STORY EXCERPT

Ter had put it off as long as his dragon would let him. Nicolae had played him nicely on Christmas night. The scent of his mate had driven him crazy since that cold evening a few days previously. He hadn’t even been able to stand to stay in Evan’s house like the rest of the Brats because Nicolae’s scent clung to the presents his men had delivered and the wrapping paper where he’d hand-wrapped each one with care. Nicolae was nothing if not meticulous and kind in his dealings. Even though he’d kidnapped Gideon, Ter hadn’t been concerned for a second that Nicolae would hurt him. The man might not have always played by the rules, but he was never cruel. Ter would know. He’d checked with every paranormal from here to the Garden District in an attempt to find anything against Nicolae that would provide Ter the reason to stay the hell away from the vampire.

The Garden Coven had rented out the entire second floor of the Bourbon Orleans hotel on Bourbon Street for their New Year’s celebration. His dragon had forced him to shift twice already in an effort to get close to the place. Ter pressed his back to the brick wall across the street and stared up at the vampire prince as he leaned against the wrought iron railing on the second floor of the building. The rest of the block was packed with partygoers, so it was entirely possible that Nicolae didn’t see him. But he doubted it.

Their eyes met, and Ter knew that Nicolae had known he’d been there all along. He stepped into the street. “Can I come up?” he called. Someone jostled him to the side as they stumbled into him, but he righted himself almost instantly.

Nicolae nodded. “Please do, Hebecta.”

Ter circled the block to get to the front of the hotel and crossed the white marble floor to the golden elevators to take it to the second floor. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Nicolae stood waiting on him in the hallway. His dragon purred.

“Hi,” he said. His body warmed as Nicolae offered him a soft smile of greeting.

“Hi,” the vampire repeated. “You found me.”

“Couldn’t stay away,” he murmured, stepping into the hallway.

Nicolae stepped to him so that they were nearly chest to chest. “I’m glad. I had hoped you would join me, Hebecta. I want you in my life more than the few seconds of company you allow me most nights.”

“Shh,” Ter said, wrapping his arms around Nicolae’s waist and pulling them flush. “No talking.” He tilted his head up and was relieved when Nicolae stopped the flow of words to brush his lips against Ter’s.

Their mouths fused, tongues dancing, as something more than simple lust flowed between them. Their chemistry made Ter’s head spin as the kiss stretched on. Nicolae buried his hands in his hair, holding his head still so he could plunder Ter’s mouth with his tongue. Ter clutched his waist and pushed into his mate until Nicolae was braced against the wall opposite the elevators. Nicolae made a noise of pleasure in the back of his throat as they continued to make out like a couple of teenagers.

He wasn’t sure who broke the kiss first, but he knew that when it was over he was staring into Nicolae’s gorgeous blue eyes, both of them panting lightly. “I should go,” he whispered as his senses started to return. He hadn’t meant to come in and start kissing Nicolae, but he had been waiting for days for a little taste of his mate.

“I want you to stay,” Nicolae murmured. “Stay with my family. Stay with me.”

Ter shook his head. “No. I can’t. I’ve gotta go.”

“Then allow me to walk you home,” Nicolae pressed.

“Not you. One of your brothers. I’ll let one of them walk me home.” If Nicolae came with him, he would stay the night, and Ter knew it. Ter knew his control wasn’t good enough to walk away from his mate after a kiss that shook him to his core. He would have to get a better handle on his dragon. If he had a hope of maintaining his independence, he’d have to learn to ignore the maddening impulse to get closer to Nicolae, even if that meant ignoring his mate in the meantime.

After a long pause, Nicolae sighed. “Very well.” He let Ter go, and the Quarter Brat retreated a step. “Let me go get one of my brothers. Dimka is the least intoxicated.”

“Dimka?” Ter asked.

“Dmitri. Dimka is a childhood nickname, a shortening of his name.” He paused, looking like he wanted to say so much more than what he did. “Do you wish to wait here, or do you want to come with me to fetch my brother?”

“I’ll wait here.”

Nicolae nodded. “Fine. Happy New Year, Ter. I will come to you tomorrow.”

Ter would make sure that he wasn’t there, not until he could tell him “no” and mean it.

ADULT EXCERPT

“Do you wish to tie me?” Nicolae asked.

Ter growled. “Yeah. I want you tied. Will you let me?”

“Yes.”

Ter went over to the table with all the weird implements resting on it and took both pairs of handcuffs from it. He hissed at the itching that started in his palms. Silver restraints? Interesting. Atlas in Chains really did cater to their paranormal clients. Vampires were rendered nearly human when silver came into contact with their bare skin.

Dragons had a slight allergic reaction to silver. His itching attested to that. If he would’ve been a wolf-shifter or werewolf, he would’ve been scorched by the silver though. Apparently not a lot of shifters came here. Unlike all the other types of shifters though, there was a certain metal that empowered him. Gold made him higher than a proverbial kite and nearly doubled his power when he wore it. Not that he had a lot of gold lying around the house. But that was the theory anyway.

