vibrations through his mate’s cock as he cupped Julius’s tight sac and tugged at his balls. The rumbling growls that echoed around the tent were erotic in a way he couldn’t describe, spurring him to take the thick cock all the way to the back of his throat.

Long, pale fingers tangled in his hair, pulling none-too-gently until he was forced to release his new favorite toy. Then in a move he didn’t see coming, couldn’t have predicted, Julius grabbed him under the arms and jerked him into his lap, crushing their mouths together with brutal intensity.

Kennedy wasn’t just kissed. He was consumed. Julius didn’t just dominate him. He owned him. Adrenaline coursed through his blood, his gut tightened, and his hole clenched greedily as Julius’s cock rubbed against the crease of his ass. Their damp bodies slid together, slick with sweat and flushed with desire.

The unmistakable click of a bottle cap penetrated the lusty haze fogging his brain, and Kennedy gasped when a slippery finger found his opening and began ringing the fluttering muscles. Moist lips traveled along the curve of his neck, and Julius nipped at the sensitive skin as he plunged one finger deep into Kennedy’s contracting channel.

A second digit followed, and Julius pumped and twisted, scissoring his fingers as he stretched Kennedy’s hole quickly but thoroughly. “Up,” he growled, slapping one rounded globe of Kennedy’s backside to punctuate the command.

Rising up from his lover’s lap, Kennedy waited with trembling muscles as the prince positioned the helmet of his fat cock so that it pressed insistently against his opening. His body vibrated with anticipation while his cock pounded and his head swam.

In all the times the fantasy had played out inside his mind, it had never been like this. He’d always pictured Julius as a kind and courteous lover, gentle, caring, and almost shy. His vampire was none of those things.

Prince Julius Marionette was demanding, controlling, and confident. He knew what he wanted, and he didn’t ask for it. He took it with a cockiness that belied his usually subdued nature, and Kennedy was in absolute heaven.

Never would he have anticipated such raw, carnal passion from someone so uptight outside of the bedroom. Kennedy reveled in every hard, demanding thrust as Julius’s cock stretched his inner walls to capacity. Strong hands held a firm grip on his ass, lifting him with ease and pulling him back down on the rigid length that plowed into his depths.

“Fuck,” he groaned, wrapping his arms around his mate’s neck and resting his cheek against Julius’s temple. “Yes, right there. Right there. Just like that.”

“If you can talk,” Julius panted against the side of his throat, “I’m not doing something right.” With an agility that Kennedy could never hope to imitate, he tucked his feet under him so that he was kneeling and used his powerful thighs to slam up into Kennedy’s ass.

One muscled arm encircled his waist like an iron band, locking him into place as Julius increased his rhythm. Using his free hand, he smoothed his palm up Kennedy’s spine and then raked his fingernails back down the damp flesh, adding just a bite of pain to the already earth-shattering experience.

Then the hand disappeared, and Julius curled his elbow under Kennedy’s left knee, lifting his leg and opening him to deeper penetration. The next hard thrust pegged his prostate, sending electricity racing along his spine as lights burst behind his closed eyelids. Wanton moans and whimpers poured from his swollen lips, increasing in volume as his climax barreled down on him like a runaway locomotive.

His aching cock rubbed against his lover’s washboard abs, hypersensitive and producing copious amounts of clear fluid that provided an easy glide over the bricks of muscle. “Look at me,” Julius demanded, fisting his hand in Kennedy’s hair and jerking his head back on his shoulders.

Brazen lust shone back at him in those brilliant gray eyes, and Kennedy’s panting breath came to a sudden halt. He was mesmerized, hypnotized, and utterly lost, unable to look away even if he’d wanted.