He turned from the table then walked back over to the bed where Nicolae was lazily stroking his cock. The sight nearly made Ter swallow his tongue. “Stop that,” he said. If Nicolae kept playing with himself, he was going to blow his load without the vampire ever touching him.

“Is that an order?” Nicolae asked, switching to fondle the heavy sac beneath his dick. He groaned, and Ter forgot how to breathe.

“Does that turn you on?” Ter asked, his voice strangled. The husky teasing note in Nicolae’s tone made goose bumps break out over his skin.

“Surprisingly, yes. Having you in charge of me turns me on greatly, Ter.” His hooded eyes and lust-filled scent said he wasn’t lying. “I wish you to take your pleasure from me.”

“Give me your hands,” Ter commanded. The eye-hooks that were drilled into the headboard would serve as excellent anchor points for Nicolae’s wrists.

Without hesitation, Nicolae extended his arms and watched as Ter clicked the handcuffs on one wrist and then the other. Ter swallowed and quickly attached the cuffs to the headboard. He’d never been allowed to cuff a lover before. The men he’d been with had never let someone like him take charge of their relationship, even for a moment. The fact that Nicolae was seemed almost unreal.

He stared down at his restrained lover for longer than was really necessary and drank in the image of the vampire splayed and cuffed for his enjoyment. “I could leave you like this,” Ter said aloud.

Nicolae groaned. “I really hope you do not, Ter. I need you.” Had anyone ever needed him before? He wasn’t entirely sure. His family had shown without a shadow of a doubt that they hadn’t needed him. His boyfriends had never needed him. The Brats were probably the only people on the planet who came close to actually needing him around, and that was just to pay rent and watch their backs. The idea that Nicolae, a vampire prince and a very intimidating male, needed him made him dizzy.

Ter snatched up the lube from the side table and drizzled some out in his palm. “I won’t leave you wanting, bitey. I promise,” he murmured as he slicked his palm down Nicolae’s straining cock. The vampire hissed, bowing up into his touch as Ter slicked his dick with the lube. He was heavy in his hand, scorching hot, too. The long, thick prick in his fist was perfect.

“Ter, have mercy,” Nicolae groaned, pushing his hips in counter thrust to Ter’s movements. “I will not last if you continue.”

Ter took his hand away, and Nicolae shuddered at the loss. “Don’t worry, Nicolae. We have all night.” There was a promise in there somewhere that Ter knew he shouldn’t be giving, but it was too late to call the words back now.

He distracted himself from his suddenly thundering heart by grabbing the bottle of slick and putting more on his fingers before reaching behind himself and finding his needy hole. He groaned at the contact. He’d imagined Nicolae’s cock sinking into his heat for longer than he cared to recall. Every morning in the shower he’d jerk off and finger himself thinking about the man in front of him. It was all too easy to call his fantasies to the forefront of his mind as he pushed one finger into his ass, stretching the entrance to accommodate Nicolae’s monster cock.

“Hebecta, I have waited so long for you,” Nicolae whispered, looking at him like he was the hungriest man on the planet and Ter was the last Twinkie in the world. Ter couldn’t imagine going centuries wanting something, not yet anyway. He hadn’t had the dragon inside him for long enough to comprehend centuries.

He bit into his bottom lip as he pushed another finger into his hole. He imagined his digits were Nicolae’s cock, and he almost lost it. Control. You’re in charge, remember? Get it together, Ter. His internal pep talk was useless when he looked down at his soon-to-be lover. Nicolae, even cuffed to the bed, looked like he was king of the known universe. Ter shuddered. He loved that this big male was at his mercy tonight.

Ter crawled onto the bed and swung his leg over Nicolae’s hip. “Mine.” He spat the word out as he seized Nicolae’s thick cock and pressed it against the stretched entrance to his body.

“Yours,” Nicolae agreed breathlessly. The sentence ended in a low moan of want as Ter sank down further on his hot length. The stretch was incredible, and Ter was certain he’d never had anyone fill him so completely. It was like a lock clicked into place as they joined. This felt right.

It took him a minute to work himself down Nicolae’s dick, and he had to pause in several places to accommodate what was filling him. By the time he got himself fully seated, they were both slicked with a fine sheen of sweat.

“Nicolae,” Ter gasped, feeling his lover’s hardness jerk inside him.

“I need, Hebecta. Please, move.” Nicolae begging was something he’d never thought to hear, but it just turned him on more and a drop of clear pre-cum welled up from the tip of his dick at the words.

“You want it?” he teased, drawing out the anticipation until he was almost squirming on Nicolae’s lap.

“Yes, God in heaven, yes!” Nicolae groaned.

Ter reached behind himself and fondled Nicolae’s tight sac. “Beg for it,” he commanded. “Beg me to ride your cock.”